Catching up

It has been a long while since we caught up with the life of our two dogs. It has had its ups and downs.

We have had fun in the yard

Played games, or not

Had treats

Guarded the yard

And patrolled the borders

Visited our favourite places

Had emergency surgery

And gotten bored visiting relatives

Or made the most of it

Searched for things we lost

And had a serious rest afterwards

Had friends over to visit

Helped with the summer harvest

And have had some hot summer trips

Enjoyed our own yard

And spent time relaxing together

Had a stressful couple of months with cancer

Waited patiently for dinner

Had more games in the snow

And spent some quiet time together

Gotten our toes wet

And sometimes looked our best

But mostly we are keeping the road safe from strangers

Keeping it all inside

Not a lot of success at that lately.

Last week Lilli was throwing up for a couple of days starting on Tuesday. Thursday she was still not looking so good, so a visit to the vet was required. Not much of a verdict except that she was now a bit gummed up inside after the vomiting. After some poking and prodding, none of which she appreciated much, it was home again. A few €€€ lighter and with advice to give her something to make her move and to lose a couple of kilos :-).

This week it is Mimmi’s turn. She started throwing up in the middle of the night all over the bed. She couldn’t keep anything in today either, except she was also throwing up spots of blood and generally sulking. Another visit to the vet and more poking and prodding. Mimmi was upset and Lilli was just happy it wasn’t her turn this time. Verdict this time was that she probably has the same upset belly Lilli had, cause unknown. So, some more €€€ lighter, and some medicine to settle her belly with some feeding instructions for the next few days.

The moral of the story is that dog vomit is stinky…

Hot dogs

Four PM on Saturday and Lilli is already queuing for the sauna. Unfortunately for her it isn’t even switched on yet. She is ready to go at the drop of a hat, no matter the day or time, but she definitely knows what the normal schedule is and likes to get in early.

Mimmi on the other hand seems to go just because everyone else is in there. She doesn’t stay more than a few minutes at a time, but Lilli has to be literally dragged out. She can pretty much out last both of us.

Two hot dogs

Depths of winter

Our girl is well past her second birthday.

And of course birthdays are a time for contemplation.

Or watching some TV.

Maybe with a few snacks.

Now the seasons have changed. The long walks in the summer sun have gone and in their place have come quick excursions in -15C temperatures and blowing snow. In Lilli’s opinion these aren’t so much fun, especially when you have lumps of ice and snow stuck to your belly!

On the sunny days it is nice to be out, although this year there isn’t much to hunt and the snow is so deep that even that isn’t as much fun as last year. Even four leg drive doesn’t help so much.

It is a little easier in the back yard now that there is a fence and Lilli can run free. Although this winter it sort of limits the possibilities for running.

So it is usually easier just to keep an eye on the neighbours.

Water

Lilli has a thing about water. Not that she appreciates getting a bath very much, but moving or running water is the most fascinating thing ever.

That means the lake across the road is her favourite place. It is impossible to go for a walk without her wanting to visit either the jetty or the local beach.

The jetty, being the closest is the object of greatest attraction.

Of course it is easier to get wet at the beach. Paddling is okay, but swimming doesn’t seem to be so interesting.

From white to green

The snow has long gone, but the need to dig and hunt hasn’t. Unfortunately it is a bit of a dirtier habit now.

Lilli 30, Voles 0.

But after a hard day digging it is important to relax in front of the TV.

Breakfast TV is the best!

With the changing of the seasons it is always good to take in a bit of sun.

Ahhhhh, the sun.

Losing a bit of hair also helps with surviving those hot summer days.

I think there was a cat there.

And it is always critical to know where the summer food is coming from.

Hmmm, ribs!

Life and times of a hunter

Turns out that Lilli is quite an avid hunter.

Ever since autumn arrived we have had an abundance of small furry animals around the yard and forest. Mostly forest mice and field voles. And it seems that both are quite easy prey when you have good hearing and a sensitive nose. Especially during the last couple of weeks there has been quite cold temperatures and little snow. Without anywhere to hide the yard has been quite full of mobile snacks. And Lilli has made the most of it. For a few days she managed to grab a several during her excursions outside. The flower garden has been a particularly fruitful location.

Snack hunting in the garden

But on our trips to the forest she has also found some success.

Snack hunting in the forest

But lately with the arrival of snow things have been a bit more difficult. Although that doesn’t stop her from trying.

Snack hunting in the snow

Puberty

Lilli has had a hard time the last few weeks.

Puberty hit about three weeks ago. In other words Lilli was on heat for the first time. Luckily though we don’t have so many male dogs in the area and those that are, we only see out walking. So in that regards we haven’t had to keep her under lock and guard. But otherwise she has left a trail of blood spots around the house and had a bit of a problem holding onto pee at times. The physical changes seemed to confuse her a bit as well. There was definately a lot of licking going on at times and various bits and pieces were quite swollen.

But the worst of it is over now and she has settled down again. I guess that in the next few weeks we will have to make an appointment with the vet.

A big girl now

Lilli is already over 6 months old now and a pretty big girl now (relatively speaking :-).

Couch potato

The last of her puppy teeth came out a couple of months ago and her new ones are much improved. Bigger and less sharp, so less likely to poke holes in hands when playing games. Even the strongest of toys are no match for her new teeth. This one lasted about 5 minutes before bits were coming off.

Lasted about 5 minutes

With the coming of spring Lilli likes to be outside as much as possible, guarding the yard from birds and other dangerous animals. You never know when the house will be attacked by a rabid wagtail or a killer butterfly.

Watch out.

Thursday was May Day, and it has just gotten hotter every day reaching a peak today. So this weekend has been a bit too hot outside, even for Lilli. Although she just needs a brief break inside before the guarding continues.

Oh, the heat.

Today there was a thunderstorm which was quite scarey and required hiding behind the armchair inside, but once that passed there was a nice spring shower. It was the first rain in a few weeks and a bit daunting at first.

To get wet or not?

But after a while it became necessary to get wet.

It's raining!

After all that, even though she is a big girl now, she still likes nothing better than a cuddle.

Ahhhhh