Miss my mom, happy heavenly Mother’s Day. She moved to Aspen as a single mom of 3 kids in the early 60’s. She had a big life traveling the world skiing, biking, and fishing. A true Colorado mom.
@lucyblitzbrown training continues at Cottonwood Ranch and Kennel, mastering fire hoses, tree house stairs and a suspension bridge. Busy days include train, play and rest!
Sad News of the passing of our good friend Dave Mason, founder of the band Traffic. He recorded with Jimmy Hendrix Along the Watch Tower, wrote Joe Cocker’s hit Feeling Alright and so many other great songs of our time. I first met Dave in 2005 at the Telluride Jazz Festival through my good friends @feelinalrightnello Paul and @sandynello Sandy. My family and I were to meet them for the weekend, I got delayed, so my wife and kids went ahead and hours later I was to follow. The next thing I know I got a call from Vanessa and the kids from the back seat of Dave Mason’s Cadillac as they were driving into the backstage area with Dave driving and Paul and Sandy in the front seat. At this time since high school I had always been a huge fan of Dave Mason and couldn’t believe my ears, and the thought that somehow I missed out on this experience. I hustled down in time to meet everyone backstage for one the greatest shows and then proceed to share meals and two more days hanging out with Dave and his band. One of the highlights of my life. A couple years later I was driving our 35’ RV from Colorado to northern Minnesota to our family island on Rainy Lake. On the road in the middle of Nebraska I got a call from Paul Antenello. He said, “Ted I am sitting here in Chicago with Dave Mason talking about your friendship with Joe Cocker. Joe is playing tonight in Chicago at this big festival, and Dave wants to play with him and sing Feeling Alright”, the song Dave wrote at 19 years old, and one of Joe’s biggest hits. Turns out they had never played together over all the years. I made call while on the road and Joe was up for the chance to perform with Dave. The night turned out to be a huge success and years later Dave wrote and posted photos of that memorable night in is book. RiP Dave and Joe, we miss our good friends.
This is Samson belonging to the former President and First Lady of Iceland @dorritmoussaieff the most famous dog of Iceland, trained in Colorado. Samson is now six years old.
As many folks who know me also know that on occasion I take in dogs pro bono and give them a stable loving home. Wiley was living in Washington State where things were not working out for him. He ended up biting a few people and in his case this was a stress induced reaction which was becoming a pattern. As I say, dog training is all about repetitious behavioral routines, good, bad or ugly. I remove the cause of the stress and set him up for success, creating a new pattern of a happy Border Collie lifestyle. There will be no reason to act out and with time the less desirable behaviors drifts away as they are replaced with positive rewards. Today is his first day joining my group of misfits. We are already best friends.
Raphael, a male Greater Swiss Mountain dog has visited us for the past seven years. His owner recently drove from Washington DC to be with us on our beautiful ranch. Thank you Julia
