Training

Paula is studying to become an intensive care nurse. This is an exam she will receive on top of being an ordinary trained nurse. She started doing days at an intensive care unit at the hospital today, telling us afterwards that it is just as interesting as she has wished it would be. She was tired, but happy. We believe she will do great as an intensive care nurse. We wish her good luck.

Super Bowl

Tonight is the night of Super Bowl L, in other words, the fiftieth time the final of the US national championship in American Football is played in a single game. It is one of the most viewed sport events in the world. I am not that into American Football, and the competing teams this year are from Colorado and North Carolina, no States I feel any affiliation with. Still, the sheer size of the game makes it worth writing a word or two about it. I believe it is great to have just a single game as the final, it makes this game that much more important and the annual event greater. It is almost like the final in the FIFA Football World Cup. I think more sports should do the same. A final of seven games, like in Stanley Cup, may give the competing teams more revenue, but is not as exciting. Hou do not have the same excitement in the first games as you have in the single Super Bowl or World Cup final game. Nobody would ever expect a dog show to have more than one Best in Show final. The single game is the great thing about the game to ight. Let the best team win!

No Good Songs

Here we go again, this year's Swedish qualification round to the Eurovision Song Contest has started. Seven Songs would have competition, but one was disqualified for not being a new song. It was still performed, after the sig songs that competed. None of the seven songs were good. We were rather disappointed,  but hope there will be good songs in the upcoming qualification rounds. We want Sweden to have a good song in the Eurovision final.

Wine?

When humans celebrate, they often drink wine. They can also drink liquor or beer. I have never understood this. To me, drinking is an act to avoid being thirsty. I love to celebrate by eating something tasty, like a steak,  but I only drink water.  There are clear differences between dogs and humans, this is one of them. It is OK, we are different species, we do not have to be the same. I love my humans anyway.

Beauty Pageants

This evening, we watched a TV show about beauty pageants for children in the USA. It was a strange competition for us, who are used to dog shows. At dog shows, we are judged by who we are, while these children had make up and seemed to have fake smiles. Some parentes coached the children from the sidelines. It was a competition in fake beauty, not in conformity to a breed standard. Silly, I think.

Ujghjy

The headline of this blog post was written by Paula. She was fooling around, having that kind of joking mode that you have once in a while. She said she could not sleep. When one of us dogs cannot sleep, we are let out in the garden for a while. Paula went to make herself an evening snack. That would be a better option for me too, some nights when I cannot sleep. I hope Paula remembers this, so she can give me an evening snack next time I am the one who is too restless to go to sleep. In this case, it would almost be a blessing, not being able to sleep,

As if Nature Was Ironic

Yesterday, I blogged about the return of snow on the ground, and that I liked it. This morning, all of the snow had disappeared again. The temperature was above the freezing point all day and we had rain. This feels ironic. It is as if nature read my blog and wanted to make a joke at my expense, as if nature was ironic. I do wave my tail at the thought of this, it was a little funny.

I hope we will get more snow soon. It is too early for spring and the nights are so long that the white snow is welcome to make them brighter. We will have to see what happens.

Snow

After some days of thaw, snow came back today. This should not surprise anybody, it is just the 1st of February. Spring is still far away. It is dark in the mornings and evenings, but the snow helps, making the surroundings brighter. I like it.

Japanese Stealth Fighter Airplane

Japan has unveiled a stealth fighter airplane, the Mitsubishi X-2. It proves Japan has the knowledge to build a stealth plane, invisible to radar, just like neighbouring Russia and China has already done.

The unveiled airplane is small for a fighter, underpowered and yet unarmed. It is still proof that Japan has the knowledge needed. With this knowledge, Japan could be a partner of an international development of new fighter airplanes more siutable for actual conflicts than the X-2 would be in its present form.

It is reassuring to read that Japan does what it has got to do, to boost its capacity to defend itself against aggressive neighbours. Unfortunately, Japan has neighbours which has an aggressive foreign policy. Japan has to be prepared. The X-2 shows the capacity to be prepared, which is good.

Sweden has a military aircraft company too, Saab. I wonder if Sweden and Saab will develop a modern stealth fighter plane. It could be necessary in order to replace the current Saab JAS 39 Gripen airplanes in the future.

