Category: Arnie

What We Did On Sunday

It was a busy day here in Dackel Princess Land. As our cupboards were nearly bare, we needed to go grocery shopping. I also wanted to get paint for the puppy room and in the end I got Hubby a new lawn mower for Father’s Day which is next week.

It was a pretty day and nice for our trip south to the shopping area. As I have mentioned before, we live in the country and aside from one very high priced grocery store, there isn’t much around.

The shopping took a few hours and then we returned and drove the car up and around the side of the house so we could avoid the 14 steps up to the inside of our house. Fourteen steps! What a pain. But I have no one to blame for that one but myself, as I drew the plans for the house. In fact, I remember saying, “Oh that will be good. The stairs will keep my legs in shape”.

What an insane thing to think! How about the reality of grocery shopping and having to make a dozen trips up and down the stairs? Sheesh!

Anyway, we drove the station wagon around to the back of the house where it would be an easy job to unload the car.

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We worked putting the groceries away, and Jackie arrived to play with the puppies. I love when the kids come over, so I let the dogs out for a run with her and her friend, Cameron.

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Jackie

After a bit, the girls left and we let the pups run around the yard a little more. Hubby was putting his new lawn mower together and I was trying to get a few pictures.

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Hubby with his new mower
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Anneliese

It’s wonderful to see the puppies grow and play. They’re 6 months old now! So grown up. Arnie weighs a whopping 17 pounds and Anneliese is a lightweight at 14 pounds. One thing is for sure, they are both beautiful and sweet babies!

Sunday night is the “Soprano”s” finale. Will they kill Tony or not? Will Carm save Tony’s life, or AJ? Will they go into witness protection? One thing is for sure, it’s got the world talking!

Grrrrrrrr…….

It is Bike Week here in the Lakes Region of New Hampshire. One can step outside and hear the low grumble of Harley engines in the distance. Yesterday I was sitting at my desk when I heard a biker revving his engine at the beach down below us. The puppies, of course, have never heard a Harley engine before, so when they heard this great rumble they stopped their play and became alert, fearing the unknown.

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Arnie
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Anneliese

Soon the biker in question finished his revving and off he drove, the sound of his engine growing dimmer as the time passed.

The puppies have been having trouble when they go out to doing their business because they hear the drone of the engines in what is usually a quite and tranquil spot. The drone starts early in the morning and continues all through the day and past the time when we all go to bed.

Last night Arnie was feeling a bit unsettled while I was watching the TV. He tried

sleeping,
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but could hear the rumble and so he woke up, looking very unhappy.
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The traffic is a nightmare, and forget about going out for dinner for the next week, as all the restaurants are totally full all day and all night long. However I try not to complain because our area merchants really need this 10 day period of time to fatten their coffers for yet another season. I remember how our favorite restaurant served only about a dozen patrons on Valentines day this year due to a heavy snow storm. So, Bike Week helps them to stay open at times like that.

I’ve tried to tell the puppies not to worry, and to relax, but right now they just know that the grumbling monster is out there and they want me to protect them from it.

And I do. After all, Daddy doesn’t have a noisy Harley, he has a nice quiet 1981 BMW R-65! Now that is a nice quiet bike!

Dackel Princess News

It’s a big day here in Dackel Princess Land. Today two packages arrive from Germany. The first contained all the Pedigrees for Greta’s litter of puppies. Now I can mail these to the new owners of the pups.

Long ago the AKC Pedigrees came, and I was a bit worried that the DTK pedigrees wouldn’t arrive in time for the German Dog Show, however, they did, so now I know I can show the dogs in September at the yearly Zuchtschau.

The other package almost means more to me. It is the German book of dogs, litters, breeders and kennels that the DTK publishes each year. My name is in there, along with the Dackel Princess name. When I think of how proud my Papa would be, it makes me get very emotional. Papa loved America very much, but he held onto his German heritage all of his life. I think he would be happy.

The next item of news isn’t quite as wonderful. My eye exam didn’t go quite as I had hoped. I will be seeing my Retinal Surgeon up here in New Hampshire. I have a little problem with the Vitreous Gel in my eye and this means I need to see him, pronto. You see once you have had a Retinal Detachment, the odds of it happening in your other eye actually does go up. I was able to make an appointment for Monday at 4 PM.

