Author: Dackel Princess

Okay, I’m Getting Old!

I was all upset today because I couldn’t find the owner’s manual for the super cool camera that I own. I mean, this baby can take fabulous pictures in all sorts of settings, and here I was, without the manual!

I searched high, I searched low. I found the manuals for all my other cameras past and present, but not for the super cool one we bought last year for our trip through the Panama Canal.

Now my knee has been bothering me a lot. It’s swollen and sore and every time I have to bend it, I want to scream a little. It’s an old skiing injury that reminds me that I am not Jean Claude Killy or Pica Boo Street!

Anyway, I was looking around wondering what I could do when I went to the Olympus website and found that I could download the owner’s manual there.

Wonderful! Except that it is 100 pages long!

So back I went to searching this darn house. It had to be here. I went to a closet where I actually found the box the camera came in and found 2 owner’s manuals in there! Unfortunately I do not speak or read French or Spanish.

**Groan!**

I did not give up. Sure this soon to be, muddled 50 year old brain could figure it out. I sat down with Greta. I asked her what I could have done with the book? She stared at me as if she were saying, “come on, you dummy, think!”

It was then I had an idea. I went into my bedroom and found the box with all my brochures and memorabilia from my Panama Canal trip. Slowly I opened the box and there it was lying right on top!

Okay I now feel like I am getting old. I mean, how many people place their camera’s owner’s manual in a memorabilia box?

It’s a good thing that Hubby loves me!

Late Autumn 2008

It was another beautiful day here in central New Hampshire. Bright blue skies, no wind, and on the lake the water was so still it was as clear as glass. I glanced out the front windows and saw this beauty, so I grabbed my camera and headed down the hill to the beach where I could take a few pictures of the leaves reflected in the water.

It’s been a long, beautiful Autumn and I have enjoyed every day that we have had the beautiful colored leaves on our trees. I know that soon they will fall and the trees will appear as little more than skeletons against the gray skies of winter.

Until then I plan to stare, to watch, to enjoy each day. Here is a short montage featuring the pictures that I took. I hope you enjoy it.

The Summer’s End

Hubby and I took out the last of the air conditioners today from our windows. This is always significant because it means that we have finally accepted the fact that the summer is over, colder temperatures are here to stay, and we need to close up the areas in the house that would leak out precious heat.

I’ll miss the air conditioner. I love a cool bedroom, with the air circulating, and most of all I love the slight noise that the air conditioner makes. Call me a freak, but the noise fills my mind and puts me to sleep.

Usually at this time of year I have trouble sleeping. Why? You’ve got it. No noise. I wish I could find one of those white noise machines that sounds like an air conditioner. I’d be all set!

In other news, I have switched clothes from summer to winter and I have found I have far less of a wardrobe than I one had. I thought turtlenecks would fit no matter what, but an XL turtleneck is far bigger than a medium. I can hear shopping music, can’t you?

Hubby worked with some of the last of the painting he has been doing, and he has picked the last of our apples. It’s sad to see what the hail did to our lovely apples. Some we can use to make sauce, but so many will probably end up in a landfill.

The sun is setting, with the silvery cast across the lake. The sky is a pinkish blue, with those tell take signs that tell me….

August 20 008

Yes, it is the end of the summer.

Greta News

On Friday my dear Greta showed signs of pain. Oh how I wish that my dogs could tell me what ails them! Alas, that is not the case. All I knew was that she seemed to be somewhat lame. My heart sank as images of a spinal problem danced before my eyes!

Sept 30 011

I picked her up carefully, and without even calling my Veterinarian, I drove straight to their office. They know me well enough to know that I want the best care for my dackels and that I know my dogs very well.

They took her off and did a full exam, and then we sat and talked about what the doctor found.

A soft muscle pull! Oh my heart felt such relief I cannot begin to tell you. He prescribed some Rimadyl for her and told me to let them know if she didn’t respond int he next 24 hours.

I am happy to report that Greta was back to her normal self on Saturday, although I will keep her quiet and on her medication for a few days.

I am so relieved and I know I will sleep better tonight than I did last night. This morning I got a phone call from the Vet to check on my Greta. He wanted to be sure that she was feeling better.

I thought that was so nice. It makes me happy that my dogs are cared for by such nice people.

The Usual

Thursday was one of those days where we took care of all the essentials. You know, we shopped for groceries, picked up some hardware at a Home Depot, and after making lunch Hubby and I settled in to do our various chores.

He’s working on the screens for our porch, sanding, priming, painting, and re-screening.

Meanwhile, I paid bills, walked the dogs, put the groceries away, made some doctor’s appointments for me and for Anneliese and then later in the day prepared our dinner.

Now I had thought that dinner would be something usual like chicken, until we got to our grocery store and found an in store special for Lobster. Beautiful yummy Maine Lobster for $3.99 a pound!

Now after the last Lobster meal, I wasn’t all that sure I wanted to chance it, but how often have I had a bad Lobster in my life? Once. So I sidled up to the fish counter and ordered two – one and a half pound Lobsters.

I am happy to report that the Lobsters were excellent!

I also worked on sorting through my closet deciding what to take on our cruise. After all its just 23 days and counting….

Three Pounds!

I was up before the day dawned. I needed to go to the hospital for more blood work, and I knew that I needed to be there early to beat the crowds. I have been there when I have had to wait for two hours to get my blood drawn. So, today I was prepared.

I left my house at 6:45 and arrived at the hospital just after 7. I walked in, expecting the large crowd, and found the lobby strangely empty! I mean really empty!

I checked in with a nice young lady who was ready to help one and all, but had nothing to do because of the lack of patients. She has the cutest dachshund, and we talked dogs while she did my paperwork.

