Celebration

On the last day of April, Swedes celebrate spring. This is called Valborg from the saint who has her festivity day on the first day of May.

There is another reason to celebrate today, as well. It is an important birthday. No one in the family has a birthday, but the King of Sweden has. This is worth celebrating.

As you know, shibas are from the Empire of Japan, with the oldest reigning dynasty in the world. Auntie Linni is from Sweden and her father is from the Kingdom of Australia. Dad is from the Kingdom of Norway and his father is from the Kingdom of Belgium. It is only Mum who is from a republic, the State of Washington in the United States of America. Mum is consequently the only adult shiba in our pack who thinks monarchy is a bit odd.

The government is instated for humans, dogs do not have to care much. When the King has a birthday, however, we can celebrate. Any reason to celebrate is a good reason.

This evening, we celebrate on ice cream.

Rain

They said spring would be beautiful. They said spring would be warm. They also said spring would be sunny, which is especially nice to me, whose Mum is called Sunni. On the morning walk this Saturday, spring was neither. It was grey, a bit cold, and rain fell from an overcast sky. I do not really care about rain, but it is not very nice when we get back indoors and Daniel or Paula wants to dry me with a towel.

Oh well, winter could be both beautiful and dull, I guess it is only natural spring can be both too.

A Hat and Obedience

I found a wool hat on the Friday evening walk (this is written just past midnight). It was just lying there on the pavement, so I picked it up and started to bring it with me. It would be nice to chew it to pieces. However, Daniel saw me and said: "Hailey, let go!" Obedient as I am, I let the hat go right away. This was a shame, why would this hat lie out in the rainy night when I could have so much fun with it? Humans have their ideas. Sometimes you do not understand your humans, but since you love them, you do what they ask you to do anyway.

Late Night, Late Morning

Me, Mum, Dad, and auntie Linni had to stay up late last night, since there were som many good American police series on TV. (Mum always says all good TV series are American.) Still, the four of us got up early in the morning to go out on a morning walk with Daniel. We did not want to make him disappointed by skipping this walk. Then we all went back into the bedroom and back to sleep. We slept until Paula woke us up at two in the afternoon, so we really shifted the hours of night and day. This is how devoted we are to TV series from Mum's country of birth.

The Lawn

The older you get, the more often you experience things which are not new to you. By this, I do not imply that I have experienced most things you can possibly experience in a lifetime, not even many things. I still have a lot of things and happenings to explore. Still, I am able to do some fun stuff I have done many times before. The thing is, with regard to my blog, that I have written about such fun stuff almost all the times I have experienced them. So I asked myself: what is there to add, when the most exciting thing you do in a certain day is something you have written about many times before? Then I realized that this is, in itself, a subject to write about in the blog, so I did. I hope you enjoyed reading it, I enjoyed thinking about these things and writing it down.

We visited Paula's parents today, I and the other shibas got to run around and around on their lawn. This was fun, as always.

A Tennis Ball

There is a tennis court near our home. On the afternoon walk, we went by it and I found a tennis ball in the grass. I did not pick it up, but smelled a little around it. Then Aunt Linni came and picked it up instead. She carried it all the way home, despite repeated attempts from me to take it back. When we were home again, Linni laid down under a table and guarded the tennis ball with her life. After a long time, she grew tired of the ball, but then Dad came and took it. I picked a fight with Dad to get the ball, but Daniel did not like that and took the ball away from both of us. I do not know why Daniel would want it, all he did was to put it away high in the bookshelf. Was this just to stop my rightful aggression to get possession of the ball? I still want that tennis ball, I was the one who found it.

Cardboard Box

there was a cardboard box on the floor, but in the paws of Dad. I tried to snatch it from him. He did not want me to and growled at me. Then I laid down on the floor a couple of metres away, watching Dad and the cardboard box. I can be very patient when I want to. After a while, Dad left the cardboard box for other adventures, certainly not as exciting. Guess who ran and took the cardboard box?

Discovering the World

Mum and I were at Paula's parents' house today, while Paula, Daniel, Linni, and Dad went on a trip. I have been there many times before, so I decided to discover more of the surroundings. When Paula's father went out the gate from the lot, I got out as well and ran out into the neighbourhood. This was a short but very rewarding trip, before I was carried back home by Paula's father. Thus, I did not have to walk back myself.

A Downside of Getting Older

There are, in general, great advantages of growing older, you get wiser and more able. Everything is not good, though. Paula and Daniel have reduced my daily dose of food, since I do not grow bigger as much as before. When a dog has grown big enough, there is a risk that she or he will grow wider instead, if given the same amount of food as before. I have understood that it is the same with humans and many other animals. I would like to be able to eat as much as before anyway, eating is always such a great happening.

