Mid August

Grandpa Jim Update from Amy! (posted to the Yahoo Thornapple Family List August 15, 2007)
This Saturday will mark the ONE YEAR day of receiving that dreadful call about my Dad being in the hospital with a brain tumor
(Glioblastoma, Grade 4). I am over the moon to report the news we received yesterday! Last week he had another MRI and yesterday
was our appointment to discuss the results, this is what they found: Minimal change to slight DECREASE in size of the irregular rimenhancing
mass in right occipital lobe. The main component shows 1-2 mm DECREASE in size, and an additional projection into the splenium of the corpus
collosum ALSO shows slight DECREASE in size. The doctor & nurses seem to have the same response each time we walk into the door...wow,
you look great! Dad's energy level is fine...he continues to do the things he wants to do (his project this summer has been restoring an old "Woody" boat)!
He took a nice vacation to Alabama with my sister and her family...lots of trips Up North hanging out with his grandkids, bluegrass festivals with his
friends/family...last week we took him to Henry Ford Museum (lots of history and old cars)...it was a great time had by all! Also happy to report
that his weight/appetite has shown no changes! Muscle tone is super. He is certainly an amazing man ... a great inspiration to others! He continues
with the traditional Chemo treatment "Temodar", pill form he takes at home every 21 days for 5 days in a row. In addition, he started
with a natural remedy called "Cantron"...along with other nutritional pills to boost his system. He feels the combination of both treatments is working
and he plans to continue this treatment and is looking forward to the day it is gone! You can email Jim at oldgym60@sbcglobal.net if you need some
inspiration or would like to discuss his cancer/treatments...or to just send him some Best Wishes! I know he would be happy to tell his story.
Thank you again for your continued support and keeping my Dad in your prayers...they are working!!
Each day in our lives is a blessing!!!! Amy

Photo Credit Marianne
Good News from Anna-Lena in Sweden!
Enya (the BEAUTIFUL girl!!!) won a group in Norway yesterday!!! She was BOB with CC and Cacib. And Damon was BOS with Cacib.
So now Enya just have to win one more CC in Norway to be Norwegian champion! We will go again in November to try! She didn't placed in the
BIS-final (they place 4), but we are very happy anyway!! (but the bad thing is that she starts to drop her coat... it's always something LOL!!!)
Congratulations, Anna-Lena & Niklas -- Easy Australian Shepherds!

Dear Thornapple family, I hope not everyone around the world with a dog with Thornapple origin send pictures to you!
Nessie's parents are Thornapple Aftershock and Thornapple Mandarin Passion. She was born in July 2006. I am so very grateful for
her! I have had dogs for… 50 years now (wow!). I have loved them all (almost…), and you can’t compare them. But Nessie is exceptional,
extraordinary and outstanding. She’s warm hearted, happy, faithful, very “physical” (she hugs, kisses, bites, tackles, uses you as a pillow
or a bed), she is brave and curious and don’t hesitate in any situation. She never runs out of energy and always gives you a hand
(a paw?) with whatever you are doing – but at the same time she relaxes in only a few seconds if nothing happens. And of course she is
smart and easy to train. So what can you say? She is PERFECT! The picture where I carry her in front of the castle in Stockholm,
is from her birthday party. At least if you ask her! But it was just a coincident that we were invited to a party on a boat that day.
Stockholm was the host for ships participating in “Tall Ships Races” that weekend, so the quays of Stockholm was crowded with old
beautiful ships. were salute and hullabaloo – just worthy the celebration of our princess Nessie!
All the best, thank you very much – and congratulations to a successful breeding!! Kicki Sundelin and Easy Faith in Sweden
Thank you for sharing, Kicki!

Miss Nessie & Kicki enjoy the Tall Ships Races in Sweden!

Jim Matson enjoys the view from the top of Mt. Evans! photo credits Joanne & Jim Matson

