Dear Family and Friends,
What a year!
The New Year started off with a bang. Jeff left New Years’ day for Minnesota to breed Brushdale’s You Can’t Fence Me In (Yetta) to Brushdale’s VC Open Season (Jager). Three days after returning to Rapid City in a nasty snow storm we found BB’s Aster, in accelerated fashion, at her peak estrus. This forced Jeff again back to Minnesota in another snow storm to breed Aster to Jager. Pregnancy for both dogs were confirmed weeks later and we prepared for our D and E litters back to back. On March 4th, Yetta went into labor. Around the same time Jeff got a phone call informing him that his mom fell and broke her hip. Since Yetta was in the early stages of labor he went to the hospital to see his mom before the surgery. He returned home just in time for Yetta to have 9 pups! Not long after Jeff left to see his mom following surgery, Aster’s started going into pre-labor which lasted all night. The following morning Aster whelped her first litter of 8 pups; 17 pups altogether. Cedar was now a grandpa!
Making 2023 more eventful, we decided to keep a pup out of Aster’s litter, a female called Zephyr (Cedars Point Don’t Stop Believin’). Zephyr clearly possessed her parent’s prey drive and Grandpa Cedar’s nose. Unexpectedly, Jeff ran Zephyr in her Natural Ability test. She received a 98 Prize III at the age of 13 weeks. Our Little Dumplin’, as she was referred to by a judge, made The Point proud. A few months later we had another litter hit the ground between Riava’s Miss Dakota (Soda) to a stud called Lakewood’s Faithful Oswald (Oz). The F Litter totaled 9 more pups the same week as Zephyr’s Natural Ability test. Three litters in one year! Wow, what an adventure!
Other significant events occurred in 2023 as well. In June, we celebrated the wedding of Jeff’s niece, Rachel and her husband Michael in Golden, CO. It was a beautiful day despite earlier torrential rains. Jeff and Brenda had a chance to get away for the first time since starting the kennel, thanks to a B Litter buyer from Minnesota, to spend time with family, and explore Golden.
If that wasn’t enough Jeff’s dad lost his battle with Alzheimer’s during the F litter and slipped away in a matter of weeks. Family came from Colorado and Washington to celebrate his life. He is buried at the Black Hills National Cemetery and received full military honors. We treasured the time together with family, sharing stories and reminiscing. The family even found solace with the F litter who provided special puppy therapy.
Late year, Brenda and her sister Dayna decided it was time to sell their childhood home in Neenah, WI. Their aunt, Cres who had been living there since their mom passed away in 2021, moved back to Mexico during the summer. Brenda and Dayna spent days going through old keepsakes and cleaning out the house to put it on the market. As difficult as it was to say goodbye to decades of childhood memories, they were content the house sold within days of listing.
What’s in store for 24? More pups and stuff we’re sure. Stay tuned! Have a wonderful and blessed Christmas and New Year!
Many Blessings,
Jeff, Brenda, Cedar, Yetta, Aster, Soda, and Zephyr