Welcome, Sky!

Earlier this month, my sister rescued another Australian Cattle Dog after losing her beloved Charlie.  She found Sky through the Border Collie Rescue of Minnesota, and they are a great match.

When we went to meet Sky at her foster home, she was so friendly and cute.  She promptly emptied the bag Leslie brought containing her new collar, leash, toys, and treats.  While Les was signing the adoption forms, Sky was chewing a hole in the treat bag, joyfully sprinkling little biscuits all over the floor.  She has been a very bright light over the past few weeks.

A cuddle bug from the very first moments!

Sky is quite young, we suspect about 18 months.  She was a stray who turned up in a Kentucky shelter.  She was pregnant (teen mom!) and later whelped ten puppies, with seven surviving.  While most of her puppies have been adopted, there are still a few little gems left needing homes.

Apolo successfully cajoled Sky on her second visit, and they have become fast friends...which is quite humorous as Sky is almost small enough to walk completely under his tall legs, which gives her an unexpected advantage while wrestling.

Happy New Year!  May 2013 be full of love and joy for all.

Merry Christmas!

Thought I would share a few photos from this past weekend...we celebrated Christmas with Jon's family!  Apolo and Mac love the snow, the kids...and (for the most part) each other.  :)

Mac (left) and Apolo (right)

Santa will be generous to this one, even tho I am quite sure he did one (or maybe two) mischievous things this year.

Our nephews build a sled jump, Mac unbuilds it!  ;)

Apolo (left) and Mac (right)

Three Cheers for Bea!

CH Yahtaris Clarenjoy Blessed Bea JH WC

Congrats to Bea and owner/handler, Joyce Krueger, on Bea's first Grand Championship points.  Bea was BOS three days in a row for six points!

Apolo (left) and his Mommy!  Bea!

30 Days of Thanks: Grace (Zemja Sojourn)

This is a cross-post from my personal blog, Zemja Sojourn, and The 30 Days of Gratitude Project.

This past August--on the heels of college graduation, moving, starting a new job, and divorce--my sister opened up our intra-office classifieds.  She saw a dog.  His name was Charlie.

He was a nine year-old Australian Cattle Dog, and was in the care of a staff member from a different hospital in our system.  He had belonged to her elderly father, and had recently made the trip from Washington State to Minnesota.

Leslie said, "This dog is supposed to be my dog."

Maplewood State Park -- October 2012

We went to meet his caretakers.  When they said she could adopt him, she got tears in her eyes and stood up from her chair.  I remember vividly that she was wearing a black and white, short, vintage dress--with her black hair and red lipstick, she appeared to have stepped out of a movie.  She crouched down on the floor, her skirt swirling, and enveloped him in her arms.  Charlie closed his eyes, and was hers.

That is a memory I will always hold.  It was moment out of a dream.  Out of a glass globe--except instead of snow, there would have rose petals.

No one could have known that Charlie had adenocarcinoma, and that in three short months, he would be gone.

What I am thankful for today is grace.  That deep, profound understanding that can only stem from a person's inherent fabric.  My sister gave Charlie an incredible gift.  She selflessly opened her heart to an older dog, without regard for the possibility of such a staggering and fast loss.  She left herself unguarded.  They went for walks, had picnics, took car rides.  She read him Shakespeare and took him hiking.  They sat outside coffee shops together, and enrolled in training class so they could be better partners.

In the end, as in the beginning, the choices weren't about Leslie.  They were about Charlie.

It would have been easy to step back from this writing project today.  To say there is nothing to be thankful for.

With eyes closed, I tell you truthfully: there is everything to be thankful for.

Eleven Years Ago Tonight

Today was difficult day for me...it is the first birthday that all the Moon pups are gone.  It has been a bittersweet mix of deep gratitude for the years of joy they brought us, and how lonely the days without them have been.

I miss the puppies very much.  Eva, too.

Eva and her babies

Welcome, Charlie!

After 10 long, dog-less years, my sister has adopted a pooch!

Charlie is a nine year-old Australian Cattle Dog (Blue Heeler.)  He is smart, fast, and in love with Leslie already.  I know they will grow to be the best of friends.  :)

FCRSA 2010

Sharing this photo of Mac (just three years old!) from the 2010 Best of Breed ring in Indiana.  We were only there for a short time, but it was worth the drive to see some old friends, as well as make some new ones.

