Health

Paula and Daniel both have some money from their employers, to pay for sport or other things for their health. They have to pay today, this year, if they want to use the money.

The bad thing is that they cannot use the money for dog shows. How can this not be valid? Mommy would have been even more upset than I am.

Work

It is an ordinary Monday and the last working day of this year and decade. Both Paula and Daniel went to their jobs this morning. Meanwhile, it was up to us dogs to watch the house. This is a very important job. We were on duty on our own for a couple of hours. Then Paula came home, but she has got a cold and felt tired, so she went to bed, and we continued to watch the house. Daniel came home in the evening, then we could relax a little more. It always feels better when everyone is at home.

New Year Resolution

For the first time in my life, I have made a new year’s resolution. I have decided to continue this daily blog for as long as I can, which involves writing it throughout 2020. I hope this will please the readers of the blog. Do not hesitate tocontact me, if you have any suggestions or questions for the blog.

The year that is soon over must have been the worst in my life. Paula was gone, admitted to the hospital, almost half the hear. My dear Mommy passed away not long ago. My dear daughter Polly has moved to a family of her own, whichis great for her, but I still miss her. Next year must be better.

Bills

Paula and Daniel paid the bills for this month today. This is one thing I am glad that I do not have to do, as a dog. It looks gruesome, when they are sitting there, paying the bills. I wish there were less bills to pay, less money to pay, more money to spare. This would give us more money for dog food and treats.

Road Trip

We went to Solna and Enköping today.

In Solna, we left my dear daughter Gertrud with her new family. She will live with them, but will have pups at our place.

In Enköping, we taught Peanut the basics of dog shows. He is promising, but he needs to learn the basics of being shown. If he does, I am sure he can be as successful as I was, getting a Swedish Show Championship on three consecutive shows. I was never so fond of shows as Mommy, so I made sure I got the Championship quickly to be done with it. Peanut is good enough to be able to do the same.

Crackers

There are some people who have already started to fire crackers. This is, unfortunately, a common way of celebrationg the new year in Sweden. The origin of the tradition has to do with the belief in evil beings, who would be scared off by the crackers. Many different animals, not least dogs, get scared by the crackers. I wish people would stop shooting the crackers. They cannot still believe in the evil beings, can they?

Calm Day

We have had a calm and nice Christmas Day. A lot of it were spent together with Paula and Daniel in the living room. This is the way most days should be, if I were to decide. Of course, Paula and Daniel need to go to their jobs to work for a living, but one can always wish.

Daniel took me out on the porch and combed me. This is because I am shedding my coat now. It is not very comfortable being combed, but it feels better afterwards.

Eve or Day

In Sweden, we celebrate Christmas mainly on Christmas Eve, today.

Grandmother Sunni, who was from America, believed that Christmas Day was the right day for celebrations. So does Calvin, who is also from America.

Now that Peanut has moved to us from England, Calvin has got an ally. They do not agree on very much, but they agree on this.

Preparations

We are preparing for Christmas. We are very busy, but it is also very fun. I will come back again tomorrow with a longer blog entry. Stay tuned!

Christmas Tree

We have a real life Christmas tree this year. We brought it in today, put it in the living room, and decorated it. It looks fabulous.

We have not had Christmas trees every year. Some years, we have had a plastic Christmas tree. I like the real Christmas tree better. It smells better and it looks better. We just have to see how long it will last.

Gone

The lady whom I wrote about yesterday, who was missing, was found today. Unfortunately, she was dead. Thus, even though she was found, she was gone. We are all sorry for her and her family.

I know what it is like losing a next of kin. My mother passed away not long ago. It is difficult to experience the joys of Christmas, when you have just lost a close loved one. Nevertheless, I wish everyone such a merry Christmas as they may have.

Disappeared

There are occasions where you read about dogs who have gone missing. On other occasions, humans go missing. Paula and her mother have a friend who has gone missing today. The police has published her photography online. I wish she will be found, before she freezes too much in the cold and damp weather.

Stolen Dog

Two women stole a dog in China, because they were under the influence of alcohol and found the dog cute and irresistible. They were, however, caught on camera and face charges for theft. You can see the dog trying to resist on the pictures. Since the thieves were caught, the dog’s human got the dog back.

I can understand that the thieves found the dog cute. It was an Akita, the bigger cousin of the Shiba. Akitas are almost as cute as Shibas. This does not, however, excuse their theft. It was a good thing the dog could be brought back. I hope I will never be stolen.

A Day of Rest

Paula and all of us dogs spent the day at home. We all took it easy, rested, and generally had a great, relaxing time.

It may be fun to party, to eat tasty food and treats, or to go on long walks and discover new smells. I do not, however, think that anything is better than just taking it easy. You just hang around, thinking of whatever, and sleep if you want to. Days like this are great.

Early Morning

Daniel got up much earlier than usual this morning, because he is going to Stockholm in the line of duty today. We got an early morning walk thanks to this.

The great things about early morning walks, if you are a dog, is that you can sleep for a longer time after the walk, before your day begins. Sleep is a great way to pass the time. Once youhave slept enough, the action of the day is great, too.

When the day is over, we can sleep again.

Hidden

We have purchased a Christmas gift for Paula. It is hidden until it is time to exchange gifts on Christmas Eve. I am looking forward to seeing Paula’s reaction. I believe the gift is right for her.

Now we have bought all of the Christmas gifts we planned to buy. This feels good. We can concentrate on other preparations for Christmas now. Food and candy comes on the last few days before Christmas. This is good.

On Tour

Hello, Gerstuhl here!

Daniel and I went to Stockholm today. Actually, I never went quite as far as Stockholm, but visited a nice couple of humans in Solna, which is a suburb of Stockholm. Daniel visited his brother in Stockholm.

My visit in Solna was great. I got to smell new places and we went for a very long, nice walk. These humans were very nice. Any dog could be happy to live with humans like them. If I am lucky, I get to go to them more times.

It was rather nice coming home, too, just not as exciting.

Free from Fire Works

A lot of dogs cannot stand fire works. At our place, we can all stand them, but I remember our late friend Primus, who was very afraid of them and of thunder. He never could enjoy New Year’s Night.

Many dogs go with their humans toplaces where there are no fire works. The dog rooms at Arlanda airport are all booked already. I am glad that the dogs who need this can have it.

Late Last Night

Paula and Daniel was away eating Christmas food yesterday evening. They had great fun and were not home until after midnight. I did not think of making a blog entry until they came home. By then, I was too tired.

I remember that Mommy always thought it was important to keep her blog daily. I think the same. Still, Mommy did not always make one blog entry each day. I guess I may have the same problems as she did, once in a while.

In and Out and In and Out

Paula has had a busy day today. She worked in the morning, then she came home and spent some time with us dogs. Later, she went back to the hospital to meet a doctor. After this, she came home again. Then Daniel called and asked Paula to go and pick him up, so she did.

Paula was in and out and in and out of the house all day, it seems. It is not strange, then, that she is tired this evening. I feel for her and try to comfort her. Dogs are generally good at this. I hope I can help Paula.

From the Morning Walk

This is me with Peanut, Gerstuhl, and Javier, as well as Daniel, this morning. Paula took the picture.

Normally, Daniel is the only one of our humans to go on the morning walk with us. It was less order when Paula came along. After Paula’s illness, she also walks slower than we are used to. It was nice that Paula came along, but I actually agree with Daniel that it is better when she does not.

Treatment for Cancer

There was an interesting story in our local newspaper today, about a dog who receives a unique treatment for cancer. The story is featured online, but behind a pay wall.

The dog, who is eight years old, had skin cancer. It received some ordinary veterinary treatment, but was not fully cured. His humans then found out about a kind of vaccine, actually a form of immunotherapy, from abroad. They got help from a veterinarian and a company that imports medicines.

It was expensive, but the humans had the money. My humans would, too, but I would not expect any human to be able to do this for a dog. It is still great that some humans have the heart and the money for it. I believe it is good news. In the future, since the treatment is done now, it may very well be cheaper.

Lodge

Paula is away this evening. She is at a lodge meeting with the lodge of Odd Fellows that she is a member of. Daniel is also a member of an Odd Fellow lodge, but a different lodge. There are different lodges for ladies and gentlemen. I think this is most reasonable. Among dogs, we also do some things that only bitches do, other things that only male dogs do. At dog shows, males compete against each other, females against each other. Another advantage is that Daniel is at home, when Paula is at a meeting with her lodge, and vice versa. We have a nice evening with Daniel.

Raspberry Pop

Paula left a glass of raspberry pop on the table. It was very tasty, so I drank quite a lot. Daniel told me not to. I did not like his objection, after all, Paula had put the glass there for anyone to try. Then Paula came back. She also told me not to drink the pop.

I believe that if the humans want their food and drink for themselves, they must not just spread it around where anybody can get their paws on it. If they do, they certainly should not get angry.

Now, neither Daniel nor Paula was angry, but they were not happy, either. It is not always easy to guess what they want to allow us dogs to do or not. We love them, anyway.

The Lion King

We watched the old movie The Lion King on TV this afternoon. It is quite good, for being an animated movie with antropomorphic animals. The story is rather exciting and it has a happy ending, like children’s movies should have.

I would prefer to see a movie about wolves. Wolves are more closely related to us dogs. Perhaps we can find some movie like that to watch in the near future.

At Another Shore

It is the 6 December and the national holiday of Finland. This day in 1917, the lower house of the parliament of Finland ratified the declaration of independence from Russia. It was accepted by Russia about a month later.

I celebrate for my son Suzuki, Aangenaam Lunar Shore, who lives in Finland with his family. He has a great life there.