Hubby came in from working outside feeling under the weather. I’ve put him to bed and will try some chicken noodle soup on him in a while.

Fritz, Greta, Arnie and Anneliese are all fine. At the rate we are going, we had better get those Wills changed so that we leave it all in trust for the doggies! LOL!

Happy Friday to all and have a great weekend!

A Family Tree

I was sitting in my chair today when I glanced over and saw this.

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Ah yes, a boy and his mother.

It’s sort of funny. Arnie is up to 16 pounds while his little sister, Anneliese remains at 13. I think he will be a big boy like his grandmother Erika.

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Erika.

While Anneliese will be smaller liker her Mom and Grandfather, Meyer.

This And That Weekend
Greta above and Meyer below.

Meyer

We were lucky to be able to visit the Vom Geestmoor Kennels in Rehden, Germany. We spent an afternoon with Herr Hollmann and his wife and their two daughters. I was able to see his Kennel set up, discuss with them their breeding program, and celebrate Hubby’s birthday and also Frau Hollmann’s.

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The moment Greta was placed in my arms.

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Meeting Greta.

It’s so amazing when these little creatures come into our lives. They bring with them their own personalities and likes and dislikes. A lick from them can change a bad day into good, and a sleeping puppy in your lap can cure the worst problem.

Yes, our animals make our lives complete in so many ways.

“I think dogs are the most amazing creatures; they give unconditional love. For me they are the role model for being alive” ~Gilda Radner~

Off They Go…

We knew it had to happen. One moment the puppies were with us and the next they were off on a grand adventure. Since their earliest days outside, the puppies have stayed close to home. I did not teach them how to go down stairs, only to come up so that perhaps I could delay their excursion into the great unknown a little longer. Today they ventured off. Here is their story.

demon doggies
Picture courtesy of my cousin, Janet

Arnie and Annieliese sat in their crate in the early morning hours. Anneliese snuggled closely to her brother and whispered, “Hey Arnie, today when we go outside with Daddy, let’s see if we can slip off and go exploring.”

“Do you think that’s okay? I mean, we don’t know if there are any scary dogs or people out there.”

“Sure, it’ll be fine” whispered Anneliese, “We’ll have a little walk by ourselves and have some fun.”

“I don’t know sis, but if you go, I’ll follow.”

And he did. About 2:30 while I sat in my chair cruising around the Internet, Hubby came rushing in. “The puppies are gone!!”

Where did they go? Across the driveway. After all the question can be asked “Why did the dachshund cross the road? In this case it was to see what was on the other side!

When Hubby sounded the alarm, I jumped to my feet and raced to the door and we both headed in different directions. I was yelling their names, with promises of treats should they come back to us. We didn’t have to yell too long before the little devils showed up. Anneliese and Arnie both are very fond of food.

Once they were back in the house I gave them each a cookie and scolded them that they are not to wander off like that again.

I little while later I thought I heard Anneliese talking to Arnie.

“Hey Arnie, I’ve just figured out how to get more cookies every day!”

For the Vertically Challened…

Ever thought of what you would do it you had three inch legs? My three dachshunds will tell you that there are times that life can be quite a challenge. For instance, getting into a people sized bed, or perhaps a higher chair, can seem almost impossible to the “little ones”. It’s why I have now become a full convert to “doggie steps”.

doggie-steps

These wonderful little things are the new addition to our home. We had one set when Greta was expecting the puppies (those of you who were around will recall that she did not want to use them!) but it wasn’t until we allowed Arnie and Anneliese to be free in the house that we realized that we needed a couple more sets. They love them and they use them!

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I saw an ad for 2 sets, for the price of 1 set. I excitedly ordered them thinking they would arrive in a few weeks. Six weeks later they arrived.

Hubby spent a few minutes putting them together and then we set them in the family room and the bedroom, and showed the pups their new stairway heaven! (Or to human contact!) It’s amazing how something so little can mean so much to the vertically challenged!!!

Getting There

This morning I had appointments with two different doctors, whose offices are 10 miles apart. The first appointment was for 10:15 the second was for 11:45. I was not at all stressed because I believed that I would have plenty of time to drive the lovely country roads of New Hampshire from point A to point B.

