My Sunday

It was a warm, beautiful day here in New Hampshire. When Hubby finished clearing some ice from the drive we brought the four puppies out for a little R&R on the patio. With only four of them, it was slightly less hectic to watch them, although I will tell you that Anita and Anneliese were the two wild ones who figured out how to climb onto the snowbank in the back yard and chase after their Mom’s toy ball. Arnie and Anya wanted to sniff anything and everything, showing us that they are indeed the best in the field so far.

Greta doesn’t put up with their antics too much. When they start to bug her, she gives them a stern growl, and they good-naturedly play off in another direction.

Eventually it was time for them to come in. Oh, what a tough job that was, getting them all back in the house. I finally did what dog owners have been doing since the beginning of time. I got out the dog cookies and bribed them all back in. They scurried in, ate their cookies and then all curled up in bed and fell asleep.

I’ve thought about Angelika today. I’ve wondered how she is doing, if she is happy or missing her litter mates, or if she has happily settled in with her new owners and Bunkie, her new brother.

I really hope that she left here and never looked back.

And Then There Were Four

On Friday, Nancy and Walter arrived with their little wire dachsie, Bunkie. They are adopting Angelika. Their journey was a long one from Upstate New York. I’d invited them to stay the night and then leave on Saturday morning. So, we visited for a bit after they got here, and it was so wonderful to see them with Angelika. They saw her and fell instantly in love!

I can’t explain the feeling I have inside me, knowing that I bred these babies and knowing that this puppy will make them really happy. In fact, seeing the expression on their faces, when they held her, filled me with a warmth I hadn’t known before.

We went out to dinner and that gave us a chance to get to know each other. They are such nice people, and we are really happy that they are now part of our extended family.

This morning Emily was over for breakfast. She knew that today Angelika, or “Angel” as she will now be called, was going to leave right after breakfast. We ate and talked and then Angelika came out and we took pictures of her with us for the last time.

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I was doing really well keeping it all together until I looked over and saw Emily crying and then heard her little sob. Then I was undone. The tears began to flow. Not because I felt bad about where Angelika was going or who she was going with, but because I just hate to see Em hurt.

Nancy and Walter promised to send pictures and have invited us to bring Emily down during the summer. We stood at the top of the steps and watched Nancy carry Angelika down the stairs and away from us, and as the door closed and Angel began her new life, my heart ached.

Greta doesn’t seem to notice that her baby has gone. She really has been done with the pups for a while. The other pups also do not seem to notice that she has gone.

So, this is life. You go through the pregnancy so happily, stay with the babies while they are so helpless and blind, teach them to eat and play and then when they are ready to be off on their own, you kiss their little heads and say your good-byes.

Good-bye Angel. Have a wonderful life!

Shots & A Car Ride

Thursday was puppy examination and shots day. We put the puppies into two carriers, got Greta and headed to the Vets. I brought Greta because I wanted to weigh her and see if she was back to her prep-regnancy weight. She is, and she is looking really good. I am so proud!

Each puppy was examined, weighed and given their vaccinations. The puppies all wiggled and ran around the exam room, but I guess they really were pretty good. No one cried when they got their shot and lots of kisses were given out.

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It was tremendously exciting, and as soon as they got home, they had a little drink of water and crawled into their bed and fell asleep.

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One of our babies will be leaving us on Saturday morning. I’m happy, but I just know I will cry. I love these little pups.

Thursday Thirteen #41

Thirteen Things About Fritz
Our White German Shepherd

fritz mr green

1. Fritz was born out in Oregon in 2003. His astrological sign is Leo the Lion, but he tends to resemble the Lion in the Wizard of Oz. Not that he is necessarily cowardly, but because he is gentle and sweet, like the Lion was.

2. Fritz came to us when he was 8 weeks old. Hubby flew out and picked him up and flew back with Fritzi in a soft sided dog carrier tucked under the seat in front of him.

3. When he was 4 months old we entered him in a dog show. He was so beautiful, and I knew he would do well.

4. He did very well and won Best Puppy In Show!

Fritz wins

5. Fritz is wonderful and gentle with small kids. He loves them.

6. Fritzi loves the ladies, but he is his Daddy’s boy and follows him everywhere.

7. Fritz’s glory days as a fashion plate ended when he was t6 months old and his nose turned pink. But we love him anyway.

Friday's Pictures

8. Fritz runs like a deer. I sometimes stand in the doorway and watch him run across the field.

9. Fritz’s best friend is a Sckipperke named Kodiak. They love to play together outside.

10. Fritz is a sweetie and so good, but not in the car. When we must take him in the car, for any reason, he turns into a wild dog.

11. In the evening he likes to sit in the family room with us while we watch the TV

12. At 9:30 exactly he wants to go outside for his last wee-wee of the night.

13. At 10 PM Fritz and I go to bed. I will ask him if he is ready and he will run ahead of me into our room. This is so cute and he does it every night.

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Exhaustion

I am seldom at a loss for words, but last night I succumbed to exhaustion and found myself totally wordless. I sat here in my chair with little Greta by my side and felt the warm creeping sleep monster moving over me.

You know what it’s like, that sort of spacey feeling where you try desperately to stay awake and concentrate on what the TV is doing, but slowly you feel yourself slipping, slipping, into the deep dark abyss called sleep?

