I’ve been waiting to tell you all this, but I am going to Norway in August 2010 to a Blogger’s Convention. I hope to be giving a short talk on Dackel Princess and how my blog has brought me together with people from all over the world! Yes, sharing my life, my dogs and my small part of the world with you all, has made me feel that places that I’d only once dreamt about, are really quite close.
I am really excited about this and I can hardly wait. I’ve been hoping to meet Renny and his wonderful wife, Diane, as well as fellow Norwegian and blog friend, Tor and his wife Anna!
There will be many more of our blogging friends attending. I have always wanted to visit Norway and now I have the chance to.
Yes, in the 4 1/2 years I have been writing Dackel Princess, blogging has truly changed my life. I’ve met new people, read their blogs and related to their thoughts. It’s been quite a wonderful experience!
We have just one puppy left from Greta’s litter. He is Curt. Curt is a lovely, handsome boy with a coat very similar to Anneliese’s. He is good-natured, strong and is smart as a whip. At six weeks old he weighs 4 1/2 pounds. If anyone is interested in adopting Curt, please let me know. Next week we will be putting an advertisement in the newspaper to sell him.
Curt will be ready to go the weekend of November 14th.
Tuesday was one of those days where you meet yourself coming and going all day. I knew it was going to be a busy day, and I really thought I’d prepared for it, but in the end I found I was on the run all day.
The puppies now demand and require a lot more of my time. Oh I don’t mind that. They are so totally precious, I really do not mind getting down on the floor and playing with them, fixing their meals or cleaning their box. Well, maybe cleaning their box, but the rest of it is fine.
I particularly love to watch the pups now that they are running and jumping. Here is Fenway.
They now leap and jump! I love this shot of Curt!
And this one of Schnapps, too.
I got my hair done. Check. Picked up the mail. Check. And attended a meeting for the Library Trustees. I am in the running to fill a seat vacated by a woman who has moved to Florida. I wasn’t sure I wanted it that much, but it turns out, I do. So keep your fingers crossed for me.
Now I am sitting, feet up and blanket across my knees. Cold weather has come to New Hampshire. I’m afraid winter is on it’s way.
The puppies are six weeks old now, so today we took them to the Vets for their first shots. It was quite a trip, with all five puppies tucked into the puppy crate (which Hubby carried) and Greta on a leash.
All the way over to the office the puppies were squealing in the back seat. They sounded a little bit like sea gulls, but without the soothing sound of the ocean waves blended in.
It went very well, with all of the puppies getting their first shots, and passing their first little physicals. I’m telling you, it was the cutest thing in the world to watch.
While the puppies were being examined, I played with the others.
Wally wasn’t sure if he liked all the attention.
And Fenway took the time to flirt with the Vet Tech, Ashley.
Schnapps had her shots gently rubbed into her leg.
While Calvin was reassured.
And Curt peered around nervously.
But in the end, they all did well, and came home none the worse for wear.
**************
In the afternoon after their naps we had them outside playing and running around.
I somehow feel that in the last two days the pups have grown by leaps and bounds.
I can’t believe how quickly they have gone from totally helpless little creatures to full fledged growing puppies with TEETH!
Me with Wally on the left and Fenway on the right.
What a day Sunday was. We decided to get the puppies outside for their first taste of fresh air, grass and blowing leaves! Oh what fun it was to watch them as they felt new and exciting things under their paws! They ran, they jumped, they rolled and they made all sorts of noises, some of happiness and some that said quite clearly, “What the heck is this?”
We brought them out alone at first, and Arnie, Greta, and Anneliese watched from the house. The two mother’s were quiet, but Arnie barked and barked and barked. This led to us opening the door and letting them all out, which is exactly what Arnie had in mind!
Since I took so many pictures, I put together a video montage of the pictures. I also took a short video and you can hear the puppies and watch them.
Monday we are taking them in for their first shots. I can hardly wait to show them off to the Vet, and I know they are looking forward to seeing them as well. I promise to take pictures of this event!
It was the last day our friends from Australia were with us. We began the morning with a full breakfast and coffee before packing up a lunch to send them off to the airport with. Still, as we played with the pups for the last time, it was sad knowing that we would not see them for a bit. I do wish Australia wasn’t so far away!
Me and Jill with four of the five pups.
