Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Practice/playtime at Aaron's dog school

Since I'm not able to go to dog school with Aaron and Ingrid (I am usually working - or already sleeping on thursday evenings cause I have to get up so early...) the both of them invited me to join them today and watch one of their "between classes" training sessions.

The sun was shining all morning (also during my walk with Cleo at the beach of Åhus), but when we arrived at the trainings field the clouds were thick and many.
But the one who couldn't care less was Aaron...
He started singing while we pulled into the parking lot, all excited and anticipating that he would see all his friends from class...
His face looked a little confused when we took him out of the car - like - where are all the others..?

Of course we didn't leave the house without photo equipment - resulting in a couple of nice shots we want to share with you guys...



Ingrid and Aaron playing with the fetch stick...




 Where do you go with it mommy..???


Could anyone please help me get it back!!!???



Jumping???


OK! No problem! :)



"Heel Aaron"




Ligg!



 It was nice to see them work and play, Aaron really enjoys being there and it's also nice to see that he is having so much fun doing what is asked of him. Although he's still like a big puppy sometimes and nothing - or better - no one is perfect right from the beginning...

Jumping???


I don't think so...


It's nice to see when love, patience and consequence pays off - great Job Aaron and Ingrid!!!



Howdy to all of Aaron's fans!!!

:))

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

13 years

I am a bit under the weather - meaning - I managed  to catch a cold.
I guess that is not too hard when you meet hundreds of people in one day, so being exposed to all kinds of bacteria does come with the job.
And the time of the year doesn't help either.
It's been cooler and windy most of the time. We've had quite a bit rain, but the sun is no stranger either. :)


It is beautiful to watch how nature slowly changes his coat, once again preparing for a long winter sleep.
Our coat racks are filled with body warmers for the "warmer" days, rain coats for the rainy days and winter coats for the cold and windy days.
It's that time of the year where we always run out of space in the foyer.
Rubber boots, sport/walking shoes, nice shoes, working shoes, slippers... caps and scarfs, gloves and not to forget - Cleo's personal winter essentials...
It's good that Aaron doesn't need to have a jacket, at least not yet.


This week I have all afternoon shifts, so I get to sleep long in the mornings. Boy do I love that. 
I don't mind driving late into the evenings, I find that people going home are more pleasant then people 
who leave home to go to jobs or what ever. 
Understandable. 

Today is actually a very special day. :)
I wouldn't have remembered it (I am really not good with anniversaries) but my Hasi did. 
13 Years ago today we kissed for the first time...
13! Time flies! 
And boy, we were allowed to experience incredible things together since that day (which make it very easy to forget all the crap in just an instant!) - we are so fortunate - in so many ways. 


Well, it's already 11am, time to get the day started, for real. 
And Queen Cleo waits for her walk...

Have a great day everyone!!!

:)





Sunday, September 26, 2010

Anky van Grunsven and Whiz one year earlier

LOVE IT!



Anky van Grunsven (worlds best Dressage rider) goes REINING at the World Equestrian Games in Kentucky!
How cool is that!!!
She and her horse Whiz are doing an incredible job and help the dutch team to reach 5th place.
Anky herself calls her new career in the reining sport  "a hobby that has gotten out of control"...

Saturday, September 25, 2010

Quit spitting and show compassion!

What A WEEK it has been - or better 10 days since my last post!

I GOT UP this morning and guess who greeted me on the stairs with a loud "purr" ...


MIKA was outside all night, as usual, and when Hasi and Aaron got up (about two hours before me) he came in. And so did Missy, as every morning.
That is our routine, or better their routine... they go outside every evening, hunt, sleep in the firewood shed and do what ever they do (some of it I don't even want to know like crossing the street into the forrest!), and in the morning they come back in.
And then they usually eat and sleep all day.

Mika comes - when he feels like it - and consumes some cuddling moments and many kisses of course.
He loves kisses! :))

Then, after the cuddling and kissing, he decides if it it's time to go upstairs for another nap inside or if he goes back outside to nap in the shed...
Being a cat it all about being spontaneous, right!
Mika has a new nick name - Ingrid gave it to him... PIMPELOENTJE.
Don't ask me how you are supposed to pronounce it, I would say try the dutch way - if you can!!! *lol*

DRIVING BUS is fun.
I can't say it any other way.
As much fun as meeting all kinds of different fellow humans, although the meetings are very brief and shallow most of the time which is OK when you "meet" hundreds a day...
It is interesting what some people do when out in public, they do it ALL THE TIME and they do it mostly without even noticing themselves that they are doing it...

When I prepare to stop at a bus stop I see them checking their watches, for example.
When they are in the bus they check the watches again and they keep doing it...
ALL THE TIME.
I mean what's the point in checking how late it is all the time. It doesn't make the time go by any faster or slower as a matter of fact...
AND it doesn't make me drive any faster - THAT'S FOR SURE!