Cheers, all of the friends of Finland! 

Emptiness

Life is empty without Mommy. There were days when I was annoyed with her, but I always loved her and were mostly glad that she was around. Now she is not.

The snow has gone, as well. It makes the world look darker again. This seems fitting.

We will all get used to the fact that Mommy is not around. I know this from previous experiences of losing friends and family members. It is still hard. We get used to it, but a piece of our hearts are lost forever. We go on, anyway.

Hailey Is No More

Hello, Karstuhl here!


This is the last time I will start a blog entry by stating who I am.


My dear Mommy Hailey passed away this morning. She has gradually become less healthy this autumn. Until the last moment, she tried to hold herself together, even joining us on the morning walk this morning, as always. Later in the morning, however, she cried out in pain for no apparent reason. Paula and Daniel took her to the veterinarian right away, but she could not make it.


It was the will of my Mommy, that I would get this blog and keep up the Daily blog entry tradition. It is my intention to do so.


I have written blog entries in this blog many times before, but this has been just now and then. From now on, it is my duty to keep the blog daily. When I have written in the blog before, I have often been less serious than Mommy. I have even joked from time to time. Mommy has not been very fond of this. She wanted the blog to be more serious than that. I will try to continue blogging in the style of my mother.


Please stay tuned, for the loving memory of my mother Hailey.

Shrimp Chips

Hello, Karstuhl here!

Paula gave us shrimp chips tonight. I do not really know if this is the right words in English for it. Regardless, it is very tasty. The tastiness is more important than a correct language.

Theft

A battery to Paula’s electric bicycle was stolen in town today. The battery was locked to the bicycle, but could, apparently, be stolen anyway. It is annoying when people cannot respect the ownership of other people.

Broken Lights

There is a Swedish tradition to have electric chandeliers with seven lights in the windows before and during Christmas. We put up ours today.

The strange thing is that there are always some light bulbs that does not work, when it is time to switch the chandeliers on, even though all of them worked when we put them away at the end of last Christmas. What happens to the light bulbs, that make them break down when the chandeliers are tucked away in storage?

It is easy to change the broken light bulbs and put the chandeliers up. It looks great now.

Snow

We got about ten centimetres of snow yesterday. I am happy, it makes the world a little brighter. I thought I would want to play in it, as I have done for years of my life. It seems like I am not that interested anymore. Is it my age? I am not sure. Perhaps my playfulness will come back.

Tripping

Paula tripped and fell on the kitchen floor. This was odd. It was not dangerous in any way, just odd. Paula was not hurt. Daniel helped her up on her feet. She would have managed it herself, had Daniel not been there, but it was, perhaps, a little quicker to get upon the feet with a little help.

An advantage of being a dog is that you have four paws. If you trip, you do not fall as far. You get up easier. It is easier keeping your balance. Nothing happened to Paula, but there is even less risk that anything would happen to a dog who trips, than to a human. It feels good being a dog.

Fetching Paula

Paula was away eating Christmas food with her colleagues tonight. When she was done, Daniel and I picked her up. It is an old and good tradition that I tag along, when Daniel fetches Paula late at noght. Traditions should be adhered to. It was a good night.

Abide With Me

Paula is playing hymns this evening. Hymns are often sothing and nice. They raise you up and make you feel good. I can understand why Paula likes them. I like them too, though not so much.

As a Shiba, I always feel good, just for being a Shiba. Still, I can feel even better with nice music.

Abide With Me is a nice hymn in English. I like English, the language of my Mum. The newest member of our pack, Peanut, was born in England. English is his language too. He also likes Abide With Me. We could hear hymns in English more often, of this, we agree.

Pre School

Mia’s chldren go to pre school. I was there with Mia and Paula this afternoon and fetched the children. I am sure it worked out better than ever, because I was there.

Good and Bad News

There are good news and bad news today.

The good news is that the burning of coal has decreased this year.

The bad news is that the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere has hit a record high value.

We just have to hope the decrease is the beginning of a trend and that this will soon create a real change and decrease of greenhouse gases in the air as well. Dogs, humans, and others need a stable climate.

Gigner Bread Dough

Hello, Karstuhl here!

Ginger bread is a bread of the season. You can eat ginger bread the year round, but it is more common around Christmas.

Paula and Daniel had purchased a loaf of ginger bread dough. Instead of baking ginger bread, we shared the dough this evening. I believe ginger bread dough is tastier than baked ginger bread. I got a lot of it, too. It is rewarding to be close by when the good things are cut up and shared. Sharing the dough was like a sense of Christmas before Christmas. I liked it.

Pasta

We got some pasta tonight. It was tasty.

Mudd

We have had rain today. It is typical for the season. The rain turns the dirt on the ground into mudd. The mudd sticks to our paws when we are outdoors, then stays on the floor inside the entrance of the house. Daniel has cleaned the floor yesterday, then once again today. This is also typical for the season. I like the clean floors, it feels better when walking on it. When it gets colder, the mudd outdoors freezes, then the floors stay cleaner. This is good.

Masterchef

We watched an episode of the TV show Masterchef today. It is about humans competing to become great chefs. They cook a lot of great food. However, they only cook for other humans. I would like to see an episode sometime, when they cook for dogs.

Fish Pate

Paula made some fish pate this evening. Calvin and I got a little piece each. As with most fish dishes, it was very tasty.

Fish is delicious. Some humans think dogs like meat like pork, veal, chicken, and the like the most. Thisis not true for Shibas, we generally love fish. This is probably due to the great traditions of eating fish in Japan. Nobody should be surprised we love fish pate.

No Problems

Our new friend Peanut went to the veterinarian today for a general check up. He passed with flying colours.

I like Peanut. He is a nice young fellow. He is a great match formy grand daughter Li’l Gertrud. She is, however, not yet as fond of him as I believe she should be. I guess she will, when she gets to know him better. I hope she will. Nobody else has any problems with Peanut.

I Do Not Know What Happened

When I logged in to my blogger profile tonight, I could see that my blog entry for yesterday was not published. It was saved, but not published. I do not know why. The first thing I did was to publish it. It must be noted that it was written yesterday, even though it was published today. Oh, well, everything does not go according to plan.

Left-paw Traffic

On the morning walks, we usually walk along a main road with more traffic than on the road where we live. This morning was the first one where Peanut, our new friend from England, went along. Peanut said he was a little uncomfortable with the cars going on the right side of the road. He said vehicles should go on the left side of the road. Peanut said left-paw traffic is the right way.

I have been in many countries with right-paw traffic, like Norway, Denmark, Finlanf, Germany, and Framce. Peanut was born and raised in the United Kingdom, where they have left-paw traffic. We did have left-paw traffic in Sweden until the 3 September 1967, but this was a long time ago. We changed, because all of our neighbours had right-paw traffic.

Peanut did have one great argument for left-paw traffic, however: Japan has left-paw traffic. If the Japanese, and the Emperor, have left-paw traffic, perhaps all countries with Shibas should have it, too? This is not enough. I guess it would be difficult to convince the Swedes and their neighbours to change because of this.

A New Friend

A new black and tan Shiba boy has moved home to us this weekend. He is a nice boy who has blended in with us just fine.

It is as I usually say: black and tan Shibas are something extra. We are great in almost anything we do. It is a small wonder, then, how easily he just came in to our family.

Calvin

This Friday, I have had a fun day with Calvin. He is a nice fellow, and father of one of my puppy litters. I often commend him too little, he is worth praise.

Television

We have got a new router for our Internet connection and television. At first, the TV set would not work. Paula took care of this today. One of the necessary cables had not been connected well enough, but now it is. We have good television connection again. The router and Internet is better. I guess it was worth the trouble to get a new router.

Rain

A few days ago, when we got snow, I predicted that this layer of snow would not last. This proved to be correct. We had rain today and all the snow on the ground disappeared.

The snow we had was not much to have. it was a layer of less than a centimetre. We hope to get a real layer of snow soon. Snow to jump and play in. Despite my age, I can enjoy playing in the snow. I wish I can do this at least another winter.

Chihuahua Grabbed By Bird

A Chihuahua is a very small dog, about the size of our Toy Poodle friend Laila.

In Aberdeen, Scotland, a Chihuahua who was outside in the garden was grabbed by a bird of prey, who tried to fly away with the dog. One of the dog’s humans got hold of the bird and released the dog, however. The bird flew away. The dog survived after some veterinary treatment, but is now not comfortable about going out in the garden. I do not blame her.

Adult Shibas are too big to be grabbed by birds. Toy Poodles or Shiba pups could be grabbed. We have never seen any bird of prey close by, even though we have heard owls now and then. I hope nothing like this will ever happen to us.

Father’s Day

It is Father’s Day in Sweden. I got to come with Paula and Daniel to Paula’s parents and celebrate Paula’s father. We got some great pastries.

My own father passed away many years ago. Daniel’s father passed away earlier this year. I could comfort him for not having a father to celebrate anymore.

Over all, it was a good day.

Goose

Paula and Daniel went away this evening to go to a goose party. They would eat goose meat. It is some kind of tradition to eat goose this time of the year. I wish I could also eat goose. Meat is always tasty. I am sure goose would be as tasty as any other meat. It would be great to try it.

Chicken Sandwich

Hello, Karstuhl here!

Paula gave us food today. Your ordinary dog food, which is good, but, alas, ordinary.

For herself, Paula got a chicken sandwich. Why couldn’t I get one as well? This would have been out of the ordinary and good.

A Little More Snow

We got a little, little snow last Sunday. Today we got a little, little more. The grass is still visible between the snow flakes on the ground. It is early November, I guess this snow will disappear before there will be any lasting layer of thick snow. It is still autumn.

