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FUNKY
This is my friend Uschi with Maine Lobsters that we cooked that night. I love the funky look on her face!
Category: Family & Friends
Getting Back Into Gear
It was a big day on Tuesday. Once we had gotten up, showered and eaten breakfast we grabbed our coolers, and headed to the big grocery shop 25 miles south of here.
The list was long as we needed every kind of food possible, including dog food. We went to three different shops before loading the back of our station wagon (sorting the cold food into the coolers we had brought with us, as it was very hot again) and headed back home.
We drove around our house to the back door (something we do not do often as it requires us to drive on the lawn) and unloaded all of our parcels. Hubby made his lunch while I put everything away. Then I made a salad for myself.
After that I just wanted to rest, but there was still so much to do. Clean the kitchen, give all the dogs their heart-worm medication and do their flea and tick liquid.
It was then my phone rang and my caller ID told me it was an unknown caller. Since I was feeling daring, I picked it up. It was Emily!!! She was calling me from the Hawaii airport while she waited for her plane to L.A.
We talked about the pups and what she had been doing in Hawaii and how much fun she was having. But, she can hardly wait to get home. I told her how much we’ve missed her and how much the doggies have missed her too. Another week and she will be home! Yahoo!!!!
Since we were feeling flush at the grocery store and perhaps a little like we deserved to spoil ourselves after all that driving to Canada and back, we bought two Maine Lobsters for our dinner. Heaven!
Family Reunion Day 3
In the morning on Saturday we met with some friends who also have wire-haired dachshunds. We visited with them and their handsome boy Odin. The dogs eyed each other carefully and we were invited to lunch at their home. It was such a nice time that I hated to see it end but we had to get ready for the party.
The party was Saturday night and everything was so nice. We all met before hand at the homestead for pictures and to joke and talk some more.
Hubby with his cousins.
Me with some of the spouses.
Afterward, we put the pups in their crate and then headed to the community hall for the dinner. It was a roast beef dinner with mashed potatoes and peas and carrots. For dessert, fresh strawberry shortcake! Mmmmm! My favorite.
After dinner we all seemed to empty into the parking lot as he temperatures inside the hall were high. Have I mentioned that they are having a heat wave up here in Nova Scotia? It’s been in the 90’s each day with no rain!
We leave Sunday in the morning for the return trip to New Hampshire. We will get the 1 PM ferry in Digby to St. John, New Brunswick, and our estimated time of arrival at home is about midnight.
It’s been wonderful coming up here and we look forward to our next trip up.
Ramily Reunion Day 2
The Relaxed Family Shindig
After sleeping in a bit this morning, we had a leisurely breakfast in our motel room. The dogs were up and playing and Hubby and I watched the TV and drank our coffee.
where we sat around, shooting the breeze, watching the dogs play and taking countless pictures.
Cousins from all across Canada arrived and we shared a nice casual meal that seemed to last all day. I call it familial grazing!
The pups are now familiar with the house and the yard and we were able to take them outside and allow them to play in the yard.
Hubby and Arnie
Anneliese and Arnie
and the band arrived, and bluegrass music was played.
Poor Anneliese had a little bit of a nervous breakdown when she saw the musicians arrive with all their instruments, and suddenly our group of about 20-25 people nearly doubled.
We stayed for about an hour listening to the music before we left to come back to the motel. Saturday is our formal banquet and a dance. It should be a lot of fun!
Family Reunion Day 1
A Walk In The Mud
We arrived over at the family homestead just after lunchtime. The ride over was beautiful, as we drove through the little towns of Nova Scotia. The homestead is on the Bay Of Fundy in a spot where the tides are so great they literally go completely out and leave only wet mud flats in their wake.
The two puppies trotted out and I picked up Anneliese. I didn’t want her frightened by all the new people. This was the right thing to do, as she wasn’t at all freaked out and in the end, the two pups had a wonderful time.
The cousins all hugged and kissed and laughed and pictures were taken and beers were hoisted.
Shalena, Hubby and Barbara.
After we had all munched some goodies, Hubby’s cousin Billy decided that since the tide was out this would be a great time to go walking on the mud flats. Hubby immediately said yes, and I was horror stricken. I remembered the mud, the sticky mud from years past and I also worried about his knees. But he wouldn’t listen and off he went with a team of 11 of his cousins.
Heading toward the bay.
Down the ladder they go.
Right into all the thigh deep mud! What saved Hubby was his incredibly long legs, otherwise he would have been a complete muddy mess like the rest of them.
Eventually they made it out to the flats where they walked for a few miles. Never let it be said that a Canadian is not prepared. Here you will see his cousin carrying a cooler with beer for all!
Eventually they found a swimming area to play in and enjoyed that.
But when they returned I was ready with my camera to catch their muddiness! They all needed to shower off before we would allow them back in the house. Then I told Hubby all that I had planned to do to him had he fallen and really gotten messed up. Or worse yet, destroyed my good camera, which he insisted on taking with him!