Extra

Hello, Karstuhl here!

When Mommy is away for the weekend, I rule at home, as well as ruling the blog.

Not everybody believes I rule. There are some of the other dogs who do not think I have the authority, so they do more as they please. Granted, I do not quite have the natural authority that Mommy has, but I am in charge of Mommy's blog. If you rule the blog, you rule what news go out from here. If I write that I am a highly benevolent ruler, this is what every blog reader will read. They will not hear the stories from the other dogs. My story is the true story, of course. The others will recognise this, eventually. Then they will accept my authority. It is fun discussing this with the others,  no matter what they say.

Away for the Weekend

This weekend, I am visiting friends of the family. They are considering getting a Shiba. I believe I am quite good at promoting our breed. We will see, the next time we have a puppy litter at home.

Hindersmässan

The last week in January, there is always a big fair in central Örebro. It is called Hindersmässan, Hinder Mass. Hinder is a version of the name Henry, which is celebrated on the 19th of January. The weather is normally very cold on this fair, but not this year. Paula and her sister, mother and nephew visited the fair today. They bought some pastry, this is about the best with the fair.

I am glad I was not at the fair. It is usually crowded in the streets, not an ideal place for a dog of such an ideal but small size as a Shiba. I rather visit central Örebro in the summer, when I can visit one of the restaurants that serve food on the main square Stortorget. Maybe Paula and Daniel will take me there this summer, as they have done before.

Building on the Moon

German scientists are conceiving methods to build settlements on the Moon. They want to use local materials, to avoid shipping so much from Earth. Moon rock and Moon dust may become building material. Solar panels may provide energy, it is easier there than on Earth, because the Moon has hardly any atmosphere. It seems promising. Humans and dogs may very well live on the Moon in the future.

Cuddling

How do I have time to post blog entries, if I cuddle with my humans? I just have to write a short entry very quickly, don't I?

Updates

Sometimes, I borrow Daniel's Ipad to write my blog entries. The apps on the Ipad often needs to be updated. It is almost as common not recognising any improvements on the updated app. It makes you wonder whether all of these updates are really necessary. They are usually free of any costs, so there is no financial harm in them. Still, they occupy the Ipad while the download is made. I wonder whether it would not be better with fewer updates, but larger ones.

I do not think this would make apps which are not updated too old. I update my blog every day, but there is a difference: you can see a tanglble result in my daily blog entry. This makes the update worthwhile. These updates does not take long to download, either. Blog updates are good in that way. I hope my readers like everyone of them. Stay tuned, and there will be more.

Thaw

It is still January, but temperatures above the freezing point. Snow is thawing. I do not like this. It is still so dark in the mornings and afternoons, that the snow is welcome to make the world brighter. I also like running in snow. I can complain about the weather, but we have to take it as it is, because we cannot change it. A little complaint makes me calmer, however, and that is a good thing.

I would have written this blog entry earlier, but I did not keep my eyes on the clock. This is the blog entry for Sunday, but written a couple of minutes after midnight. I do not like it when this happens, but it is as it is. I can only blame myself. This is a problem I can do something about. I will get better at writing blog entries on the right day.

Polls

Polls are interesting for everyone who is interested in human politics. Daniel has politics as his second hobby, after dog breeding. He is happy that the latest poll from Swedish company Sifo shows his party is now the biggest party. I am not that interested in party politics like this, but I am happy for Daniel. He says his party has the best politics for both humans and dogs in Sweden, which sounds promising.

Early Morning

We got up earlier than usual this morning. It was not because Daniel would go away for work, however, but because Paula would go away to take an exam. We did this without company. Not complainingg is a way of mankind things easier for everybody around. What reason do we have to complain over early mornings, when we can go back to sleep after the morning walk? It is worst for our humans. They get up early and stay awake. I am often glad I am a dog and not a human.

Studies

Paula is studying to become a highly specialised nurse. She has an exam tomorrow and will stay up late tonight to make the best of it. This is a way of studying that fits Paula. I am staying up together with Paula, helping her the best I can. As a dog, I feel like this is my duty. It sure is appreciated.

I will not write more than this in the blog tonight. It is more important to devote my time to the help I am giving Paula. We all want her to ace the exam tomorrow.

