We went to the vet Monday to get an xray and found that we had FIVE puppies not the seven we thought.  Five in the hive was the new slogan – they were all big and healthy – robust was the word used.  Woo Hoo go Bummy Go!

Bummy started acting like she was in labor Tuesday evening – my friend Jaime Foutty came to lend her support, but she never went further into labor.  Her temp had dropped to 97.9 so I figured they had to be coming soon.  Bummy obviously did not read Whelping For Bummies.

She looked to be having mild contractions the early hours of Wednesday I was so sure she was not in heavy labor I set me alarm for an hour later so I could get some rest.  Well she lifts her leg (yes she is sitting) and out springs a puppy shooting out to me.  Bummy had no idea what it was I jumped and got a towel and started drying it off.  Poor Steve was dead asleep on the couch and I yelled to him to get the aspirator so I could help get the puppy clear he jumped up and was walking in a dazed circle – it is really funny now and we joke about it.

I barely got the little black tri girl cleaned off with Bummy’s assist.  She had figured out that the thing was a puppy and HER PUPPY by this time.  Then came another one our red tri boy.  She cleaned this one herself and I held onto the little girl I started to call Queen Bee since she is the first.  About 20 minutes later out comes another one this time a blue merle girl!

In about 45 minutes we had three puppies!  They were big and strong and Bummy nursed them and they all figured it out quick.

It seemed like she was taking a break which I had read about so I was not worried.  We took her out to potty and the puppies stayed in a warm basket.  She then started up contractions again.

Now up until now it was picture perfect and I actually let myself relax.  I even thought..wow this is kind of fun!

How wrong I was.

She had contractions about 20 minutes with no puppy, I called our repo vet and she told me to palpate.  Something I am not sure I will ever forget as long as I live is i stick my finger in and a little nose nudged me.  I told the vet and then all of a sudden Bummy pushed out the puppy bag and the water whooshed onto me but no puppy.  I just knew this was bad.

My vet said I could wait a bit longer but I said no way I want you to check it – I was sure that I was doing something wrong.  Her office is about 30 miles from my house so I rode in the back with Bummy and the three babies who were still in their basket.  Steve drove faster than Tony Stewart (okay not as fast just as fast as safety allowed) and we got to the office in record time.

It was about 4:30 by then.  Dr Barber palpated her and could feel the head but like me it was too far back.  We took Bummy in and x rayed her and found that the puppies arm were abnormally positioned and so his shoulders could not fit.

I had to make a decision between injecting her with oxytocin and trying to amp up her contractions to push him out or do a C section.  At this point Bummy was bright eyed and relatively fresh.  I just knew she had tried as hard as she could – she had tried to push and I was afraid if we injected her and then had to do the C-section she would be exhausted and her ability to survive a C-section would diminish.

I requested the C-section.  They started prepping surgery and Bummy fed the other puppies she was still having contractions too.  Probably to keep us busy they had Steve and I clip her belly and arm for surgery then they took her in.  I told Steve to go home – our son was by himself and it would be hours before we could leave.

I sat on the clinic floor in faded pink sweats that were about 5 sizes too big, a what was brown now pukish green Disney sweatshirt, a pair of Sean’s socks and black sandals – yes I was a total fashion statement!  For some reason they were playing Christmas carols and the song “All I Want For Christmas Is You” came on and I lost it.  I was sprawled over the puppy basket sobbing.

I texted some of my friends then realized my phone was about dead. Nice

To lose Bummy would kill me.  I prayed to God to save her if I lost the puppies so be it but save Bumble Bee I pleaded.  In a comedic moment the red tri boy started to climb out of the box and up the flannel sheet.  So much for puppies just lay there!

After about a half an hour I heard a puppy cry!  What a sweet sound and a few moments later Big Blue was put into my arms.  I was told the black tri male did not make it – they tried for 10 minutes to revive him but he had passed.  I held Big Blue and he just laid there.  I found out later it was due to the anesthesia (which ironically is what Michael Jackson was using when he died) and in about 10 minutes he woke up and starting squirming.

