Wednesday found my sweet boy Arnie cuddling up with me, while I attempted to get rid of my cold. He was such a sweetie, that I grabbed my camera and started snapping away. After all, how often does the opportunity present to cuddle, take pictures and recover from a cold?

Anneliese is doing well, although she is still carrying around her little lamb toy. No matter where she is, she has that little lamb in her mouth or by her side.

But I’m encouraged because she is healing well and feeling so much better! She has even begun eating regular dog food again, after going through a spell where she refused all food.

The week is slowly coming to an end and I am really looking forward to the weekend. It’s not that I have a lot planned, it’s just that Hubby and I tend to spend more time together during the weekends.

Happy Thursday everyone!

Happily, Anneliese is doing much better and today, she even allowed me to take a picture of her. She is getting up and around much more, and has been going for walks with me and runs in the yard. It’s so nice to see her getting back to her old self once again.

Anneliese

Meanwhile today I was looking for Greta and I couldn’t find her! I went walking around the house calling her name and nothing! Finally, I walked up the hill to my neighbors house to see if she had seen Greta. I didn’t even have to ask, for there Greta was asleep on her door step!

My neighbor’s grandchildren are visiting from Oregon, and Greta simply adores them. The year I brought Greta home from Germany Matina and James were visiting their Grandmother for three weeks and that was enough for Greta to fall very much in love with them!

Greta

After her trip up to see the kids, she came home and took a little nap.

One really great thing about each and every one of my dogs is that they are all characters, with their own personalities and quirks!

Also, if we didn’t already have enough dogs of our own, tonight we had a guest.

I was going out to walk Greta when I saw this dog sitting on our patio. Before I knew what was going on the other three dogs brushed by me (Fritz knocked me down!), and were all over this poor thing.

The dog was lost and scared. Once we put the four Dackel Princess dogs in the house, Hubby and I examined it to make sure it was okay. I called a few neighbors, but no one knew whose dog it was.

Then we called the Police and they were going to come and take it to the Dog Pound. A few minutes later, they called us back. They’d located the owner and within 15 minutes they arrived to collect the poor dog. It turns out the dog is a rescue and had only been with them for a week.

All I can say is…what a nice dog. It looked like a cross between a Boarder Collie and an Australian Shepherd. I sure hope she is okay now and won’t run off again.

If she does, then I hope she ends up back here at the Dackel Princess house, where we can take care of her until her owners come.

Dear Friends,

I’m sad to announce that Anneliese’s baby girl did not make it this morning. She was taken via c-section, was big and beautiful and seemed to be doing well, and then just faded away.

Anneliese is doing okay, sleeping next to me right now.  I have cried many tears. I don’t understand….but then I tell myself that God is with me and with Anneliese and I have to have faith.

Love,

Maribeth

Well, we reached day 65 with no sign of labor starting in Anneliese. I brought her in to the Veterinarian’s Office to be sure that all was well with both her and the puppy. The best news was that we were able to see the puppy’s heart beating! That sure made me feel relieved.

Then we decided that since it looked like Anneliese’s puppy is breech we had better be sure of it’s exact location. So we took an x-ray of her belly. Below you can see the puppy very clearly. It’s large, and I have marked all the vital things we were looking for, but please note that the baby’s head is up and her feet are down, thus the puppy is in the breech position and not likely to turn around as it is so big.

Anneliese’s Head                                               Anneliese’s Bottom

So, Anneliese is a tad overdue. I’ve spoken at length with her Vets and if by Wednesday morning she has not gone into labor, we will take the puppy by cesarean.

Now to think of a good D name for our little Dackel Princess Pup. Funny to be thinking of narrowing it down to just one name each for a boy or girl. It’s almost like a human! Why, I may have to give him or her a middle name!

It’s Sunday night as I write, and there is no news. Anneliese remains, pregnant and porky, and she shows little signs of letting this pup out! We’re getting down to the nitty gritty. The end of her pregnancy! My cousin, Janet was here today and she lay her hands on Anneliese’s belly.

She then pronounced that Anneliese would have her baby tomorrow.

Anneliese remains quietly apart from us all. She sleeps in the kitchen during the day and with me only at night. I managed to get this picture of her when she ate a little dinner tonight. My hope is that she will digest it before she starts labor, as last time she threw up quite a bit.

If she shows no sign of labor by the morning (Monday) I will be calling the Veterinarians for their advice. I hope and pray between now and then she decides to let that puppy out!

Here at The Dackel Princess Home, we are still awaiting the birth of Anneliese’s pup. Saturday saw her changing her usual personality and becoming more of a recluse. At one point she had climbed under our bed, and I managed to get her out. Now we’ve closed off the doors to any rooms with beds, and tried our best to encourage her to go into the whelping box.