Mac & Jess - Photo by Chris Butler

And not to leave out the real Yahtaris superstar of the 2010 FCRSA, here is a photo of Joyce Krueger's Bea, winner of the Open Bitch class!  Bea also passed her Working Certificate and earned a JAM in the Unsteady Singles competition this same year.

Bea and Joyce - Photo by Chris Butler

So, Chris takes lot of great photos at many of the FCR national specialties...as he is making more photos available, I hope to take some trips down memory lane with them on this blog. 

Urban Field Training

When you live in a metropolitan area, sometimes field training requires a little creativity.  Especially when it comes to water retrieves.

A few weeks ago, it rained 4" in Farmington...so here is an Instagram photo of us making the most of a flooded spot near the elementary school.  The best part was Mac came out soft and clean from all the fresh water and the grassy bottom underneath.  :)

Steady, steady, steady!

And in typical Mac fashion (friendly,) I lost him for a brief second between set-ups, only to find him wagging his tail, and nose-to-nose, with a little fox kit in the culvert.  The kit watched the whole second set-up drill, which was an easy triple with two water marks, one land mark, and a whole lot of emphasis on steady.

Why are you retrieving those white bumpers?  Where is my mommy?  Why are cell photos so crappy?

I love training Mac, he is an absolute dream on every level for me.  He is the most honest dog I have ever met, making the same errors at 20 yards as he makes at 120, responsive to a raise of my eyebrows, always willing to try again. 

I am so very, very lucky to have a dog who allows me to learn beside him with such forgiveness and joy.

Pet Food Recall Links

Thought I would post this to the Yahtaris Blog in an attempt to reach a few more people.

Diamond Pet Food has expanded their pet food recall to include several brands--additionally, Wellness has now added their Super5Mix Large Breed Puppy to the list of pet foods being recalled.  Kirkland (Costco brand) is also affected under this recall, as are Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover's Soul, Canidae, Natural Balance, and Taste of the Wild.

All brands are being recalled due to the potential for Salmonella contamination.

Diamond Recall Brands/Information -- including Costco:  http://www.diamondpet.com/information/

Wellness Recall Information: http://www.wellnesspetfood.com/news.aspx

I am not going to wade into the debate over what people choose to feed their dogs--I feed raw, many of my friends feed kibble, most of my puppy homes feed kibble.  These choices are individual; I just want everyone to be aware of the current recalls.

And, please, use your own good common sense when evaluating these companies going forward with regards to integrity of ingredients, customer service, and overall trustworthiness. 

Breaking News: Apolo Held In Kennel for 20 Minutes Pending Garden Charges

FARMINGTON, Minn - A 14 week-old Flat-Coated Retriever, Apolo Gunderson, was detained in his kennel for 20 minutes after the discovery of yet another mysterious garden hole in his family's backyard.

Mac Gunderson, a 5 year-old Flat-Coated Retriever who also lives at the residence, has further implicated Apolo in the offenses of shoe theft, excessive barking, ear chewing, toy destruction, deplorable cuteness, and general "garden gnomery."

When questioned, Apolo's mom, Jess Gunderson, stated that "Apolo was found next to a large hole with a dirty nose, and two dirty feet.  There was a spring of winged euonymus his mouth at the time.  I shooed him with the broom, but later he discovered the garden hose was running.  He decided to dig near the tree it was watering, and when I saw how wet and muddy he was, I figured he should take a break before dinner."

Jon Gunderson, Apolo's father, chuckled and said, "He was pretty dirty at the time.  And his ears were soaked.  He is such a cute dog is the problem."

Apolo requested that the entire world pause to "feel sorry for him."

Apolo released a statement from his crate saying, "I can't believe my parents have locked me in here, my own mother closed the door!  I haven't had any dinner for two days even!  And when 'big dog' was en route to post my bail, which consisted of a handful of Sun Chips (Original, not Harvest Cheddar) he ate them instead."

Mac was found lounging in the living room, but when questioned about the Sun Chips, he only yawned and closed his eyes.

Undisputed HW Champion, Apollo Creed

Tim Jensen, the contractor working on the Gunderson family master bathroom 2015 project, could only shake his head and smile.  "Apolo is a really cute dog.  But I did see him eat twice since I got here, and that was after 4pm even.  And I regret to say that I could see him digging from my front yard as I just live across the street."

