Bee box ready for loading into the Kenyan Hive which is an observation hive. The hive was created by Darren Gordon of House of Bees. This guy's work is impeccable and we highly recommend him.

The farm is a busy place. We have installed three new hives of Italian Honey Bees and one is in an observation hive which is lots of fun. Donna’s bee keeper skills were a bit rusty but she is getting back in the swing of it quickly. Ironically, one of our pup families are big time bee keepers and make the best honey on earth. So, Andria took a look at our hives when she was here picking up Eyjahunda Tinni and gave me the push I needed to get back in the buzz of things. Thank you, Andria! It has been so joyful to go outside and watch the bees hard at work.

Taking a short break from installing the bees on a sunny, warm day at Dragonfly Farm

The orchard is in bloom and we are hopeful that the added bees will help us produce a much better crop than last years’.

Apples, cherries, pear and plumb trees are blooming in the orchard.

We also installed two Blue Orchard Bee nests and the bees are hatching out nicely. It is very fun and rewarding to see them come to life.

Mason bees emerge from the tube in the "attic" and hopefully nest in the condos below.

The garden has been revamped and the planters are all sporting a new coat of paint after a long winter. Terry is busily planting salad items, broccolli, etc. The grape vines are beginning to sprout new leaves as are the berry vines. It is a busy but fun filled time at Dragonfly Farm. We are truly blessed to live in such a beautiful place.

Won't be long until those sprouts are on our dinner table. Yum.

We broke out the dog swimming pool last week and that has been fun for them but in small doses as Kol is recovering from her surgery and she may pull stitches.

Italian Honey Bees freshly loaded into their new observation hive. This is a new hive type for us; a Kenyan.

Spring has sprung and we are sure loving life! We hope the same is true for you.

Empty queen cages, pulled yesterday, are a very good sign for the new hives.

Lots more pics posted on our facebook pages if you want to learn more about the farm activity.

To learn more about Bry (AKC GCH CH, INT CH, Eyjahunda Bragi, CGC), visit his page under the button “Our ISDs” above. Enjoy!

]]> http://www.island-dog.com/2012/04/27/eyjahunda-bragi-update/feed/ 0 http://www.island-dog.com/2012/04/27/eyjahunda-dagny-update/ http://www.island-dog.com/2012/04/27/eyjahunda-dagny-update/#comments Fri, 27 Apr 2012 12:00:42 +0000 donna http://www.island-dog.com/?p=636 Bravo to the super agility duo, Ashton and Dagny (Dawn-knee meaning “New Day”). Dagny is from Kol and Breki’s litter; our first! Dagny will be four years old 5/2012

She is now: Nat/Intl Jugund Ch. Eyjajunda Dagny, RN, NA, NAJ, IT, CGC

Ashton is 13 now and Dagny has grown up right beside her. What a team. Photo credit: Allison McLean

]]> http://www.island-dog.com/2012/04/27/eyjahunda-dagny-update/feed/ 0 http://www.island-dog.com/2012/04/09/eyjahunda-thorarinn-bubby-now-international-ch/ http://www.island-dog.com/2012/04/09/eyjahunda-thorarinn-bubby-now-international-ch/#comments Mon, 09 Apr 2012 19:19:41 +0000 donna http://www.island-dog.com/?p=704 Our boy had quite a weekend at the International Shows. We are over the moon!

Sweet Bubby is now:

AKC BIS, INT MBIS, BISS, AKC/INT MGW, AKC GCH CH, INT CH Eyjahunda Thorarinn, CGC “Bubbie”

Show 1: Best in Show Bred By Exhibitor (BBE)

Show 2: Herding Group I BBE

Show 3: Herding Group II BBE

Show 4: Best in Show Reserve BBE & BIS Rare Breed

Bub and I in the BIS Bred By ring. I love the outline of him in the sunlight. Thanks for the pic, Peg.

I’m not sure what could be more rewarding to a breeder/owner/handler than to do so well. What a thrill.

In AKC, he has 6 Herding Group placements (Two breeder/owner/handler and Four handled by Tammie Wilcox). He had a total of 7 + one BIS last year (Handled by Tammie Wilcox), so he is off to a great start in 2012.

