Monday, December 26, 2011

GEORGIANNA'S CHINOOKS, Robin Georgiana, Ashland, OR U.S.A.

Another smiling face from the past here, of Ms. Robin Georgianna, of Georgianna's Chinooks, Ashland, Oregon U.S.A.  Robin's pictured here with her foundation female, Yokayo Cheena, and Cheena's son, Georgianna's Bonehead.  'Boney' (as some of his later owners, Benjamin's, Northdown, & finally Bowerbank Chinooks used to call him) was born April 1984, so guesstimate date on this Ashland Mail Tribune article is late 1984.

Bonehead was sired by Singing Woods Nanook.

If memory serves, Benjamin's Chinooks later repeated the same mating of Cheena to Singing Woods Nanook (which litter resulted in Benjamin's Kuska and Tekoa's birth then late '95).

But this image and article here represent Georgianna's own auspicious beginnings, and I'm proud to share again this image of Robin, and beloved Cheena, & her young son then, Bonehead.  This is another beautiful 'snapshot in time' in the Chinook world too, therefore.  Robin and her dogs definitely in love, then and there.

NOTE:  More in times to come this page too then, for much of the breed in fact remains descended from these 2 Nanook x Cheena matings (Georgianna's, then Benjamin's), as well as from Bonehead's own subsequent lines (some of which remain represented in our own Tullibardine and Atholl Chinooks today).

As well, much of today's Chinook remains indebted to Bonehead's sister, Georgianna's Sheena.  Sheena went on to become foundation female for Ron McJunkin's North Wind Chinooks kennels.  More about Sheena later then, both here and on North Wind Post too, as I unpack more of my files of each of these kennels.  But suffice it to say, much of the breed also rests on an array of also North Wind offspring of Sheena today.  So the blood of Nanook x Cheena likely remains strong, thereby.

My brother and Tullibardine kennel partner, Jack Murray, used to say how all strong working lines of Chinooks also carried consistently strong blood of Nanook x Cheena.

Why again, it's more than fair to say how the Georgianna's and Benjamin's contributions to today's Chinook bloodlines remains considerable.  So here's to Ms Georgianna once more, with 2 of her own finest.  All key to breed survival, then as now...




Saturday, December 24, 2011

TULLIBARDINE Winters of Old...

Christmas at Tullibardine Farm Chinooks, New Sharon, ME  U.S.A.

This Post to serve as my beginning Archival Christmas sharings then, for I took a look again at some of my own Christmas Pasts today in photo albums as I continue to unpack them...  So here's some mid to late '90s  Tullibardine Farm Chinooks images here, 'for days of Auld Lang Syne!'...

MERRY CHRISTMAS, ONE AND ALL!

The Dog Room:  Perry Greene Bates Argenta (L), Northdown Triska (C), Northdown Denali II (R)

Northdown Lady (fore), Bates, Triska, Denali (L-R on couch).



 
Northdown Lady (Timbermist Yukon Jack x Glendon's Sweety)
Northdown Lady (center), Northdown Sabre (left), & Northdown Lance (Sabre & Lance-- North Wind Nome x Northdown Paleface)
Santa's Sleigh one year was in fact our first Moody sled, Tullibardine purchased from Harry Gray, Northdown Chinooks!

Moody made them both strong and beautiful, eh?
Northdown Lady (left), Northdown Nugget (F2 dau. of F1 Northdown Timba)

My sister, Marilyn, playing Santa to our Norwegian Fjords, 'Marta' of Fjelltorp (left) & Skoal Farm Hjalmar 'Jr.' (right).

Jack R. Murray (my brother and Tullibardine Farm LLP gen partner), TRAMP (Percheron x Morgan draft horse), my sister Marilyn playing Santa

Me (left front), Jack (rear, haltering Eske's 'Odis'), Marta, Marilyn/Santa, & 'Jr' (right).  This may be my only photo w/all 4 Tullibardine equine beloveds therein w/both me and Jack also in view, w/Marilyn/Santa to boot! 