Gustavus Adolphus

We celebrated the old Swedish king Gustavus Adolphus today. Calvin and I got to share a pastry. This is the kind of celebration I like. I believe Gustavus Adolphus was a hero, otherwise, there would not have been a pastry named for him.

Sleep

Paula wants to sleep and asks us to turn every light off. I will have to write more tomorrow.

Reflective Vest

This time of the year, it is dark outside when we make our morning walks. Danieluses a reflective vest, to make sure vehicle drivers can see us from afar with the light of their headlights. It happens that he forgets the vest, then he takes us another way than the usual, along a main road with a lot of traffic. It is interesting not to walk the same way every morning, but I think it would be better if we did so by choice rather than because Daniel had forgotten his reflective vest. Oh, well, you cannot get  everything.

Snow

We got a little snow this evening. Winter is coming.

Earlier today, Allram left us for a new family. He really has had many strokes of bad luck, whenit comes to new families. This family seems to be good, however. We wish him all the best.

It would have been fun to show a young dog like Allram the joys of snow. Now he have to discover this somewhere else.

Gold

South Africa won the final of the Rugby World Cup versus England. It was South Africa that beat Japan in the quarter finals. It feels a little better that Japan was beaten by the very best team of the tournament.

Djurgården won the Swedish Championship in football. This is the team which has always been Daniel’s favourite, and was his father’s favourite. Being from Stockholm, as the team, is a good reason. We congratulated Daniel for his team’s victory.

All Saints’ Day

It is the dayof all saints. If you do not have a name day, this is the day when you can be celebrated. It is the dayof the saints who do not have a day of theirown. It is the dayof all of those whohave left us. I celebrate my mother Sunni and my father Kuro, as well as their ancestors. The dead must be aknowledged. May they be well remebered!

Chips

There were chips for dinner. I got some. It was tasty.

It may be important to note that chips in English is called pommes frites in Swedish, while the English word crisps is called chips in Swedish. Human languages are funny, sometimes.

RIP Kiko

My dear brother Kiko has passed away.

We were three in the litter: me, Kiko and Jiro. Jiro passed away a few months ago. Now I am the only one alive.

Kiko and I loved to play together. Jiro was also a very dear brother, but Kiko and I hit it off a little bit more when playing. This did not have anything to do with Kiko and I being black and tan, while Jiro was sesame. The coat colour of a black and tan is more beautiful, but I do not love dogs based upon their coat colour, I loved Jiro just as much as I loved Kiko.

I will miss Kiko and hope to see both of my brothers in Heaven later.

Bad Connection

Our Wifi at home does not work properly. Sometimes, it works, other times, it does not. It is too often that it does not work. We have to do something about this. I have asked Daniel and Paula to call our Internet service provider, because I cannot do it myself. I hope they do it tomorrow. I will come back to the issue.

Cold Tail

Ecer since I was injuried in my tail this summer, it has been shaved. The fur coat has started to come back. Still, it is a shaved tail. We have had temperatures below the freezing point now. It is beautiful, when the landscape is covered in frost. It is still cold for my tail, when it has not regrown all of my Shiba fur coat. I love winter, but I do not like to be frozen in my tail.

Choir

Paula is singing in a choir. The choir held a concert this evening in the Nikolai Church in the centre of our town. Daniel was there to listen, as were Paula’s parents. They were happy to hear the choir and thought it was a fine concert.

I would also have liked to be there. It is not that I am that interested in choir music, but I would have wanted to support Paula. I did show her my love when they came back home, though.

Bad Connection

We have bad access to the Internet today. It goes up and down. Sometimes it is fairly good, sometimes it is really bad. We believe it is worse since we got a new router earlier this autumn. There may be reason to go to the store for our Internet provider tomorrow and ask for help. It is not reasonable to have such a bad connection like this.

Warm Weather

It was quite warm weather for the season today. We had twelve degrees in the morning and the temperature rose a little more during the day.

It was so warm, that Paula turned down the heat in the house. This is rare. Paula is the one in our family who most often thinks it is too cold. It never bothers a Shiba, we have fur coats to cope with almost any temperature. Paula does not, however. Today she still thought it was warm enough.

Winter will come soon, but there will be days even in the coldest times of the year, that are less cold than the others.

Turning Plastic into Lubricants

A human scientist has discovered a method of using a platinum catalust to turn polymer plastic into a fluid which will probably be used as a lubricant in the future. Polymer plastic is the durable kind of plastic that plastic bags are usually made of. It is a good thing to find new ways to recycle plastic. There are a lot of plastic waste around the world. When this can be used in more ways, it becomes more valuable and more people will collect it. Thus, it will not just lay around in nature to the detriment of animals and plants. Science solves problems.

Fetching Paula

Paula was out with her colleagues tonight. As is tradition, Daniel and I took the car and fetched her.

It makes me feel special, when I get to go on a mission like this. It is important, it is better for both Daniel and Paula, if there is at least one dog coming along with them. The companyof dogs is always beneficial to humans. This is one of the purposes of being a dog. We help humans fulfill their means.

Paula had had a good night, but the journey home in my company was the peak of the night. She was really happy to see me, when she came out to the car. When we got home, the night went on in a positive fashion.

About Allram

The next prospective new family for Allram has backed out of a deal. I am sorry for Allram, it is as if he is jinxed or something. We do not mind having him here at home, but the plan has always been that he would get a new family of his own.

If you know of anybody who wishes to have a young male Shiba, nine months old, ask this person to contact us at granqvist@telia.com. He is happy and healthy, and has a good pedigree.

Cancelled Soviet Moon Mission

In the 1960’s, the Soviet Union and the USA competed about being first to do things in space. The USA were first topit a man on the Moon. The Soviet Union were also working on the same object, but finally cancelled the project when the Americans got there first.

The cosmonaut that could have been the first man on the Moon, Alexei Leonov, has now passed away. It is sad that he never reached the Moon. It would have been nice, had some more than Americans walked on the Moon. The space programme was one thing the Soviet Union could be admired for.

Japan Lost

Japan lost its quarter final to South Africa.

England won against Australia, New Zealand won against Ireland, Wales won against France. Now England will face New Zealand and Wales will face South Africa in the semi finals.

We are all sad about the loss. South Africa is generally a better tean than Japan at rugby, but it is still a little shameful that a pool winner Japan lost to a pool runner up.

Even my second favourite Australia lost.

Daniel says he hopes to see England versus Wales in the final. This would be an all European final. When my favourites are out, I guess I will also root for England and for Wales.

Technical Fault

The blog entry for yesterday was never uploaded. I uploaded it today instead. It puzzles me why it was not uploaded yesterday. Technology is a great thing, but sometimes, it just does not work. I guess we have to live with this.

Great Result

The youngest dog living here is Orange's son Allram. He is nine months old in a few days, but still a pup.

Paula and Daniel had not intended for Allram to live here. He moved to a family of his own last spring. However, his human got very ill and Allram got to come back.

Now there is another family who is interested in giving Allram a home with them. Daniel took him to the veterinarian today for a check up for this purpose. Allram passed with flying colours.

Shib

Tutti Frutti

This evening, I got some candy. It was called tutti frutti. Apparently, this is Italian for all fruits. The candy tasted much better than fruit, however.

I wonder why candy makers state that their candy tastes like fruit, when it tastes much better than that.

New Lunar Suit

Nasa has unveiled a prototype for a new space suit, to be worn by the astronauts who will go to the Moon in the new Artemis programme.

I am grateful for all the news about the next Lunar mission. The more that happens, the more likely it is that the voyages to the Moon will actually happen.

Once humans settle on new celestial bodies, dogs will settle too. Of this, I am certain. Dogs are an essential part of human civilisation.

Rainy Day

It seems like there are many rainy days this autumn. This was another.

They have a figure of speechin English: ”a rainy day”, which means ”any day”. This saying seems fit for Örebro this October.

I do not mind the rain, as long as I am indoors. The rain fills the well, which is good.

Won the Pool

Japan won its pool in the Rugby World Cup. The team will now face South Africa in the quarter final on Sunday. We will root for Japan, of course. Even though our kennel prefix is a word from a South African language, we are of a Japanese breed. Our Poodle friends Laila and Momoko were born in Japan, so they also root for Japan.

In the other quarter finals, England faces Australia, New Zealand faces Ireland, and Wales faces France. It will be some exciting games.

Full Moon

Hello, Karstuhl here!

We have a full moon tonight. Unfortunately, there is no full moon eclipse. My name, in the pedigree, is Full Moon Eclipse, so I think there should always be an eclipse when there is a full moon. You cannot have everything you wish for, though.

Match Cancelled Due to Typhoon

Japan has beenhit by one of the most powerful typhoons for years. This has caused the organisers of the Rugby World Cup to cancel the match between Namibia and Canada. The match would have been played in a stadium close to mountains where there have been landslides and more. Safety is the main concern for the organisers. Those who have purchased tickets will get refunds.

It is sad that Japan is hit by this typhoon. Japan is often in the way of typhoons this time of the year. I can understand the safety issues. Hopefully, the typhoon will hurt as few dogs and humans as possible.

Visiting Mia

Paula, Daniel, and I visited Paula’s sister Mia tonight. It was fun to tag along. I also got to help with some of the dishes, which is a task I willingly do.

There were no other dogs around. This may be nice for a change. There were also no children around, Mia’s children were with their father. This made the evening a little less busy than it might otherwise have been. Nevertheless, it was a night that I enjoyed. I would gladly do something similar in the near future.