I was watching NCIS and today, I can’t even tell you what the show was about. Not because it wasn’t good, but because I was so tired.

You see yesterday I had errands to run. It was the first time I had been out for any length of time since the knee injury. I went to the Post Office to mail the AKC Registration papers by certified mail. Do you know how much work it is to walk from the parking area to the Post Office when you are walking with a cane? Naturally the Post Office was packed and it took me forever to get to the window.

Next I went to the Pharmacy. Almost everyone knows that when you need to get a prescription quickly, this never occurs, however, yesterday, since I had all kinds of time to kill, everything went smoothly and I was in and out in under 20 minutes.

Since it was too soon for my hair dressers appointment, I stopped at the grocery store to get a few things to make pancakes for Shrove Tuesday. I know Hubby hates to eat breakfast for dinner, so I thought if I made my family’s famous Strawberry Pancakes with sausage, then perhaps he wouldn’t mind.

Hobble, hobble, hobble.

Then it was on to my hair stylist’s, where she once again performed her magic! For two hours I was able to sit and get pampered. That was so nice.

By the time I got home, it was nearly 4 o’clock. I sat down for a moment and sipped some water and then it was time to start dinner. I made very thin, almost crepe thickness pancakes and placed a teaspoon of cottage cheese on one end and then rolled them up, placed them in the warming oven and then while they warmed and melted the cottage cheese, I made the sausage. When that was done I placed these on a plate, spooned sliced strawberries over the top and hollered to Hubby that dinner was ready.

Breakfast for dinner? Well, he thought it was weird, but he ate it anyway.

Once the dishes were done, I finally sat down and that’s when it hit. By nine I gave up the battle and finally went to bed. I slept like a dead man all night long, never hearing the puppies, or the TV or Hubby come to bed.

This morning I am finally feeling less tired, but here we are. Another full day. Fritz is at the Vets getting his teeth cleaned, and I have a mammogram scheduled for 2 PM (Oh Joy! Bah!). The puppies destroyed their puppy room in the night and I literally needed to take them out and wash everything down with detergent when I woke up! Usually it isn’t quite this bad, but for some reason they outdid themselves overnight.

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A Day In The Life

Today was my yearly physical. I hobbled up to my doctor’s office with my cane, feeling like a 90 year old lady and checked in. My doctor gave me a good once over and aside from the knee, which he said was still quite swollen and full of fluid, I was proclaimed well!

I then hobbled home and fed the doggies, all seven of them, and then finished making Hubby his dinner.Thankfully, tonight’s dinner was a crock pot meal and there was very little to actually do once I tossed it all in the pot.

As I made the last adjustments to the meal before serving it, I looked over and saw this:


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Now how cute is that? I spoke to them and I could see their little tails start to wag and then the next thing I knew four of them were at the gate.

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Arnie, Angelika, Anneliese, & Anja

They’ll be leaving soon, you know. Going off to their new homes. Our life will get back to the semi hectic life of those with two dogs and a puppy to housebreak. I’m looking forward to it, but I also know that I will be sad to see the little monkey’s go!

I finished feeding them, and then Fritz and Greta and then Hubby. Once we were done, and he dishes were in the dishwasher, I quickly got on my warmest pajamas and got into my chair, with a pillow under my knee.

Hubby made me a fire in the hearth and the puppies are asleep. Life is good, and for at least a little while it is once again quiet.

Tattoo’s And Snow

Last night we decided to do the prep work for the tattooing. We got out each pup and shaved the inside of their right ears. I have to tell you right now, there were more yelps and cries during the shaving of the ears than during the tattooing the following day. All I can think is that the noise of the shaver scared the little sweethearts.

Carrie, the co-breed warden for the NATC, examined each of the puppies as well. She checked to make sure that there were no problems with their tails, ears and belly buttons.

Sunday morning after we all had breakfast (puppies and humans), we got down to business. Each puppy is assigned a number. Arnie, because he is a male got the first number.

Arnie
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Feb. 18 Arnie

Then Angelika
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Anita
Feb. 18 Anita

Anja
Feb. 18 Anja

Anneliese
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It’s a fascinating process. Carrie has a punch that she sets with the numbers to be used. The punch is basically a set of pins. She cleans the ear with disinfectant, presses the punch quickly into the ear and then rubs the ink into the holes in the ear. Due to the fact that I chose to have green ink used (like Greta), I now have 5 puppies that look like St. Patrick’s Day doggies! I’ll leave the ink on for a few more days before I give them each a little bath.

To reward them for their good and brave behavior we took them outside to play in the snow for the very first time. They loved it! How wonderful to run and jump and roll in the snow!

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So, at the end of the day, they are tired and so are we, but I can happily report to you all that the puppies are fine and happy and not scarred by the experience. Me? Well, just a little! LOL

Shubi

In Memoriam.

December 1, 1995-February 18, 2006

Quebec Day 2 007

FOUR FEET

I have done mostly what men do,
And pushed it out of my mind;
But I can’t forget, if I wanted to,
Four-Feet trotting behind.

Day after day, the whole day through–
Wherever my road inclined–
Four-Feet said, ‘I am coming with you!’
And trotted along behind.

Now I must go by some other round–
Which I shall never find–
Some where that does not carry the sound
Of Four-Feet trotting behind.

— Rudyard Kipling —