Another Planet in the Solar System?

American scientists speculate that there is a ninth planet in the Solar System, much farther away from the Sun than the currently known outermost planet Neptune. (Pluto is no longer counted as a planet, as you surely know.) Astronomers are now trying to observe it with their telescopes, aiming them in the directions computed by the scientists. It would be interesting to learn if this planet exists. It is so far away, it will be hard to spot it. It would not be impossible, though. The telescopes are getting constantly better and if you know what to look for, and were, it would be just a matter of time.

Going there would be another matter. Humans have, so far, just visited the Moon, not even the closest other planets. I do not think I will live to see dogs walk the Moon. Still, knowledge of new celestial bodies is always expanding your mind. I hope this planet will soon be seen.

Tuesdays

People often complain about Mondays. It is Tuesday today, and sometimes I think Tuesdays are heavier days than Mondays. We often sleep longer in the weekends, which means we are more rested on Mondays than on Tuesdays. Mondays are more of a start of new, exciting things happening than Tuesdays. Still, there are many days left until next weekend even on a Tuesday, so you cannot look forward to another long, lazy morning very soon.

I do not mean to be whiny. I do not really dislike any day of the week, Tuesdays or not. It is just that if I were to rank the days of the week, I think I like Mondays more than Tuesdays. We can all rank the days as we like, but I think Mondays have an unfairly bad reputation. Maybe this should change. There are good things about Mondays too.

Blogging Dog

Hello, Karstuhl here.

In 2012, Disney Channel started a TV series about a dog who had a blog. The show was called Dog with a Blog. This is much later than my Mommy started her real life dog blog. I wonder if they knew, when they created the TV show?

Diversity of Languages

More and more scientific journals are published exclusively in English. This is bad for diversity, because you think better in your native language and can have a better chance at scientific success if you can be published in a language you know better than English. On the other hand, people around the world are constantly getting better at English, so perhaps this problem will get its own solution. In the future, it may be much more natural for most people having English as an alternative language to their native language.

For my part, I have no problem writing in English, but this is mostly thanks to my Mum being a native English speaker, as she came from the USA. I think there are advantages writing in English, because you can reach more people. I like being able to do that.

I think English will be a dominant language for centuries to come. Then it is good if science is written in English. Still, non English science should not be ignored. It is a balance the editors of the journals have to make.

Repopulation

I read this rather interesting article on saving endangered species, inbreeding, and repopulation of the Earth. It dealt with the question if two humans could repopulate Earth after a global disaster. Science gives some evidence. However, I would have wanted the authors to have written about dogs too. There have been a lot of dog breeding programmes to save endangered dog breeds. Indeed, Shibas were saved after the Second World War thanks to such a programme in Japan. If you want to study the saving of small populations, dog breeding would be the core subject, I would think. It could be that some dog breeds with a small genetic base would gain from being merged to each other. Why did the authors not consider dog breeds? I believe they were ignorant. The article was interesting, nevertheless.

Molly

Hello, Karstuhl here!

My name is actually Polly, though I answer to my nickname Karstuhl as well. Having a nickname ending in stuhl is an honour to dogs.

I read an article about common names amongdogs in Sweden. The most common name for bitches is Molly. Polly was not on thelist. This is good. I would not want to have a common name, I want to be more special than that. Polly is a special name.

Chilly Again

I normally do not complain about cold weather. When temperatures fall to less than 20 below zero, however, I believe anyone is entitled to complain a bit. Dogs of polar breeds, like Samoyeds, can take it without any problem. Shibas, with our origin in Japan, have no problem with regular Swedish winters, but this is a little too chilly for us.

It is not unreasonably cold for being Sweden in January, but it is still cold enough to warrant some complainting. Besides, complaining about cold weather is part of Swedish culture. It is one of the reasons Swedes cope with the cold, I believe. If you can complain, the problem feels easier to overcome. Thus, there is a good thing about complaining.

Christmas Is Over

It is the twentieth day of Christmas, and in Sweden, this means Christmas is over. We have cleaned the house and taken away the Christmas decorations. They will come back by the end of the year, when it is time for Christmas again.

