Summer’s End

There have been some complaints across social media that summer ends with the end of August. I do not agree that this is something to complain about. Autumn is also a great season. In many ways, autumn is better than summer. You do not have the flies and other insects around, bugging you. The temperatures are never too warm in your coat. The air is often fresh and nice. I like autumn. I will never complain that summer ends and autumn begins. 

Darker Evenings

It is getting darker in the evenings. We had the lights on above the front porch, when we went out for the night tonight. Autumns are cozy, dogs can see almost as well in night light as in daylight. It is still nice to have the lights on, so Paula and Daniel can see what happens. 

Early Morning

Daniel got up very early this morning. The aim was to participate in a morning campaign with his political party, since there is a general election in just a couple of weeks. I am glad we did not have to go on a morning walk this early.

It will be better after the election. We believe Daniel will be at home more often then. 

International Waters

US warships sail in international waters between China and Taiwan. This is a good thing, the USA is a good force who helps protect the democracies of Taiwan and Japan against China. There is tension in the area, the good forces must not back down, but I hope for less tension.

Cleaning

We cleaned and took care of trash today. This is a good thing about the days when Daniel is not at work, he is good at cleaning.

Piffy helped Daniel cook lunch. Unfortunately, it was not to Paula’s taste. I wonder if she would have liked the food better, if I or anyone of the other dogs would have helped Daniel. I do not think so, I think the fault was in the cooking skills of Daniel. 

Inflation

Prices go up, everything is getting more expansive. You get less goods for your money. It is inflation.

We do not just have inflation in Sweden, it is all across the world. They have it in Japan as well. However, even though inflation gets higher in Japan, it is not as hick as in Sweden. 

Daniel says inflation is made worse by raised taxes. This is why the conservative opposition needs to win the election in Sweden on the 11 September, he says, because the conservative Moderate Party will not raise taxes. I am not so sure, the Moderate Party has raised taxes before. On the other paw, every other Swedish party has politics for higher taxes than the Moderate Party has. We have to see what will happen in the election. 

Bills

Daniel was early paying the bills this month. There is always disagreement between Paula and Daniel on how early the bills must be paid. Daniel wants to play them earlier than Paula wants to. He thinks it is best to have it done, whereas Paula believes in paying each bill on the last day. Paula’s strategy may be better, if the interest rates will go up a lot. With higher interest rates, you lose money if you pay too soon. So far, the interest rates are not that high. We hope they will not be, especially not on the mortgage, but we will have to see what happens. 

Independence Day

This is the Independence Day of Ukraine. This is extra important now, when Ukraine fights a war against Russia to protect its independence. We all hope Ukraine will win the war. Russia is a country with a regime which is not nice. Throughout history, Russia has often been an enemy of Sweden as well as other neighbouring countries. Russian aggression has to stop. This would also benefit the Russian people. Peace is also important for the dogs who live there. Go, Ukraine!

Birthday

All of us dogs and cats thought we would have a big party today, when Paula celebrated her birthday. This did not occur. For some reason, Paula felt very sad today and did not want to do much. Perhaps she felt old, felt like she has lost too many years? Nevertheless, she did not party. We did get some sausage in the evening, which was good. I hope Paula will feel better tomorrow. 

Birtheve

We have started to celebrate Paula’s birthday. It is actually tomorrow, but it is Swedish tradition to celebrate on the eve before the day. This may not be true for birthdays, but it is for Christmas, New Year, Easter, Walpurgis, and Midsummer. It is only logical to extensivt this tradition to birthdays. Life gets better this way. 

Pizza

Daniel worked as a ring steward today. When he came back home, he brought pizza. We got some pizza for dinner. Pizza is tasty, except that I could not understand why Paula had chosen to have bananas on her. 

It is a work day tomorrow again. Daniel has worked both last weekend and this weekend with dog shows and in the week at his day job and campaigns for the election. He should spend more time at home and rest with us, I believe. 

Weird Blog App

I usually write in my blog using an app on a writing tablet. The app is a little strange, though. It normally works fine, but if you turn the tablet or move it in any other simple way, the app area where you write the text changes and becomes smaller and weird. I do not know why. I cannot imagine anyone wants this feature. If it is a bug, however, I wonder why they have not been able to remove it in the years when the app has behaved this way. App programmers may just have a weird sense of humour. 

Tax Agency Campaigning for More Alcohol

The Japanese national tax agency campaigns to make young people drink more alcohol. Tax revenue from the taxens on alcoholic beverages are down, because younger Japanese drink less than the elderly. 

The campaign has been critizised for promoting less healthy habits. On the other paw, it promotes traditional Japanese beverages like sake. The promotion of that which is traditional in Japan is something I can support. My dog breed, the Shiba, is a traditional Japanese breed. 