Friday Fun

We had a great Friday evening today. For the first time simce Paula came home from the hospital, we have all enjoyed a nice evening in the sofa. It was great.

Friday evenings are special in Sweden. It is often a time for the family to be together and be cool. We had an evening like this today. This was the first since spring this year. I am so grateful for it.

Sushi

Sushi is one outof many Japanese contributions to civilisation. (The Shiba is the foremost contribution, but this goes almost without saying.) Daniel brought some sushi home for dinner today. I got to taste some. It was delicious. I wish we could have sushi more often.

Long Live Calvin!

Calvin was at the veterinarian today for a check up. He passed, despite having some minor health issues. He got medicine for this.

Calvin is the father of my first litter of pups, as well as of some other pups. He is a nice guy and I am glad he is doing well.

Long live Calvin!

Food by Paula

Paula has been home for a while now. She is feeling better and better. Today, for the first day since she came home from the hospital, she was theone who gave us food. Paula has different habits than Daniel, when it comes to providing food. This is refreshing. I am so glad Paula is feeling much better again.

Far Better than Others

The USA won the most gold medals in the Athletics world championships which ended today. They also won the most medals over all. The Americans won 14 gold medals, while the second best team won 5 gold medals. This is such a big difference that it is almost not fun. As a half American, I am happy for the countrymen of Mum, but it would be more exciting if the Americans were not this much better than everybody else. I wonder if this will change in the foreseeable future. I do not think it will.

Healed

The woulds I suffered on and around my tail this summer are healed. It feels good now.

The only thing which needs to come back is the coat back there. I hope it does before winter gets too cold. It would not be nice to take a walk on a really cold morning with no coat on my tail.

The dog body is a fantastic thing. It can heal most wounds. I did get help from the veterinarian, but it was mostly my own flesh that healed itself. I still hope I never get injuried like this ever again. I do not think I will.

Friday

Paula is not feeling so well tody. This gives us an opportunity to comfort her. Shibas are great at comforting humans. We take good care of Paula.

Missing Dog

None of us are missing. Paula has a stuffed dog, however, which has disappeared.

I cannot say what happened to it. I suspect one of us real dogs played with it and happened to leave it somewhere where noone can find it.

The main thing is, of course, that none of us real dogs are gone. We are always accounted for.

Not Good for the USA

I root for the USA in the Rugby World Cup Pool C. It is the country where my Mum came from. The Americans do not do well, though. They lost to England, 7-45, last Thursday, and lost to France, 9-33, today. The American team is currently last in the Pool.

If more Americans would play rugby instead of their own American football, they would surely have a stronger national team. This would give more echo in the rest of the world, even though the American football final Super Bowl is pretty well known outside of the USA.

Well, the Americans do fairly well in the World Championshipin Athletics, at least.

Silver

The Swedish athlete Arnauld Duplantis won a silve medal in pole vaulting in the world championship today. You could say he lost the gold, but I say he won the silver. Silver is being second best in the world. Among somany billion humans, this is really good.

Swedish Gold

The World Championship in athletics is currently held in Qatar. Today, Daniel Ståhl from Sweden won a gold medal in discus throw. He is one of very few Swedes who have ever won gold medals in the world championships in athletics.

It is nice to have Swedish victories in athletics, when Sweden is not even competing in the bigger championship that is the Rugby World Cup.

Candy

Now that Paula is at home, we get more candy. Paula has always been the greatest candy giver of our humans.

We love candy. We love both our humans, but when Paula brings candy, she is the focus of our love. It is a great combination: Paula and candy, two things to love.

Japan Won!

Japan won its game versus Ireland in the Rugby World Cup today, 12-9. Japan now leads its pool, even though every teamhas not had a chance to play as many matches yet.

All of us Shibas have celebrated the victory. Whenever Japan competes, a Shiba has a team to root for. We are conscious and proud of our Japanese heritage.

Get up Early Tomorrow!

Tomorrow morning, Central European time, at 9:45, Japan will play Ireland in the Rugby World Cup. It is 16:45 in the afternoon in the local, Japanese time.

The Irish national teamin rugby is interesting, becauseit is a joint team of the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland (the latter a part of the United Kingdom,of course). I hope Japan will win the game tomorrow, but I rather fancy the idea of a joint Irish national team. It goes to prove that the two parts of the island Ireland can cooperate in important matters, such as the second largest sports tournamentin the world (after the FIFA Football World Cup).

You can watch the game in Sweden on Viasat Sport. It goes on air at 9:10 in the morning.

Slow Service

Our Internet service is slower than it usually is in our bedroom. We got a new router the other week. I have asked if this router may work less efficiently than the old one (that broke in a thunder storm). Daniel do not think so, however. He says the service is just of varying quality, but that he will ask our Internet service provider, if this goes on. I wish he would ask soon. I am getting tired of slow service.

Inexperienced Watchdogs

Some of the younger dogs burst out barking tonight, when we had all gone to bed. They barked at some noise from a car down at the street where we live. I knew this was nothing to bark at.

Experience will make you better at determining what noises come from dangers and what noises are not. You just have to sound the alarm by barking, if the noise is the sign of danger.

I did not bark. The younger ones will probably not bark either, with more experience.

Coming Home

Paula has moved back home today. Itis a day of great joy. At the same time, itfeels so natural,almost as if she has not been gone. No matter what, I love it.I love Paula. Now it is time to spend time with her.

Work Day

Hello, Karstuhl here!

It is Monday. We are all back to work. Daniel travels to his work in the centre of town. The rest of us, the dogs, stay at home, taking care of our work, watch duty. So far, we have a 100 % success rate. Nobody has ever succeeded in invading our home on our watch. I do not think they even want to try. We are that good at what we do. Life is nice.

Great Afternoon

This afternoon, Paula was home for several hours. We spent a lot of quality time with her.

Paula is still fragile and gets tired more quickly than she usually does. She is getting better every day, though. If all goes to plan, she will come home permanently this Tuesday. We all hope this turns out to be true.

Victory in the First Game

The Rugby World Cup started yesterday.

As host nation, Japan played the first game. It was a victory 30-10 versus Russia. Russia is not a hoghly ranked rugby nation, so this may not account for so mich. Nevertheless, it is a victory, and this is what counts.

Needless to say, I hope Japan will go far in the tournament. Except for Japan in Pool A, I also hope for the USA in Pool C. In Pool D, I may root for Australia, one of my late Auntie Linni’s favourite countries, since her father was from Australia. Neither Sweden, nor Norway or Belgium have been able to qualify for the World Cup.

Not that Cold

It is not so cold outside, as it has been this week. The forecast says it will be pretty warm this weekend.

As I have grown older, Ihave come to like warmth more. I guess this has to do with age, because many old dogs seem to feel this way. Thisis not to say I am notlooking forward to a nice, thick layer of snow in the winter. It is just that I fancy warm weather more now than before. The winter will surely be cold, no matter what.

Blackface

Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is facing a scandal when running for re-election. He is accused of having worn a blackface more than once in his youth, which was not very long ago.

In the past, mostly no later than the first half of the 20th century, humans with light skin sometimes wore dark makeup to look like dark coloured humans. This has since gone out of fashion, not least because it is viewed upon as racist. If you want someone to play the part of a dark skinned human, just chose a dark skinned human to do it, the common sense logic goes nowadays.

I would not want a red Shiba to have her coat dyed black and play the part of a black and tan, when I could do this as a natural black and tan beauty.

I wonder why Justin Trudeau wore blackfaces more than once no less than twenty years ago. The racist context of it should have been known. This is all the more embarrasing for him, since he has held himself out as a champion of equal rights between people of all ethnicities. We will have to see how the election turns out.

Colder

We have had colder weather over the last few days. You can tell autumn is here. Rumour has it, snow fell in Värmland not far from us. We have not had temperatures below the freezing point, however. It has been cold enough for Daniel to turn on the heat in the house. It feels a little better indoors, now that the central heating has been active for a while. It feels good to live in a civilised house when winter is approaching.

Paula

Paula came home for a couple of hours this afternoon. What a moment of joy! I just wish I had had the chance to be with her even more, when she was here. I felt obliged, however, to give all of the other dogs their fair share of Paula.

We hope to see much more of Paula soon. She is getting steadily better.

Orange

Our dear old friend Orange is back here again. She has moved to another family and they love eachother, but her new humans had a scheduled journey overseas. During this time, Orange will stay with us again for a while. It will be fun.

It is nice catching up with Orange. She has seen some new places and met some other dogs. She likes her new life, but also enjoys the chance to come back here for a while. We also enjoy having her here. She may come back more times, if it is up to me.

Birthday

I turn fourteen years old today. Some would say it is an awesome age for a dog. I do not feel awesomely old, though.

The best thing about my birthday was meeting Paula. She has been away at the hospital for so long, but she is getting better.

I also got quite a few treats and other good things to eat. Sausage, cheese, et cetera, all of these are good things to have for a nice birthday celebration.

My brother Kiko was also celebrating. Unfortunately, our brother Jiro celebrated in Heaven and not by us down on Earth. We will all go the way he has gone, but I hope I will go later rather than sooner.

Software Update

Whenever we use modern hardware to get in touch with social media et cetera online, there is a chance that the device declares that it is time to update the software.

I do not understand why software needs to be updated so often. It cannot all be due to bug fixes. It is seldom we see that the software works better or provides new services. I am just a user of the software, not a professional, so it might just be due to my ignorance that I do not understand. Still, I cannot help but wonder what all of these software updates are for. Are all of them really necessary? I hope so, but I just do not know.

On the other paw, it might just take too long to learn what all of the updates are for.