An effort was made to contact Apolo's grandparents.  His grandmother, Sandra, was unable to respond as she "already has [her] hands full with Allie," who is Apolo's sister.  Grandpa Jeff was reached and all he could say was, "Apolo who?  Oh, Creed?  Ya, whatever!  He is the most spoiled dog alive!  What-ever!  Ha!  He sure is cute, OMG is he cute."

When asked about a timeline for Apolo's release, his mom said, "As soon as his feet are dry he can come out.  I am sure this whole incident will be quickly forgotten.  Especially by Apolo."

Ye Olde Peg Shoot

This morning, Mac and I loaded up to go help at the MN Horse and Hunt Club as the Metro Pheasants Forever was holding a spring European Shoot, also referred to as a "peg shoot."  I had no real inkling of what this was, but since Mac and I are game for most anything, we offered to help when asked by our retriever club.

I was quite curious as I have heard about the shoots held in Europe, and since the FCR was developed in England as the gamekeeper's dog, I figured this would be a great educational opportunity for me.  Mac was the only FCR in attendance, along with a handful of Goldens/GSPs, and an abundance of Labradors.

A peg shoot, as I have now learned, consists of paired gunners who are assigned a dog/handler team.  There are numerous stations, which are numbered.  There can be any number of stations, of any configuration (ours was circular around a pond,) and each station is indicated by a flagged stake -- these are the "pegs."  Two gunners + dog + dog handler are assigned to a starting peg.  A horn sounds and birds are released by hidden bird handlers (different from a tower shoot, where the birds fly high and fast out of a fixed tower.)  The birds are free to fly anywhere they please, and if a bird comes into the zone of your peg, gunners can fire, and dogs can retrieve the downed birds.  Some of the birds have special bands on them which the gunners can turn in later for a raffle or other such prize, etc. After about 15-20 minutes of shooting, the horn sounds again, and the round is over.  Then you rotate to a different peg, and a different view.  This keeps things fun, and fair, as wind and terrain can push birds heavily in one direction or another.  Today's shoot would be six rounds, each at a different peg.

Mac and I waiting to meet our gunners at Peg 8.

As I was walking to our peg it became apparent that everyone would be quite close together, as some pegs were only 25-30 yards apart.  Soon we had all greeted each other, assembled, and were readily scouting the zone around our peg.  I was very focused on this as, in theory, Mac was only supposed to retrieve birds shot by his gunners, in his zone.  Then the horn sounded, signifying not only the start of the first round, but also the end of the aforementioned theory.  :)

The birds started flying right away, and this was all very exciting for the dogs.  There was a lot of shooting, and so many birds to watch in the sky!  Birds were dropping, dogs were breaking out of their zones--all in all, it was somewhat chaotic.  Mac has been in hard training for steady the past couple months, but it became quickly apparent to me that "steady dog" equated to "dog who had all his birds stolen by the neighbor dogs," so I lightened up and let Mac go a little early.  Then the horn would sound to stop the round, we would unload and move.  It took a couple pegs for Mac to figure this new game out, and the dogs quickly knew the horn meant birds.  So, everyone was quite excited to hear the horn.

A few times, one or more dogs beat him to our gunners' birds, at which point Mac said, in gentlemanly fashion, "Pardon me, but I believe you have picked up my bird in error, and I would like to ask you to put it down, please."  Mac starts out polite like that.  When this approach was unsuccessful, he began a fast and agile display of bird theft, always returning with the bird I sent him for, even if another dog beat him to it.  Or gunners loved this.  (The dog trainer in me did not.)  I let him sort it out with the other dogs on his own.  Mac is a grown-up and speaks dog much more fluently than I.

Our gunners had the most success in round 5 & 6; Mac came home dirty, tired, having retrieved a pile of birds, and even left with a cash tip towards ice cream later today.  :)

Welcome Apolo and Alexia

On March 10th, we welcomed two very special puppies to Yahtaris.

Clarenjoy Yahtaris Ice Moon Rising - Apolo

Apolo will reside with Jon, Mac, and me in the Twin Cities

I love this little boy!

 

A natural waterfowl retriever. ;)

 

Clarenjoy Yahtaris Aurora Isbre - Alexia

My mom and I own Alexia, and she will live at the lake with my parents.  (And Katie, too!)