There Can Be Too Much Rain

Heavy rainfalls are expected all across Japan. While rain is good for the supply of water to plants, wildlife, dogs, and humans, there can be too much of it. There are risks of floods and landslides in Japan. I hope for the best for all who live there. 

Thunder

We have had some days with hot weather. This afternoon, we had thunder. It came and went a few times. Thunder and lightning is exciting, but I did not see any lightning this time. I guess the lightning was too far away from us. 

All he rain is welcome. We have our own well which can always use water. 

Upcoming Election

In the month to come, Daniel will be away quite some time. He will spend a lot of time campaigning for the political party of which he is a member. There is a general election on the 11 September. We hope he will be happy with the result. 

This evening, Daniel came home late. This was because he had spent about two hours campaigning. 

Home Again

Daniel was away this weekend, working at the dog show in Askersund. He is home again now. It feels better when everyone is at home, even though work for a dog show is about the best reasons there are to be away. 

I am a show champion since many years, so I did not have to go to the dog show. 

Bring at Home

We are at home, while Daniel is at a dog show. He is one of the people who administers it all. I do not care much. I made sure to become a show champion on three consecutive shows, just to put it all behind me. Life is good as a champion this way.

Meteoroids

It is supposed to be many meteoroids visible in THE sky tonight. I prefer to stay indoors, trying to sleep, instead of watching for them.

Rumour has it, you may make a wish that Will come true, when you see a meteoroid. I think this is just human superstition. 

Treats

We have got more treats than usual today. At first, I thought this was a good thing. Then Paula said to Daniel they did not have to give us as much dog food as usual, because we had had so much treats.

There is no good things that does not also come with bad things, I believe. 

Packing

Daniel has packes the car for the dog show this weekend. This is different from when some of us dogs will be shown. Daniel go there as one of the organisers and will bring prizes et cetera in his car.

This evening, we learned that one of the judges had got covid-19 and has had to withdraw from the show. We still do not know how this will work out, but work is in progress. 

I hope everything will go well. 

Double Standard by PR China

The People’s Republic of China has nuclear weapons. They have had it for decades.

The government of China now urges Japan to stay true to its committment of nuclear disarmament. According to China, they doubt the Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s pledge about nuclear disarmament on the 77th anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima.

This is double standards, as long as the People’s Republic of China still retains its nuclear weapons. 

Hiroshima Seventy-seven Years Later

It is seventy-seven years to the day since the atom bomb was dropped and exploded over Hiroshima in Japan. 

It is said that the atom bombs helped to shorten the war, thus, saving lives. Critics say you cannot be sure of this and the bomb was too horrible anyway. It was dropped over a city, which caused many civilians to die. If lives were saved in the long run and the war turned shorter, this is good. By the end of the war, there were just a few Shibas left and the breed had to be carefully resurected. With a longer war, who knows if any Shibas would have been left alive?

In Hiroshima today, people held manifestations for peace. This is positive. 

The Morning After

On the morning after the thunder storm of last night, we could Concorde that we had had 27 millimetres of rain. This is a lot for one day. We were happy for the water levels underground, with our well and all. 

Rain is a good thing, as long as you do not have to be out in it.

Thunder

In the evening, we had thunder and heavy rain.

None of us are affraid of thunder. Pepe barked at it angrily, though, as if this would make the thunderstorm go away. He does have self confodence, the little Chihuahua boy.

On and Off and On and Off

Rain has come and gone today. It was as if someone sat in the sky turning the rain on and off and on and off. The weather can be curious sometimes. 

As long as I am indoors, I like rain. It is cozy to listen at it. We mostly managed to go out between the showers, which was good. 

I hope the weather is less unpredictable tomorrow. 

More Room in the Yard

Daniel has created a little more room in the yard for us dogs to run around in. He cut down some branches from two of the trees there. This actually improved the matter most for him and Paula, since we dogs easily go under most branches. It is better for us too, but I guess Daniel did it mostly for his own sake. Another advantage is that this brings more light to the ground. This is nice and it might help the grass there. 

Pepe was in the yard with Daniel as Daniel cut down the branches. According to Pepe, he did a great deal of the work, helping Daniel a lot. I believe this as much as I want to. 

Darker

August is here, the last month of summer by the calendar. You can see that it is getting dark earlier in the evening. We know that autumn is coming. 

There was a short rain early in the day. Rain is not uncommon in the summer, but it still feels more like autumn weather. 

It is still summer, though. There is still no need to light the house up every evening. We should be happy for the long hours of daylight and warm days that are still to come.