Snow at Summer Olympic Games

The Summer Olympic Games will be held in Tokyo next year. The weather is usually hot at the time of the year when the Games will be held. The Japanese are innovative, however. They plan to let artificial snow fall over the event, in case of hot weather.

I hope that I get to see a lot of TV from these Olympic Games. As a Shiba, I have always been interested in Japan. It is nice seeing pictures and TV from Japan, even though I will probably never go there myself.

Some Days Are Boring

Hello, Karstuhl here!

Some days are boring, more boring than usual. Today was such a day, I believe. Nothing much happened. We went out like we use to, we got food like we use to, we were alone watching the house for a little time,like we use to. It is just that today seemed more like any other day, than days usually do. I cannot say why. I guess I can spice the day up with a nice colour of the text of this blog post, at least. There you go.

Electric Bicycle

Daniel often uses an electric bicycle to go to work these days. It is an ordinary bicycle, but with an electric motor that supplements the power of his legs, when he turns the pedals. The bad thing is that it needs to get charged now and then. This is not the case with ordinary bicycles. I guess Daniel still think it is worth it. He has still got his ordinary bicycle, bit rarely uses this anymore. Electricity is a good thing, I believe.

Getting Out

It is not always easy, when you have to go out later than bedtime. It happens very rarely, but whenit does, it is important. I had to ask Daniel more thanonce, before he let me out. He finally did. He is a good human this way, understanding his dogs and thinking about their needs.

Failed Moon Mission

An attempted landing of a space probe from India on the Moon failed the day before yesterday. The Indian space agency has not yet been able to analyse the data enough to tell why this happened.

It is always a sad event, when a space mission fails. It shows that space missions are still complicated, difficult things to master. Bearing this in mind,it is all the more amazing that the manned Moon missions where so successful fifty years ago.

Anniversary

Paula and Daniel got married today eighteen years ago. The most important thing that happened next, was that they went to London on a honey moon and bought a book on Shibas in a book store there. This book was oroginally intended for a friend who had a Shiba, but they found the book and the breed so interesting that they bought another fopy the next day for themselves. When they were back in Sweden, they contacted the breeder of the Shiba of their friend. The rest is history.

Seventy Years Old

When a human turns seventy years old,itis something special. It is not only that she turns another decade old. She also celebrates a birthday which can be evenly divided by seven, which means it correaponds to the years of a dog’s age. In dog terms, she is ten years old.

Paula’s mother Gertrud celebrated her seventieth birthday today. This is something special. We send our biggest congratulations to her.

Resignation

The foreign minister of Sweden resigned today. She cited family reasons. I hope her family will like that she resigns. Some political opponents will probably also like it.

I would never voluntarily resign from an office. I have had many litters of pups, but I always came back in the dog show ring, my true calling. I made it back to prominence every time.

It is possible that life as a foreign minister is harder than life as a dog show star, but I doubt it. On the other paw, it must be much more boring. Given this boredom, I can understand the resignation.

Rain During Lunch

We didnot have much rain today. I say it could very well have been more, if I were to decide. Still, we did have rain as we were outside during lunch routines. We always get to go out when we have had lunch served. This is normally a good thing, but today, it happened to coincide with a rainfall. Why could there not have been more rain, just not when we went outside? Rain is best, when heard from inside the house.

Principles

Phillip Lee, who is a British Member of Parliament, has left the ruling Conservative and Unionist Party and become a member of the Liberal Democrats instead. This leaves the Conservatives short of a majority.

Changing parties is not without precedence, when it comes to Members of Parliament in Britain. Sir Winston Churchill was originally an MP for the Conservatives, then changed parties to the Liberals, whilelater switching back to the Conservatives. Eventually, he became a two time Prime Minister and as such a great hero of the Second World War.

Sir Winston Churchill famously said: ”Some men change their party for the sake of their principles; others their principles for the sake of their party.” The former may be applicable for Phillip Lee.

First Woman on the Moon?

When humans went to the Moon fifty years ago, there were just men who got to go. So far, no woman has set foot on the Moon. This may change with the upcoming new American Moon programme, Artemis.

Of course, I think real progress is made when the first dog sets paw on the Moon.

Better

Daniel told us Paula is feeling better. When he visited her at the hospital, she asked about us dogs. Daniel had assured her we are feeling fine.

We think about Paula a lot. We all miss her. Life will not be complete until she is back home. May this day come soon.

Eighty Years Ago

Eighty years ago today, the Second World War started, when Germany attacked Poland. Germany was run by nazists and were supported by the Soviet Union run by communists. It was a terrible war. In the end, the nazists were defeated, but the communists stood strong in the eastern half of Europe. Nothing about the war was good for dogs.

Scarry

Paula is at the intensive care unit. Daniel wss there yesterday and is there today. He is worried this is really bad. I an also afraid it is. I do not think so much about myself, it is scarry that Paula is in such a bad state. Whatever makes bad things like this happen?

Another Visit

It was time for another visit to the veterinarian today, to tend to my wounds. It was all right. The humans there are nice people.

For a change, I got picked up after the visit by Paula’s father Nils-Olov. This was a very pleasant surprise. I really like Nils-Olov. He drove me home and then I got to spend some quality time with Fuji and Gunde. Those are nice Shiba males.

My wounds are healing and I am feeling better. It was a good day for me.

Funeral

Daniel went to his fathers funeral today. I feel with him. I know what itis like losing parents. I have lost both of mine.

Paula’s parents came along. Paula did not, however, due to her bad health. We hope she will be better soon.

Volcano Eruption

The volcano Stromboli, on a small island off the coast of Sicily, has erupted. It must be a fantastic thing to see, but dangerous to come close.

There are volcanoes in Japan as well, and in western America, where Mum was from. We do not have them in Sweden, though. Perhaps this is just as well.

Stupid Idea About Insects

There are scientists who suggest pets should eat insects. Some even say insects may be better for pets than prime steaks.

This is stupid. How many wolves feast in insects, compared to moose and deer?

I suggest those scientists can start by switching theirown steaks for insects, if they believe it is so healthy and environmental friendly. I am not interested.

Feeling Better

I am feeling better today. My wounds does not hurt so much as yesterday. I believe life will return to normal.

I also hear from Daniel that Paula is feeling better. If we are all lucky, she will come home next week. This is even more important than myown health. I love Paula so much and wish her all the best.

More Care

I got to go back to the veterinarian today. One of the wounds had burst open during the night. It is not easy being injuried. It is getting better, though.

Things Done

We always clean the house, at least somewhat, every weekend. This weekend, we did it yesterday. This felt good today, because the house was already cleaned.

Sometimes, I just wish Allram the pup were not so eager to chew on things and spread the contents across the floor.

Pet Retirement Homes

In Japan, it has become increasingly common with pet retirement homes. The law demands that pets’ humans take care of them, even when they are old and not so healthy anymore. While not all humans have the proper means to do this, they use retirement homes for their pets instead.

While pet retirement homes is better than old pets being neglected and not receiving proper care, I find it sad that these are needed. My humans have never considered a solution like this, and I am happy for this. The bond between dog and human is for life, not just for the healthy part of life.

Paula’s Birthday

It is Paula’s birthday today. We all wish she would be home, so all of us could celebrate with her. Daniel went to see her, though, and we said congratulations through him.

I wish, sometimes, life would be just a little bit easier. It would be, if just Paula would have her health and be home.

Rest

It has been a day when I have been able to rest, all by myself, in the bedroom. This has been good, because of my injury.

Normally, I enjoy the company of Polly, Javier, and others. It is nice to have other dogs to hang around with. This is not the case, however, now that I am still in some pain and need to heal. Having the whole bedroom for myself has been great under these circumstances.

I hope I can get well soon, so I can fully enjoy all the greatness of life again.

Falu Sausage

For what it is worth, to anyone but me and the ones closest to me, I am getting better. I get pain killers and antibiotics. Daniel is nice to me, he gives me my medicine in slices of Falu sausage.

Falu sausage is a Swedish specialty. It is a thick, soft sausage, usually served in fried slices. It was originally made from the horses who had lived and worked in the Falu copper mine. I guess any horse meat can be used these days. I like this sausage. It is not very spicy, but it is tasty, nevertheless.

I have newly cleaned sheets in the dog bed I use, too. We always have clean sheets, but there are degrees. These are top level clean, since they have just been cleaned. This is nice.

Grateful

My tail still hurts, but not as much as last night or this morning. The veterinarian did a thorough job. I am grateful for modern veterinary medicine.

My Tail Hurts

There is something wrong with my tail. It hurts, but I cannot understand why. The other dogs are not always understanding, so I get mad at them.

Daniel said he has made an appointment for me with the veterinarian tomorrow morning. Maybe this will help, I hope so.

Late Vacuuming

Daniel vacuumed the floors late this evening. They needed to be vacuumed, but the acuum cleaner is rather noisy. Itis at times like this I am glad we live in a house of our own, without neighbours close by. Nobody could be disturbed.

Some would certainly say neighbours could be disturbed by barking dogs as well. This is never the case by us. We never bark without cause.

New Manned Lunar Project

Americans will return to the Moon in 2024, if everything goes to plan. Nasa has designated a site in Alabama to work with the new Lunar landing vehicle. This is good news.

I hope that at the end of this new Lunar programme, it will not take as long as it did from the end of the Apollo project landings in 1972 until there will be even more landingson the Moon.

Even though I will likely not live to see the news of the new successful landing on the Moon, it makes me happy to read that it will probably happen.

Racoon Stuck in a Vending Machine

A racoon in Florida tried to steal snacks inside a vending machine. It did not find its way out, however. Some humans had to open the machine up and let it out.

