1 I've been doing a lot to prepare for Westminster next week, like staying in shape in Karen's exercise yard.

2 There are lots of toys for me to play with here, as well! Toys keep dogs minds stimulated, keeping us sharp and smart!

3 There are also other Chow Chows for me to socialize with at Karen's house, which also prepares me to be around all the other dogs at the show, both big and small!

4 It's hard to believe that the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show begins on Monday! We've just received all of our official documents for the show.

5 This is my offiicial identification card.

6 As a precaution, Karen took me to the Blue Ridge Veterinary Office to get microchipped. I was a little nervous because I wasn't sure what that meant, but Vet Tech Melani Bowman and Dr. Carol Filchner made me feel at ease!

7 Another vet tech, Lisa Wenner, filled out my paperwork and explained that a microchip would be implanted under my skin between my shoulder blades. If I ever get lost, a vet can scan the microchip and find out who I am!

8 It's a very common practice these days and more reliable than tags. I don't usually wear a collar around the house because of my thick fur and a microchip clearly states that Martha is my owner!

9 First, they scanned my body to make sure I didn't already have a microchip. Like I'd forget about having a microchip!

10 The microchip is smaller than a grain of rice and fits inside a syringe. I thought it was going to hurt - who likes getting shots? The vet techs were so nice and quick, I didn't even feel it!

11 The vets showed me a photo of Martha holding a Jack Russell terrier who is owned by Dr. Edward Shelly from the veterinary clinic! What a small world! By the way, all kinds of pets can get microchips. It's a really good idea!

1 Sharkey, what are they guys doing in the vegetable garden? It usually doesn't see much action this time of year! Let's investigate!

2 Normally, in the depths of winter, the ground is so frozen you couldn't possibly dig like that. Plus, it's usually covered with snow!

3 That's right, Franny! This has been an exceptionally mild winter, allowing for the guys to get a head start on garden preparations for the spring!

4 At the start of every growing season, the garden gets turned over, meaning the first ten to twelve inches of soil is dug up and flipped.

5 But, before that happens, any weeds are cultivated out and discarded in the compost pile. There, those weeds get 'cooked' by the heat of the decaying organic matter, killing their seeds.

6 Once that job is done, the digging begins, a process that aerates the soil. You could even spread a layer of compost first to incorporate more nutrients into the soil. You can smell that this soil is very nutrient-rich!

7 Phurba, you're doing a splendid job! Franny, aerating sounds like a good idea, but it seems like so much work. Why is this done for the garden? Isn't it just...dirt?

8 Think about it, Sharkey! This isn't just dirt, it's what plants live in! Aeration helps replenish nutrients and provides a loose soil for vegetable roots to grow deep and strong.

9 Right! It's all coming back to me now, Francesca. It also helps with good water drainage. Is this the next section to turn?

10 Yikes!!! No way, Sharkey. This is Martha's prized asparagus and rhubarb plot. This section never gets turned!

11 Sharkey, all this talk about vegetables and nutrients has made me hungry! Let's go find a snack!

1 Francesca! GK! There is something strange outside! It appears to be some sort of green animal about Frenchie size!

2 I'll just wait here, where it's safe, while you girls investigate. That green color is kind of disturbing.

3 Hmmm, it's shaped like one of the miniature donkeys except that it's much more miniature! But our mini donks are the smallest size there is! And they definitely don't come in green! We need a closer look.

4 Well, Francesca, would you look at that! It's a topiary in the shape of a donkey!

5 Topiaries are often made by trimming trees, shrubs, or bushes into shapes. This is a different type of topiary.

6 Oh I see, the donkey shape is actually a wire frame, which appears to be filled with sphagnum moss. Sphagnum is often referred to as peat moss, as it's often found growing on top of peat bogs.

7 You know what? I can pose like that, too. Why doesn't someone make a topiary of me? The art of topiary has been around since Roman times. What better way to be immortalized?

8 How about this, Sharkey? Is this a good pose?

9 Or should I look off this way, like I'm daydreaming?

10 Just think, people all over the globe could decorate their lawns with Topiary Francescas! This could be big, Sharkey!

11 Oh Francesca, you're so silly. We don't need a topiary version of you—one of you is enough!

1 Vivaldi! Verdi! There's something different in the canary cage. Do you see it?

2 There seems to a stranger trying to blend in with the flock, but the vivid color of these Red Factor canaries makes it difficult.

3 What they eat affects their pigmentation, so they are fed foods like carrots, oranges, and berries to keep them bright.

4 It's the same reason pink flamingos are pink, you know, because of all the shrimp they eat.

5 So if I eat a lot of shrimp, I might turn pink as well? How silly I would look! But Bartok, what were you saying about a stranger in the canary cage?