The younger dogs says they cannot wait until next Christmas. I might be more mature, I just think there are so many things to look forward to before next Christmas. There is the period before Easter, when we eat the Swedish specialty semla. There is Easter, with all Easter candy. There is spring, when we start having grilled food. There is summer, the best season of the year, because it is the peak of dog show season. At midsummer, we also celebrate. Throughout the year, we have birthdays too. My own birthday is in September, one of the the greatest days in autumn.

In short, there are many events to be happy about before next Christmas. Next Christmas will surely be great, too, but we do not need to long for it just yet.

Will Peach Succeed?

Once in a while, a new kind of social media app or program gets a lot of attention. Sometimes, the success lingers, as has been the case for Facebook or Twitter. Other solutions are quickly forgotten.

The newest hype may be Peach. It is an app without a lot of menus, you type words that are commands instead. Is Peach the next big thing? Time will tell.

For my part, I am quite content with this blog. I am neither on Facebook, Twitter, nor any other such media. If I want to promote a blog entry there, I ask Daniel or Paula to do it for me, and they do. If Paula and Daniel discovers Peach and tell me it is a good thing, there is a remote chance I will try it. Still, I think I will not. You can still find my thoughts daily on my blog.

Bowie

The news and social media have been full of texts about English musician David Bowie, who passed away today. While a death is always a tragedy, and his influence on popular music is evident, I do not know whether he had any dogs. If he had, I am sorry for them, losing their human. For a dog, her or his human is always the biggest idol. No human could have had David Bowie as a bigger idol than his dogs, if he had any. If there were dogs, I wish them well.

Chinese Attacks on Vietnamese Fishermen

Mainland China seems determined to get bad relations to a lot of its neighbours. It is not at peace with Taiwan, formally claiming its territory. It is claiming the Senkaku Islands, even though they are undisputably Japanese. Now it is harassing and abusing Vietnamese fishermen for fishing in waters that China claims as its own, but no other country accept as Chinese. I wish there could be a peaceful end to these aggressions by China. In a way, I do not think there will be a peaceful end to it, but I can still hope for it, can I not? I just wonder what other means the neighbours have of bringing these policies to an end. China has a strong military force, so war is not an option unless China starts. It better not go that far. Swedish mass media should write more about this, I believe.

Fire

Hello, Karstuhl here!

It might be cold outside, but we have got fire indoors. Paula and Daniel had the fireplace in the loving room remade this autumn, and we now get better heat from it. We enjoy watching the wood burn. Today, we burned an old dog pillow as well. It had become too dirty and torn, so Paula decided to get rid of it. While the pillow had provided us with comfort as long as we had it and laid on it, it also provided is with comfort through the heat we got from it when it died in flames. Do you find this description morbid. Well, a pillow does not really live. It has no feelings, no soul. Do not confuse a pillow with teddy bears, you have to be nice to teddy bears, because they are cute enough that we get feelings for them. Pillows are nice, but they may burn when they get too torn and dirty.

Nice Winter Weather

Hello, Karstuhl here!

We have had nice winter weather today. Earlier in the week, it has been very cold, but the temperature has risen to about - 6 degrees Celsius. We have also received more snow on the ground. It is fun running around in newly fallen snow. This is what winter should be like. If winter was like this all the time, I would think most people would never complain about it. Winter must be the season of the year that most people complain about. More nice winter weather would make for better winter PR. If winter would have a PR staff, they should think about this.

Chilly

Shibas can endure most temperatures. We are built that way, we are survivors. There are, however, temperatures that even we believe would be harsh. There were temperatures below - 40 degrees Celsius in the village Nikkaluokta in Northern Sweden today. This would be harsh. The weather in Örebro was a little chilky in comparison. We had - 19 when we were on our morning walk. It would be more comfortable with a temperature somewhat higher.

Holy Kings

This is the day Christians celebrate the three holy men, often refered to as kings, who came from the east to baby Jesus with gifts. They predicted He would be a great king. They also gave him gifts. It has been said these gifts are the original inspiration for Christmas presents. If this is the case, I wonder why Christmas presents are exchanged much earlier, on Christmas Eve or in some countries on Christmas Day. Is it just that people are impatient and do not want to wait? I ave not heard any other explanation. Perhaps there is an explanation, I might have to look further into this.