My mom holding Alexia on their first night together!

Allie meets Mac

 Needless to say, we are deeply grateful for these two babies!

Farewell to Nikka

"Those are never lonely who love the snow and the pines; never lonely when the pines are wearing white shawls and snow crunches coldly underfoot. " 

- Tom Whitecloud, Blue Winds Dancing

CH Yahtaris Melody of My Neona - Nikka

11/3/01 - 2/26/12

 

Tonight, a thousand memories of Nikka flood my mind.  

When we let her go this evening, what I remember so clearly are the snowflakes.  How perfectly, how softly, they fell on her coat.  On my coat.  On the roof of the car.  On my mom's hat.  The sky opened and gave us diamonds...what a perfect welcome for our Princess.

Nikka forever changed our lives, forever changed Yahtaris.  I would do it all over again, just the same, every moment was worth it.

February in Chicago

On Friday, I held a puppy.  And he chose me.  :)

Apolo is my name, sleeping is my game!  Zzzzzzz.

 

Naming...and Cocktail Glasses!

One of my friends/training partners, Gen Dever, gave me this darling little set of cocktail glasses today after an awesome winter field session with our training group.  She had purchased them several years ago, and they have crescent moons etched on them.  She said these "really should belong to you."  What a nice sentiment, and they will be a great addition to our glassware collection!

These are so cool!

Anyway--the cocktail glasses got me thinking of our 2001 Yahtaris "Moon" litter, and all the other moon named dogs I didn't note earlier when talking about how we chose Apolo's name.  I'd like to mention them here.

CH U-CD Yahtaris My Janus Sky Dancer CD RN WC FFX-OP CGC
Jay was my best friend and soulmate--I named him after the sixth moon of Saturn, Janus.  Interestingly enough, scientists pronounce the name JAY-nus, while in Roman religion/mythology, it is pronounced JAN-us.  *shoulder shrug*  Those of us in science strive to be different, what can I say?  The Romans believed Janus to be the god of doorways, transitions, and new beginnings--the god who is depicted as two faces, one looking forward, and one looking back.  Do dogs take on the qualities of the name given to them?  I have always believed that yes, they do.  I couldn't have chosen a better name for my Jay.

Jay and I above Duncan Lake in the BWCA, fall 2008

Yahtaris Moon Over Clarenjoy JH WC
Maisy has been a joy for me to know and watch for over 10 years.  She lives with Joyce Kruger, one of my greatest friends, and the breeder of my foundation bitch, Eva.  She is Apolo's breeder, too!

Maisy is on the left!  She stayed with us a few times...you can tell Jay (on the right!) wanted to snuggle.  :)

Yahtaris Mollie Moonsong
Mollie was a sweet girl who lived with the Lockert family in Bowman, ND.  She spent her days raising and cuddling children at Leigh's daycare, and her weekends with her family.  Often swimming!  She was a lucky girl and has been desperately missed.  The Lockerts will also be taking a litter sister to our Apolo.

Mollie "supervising" TV time at daycare.

Yahtaris MoonShadow CGC
Shadow belonged to Leasa Gowett in Florida (weird to think that she lived where there are alligators?!)  When Shadow passed away in 2009, Leasa wrote a beautiful tribute to her on the FCRlist, and included the lyrics from the Cat Stevens song, Moon Shadow.

I'm being followed by a moon shadow
moon shadow-moon shadow
leaping and hopping on a moon shadow
moon shadow-moon shadow

A young Shadow (right) watching the sunrise with her FCR companion, Caly

Yahtaris Hunter's Moon

Potter was named for the full moon of November, the month in which he was born.  He earned the call name Potter after Harry Potter, because his family said that as a puppy he was a bit reluctant until he figured something out...and then he would really take to it!

Baby Potter's first Christmas

Yahtaris Dark Side of the Moon

Doug chose Vader's name "because of his color -- hopefully not his future personality."  Where do I start with Vader?  First, I would give Derek Broden, who was pretty young at the time, the award for the best call name not only in the breed, but the whole galaxy.  Jon would love to name one of our dogs Vader, but I fear he may not live up to the original.  Vader was one of my favorite dogs, he was not only beautiful, but a good mix of birdy and stable in temperament.  As a puppy, he knew when to work, and when to relax.  He was just cool that way.  I loved his personality, his expressions, and the fact that he lived the dream life of a FCR out hunting with his family, and eventually his niece from my second litter.  He was a dog I was always proud to say I had bred.