Football

We were at Paula's parents' house today. Auntie Linni and I played football on their lawn. It was fun. Mum, who is from America, calls this sport soccer. It actually makes much sense for dogs not to call the sport football, since we do not kick the ball with a foot. We grab the ball with our mouths instead.

Great Nights Ahead

I was tired last night and went to bed early. Faithful to my habit, I laid down under Paula's and Daniel's big bed. However, since I am growing bigger, I find it harder and harder to lie comfortably there. A little later I got up into the bed instead. I am big enough to get up there now and the adult shibas are not annoyed that I am there. Daniel and Paula allow us to be there as long as they can sleep comfortably too.

The bed is very, very comfortable. I slept there all night, it was great. It is early in the day now, but in a way I look forward to next night already. There will be many great nights ahead in the bed.

At Kesshi's

I visited my dear friend Kesshi this evening, as well as Paula's dear sister Mia. It has been a while since I met them, but dogs always remember friends. (Take a pup from his breeder at eight weeks of age, how old he ever gets, he will remember his breeder.) The evening was great.

The Shoe

I have a wonderful shoe that Paula has given to me. I have chewed on a lot of it, chewed off parts of it. I love that tasty shoe. The trouble is, now that I have prepared the shoe and made it just perfectly soft to chew on, Dad wants it and will not let me chew on it. I have a relatively nice rubber ball to chew on instead, but I believe I have earned the shoe.

End of Easter

This is the last day of Easter. Over all, Easter has been nice. As I wrote in the blog before Easter, it is the candy holiday of the year. Nevertheless, I have not been allowed to eat as much candy as I like. This is a little disappointment. Mum is disappointed as well, if anybody loves candy more than I do, it is her. However, she points out that we have gotten more candy than usual. Maybe, just maybe, even more candy would make us sick - but we seriously doubt that.

Flexi

Paula and Daniel bought me a new leach yesterday. It is a Flexi leach, which enables me to run as far as eight metres, when the person holding the leach allows me to. I like this, it is much better than ordinary leaches. The older shibas all have their own Flexi leaches, so I feel a bit more adult now.

Another thing that proves that I am getting bigger is that I got up in the sofa in the living room all by myself today. It is only a matter of time before I jump up just as easily as the adult shibas. After all, I turned seven months yesterday, so it is logical that I am getting better at this.

A Day Off

The news papers take some days off around Easter. I have decided to do the same today.

Easter buffe

Today I tried a Swedish specialty, an Easter buffe. Some people may referr to it as an Easter smorgosbord. It was delicious. I ate salmon, egg and herring. After the food I played some with daddy Kuro.

We had a great time at Paula's parents house. I nearly forgot to take my evening walk.

Film Tip

We saw a great film tonight on DVD. Starring Bruce Willis, American soldiers saved (part of) the world in the film Tears of the Sun. The Americans, in part defying orders because of what they experienced on their mission, saved civilians from evil rebel soldiers. Mum says this shows why the USA is needed in the world, do not mess with Americans and Western world values.

The film ended with a great quote by the Irish politician and philosopher Edmund Burke:

The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.

Easter

It is Easter this week. This is the greatest Christian holiday, when Jesus Christ died for the sins of mankind and raised again from the dead.

God has never been born as a dog and made any similar sacrifice for the dogs of the world. This is really not so strange, since there are no dogs' sins to die for. By this, I do not try to say that dogs are better than humans, but we are different and have some advantages over humans.

I look forward to Easter, rumour has it this is the candy holiday of the year.

Grannies

It is Paula's maternal grandmother's birthday today. We send her the best wishes.

I have never met my mother's mother. She lives in the United States, which is half a world away. However, chances are I will meet her someday though. I´m still young and there is a lot of time to visit the relatives in America.

Is It Never Enough?

On the morning walk, there was some newly fallen snow on the ground. It was not a thick layer; where the old snow was gone, you could see grass poking through the new snow. This layer of snow must soon be gone as well, I sure hope it will. I am so looking forward to seeing my first spring in its full splendor, it has had to start over many times now.

According to Dad, the headline of this blog post could just as easily refer to the Easter picture of him on Kennel Aangenaam's newly updated homepage: http://www.kennelaangenaam.com/ He does not like the picture of himself as an Easter witch with a head cloth, but the rest of us do.

Sushi

Paula came home with sushi for lunch today. I have written about sushi before, on the 18th of November last year. It is great food, since it is from Japan. Shibas are from Japan and like fish, so it should not be a surprise to anyone that we like sushi. We got to taste a little, little bit each, it was great.

In a dog magazine, Paula discovered a tip that you can buy a small stair case for small dogs to put in front of beds or sofas. It was cute and seems like a good idea. Then again, as you may remember from my post yesterday, I do manage to get up into the bed myself now, if I want to.

