No German

Hallo, Morran hier!

Hailey promised me I could write a blog entry in her blog. I wanted to use it to practice my German. I am of a German breed, Affenpinscher, so My mother taught me some basic German. Hailey would not have it, though. She said this blog is in English for as many readers as possible to enjoy. If I want to write in German, I have to start a blog of my own, she said. Well, perhaps I will. I have not decided yet. In the meantime, I write in English. I have American lines in my pedigree and Hailey has also taught me some, so it is not that hard. If you want to see a little German, I was allowed to greet the readers in German, at least. There you have it. I may be back in this blog, it was fun writing one entry.

A Little Snow

When we woke up this morning, there was snow on the ground. This is the second time this season we have had snow. It makes the world look a bit brighter, despite the long nights of late November. I like that. Add the many lights of the chandeliers in the windows at this time of the year, and the world is a beautiful place to be in.

So far, the snow has not been deep enough to play in. I may be ten years old, but I do not think you can ever be too old to play in deep snow. We will see when we get more snow. It is bound to happen some time in the season. I am looking forward to it.

Countdown to Christmas

Hello, Orange here!

This Sunday is the first of the four Sundays before Christmas Day. Thus, it is the start of the countdown to Christmas. It is an exciting time. Christmas is nice, because it is a time for great food.

The only thing I think is a little negativa about Christmas are the colours. Christmas is a red and green holiday, together with the white of show. The other great holiday, Eastern, is purpose and yellow. I would like to have an orange holiday. In American, Halloween is Orange due to the colour of pumparna, but this is not a Swedish holiday. Is there a Swedish holiday that has an orange colour definitivt it? I would like to think so, but I do not know of any. Please tell me, if you know of any.

Meanwhile, I will enjoy the countdown to Christmas, and Christmas itself.

Popsicle

I got a popsicle late this Evelina. Popsicle are good. I shade the tasty for popsicle with Paula. This is good, because she often make sure we have popsicle in the freezer.

Daniel likes ice cream more than popsicles. Sometimes, he eats ice cream while Paula eats a popsicle. I believe I like popsicles better, even though I like ice cream too.

Jubilee

On the 27th of October 2005, I wrote my very first blog entry. I forgot to mention it, when the blog was ten years old. Now the blog is ten years and one month old. Can I have a jubilee now instead?

It has been an eventful life, documented in my blog. I cannot remember everything, but the blog is a good aid for my memory. I have always had the aim to keep it daily, as is its name, but I have not managed to do this all the time. Nevertheless, I think there are a good amount of blog posts throughout the years that the blog has been in existence.

Sometimes, I wish I had more readers. My blog host provides me with statistical information on how many readers I have. The more readers there are, the more your work pays off, doesn't it? On the other hand, I do not write this blog for the purpose of reaching a lot of readers. The greater purpose is to reach the readers who are really interested in my life and my thoughts on this life of mine and the occasional news article I write about. Quality is more important than quantity, not only for what is written, but also for the readers. I like that Paula, Daniel, and their family members often read my blog. I also like that my closest dog friends read it, some of whom help me write it from time to time. I like all of my readers, but the readers who are also dear friends of me in real life have a special place in my heart.

I wish all of you will continue to read my blog. I will continue writing it for as long as I can. When I am no longer around in this life, my daughter Karstuhl will take over. Stay tuned, there are a lot of blog posts still to come!

Back Home

Paula came back home late last night. This morning, she had to go to the hospital again, but this time the problem was solved in a day. She is feeling much better now, and we are all happy for her. I would not want anyone to be hit by a car, like Paula was.

Champions League

We are watching a football game on TV tonight, Malmö from Sweden plays Paris SG from France. We root for Malmö, but Paris has a significantly better team.

It is a game in the most prominent tournament for football clubs in the world, the European Champions League. For Malmö, it is a great achievement just to get this far. Still, they should not just settle for this achievement. The Malmö defence is not good enough. In half time, Paris has a 2-0 lead. Malmö has had some chances, but it is not sufficient. If I would bet on the game now, it would be on an even bigger Paris victory.

Thaw

We got the first snow of the season four days ago. It is now melting away. I guess it is just too early in the season for winter to come permanently. We usually do not get long term winter weather until well into December.

In old times, November was called Winter Month in Sweden. I wonder why. It is seldom winter throughout November, even though winter can make a visit, like it has the last couple of days. Winters would not have been much different back then. I may have to look into this, but it will have to wait for another day. Stay tuned to my blog, and you may get to read what I find out.