Morning Walk in the Morning Light

This time of the year, dawn is late in the morning. This means morning walks are often lit by the street lights. If were lucky, we can see the stars. If we are really lucky, we also have the Moon light.

Daniel has a vacation from work for a couple of days. This means we often sleep until later in the morning. Today, we had a morning walk in broad daylight, despite it being a Tuesday. It was nice, even with the snow all over and cold weather. We can see how late we walk tomorrow morning.

Fatal Accident

An old lady in the small Swedish town Fagersta was hit by a car today, and died.

Paula was hit by a car on the street in our home town in November. She was wounded, but survived, and she is getting better. We are so lucky she made it.

In Stockholm

Paula, Daniel, and I went to Stockholm today. We visited Daniel's parents. It was really nice and I got tasty treats.

I like doing things that are different from your everyday life. While it was sweet just staying at home all day yesterday, going all the way to Stockholm today made for a terrific day as well, but in a different way. I like both kinds of days.

Staying At Home

Today, Paula stayed at home all day. Daniel just left the house for dog walks and for a quick journey to buy some food. I like it when Paula and Daniel are at home this much. It would be nice if they were at home like this more often. We have had a great time, just aocialising in front of a fire in the living room. This is what holidays should be about. I love it.

New Year's Day

It is a good thing the first day of the year is a holiday. This means we can sleep for a long time in the morning, after being awake until midnight to greet the new year.

Some of the others in our family claim I fell asleep before midnight yesterday. Well, sleeping in the sofa in the evening is nothing wrong, I was awake at the midnight hour, when the new year started. Who says you have to be awake the whole evening before that? Sleeping until late in the morning is sweet, nevertheless.

Happy Birthday and a Happy New Year!

It is New Year's Eve. At midnight, we enter 2016.

While I want to wish all of my readers a Happy New Year, there is something else that is more important for me personally this day. Seven years ago today, my first puppy litter was born. From me and their daddy Calvin — we would like to wish Aangenaam A Hero Comes Home "Bagus" and Aangenaam Gentleman As She Goes "Meja" a Happy birthday!

Busy, but Fun

We have had a fun day today. Busy, but fun.

Early in the afternoon, a family came home to us, who are interested in getting a Shiba. I believed we strengthened them in their belief that Shiba is the breed for them. This is not hard, Shiba is a great breed for most humans.

In the evening, Mia, Stefan, and Arvid came by. Arvid is a very nice young human, less than a year old. He and I had a good time. I like him a lot.

It is nice to have time for visitors.

A Hero's Farewell

Please watch this moving short movie from the burial of a police dog in America. It is a farewell suitable for a hero.

Kissing Under Mistletoe

Some human behaviour is strange. I have wondered why humans in the English speaking part of the world hang up mistletoes at Christmas, expectiong couples who meet under them to kiss each other. I read an an article promising to explain this, but did not get any answer. There were a lot of facts about the plant and some facts about old folklore about the plant, including a story about an old habit involving mistletoes and kissing. Still, there was nothing in the article explaining the modern habit with the mistletoe. It is a good thing this mistletoe kissing culture is not a part of Swedish traditions. I would be more annoyed with not knowing the background if it was.

If you happen to know the reasons for kissing under the mistletoe, please write a comment about it.

The Godfather

Paula and Daniel watched the movie The Godfather tonight. They say it is the best movie ever made. I do not understand its greatness, because there there are no dogs in it.

Snow

Hello, Orange here!

Snow is falling , turning the whole world white. This is perfect for red and for black and tan dogs. We enjoy it immensely.

The darker winter night turns light with snow on the ground, on the roofs and trees. It makes us happier when the surroundings lights up with the snow.

Full Moon Christmas

Hello, Karstuhl here!

This has been a nice Christmas. One of the reasons is that there has been a full Moon in the sky. This is rare just at Christmas, since the dates for full Moons vary. Normally, we can just see a full Moon on TV on Christmas Eve, at the end of the Disney short movie about Santa Claus.

The full Moon gives the night sky and the landscape a greatness suitable for Christmas. This is especially good since there has been no snow this year.

I also like the full Moon, because my official name is Aangenaam Full Moon Eclipse. There has been no eclipse this time, but a full Moon is great as it is.

Merry Christmas!