I arrived at Doctor #1’s building right on time. The first problem I noted was that the elevator was broken, and his office is on the 5th floor! I climbed the stairs, huffing and puffing, but made it to his office before hyperventilating! I collapsed in a chair and sat waiting. Finally 15 minutes after my appointment he called my name. The appointment went smoothly, except I kept worrying that I would be late for the next appointment, so I had a lot of trouble thinking (not one of my strong points). I am so glad that I’d written all my questions down in advance

When the appointment was over, I raced down the stairs. The fact that I had 20 minutes to get down the stairs, get to my car, and drive the 10 miles to the other office seemed to light a fire under me. You see, there is also construction on the one road that goes between point A and point B!

I drove faster than usual (I am a granny driver) and made it to Doctor #2’s office, arriving right on time! I checked in and sat down. I waited and waited and waited. Doctor #2 was a half an hour late.

Somehow I could forgive him. You see, he is leaving his practice to work as an Emergency Room doctor, so he can spend more time with his children and wife. He’s been a wonderful general practitioner for us and we have enjoyed him not just as a doctor, but as a friend. We talked a lot about his life, his wife and kids, and what is truly valuable in life in general. When I left him we hugged and I told him that, should he ever start his own practice, I would be his first patient. Both Hubby and I really admire this young doctor.

When I got home Greta was waiting for me in the driveway. I walked up the steps and saw Hubby working on weeding the lawn. Fritz was playing with a ball, and then I saw two little puppies by the stone wall. I put my hands over my head and yelled, “Arnie, Arnie!!” And he came running full speed toward me. Then I called to Anneliese and she also came running! What a greeting.

Hubby and I worked turning the soil in the garden this afternoon and got about half way through. Besides growing fruit and vegetables here in New Hampshire, we grow a lot of rocks! More seem to surface every year. I hope to get the rest of the garden turned tomorrow and then do the corn planting this weekend. The vegetables will be transplanted on the last day of May.

The sun was shining all day, not a drop of rain. All is right in my world!

Rain, Eyes & Baby Teeth

Wednesday Hubby drove me to Boston to see Dr. W. for my one week post operative check up. There is one thing I must say before I tell you about the trip.

1. I was so glad Hubby was driving!

The day dawned foggy and rainy and cool. We got up had our breakfast and dressed and got ourselves ready to go. On the trip down we talked and talked, catching up with the past weeks events, arriving in the city with plenty of time to go out to lunch.

We noticed a German Restaurant nearby and decided to give it a try. It was fairly good, although we both got food poisoning, proving that it wasn’t nearly as good as we thought. It’s funny but of the three restaurants we have been to in the area, the only one we haven’t gotten food poisoning from has been the Indian restaurant. Guess where we will be eating next time?

We got in to Dr. W.’s office a tad early and her technician took me right off. He checked the eye pressure and examined my vision. Amazing how my distance vision is coming into focus in just one week! I knew it had, as coming down in the car, with no glasses I could see perfectly clearly all the leaves on the trees and the signs along the road.

Next the doctor who assisted with my surgery examined me and he was very pleased. He said the lens is sitting well and the eye was healing nicely.

Then we got to see Dr. W. She is thrilled with my eye and after hearing about my fever (I still have it) said she wants me to go in to see my regular doctor, Dr. D. to get my sinus’s checked.

I’d brought with me some Heavenly Jam, my Moonglo Pickles and Brandied Peaches and she was thrilled! She just loves my cooking and her husband loves my pickles.

We made it out of the city before “Rush Hour” and just as we got north of route 495 the skies opened, darkness fell and the winds blew. The rain fell so hard it was like a sheet of water was just being poured from the sky. There was also hail and the traffic slowed to a snails pace.

I was so happy Hubby was with me and driving!

The ride home took much longer due to the terrible weather and we were lucky to get Emily to come over after school and walk the dogs for us. The pups were happy to see us when we got in, but their needs were not as urgent as they would have been, had Emily not come over to care for them.

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Greta and Anneliese

I sat drinking some tea, and I noticed Arnie was playing with something. I got down and looked at it and then picked it up to see what on earth he had. You will never guess!

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Anneliese and Arnie

It was one of his baby teeth!

I’ll tuck it away in my book of puppy memories. It makes the end of this day, somehow sweet and puts a smile on my face.