Duck hunting with his boy, Derek.  Because every boy needs a dog, for real.

Yahtaris Ion My Moon Man

Doc was my dad's dog, and occasional author of the Sedivy Christmas letter.  He also sent me a $1 bill in a birthday card every year, and he must have had some fantastic in with the USPS (trust me, I don't,) because his card always seemed to arrive every year EXACTLY on my birthday!  When Doc was born, his front foot had been crushed (presumably during the birth process,) so he needed some extra care as a puppy.  We made him a small splint out of Popsicle sticks, which he quickly figured out would work well to shove other puppies out of the way at the "milk bar."  When he was older, he moved to a plastic splint, and he used THAT to push other puppies away from the food, too!  Doc never had much feeling in that foot, which didn't slow him down.  He could swim and hunt with the best of the best.  Doc was a very special dog to my dad, and he has been greatly missed by our family.

Doc at Pickerel Lake, home of my parents.

Yahtaris Walking on Regolith

Regolith is the soil on Earth's moon.  I never knew that, but Clara's young family did, and I have loved her registered name.  Clara has filled an incredible role for her family.  When Tom and Mary Deneka talked with me on the phone, I knew they were going to be a great home.  They were high school sweethearts, and they had Clara a few years before their two girls.   When Tom passed away suddenly in 2011, at the age of 36, he left behind two beautiful daughters, and the love of his life, Mary.  Clara has been a huge comfort to the Deneka girls.  And, each year, I receive a "Clara Calendar" as a Christmas gift!  It arrived a few days ago, so I will be treated to 12 more months of beautiful pictures of the Denekas.  Not a day goes by that I am not grateful for the strength and love Clara gives her family, she has been a blessing to us all.  xoxo

Clara boating on Keuka Lake, NY

CH Yahtaris Melody of My Neona

When I hold Nikka in my arms, I feel all the emotions of my (almost) 16 years in Flat-Coats.  She is Eva's daughter.  She is Jay's sister.  She is Mac's mom.  She is Apolo's grandmother.  Nikka is the thread that connects all of Yahtaris.  She is my mom's dog, and Nikka was named in part for Melody Daniels, who owned her father.  Neona is the Greek name meaning new moon--I always think of Nikka on the darkest of nights, when the stars blaze due to the moon's rebirth.  She is an amazing dog, and I can't wait to head to the lake this weekend to see her!

Nikka at nine years of age, stretching her legs and retrieving with the boys.

So, now you have the history of all our moon named dogs...likely way more than you ever wanted to know!  Thanks for reading all the way to the end.  Cheers!

114 Days With Mac

I debated whether or not I wanted to put this entry on my personal blog or this one--for those of you who also read Zemja Sojourn, there will be some overlap; if you only read this blog, you will be missing part of the story.  I suppose it is inevitable that the two blogs will meld together, as no part of my life is separate from my dogs.

In May of 2011, I lost my forever dog, Jay.  Someday I may be ready to write about him...or maybe not.  I haven't decided yet, and I don't have to decide today.  When it comes to writing, I seem to circle around Jay without fully revealing my incompleteness without him, preferring to keep all my memories in shadow.  Which is what happens when a girl's sun burns out.  The shadows loom.

Many times I have watched friends run away from emotional hurt.  I have seen them change jobs, move across the country, jump into an unhealthy (or worse--an additional) romantic relationship, or start spending a whole lot more time at the liquor store.  We all want to cope.  We all want to feel whole.  We all want to flee.  Admit it--even you!  Your eyes are skimming over these words, and you know it is true.  Grow wings, fly away.  Except, of course, for the bothersome fact that this "run away" plan is usually a huge flop.

I don't know what I wanted to do the day we let Jay go.  All I know is what I decided to do.  I decided to run, but not to run away.  To run towards something productive: towards building a more meaningful partnership with the other dog in my life--Mac.