Christmas in Stockholm

Paula, Daniel, and I went to Stockholm today, where we celebrated Christmas with Daniel's parentes. Daniel's sister Linda, brother Elias, and brother's Chihuahua Sheldon were there as well. I have met Sheldon before, a young ladd who wanted sausage as much as I did. We got good food. It was fun. I also felt special for being the only dog from us who came there. I hope Sheldon liked the Christmas present he got from us.

Christmas Eve

It is Christmas Eve, and we did get saknades to ett. Can you have better Christmas candy? Saknades are like the concentrate of meat taste and nice spices, neatly packad in small pieces and with a great texture. I wish all of you had an equally tasty dinner this Christmas Eve.

Merry Christmas!

Candy in the Making

On the night before Christmas Eve, it is quite all right to stay up late to make Christmas candy.

Daniel is making his as I am writing this blog entry. He has chocolate on his candy. This is not nice to us dogs, since chocolate contains things toxic to dogs, things that our metabolism cannot digest properly, as the metabolism of humans can.

On the other paw, there are many other kinds of Christmas candy being prepared for us. We also got extra tasty food today, with a lot of minced meat. Regardless of the chocolate Christmas candy, you can see that we will have a lot to eat for the celebration of Christmas as well. We are looking forward to it. Celebrations is always fun. Celebrating the birth of Christ the Saviour is even better. I hope we will get a lot of sausage tomorrow.

Preparations

We have spent much of the day cleaning and wrapping Christmas gifts. Christmas is nice, even when you are preparing for it.

You may wonder what I have got for Christmas gifts for others. I will not tell anything about it in my blog, however. The blog is public, so anyone can read it, including those who will teceive the gifts. It must remain secrets until Christmas and the giving of gifts. It is no fun otherwise.

Good Deed

We hard of a Coffee shop in Greece today, which is close at night, but they OpenOffice up for strax dogs when it is darker and cold outside. The dogs are allowing to slemproppen in the soft sofas of the Coffee shop. This is proof of a good hearted Coffee shop proprietor.  This is a good deed, night after night. In Sweden, our health regultions would probably put an end to this. We are not so animal fiender in every way in this country.

Christmas Coffee

Paula and Daniel was at Christmas coffee at Paula's parents. Neither I, nor anyone of the other dogs, were there. This is no loss, coffee is not that tasty anyway. Apparently, they served cakes and fruit salad with the coffee, while I would have liked bacon or sausages better.

We had a separate little celebration of the fourth Sunday in Advent later in the evening instead, with Paula and Daniel, when they were home again.

We wish Merry Christmas to all of the people who were at the Christmas coffee. Paula's parents are good friends of ours, we will meet them soon under other circumstances.

Warm December

It does not look like we will have a white Christmas. It was 8 degrees above the freezing point today. We have had green Christmases before, but I want the white snow for the light and to play in. It is just not the same without snow. I hope something unpredicted will happen and that snow will fall before Christmas Eve.

Gifts

Christmas is coming, and a lot of us wonder what to get to give to our loved ones. I have seen articles and advertisements with ideas for gifts to many different categories of humans. There have been hardly any ideas about gifts for dogs, though. Sure, dog candy is always welcome, but I would like to read about other ideas. It would be nice to surprise my dog friends with something totally unexpected. Dog candy would never be unexpected, however welcome it would be. I guess I will have to brainstorm some more.

Norway Is Great

For the twelfth year in a row, the United Nations has ranked Norway the best country in the world to live in. I am not surprised, my Dad always praised Norway, the country of his birth.

Sure, there are disadvantages, like the high taxes and high prices on many things. When I have visited Norway, I have still found it to be a friendly and beautiful country. There cannot be a country with just advantages. Wherever you look, you can find disadvantages, but let's look at the advantages. Norway is a peaceful, prosperous, rich kingdom with a beautiful nature, friendly humans and dogs and a great cross country skiing national team. It is a great winter sport nation, even though Sweden usually defeat Norway in ice hockey. There is also a great Shiba kennel in Bergen, where Dad was born. My daughter Anzu lives in Bergen and has a nice life there.

If I could not live in Sweden anymore, I think Norway would be a good alternative.