I put him in with his siblings and started to try and inform people.  What about Bummy asked my friend Jenn.  Another hour.  I just prayed.  Save Bummy.  Please God, save Bumble Bee.

Dr Barber came in – Bummy was out of anesthesia and doing great.  She told me that the other puppies placenta had detached and that he probably died before we got in the car.  I could not have saved him.

I was given time to be with him and I was able to hold him and tell him that he had been loved and very much wanted.   He looked just like my red tri boy – perfect markings and a beautiful face.  I told him I was so sorry I failed him – I tried so hard to keep him safe, I did everything I could – spared no expense but my little boy was still dead.  Somewhere out there in the world there is a person who lost their best four legged pal – I am so sorry to have failed you too.  I really tried.

I realize now that is why Bummy’s mom passed away a few weeks ago, she is in heaven taking care of my little boy.  Her and Bummy’s Daddy Skeeter.  I hope they are loving him for me.

And yes I know my guilt is irrational.  There was no way to save him – I know that but I still am wracked with guilt.  Big Blue was saved because we got in when we did – I guess he would not have lasted much longer either.  And I have Bumble Bee.

I called my friend Jaime to let her know Bummy made it out.  I had to use the office phone since mine was dead.  I asked her to let Jenn know because I know she was freaked out as much as me (later I spoke with her and she even said that!)

By this time Bummy was able to walk and so she came in the room with us and met #5 the miracle puppy.  SHe nuzzled and loved on him for a bit -even in a fog she was an amazing mommy to him.

The Puppies were so strong and healthy we docked tails and did dew claws.  We brought them home and I could not stop staring at them.  Bummy was still out of it and so we needed to be on 24/7 puppy watch.  I could not eat or sleep.  I looked like hell.  In fact the vet remarked that she would not have put ME under anesthesia I was so out of it!

That night Steve forced me to sleep on the couch and I had 7 hours of sleep probably more than I had had in three nights combined.  I stayed up with them the rest of the night and it made me feel better to watch them.  Thank goodness I have four days off and the best husband on earth and a great son.

I bought lottery tickets yesterday because I have decided in the end I did my best, I still have Bummy and her four puppies.  It was a lucky time.

Oh and because I was up in the middle of the night I made the puppies their own website.  If you want to check there too there are pictures up of them.  I will keep updating them so you can watch them grow!   http://calabroneaustralianshepherds.com/

So far no real nesting activity – I am going to buy a thermometer and some other supplies tonight just so I can have them on hand when the time comes.  People have asked me if there is a theme to the litter and the answer is no but kind  I would like them all to have a Bee/Buzz type of name.  I have mine picked out if I keep a boy (it is a surprise) and a list for anyone.  The only deviation is if someone wants to name theirs after Skeeter or Prada.  I truly feel that they are looking down and taking care of the litter.

If she did not look sprung she is still acting normal although today is the first day she did not finish breakfast (she ate most of it).  I talked to my regular vet and they will be doing the tail docking and dew claws for me instead of taking them the 3 hour round trip to the repo vet.  I feel bad they will not get to meet the fruits of their labor but it is so better on the puppies to just be run a mile away.

I am also working on Bummy’s ASCA paperwork.  I should have done this months ago.  In fact I had talked to Jeff Margeson a few months ago and had thought of getting it going but I forgot so here I am scrambling.  I have everything ready and now am waiting for the DNA test kit.  Of course Animal Genetics has Bummy’s DNA, and AKC does as well but ASCA uses a THIRD lab so another $35 dollars lol.

At this point I have spent so much whats another few bucks and now it will be easier for the puppies to have ASCA too.  I really wish that AKC and ASCA would have something more like Paint and Pinto in horses but unfortunately it is more like AQHA and APHA (no one but my horse friends will get that by the way LOL).