Once they were off, I played a bit with the pups, in between loads of laundry.
Two of the pups are now 4 pounds. Curt and Calvin. Schnapps is weighing in just under four pounds, and Wally and Fenway are 3 1/4 pounds. They are adorable, all of them!
My own doggies continue to make me smile. I bought Fritz a new toy, which was stolen by Arnie.
Meanwhile, Anneliese is into her second week with her heat and enjoying the softness of the sofa and the doggy blanket. Oh yes, and the taste of a juicy bone!
The plan for the rest of the weekend is to finish up the laundry, and get my life organized for the week ahead. We have puppies going to the Vets for their first shots, Fritz going to the Vets for his booster shots, and a visit to the beauty shop for me for…ahem…obvious reasons!
Thursday saw us entertaining friends from Vermont and Maine. They came to enjoy a visit with our friends from Australia, Keith and Jill.
Jill, Maribeth, Alice, Joan and Keith
We all met years ago when I adopted Shubi. I knew nothing about dachshunds and I went online looking for information. I found a list for dachshund owners and in less than a year, 20 of us set out on our own list that we call the “Circle of Friends”. And so it goes, we have been friends through thick and thin.
I made a turkey dinner with all the fixings for our noontime meal and we ate with glee and much laughter. It was a delicious meal!
Keith and Jill.
We took quite a few pictures and of course we enjoyed the puppies and our dogs. Here I am with Anneliese.
Due to time constraints this will be short and sweet. I will tell you that the pups are doing famously, growing and changing every day, and eating more and more independently of Greta.
Aren’t they just beautiful?
These are all the boys. Light Blue is Calvin, then the next level is Wally and Fenway and on the bed is Curt.
Here is our little sweetheart, Schnitzel.
And this has to be one of the cutest pictures of Wally.
****************
Sorry this is so short, but I am so busy visiting with our friends, feeding babies and taking care of Anneliese and her heat. It rained very hard today in the morning, but by the afternoon it was fairly good and we ventured out to the stores.
Thursday more old friends are coming and I have several surprises planned.
It was one of those days, filled with potential, and yet, it seemed disaster was following just behind me!
I woke feeling happy and nice. I had a good night sleep and actually wanted to get up for a change. Yes, I was rested and in good form!
The first thing I noticed was that Greta had a very enlarged teat. This required a visit to our Veterinarian. She has Mastitis, and needs to be on antibiotics, and medication to relieve the swelling and help dry her up.
Yes, the puppies are now weaned and eating puppy food and drinking water and a little puppy formula.
Okay, we went home after the Vet visit and gathered up our friends from Australia, and Arnie and Anneliese and off we went to see the beauty of Autumn!
We drove up into the “Notch” and saw the beauty of mother nature. Red, orange, and yellow leaves dotted the mountains. Lovely!!
I mentioned to Hubby that we needed to stop for lunch. Words I will will regret for at least the foreseeable future. We found a restaurant that advertised “Fish and Chips” for lunch, so we pulled in and got in the line waiting at the door for the lunch rush. I should have known. I should have walked away, but I didn’t.
We had the waiter from Hell! He brought warm, nearly cold water for Jill’s tea, never brought Hubby’s or my drink and it was terrible. I finally asked to speak to the restaurant manager and I complained. Another waiter came to help, but the food was terrible and none of us enjoyed it.
I got to the car and Anneliese needed to be walked. I slipped off her pants and left them next to my car. While I walked Anneliese I saw a woman pass my car and she looked at the pants and then kicked them under my car!
“No!” I yelled. “Those are for my dog!”
Too late. I ran back and had to lie down on the ground and retrieve the pants. This meant nearly crawling under my car. The woman was aghast. I tried to explain they were for my dog who was in heat, but she wasn’t very helpful.
I did get them, but they were soaked. They’d gone into a puddle under the car. So, I took a pair of pants out of my purse and put those on. Unfortunately I was so upset, I forgot to put the pad on the pants!
Okay, we saw beautiful leaves on our journey across the Kancamagus Highway.
It was beautiful and we had a great time. My neighbor went in and checked on Greta and the pups and Fritz, while we were gone.
The puppies are doing great, and I am holding a hot water bottle on Greta to help her teat. Poor baby girl. She is really uncomfortable with those swollen breasts of hers!