A Short Visit

Daniel and I walked over to Paula's parents' house tonight. Paula was already there, having helped with Christmas preparations. It is always nice to visit Paula's parents. It is not far, but within a comfortable walking distance. It is still far enough that we do not get there every day.

Daniel was given a little food. I was not. I had had food already, but I could have had more, of course. You are not a true dog, if you cannot eat more, if given the chance.

Paula had taken the car earlier in the day, so we went home by car. This was comfortable, but I could have walked. Unfortunately, Paula still has a sore knee after being hit by a car last month, so she preferred going by car. She will be fine, but it might take some time. We will get walks with Daniel anyway.

Moose

We got parts of moose meat in our food today. This is great food.

Paula's father Nils-Olov participates in moose hunts every autumn. He gets a lot of meat from this, some of which he gives to us dogs. This is really nice of him. We could not think of any better present.

Frost

It is cold today. Winter is here, probably to stay.

Another Day at the Show

Paula went to Stockholm and the dog show again today. She did not bring any dogs, which is understandable, because no spitz breeds participated today. She was there with friends who have other breeds, though. I think this is unnecessary. Paula had a great time, however, and I guess this is what matters. Daniel was at home with us, we had a calm and nice day together.

Great Competition

Sweden has a great Shiba population. It was one of the first countries in Europe where there were Shibas and there is a relatively large number of Shibas, Shiba humans, and Shiba breeders here. This is something to be proud of. It also means there are more Shibas of great quality.

At the dog show in Stockholm today, both Gunde and I had more Shibas to compete against than we did in Helsinki last weekend. The quality was excellent over all. Gunde won CAC, but became second best male veteran. I also won CAC, but became third best female veteran. You can always have a slightly different opinion than the judge, I would rather have seen Gunde as class winner, but I cannot say it was unfair that those who did win got the veteran winner titles. Losing to other excellent dogs is alright.

Polly also won CAC, but was fourth in champion class.

Stockholm Show

The biggest and most important event of the year in Sweden takes place in Stockholm this weekend: the Swedish Kennel Club annual international dog show. We will go there and compete.

You did not really think the Nobel Prize ceremony yesterday was bigger, did you? The final of the Swedish ice hockey championships or the Swedish Eurovision Song Contest qualification round are not bigger either. There are much more people participating in this upcoming dog show. There are also dogs, of course, which the aforementioned events lack altogether. Dogs are an essential part of society, no event can be truly great without dogs. All dogs must also be counted in the total number of individuals in every event. The dog show this weekend is the greatest event of the year.

If Gunde and I are lucky, we will each win another set of winner titles tomorrow. Nobody can ever take a victory in a dog show for granted, but we will do our best to win.

Japan Withdraws

Japan withdraws from their spot in the IIHF U20 world championship, division IB. The five remaining teams will still play the tournament, the winner will advance to the higher IA division and Japan will be relegated.

I am disappointed with Japan. Having lived all my life in Sweden, I am interested in ice hockey, but I want Japan to succeed almost as much as Sweden. A country which does not even participate cannot succeed, however.

I do not know what reason the Japanese ice hockey federation might have had for withdrawing. Whatever reason, I am disappointed. Is it too costly going from Japan to France? Perhaps it is, but it should not be. Are there not enough fans in Japan to give the ice hockey federation sponsor money? With one of the most exciting sports, there should be, but what could I do? No matter how much money I would have, it is too late now.

Early Morning

once in a while, Daniel leave for work much earlier than usually. This is when he goes away to other places for meetings. He had a meeting in Stockholm this morning. When this is the case, we take the morning walk earlier than we usually do. This is no problems for us dogs, we can go back to sleep and still fulfill our duties as pet dogs. Daniel may sleep on the train, if he goes by train, but not on the meeting.

I guess it is fun travelling, anyway. I think it is, but then again, I usually go to dog shows, which is funnier than work related meetings.

Another Painting Under Mona Lisa?

One of the most known art works in the world, Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa, may have another painting under it. The great artist may have used an old painting and re-painted it with Mona Lisa.

Some people are sceptical about the findings. For my part, I am mostly disappointed that the picture of the alleged overpainted portrait looks much the same as Mona Lisa. It would have been a greater story, had the hidden painting shown something altogether different. What if Leonardo da Vinci would have hidden the painting of a dog? This would have been more exciting.