Obviously I have never shown ASCA but where my niece and nephew live there is an active club so I want them to be able to go and learn so I am more than happy to do it.  Plus I guess ASCA’s Aussie Nationals is in Colorado in 2013 so maybe I will have a puppy showing?  I may show my puppy locally and I really have heard great things about their agility too so maybe I will get Bummy showing too.  We shall see.

Our final vet appointment is in a week for her x-ray – hopefully there will be only seven puppies in the hive – a couple of people keep reminding me that ultrasounds can miss some.  Seven is perfect!  But if there are more than as long as they are healthy that is fine.  How many Australian Shepherds will I have in this house?  We shall soon find out!

One of the dogs was three legged what was funny is you could only see his disability when he was not working.  That dog was incredible and you would have no idea he was three legged until he stopped.  The picture in this post is of him.  I wish they had explained how he lost a leg but they did not.

Border Collies are incredible – the drive they have for the jobs they do is so neat to watch.  My co-owner breeds them as well so I get to play with them a bit.  The competition at Rural Hill had people from all over the United States and Canada.  A must do every year.

Ms. Bumble Bee was not invited this year – she is way too close to her due date for the excitement.  I left her napping on the bed as I sneaked out.  Olive is getting HUGE – watching her grown makes me get excited for my own puppies to get here.

So far Bummy has had an unremarkable pregnancy.  Jenn and Jason said she looks sprung in her rib cage.  I have followed my vet’s advice to the letter.  She is healthy, happy nor fat and not skinny.  We still take our daily walk with Sam and she plays Bummy Ball daily.

We also got to see one of our agility friends at the Agility demo.  Ken and Flash were in Beginner Agility and it is a bit sad to see they are ready to compete and we are behind.  But as soon as Bummy is able to we will be back into it.

At the back of the property were some incredible spots for pictures.  I literally dragged poor Jenn over and forced her to allow me to get some pictures of the Jaxman.  I will be posting them in the gallery later but this is my favorites.

I love this because it reminds me of the Lion King when Mufaasa tells Simba, “Everything the light touches will be yours.”    When I first met Jax he was reserved and now he just sparkles with personality.  He is such a cool dog.

I have a ton of pictures of him and Olive and they will be up later on tonight.

I used to be part of the roaming herd of clueless.  I bought into the cutsey commercials with the loving cat or dog and the happy life they lived.  I fed my animals foods that was more than the normal cost with names that I inferred meant they were healthy.  I figured if it cost more than it was good – I mean the bag and commercials told me so.

It all came crumbling down six years ago when my cat Slakk Michael was diagnosed with Feline Diabetes.  He had been flooding his litter box and so I brought him in to the vet.  Over the years he had been healthy for the most part.  The usual dry skin, fleas etc.  The vet did a blood test and sat me down and gave me the prognosis.

“He is about 9 years old.  He will be dead in a few months.  I recommend euthanasia.”  When I mentioned perhaps trying insulin the vet was not hopeful and told me he would probably die but we could try it.

I went home and began researching.  I learned that feline diabetes and cat obesity were on the rise and in researching it came down to one thing.  Dry cat food.  We had turned our hunter/preditor meat eaters into free feeding grain addicts.  Here me out – grain equals carbs, carbs turns into sugar.

Obviously I found a new vet – a vet that understood feline diabetes and even though I am terrified of needles I learned how to test Slakk’s glucose level and inject him with insulin twice a day.  Luckily for me cats have pancreas’ that actually can heal and so after less than two months on insulin Slakk was insulin free.  Take that Dr Death Vet!

And today at 15 years young still going strong.  I test him once in a while and his levels are always good.  So what did I change?  I got him off of bags of death!

My cats now live on less calories and are healthier.  I feed a high protien grain free canned food and supplement (because Slakk is a crunchy addict) with a grain free dry food.  And honestly my bill is no more than when I fed the more commercial food.  And my vet bills are way down too!  When a wild animal is looking for something to eat in a corn field do they chase the rabbit or grab a husk of corn?