Jack has owned many tractors in his life to date; But this was his all time fave-- I think it's his John Deere Model B, if memory serves.  The mechanical 'work horse' of Tullibardine!
First Kennel Runs & Xyard, before we built add'l 2 Kennels Structures in years to follow:  Marilyn/Santa (center yard), & me (back to, right).  All Runs were 4x12' or 12x12', w/gates opened onto 40' center Xyard.  It worked really well for the first years, studs, dams, litters, & old timers daily xercise.  We had real fun at Tullibardine, amongst every chore then too...  The farm kitchens and sheds themselves were huge.  One of woodsheds made comfy whelping/rearing space, and others came and went from the kitchens and 'dog rooms' (one of the also huge living rooms and the enclosed front porch).  I miss this farmhouse now for it's sheer size and utility, yet no way could you heat such a structure in Manitoba winters!  LOL! :)

Monday, December 19, 2011

ERIKA VON HIRTENSTAMM

OK.  So ten years on now, here remains perhaps a most valuable gift to entire Chinook world finally from--
INTERVALE CHINOOKS,
TULLIBARDINE CHINOOKS, and
ATHOLL CHINOOKS--

These pedigrees the result of INTERVALE's sole contract w/GSD researcher, Yvonne Hecht, in 2001, to research the most probable early american GSD Origins of Lombard/Walden's CHINOOK BREED (female GSD) founder--
'Erika'.

And in short, these peds indeed remain, imo and all Tullibardine and Atholl research to date as well--
The most probable deep pedigree of Walden's 'Erika'. 

Meaning here's another 6 Generations to add, with love, for those of you with Chinook breeder databases & ped analysis files too now forward.

Pls Note:
Intervale shared these docs/peds (and more from same researcher/research, eventually I will upload ALL hereon) w/Tullibardine upon my direct request of Nancy B in 2003.  And Nancy B/Intervale also has long since kindly provided permission for me to share further online.  For a long time, however, I did not.  As frankly, I too wasn't sure if they would be misused in any corporate variances between then CDCA (fka CWW) and CCA (now PC for the AKC Chinook).

But now it's clear to me too how there will indeed remain two kennel club Chinook 'breeds'--
UKC and AKC--
I'm going to share fully publicly finally hereon, aye.

Because again-- With a dwindling overall Chinook population still in 2011, as combined with 2 variant kennel club standards here forward-- Indeed the risk of greater genetic bottlenecking remains ever present too then, as breeders already painfully know.  So time for me to stop preaching to the choir here once more then, and share.

As it's also time to admit Erika not only remained a most probably purebred reg'd GSD in her/Walden's own day, but how this indeed remains her most probable AKC reg'd ancestry.

And THANK YOU, Nancy B/Intervale, once more.  For you too knew we'd have to dig deeper into every ped as we all also dared breed forward.  Eventually, we all may yet know at least a handful of what 'Back to Walden's Boat' indeed means!  Bless.

And I know these docs may, pray joyfully, 'blow the minds' of ever more of you studying Chinook Coat Color pheno/genotyping today, if'n you haven't seen the beautiful array yet yourselves of coat colorations behind Erika herself.  For once we all begin to realize together now that Erika's own parents were indeed both 'wolf gray' GSDs, then I pray this will help bring a further sense of 'comfort' forward within also confines of today's Chinook and GSD genotypings, aye.

So DO ENJOY, pls, as it remains my own joy too finally to share publicly with all.  And know I WILL be asking some of you now to pls both ACTIVELY PED ANALYSE as well as consult DNA color officiandos further now, with regards to conjectures forward how Erika's coat color too may have carried forward in our breed's foundations (Lombard/Walden '39 foundation forward).

Of course, we will never 'know' how genotypes in fact carried then, but at least here's more real data to use and crunch forward, aye.  I think if Karen H/Bashaba Chinooks can wrap her own head and dbase around these peds soonest too then, frankly, we may all gain comfort soonest.

And this sharing doesn't mean we won't need squabble some more over current DNA GSD color theories forward too now.  But at least we'll be arguing more in the realms of the known vs unknown.  For again-- the goal here remains to increase consciousness in us all.

