Clear Skies

Tonight as the sun began to set, we saw a plane circling above our lake. I called to Hubby and we stood in our front window and watched as it landed on the lake. (It was an amphibious plane.) I expected it to turn around during it’s taxi and take right back off, but it taxied to our little beach.

Because I worry, it’s a lifelong problem, I thought perhaps they’d had engine trouble, so Hubby and I went down to take a look. I grabbed my little camera to document the event. After all, in the 10 years we have been here, this sort of activity hadn’t occurred.

What we found was that the pilot was dropping off someone and once they were out, they turned the plane and he took off again. Luckily, I got it all on my camera.

It was so pretty to watch the plane as it took off into the sunset. It brought out the kid in me and I felt as though I were watching some great mysterious event!

Afterward, Hubby and I walked home and enjoyed the setting sun even more. It was just such a lovely, lovely, summer night.

Got Milk?

The day dawned early and the dogs and I were up and outside. While they ran around and I stumbled about trying to drink my coffee and wake up. Thankfully, the caffeine kicked in and I began to come to.

Breakfast was made, dogs were fed too, and then I went about running errands with Gail. Post Office, Dry Cleaners, and UPS. Everything went well, and then we got home with plenty of time to make a great light lunch.

After lunch I was reaching down to pat Greta’s growing belly when Hubby told me that she’s got milk.

Milk? Already?

Sure enough, I checked and Greta is all ready to nurse her babies! Amazing how quickly it has come on with her second pregnancy.

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It won’t be long now until we have to set up the puppy room, yet again to prepare for another litter of wild and wonderful dackel babies!!!

Anneliese is returning to her usual self. She is losing the baby weight, and once again acting like a puppy herself!

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So now I start letting people know that I’ll have puppies ready to go in November. I’m also going to a workshop on Saturday to learn more about training puppies for tracking. It should be interesting.

Gail leaves me tomorrow. I’ll be driving her to the airport in the morning for her trip home. It will seem so strange when she has left us. It’s been so much fun having her around!

Life Is Good

Today I heard from Baron’s new owners. They sent me a picture of this grown up puppy-boy! I was so thrilled and amazed at how much he had changed! My little baby boy is now getting to be a big, handsome,  grown-up boy!

Here is Baron at a week old. (Blue collar)

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This is Baron with his new owners daughter, Natalie! Can’t you just see the love?

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I’ve also had great phone calls from my other puppy owners and all the babies are doing well. That makes this Grandma very, very happy!

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Today was spent doing laundry, paying bills, and catching up with all the things I have ignored for the last week and a half.

I also enjoyed the most beautiful day. Sunshine, blue skies and warm, dry weather. Perfect! The garden is yielding many vegetables and my tomatoes are starting to come in. Life is good!

A Little Lobster, Anyone?

Sunday, Gail and I decided to do the Outlet Mall. I strapped on my comfortable walking shoes, and easy off and on clothes (quick change for trying on new things) and off we went. It was a cloudy day with a forecast of rain, so the place was mobbed! I found a good spot to park, and off we went. “Jockey”, “Liz Claiborne”, “Jones New York”, and “Easy Spirit” shoe stores. I was careful, thoughtful and got some very good deals!

By noon we were feeling tired and needed a place to sit down, so we went over to a Chinese Restaurant and ordered our meals. They were so yummy, and the green tea, hot and delicious!

After lunch we stopped at one more shop and then drove over to my favorite grocery store. Gail had hinted that she would love to have more Lobster, and when we saw this sign:

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(taken with my handy, dandy little Canon Powershot)

I knew we were destined for boiled lobsters for our dinner!

I’m resting up a bit now before I tackle those ferocious beasts! You know it’s is so difficult to wrestle them into the pot! (lol!) I’m also cooking zucchini and summer squash from our garden.