Exam

Paula has an exam at the university. We wish her all the luck she can get. She studies a lot and should get her reward for that.

I am not studying at the university, I am home schooled. Mum, Dad, and auntie Linni teach me what it is to be a dog, more specifically a shiba. Being a shiba is an exceptional case of being a dog, an exceptionally good case. Paula and Daniel teach me how to be a good dog and fit into the human society. Paula is also a good teacher on the skill of being a show dog. This is the subject where I get to take exams, by participating in dog shows. In a matter of speaking, Mum has three degrees in this subject, since she is champion in three countries. Paula and Daniel hope I will be champion as well, I hope so too.

This evening, I took one further step towards being an adult shiba. I jumped up in Paula's and Daniel's bed all by myself, just like Mum, Dad, and auntie can do. It was fun playing around there.

Wrestling

It has been raining, but not the whole day. On the afternoon walk, it was not raining. One would think we would only get damp paws, but I got a damp back as well. The thing is, I like to play around with auntie Linni when we are out on walks. We start to wrestle, and since Linni is older, bigger, and more experienced than me, it always ends with me on my back. When rain has been falling, I get a damp back. It is fun, nevertheless.

Paula cut my claws today. This is unpleasant, but I got treats, so I endured it. A lot of things are bearable when you get treats at the same time. I am such a good dog I earn treats on a lot of other occasions as well.

Another Updated Homepage

Paula updated the homepage of her and Daniel's kennel today. The result is great, see for yourself: http://www.kennelaangenaam.com/ I really like the wall paper, with the Japanese kanji signs for shiba inu. Paula, Mum, Dad, and I are on the front page. Paula is a really good web master.

New Homepage

Paula helped me create a new, beautiful homepage today. You can see it at http://www.daily-hailey.se/. I am very grateful for the page. Do not hesitate to write in my guestbook as well.

As a way of thanking Paula, I helped her making meatballs this evening. These meatballs were very tasty, I really did not know I was so good at making meatballs. I surprise myself once in a while.

Inspiration

I seldom have trouble with inspiration, but tips on what to write about are welcome.

Daniel gave me a tip on writing as such today. He write a lot of legal documents in his job as a lawyer and needs to be inspired to write. Even when he knows what to write, it may sometimes be a little boring, he says. When this is the case, he recalls a quote from the American writer Jack London:

"You can't wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club."

To go after inspiration with a club is, off course, a metaphor. Inspiration is something intangible, you cannot touch it, see it, or hear it, even though you can feel it. The quote means you have to force yourself to write, or whatever other creative thing it is you want to do. With an initial force of will, you catch inspiration and the words will come to you. I like this quote.

Nevertheless, I have some trouble with the club metaphor. It is not that I would hunt running, using my sharp canines instead of a club. It is just that if you use a club when catching inspiration, you beat it up. How is inspiration of any use to you, if you have clubbed it to the ground in order to catch it? Wouldn't there be a risk that inspiration would become unconscious? In that case, what do you do?

I guess I have to give this quote some further thought.

Taking a Nap

I had a nice afternoon today. I took a nap. Consequently, there is not so much to write about. Taking naps is one of my favourite pass times. The bad thing about sleeping a lot is just that I have not much to write about in my blog. I dream sometimes, but dreams can be weird. I prefer to keep them to myself.

April Fool's Day

Yesterday was the first day of April, a day devoted to hoaxes and practical jokes around the world. I made up my own hoax in my blog. It was not true that my blog was mentioned in the news paper. If you were fooled by it, I hope you can have a good laugh about it today. If you were not, I congratulate you. Any which way, I hope you have a nice April.

On to other things. This morning, we had the TV set on after the Australian GP of formula 1. There was an American sit com on a different channel, where a woman met a man. She asked: "Do you have a Beamer?" He answered: "Is there any other?" Daniel smiled at that. After all, he has a BMW, too.

In Australia, our favourite Juan Pablo Montoya (from Paula's country of birth) failed. His car ran into something on the side of the track when he missed a little in a curve. Mum's favorite (being American, she claims it is spelled this way), Scott Speed from the USA, finished eighth. This means he would have scored his first point in the world championship table, if it was not for the fact that he was handed a post-race penalty of 25 seconds for paying insufficient attention to yellow flags during the race. He passed another driver during yellow flag, which you may not do. Nevertheless, Mum claims the penalty was unfair.

In the Paper

I have finally gotten some recognition as the great writer that I am. A journalist in the local news paper Nerikes Allehanda wrote about my blog today. This makes me very happy. I know I am a good writer, more than one friend have said so. Still, it takes a lot to be recognized as a good writer in this day and age when everybody is flooded with news and information.

The news paper where my blog is mentioned is in Swedish, but I know I have a lot of readers who know Swedish. Those of you who do can read the paper.