In me too.  So after 10 years, I'm proud to share now, and in today's world of also DNA color genotyping forward even, these deep peds for ERIKA VON HIRTENSTAMM.

For even though color matters so much LESS to me, personally, today than current auto immune and seizure DNA studies forward too, frankly; I also know 'reality' remains how both UKC and AKC 'ideals' 'standards' do also in part rest on coat color variances in living Chinooks world wide today. 



And following copy of Source pedigree from Perry Greene Kennels, inclusive of then description of Erika (note, with  variance in spelling of kennel name, and also variant color description).  My work continues, therefore, to further confirm or deny the Erika in this 1943 pedigree, and the one above in certified GSD researchers' pedigree in 2001, indeed were same female GSD and Chinook breed founder.  For I believe it may yet be possible to connect Walden himself with Erika's own breeder origins.  Never say never.  For again, as we also color genotype our way forward now, it can only pay to also phenotype our way further back too then, finally, imho.  Every strong future balances on also foundations of the past, colors included...

Sunday, December 18, 2011

R.F. BLAISDELL CHINOOKS, SOUTH PASADENA, CA U.S.A.

And so speaking of handsome Chinooks with gorgeous coats...this beloved has been staring at me from out of my archives for days now.  And yet I personally HAVEN'T A CLUE who the breeder is, nor the epoch in which R.F. Blaisdell procured their Chinooks! 

So can others yet advise exact historic era of this dog & reported companions at Blaisdell's 'Only Chinooks in Southern California'?--
Perry Greene?
Lombard/Walden?
(I don't know that Seeley's ever sold multiple Chinooks, if any?)
Walden/pre BAE II?

My GUESS is, this is a Greene bred dog, likely near descendant of the Lombard/Walden dogs.  So maybe 1940s, I dare guess?

But for the COAT on this dog too, it could also have stepped right off the BAE II boat with Walden too, for all I know. 

Anyway, since Chinook folk were having a 'coat' discussion today, I decided this dog was indeed 'speaking to me', even though I'm wholly uncertain what it is he/she may also yet have to say about South Pasadena, CA Chinooks of old too now?!

Maybe this unID'd dog is also meant to become a good 'winter project' for one or more of today's California breeders too then.  I just wanted you all to know how apparently, there were indeed once proud Chinooks in South Pasadena too, and at least one of them had one hellova coat, aye! :)

So obviously, I can't date this item either, as there is NO date on this original item as scanned, nor mention of breeder or source kennels.  No mention even of the publication this ad was run in.  

Maybe someone with courage in CA can yet pick up the tele & dial--
'Colorado 6052'
and see who answers?!  Woof!  Another GHOST from Chinook Christmas Past then, for your enjoyment! :)


WINTERSET FARM CHINOOKS, TJ & Grace Anderson, Jackson Hole, WY U.S.A.

And here's a starter post/page for Winterset Chinooks too finally, as I love this photo of smiling Grace and Ku (Benjamin's Kuska x Victor's Aurora their Chinook kennel founders).  Pretty cool how Grace purchased Ku for TJ's birthday, eh?

I'll get to adding Posts for Benjamin's and (Stan) Victors Chinooks too eventually, but I just wanted to share this nice article and 'historic time capsule' too then, of Winterset's own happy and auspicious beginnings many moons ago.  So enjoy Grace and Ku's beautiful smiles once more, and tales of their own origins in the world of Chinooks...

(Best Guesstimate date on this Article is July 1986.)


















Saturday, December 17, 2011

NORTHDOWN KENNELS CHINOOKS, Perry Greene Kennels, Harry & Katy Gray, Waldoboro, ME U.S.A.

And this a simple start to what will also likely become a Post to grow leaps and bounds this winter & thru the years, for indeed most (but not all) of the Tullibardine Farm and Atholl Chinooks kennel founders were either Northdown dogs themselves, or direct descendants of them.