Hospital on Fire

A fire raged this afternoon in one of the most prominent hospitals in Sweden. All of the patients in the main building were evacuated and all electricity went out in the whole hospital. Many patients will be transferred from this hospital, in Strömsholm, to a nearby hospital in Västerås. Other patients were allowed to go home.

You may wonder why I do not write "veterinary hospital", but just hospital. This is because I think veterinary hospitals are the general kind of hospital, with their expertise in treating patients from many different species. There are other hospitals which only treat humans. I think these have a more narrow field of expertise, hence, I call them "human hospitals". Humans do often put themselves up as the norm. It is their civilisation that has given us both kinds of hospitals, bit I still think it is best to reserve the plain word "hospital" for the more general institution that a veterinary hospital is.

I hope everything goes well for the patients.

Feeling Better

Paula has left the hospital. She is feeling better. This makes us all feel better. She is still not at home, though, having decided to stay the night at her sister Mia's place. I guess she had an urge to see my granddaughter Soya, who lives there.

Horrible Accident

When Paula was walking to her car yesterday night to drive home from work, she crossed the street on a zebra crossing, but was hit by a fast moving car. She is still in the hospital. She did not break any bones, everything was clear at x-ray examination, but she was very bruised and got a concusion. While she does want to get home, and we would like for her to come home, it is for the best that she stays at the hospital for as long as it takes for her to get well again. Meanwhile, we are holding down the fort at home.

Cakes On TV

We watched a baking competition show on TV tonight. I really do not see the point. You cannot smell it, you cannot taste it, you certainly cannot eat any of the cakes. Then what really is the point of it? I would rather watch Paula or Daniel bake something in our kitchen, smelling it and standing the chance of tasting it. TV shows are weird sometimes.

Diesel, Anti Terrorist Heroine

The Paris police dog Diesel was fighting terrorists today, but was killed by them. She truly died a heroine's death. I wish she would have lived to see the terrorists being taken care of by the police.

Dogs often do a lot for the benefit of mankind, civilisation, and what is right. I do think these terrorists were the kind of Middle Eastern religiois fundamentalists who hate dogs. Showing them how to mourn a dog who died fighting them may, this, teach them a well needed lesson. I am afraid they will refuse to learn anything from this lesson, but I hope they will.

Qualified

Sweden is now qualified to the Euro 2016 football championship. The play off games against Denmark were well played. This is great. Now it will be more interesting following the games of the championship next year.

I hope for the best in the championship, but I think other teams will play the final games and fight for the gold medals. Sweden has a chance now, but it is slim. Still, it is better than nothing.

One Minute of Silence

We observed one minute of silence at noon today, for the victims of the terror attacks in Paris last Friday. The leaders of the EU invited everybody to participate, and we did.

Paris is a great city, capital of France, which is home country of Poodles and many other dog breeds. I have never been to Paris, but Mom was there at the World Dog Show in 2011. She told me a lot about it after coming back home.

I hope the victims may rest in peace.

Waffles

Paula made waffles for dinner. I got to taste a little. Waffles are tasty food.

Some would say meat is the healthiest food for dogs, and I would actually agree, but there are so many other things you can eat that are also very tasty. You must not eat just dog food or just meat. It is nice to vary your diet.

Waffles is a very nice variation. We also had some jam and whipped cream to the waffles. It made them even tastier.

Black Armbands

Sweden beat Denmark 2-1 in the first of two play off games for qualifying to the Euro 2016 tournament. Both teams and the referees wore black armbands, symbolising sorrow for the victims of the terrorist attacks in Paris Friday night. This was a fine gesture, I think.

Shootings in Paris

What is wrong with the World? What is wrong with humanity? Why do humans have to shoot and kill other humans? They did in Paris tonight. I do not understand it. Dogs can be angry with each other, but we never kill for no reason. Why do some humans do this?

Coronation Day

On the 12th of November 1990, twentyfive years ago today, Emperor Akihito was enthroned in a traditional ceremony in Tokyo. The really traditional site for this would have been in Kyoto. Still, the ceremony was traditional. In Europe, this would have been a coronation, but I believe the Emperor of Japan does not have a crown of European kind. He is the head of the oldest monarchy alive in the world today, dating back at least to around 600 B.C. Shibas were around back then, as well.

