Reunion with Piper at Erin Fall Fair

Last Sunday I took Diva and Quest to the Erin Fall Fair in Erin, Ontario northwest of Toronto to meet up with Piper and her family. I hadn't seen Piper since she left for her new home at 8 weeks of age.

Piper (above; 17 weeks old)

Lauren and Rae-Brynn were showing their cows again at the fall fair so Piper also came along with the family. It was a beautifully sunny and HOT autumn day so I tried to arrive mid-morning when it wasn't too crowded or hot at the fair. I tethered the 2 puppies together and wandered around the fair grounds, taking them past the rides, ponies (I forgot about the horse poop! Very tasty for dogs!), cows and vendors. Nothing bothered them at all. Then we met up with Piper's family by the cow barn.

Cythnia trying to control Piper (L), Quest (M), Diva (R)

Piper (L), Quest (M), Diva (R)

Piper (L), Quest (M), Diva (R)

Rae Brynn was inside the barn showing her cow. Unfortunately, her cow gave her a very hard time for some reason - it was a full moooooooon (ha! - I couldn't resist that one) and maybe that was why her cow was very ornery. I'm sure my puppies didn't spook her cow but I learned that dogs weren't allowed in the cow barn for that reason. Lauren also had problems controlling her cow earlier in the morning. After watching the cow handling, I am totally convinced that showing cows is so much harder than showing a dog, even when a dog won't behave. After all, there is about a 1000 - 2000 lb. difference between species! And I couldn't see any treats in Rae-Brynn's hand so how do you control a big beast with just a little stick? It's very challenging!

Right now, Piper's face and head remind me a lot of Tessie, her older half-sister who resembles Nova (Tessie's grandmother/Piper's grandmother). Piper is just a tad smaller than Quest and Diva but not by much. She's very pretty and very sweet but apparently, quite a chewer.

We had no end of people coming up to say hello and wanting to pet the puppies. And, just about everyone commented on how absolutely beautiful they are! Yes! We were rooted in that spot for almost an hour and couldn't move because someone else would come up to see the puppies. What a great place to socialize puppies! Needlessto say, Diva and Quest were quite worn out when we got home.

The next day, (Monday October 13), Lauren won top honor of "Top Showman" with her grandfather and great-uncle (reknown for their beef cattle) looking on. So WAY TO GO LAUREN! That's AWESOME!