Since my cats were on a grain free existence of course that meant the dogs came too.  Sam has had allergies most of his life so I moved to a limited ingredient food and he almost immediately stopped throwing up.  Obviously Bummy has been moved onto it as well and her coat is always amazing.  They get both canned and dry.  Both are grain free and still very affordable.  In fact Costco of all places has a wonderful grain free under their own label.

When I met with my vet for our pre-breeding health examination for my upcoming litter of Australian Shepherds, she asked what I fed.  She agreed there was no need to change food as I was already feeding a well balanced food for my pregnant bitch as well as her puppies.  No need to change foods – the food works for all.  Again in the wild are their special meats depending on age?  Of course not!  So why is it we have not questioned different foods for our animals?

Do you sense a theme?  No grains need apply!  I am a label reader now.  The first three ingredients need to be MEAT or something I know what it is.  Not meat by product or meal (please do not ask what that is it is really gross).  Yes there is raw, I tried it but my cats rebelled – especially my ex-feral, go figure.

What is funny is my mother and father laughed at me at first.  On a whim they changed their cats to a high protein low carb food.  Guess what?  the cats looked and felt better.  No more dry skin, less hairballs.  And again really not a higher cost because there is no more free feeding.  Why is it that people preach portion control for themselves but dump a bag of dry candy to their pets buffet style?

Again we have been desensitized to this.  The commercial show this to us.  It is convenient sure but it also is why so many animals end up at the vet all the time.  You cannot go by cost, some expensive foods are as bad as the generic slaughter house floor scrap food.  The label is the key to a healthier and happier pet.

Breed Standard

Good Breeder – Shows his dog either conformation or in competitions that show the dog does the job it was bred for.  The temperament of the dog is exceptional.  The owner can explain the positive traits of the dog and the areas where there should be improvement.

Total Cost – $100s to thousands of dollars (hundreds is being kind or the puppy is a savant think thousands)

Poor Breeder – Scoffs at showing in any form and has multiple excuses why showing is stupid, fixed, political or a combination.  The owner could not tell you what is in the breed standard but will dazzle you with buzz words and waive around papers.

Total Cost – 0

Health Clearances

Good Breeder – will thoroughly test the bitch with minimum OFA and CERF clearances and checks bloodlines for other hereditary diseases and will test for any other potential breed specific issue.  The bitch will be over two years of age in excellent health.

Total Cost – $500-$2000 (some breeds more)

Poor Breeder – May have some testing but usually not on all breeding animals.  Will waive papers around and say champion lines.

Total Cost – 0

Choosing the right male

Good Breeder – Reviews pedigree and conformation of available male dogs, looks at what they have produced and determines if this is the correct match.  Based on geography will determine live cover, fresh artificial insemination, transported cooled semen or frozen semen.

Total Cost – $500-20,000 (depending on stud fee/breed)

Poor Breeder – Got me a stud dog in the backyard, stick ‘em together and let nature do it’s thing.

Total Cost – 0

Veterinary Care

Good Breeder – Progesterone tests to determine optimal time to breed, optional ultrasound and x-ray to confirm healthy litter.  Bitch has a full veterinary exam prior to breeding, bloodwork including Brucellosis testing has been done.  All shots and preventative medicines are current, bitch is on a high quality food and in optimal condition.  Throughout pregnancy she is monitored and receives adequate exercise.

Total Cost – $500-$1000

Poor Breeder – All dogs have rabies shots and may have other shots depending on finance.  Dog’s get whatever is on sale at the time and exercise is sitting in the same pen they live in all the time.

Total Cost – $50-200

Here come the Puppies!

Good Breeder – Whelping Box is introduced and the bitch’s temperature is taken regularly.  When in labor, the breeder will assist if needed to determine if there are any issues.  Puppies are taken to the vet to be given a health check.

Total Cost – $50-200 or more

Poor Breeder – Checks pregnant bitch when feeding or when they remember.  She is in a box in the garage or in her pen.  Puppies are inspected by the neighborhood kids.

