The Dackel Princess

This & That Wednesday

It was one of those perfect Autumn days today. Not too cold, not too hot, blue skies and bright colored leaves painting the area all around my house. It’s like God took his paint brush and an Autumn palette of colors, and then dabbled golds here, reds there and oranges everywhere. I looked out over the lake and thought there was nothing prettier, but then I had to run to the grocery store for a loaf of bread and coming home I saw the mountains in the distance and they were painted in an even more spectacular way!

Our home.

We took today to begin the slow process of preparing the house for winter. Hubby put away three of our window air conditioners, and worked a little more in the yard cutting away dead vines and clearing the path between our house and Emily’s for her.

I washed cabinets in the kitchen and then I made the fatal mistake of going down to my laundry room and once I saw how much it needed cleaning, I spent another hour down there vacuuming and washing things down.

In between, I was taking dogs outside to do their business and I then attempted to get the next thing on my list done. The funny thing was, when I tried to take a break, I would make a cup of tea and go to sit down with it, and that’s when another dog would need to go out, or want to come in!

Yes, that’s my real job in life…door opener for the dogs!

It feels that way some days.

I also experimented and made Hubby baked stuffed manicotti (low salt version) and it really came out well. The only thing I will do before I make it again is get a pastry bag with a long nozzle for filling the manicotti! I didn’t have one and so I did it with a spoon. It was not easy to do, certainly very messy, but in the end it tasted fine.

The day is nearly done now, the dogs are all asleep on the floor and I’m putting up my feet and plan to watch a little TV.

A Man For All Seasons

I knew a man once, named Otto. He was quite a man. He seemed to know so much about so many things. I loved to speak with him, and I loved to walk with him through the Black Forest in Bavaria.

He was the man who introduced me to Rauhhaardackels, mushroom hunting, and Slivovitz. He didn’t laugh at my naivety, and since he spoke beautiful English (his native language was German) we were able to really connect.

He did have a wonderful laugh, and when we spoke he always called me “My dear girl”, making me feel very cherished.

He and his wife owned the first Shubi.

The first Rauhhaardackel that I fell in love with. Their Shubi was such a delight and my love affair began with this wonderful breed of dog.

We went to see him and his wife in Bavaria, shortly after their Shubi was killed by a car. I remarked that we should buy puppies together. I said this as we left to go out to the store. By the time we got back, Otto had located a litter of puppies, and the rest is history!

Me with my baby, Shubi.

I visited him and his wife often, always bringing Shubi to see her brother, Toni! This picture was taken of Otto and I as we walked along. That is my Shubi between us.

Otto passed away a few years ago from cancer, but his kindness, his hearty laughter and his love will remain with me throughout my life. Even though he was Hubby’s friend, and the friend of Hubby’s first wife, he never made me feel that I was any less. In fact, I always felt special when I was visiting him and his wife.

I miss him still, and I think I always will.

A Real Princess

I am watching Anneliese as she grows up. She is beautiful. Her lines are lovely. Her face is delicate and feminine. She holds her body in a perfect pose and she is learning to heel at my side.

Anneliese is also a sweetheart. Not that the other dogs aren’t, but somehow Anneliese has decided that being by my side in the chair, in the kitchen or outside is the place to be.

Can you believe that this is the little baby that came into our house almost a year ago in December?

Ah, they grow so fast. They are hardly babies anymore. Soon we will be breeding Greta again and her B litter will be on the way. (And NO, I am not going to keep any of these pups!)

Meanwhile, I am really enjoying the experience of having a puppy from birth onward. It really is such an adventure. There is no getting used to the house for the pup, no learning about who you are; there is just this gentle acceptance that you ARE their family.

I think it’s one of the best things that Hubby and I have ever done!

Autumn

Looking back I recalled a picture I took of Emily with a young Arnie and saw how much it resembled the one taken today.

Arnie & Emily today. Arnie & Emily age 4 months.

Jacqui and Anneliese and Emily and Anneliese

Then I looked around and saw how beautiful it is and the things we are doing to prepare for the winter.

Hubby getting the wood cut, and our golden delicious apple tree.

The view from my driveway.

From my house.

I got out all my canning supplies and packed them in boxes to store over the winter. Autumn is finally upon us and soon the leaves will be at peak color and then with a good wind, the leaves will be on the ground, ushering in the start of winter.

We turned on our heat today for the first time. It’s amazing. October 13 and this is the first time we have needed the heat since last spring!

Oh I do so love Autumn!

The Good, The Bad & The Ugly…

So, both Hubby and I got bad reports with our cholesterol and blood pressure this week. Our doctor says that since the problems aren’t that bad yet, we should attempt to change things with diet. Okay, so we need to do a no-fat/low fat and as low a salt diet as we can.

We went to the grocery store and started reading labels. A can of soup has over 500 mg of salt! And the things that I love, like cheese unless they are low fat, will probably kill us!

Hubby and I looked around the store, reading and shopping and came away with very little food. As we drove home I told him, “Let’s face it. I think we just have to stop eating!”

Actually what we need to do is stop eating processed foods. That’s where you find the real heavy salt quantities. It means I will need to learn a new way to cook. We will also need to start eating some new things. Healthy things.

Hubby is a wee bit depressed about this, as he loves his junk food. Chips, dips, fried food, bacon, eggs, oh the list is long. I’m feeling sort of shell shocked myself. This is the first time I have to actually “make” a change in my own diet.

Middle age really stinks!

I told Hubby, that we are in this together. We’ll eat the same things, exercise and try to make sense of all the dietary restrictions.

No fat, no salt, no sugar.

