When you go on vacation, who takes care of your dog? Or when you're away at work, who exercises and walks your furred friend?
Last week, I learned about Delighted Pets, a local business in nearby Brewster, New York that offers boarding and daycare services focused on canine enrichment, positive behavioral reinforcement, and well-supervised outdoor interaction. The facility is equipped with both indoor and outdoor play spaces, a clean and quiet kennel area, a grooming room, a retail shop, and 24-hour on-site management. It also offers regular pick up and drop off for all dogs, outings to fenced-in open spaces, and on-leash private or semi private walks around town. Finding a reputable canine care center with an experienced, knowledgeable, and friendly staff is vital - for both your pet and your peace-of-mind.
Here are some photos from Delighted Pets, enjoy.
Sal Romano, on the right, started Delighted Pets in 2015 in New York City. Its first offerings included daily walks around Manhattan. Now, his company offers full concierge service, boarding, small group excursions, and more. After properly temperament testing each dog, they are slowly acclimated to limited number pack groups.
Delighted Pets has a facility and access to secured, open spaces in Westchester County as well as services in New York City.
Walking into Delighted Pets, one is greeted with classical music and a room filled with “client” photos.
Outside, in one of the fenced in dog spaces – a small number of friendly dogs is already enjoying a morning playtime session.
Dogs are well-socialized. Many of the dogs are together on a daily basis.
All breeds and mixes are accepted at Delighted Pets. This is a Boykin spaniel, a medium sized dog originally bred for hunting wild turkeys and ducks. It is a very active breed that needs lots of exercise and mental stimulation, but is considered a friendly, social dog and good family pet.
Here’s my friend Ari Katz, who runs the @raisingtheperfectpet Instagram page. He is an experienced dog handler and breeder of Labrador Retrievers.
When selecting a daycare or boarding facility for your pet, be sure it is up-to-date on all vaccines and accustomed to being with other dogs.
Here is a yellow Lab waiting for its turn for attention. Also be sure your dog is accustomed to riding in a car and being away from home without anxiety.
It’s important that any dog daycare facility be well-supervised. There are always at least two guardians in the enclosure for safety and proper management.
This is a Samoyed with its striking white coat and friendly disposition. This “Sammy” is a regular at Delighted Pets, and seems to love it.
Every room is clean and climate-controlled. The main exercise room of Delighted Pets is decorated with a gallery of dog portraits.
The room is also padded for safety and equipped with an agility A-frame and jumps for indoor stimulation and training.
There are also exercise treadmills specifically designed for canine use and exercise when outdoor play is not possible.
An adjacent kennel room has individual crates for quiet time and naps. Owner notes and personal food, treats and supplies are kept near each crate.
This is a hydraulic grooming table. It can accommodate both small and big dogs for brushing or cuts – a professional groomer is on-site.
There is also an appropriate stainless steel animal tub.
The Delighted Pets boutique includes all-natural, American made treats. These Delightful Bites come in several flavors and treat sizes.
Other shelves include a curated collection of grooming accessories and supplies.
And this area has a collection of cold-weather vests and coats for big and small dogs.
And of course, there is also a section for toys.
At Delighted Pets, dogs are given one-on-one attention, training, and lots of playtime. As the saying goes, a “good dog is a tired dog.”
This is a Lagotto Romagnolo, the well-known “truffle dog” of Italy. When looking for a reputable dog care facility in your neighborhood, be sure to do your homework and research what the center offers. Delighted Pets… it’s a good thing.
Nowadays, while many have access to a smartphone for sharing pictures or posting on social media, there's something very special about capturing high-quality images with a manual camera.
My granddaughter, Jude, is an avid and experienced photographer. Not long ago, she and three of her friends participated in a week-long course under Jude's instructor, celebrated photographer Mindy Vèissid. The group learned about the various settings and functions of a camera and practiced different techniques for lighting, composition, and editing. On one day, the group came to my farm where they spent several hours taking images of the flowers and trees, the birds and horses, and anything else that caught their attention.
Here are photos from the group's day at Cantitoe Corners and some of their images taken during the course with Canon EOS cameras, enjoy.
Photography involves both science and art. Taking thoughtful, high-quality images and understanding the technical aspects of photography are essential. My granddaughter and I share a passion for photography and have loved using Canon cameras to take many of our pictures.
Last month, Jude and her friends Layla, Raisa, and Nyla, took an in-depth photography course with Mindy – a distinguished photographer, author, and founder of the boutique school Art of Intuitive Photography. The five-day workshop included walks around the city and various locations, a trip to my farm, and lessons in editing the photos taken.
Mindy’s approach encourages aspiring photographers to use intuition and creativity to inspire their work and find their subjects.
Mindy discussed the use of a zoom lens – when it’s best to use it and how it works to maintain focus when its focal length changes.
After the lecture, the group went out to test their knowledge and skills. They started up close, taking photos of this weeping katsura just outside my Winter House.
They all took images of the flowers on my terrace parterre.
Jude has developed a very keen eye for photography and has taken many lessons with Mindy. Here she is taking photos of the potted succulents.