Total Cost – 0

Ready for their new homes

Good Breeder – Through their dog network has found homes for the puppies.  Puppies with show potential are sold to serious show homes and pet/companion puppies are sold on spay/neuter contracts.  All puppies have two rounds of shots, worming and had their eyes checked.  They contact the potential buyers on their list and match the owner to the puppy based on temperament and athletic ability.

The puppy will come with health guarantees and a contract that states the seller will take the puppy back at any time.

Poor Breeder – Puts a sign on their lawn and an ad in the paper or on Craigslist.  Proper home is determined by the person who has a check that will cash.  No health guarantees and no safety net.

Looking at the costs…

A good breeder will have at least $1500 into the litter of puppies and honestly that is CHEAP, in fact I want to meet them so that I can commend them because I am only at the point of 2 weeks per-delivery and I have spent way more than that.  And that does not include the time, gas etc.  In fact I think a better number is $2500-3500 and that still would mean doing a lot yourself.

And let’s not forget if the pregnancy goes bad, a C-section is thousands of dollars, a sick puppy vet costs can add up as well.  So let’s say you have a mythical litter of five and decide to keep one to be a prospective breeding animal, this means in pure costs those puppies each cost $600 to make (using an average of $3000 for litter costs) if you add in a portion of the cost of health testing and proving the dam you are looking at 200-400 more.  All of a sudden that *expensive* puppy does not look so expensive does it?

This is why a well bred puppy is going to cost more than a few hundred dollars.  A well bred puppy will not make it’s breeder a millionaire.  it will not pay back the costs but be honest.  After reading about the meticulous planning and care – which puppy is cheaper?  The puppy with the best care or the puppy who was made with little thought?  In the long run a healthy puppy will cost less money.  Less vet bills, less chance of a health issue and a safety line of a breeder who has a vested interest in helping you and your puppy.

What kind of puppy is right for you?

I know you always wanted this certain breed but do you match the breed. Read the breed standard and make sure that your lifestyle matches the dog. Do not buy a standoffish guard dog breed if your house is usually in chaos with lots of activity and strangers coming in all the time. You probably would do better with a breed of dog who loves activities. Just the same as you would not put three poodles out as guard dogs.

This goes for mutts too. I had a friend who whined about her Jack Russel/Cattle Dog cross. How it was neurotic. Shocker. She had no clue that Terriers have a high prey drive and Cattle Dogs have a work ethic to manage. The poor dog had no chance – his brain was giving him two distinct behaviors which were polar opposite. Oh but he was “so cute,” that worked for a while but the destructive tendencies and attacks on the person’s children ended up causing her to get rid of the dog. She realized she had the wrong dog and went to a rescue and ended up with a lovely lab and her dog began training as a therapy dog. A win win in the end but not all owners can recognize they made the wrong choice and made it right for all parties.

Where not to buy a puppy

Please, please, please do not buy a puppy from a pet store. These puppies may look cute but they are usually diseased and come from inferior stock who live their short pathetic lives in a small wire cage and whose crowning glory is that there uterus and testicles work. You over pay for an underwhelming dog and you condemn their parents to a pain filled existence. The worst puppy your money can buy.

Classifieds are usually one step up from a pet store. I perused the local classified and only ONE set of puppies even mentioned health testing – they usually have words like sweet, cute, adorable, smart, healthy, happy. All of that is subjective healthy could mean still breathing. Sure there are a few in the bunch that may be good but wading through the list will take more time than it is worth.

Same with the puppy websites. Most reputable breeders will not allow their puppies to be listed on these sites. Why? Because a puppy is not a car or a piece of furniture and a good breeder wants to find the right fit for their dog. Many years of blood, sweat and tears go into breeding. There is no money to be made in a hobby kennel – it is a work of love so a quick buck is not what is important.

Where to buy

This is where it is hard, if reputable breeders do not advertise how do you find them. A great way is the AKC Breeder of Merit program, In this program a breeder has to meet minimum testing and registration requirements. Not every good breeder is listed as you need to have at least four litters to qualify and some people may only breed a litter every few years so they may not qualify.

