I have been absent from my Blog for a long time. Had a new computer installed and had a lot of
trouble getting my head around all the new functions and spending way too much time searching for
this and that.
Got very frustrating and I " kicked it to the kerb " for a good long time.
I arrived in the USA in February of 1972 and got my first silkys in December of that year.
I imported a male Ch Waitink Tiny Tink (Waiton line) and a female Grajule Sparklet (Lylac line)
from June Chivers of Sydney NSW.
I named them Tinky and Precious. They were mated several years later and they had one male.
Ch Centella Lil Fellah ROM.
I later brought into the family Grajule Claudine and she had 4 babies with Tinky.
Centella Sweet Roll ROM was one and after producing some lovely pups in 3 litters total, was bitten
by a Copperhead snake and died several hours later. A little bit of me died with her.
She was a very special silky.
Claudine also produced Ch Centella Senorita Chica out of the same litter, who was a big winner.
I travelled throughout the USA in my 28 foot motor home and began a career as a professional
handler and dog show groomer, while at the same time showing my silkys.
I also studied several years at the Texas A&M Veterinary School, in Nutrition, Genetics and
hereditary diseases. I worked with a veterinarian at the same time, and learned so much from
him. It was an invaluable experience.
Sadly, my house and kennel burned to the ground in 1980 while I was away and I lost my dearest
Champions Lil Fellah and Senorita Chica. I lost all my records, books, study notes, and had no
Insurance. So I was not only homeless, but nowhere to keep my 22 dogs that were left.
A friend kindly ran an ad in the Houston Chronicle and I homed 11 of the dogs that were left.
We lived in a tent on our property for around 6 months, until I sold the land to a neighbor
and built a house in another area.
I was so traumatised, I pretty much did nothing for another year. It took 2 years to retrieve most of the dog's registrations. I had to rely on friends who had show catalogues and thankfully returned
many pictures I had sent them.
I obtained Championships on 13 of my Silkys whilst living in the USA.
I spent 26 years in Texas, before moving back to Tasmania, Australia
I had two girls and an ex-husband and 4 silkys. The girls and my silkys I brought with me.
When 3 out of my 4 silkys died of old age, I contacted Jan Boyce in NSW and she sent me
a dear little silky CH Nantiki Hot Topic (Tootsie) and when she reached 12 years, I knew it
was time to get another silky, as the thought of being without a silky at my side was not negotiable.
Next time I will catch up to the present, and now all is working again, I can hopefully make
more entries.