But I can see her laugh at us because she doesn’t want the whelping box, but perhaps the softness of my bed to give birth on! That’s not going to happen!

While Anneliese follows her internal clock, I have kept busy canning more pickles and vacuuming the family room and kitchen, as I like to have a quiet house the first week the puppies are born. Even if there is just one this time.

I’ve been watching the Owls on The Owl Box. Their first egg hatched this morning and I was able to get this screen shot of Molly and her new Owlet, Ashley.

You can see Molly feeding her 45 minute old baby. I was so thrilled to get this shot! I had attempted two others and didn’t get the one I wanted and then, BAM! I got this!!!

I also had a weird thing happen to me. Last night I picked up an old newspaper to read in the tub and when I opened it up, there I WAS!!!

Now call me surprised! I came out to the family room and told Hubby I’d found some strange woman in the news paper! He laughed and joked about it for a while. The two newspapers were several days old (see how often I actually read a newspaper these days?), and I probably would have missed this if I hadn’t had the urge to bring them with me into the tub!

I guess some days it pays to read the local news!

Wednesday, when I arrived home from Weight Watchers, Hubby handed me a peach. A peach from our very own Reliance Peach Tree. I bit into it, and the juice drizzled down my chin! Yes folks, it’s peach season here in New Hampshire!

We have a bumper crop and Hubby has already sold 35 pounds of peaches, with another 45 pounds ready to go tomorrow! I’m planning to make 2 batches of my Heavenly Peach Jam, but the rest will be given to neighbors and sold to the local farm stands.

I have another big batch of cucumbers and plan to make pickles again this weekend. I’m not sure which kind I’ll make. Moonglow or Bread & Butter. Probably the Moonglow.

Anneliese is uncomfortable, and I think she is ready to have this baby and be done with it! She sleeps a lot, and also tries to stretch out to give her belly and the baby some room.

Her constant companion these days is her brother, Arnie. He seems to sense that she is with puppy, and he snuggles up in an attempt to make her feel good.

Since her temperature is still normal I’m guessing it will be another couple of days. Last time her temperature dropped to 97 degrees and 36 hours later the puppies were born. So, I will keep taking her temperature (much to her dismay), and let you all know when it drops!

Monday, I took Anneliese in for her exam at the Veterinarian’s Office. Yes, it is one pup. The pup is good size, but looks like she can deliver it okay. The head was about 1 inch across, and Anneliese’s birth canal is about 1 and 3/4 inches across so the baby should be able to pass through. She is due at the end of this week and we are all waiting. I’m taking her temperature twice a day, waiting for it to drop (this indicates the start of her labor). Hopefully it won’t happen until Thursday or Friday because…

Tuesday morning I must go in and have a surgical procedure done to my right eye. They believe that my retina is tearing away from the back of the eye again and I hope all I will need is some laser surgery and I’ll be right as can be!

You see, over the weekend I began to have some vision problems and today I called Dr. C.’s office and they arranged for me to come in today. Please wish me luck and hold a good thought for a positive outcome!

So that’s where we are today. Anneliese expecting one baby and Maribeth expecting another eye surgery!

What Do You Think?

The first picture was 6 days before she gave birth the first time. The second picture was yesterday. Last time I gave her belly a little maternity trim, but I haven’t done that this time. I’ve just let her be. I will see what the Veterinarians say today at noon. If they suggest I do it, then I will.

Sunday, I spent the morning slicing, scooping out the center and then blanching zucchini, to make zucchini boats. I will post the recipe for them. I made 12 boats, wrapped them tightly in plastic and then put them in a Ziploc Freezer Bag.

They are now frozen and I think they will taste wonderful in January. By then, I may be ready to eat zucchini again! Right now, I am sick to death of them, and summer squash. I’ve had a bumper crop of both of them this year!

I think today I will bring a bag full of squash with me to the Vet’s Office. Then I can pass it out and share the wealth.

Happy Monday, Everyone!

I went to a Greek Festival today and while I was there I had the most delicious Greek Coffee!  I sipped it slowly and when I was done, my cup was tipped and circled three times and then the woman read my coffee grounds.

She said “If you were pregnant I would see you having triplets! I see three babies!” I told her my dog was pregnant and she said that it could be that my dog is going to have three babies! Oh I hope she is right!

How many do you see?

Meanwhile, Arnie made himself comfortable in Hubby’s arms. Arnie is so affectionate and extremely demonstrative. I hope Anneliese has three puppies just like her brother!

Happy Sunday everyone!