So here's some of the first local reports then, of Northdown's own 1986-87 auspicious beginnings.  For Harry did indeed pour his heart and soul into his own kennel founders, as well as into the old Perry Greene Kennels themselves, Waldoboro, ME, which he resurrected from an overgrown jungle then, & with great gusto and love. 

And if memory serves, that is indeed 'Hoon' (North Wind Hoonah) and two of her 'champagne' litterbrothers pictured here, both articles. (All brought down with him from his family farm in Caribou, ME to Waldoboro then, along with 'Suzy', Alder Patch Suzitzka, Harry's first Chinook bought from Cathy Adams/Alder Patch).

Enjoy.  As I say, I'll have much more to add this post/page too through time...

And Pls Note:  Harry's claim herein to being the only place you could then buy a Chinook, likely also based on his '86 Contract w/the Wollperts, which would allow for Harry's kennels indeed to also act as a kind of 'marketplace' to aid breeders in selling Chinooks more readily, if memory serves.  So this was also the beginnings of the days of the Gray's original Chinook Club of America or CCOA too then, in '86.  I will share more of those docs on a club page for CCOA later this winter too then.  This just a note of explanation meanwhile.








PLEASE NOTE: Item 5. barring was later lifted by mutual agreement between Martha K/PGK and Wollperts/SW, after Martha had purchased Northdown/PGK direct from Harry Gray/Northdown.



This historic note signed by my brother & then farm partner, Jack R. Murray, fell out of my Tullibardine files here today.

Peter Orne, Sukee Kennels, & The 1977 (4) Dog Genetic Bottleneck: PG Raluk, Riki, Myrra, Noma

More stark realities and reminders from the past, in just how dire the Chinooks' straights were in by mid '70s thru '81 even, when both Peter Orne and Sukee Kennels, Warren, ME, had done their best by Peter R's remaining 10 Perry Greene Kennels Chinooks in 1977 (resulting then in a 4 dog genetic bottleneck finally, 2males [Raluk, Riki], & 2 females [Myrra, Noma, littersisters]).  And so read how the dogs & these 4 bloodlines survived those also hard economic and survivalist times (and understand what my real personal desa vu today remains between  '77 and '07 ongoing U.S.A./north american economic crises too, quite frankly!).

For these are some of the documents I also share now, simply because the dogs & their people did survive, and yet due only then to--
PG Raluk, Riki, Myrra, & Noma,
Sukeforth's & Orne's plea for more help finally in '81, and

SingingWoods, Alder Patch, & Yokayo's answer to that plea, Fall '81.

And I share these tidbit/replicas of those times, expressly NOT to further politic with today's surviving breeders (in their whelping boxes, or on sled trails, & in show rings yet in '11--  And so may EVERY Chinook at AKC Euk Nat'ls '11 & their humans SHINE this weekend, in fact!  Bless them and you all!). 
But indeed I do share expressly TO warn those of us who haven't also reviewed the--
'77 Four Dog Genetic Bottleneck', in both human and dog terms, of how we need not let the memory of Peter Orne, nor Raluk, Riki, Myrra, & Noma further down here forward. 

This my plea to further honor Sukeforth's and Orne's plea then all over again, by never putting this much genetic pressure ever again, on either the UKC or AKC Chinook breeds then, here forward. 

And may the spirit of Peter Orne continue to RIP today.  If memory serves, he died the way he lived-- flying the friendly skies, piloting his own plane(s), as he did then so many moons ago also on behalf of every Chinook.  I'll see if I can find his local Maine obit to link here later today too finally. 

But the man sure enough did what he could to the utmost then for the surviving Chinooks...rest his soul.  So this my page in honor of Orne's solid contributions too then, and to show again how we all do in fact remain resting on the Chinooks' '77 survival yet in '11.    And so what's 35years in evolution time?  Not much, for man nor dog.

And I will likely add an add'l page for add'l Sukee Kennels docs in times to come.  For I have a lot more to share and say about the Sukee Kennels Chinook pedigrees themselves.  In short though, meantime: 
PLS NOTE:  The simple 2 Gen peds listed in Harry and Katy Gray's Northdown/CCOA listings below are NOT representative of full depth of these surviving dogs pedigress.  I think PG Barrow's (born at Sukee) maternal ped is 4 or more gens deep, for example.  I'll add more useful detail this topic of minutia too then under separate post(s) later this winter. 