What I have found is that word of mouth works well. Usually a breeder will refer someone who contacted them to a fellow breeder with an upcoming litter. When talking to a breeder it is important you feel comfortable. Most breeder expect to keep a relationship with their puppy buyers so it is important that you like them and they like you.

The American Kennel Club website has a list of breeders, another place is the directory on the parent club of the breed (AKC is the registry but within AKC is a parent club that represents the breed itself).

Most breeders will sell a pet puppy with limited registration. This means you are not allowed to breed the dog and no puppies will be eligible for breeding. While at first glance it seems a bit punitive the reason for this is that most breeders only want the smallest number of puppies to reproduce. A pet puppy is equal to a show puppy in most area, it may just have a flaw that would not allow it to be shown (mismarked color, too much white etc). This puppy will be your next agility champion but will not be shown.

Sometimes a breeder will sell a puppy to someone on limited registration with specific requirements to move the puppy up to full registration. Perhaps requiring all health testing and conformation or performance goals. Again, meet a breeder and feel comfortable and write it all down. All expectations from both sides should be in a contract, signed by both parties.

Mandatory Requirements for a healthy puppy

Every breed has differing types of tests required. For my breed, Australian Shepherds, a reputable Australian Shepherd breeder will have at minimum hips and eye testing completed for all breeding animals. For Australian Shepherds hip dysplasia, epilepsy, cataracts and cancer are in the bloodlines. A good breeder will cull it’s lines of dogs with these diseases.

When a breeder says hips are OFA’d this means that xrays were sent in the the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals and a panels of veterinarians reviewed and graded that portion of the dog’s body. Excellent, Good and Fair are all passing grades for hips, in some tests like elbows, the grades are either normal or some form of dyspleysia.

Eye tests are done by the American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists at the Canine Eye Registry Foundation or CERF. Eyes are tested for cataracts or other eye diseases and should be tested every year. CERF testing can be found on their website on on the OFA website. If you go to a breeder and they say their dogs are tested go to these websites and verify. People lie all the time, you cannot lie in these tests, especially if the dog has been micro chipped. If they are micro chipped the number will be displayed with results.

The best news is any of these results can be found online and a reputable breeder will be happy to show you testing on all mandatory breed specific tests and usually will do many of the optional genetic test too. Testing does not always mean the dog will not have issues but it will significantly lessen the chance.

If the breeder does not test it’s dogs for all testing that the breed recommends then find another breeder. There are plenty of breeders who do test. And remember to verify the testing – do not just take their word.

Use your head not your heart

I know that you have a specific color or sex in your mind when you go puppy searching. But if you want a blue merle with blue eyes and a big white collar you have wiped 90% of puppies off your list. A better idea would be to tell a breeder what you want to do with the puppy. I am breeding a litter and one puppy is going to my niece and nephew as a pet. One question that has not been discussed is color. What color will they get? The color dog that best fits the requirement of being a good pet for children.

When I bought Bummy, in my mind I wanted a black tri male, I ended up with a blue merle female – go figure. But she was the best dog for me. In the end color and sex are not as important as a good fit personally. Don’t discount the perfect dog on the inside because his coat or eyes do not match what you thought you wanted.

I am sure this is tough on Frank and Chris who have owned her all of her life.

She has to be one of the greatest producers of all time in Aussies.  If you count all of her progeny throughout the world I find it hard for any other bitch to compare.  Such a sad day for Aussie owners.

Bummy’s sire Skeeter passed on a few months agao so it is up to their next generation to pass on these great genes.

Goodbye Prada.  The world is a little less bright today. 

Did you know that every web page should have at least 250 words on it?  Actually optimally it will have around 500 but a minimum for a page should be 250.  Content on a website is images and words you need both in order to tell the story properly.  Remember, your website is the window you put out to the world to draw customers in.