Itis never nice to be stuck inside anything. Nevertheless, I can think of worse places to be stuck.

Tropical Storm in Japan

A tropical storm nicknamed Krosa has hit Japan. Trains and flights have been cancelled and roads closed. Almost 400,000 people have been advised to evacuate.

We seldom have so harsh weather conditions in Sweden. Even last Monday, when we had a lot of rain, there was no storm. I think this is a good thing, but it is not very exciting.

A Lot of Rain

We got a lot of rain this Monday, more than 30 millimetres in one day. This was amazing.

This was supposed to be the subject for my Monday blog post. For technical reasons, it was never published. I write this short piece about it now, instead. A rainfall of 30 mm in a day must get a comment.

Kidnapping

We sometimes hear about pups or even adult dogs being abducted and turned over to other families. This does not just happen to dogs, though. In DR Kongo, human children who were supposed to go to a summer camp were abducted and adopted to new families in Belgium. It is beyond me how people can be so cruel and hungry for money that they do things like this. I think it is awful. I hope the people responsible are brought to justice.

A Little Rain

We have received a little rain this weekend. It should have been more, the levels of water under ground is still very low.

Daniel said it rained a lot in Askersund, where he worked at the dog show. This does not help us here in Örebro, 50 kilometres from the dog show. I hhope we will get a rainy autumn.

Missed One Day

Somehow, I forgot about making a blog entry last Tuesday. I do not know why. Most of the time when I miss out on writing a blog entry – which is seldom, fortunately – I know just the reason why. I do not always reveal the reason for you, my dear readers, but I know of it. However, I realised today that I did not write any blog entry last Tuesday, and I have no clue why this is. The memory works in strange ways, sometimes. I guess I just have to make up for that missing blog entry anyway.

Am I Old?

Am I old? Well, Karstuhl and Gerstuhl think I sounded very old in my blog post yesterday. They did not really recognise my pessimism and question on whether there are dog shows in Heaven. They believe I am usually more positive than this.

Come to think of it, I realise I was more pessimistic than usual yesterday. Yes, I am getting old. We are all getting older, and I have had many years of getting older, soI am old. This does not have to mean I need to change my optimistic view of the world. I am a Shiba, this alone is a fact which makes me proud and happy. Shibas know how to enjoy life. I intend to enjoy life for as long as I have got it.

Once in a while, everyone can bea little gloomy. If you notice this with me again, I can assure you it is only temporary. I am happy about life.

Preparations

Daniel is preparing himself for a dog show this weekend. He is going to work as a ring steward in Askersund, as he usually does.

My granddaughter Gerstuhl was supposed to be shown at theshow tomorrow. She is, however, shedding hercoat and would not do herself justice, so she will stay at home.

I remember my heydays as a dog show star. Those were the best days of my life, except for the days with my pups. There must be dog shows in Heaven.

Longing

It was a long time since Paula was at home. I am longing to see her. We all are.

Paula needs to be cured from her health issues, before she gets home. I wish I could do something more than wish her well.

Other Food

Most of us got new dog food the other day. Javier got his special dog food in a new shipment today. Javier’s food is as tasty as ours, but more expensive. He needs it because he is allergic. I do not envy him. Allergies are just bad. I wish nobody had to have them.

It Is Getting Darker

It is still summer and it is warm weather. It is getting darker in the evenings, though. This means we are getting closer to autumn.

Dad loved when autumn came. He hated all the insects who fly around during the summer. I can agree with this, even though I have never been such a staunch believer in the badness of insects as Dad was.

I miss Dad. The good thing is I can understand Daniel better in his loss of his dad. The loss of a father brings another kind of darkness. I will try to be a light in this darkness.

Japanese Golf Victory

The Japanese professional golfer Hinako Shibuno has won the Women’s British Open major golf tournament. This was the first major she played and the first competition outside of Japan she played. It is an amazing feat. I presume we will hear more about Hinako Shibuno in the future.

Sorrow

Daniel is in mourning today. He received notice his father passed away about midday.

This was expected after a long time of illness and a terminal condition this week. Daniel and his brother went to see their father yesterday. Even though Daniel is sad, he thinks it was good he and his brother could see their father one last time.

I mourn with Daniel. I know what it is like losing a father. I also met Daniel’s father and I liked him.

New Food

We got a shipment of new dog food today. Daniel ordered it yesterday afternoon, and ithas already arrived. This is great service. It is especially great, considering that dog foodis the single most important thing you can buy.

It is possible to buy a dog, but you do not always have to buy a dog to get one – you can do as Paula and Daniel and breed dogs, keeping a few. Dogs are also bought just now and then, while dog food must be purchased regularly. I really must say dog food is a more important thing to buy.

Now we have dog food for the rest of this month, and then some. This is good.

Upcoming World Cup

On the 20 September this year, the Men’s Rugby World Cup will start. This time, the World Cup is hosted by Japan. This must be a good host for such a great event, Japanese people are good organisers.

The Rugby World Cup is sometimes called the third largest sports event in the world, by public interest. The FIFA Men’s Football World Cup is the largest. The Summer Olympic Games is the second largest. However, Daniel says you should not count the Olympics, since it is games containing so many different kinds of sports. If you do not count the Summer Olympic Games, the Rugby World Cup is, thus, the second largest event.

I am looking forward to watching the Rugby World Cup from Japan. There must be beautiful scenery from Japan broadcasted along with the games. This will be nice to see.

Claws

Daniel cut the claws of the Poodles and the Affenpinscher tonight. They whined about it and was generally quite silly. Having the claws cut is no big deal. It also feels better when it is done, with shorter, more convenient claws.

Then Daniel wanted to cut my claws. I do not know why. I did not have long claws. Naturally, I protested against this injustice? Why did Daniel have to pick me? This was reallyunnecessary and uncalled for.

Rain

It was raining in the morning. We did not need to care. Daniel had the day off from work, so we all slept until late.

It is nice to be able to sleep until late now and then. As a dog, I am lucky enough not to have a job away from home. This means that I can often go back to sleep after the morning walk. It is still even better to postpone the morning walk until later in the morning. I cherished this today.

Colombian Bicycle Victory

For the very first time, a competitor from Colombia, Egan Bernal, has won the prestigious bicycle competition Tour de France.

I usually do not follow bicycle competitions. Tour de France is well known to me, anyway. When a competitor from Paula’s country of birth wins, I believe it is worth noting. I wish to congratulate Egan Bernal and his fans for the victory.

Pictures from Apollo 11

The fifty year anniversary of Apollo 11 has passed, but it is still a great feat which can very well be commemorated some more. Here is a page with some beautiful and iconic photographs from the journey.

I wonder when people will walk on the Moon again. It will probably not happen in my lifetime.

Open Window

It is a warm night and we sleep with the window open in the bedroom. The advantage is that the temperature and air is better. The downside is that there are more noise coming in from outside. A loud motor cycle at a distance would not have bothered me with the window closed, but I heard more of it with the window open. There was no need to bark, of course, but it was a bit annoying.

No matter how great a thing is, like sleeping withan open window, there are always some downsides to it. This is because the world is sich a wonderfully complex place. Life would be boring, if everything just got better in every way.

Progress as Fewer People Eat Dogs

I was not sure about writing on this subject. It makes me sick to think of dogs being eaten, and humans eating dogs. However, there are good news. The demand for dog meat to be eaten is diminishing in South Korea. This is due to new values and the increase in having pet dogs. People who have bred dogs for the purpose of being eaten get support to find other livelihoods. This is great. Humans are taking better care of their best friend. Dogs will always take good care of their humans, when treated decently.

Visiting Paula

Our Poodle friend Momoko got to go with Daniel today, to visit Paula by the hospital. (Dogs are not allowed inside, for some reason, but Paula came outside.) Momoko was so happy, when she came back home, even though she felt the visit did not last long enough. I can understand her. I am also envious of Momoko, but I know Momoko has a certain bond with Paula and she certainly needed this visit. We all wish that Paula will come home soon.

Washing and Ironing

Daniel spent some time this evening ironing shirts. These were recently washed shirts that had to be ironed to look good enough to wear.

I am glad I have a Shiba coat that looks good almost the year round. It is just when I shed, that it may look a bit bad.

Washing is still nice. Daniel also changed the sheets in the bed tonight. It is always nice to lie down in a bed with cleaner sheets.

Indian Moon Mission

India has launched a rocket with a payload which is destined for the Moon.

I hope this mission will succeed. The Indian space agency recently aborted a mission before take off. Earlier this year, an Israeli probe failed just before it was about to land on the Moon.

When it is this difficult to land on the Moon now, the feat to land a manned mission on the Moon fifty years ago stands out even brighter. Apollo 11 will be remembered for a very long time.

Painting the Roof?

An uninvited handy-man stopped by our house this afternoon. He asked if we wanted to have our roof painted.

Daniel, who had not even considered painting the roof, thanked him for the offer, but turned it down.

I must say I have also never considered that we would paint the roof. The walls and window frames, yes, but not the roof. Perhaps it would be a good thing to do, but I have no clue that it would be. I guess we can just let it be.

Cancelled Trip

Daniel often go and see Paula at the hospital. He went Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday this week. He reports back to us, of course. He was supposed to go today as well, but the trip got cancelled, since Paula was busy getting taken care of by the hospital staff. We are glad she is taken good care of, but it was a disappointment that Daniel’s visit had to be cancelled.

We all wish that she will get so well soon that she can come home. We all miss her.