Oh yeah, this should be interesting.

Lucky In Love

Years ago when I would come home, I would drive into our garage and close the door. Then as I gathered my things I would hear Shubi’s feet pitter pattering on the floor above, as she happily waited for me to come up the stairs. Hearing those paw steps always warmed my heart. When she passed away I missed hearing them.

Today when I came home I pulled into the garage, closed the door and gathered my things. It was then that I heard the sound of a heard of wild elephants, that in actual fact are my four dogs, above my head. They knew I was home and they were all excited at my return.

I smiled. It made me think of my Shubi, and at the same time reminded me of how lucky I am to have this crew of dogs, who love me so much and really are great dogs in their own rite. They wag their tails when we come home, when we wake up in the morning and when we go to sleep at night. They curl up in our laps, in our bed with us and will do anything to just be touching me or Hubby.

That’s Unconditional Love!

Yes, Grandma Is Proud

Today the local paper had an article on the front page about one of my puppies. Anja was adopted by a man who wanted to train her to blood track here in New Hampshire. Legislation was passed on January 1st that allows the use of tracking dogs to find wounded deer, moose or bear. Paul has worked so hard and Anja loves what she is doing. To date she has successfully found 3 deer. Finding downed deer is part of the ethic of hunting. One I truly approve of.

So, there her picture was. My heart filled with joy, pride and happiness!

If you have high speed internet access you can read the entire article here but I must warn you that the site downloads very slowly.

Meanwhile, I am feeling so thrilled. I have wanted to breed not just beautiful dogs, but dogs with good health and the ability to serve, whether that service is in the field or in the home.

So congratulations to Paul and his Anja on a job well done and service to the community!

The Bulb Digger!

A few days ago I got out my bulbs and the contraption I use to dig the bulb holes and set out to plant a few tulip bulbs in my yard. I like to have them in front of the green house and this year I thought I would also set some on the grave of our old white shepherd, Max.

Diligently I worked, digging, planting, and replacing the sod. I looked back at the ground and remarked to Hubby that I had done a very nice job.

Then on Sunday, the day that the cold hit me, I got up with the puppies and when I went out for their first walk of the day, the bulbs were all dug up! They had not been eaten, but they were lying on the grass, and each and every hole was dug up!

Well, I used language that is not very becoming to a lady, but after I walked the puppies I got a bag and collected each of the dug up bulbs.

Since I was sick with my cold, and it was also raining, I did not replant yesterday. Today, however, was a lovely day. Sunny, and 62 degrees. So I asked Hubby if we had some cement blocks to use to hold the sod down, so that the critter who dug them all up, wouldn’t be able to. Yes, he said, and brought me a wheel barrel full of them.

So I knelt down, I replanted the bulbs. I got extra dirt from my garden. I stomped on the dirt to pack it in. Then I carefully placed the cement blocks down to protect my work.

We came in and I made dinner and we ate. I felt so good about all my work. Finally I was done with the tulip bulbs!

After dinner Anneliese needed to go outside for a walk and I went to the “doggy area” and what do I see?

One bulb, dug up and lying on the ground!!!

And then I see Mr. Fritz with muddy paws!

It wasn’t a strange unknown critter that had dug up my bulbs, it was my critter, it was FRITZ!

Well he got yelled at and I pointed my finger at him, and I told him I was going to give him to the gypsies! I was so mad! I yelled the entire time I replanted that bulb and adjusted the cement block. Then I brought Fritz inside and told Hubby what he had done and Hubby chewed him out too.

It’s an hour later and neither Hubby or I are mad, but I think Fritz now understands he must leave Mummy’s bulbs alone.

Next year I may just have him dig the holes the first time around!

Yummy Banana Bread

I made this recipe this morning and Hubby and I really enjoyed it with our lunch.

Yummy Banana Bread

1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup sugar
3 large eggs
2 1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp orange peel
1/8 tsp ground cloves
3 very ripe large bananas
1/2 cup walnuts (optional)

Cream the butter with a mixer until it is smooth. Beat in the sugar until well blended then add the eggs. Mix for a minute or two. Add the rest of the ingredients (except the nuts) and beat until smooth. Add the nuts and stir those in. Place in a greased loaf pan.

Bake in a preheated 350 degree (F) oven for an hour or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in the pan and then place on a wire rack and finish cooling.

It Came In The Night

So I went to bed at the usual time on Sunday. All seemed well when I went in, although I admit to still feeling very tired.

At 1:30 I woke to feel all stuffed up in the nose, and sort of raspy in my throat. I got up with Fritz who walked me to the kitchen and encouraged me to drink some juice. I drank down two glasses of apple juice and then went back to bed.

In the morning I was still stuffy, and so I decided to take the day slowly once again, but Hubby reminded me that today the man was coming to remove two of our old junk cars and so we needed to eat breakfast and dress early.

I have been trying for a few years to get rid of those two cars. They are huge dinosaurs that take high test fuel and get terrible mileage. We had replaced them with cars that took regular gas and got much better mileage. Meanwhile they sat in our yard.

Today a nice young man came and hauled them off. He is in the Navy Reserves, and we invited him to come in while we did the paper work, and we had a really nice time talking to him. What an interesting guy.

So, the cars are gone, Hubby is feeling sad (he loved those cars) but in the end it worked out really well because the man had a pick-up truck bed liner for our truck and we really needed that.

I tried a new recipe tonight for both dinner and for dessert. All I can say is that it tasted okay, but looked dreadful. The recipes will not be repeated.

Tonight we will watch a little TV, drink juice and try to rinse out the cold that seemed to come in the night.