Good content tells a story, good content explains what you want to convey.  When I create a new website I put down all the ideas I have that I want to put in and then look through them.  I see what can be combined and then look at what is left.  Sometimes there are ideas that don’t seem to fit with the rest and many times I will simply put them away for another website.  Meaning if you are trying to sell dog leashes and have pages dedicated to dog leashes it is probably not appropriate to have a political themed blog attached (unless you enjoy chasing away 40% of your customers).

After I have the basic content list I start putting them in order.  Some Main categories with the sub categories under them.  At this point you start making sure that you have covered all that you want.  A fluffy happy About Us page and a way to Contact you are really mandatory.  Then I layout the categories and make a note of what each page is supposed to do and what reaction I am looking for.  If you are trying to sell something then have it easy for the user on those pages to Contact you.

If you notice,  my Blog has Australian Shepherds Facebook link and a way to contact me.  What is the purpose?  I want people to communicate with me.  Nothing is weirder than to be writing your personal thoughts and feelings to the world and not hearing anything.  So on my Blog I make it easy for people to communicate with me.  In my website’s case I am not selling anything- it really is for my personal enjoyment so I am not as structured as I would be if I was selling something.  If this was a commercial website, the Blog would be targeted specifically to the target audience and full of bolded keywords and links that would draw traffic that was my customer base.

Enough about me.  After creating a draft of a page, I put it aside and then look at it later.  I make a final read through the text, adjust the images if needed.  Once the wesbite is complete I do a dry run like someone who found my website.  I make sure that the pages all make sense and answer the questions I think are appropriate for my target audience.  Like a fine wine, I never put a website up before it’s time.  That does not mean you cannot add later, it means that all the pages that are published are completely polished.

If you remember nothing else remember this – do not publish a page that says Under Construction or Coming Soon.  It screams “I am too lazy to actually finish this”  Better to have five pages of good content than a bunch of unfinished pages.  It is like trying to sell a house with the beds unmade and dishes in the sink.

Also, don’t try and impress people with big words.  Search engines are actually turned off by big words.  The best content is written in plain, easy to read sentences.  In fact if a search engine determines that your content is college level you actually get points deducted – that is correct DEDUCTED.  A website that is written for professors get an F  by Google.

They also hate just images, yes you can hide words in the alt text but the search engines are not impressed by pretty pictures – the like words.  So why you say, do we need images?

The reason you need images is that while search engines like words, people like both words and images.  Remember the 30 second rule?  You want people to stay on your website a long time.  And while words are great, images hook the reader.  They stay longer, they become emotionally attached.  Attachment equals money.  I will show you what I mean.

These three examples are for ACME Landscaping Company and this is their Mission Statement/About Us page.  (And the language you ask – Latin.  Most cool, savvy web people use Latin for content filler while they are designing.  You can then see how a page is coming together while you wait for text.)

Example A
Example B
Example C

In example A it is just words, and dont’t get me wrong we like words..we love words!  But the problem with this is there is no impact.  People need to be drawn in and images usually will help draw in the emotional response needed to convert the casual reader to customer.  They skim the words on it and move on.  WRONG ANSWER

So then why is Example B wrong you ask?  It has pictures, beautiful pictures!! Well, it is wrong because while it has pretty images there is no content and therefore the reader is not really sure what it is that you are trying to convey.  Is it you take pictures, that you like leaves is it would like the fall?  They have no idea because you never tell them.  While you have part of the equation you still cannot seal the deal because frankly the reader has no clue what it is they are supposed to be buying.  WRONG ANSWER

Of course the winner is Example C and if you disagree that is because your pages look like A or B.  There is content as well as images and between the two the website draws you in.  Sharp, crisp grammatically correct words combined with images that c0mpliment them are the one-two punch that will draw the reader in, get them emotionally attached and want you to sell them something.

                             “For more impact you can get a bit advanced and add a quotation that
                              emphasizes what you are trying to highlight.”