]]> http://www.island-dog.com/2012/04/09/eyjahunda-thorarinn-bubby-now-international-ch/feed/ 0 http://www.island-dog.com/2012/04/09/the-bub-starts-formal-herding-lessons/ http://www.island-dog.com/2012/04/09/the-bub-starts-formal-herding-lessons/#comments Mon, 09 Apr 2012 10:00:30 +0000 donna http://www.island-dog.com/?p=678 Bub & Njala, having passed herding instinct tests’s, herding instructor said they both have a great deal of promise. We had a really fun time in the drizzle as they ran around the corral. We hope to make this a regular deal for our “Man of Dragonfly Farm and his best friend”. To see pics from today, visit the herding page by clicking the Herding link above. Today’s pics start on page two of the slide show, pic 10 and end on page three. Enjoy!

The Bub at work ... or is it at play? Either way, he is having a grand time!

Njala had a great time with the sheep and did a fabulous job. She's a natural.

 Eyjahunda Icelandic Sheepdogs tests all our ISDs for herding instinct per the recommendations of the Icelandic Sheepdog International Cooperation (ISIC), the Icelandic Kennel Club (HRFI) and DIF and because it is a heck of a lot of fun. “The aim of the Breeding Committees in ISIC is to support breeding with healthy dogs with good working ability and the typical behaviour of a farm and herding spits. It is based on the specific type and mental characteristics of the breed described in the breed standard of the Icelandic Sheepdog.”

This portion of the FCI Standard is not in the AKC Standard as the AKC does not include a history portion. It is, however, a critical piece in understanding the Iceland Dog, her origins and what her jobs are.

FCI Standard with Comments

Classification FCI: Group 5 (Spitz and primitive types), section 3 (Nordic Watchdogs and Herders). Without working trial.

 EXPERT’S COMMENT:
The Icelandic Sheepdog is specified as a herding dog and part of the FCI group 5 section 3 including Nordic watch dogs and herding dogs. The NKU (Nordic Kennel Union includes Iceland, Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden) classification describes the same breeds as “Nordic farm dogs and herding spitz dogs. Thus the Icelandic Sheepdog is a watch dog and a herding dog like the other breeds specified in section 3. The watch dog behaviour is characterized by the breed’s ability to keep the farm and the nearby fields free from grazing animals*. The Icelandic Sheepdog is also supposed to make the farmer/owner aware of approaching visitors but it must never be aggressive in its behaviour.

* No farmer wanted the sheep, cows or horses to steal the grass meant for the winter before it has even become dry hay to be able to store in the barns until the long winter.

Brief historical summary:
The Icelandic Sheepdog is Iceland’s only native dog. It was brought to Iceland with the first Viking settlers (AD 874 – 930). The Icelandic Sheepdog and its method of working adapted to the local terrain, farming methods and the hard
struggle for survival of the Icelandic people over the centuries, making it indispensable in the rounding up of livestock on the farms. The Icelandic Sheepdog’s popularity has increased over the last few decades and, despite the fact the breed is still very small in numbers, it is no longer considered to be in danger of extinction.

EXPERT’S COMMENT:
As specified by the name, the Icelandic Sheepdog is used for herding sheep. The work as a herding dog is similar to that specified for other breeds specified in the aforementioned section 3. The Icelandic Sheepdog also gathers and herds horses and cows, most often in groups with multiple dogs and their owners.

 The adaptability of the breed, inherited through centuries of living together with the Icelandic people, survived severe circumstances such as epidemic and disasters. Some of these, more than once, nearly eradicated the breed completely.

In the year of 1969, a group of far-sighted people formed the “Hundaraektarfélag Íslands” (HRFI) – The Icelandic Kennel Club – whose original purpose was to save the Icelandic Sheepdog from eradication.

Despite the fact that the population of the breed is fairly large today, genetic scientists still describe the genetic pool as being so small that the breed is still endangered.

Comments originally made by Hans-Åke Sperne, ISD Breed Expert (Sweden), translation for ISAA by Jørgen Metzdorff (Denmark). FCI Standard Translated by Helga Andrésdóttir (Iceland).

To learn more about this visit the website of the Icelandic Sheepdog Association of America (ISAA) and click on the ISIC button. www.icelanddogs.com or go directly to the ISIC website. www.icelanddog.org

After a month off, Tinni (Eyjahunda Fridsaeli Tinni fra Renfrew) is back on the job at J.J. Maloney Trucking Co. sporting his new tie.