Mindy works with each student to carefully teach them how to select the settings to take their shots – the aperture, shutter speed, ISO, and white balance.
They took turns with the Canon zoom lens, taking time to select what they wanted to photograph. They were encouraged to use creativity and self expression.
The group walked down the carriage road toward the stable. While Jude has taken many photos around the farm, this was a great time to get a different perspective on familiar scenes and objects.
Here they are in the stable taking closeup photos of my handsome Friesian, Rinze – the patriarch of my herd.
And here they are with the chickens, watching their movements and waiting for just the right opportunities – all part of mindful photography.
The young photographers wanted to share some of their photos taken during the week-long course. This image and the following were all captured in and around New York City, including my farm. I’m so impressed with the photos and so happy they enjoyed their lessons. (Photo taken by Layla using a Canon EOS Rebel T6)
(Photo taken by Layla using a Canon EOS Rebel T6)
(Photo taken by Layla using a Canon EOS Rebel T6)
(Photo taken by Raisa using a Canon EOS Rebel T6)
(Photo taken by Raisa using a Canon EOS Rebel T6)
(Photo taken by Raisa using a Canon EOS Rebel T6)
(Photo taken by Nyla using a Canon EOS Rebel T7)
(Photo taken by Nyla using a Canon EOS Rebel T7)
(Photo taken by Nyla using a Canon EOS Rebel T7)
(Photo taken by Jude using a Canon EOS RP)
(Photo taken by Jude using a Canon EOS RP)
(Photo taken by Jude using a Canon EOS RP)
Please follow Mindy’s Instagram page @mveissid and go to her web site mindyveissid.com for more information and her photos.
Summer weather here at my farm continues to be very hot and humid with temperatures in the high 80s. I've been watching all my animals very closely to make sure they're well-hydrated and comfortable.
My peacocks and peahens live in a large, fully-enclosed yard located just outside my stable and near my Linden Allée. I visit these beautiful birds every day. I love calling out to them and waiting for their energetic responses. During the day, many of them can be found perched in the shade watching all the activity around them.
Here are some of the latest photos, enjoy.
Peafowl love to perch. I provide access to perches made from old felled trees here at the farm. This perch is also covered to offer ample shade during the hottest part of the day.
This is the tail of a mature male. A mature peacock can have up to 200 feathers in his tail, which can weigh up to half a pound. The feathers grow to five feet long – that’s longer than the bird’s body.
Look at the top of his head. Both male and female peafowl have a fan-shaped crest on their heads called a corona.
For peafowl, it’s still breeding season until early August. During this time, the peacocks display their stunning and iridescent tail feathers, strut back and forth shaking their hindquarters to produce a rattling sound, and make loud calls to the females around them. Stiff rear feathers underlie the front feathers and provide support when the whole tail is raised.
This peacock is showing off his tail feathers from the front and the rear. After the season ends, the males lose their long tail feathers and then grow them back before the next breeding season begins. The train gets longer and more elaborate until five or six years old when it reaches maximum splendor.
Here is a white peacock doing the same. The peahens tend to choose males with the longest, most striking tails. It’s quite a “tail show.”
Some peafowl will be more tame and more friendly than others. Mine are very friendly and are eager to greet all those who enter the enclosure. Since most of them have grown up here at the farm, they aren’t shy at all. In fact, the peafowl are all very accustomed to all the visits.
Peafowl are members of the pheasant family. There are two Asiatic species – the blue or Indian peafowl native to India and Sri Lanka, and the green peafowl originally from Java and Burma, and one African species, the Congo peafowl from African rain forests.
I have a variety of all-white, as well as colorful, and interestingly marked birds.
The female is less iridescent with more muted colors and markings. Peacocks have large eyes on the sides of their heads providing wide views. They possess sharp visual acuity as well as color discrimination. Peafowl also have acute hearing, but can be poor at discerning from what direction certain sounds originate.
These birds are ground feeders. They do most of their foraging in the early morning and evening. As omnivores, they eat insects, plants, grains and small creatures.
Peafowl are happiest when living in small groups. I am pleased that all of mine get along very well.
My birds have perches in their coop also, made from large, natural branches.
Peacocks are stunning to look at, but do not underestimate their power. These birds are extremely strong with very sharp spurs – just look at the legs and feet of this fellow.
Here is another female. Remember, technically only the males are peacocks. The females are peahens, and both are peafowl. Babies are peachicks. And a family of peafowl is called a bevy.
Peafowl are pretty social and curious animals. Yearling peafowl act much like teenagers. Here is one youngster with my friend Ari Katz, who runs the @raisingtheperfectpet page on Instagram – be sure to follow.
And look at this foursome – peachicks Ari gifted me. These will have dark green markings when mature.
These four are in an adjacent pen until they are bigger. They share the space with my pheasants and younger chickens.
As beautiful as peafowl are, they don’t make very melodious sounds. Peafowl have 11 different calls, with most of the vocalizing made by the peacocks. Oftentimes, I can hear them all the way from my Winter House.
Peafowls are very hardy birds, and even though they are native to warm climates, they also do well when it’s cold. I am so pleased with my ostentation – friendly, observant, and great company here at Cantitoe Corners.
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