I cannot tell you how many people will come back multiple times to a website with multiple pages like Example C.  Remember the usual website visit is less than 30 seconds and the way you get the conversion from reader to customer is to keep them on your website. It is also a good idea to monitor your analytics to see what pages get the most traffic and then see if you need to modify or remove the ones that lack interest.

Don’t forget to refresh your content as needed – there is nothing worse than stale content…oops that is Number Eight!  Hold that thought!

Imagine my surprise when I click on the paper’s link and there is BUMMY – right on the top of the paper.  Poor Steve was asleep and I screeched and woke him up.  Slakk Michael was sleeping on his pillow and was not interested nor amused about a canine dressed up on the screen of a computer.  He meowed his disappointment then went back to sleep.

I thought it was pretty darn cool and of course we took a screen shot of it so we can memorialize it.  Luckily we did because by this morning a great and interesting story about pig poop graced the spot that Bummy had just graced.

It was great while it lasted!

We are in FOURTH place out of about 106 dogs right now, just a few votes behind third and about 300 votes behind first.  Every vote counts so PLEASE vote for Bummy – we thank you!

I am also impatiently waiting to hear about the reaction of my niece and nephew about their upcoming Bummy puppy.  My sister-in-law and brother wanted to wait to tell them since they were so sad last time.  I know they talk about their puppy all the time so I am hoping they will be excited that it is really here!

I know what they will be getting for Christmas this year!

It was about 35-40 minutes and there was a lot of hills both up and down.  I have asthma and I was so smart that I did not bring my inhaler.  So lets recap:

Up in the mountains at altitude…CHECK

Climbing up a steep mountain….CHECK

Forget your inhaler when you have asthma…CHECK

Oh yes so about thirty minutes into the hike I could feel my ears ringing, and I guess I turned white as a ghost and I started to get really dizzy.  I literally could not get a breath and if anyone has asthma (and mine is super light I cannot imagine someone with a bad case) they know what I mean.

You start gasping.  The poor people with me did not know and were saying helpful things like “Breathe through your nose”  I was laughing as I was wheezing because at that point I was just trying to stay vertical – I literally almost passed out.  Finally I was able to gasp that I was having an asthma attack and everyone kind of had a look on their face like …OH…asthma!

At that point I was able to start to relax a bit and able to get more oxygen in my lungs.  Did I mention I knew NO ONE…hi nice to meet you just call me Weezy.  So after that we finished the climb with minimal excitement.

The remember Newton’s Law?  What goes up must come down.

We then had to go down the mountain – it took 30 minutes to get up and over and about ten to go down…straight down.  With no trail okay a bit of a trail meaning you could see a path.

Literally roots for your feet to get leverage and trees for your hands to hold on to.  But in the end it was worth it.  We could have been in a Brazilian rainforest it was so beautiful and pretty much undisturbed.  Absolutely breathtaking.

Now I am pretty much afraid of heights and yet I was literally on the edge of a cliff most of the time shooting straight across from the waterfall.  I had a really great time and the pictures can be found in the aptly labeled gallery NC Waterfalls.

What was really fun is figuring out the technical aspect.  You need to stop the water but not really stop the motion (how you get the almost silky looking water) and really have to do the opposite of most photography – get rid of light.  Yes that is correct – GET RID OF LIGHT.  Those of you who like photography know what I mean it goes against about everything you know about photography.

Most of the people on the trip were novices to DSLR – I actually think I was the most senior.  A lot of them tried to do some artistic stuff – I literally stuck to traditional shooting I really worked on my histogram – trying to ensure that I did not lose any color and did a bunch of custom white balances to try and keep up with the changing light (sometimes better than other times).

I was happy that for the most part I technically nailed color.  And it was amazing hoe a fraction of an inch or the change is length of exposure would make such a huge difference.  I had exposures from one second up to thirteen seconds going.  And honestly I got lost sitting and trying to see what I could do differently.

Steve and I plan to do a trip this spring on our own – this was definitely one of the best trips I have taken and I learned so much more about my camera than I ever have before.  Well worth the money but next time I will bring my inhaler!