The latest Greta news is, she has cut down on how much she can actually eat at a meal, so I will have to feed her a couple of times a day so she gets all that she needs. Usually Greta is a fierce eater and could devour an entire cow! However, now that she has growing babies there isn’t the room in her stomach.

Have a great week everyone!

She’s looking Pregnant & Update On Baerbel

Last night I got an email from Baerbel’s new owners. Not only an email but wonderful pictures of Baerbel and her new children.

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Meet Alexander and Eliza. Baerbel’s new family! Don’t they look happy?

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Baerbel is happy and doing well. The kids love her and things are going well for her. I am so happy for them all.

Next we have a picture of my sweetie, Greta. Here she is 1 month from her due date! Can you believe that?

Aug 1 Pregnant Greta

Here is a picture from before she got pregnant. What do you think?

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I wonder how many babies she has coming this time? What do you think? Leave your guesses in the comment section.

So today was much quieter than yesterday. No broken down cars, and just a nice simple day.

Happy Sunday everyone!

Make Your Own Kind of Music

Many years ago I tried to figure out what I really wanted to do with my life. I knew I wanted to get married, to have children, but I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do for a career.

Then in 1996 I met my first wire-haired dachshund, Shubi, and i knew what I wanted to do. I wanted to breed these wonderful creatures and share the love.

I learned to make my own music.

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I started breeding 3 years ago and I have found that this is the music in my life. The thing that makes my soul sing! Seeing the birth of these babies, watching them grow, fills me with such joy, you wouldn’t believe it!

I had the pups to the Vet again today. Greta needed her IV out and the pups all got their lungs listened to. Everyone is in good shape. How great is that!

The Adventure

Thursday we decided to go out for an adventure. I was a bit reluctant because it was pouring rain and as dark as it is at dusk, but what the heck, we had nothing else to do so….

We hopped into our Jeep. Hubby was driving, Gail sitting in the passenger seat and me in the back. After all, I’d seen this route over the mountains before.

We drove along and all was well. We talked and joked and life was good.

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But the rain kept coming down. Hard. We watched the streams rising and the road become flooded with water.

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We reached the first wonderful waterfall, and found it gushing with the overflow from the days rain. In the last 8 days we have had 6 inches of rain!

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As pretty as it was, it was doing bad things to the road and Hubby had to zigzag down the road to keep away from the giant puddles! Hubby and Gail were fine, but in the back seat I started to feel bad. In fact I grabbed a dog walking (poop) bag and held it, ready to get physically ill at any moment.

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We reached the next waterfall and it really was beautiful, but I was dying in the back. I prayed to be released from this torture!

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As we got to the end of the mountain pass, we noticed something was wrong with our old Jeep. The temperature gauge went sky high. So Hubby pulled into the first gas station, and as he carefully  lifted off the cap to the radiator, out bubbled the scalding water!

Hubby filled it with cold water hoping it was just a leak or something but it turned out that when the water pump failed it ultimately froze up and threw the belt for the power steering and fan, thus making the Jeep un-drivable! We were stuck at the gas station!!!

We called AAA and requested a tow. They told us it would be 30-45 minutes before a tow truck could come and take Hubby and the Jeep to our home. We looked around and saw a pizza restaurant! Eureka!

So we went over, carrying our umbrellas and ordered lunch. I ordered 1/2 an eggplant pizza, Gail got a half a vegetarian pizza and Hubby got a meatball sub.

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We no sooner sat down than the tow truck driver arrived and Hubby left to work with him. I got Hubby’s sub, and ran out, carrying my umbrella, and took it to him. Then I returned to have my pizza with Gail.

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Oh it was so good!!!

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Now once we ate the pizza we needed to fill time. We shopped at a local store, and then did what every other sane individual does, we went for a Latte at Dunkin’ Donuts!

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I have to tell you that in the rain, and the cold the hot Lattes were so delicious! We sat talking and sipping until my cell phone rang and it was Hubby. Where were we now? We told him, and before we knew it, he was driving into the parking lot to pick us up.