Landing on the Moon

Today, fifty years ago, the Lunar lander nick named Eagle landed on the Moon. It was piloted by Neil Armstrong and Edwin ”Buzz” Aldrin. Meanwhile, the command module was still in Lunar orbit, piloted by Michael Collins.

The Apollo project, with its six successful landings on the Moon, was a stunning scientific feat. The rocks brought back from the Moon are still being analysed. The project is still awe inspiring, which is also a benefit.

Still, I cannot help but consider how much of the space crafts were just going to waste. Three rocket stages were ditched when taking off from Earth. Half of the Lunar lander was left on the Moon, the other half in Lunar orbit. The final rocket stage, for the return flight to Earth, was also ditched in space. A small capsule without engines was finally landed with parachutes on Earth. The astronauts and their load of rocks came back, of course, but not much more.

It is as if Christopher Columbus would have asked Isabella and Ferdinand of Spain for ships to go across the Atlantic Ocean to India, but saying he would return in a row boat.

The next time humans go to the Moon, I believe the project must take better care of the equipment. It would be too expensive otherwise.

I do like the Apollo project. It was ahead of its time, but perhaps too ahead of its time, which made it so wasteful, because it was the way it could be done with the technology at paw at the time.

RIP, My Dear Brother Jiro

My dear little brother Jiro, the last born in our litter of three, has passed away today after a few days of illness.

Jiro was always the calm one – a nice, friendly, and intelligent Shiba male.

Jiro was the very first dog with the Aangemaam prefix who became champion. We were both at the same dog show in Sundsvall shortly after our second birthday in September 2007, both with the required number of certificates from before this birthday. Jiro won a certificate and became champion, I did not. I had to wait until the next dog show season to win my Swedish Show Champion title.

We met now and then, mostly at dog shows, in our adult life. It was always a happy reunion. I will miss the opportunities to meet Jiro again, this side of the gate into Heaven. If I get to Heaven, I am sure I will meet Jiro there.

Requiescat in pace, my dear brother!

Arson Attack at Japanese Film Studio

An animated film studio in Kyoto, Japan, has been set on fire by an arsonist. The studio is known as Kyoto Animation, or KyoAni. At least 33 humans have died in the fire.

The reason for the attack is yet unclear. It seems like the arsonist was angry with the studio, for reasons still unknown.

I am so sorry for all the victims, their families, dogs, and friends. It seems like such a waste.

On the Way

Fifty years ago, the first humans to land on the Moon were on their way there. They sat inside a little space craft, all three of them, most of the journey.

I wonder what a dog would have done, if she would have followed the humans on the trip. There was no place to go out to do what you would have to do once in a while. In the future, when dogs will follow human colonists to other celestial bodies, this problem must be taken care of.

Lift Off

Fifty years ago today, the Saturn V rocket of the Apollo 11 project started its journey from Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the USA. The small lunar lander would eventually land on the Moon.

The Moon landing occured on the 20th of July 1969. History was made then. The journey started a few days earlier.

I almost wish I could have been around back then, to follow the reports. On the other paw, I am quite content with living in the present. It is fantastic to follow the anniversary, however.

Bad Timing

Hello, Karstuhl here!

Daniel came home in the afternoon, just as the rain was pouring down more than ever this day. He fed us and let us out, all in the heavy rainfall. The rain was over just a little while later.

This is what I would call bad timing. Daniel could have waited for a while. There is no use saying the rain could have held up for a little while, because the weather never does what you ask it to do. We need rain, just not when we go outside. Rain is a bad outdoor companion.

Thunder

We had thunder this afternoon and a short but intense rain fell.

Thunder is an interesting weather phenomenon. I like the occasional thunder, as long as it does not disturb me when I sleep.

There are often a lot of echoes going around, when there is thunder. If I understand correctly, from reading on line, this is due to the vacuum and changes in air pressure by lightning, which causes the sound of thunder. It is fascinating. I wish I could understand it better.

Upcoming Anniversary

It is just a few days away, the fifty years’ anniversary of the first Moon landing. On the 20 July 1969, humans set foot on the Moon for the very first time.

There are plenty of things to say about this. I suggest you read this article, it is a good start.

No Dog Show

Hello, Li`l Gertrud here!

I was supposed to go to dog shows today, tomorrow, and on Sunday. Unfortunately, we had to cancel my attendance. As long as Paula is not well, but stays at the hospital, we do not want to venture too far away from home. Even though I was eager to compete at the dog shows, it is more important to stay close to Paula. I believe I can do well on dog shows in the future instead.

Vacation

Daniel has taken the day off from work. This means he is at home more. I like this. Daniel and I spent   a lot of the afternoon just relaxing on the bed. This is something I can often do, but he cannot. I guess I could give him i spiration on how to relax.

Stolen Dog

English football player Daniel Sturridge, who lives in Hollywood, California, has had his house broken into and his dog stolen. He offers a huge reward for the return of his dog.

I cannot understand why someone would steal a dog. It is mean to both the dog and the dog’s human. You can never get the same connection to a stolen dog, as you get if you buy a pup.

Hopefully, the dog will returnhome soon and the burglars will go to prison.

Just Another Day

There are days when I feellike there is nothing special going on. Nothing special happens in our own lives, no special news are published in mass media. This is one of those days. Daniel says there are often a smaller number of interesting items in the news in the middle of the summer. I tend to agree. The summer itself is also not special this year. It is not hot, nor cold. It is not dry, nor very humid or rainy. I think I must ask you to visit my blog tomorrow instead, I think there will be something more interesting to read about then.

Dogs of Chernobyl

There are occasions when I do not want to watch certain videos. This is one such video. It is about dogs who are decendants of those pet dogs whom humans had to leave behind, when they were evacuated from the nuclear power station disaster in 1986. These dogs have lived in the area contaminated by nuclear waste from the disaster. They are now taken care of by veterinarians.

The Chernobyl disaster was created by experiments in an unsafe Soviet Union nuclear power station. This would never have happened in most other countries with nuclear power stations, such as Sweden. The communist regime did not care enough about safety. The fate of the dogs left behind, show us how long the horrible consequences of communism last, even though the regime fell in 1991.

Gold

The USA won the FIFA Ladies’ football World Cup. It was an exciting final game versus the Netherlands. While the Netherlands’ players did play well, it was fair that the Americans won. The US team played better over all. I am not just saying this, because I rooted for the USA, as the home country of Mum. I am saying this because I really think this was the case. The USA won 2-0, which is a convincing result in football. I congratulate the American players and all of the fans of this team to a great performance throughout the tournament. It was not self evident that the USA would win, even though they were favourites. They lived up to the expectations, which is good, not every favourite has done so before.

Bronze

Sweden won its final game in the World Cup, the bronze game. The Swedes beat England, 2-1.

I am very happy about this result. Those who are remembered are the medalists.

Of course, I would rather have seen Sweden in the true final tomorrow, but you cannot have it all. Now I can root for Mum’s home country, the USA, wholeheartedly. Calvin, who was born in the USA, just like Mum, will join me in rooting for the American team.

Heavy Rains in Japan

There have been heavy rains in Japan. Landslides have occurred, among other bad causes of the pouring water.

There were heavy rains last season in Japan as well. The difference, from my pointof view, was that we had a terrible draught here in Scandinavia in the same summer. This year has had more average amounts of rain here, where we live. I wish more rain could fall in the deserts of Central Asia, instead.

Can More Trees Be the Answer?

A new scientific report says that planting a lot of trees may come a long way at reducing the excess amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere put there by humans burning fossil fuels.

Other scientists say this sounds too good to be true, ”probably because it is”, and say cutting emissions is paramount.

I believe you can do both. There cannot be any harm in planting more trees, can there?

Extra Time

The semifinal between Sweden and the Netherlands will have to be decided in extra time or by penalties. The result is 0-0 after full time. Both teams have been close to score, but have failed to do so.

It was an exciting game. Unfortunately, the Netherlands managed to score in extra time, which Sweden did not. Now we have to hope for a Swedish bronze medal on Saturday.

Mum Would Have Been Pleased

The USA won the semi final versus England in the World Cup. Mum would have been pleased, an American patriot as she were, since she was born and raised there. As I am half American myself, through Mum, I also rooted for the USA.

Daniel said he rooted for England. He usually roots for European teams, when they face non-European teams. I am glad the team I rooted for won, nevertheless.

There Could Have Been Rain

The forecast said it could be rain today. There was no rain, however.

With the draught last year, we need much more rain, even though we have had a fair share of rain in May and June. We will have to see if July will be as rainy. I hope there will be a lot of rain during the nights, while the Sun may shine in the days.

In Heat

Hello, Karstuhl here!

I believe I am getting old. I am in heat, it has just started. For the first time since I was very young, Paula and Daniel do not even discuss another litter of pups from me.

This may be good and bad. I have never been so keenon making pups, but I love taking care of them when they are newly born. My daughter Gertrud, who lives with us, can be a brat. She has got strong opinions, which fits a Shiba, but she will not always take no for an answer when I or her Grand Mother tells her off. Gertrud is mostly a great companion, but when she turns her stubborn personality on, I would rather have seen her moved to another family as a pup. Since I will get no more pups, there will be no other brat like Gertrud. One is quite enough, even though I love her.

Sweden Edges Forward

Sweden won the quarter final against Germany, 2-1. The Swedish team will now face the Netherlands in the semi final on Wednesday. There will also be yet another game next weekend, either the final or the bronze game.

I am happy for the result. Most informed people thought Germany would win. You can never be sure, however, and this is one of the great things about sports. It is exciting, and you know there is not always a happy end. For all of us who rooted for Sweden, there was a happy end tonight. We are already looking forward to the next game.

The USA Won

The USA won the quarter final against France, 2-1, tonight.