6 All I see that's different are these newly cut apple branches for the birds to perch on.

7 Wait a minute, what's that? Hey, that's no canary!

8 See? I told you. That's a blue parakeet that Martha bought as a songbird for her granddaughter, Baby Jude. While canaries make lovely pets (and snacks), parakeets can be trained to sing and talk.

9 Bartok, when did you become such a know-it-all? You sound like the Frenchies with all of those facts. I'm trying to nap in this ray of sun over here!

10 What? The dogs think they're so smart...I'm just trying to show that they aren't the only ones with brains in this house! We know things too!

11 Oh fine, I'll stretch out and nap in the sun, too. See if I ever try to better you again!

1 Hey Verdi! Why are all the cats hiding in the laundry room? Are you all scaredy-cats?

2 No, Francesca, being scared has nothing to do with it. We're all waiting for our turn to be groomed. This is more than just a laundry room, you know—it's also our salon!

3 Laura and Maria are brushing out Empress Tang right now and then it will be my turn.

4 I see there's a whole shelf of grooming products for dogs and cats. Wait, is a kitty salon really necessary? It seems like all you cats do is sleep and preen!

5 Yes, Francesca, it's true that cats need ample beauty rest and we do like to preen. But, we also need baths and grooming, just like you stinky dogs!

6 Long haired cats, like all of us, should really be brushed once a day to stave off mats, remove dirt, and distribute oil throughout our coats. Short haired cats need brushing, but just once a week.

7 Plus, when you have an experienced brusher, like these two ladies, it also feels really nice. Ah yes, that's the spot!

8 There's a whole line of Martha Stewart pet grooming brushes at PetSmart for both dogs and cats.

9 Long haired cats like Persians and Himaylans actually have three layers of hair called guard hair, awn, and down. The short guard hairs shed and can get tangled with the longer down hairs, causing mats, like dreadlocks!

10 Believe me, we cats hate when our hair gets matted, but we also know that regular brushing really helps to avoid mats altogether. We welcome our grooming sessions.

11 There, how do I look? Purrfectly gorgeous, no?

12 Empress Tang, I must admit that you do smell good and your that your fur is very soft! And thanks for the lesson about cat hair.

1 Rather than rooming in a hotel, Gerry Roberts has graciously invited us to stay with her in her comfortable home.

2 Gerry is an excellent hostess. She definitely knows a thing or two about chow chows, as she co-owns my father, Maddox, with Karen Tracy.

3 Jan and Dad, let's pose for a nice photo by the fireplace!

4 Hotels are nice, but they don't offer great fenced in yards, like this one, where I am free to run around. Hey, what's that over there?

5 It's a black squirrel perched on Gerry's cast iron squirrel garden ornament! Wouldn't Francesca and Sharkey absolutely go nuts to see this?

6 Bath time at Gerry's is is a breeze in her huge tub. I must look my absolute best for the show!

7 Oh, Jan, I am so sorry that I didn't win Best of Breed this time. However, I did win Select, a special ribbon that earns me points towards a Grand Championship title.

8 Still, l am very disappointed with myself and I feel I've let you down. I'll have to work on upping my game before Westminster!

9 Dad, where are you? I need to talk to you about the show!

10 GK, my boy, everyone goes through a rough patch from time to time. Yes, you are a natural show dog, but that doesn't guarantee you the win! You may find it hard to believe, but even I have experienced losses!

11 Oh Robin, you and Tiva have been so supportive throughout this trip. Dad is right! I can't let this minor setback get me down.

12 Now it's time to hit the road and return home to the Frenchies. Thank you, Gerry! You've been a lovely hostess! I'm sure we'll meet again soon!

1 Where is that Sharkey? I can hear her barking and I think I know where she is.

2 Franny, I'm in with the donks trying to get them to play tag! Run, Billie! Run, Rufus! Run, Clive! Come on, I want to play!

3 Sharkey, you should have gotten here sooner. We would love to play with you, but we've got an appointment in the stable for our daily hoof washing.

4 Oh come on, Billie! Why bother washing your hooves? They'll just get dirty again tomorrow! Skip it and stay out here and play with me!

5 Sharkey, we donks must think of our health. Hoof problems aren't common for miniature donkeys, but the risks are greater when the ground is soggy from rain and snow.

6 Washing hooves really doesn't take all that much effort. Dolma leads us right to the stable shower.

7 To keep us from bolting, Dolma hooks our harnesses to a strap in the shower. Of course, there are treats for good behavior.