So, Mac and I started training.  We trained plenty before, but this was a chance for me to just train HIM.  No sharing the spotlight, no back seat to the Jess and Jay hiking trips, no more sleeping in the closet because "someone" wouldn't leave him any space in the bed.  Mac was training for field, obedience, and tracking--going to class 2-3 nights/week, and wearing Jon's arm out (throwing bumpers) the rest of the time.  I wasn't sure if we were doing everything right, all I knew was that doing something--anything--was better than coming home and sitting in the driveway in tears, unable to face that Jay wouldn't be there to greet me at the door.

Mac passing his WC in Virginia, MN -- 8/13/11

And then, I started writing checks.  Because you know how performance dogs love to spend money.  :)  I entered him in Junior Hunter stakes a little too early, before he was ready.  Which was fine, we learned from it and moved on.  On August 13, Mac passed his Working Certificate (WC,) and on December 4th, he earned the last leg of his Companion Dog Excellent (CDX) title, which was the last goal I had for him this year.  In the span of those 114 days, Mac achieved six performance titles to become CH U-CD Yahtaris I Believe In Miracles CDX RE JH WC CGC.  And he did all that with style, placements, and a UKC High In Trial.  His tail didn't stop wagging once.

I don't know when it happened, or where we were when it happened, but at some point, I wasn't running anymore.  I became fully vested, I started helping him instead of just being the chauffeur/Visa swiper/leash holder.  Mac was engaged in every training session, every competition, every stake.  Sometimes I wasn't-- but on those days, he did it without me.  And like all partnerships forged from time, effort, and sacrifice, we became a team.

Mac with his ribbons from the 2010 FCRSC in Calgary.

We have more competition goals, big goals that will really challenge us both.  But we have now entered a fairly long stretch where we will be training again and not out competing as much.  So, today we started on a new journey that isn't towards any title, ribbon, or award.

This morning, Mac passed his Therapy Dog International evaluation, meaning that after some quick paperwork, he will be able to officially make therapy visits and participate in our county's Children Reading to Dogs program.  Mac excels in many areas, none more so than making people smile, laugh, or feel better.  His charm and happiness are infectious, and I am so looking forward to sharing him with anyone who needs his light. 

Bea ='s Mommy!

The Clarenjoy Ice litter was born on January 14, 2012!  Here are a few photos from the pups' first day.  Bea did great, she is such a loving mom!  :)

 

Beneath the Ice Moon

We have a strong history of moon names for our dogs.  Our foundation, CH Clarenjoy's Eva My Blue Moon CD CGC, was born in June of 1996, the month of a blue moon, for which she was named.  From puppyhood on, I would sit outside with her at night to look at the moon and stars, and those moments remain my most treasured memories of her.  In Eva's honor, I blended the word yahto (blue) and the name Amaris (child of the moon) to create my kennel name--Yahtaris.

The full moon each month carries a variety of cultural names, and January's is no exception: Old Moon, Wolf Moon, Moon After Yule, Winter Moon, Holiday Moon, Cold Moon, Cooking Moon.  A personal favorite of mine is the Dakota-Sioux name: Moon of the Terrible!  (This conjures up images of Sendak's Where the Wild Things Are for me for some reason, which makes me laugh.) 

This week our next puppy is due in Chicago, and we are going back to our roots with another puppy from Joyce Krueger at Clarenjoy.  Since the litter theme is "Ice," how wonderful that, in the Neo-Pagan tradition, the January full moon--which is rising as I type--is the Full Ice Moon.

So, we have settled on the call name Apolo (after the short-track Olympic speed skater, Apolo Anton Ohno.)  And the registered name...

Clarenjoy Yahtaris Ice Moon Rising

Tonight's Ice Moon!  Moon photography isn't my forte, but it works!

 We can't wait to welcome this new life into our home!  :)

Welcome to 2012...and the new Yahtaris blog!

My intent for this blog is for it to be a tool for sharing updates, photos, funny stories, and competition results from Yahtaris.  Last year, the Yahtaris website underwent a major rebuild, but I have just never been satisfied with my ability to keep it updated.  And while Yahtaris also has a Facebook profile, I have never been satisfied with that, either.  Maybe I am just experiencing social media burnout.  :)

So, I have been inspired by the FCR breeders of Blazingstar and Eagletarn, as they also use a blog format for updates, and we are going to try it here, too!

I will start by sharing our wishes for a wonderful 2012, and also a Christmas Day photo of our dogs!

Katie May, CH Nikka, and CH U-CD Mac CDX RE JH WC CGC
...wishing you a joyous New Year!