Norway lost to England, 0-3, yesterday night.

Mum would have been pleased. Dad would have been disappointed. I guess I have mixed feelings.

Bills to Pay

This isnot the first time I comment about the human habit of paying bills once a month. It will probably not be the last, either.

Daniel sat for a couple of hours this evening, going through paperwork and typing at the computer. It all has to do with money being paid for this and that.

This is one time, out of many, I am glad I am a dog. Humans have invented so many good things. One would wish they would also invent things you would not have to pay so much for. Perhaps they are not intelligent enough to do this, with all the intelligence they have.

Nevertheless, Daniel was satisfied, once he was done with the bills. He said there are easier ways to pay bills, like automatic payments. He does not like these, however, he want the controlover his money that he has when he pays the bills himself. Perhaps it is intelligent to spend some hours with the bills?

Japanese Box Office Hit in China

In 2001, the Japanese animated film Spirited Away was launched. It is a great film. Only now, 18 years later, it has been released in China. It has been known by Chinese people for a long time, some have seen it. It has now dominated the boxoffice in the first few days after release.

Part of the reason forthe late release in China, is the strict Chinese quota on foreign films. I am glad for the Chinese who can now see this Japanese film in China.

Japan Failed

So, late in the evening, the Netherlands defeated Japan in the final sixteen. Thus, I have no self evident favourite in the final quarter final between the Netherlands and Italy. I am greatly disappointed.

It was unfair that the Netherlands got a penalty shot by the end of the game. They got it after VAR examination. I believe thisis taking VAR too far. If it would be just about checking whether there is a goal or not, when in doubt, it would be better. You should not be able to demand VAR for next to anything.

Sweden Rolls On

Sweden continues to the quarter finals in the FIFA football World Cup. The Swedes beat Canada, 1-0.

The day before yesterday, Norway also continued to the quarter finals. Earlier tonight, the USA did, too. This means that Dad’s team, Mum’s team, and my team are all in the final eight. Now we just have to root for Japan to do the same tomorrow night.

Interestingly, if Japan does make it to the quarter finals, I can root for all of these four teams i. the next round, because none of them face each other. Norway face England, the USA face France, and Sweden face Germany. If Japan goes on, it will face the winner of Italy and China.

I hope for the best. There have been good results, so far.

Growth

Daniel mowed the lawn last Sunday. Today, he mowed it again.

We have a summer with warm temperatures, but not as hot as last year. We also have a fair amount of rain, which we certainly did not have last year. This causes a lot of growth all around our house. A well mowed lawn is necessary to keep as many ticks away as possible. It also looks better, when the lawn is mowed.

Trees and bushes also grow much more than last year. There may be cause to cut some of them. We want a nice looking garden.

Midsummer

It is Midsummer Day. Midsummer is one of the more traditional Swedish holidays, celebrated for centuries. Most of the celebrations happen on the day before, on Midsummer Eve. This is not unusual in Sweden, we do the same at Christmas, New Year, Easter, and Valborg as well. We celebrated yesterday and have had a calm and nice day off today. We were all satisfied with it.

Hydrogen Trains

In Germany, hydrogen driven trains have been operating since last year. This was the first in the world. This year, the first hydrogen driven train will be tested in the UK.

Will hydrogen trains be the trains of the future? They are much more environmentally friendly than trains run on diesel. They may not be more environmentally friendly than trains running on electricity, but you do not have to have electric power lines along the rails, which makes these trains less vulnerable for accidents. Electric trains in Sweden are often late or cancelled, because the electric power lines are damaged one way or the other.

It will be interesting to follow the further development of hydrogen trains.

Mum’s Team Won

The USA won against Sweden tonight, 2-0, in the FIFA football World Cup. Mum would have liked this, as she was from the USA. Calvin likes it too, as he is from the USA. I do not mind, either, being half American.

The USA won the group, Sweden came second. This means Sweden will face a group winner, while the USA will face a group second, in the final sixteen games. The USA will certainly have an easier game. If the Swedes want to win, however, they must beat any team in the final sixteen, so it does not matter that much.

I hope for Sweden, the USA, Norway, and Japan.

Half of the Groups

Half of the groups in the FIFA football World Cup are finished. Countries like Norway are ready for the final sixteen. This would have pleased Dad, who was born in Norway and always held his Norwegian roots high.

Japan is playing tonight. It seems like Japan will also be among the final sixteen, even though England leads the game. Japan have a sufficient amount of points anyway, as Scotland leads against Argentina. We will see what happens.

Summer and the Flying Things

It is summer. It is warm, sunny, bright nights, and mostly lovely. The bad thing is that there are many flying insects around. I would gladly do without them, they are just so annoying. If they could just stay out of a sphere close by, I would be quite satisfied.

I guess there is always something to complain about every season of the year. we have to think more about the good things. I try to, myself.

Final Sixteen

Sweden wonits second game in the FIFA World Cup and is guaranteed a place in the final sixteen. Thailand was not a hard opponent.

The next game will be against the USA. Both countries have won both of its games, the USA has scored many more goals. Sweden will only win the group, if Sweden wins this game. Mum would have rooted for the USA, as an American, so I will not be terribly sorry if the USA wins or there is a tie, so the USA will win the group.

It is exciting.

White Nights

They call it white nights in English, when we are in the middle of the summer and it never turns quite dark. It is like this now. For my part, I think nights are more white in the middle of winter, when there is snow on the ground, roofs, and trees. Io not decide what is correct English, however. Even though it was my mother’s native language, as an American dog, it is not mine. Human languages are interesting, regardless of what language it is, since they are so complex. They have many expressions like ”white nights”, which are not litteraly true, but still conveys a great meaning because they are short and widely known. I wish I knew more about human languages.

Vaccinations Regardless of Religion

In the US State of New York, the lawmakers have made it unlawful to cite religious reasons for not giving vaccines to your children. New Yorkis the fifth State to do this, while more States are in the process of doing the same.

This is a good law, I believe. You do not only cause unnecessary risks for your own children by not vaccinating them, but also for other children who have not yet had the vaccination shot.

I believe there is much truth in what one law maker said: ”I’m not aware of anything in the Torah, the Bible, the Koran or anything else that suggests you should not get vaccinated.”

I hope nobody refuses to vaccinate their dogs or pups for religious reasons. If anybody does, perhaps this new law should apply to dogs too.

Dropped Key

Daniel was devastated tonight. He realised he had dropped the car key, he could not find it. After a while, he went outside to look for it. We had to wait, but he came back happy. He had had the car key in the same pocket as the house key, and when he pulled out the house key, the car key had tagged along. It lay on the ground, a little wet from the rain earlier today, but the electronics was fully functional.

Daniel said the car key was about the worst thing to drop. Only the wallet and the house key could be worse, he said.

I am glad I let Daniel and Paula take care of such things as keys, then I never have to worry about dropping them.

Rain

It is raining tonight. It is so much rain, that we can clearly hear it when we are indoors.

It said in the forecast that there could be rain. We have not had much until tonight, though. There has been quite some rain in May and so far in June. This is great for the levels of water in the ground. I do not think there will be a heavy draught this year, as we had last year. It might be a typical, rainy Swedish summer. These summers have their charm.

Sweden Won

Sweden won its first game of the World Cup, against Chile. Sweden was ranked higher and was a favourite, but it was not until the end of the game that the Swedish team scored for the first time. Then the Swedes scored again in overtime.

The end result was 2-0, which is a result that takes Sweden on the first steps towards the knock out phase. We know if Sweden plays excellent, if Sweden goes on to this phase.

World Cup

The FIFA football World Cup has started. There was a World Cup last year, and there is another this year. The difference is that last year, the men competed, this year, the women compete.

Some say men’s footballhas higher quality. This might be the case, since there are more male than female players. I do not care about this. A World Cup is a World Cup.

Unfortunately, Japan just played a tied game with Argentina. Sweden will play its first game tomorrow, I hope the Swedes will win.

Bad Air

After a long night, we mayhave stale, bad air inour bed room. This is nothing compared to the air in some places in South Korea, that is so heavily polluted that both humans and dogs wear masks to protect them when breathing outdoors.

This is insane. Air should not be allowed to be so polluted. Not anywhere. Not in peace time, anyhow (if you need it in defence in war time, it may be different). Things must be done to come to terms with this problem. Sometimes, I wish I could do more.

Paula Is Back Home!

Paula has had a high fever due to septic chock. She has been to the hospital for ten days. She came back home again today. Needless to say, we are all very happy.

It is not that Paula is fully back to normal again. She is still tired and needs medication. Still, I believe she can become better much quicker, when she is at home and we can help her.

Welcome home, Paula!

Thunder

We had a heavy rainfall with thunder this afternoon. At night, we could see there had been more than 13 millimetres of rain in the short time that we had rain.

There was thunder, but it was probably far away. We did not see any lightning. The thunder came back on and off for a while, though. I guess the warm weather yesterday and this morning was a cause of the thunder. It is not so hot outside anymore. I like the weather better this way.

Sweden

It is the national holiday of Sweden. It is to commemorate when King Gustavus I came to Stockholm, having liberated Sweden from a Danish controlled union; and the Constitutionof 1809, which is no longer in force; and the flag of Sweden, which was officially hoistedin its present form for the first time in 1906.

I am proud to be Swedish. It is a beautiful country full of nice dogs and humans, and we have good laws and traditions to take good care of dogs.

Hurrah for Sweden!

Denmark

It is the Constitution Day of Denmark, their national holiday. I have been to Denmark, it is a nice little country. I wish all Danish dogs and humans a happy Constitution Day!