8 And then the fun begins and we get our hooves sprayed clean. We've been told that when the ground is wet, it becomes a breeding ground for all kinds of bacteria. Yuck!

9 This is truly fascinating! I'll keep my distance to avoid getting wet.

10 All that bacteria can cause a number of hoof problems for donks and horses alike! Horrible infections like thrush, white line disease, lamanitis, and even abscesses can cause big health problems.

11 All clean again!

12 You see, Frenchies, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

13 Wow, I learned a lot today about hoof hygiene! And I'm so glad Dolma takes such good care of you. I better go home and ask to have my paws washed after running in your paddock.

1 Francesca and I love this area of the farm.

2 We have so many pretty songbirds that come to feed here and we have so many squirrels to chase because they, too, come to eat the seeds that fall to the ground.

3 Oh no, Francesca! This pile of feathers can't be a good thing!

4 This is more than just one little bird molting.

5 Horrors! This looks more like a crime scene!

6 Do you suppose one of our little birds has met an unfortunate end?

7 Sharkey, just yesterday when I was out here, a big shadow was cast on the ground and when I looked up...

8 I saw the gigantic four-foot wingspan of a red tailed hawk.

9 Oh no, Franny! All hawks are birds of prey and are feared by small animals because of their carnivorous cravings. It's widely assumed that these raptors eat primarily mammals, but they consider small birds to be a succulent treat!

10 I think we know what has happened here and I suppose we can close this unfortunate case.

11 Hey little birds! Watch your backs!

12 A hawk can swoop down at any time and grab you in its big sharp talons. I'm told they can even nab you in mid-flight! Imagine, birds eating birds! Who can figure it?

1 Who is that coming up the walk? Is that whom I think it is? Yes, it is!

2 It's my pal, Karen Tracy, who's here to pick me up for another dog show! Oh, I missed you too, Karen!

3 And Jan Kolnik, my handler! Oh Jan, I've been practicing! You're going to be so proud of what I can do!

4 Okay, Jan! I'm ready to go! What else do we need to get ready? Frenchies, can you help me?

5 GK, we're sure proud of your winnings, but I do get a little misty eyed when you pack up for your dog shows! We just love cuddling up next to you, especially on these cold winter days!

6 Oh girls, I always miss you when I'm off traveling, but it's something I've got to do! I come from a long line of show dogs. It's in my blood!

7 Sharkey! This is no time to get emotional! It's not like he's leaving forever! GK, we'll hold down the farm while you're gone. There, you're all packed. I put some extra special treats in this bag for you!

8 Okay Jan, I'm all set to go! Let's head out to the car!

9 Look, Sharkey! GK gets to ride with other dogs! See, you have no reason to worry about him! It looks like fun!

10 Hi! I'm Robin and this is Tiva! We're Cavalier King Charles Spaniels! GK, we sure had fun at the last show! I'm so glad we're traveling together again!

11 It's very nice to meet you two. I'm Sharkey! Can you promise to take good care of our dear brother?

12 I'm Francesca! I'm so glad you two are going with GK. Tell Sharkey not to be such a worrywart!

13 Goodbye, Frenchies! I'll write to you from the road! Okay, Jan and Karen! We're all set to go. Maryland or bust!

14 Gee, now that he's gone, I really do miss the big ole fluff ball!

1 Sharkey! Did we have another awful storm when I wasn't looking? Why are there so many branches on the ground?

2 Francesca, a storm would leave tree branches in such neat piles!

3 These branches are from December's Christmas trees! Instead of putting them in the trash, Martha has them cut and placed on top of garden beds as a type of winter insulation. Nothing is wasted around here!

4 Plus, Ryan and Wilmer have been spreading mulch on top of all the garden beds. A thick layer of this fluffy organic compost will protect all of those confused spring bulbs that have been sprouting.

5 In natural forests, fallen autumn leaves create a protective layer on the forest floor for all the wild plants. But, we make our own organic composted mulch, which works great here at the farm.

6 Composting is a fascinating subject! I can smell each and every thing that went into this batch! Francesca, let's go take a look at the gigantic compost piles!

7 Sharkey, we certainly have enough composted mulch to keep us in business for quite some time! I feel like I'm mountain climbing!

8 These piles are a combination of ground up grass clippings, wood, and animal manure from the horses and donkeys. Manure is especially good as fertilizer because it adds much needed nutrients, like nitrogen to the soil.

9 Ryan, you and Wilmer are doing an excellent job top dressing all of the gardens! Everything looks great!

10 But I'm glad you're not too busy to stop and give me a nice scratch!

11 A thick blanket of composted mulch makes the perennial beds look nice and neat and it's comforting to know that it really is a blanket to protect and nourish the plants beneath it.