Pete and Lori Visit Betty

Pete and Lori with their Group winner WC's Chardonnay in the 1997 ARBA convention.

Betty with Pete and Lori and their two girls Chloe on Pete's lap and Pearl on Betty's lap.

From left to right: Chloe, Lori, Pete, Pearl and Chris.

Chris is an exchange student from China. She was surprised to find out that Pete and Lori used to be a top rabbit breeder. Here is Chris with Betty's rabbit Chu's Elio.

For old time Angora breeders, Pete and Lori are familiar names. They were very active in breeding and showing in the mid 1990s. The won BOB English Angora with three chocolate tort does in 1996, 1997 and 1998 ARBA conventions. In 1996 and 1997, the winners also won the Group in the ARBA conventions. They reduced their rabbit activities after the 1998 convention and stopped breeding altogether around 1999 or 2000. They found success in their professional careers as engineer and architect. A few years later, they started a family by adding two girls, Chloe and Pearl, from China. They are totally devoted to the girls. They also have an exchange student Chris living with them. See their blog at http://chloeandpearl.blogspot.com/

Pete and Lori maintain a friendship with Betty though they are no longer into rabbits. They would drop by to visit from time to time. A few days ago, the whole family came to visit.

A good time enjoyed by all.

Lindsay's Christmas Bunnies and Poem

‘Twas Christmas night
And all through my home
The cats were all snoozing
The dog had a bone

When all at once
I had a premonition
And hurried to check
On my bred doe’s condition

Then what did I see
All snug in the hay
But eight tiny French Angoras
And I whispered “hooray!”

Alongside the nest box
My tired doe sat
With a look on her face
That said “Did I do all that?”

With everyone settled
To bed I did go
To dream of the kits
And their very first show.

Kelly Is A New Mom

Vicki sends wonderful news: Kelly is now a mom. Kelly won the youth Best In Show winner in the 1998 ARBA convention with her beautiful white English Angora doe Kelly's Lauren. New she has another Best In Show winner!

Vicki says, "Well we finally have a baby and hopefully a new angora breeder. Kelly had a little girl last night at 9:45 pm. Scott and I went down to Minneapolis in the early afternoon as Aaron (Kelly's husband) called to say she was in the hospital. Needless to say we had little bit of a wait but it was well worth it! Her name is Cora Elizabeth and she weighs in at 7 lbs. 5 oz. and 21" long. I think she gets that length from her daddy has he is almost 6'4", little different from Kelly!!!"

For we old time Angora breeders, it is very hard to believe that time has gone by so fast; Kelly went from a youth breeder to being married and now a mom. Vicki volunteered as the secretary of the National Angora Breeders Club for many years. She owns a very successful fiber product company.

Congratulations to grand parents Vicki and Scott and the proud new parents Kelly and Aaron.

Allen Guest Blogs From Africa V

Dressed-up in my tailored boubou, hand-made with fabric I chose at a market in Dakar.

The Marabout, or religous Muslim leader, addresses the Mosque at Tabaski prayer prior to his sacrifice.

Massive group of Muslims pray at and around my family's local Mosque in Kaolack

My Senegalese father’s father had two wives and 16 children, all of whom are now grown. For each Tabaski, all of the family meets to celebrate. Most of the Dieng family still lives in Kaolack on a “compound” of three basic houses. Some of the Diengs, like my host father, left Kaolack for the large city of Dakar for work opportunity. Most of Muhamet’s brothers and sisters now have children of their own. You can imagine the size of Tabaski in our family!

Tabaski occurred on Friday, December 21st, beginning with a morning
prayer at the Mosque. We all wore our fancy, new boubous, including me. Three weeks prior to Tabaski, I selected fabric at an open market in Dakar, and then had a boubou tailored for me. I was so excited to wear it, and equally excited to attend prayer at the mosque in it!

All of the men pray at the mosque together, with a large group of women in the distant back. Being Tabaski, the crowd was very large, and I was quite the oddity in the crowd. I “went through the motions” of prayer (i.e. bowing), but truly had no idea what I was doing. After prayer, we watched the Marabout (religious leader) sacrifice the first sheep. We then returned to the Dieng compound to sacrifice 10 sheep, prepare a massive meal, and best of all, eat!

Too Sexy Wants To Be Sexy

Mama Maureen says, "You are not going to strip yourself! It is unlady like."

Too Sexy says, "I thought I was going to do a show. Striptease would have been a very sexy show".

The show is a rabbit show, not a burlesque show. Judge Bruce is checking on Too Sexy.

Judge Bob is also checking on Too Sexy.

In the New Year's Eve show in Ohio, Maureen's beautiful chocolate tort doe Too Sexy was chewing on herself. Maureen was afraid that she might go bold before getting onto the show table. We are showing an imaginary conversation between Mama Maureen and Too Sexy.

New Year Eve's Shows

There are a lot of interest about having a show date on or close to the New Year Day or Eve in 2009 in our area. Here are reports and photos of the two New Year Eve's shows: one in Indiana and another in Ohio. We thank Maureen and Randy for sharing these photos and information with us.

New Year Eve's Show In Ohio

Angora exhibitors in the OH New Year's eve show: Lisa, Maureen, Annette and Mary.

Showroom is full of rabbit people.

Potluck table.

Potluck table again.

Judge Terry is still in Christmas mood.

The Ohio New Year's Eve show is somewhat smaller than the one in Indiana. It has 600+ rabbits and this is probably the first time that such a show is stage in Ohio. It takes some time for people to catch up; no doubt the number will grow. The show started the check in at 7 pm; the Best In Show was picked at 4:30 am.

Maureen provided these pictures and the description. Thanks, Maureen. There will be more pictures of her and her pretty doe "Too Sexy" tomorrow.

New Year's Eve Show in Indiana

Randy is in Indiana spending Christmas and New Year with his family.

Every year he judges a show on New Years Eve for the Huntington County Exhibition Rabbit Promoters. The show was started nearly 20 years ago by the late ARBA president Dr Terry Reed and Randy. It was the first of its kind. The first year there was about 600 rabbits and the show has grown to 2500 rabbits in some of the years.

There was a snowstorm going on this year, there was still a nice turnout of 1800 rabbits. There was nearly 6 inches of snowfall during the show itself. There were exhibitors from 6 or 7 states. All of the 200+ exhibitors brought dishes for the potluck dinner and it was a huge holiday feast! Families love it as a good wholesome alternative to the regular New Year activities.

Randy took pictures of the winners of Satin Angora and English Angora. The Satin Angora was shown by NARBC president Judy, it was VERY nice, in Randy’s words. The English Angora owner is a new breeder- Gina of South Bend, IN. It’s a big accomplishment for a new breeder to have won the Best of Breed. Congratulations to both.

Photos and information are provided by Randy. Thanks, Randy.

Happy New Year

Northern Californian Angora Guild wishes everyone a Happy New Year.