Armistice Day

On the 11th of November, at 11 o'clock, the guns turned silent on the Western Front in 1918. The First World War was over. A lot was lost through this war, not just the lives of soldiers and dogs in military service. It was the end of an older, more cultivated era. Gone were the monarchies, replaced with the horrors of communism in some countries, more ordinary socialism in others. One could wish this war would never have started, but it is a day to commemorate that the worst madness was over. This day is today.

Ice Cream for Dogs!

There is one thing I would really like to try, the ice cream specially made for dogs by Hugo & Celine. They have ice Cream with salmon flavour and liver flavour on the menu. This sounds delicious. I like ice cream, I like salmon, I like liver. What could possibly go wrong?

So far, the company sells its ice cream in Stockholm and close surroundings of this city, but I hope they will expand.

The Most Wolflike Breed

According to a recent study published in National Geographic, Shiba is the dog breed which resembles the wolf the most. This is quite cool. It is like we are closest to the original dog. If there would be a modern dog which would be the mold from which other dogs would be made, it would be us. It is yet another reason we Shibas are the best, a clear and simple reason. The original and best. I like that.

Father's Day

Hello, Karstuhl here!

This is Father's Day in Sweden. This year is the first year when I cannot celebrate my Father directly, since he left us earlier this year. Still, I can commemorate his memory.

Dogs normally also have a human "Father". In our case, this is Daniel. We can celebrate him as well, and we have, today.

Daniel also congratulated his father, and Paula congratulated her.

Paula in the Kennel Club Magazine

The latest issue of the magazine of the Swedish Kennel Club, Hundsport, came to us today. Paula is featured there, together with our Affenpinscher Morran. This is because Affenpinscher is the featured breed in this issue.

This is not the first time Paula is featured in this magazine. She was on a picture with me, when I had won my Best in Show Puppy title in 2005. I believe this was a little better way of being featured in the magazine. A show victory is always something else.

Anzu at a Funeral

My dear daughter Anzu, the one who lives in Bergen, Norway, has lost her human. He was an old man even when Anzu moved to him, but he has had friends who has had Anzu at their home many times. Anzu knows them and now she has moved in with them permanently.

Today was the funeral of Anzu's human. Anzu was there. Dogs are seldom at funerals. We are not always welcome to ceremonies in churches. Given how much Anzu and her old human loved each other, I believe it was highly appropriate that Anzu was there at the funeral. It was a fine gesture towards her and to the memory of her human.

If a human who was this important to me would pass away, God forbid, I would also want to be there at the funeral.

Electricity

Electricity is a good thing, when it is harnessed by humans. We have electric light, electric heating, electric communication devices, electric freezers and so on. It helps making life quite easy.

In the early evening today, not long after sunset, all electric appliances in our home stopped functioning. The street lights and the lights in the windows of our neighbours went out as well.

Daniel started a fire, which gave us a little light in the living room. It was actually quite cozy there for a while. It was not long before the electricity came back, which we are grateful for. While it can be cozy and almost adventturous to be out of electricity for a little while, it also makes you think about how much we depend upon electricity in our daily lives. I would not want to be without it for any longer period that the one we had tonight. The control of electric power is a great thing, indeed.

Silly Documentaries

They broadcast a lot of unnecessary, downright silly, documentaries on TLC. Late tonight was a documentary on humans giving birth. Is this not something a really huge part of humanity already has personal experience of? Many of those who do not, have no interest in getting children, anyway. It would have been better to show a documentary on dogs giving birth. This would not have taught me much, of course, since I have given birth to many puppy litters already. It would, however, be educational for a lot of humans, most of whom do not know anything about dog breeding. A good documentary on this would be far from silly.

Facts on Good Food

Here is an article on good food. There are many people warning others about processed food like bacon and many other edible things. Read this article, and think about it. Good food is not so bad for you as some people want you to believe.

So, we can eat bacon with good conscience. It is not so bad for us, and it is very tasty. I love bacon and I will keep eating it as often as I get it. Some people warning others, with little if any facts behind them, would perhaps feel ashamed for themselves. The rest of us can eat bacon all we want.

Waiting

We are up late this Sunday, waiting for Paula, Gunde, and Morran to come back home from a dog show in Denmark. I would have loved to come along, but this late on a Sunday evening, I am glad I am home. Dog shows are great, but the long journeys home may be tiresome. We also heard they had a flat tyre, which made them late. This is supposed to be dealt with now.

I hope we do not have to wait much longer. It is almost midnight now and I feel tired. Still, I want to be awake and grre them when they arrive home. We have to see if I fall asleep anyway...