For again- Pls do not think these simple 2 gen peds are complete peds of dogs transferred then in '77 or in '81.  For in many cases, they are not.  These sketches obviously to denote the direct relationships/genetic bottleneck itself in '77, once the Gray's/CCOA began to study docs as transferred to them (in '86, if memory serves), from the Wollperts.  And the final typewritten Fall '81 Transfer doc I don't know who created.  But I believe it too remains an accurate reference based on solid source docs (same Sukee pedigrees).




Friday, December 16, 2011

SINGING WOODS CHINOOKS, Neil & Marra Wollpert, Kettering, OH U.S.A.

And here's but the beginnings of what will likely become a LONG Blog/Post through the years too, or so I pray, as the Wollperts did indeed take over the burden of perhaps the heaviest time/genetic breed bottleneck past Orne/Sukeforth (SUKEE KENNELS, Warren, ME) era, in 1981. 

(And so from here, all roads will lead further back there/PGK/Sukee Kennels, as well as also further forward yet to-- Alder Patch, Victors, and Northdown Kennels & original Chinook Club of America 'East Coast' contingents too.  As well, more Western kennels too grew up between Singing Woods and Yokayo Ranch, at--  Georgianna's, Benjamin's, North Wind, Winterset, just to name a few, aye. 

So before I get deeply lost adding to this Singing Woods page/Post too, I just want to begin by sharing more of these smiling SINGING WOODS 2 and 4 legged faces again today.  Then, much more to come this post in later days.  For, aye, suffice it to say-- Neil and Marra's Singing Woods Chinooks will forever remain the 1981 Breed Rescue HUB. 

So for those of you own UKC and/or AKC Chinooks today, when you next drive through Dayton, OH, do just honk and woof then, please! ;-)  For even though CHINOOK himself never did live there, I do believe Perry Greene Barrow, Honey, & Tavi did indeed come to stay!  Bless them all once more.  And thank you, Neil & Marra.  

Enjoy.

YOKAYO (RANCH) CHINOOKS, Peter Abrahams, Ukiah, CA U.S.A.

Nice news photos & short article here too, of Yokayo Ranch Chinooks' own 'West Coast' (California) beginnings, post '1981 Breed Rescue' & pre UKC days...

Enjoy. And I'll likely have many more docs and images to add this Post too thru time, as I dig thru my archives.  If memory serves, I think Pete's four '81 Yokayo Kennels Founders were, Perry Greene Riki, Kima, Myrra, & Fairbanks.  Bless them all once more...

(Pls note:  I will also add 'page 3' this article, if'n when it too resurfaces.  But I wanted to share the images herein soonest, meanwhile... ;)





Thursday, December 15, 2011

BACKROADS CHINOOKS, Tom & Helen Crater, Coral Michigan, U.S.A.

Helen Crater.  Another solid contributor to early COA yet pre-UKC days of Chinookdom.  Harry Gray/Northdown had great respect for Backroads/Tom & Helen, from whatall he had to say of them and their Chinooks to me in the early '90s even.  I always wished I had met Helen in particular, as her kennel records were/are superb.  She had a way of drilling down to the minutia that actually meant the most then as now.  Bless her soul again today, and the spirit of every one of her Backroads beloveds.  More good folks with good dogs...
 




 

NORTHSTAR CHINOOKS, Rich & Bobi Martin, Fairfield, CA U.S.A.

Seems all of Bobi Martin's old Articles began to fall out of my archives into my lap today.  So decided to scan them quick, and share.  I think most, if not all, these articles, interviews, and images also courtesy of Mooselook Chinooks.  

Enjoy.  For this is some more good early COA yet pre-UKC 'West Coast' breed/breeder history for us all to chew on again today. 
Thank you again, NORTHSTAR, (SingingWoods, & Yokayo), for all thy beloved Chinooks of old...