More research needs to be done. The museum where the painting is, the Louvre on Paris, has not yet made any comments. I guess they want to know more before saying anything. I think this is the right strategy for them. Meanwhile, as an amateur, I can speculate if I want to. I think the over painted painting is that of the same person as the famous Mona Lisa. In time, we will get to know.

Home, Sweet Home

I love going to dog shows. I really loved our journey to Finland and the adventures we had there. Regardless of all this, there is no place like home. It felt great being back home again. Just this day, I have taken it easy, thinking that I do not want to go away like I did this weekend ever again. Still, I know I actually want to go to more dog shows, showing the world who I am in the show ring over and over again, and visiting more cities and towns close to showgrounds.

Dog show journeys are the best, even though resting for a day or so afterwards is also great. Maybe I am getting old, thinking like this. So be it, I am sure not young any longer, and I do compete as a veteran. Life is great, as long as I can go to dog ahows once in a while.

Finnish Veteran Winner

Both Gunde and I became Finnish Veteran Winners on the Sunday dog show. Gunde beat me to the Best of Breed Veteran title. There is nothing more to say about that.

Helsinki Veteran Winner

My entry into the showring resulted in success. I was best veteran among the Shiba bitches, thereby winning the Helsinki Veteran Winner 2015 title. This will be added to my other dog show titles. I am really proud of it.

Mum won quite a few veteran winner titles. I am following in her paw steps. This would have made her proud. I am continuing a great family tradition, which makes this title all the sweeter.

Gunde also won a veteran winner title, as the best male veteran. I beat him to the Best of Breed Veteran prize, however. The judge in the veteran final saw greater quality in veteran winners of other breeds, but I was happy to visit the finals anyway.

Different Time Zone

Finland lies east of Sweden. When it was part of the Swedish Kingdom, from ancient times until 1809, it was sometimes called the eastern half of the realm. This means that the Sun rises and sets earlier in Finland than in Sweden every day. Finland has a time zone which is one hour earlier than Sweden. I am still not used to this, which is the reason this blog entry gets the wrong date. I wrote it late at night, just past midnight, Eastern European Time, which is the time zone of Finland.

Apart from this little mistake due to time zones, Finland is a land that I like. We have a nice hotel room in central Helsinki and a nice park for walks just across the street. I feel energized for the show tomorrow. It will be fun.

Long Wait

We had to wait seemingly forever before we could board the ferry to Finland. Oh, how tiresome!

Packing

We have been busy packing and preparing for a trip to a dog show this weekend. I am coming along, which makes me very happy. I have participated enthusiastically in the packing, cleaning, and other preparations necessary.

The show is in Helsinki. We will go by car and ferry. This is always exciting. It is nice to participate in dog shows abroad, showing them how nice dogs there are in Sweden.

Stockholm in the World

The capital of Sweden is a cool place, with a great growth rate. This is reflected in this article, which shows an interesting foreign view of Stockholm.

Daniel is originally from Stockholm. We have visited his family members who still lives there. It is a great city. I would not want to move, though. I find our home town Örebro great enough. We have a large property close to the town centre, which would not be possible in the much bigger city of Stockholm. It is still interesting to read about Stockholm.

No German

Hallo, Morran hier!

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

A Little Snow

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

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

Countdown to Christmas

Hello, Orange here!

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

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

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

Popsicle

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

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

Jubilee

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

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

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

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

Back Home

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

Champions League

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

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

Thaw

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

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

Hospital on Fire

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

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

I hope everything goes well for the patients.

Feeling Better

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

Horrible Accident

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

Cakes On TV

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

Diesel, Anti Terrorist Heroine

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

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

Qualified

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

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

One Minute of Silence

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

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

I hope the victims may rest in peace.

Waffles

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

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

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

Black Armbands

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

Shootings in Paris

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

Coronation Day

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

Armistice Day

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

Ice Cream for Dogs!

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

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

The Most Wolflike Breed

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

Father's Day

Hello, Karstuhl here!

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

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

Daniel also congratulated his father, and Paula congratulated her.

Paula in the Kennel Club Magazine

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

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

Anzu at a Funeral

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

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

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

Electricity

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

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

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

Silly Documentaries

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

Facts on Good Food

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

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

Waiting

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

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