Others (male AND female) spit on the sidewalk all the time before they get onto the bus. And they spit onto the sidewalk after they get off the bus.
Don't get me wrong, I am glad they safe the spit for the sidewalk and don't spit IN THE BUS! At least that is what I hope!!!
But what IS the point in spitting? Is it only "cool" and "hip" or does it serve any particular purpose?
I don't know, I just never feel the need to spit and I feel fine without doing it.
Unless I have cat hair in my mouth after kissing MIKA... then I spit, maybe, and certainly not in public.

Others wear headphones all the time and listen to MUSIC. Or whatever you want to call the noise MP3 players and mobile phones produce nowadays.
BAM BAM BAM BAM ....
I feel like no one can live without NOISE anymore.
NOISE that has to cover up other NOISE... like traffic, other humans voices and children's laughter, even pleasant sounds of nature...
As long as the noise coming out of the headphones covers up ALL the other noises, they are happy.

I think headphones are also a way of self protection these days.
When a human meets another human with headphones on, he knows that he or she is not supposed to talk to that other human because that human wants to be left alone. Got it?!

Well, WHAT ELSE are humans doing when they are out in public, on their way to work, their way home from work, to or from the boutique, the dentist, hospital or vet (dragging their dog along onto the bus and over the sidewalk where all the others (humans) spit onto before...), the restaurant, social security service, bank, grocery store, video store, school or university, church or mosque ........................................................?

Well, they DRESS differently and BEHAVE differently. They all try to express their INDIVIDUAL personalities in a different way. And THAT IS GOOD.
And INTERESTING.
And FUN to watch.

Well, not always. Not if they show aggression and vent their frustrations onto others...
But the thing is, it's not even personal if they do that.
They just don't know where else to put it.
Many of them live very lonely lives.
I think that is something we have to keep in mind when we go out and deal or meet up with other fellow humans.

There is only one word I can think of right now and I will simply end this post with it...


COMPASSION


Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Autumnally


Since today we (dog owners) are allowed to use the beaches again for our walks - with the dogs!
So that is exactly what we did today! ;-)



We were watched by a seagull, a very curious one...




Cleo was all about sniffing after all the rabbits who live on the beach while
Aaron was (very) busy with keeping his family together (meaning he was circling us all the time)
and trying to pick up the biggest stick on the beach!




Why the biggest?
Because he can! ;-)



And he was watching the waves... and so were we.

It was quiet on the beach (just below a little village called Olseröd, south of Åhus)
and quite warm too.
We got lots of rain over the last few days, but it never got cooler then 12-15°C.
During the day temperatures go up to 20°C and it's very humid and muggy.
Dragonflies are still hunting in our garden when the sun is out.
The grass on the lawn is growing like mad and the foliage on the trees starts changing it's color.
Leaves start falling down and it feels very autumnally.

I had a day off today. We started the day with a good latte, took the dogs for a walk in the woods, went to town for breakfast and picked Ingrid's new eyewear up at the optician.
By the time we got home it was only lunch time. And our afternoon was full of activities as well.
It is amazing how much one can get done when getting up early! *lol*

But now it's already pitch dark outside which means that I have finish up here and get to bed.
It's going to be a long day again tomorrow, driving bus all day...
Just so you know...

;-)

Wishing you all a beautiful autumnally day!!!



Sunday, September 12, 2010

AARON - 8 months old (and 2 days)




Belated report from last weekends little road trip

The past week was packed with work so I didn't get very much laptop time...
So here are some belated photos from the drive we went on last Sunday.

Wooden crates ready - waiting to be filled with potatoes

Mare and two foals on a hillside (second mare not on the photo)

Straw bales waiting to be picked up and stored away in the barn

John Deer tractor with huge plow - really HUGE!

So huge! 7 plowshares!

Straw piled up on the side of a field

So much straw! 

Beautiful clouds on the sky

"IF DOG ATTACKS lay still - until help arrives"

Cleo "carrying" a stick - Aaron dropped it on her *lol*

Lake "Immeln" 

Lake "Immeln"

And again... Lake "Immeln"

Mushroom - edible or not - it sure is pretty! 

HUGE Mushroom - Cleo posing for size comparison

Aaron carrying stick - the bigger the stick is the better!  

Turning left to Sibbhult...

Aaron looking out of car window at parking lot

Not much to see but green grass and lots of trees, blue sky and cute clouds

One of the roads where I drive bus... lots of moose and wild pigs live in this area. 

Trees against the blue sky


Can you see the woodpecker???

Cleo and Aaron on stone bridge

Lake view at a rest stop on the way back home

:))