Then before I knew it, my name was called, blood drawn and off I went. It was 7:30!

I had planned on there being crowds, and this would occupy my time until Weight Watchers and I would breeze in and enjoy that meeting, but here I was two hours before the meeting was due to start!

I filled up the car with gas ($2.69 a gallon!) and then drove to the meeting hall. I decided to just sit and wait in the parking lot. I had the morning news paper and that would give me something to do.

However, when I arrived there was a woman there who does our weigh-ins. Her name is Tami and I have known her since my very first meeting when she weighed me in. She was doing a few bits of paper work, but welcomed the company.

She offered to weigh me in early so I could eat, and I quickly stripped down to my shorts and tank top to do this.

I LOST 3 POUNDS!!!!!

I was so happy, that the last three week plateau had been broken and I was on my way in the right direction!

Tami and I talked and talked until other people began to arrive for the meeting. Eventually the meeting began, and although it wasn’t the best meeting (in that some are both fun, funny and exciting) it was a good pep talk and got me ready for the week ahead.

I left and came back home and sort of had a sinking spell. I know I am getting old because I really need my sleep and I suffer when I don’t get it! LOL!

I was having a nice quiet afternoon when Greta went outside with Hubby for about half an hour. When she came in she smelled so bad I could not believe it!

Why do dogs have to go out, find the worst smelling pile of crap and then roll in it?

She is now bathed, AGAIN and smelling nice! At least I think she is, she may have other ideas!

A Carrot Anyone?

The dackels have been watching me.

Why, you might ask? Well, I decided after the German Judge criticized Anneliese that perhaps all three of my dackels were a bit over weight. So I weighed them. Ah, well, let’s just say, I’m a good doggy cook.

So their diet immediately started. I got them some special diet canned food, and then I cut back on how much they are allowed to eat of the crunchies. Greta and Anneliese are not big crunchy fans, so they have been doing very well. I also stopped all plate scraps for them. Fritz, the lucky devil, gets it all. Slowly, they are both losing weight. Even Arnie is starting to look a little better.

I want to get Greta back to 18-19 pounds, Arnie at 18 and Anneliese down to 16-16 1/2 pounds. Fritz? Well let’s just say that the boy needs to maintain the weight he has and even put on a bit as he is very slender. But the boy runs and runs and runs and I can hardly keep the weight on him.

The dackels? Well, as I said they are following me everywhere. Watching, hoping, for a little cookie or treat. What do they get? Carrots! Luckily they love the baby carrots and are happy for those.

Oh I can truly relate to them. Today is my Weight Watchers meeting and I am really hoping for a good weight loss. I sure have been working hard and measuring every little thing that has gone into my mouth.

What can I say? Food is food, be it people food or doggy food, and we are all subject to putting on a little spare tire, aren’t we?

Dogs, Frost & New Things

It was one of those days that began with a hard frost and ended with dropping temperatures. Another frost is coming! The mid part of the day was mild, but not warm, thus reminding me that it is Autumn and winter is on it’s way.

The dogs were in their glory, especially Fritz who just lives for the cooler temperatures. He was outside all day basking in the glory of the pristine day.

Yesterday the three dachshunds were all outside playing when they found the same mound of smelly crap to roll in. They came in stinking to high, high heaven!

This required me to give all three of them baths. So into the sink they went, with warm water and shampoo. By the time we went to bed, they were dry and smelling like flowers!

Hubby spent the day painting the trim of the house and getting the outside ready for winter. He is doing a great job!

I changed my side bar picture today. The new picture was taken by my sister while she was here.

Tonight our friend and house sitter came over for dinner. We finalized our plans for the cruise and had a nice steak dinner. She visited with her favorite babies and we chatted until we were both ready to hit the hay!

I’m lucky to have Dori as she really loves my four babies and takes very good care of them.

Have a good day everyone!

The Hobo Railroad Ride!!!

On Saturday we got up and headed down to catch the foliage train on the Hobo Railroad! It left from Meredith, New Hampshire, and went along the Pemigewassett River. We chugged through mile after mile of beautiful bright leaves, until we reached a deer farm.

Now I have always been a sucker for a cute deer, and so I set up and kept snapping! All the pictures taken were taken while the train was going between 15 and 20 miles an hour.

I think the deer must be used to the train noise because they didn’t run off and a few came right up to the fence and smiled for us.

The train took us slowly to Plymouth, New Hampshire where we stopped at The Common Man Inn & Spa. They had a hot buffet luncheon for all those aboard the train. They served Turkey, stuffing, butternut squash, mashed potatoes, rolls and hot broccoli & apple soup, which was surprisingly good. I admit to eating what was served and I felt guilty for about 5 minutes, and then I reminded myself that it was okay and that on Sunday morning I would get back on the diet.

Then we all climbed back on the train and went up to Livermore Falls, where we took a few pictures before heading back. In Plymouth, the engine unhooked, came around on a side track and hooked up again so that it could pull us back to Meredith, instead of push us!

The ride back was pretty and we  were chatting about the colors, when I thought I saw someone I knew. I stopped the man and asked if he was in fact Wes D. and he was! I’ve known him for over 20 years, but hadn’t seen him an a few. We were talking and I asked if he had seen a mutual friend named Sally recently. He laughed and told me that she was on the other end of the train! So at the next stop we actually got to see Sally and her new husband. Hubby has known Sally since he was in college, as Sally’s late husband was his fraternity brother, and I met her just after Hubby and I married.

So here is a short montage of our trip. I hope you like it.

Here is a picture of Me, with Sally and my Hubby!
Oct 18 070

As you could see, it was a beautiful day, followed by a wonderful evening with Mel, Ron, M. and Mandy at Canoe.