About the middle of summer, the grass always seems to start to fade and thin out under the two giant maple trees in our yard because of the dense shad, heat and lack of rain. Our all Icelandic landscape crew has completely transformed our yard so we set them to work on this project. They assembled their very best Lawn watering team for the task! Although their landscape designs might not be for everyone, our landscape crew provides us with hours of entertainment.
We have also been designated as an official wildlife habitat by the National Wildlife Federation we are now Habitat No. 105,533. We have had countless rabbit families raised in the backyard, butterflies abound, robins hatch regularly, hummingbirds are frequent visitors and now we are raising pheasants for release next spring. I sincerely doubt that they had the kind of "wildlife" pictured in our little video in mind when they granted it that Certification. Kaffi and Jolasveinn have the very best time playing together.
A young Robin looking for a hand-out and one of our young pheasants
Fox Meadow Trommari learned recently that not only could he swim....
His family took him to the lake and he discovered his dog paddling talents!
He was even retreiving balls in the water and paling around with his boy! I bet Trommari will never look at a deep mud-puddle the same again!
Fox Meadow Jolasveinn recently had his own deep water experience with expert swimmer Viking Hippi at his side while visiting Hippi's kennel Mom and Dad, Liz and Bob Hurley
Hippi swims like a Beaver and even clears Beaver Creek of sticks while he's at it. Hipp' doesn't even create a splash when he swims.
He had this fabulous idea that he was going out to join Hippi, since he was just "walking around" out there.
Little did Jolasveinn know but Hippi was swimming around in a pretty deep trout hole..... one of the best in Beaver Creek! He bounced over and went right under like a chocolate submarine. It was one of those moments you wished you had a camera and did! Here he is "resurfacing"
Hippi looking out for the little guy led our Chocolate Submarine back to shore
where Jon assisted with the rescue!
It still totaly astounds me how having Icelandic Sheepdogs in your life can open so many doors for you that you never imagined before. One of those doors is the friendships we've made in the Icelandic Sheepdog Community both here in the United States and throughout Iceland and Europe. One of these fabulous people is Brynhildur Inga Einarsdottir at Reykjadals Kennels in Iceland
and Reykjadals Bróðir Djákni. they were born on June 23, 2008. These pups belong to the rare "O" family in the Icelandic Sheepdog, commected to it by their dam Homfrildur Hrifla
Brynhildur has been so very generous to share with me her Iceland while out on adventures with her dogs and grandchildren. I have had the opportunity to learn a little about Iceland and the Icelandic Sheepdog through her. It is gratifying to know that ISD owners everywhere are pretty much the same. We all enjoy our time spent with our dogs and family most of all. It is photos like these and information on Iceland's history that help us learn how to be better stewards of this incredible breed in the United States. Learning why an Icelandic Sheepdogs coat must be a certain way, or their ears, why their effortles gait is so important after seeing photos of the snowy mountainous countryside; without them being correct, a dog could not have been able to function in the manner in which it was intended. 
Kaffi decided to show his son Jolasveinn how much fun the farm can be in the Spring running through hay fields. They were having an absolute blast running through and bobbing up and over the hay like deer in a corn field. I was having just as much fun watching them.
Happy Spring Everybody!
"Finn" and his girl
The dog was created specially for children. He is the god of frolic. ~Henry Ward Beecher
Fox Meadow Trommari spends a playful Sunday morning with his boy! These boys are certainly growing up together, Trommari is almost as big as his best buddy now!
A dog teaches a boy fidelity, perseverance, and to turn around three times before lying down. ~Robert Benchley
Fox Meadow Jolasveinn meets one of our yearling rams Fox Meadow Gryphon for the first time today after we finished shearing; and lays down some ground rules for him
Alright everybody get moving, you too Pembrooke!
I said stay right there!
Fox Meadow Snaefinnur and his "Mom' are setting out to do some puppy agility and By Golly - I think the little guys got it!. He's doing incredible for a 12 week old little guy! He is now known as "Finn" at home, the call name chosen especially to come out quickly in a competition.
Go Finn!
Finn in "the pause box" looking to his person for the cue to be released!
Finn looks like he really is enjoying himself and his new found talents, as you can see the "jump" is very, very low. Puppies should be at least 12 months old before they begin really doing jumps allowing for their growth plates to close to prevent joint damage. Finn is able to just trot over the jump while still learning to move between the poles.
Bjalla and her own personal Black Sheep Odinn the Bernese Mountain Dog! Her family sent us a little update on Bjalla
Bjalla has became a very big and happy girl and she LOVES Odin. Bjalla is always playing with Odin and our cat Ockey. Bjalla has been doing a GREAT job on herding the family together.
I've been so very lucky to find such awesome families for Elsie and Kaffi's puppies . Trommari has a an incredible little boy to grow up and experience knew things with and a couple of awesome adults who just adore him. They work with him daily at obedience and say he's is really coming along well mastering downs, stays and is rcalling really well.
After we finished some shearing today, Jolasveinn finally was able to meet the sheep. He was a little startled at first, he trotted past a lambing jug that our best ewe Fiona and her 3 day old twin lambs were tucked away safely in; she's a great mom and even though they were on opposites sides of a fence she stomped her feet at him then head butted the gate as he went by. The little guy quickly recovered and went out to meet the larger group.
He was immediately greeted by one of our Shetland rams Pembrooke, who gave him a little back off snort and stomp but otherwise was happy to let him be around his ewes so long as Jolasveinn didn't get too out of line with them. He ran them up from the lower pasture to the upper one, where the video stops he had also stopped to wait for us to catch up with him then went on to finish the job.
The Icelandic Sheepdog naturally herds in a droving style rather than Gathering like the Border Collie. They use their voice to move the sheep away from the shepherd, they can although be taught to Gather and drive the sheep toward the shepherd. The ISD rarely needs to resort to getting nippy or "grip" the flocks they herd. Our flock of Shetland Sheep are not dog broke and are not an overly flocky breed but even they can respect the authority of a 12 week old Icelandic Sheepdog
Jolasveinn successfully brought the sheep up from the lower pasture and held them at the gate until we could open it. It's a real good thing these dogs have a natural talent for this stuff because as a handler I'm not all that accomplished. For a 12 week old he did amazing! I just wish he'd do this well in obedience class, it's probably not exciting enough!!
As I am certain you heard in the video, Jolasveinn gave a "vocal correction" to the sheep when they got out of line. He discontinued vocalizing ( OK barking!) when they were all in the correct position. This breed can be a talkative one.
"Bjalla" meeting one of her boys. Bjalla's family has said she is quite popular with the folks at the bus stop and is still her bubbly self bringing lots of questions about the breed wherever she goes!
"Get the Man with the Ball" one of the many games our ISD's play, Jolasveinn sure did catch on quick . 
Jolasveinn in a free stack
Fox Meadow Snaefinnur "Finn" a treasured member of his new family!
Finn in his Candy Cane bed after a day at play with his Kids
"Finn" must be dreaming of Sugar Plums... or possibly Snowballs snug as a bug in his bed
Wow, look at that coat that 3 month old puppy has! What a fuzz ball!
Trommari in his New New Jersey Home
He sure is growing up fast!
Fox Meadow Trommari introduces his boy to Mom Elsie and Brothers Snaefinnur, Jolasveinn and Sister Bjalla