We drove 30 hours straight through, departing Sunday afternoon from Sipapu, New Mexico, arriving home Monday evening.
Congratulations, Aaron, on your 2nd place finish in Sportsman-Expert class at the NATC Trials Nationals! Aaron finished just
3 points behind the first place winner. Thank you Jim & Joanne Matson for your incredible hospitality! The grilled Front Range beef
hamburgers and the super sweet Colorado sweet corn was the highlight of our trip! Thank you for the cozy bedrooms and delicious meals!
Colorado raised peaches are the THE BEST peaches anywhere! Our trip to Rocky Mountain National Park with you as our guides was a lot
of fun! The picnic in Estes Park was yummy! Bless the Magpies hearts for being so patient waiting for our leftovers! It was so nice to spend
time with the girls, Daisy & Molly. Gosh they are in perfect shape for 13 years of age! Maria cannot wait to show Miss Daisy in the
Veteran Class at the USASA Nationals in Greeley next April. Your advice to drive to the top of Mt. Evans was spot on! (of course, we bought
Evan a T Shirt!) Mt. Evans is 150 feet taller then Pike's Peak with incredible views including a spectacular view of Denver! Despite having to sit
for 15 minutes at every mile marker on our way up (our Chevy Express van decided to stall and quit repeatedly due to vapor lock -- they are notorious
for this according to the service man at the Shell Station in Idaho Springs where Mt. Evans is located), we finally made it the 14 miles to the top.
We were lucky enough to see Bighorn Sheep on the rocks above, while sitting in our stalled van on the side of the mountain cliff ... and to see the
crazy mountain goats at the visitor's center! We photographed lots of wildlife including antelope on the way home! We saw only one Elk which was
in Estes Park. LOTS of elk crossing signs in Colorado and New Mexico, even along the expressways, but the elk were hiding at higher altitudes due
to the heat. We want to thank Jim & Joanne's good friend, Judy Scherpelz (soon to be a new Thornapple Mom!), for the tour of the Fort Collins
Raptor Center. We viewed a Golden Eagle, many different species of hawks, owls, even a turkey vulture, all doing time in rehab! One of our favorites
was the barn owl. Judy and associates are doing great work rehabbing raptors so they can be released to the wild. After our tour, Jim took us
to his favorite watering hole, The New Belgium Brewery, where we taste tested 4 different beers of our choice. On Thursday, we visited
The Garden Of The Gods in Colorado Springs. From there we headed to Sipapu New Mexico ski resort for the NATC Trials Nationals. The highlight
of our trip home was a drive through the Kit Carson National Forest which led us to the Great Plains in New Mexico ... where the Great Plains
meet the Rocky Mountains. One can imagine the herds of buffalo of bygone days spread across the Plains as far as the eye could see.
We were amazed at how many prong horn antelope we saw along this route. We pulled over and photographed some nice bucks with huge antlers!
Approaching Colorado Springs at sunset found us viewing a serious thunderstorm over Pike's Peak. We have never seen such huge bolts of
lightening! We enjoyed an amazing light show over the mountain! Brilliant pink rays from the setting sun streamed through the dark angry storm
clouds, as if to tease it, making for the most beautiful thunderstorm ever! We so wish we had time to stop and photograph the storm!
Our vacation was perfect! Thank you, Amy & Tom, for holding down the fort! Thank you, Chelsea, for helping us catch up! Now it's back to REALITY!
We have puppies anxious to leave for their new homes ... a 3 day dog show this weekend with Amy, Shayna & Austen ... departing Thursday,
Sydor flying to the Netherlands next Tuesday! LOTS to do! Aaron and Kelly were back at their jobs this morning. Maria had high school golf at 8am!
We have many photos to process ... we will share some of them.
Meanwhile, enjoy these beautiful photos taken by Jim & Joanne ... at Mt. Evans on Monday before we arrived!

Sunday, August 5th, Ellen & Aaron B., Coleen "Kelly" Zartman & Maria Neff, depart for Colorado and New Mexico!
We will be visiting Jim & Joanne Mattson ... Daisy & Molly Matson's parents! We can't wait to see the girls!
Jim & Joanne have graciously invited us into their home for two nights. They promised to take us to Rocky
Mountain National Park to hike and take photographs. We have a new Nikon 17 - 55mm landscape lens, a rose filter,
and a Moose filter for landscape photography class 101 with Joanne! We can only hope to take beautiful
photos like Joanne's but plan to try by being good students! After our hike, Jim & Joanne are taking us to their
favorite brewery for beer tasting. From Jim & Joanne's we head to Pike's Peak! This will be Aaron & Ellen's 2nd trip to the top ...
1st trip for Kelly & Maria. Hold on to your seats, girls! Ellen may just decide to stay at the bottom this time.
It is a bit too exciting and nearly impossible to breathe! From Pike's Peak it's on to Sipapu, New Mexico, where
Aaron will compete at the Trials Nationals. We plan to return home to Michigan late August 13th.

NEWS from Florida!!!
Hi Ellen! I'm happy to report some nice wins from the weekend in Ocala. Erica & Diesel took two RJH!
Erica was HIT JR with Gabby in Novice Obedience with scores of 196 & 184.5.
Saxon (Sunwrens Saxon Invasion) took two BOBP.
Nico (Afterall's Nico Blue) took ALT, WD, BOW, BOS twice for two three point majors!
Ember (Penn Y Caerau's Glowing Ember) took two ALT BOBs.
Dash (Noraust's Just A Dash'll Do Ya) took WD for a four point major.
Paris (Mi-T's Belle Danse A Paris) took RWB to a five point major.
Love ya, Erica
CONGRATULATIONS, ERICA ESCALADA, ON AN AWESOME WEEKEND!

And MORE good news from Ami Romanelli Florida!
August 4th 2007 - Central Florida ASC
Abby had her very first altered show and she did fantastic! With no formal show ring training
she took Reserve Winners Bitch to a major under AKC Judge Leah James, we are so proud of Abby!
And the best part was that she got to play frisbee with Daddy Jake after the show :).
Abby's Page: http://mandolynjake.tripod.com/id31.html
CONGRATULATIONS, MISS ABBY & Nikki Spirakas!