Dunkin’ Donuts has saved me more than once when I found myself in need of a hot cup of something wonderful!

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Once he picked us up, we stopped to buy important things…..Dog Food! Then we drove home and rescued our little lovelies!

Hubby will need to replace the water pump, fan belt and who knows what else. Hopefully, he can get it done soon as this is his off road vehicle, and my winter car.

The day ended with a steak meal, complete with baked potatoes and fresh green beans from our garden. All and all a good meal and a great way to end an adventurous day!

Wonderful

Today Gail and I drive to Maine to visit her friend, American Artist Jack Lewis. I ask that you go to this web site and learn a little more about this incredible man. I didn’t know anything about him, until Gail introduced me to his work. Today she wanted to go to Maine to present him with an award and I was the chauffeur.

I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I have to tell you. Today I met a truly magical man. Yes, I am now not only a fan, but a friend. Jack is 97 years old. He has seen, and recorded so much of the world with his art, and is Delawares native son.

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He has a gleam in his eye and a warm and wonderful personality. His daughter, Heather, joined us and she is a delight as well. In many ways, she reminded me of her Dad.

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We went to The Stage Neck Inn for our lunch. It is a wonderful spot right on the ocean. In fact when I stepped from my car, I inhaled and the smell of the ocean brought me right back to my childhood on Cape Cod. Salt, the sea, simply wonderful!

I took this picture with my cell phone.

The Ocean in Maine

We ate and we talked and shared and I felt as though I had known Jack and Heather all of my life. They were both so warm and gracious!

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Even though we spent several hours with them, the time simply flew by! Before we knew it, it was time to leave to go back to New Hampshire and Hubby and the pups.

It wasn’t that I didn’t want to go, but I was so torn. Today I met two people I now consider friends. I hope my next visit will not be too far off.

Catching Up

Life has been so full lately that I wanted to quickly catch you up before I get caught up in my next round of activities.

Last weekend I worked at the local Greek Festival. This is my third year working selling goodies there. As I have for the last two years I worked selling Lemon, Fig and Raspberry bars and Apple Turnovers. Previously I have had help with this, but this year it was just me.

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Yes I was busier than a one armed wallpaper hanger!

But, I love it and I enjoyed selling all my goodies. They literally flew off of the table. Technically the festival wasn’t due to start until 10 AM, but at 9:15 people were lining up for the Greek and home baked goodies!

Just after the noon hour Hubby and Gail arrived and got in line for the lunch that is served each year. Hubby got an actual luncheon of 1/2 a chicken with Greek spices, a Greek salad and stuffed grape leaves.

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I had pastichio, grape leaves, and a Greek salad. I also washed it all down with an ice cold, beer! Oh, did that taste good.

Gail had pretty much what I did. It was a fabulous lunch!

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Soon the kids began to do their Greek folk dancing, all dolled up in their Greek costumes. They were so cute and I enjoyed watching them a lot.

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What a blast! I can hardly wait until next year!

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Then there was Greta’s appointment with Dr. N. where we found out she was pregnant. Here she is being examined. What a perfect little patient she is!

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Me with my friend and their technician, Dori.

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I’m so excited about Greta and her litter and I can hardly wait for her puppies to come. Oh well, September 1st will come soon enough!!!

And Greta Is….

PREGNANT!!!

Greta Mama

I am so happy for her! I had worried that perhaps she would not be able to have another litter, and that would be a shame. Her puppies are beautiful and she is an excellent mother.

I have to give her boyfriend, Bernie an A+ here. Greta was not an easy girl for Bernie, but he did not give up! What a stud! They do make an excellent couple, and their babies are terrific from their first litter. After all could they get any better than Anneliese and Arnie?

The Vets today said that she is healthy and well and all is right. She goes back in three and a half weeks for her x-rays to determine how many little babies she has inside there. Should we start a pool?

Well I am a happy Mommy. More puppies to watch grow and to teach all about life, tracking and loving.