The evening was spent eating a great dinner of Sea Bass and Deer steaks along with a salad and some fresh bread.
The two dogs continued to be sweet,
but around 8 o’clock we noticed them sprawled across the deck asleep. So we picked them up and headed back to the motel. I was pretty tired myself, and so I crawled into bed and fell almost instantly asleep, leaving my writing of Dackel Princess to this morning!
We head back to the homestead at noontime and will have a big party with the cousins who are already in town tonight, complete with some bluegrass music. Then Saturday night is the banquet and dance.
Off to have my coffee!
The Kinds Are Back
Matina and James arrived back for their annual visit with the grandmother (and me!). Their first stop upon arrival was at our house to meet Greta’s babies. Of course calling them babies now seems pretty funny because they are nearly as big as their Mum.
Anneliese and Arnie with Matina.
Greta, Arnie and Anneliese with Matina.
Greta remembered the kids immediately and she went to great lengths to lie down on the ground and get belly rubs from them. She was absolutely shameless!
The kids were so excited to see the two puppies. The children of Greta! They’d been waiting for two years for this day to come. The day when Greta had her babies and they got to meet them.
It sure was a happy time all around. For the doggies, for the kids and for me too!
Friday & Saturday
The last two days have been full of fun. Yesterday Arnie and Anneliese’s father, and Greta’s boyfriend, the handsome Bernie came for a visit. He brought with him his Mommy & Daddy and his sister Veela. Bernie hadn’t seen his children since they were about 12 weeks old, so this was a nice time for everyone to get together. Now here is the real shocker. Anneliese looks just like her Daddy! I always thought that Arnie did, but getting all the dogs together it was easy to see that Arnie is quite unique.
Arnie, Bernie and Anneliese
At first it was madness and mayhem when the dogs got together. Anneliese wasn’t at all gracious, but eventually they all got along and things settled down.
Bernie, of course had eyes only for Greta. My little coquette, flirted outrageously with him
and then tried to bite him when he got too close.
Bernie’s Mommy brought with her delicious pastries from an Austrian baker in a nearby town. Mmmmmm. They were so good!
Today we decided to take our four dogs to the community park. Dogs are allowed there and you can actually let them off the leash and they can run. I was a bit more careful with the puppies, but Fritz and Greta knew right where they were and ran like two wild lunatics! Oh, they had such a good time.
Eventually we reached the lake in the back of the park and all four dogs played in the water. Fritz and Greta are great swimmers.
It’s so much fun to watch them. They love to fetch a stick and swim back and forth quite well. Arnie actually jumped in and swam around for the very first time. He did very well. Anneliese went in, but did not really swim.
The end to another wonderful day!
Me And My Cousin
Our friend, Michelle came up and the three of us took a cruise on the Mount Washington Cruise Ship.
We spent 2 1/2 hours out in the breezy sunshine enjoying the waters of Lake Winnipesaukee. The day was so clear and we had a great view of the shoreline, the mountains in the distance, and even the now green ski slopes of Gunstock Mountain.
It was so relaxing, so fun and we enjoyed the time.
When we returned Hubby picked us up at the dock with Arnie and Anneliese in the car. They were so surprised to see us! Janet took these pictures in the car on the way back.
We rested at the house for a while, visiting with Hubby and Emily came over. She helped Hubby paint the stain on the picnic table and before we knew it, it was time to go to dinner at Canoe.
Me, Michelle, Emily and Hubby.
As usual, the food was wonderful, but sadly our favorite waiter wasn’t working and we got a young girl who had trouble keeping it all together. It was pretty busy and I think she was new. So I wasn’t really thrilled with that. But the food was good, and the company even better! And best of all, the birthday girl got her cake!
Happy Birthday, Sweetie and many, many more!!!
Go wish her some love!!!!
Kids, Dogs and Love
One of our little neighborhood girls came by. Our house is now the place where the kids come. They play with the dogs, help me with cooking or the gardening, but most of all, I think they come to talk.
Today Jacqui came by. She was feeling angry at her Mom for restricting her on playing on the trampoline before it was properly set up. I listened intently to all she said before I offered my words of wisdom. (Or what seems like wisdom to a 10 year old.)
I explained how much her mother loves her and would not want her to fall and break a leg or arm or worse yet to be killed. I told her how mothers always try to do their best to protect their kids.
She looked up at Katie’s picture and I explained that sometimes you can’t even do that, but at least Katie and I had spoken only words of love before the accident.
She was calmer when she left and I hope tonight when she kisses her mother goodnight there will be some real affection and understanding between them.
Meanwhile, the pups just get to be more and more fun. Arnie is nearly as big as Greta, while Anneliese remains petite. It is so hard to believe that they weighed the same at birth!
Hubby took this great picture of the three dachsies this morning while they watched the early morning activities on the lake.
Arnie, Anneliese and Greta
Yes, between the love from our dogs and for them as well, and the children of our neighborhood who seem to find their way to our home, and the love that exists between us, life is good.