tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-197135832024-03-13T17:38:16.267+02:00kaupunkigreyn elämäägreyhound Taran ja ihmisten seikkailuja arjessapaola_http://www.blogger.com/profile/12486463747794033671noreply@blogger.comBlogger292125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19713583.post-88640749593400267612016-04-01T20:53:00.001+03:002016-04-07T14:34:16.520+03:00Goodbye, my dear humans<div style="text-align: center;">
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It's me, female human. I've been putting this post off for a week now.</div>
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A week ago her royal highness enjoyed a very, very good morning with her male human. They went out for a long walk: Tara chose to walk to a small forest nearby, and spent ages sniffing the wind. Back home she wolfed down her breakfast and happily retired to bed.</div>
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After a few minutes, she got back up and walked to the male human. She was in distress and soon her legs gave way.</div>
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The male human called a taxi, helped Tara to get up and took her to the Veterinary Teaching Hospital in Viikki as an emergency patient. She was examined immediately. It turned out she had pericardial effusion: there was an abnormal accumulation of fluid within the pericardical (heart) sac and also in her abdomen. The exact cause for this was not diagnosed but the most common cause is cancer. Her heart was failing and she was in shock.</div>
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The male human did the only right thing and agreed on letting her go. He decided with the vet that waiting for me to arrive would not be in Tara's best interest. An hour and a half after her collapse she passed away.</div>
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I had kissed both Tara and the male human goodbye the same morning when I left for work. When Tara collapsed I was giving a book talk to a group of 3rd grade kids, breaking the ice with stories about my skinny granny dog. When the group left I chatted with my colleague, and she showed me an online story with funny images of greyhounds in trouble, making me laugh. When I finally left for my break I saw the messages and phone calls and immediately left for the Vet Hospital, knowing that it was already too late. I finally got there about 1,5 hours after she had passed away.</div>
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Tara had been tired the evening before. She skipped afternoon walkies and didn't have much of an appetite. However, she did finish her meal and we went for a small walk later the same everning, and Thursday morning she was skipping and dancing and jumping in joy, being her usual self. We had no reason to suspect anything out of the ordinary.</div>
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We are beside ourselves with grief. Her death was so unexpected and completely took us by surprise. She had her annual check-up less than two months ago and an ultrasound scan on her heart a month ago. Everything was fine. However, she was 12 years, 9 months, and 12 days old. Death does not come as a surprise for someone her age: it's something that's bound to happen, sooner or later. Being ok in February doesn't mean she'll live forever.</div>
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We had hoped that when it's her turn to go it will happen quickly. That's exactly what happened. Everything, everything that final day went perfectly, even if it felt like a nightmare. She was with her male human, who always has an easier schedule in the morning - she wasn't alone when her legs gave way. They got to the hospital quickly. He was with her till the end, and she was visited by her physiotherapist Kirsti whom she really liked. And I got to say my goodbye - we got amazing service at the hospital.</div>
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We lived with Tara for 10 years, 5 months, and 10 days. We consider ourselves very lucky, having learned from the master the most important lessons in life. Remember to eat well and sleep well! If in doubt, sleep! Never let the rabbits take over the neighborhood! If it has a long tail and a long snout, it's cute! Nothing's more important than your pack, especially when it's cold outside and you need someone to keep you warm! Live, love, enjoy good company!</div>
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Rabbit Rush Scarlett O'Hara (Tara) 12.6.2003 - 24.3.2016
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<br />paola_http://www.blogger.com/profile/12486463747794033671noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19713583.post-34403136711539090782015-12-12T20:46:00.002+02:002016-04-01T20:57:12.683+03:00Happy birthday to me!<div style="text-align: center;">
Guess what? I'm 12 and a half years old! </div>
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Compared to my female human, I look like a puppy. She's got wrinkles around her eyes, and her jaws have started to sag - and she's only 42 human years old. Well, to be fair she's never had a chance - I'm the one all the chihuahuas, salukis and (oh dear) labradors find irresistible. I'm blonde and I've got long legs and a tiny waist, and I happen to own this city. Try to beat that!</div>
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(When you're my age, every half a year is worth a celebration. </div>
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I had liver for dinner and a pig's ear for an evening snack!<br />
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paola_http://www.blogger.com/profile/12486463747794033671noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19713583.post-17134365188194760722015-09-29T20:54:00.002+03:002015-09-29T20:55:48.536+03:00Interior design for hounds<div style="text-align: center;">
When they re-arranged the sitting room furniture I was promised grand things. "More light", they said. "More space to stretch and easier access to the balcony" (that's where my beanie bag has been for the summer). </div>
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I feel a bit disappointed.
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They arranged the furniture, loom and all, and even scrubbed clean the floor (loom had leaked pine resin and it took them a while to clean up the mess). But they forgot that God is in details. </div>
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Tiny little details like "where should we put this box of toys?".
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paola_http://www.blogger.com/profile/12486463747794033671noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19713583.post-13161536438324344612015-09-23T17:53:00.002+03:002015-09-25T07:03:32.450+03:00Physiotherapy in Viikki<div style="text-align: center;">
Well hello! This is me, lady O'Hara, on my way to physiotherapy. (I've just embarrassed my humans by doing my business in someone else's front yard! If you follow the leash there's one of my humans cleaning up. I decided to crop him out of the picture as he looked too serious and was spoiling my story!) </div>
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I visit <a href="http://www.vetmed.helsinki.fi/english/vth/index.html" target="_blank">Veterinary Teaching Hospital</a> in Viikki once a month to have my old joints and muscles stretched. This time it's only been about three weeks since my last visit. I've been stiff and a little unenthusiastic, so my humans emailed my physiotherapist and they decided to advance my appointment. </div>
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When we leave home we first walk about 800 meters to a bus stop. Summertime we need to reserve plenty of time for the walk, and usually I rest my paws before the bus arrives (there's a nice small grassy hill to the right of the bus stop). Now the weather is better for us old hounds, and I surprised my humans by trotting to the bus stop quickly. We had to wait for the bus for a while. </div>
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22nd of September was car-free day and we only paid €1 for our ride. Well, I didn't pay anything, and the female human had a valid season ticket. But the male human paid €1 and saved €1!<br />
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(Maybe he'll put it towards a car of his own. We used to have one, but you can't trust my humans with <a href="http://kumina.blogspot.fi/2011/07/lady-in-distress.html" target="_blank">anything valuable</a>. Now we're one of those "one less car" families and both humans own at least three bicycles, probably more! I refuse to wear a bicycle helmet, it ruins my hairdo. )</div>
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My humans have had a short holiday this week. That's why we could visit the physiotherapist before noon. It made travelling easier, as the bus wasn't full and there was less traffic. Less traffic = smoother ride. My male human held me to make sure my hind end stays put: old age has made me stiffer and slow to adjust to movement with my hind legs. I still managed to greet other passengers and watch the scenery as well. This time, I didn't try to jump off the bus every time it stopped.</div>
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We arrived to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viikki" target="_blank">Viikki</a> and had some time before my appointment. Viikki is a nice, green suburb with plenty of parks. All the dogs visiting the teaching hospital leave their messages in the bushes. I sniffed and marked and managed to expand my realm considerably.</div>
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My humans usually take me inside as late as possible. I like physiotherapy, but I've visited the same building before on other business: they cut my paw open to removes stones, and I had to eat awful antibiotics that messed up my stomach. When sniffing the trees I saw something that made me feel even more mistrustful: Labradors. They treat Labradors in the same building!!! I hope they use disinfectant before and after. Plenty of disinfectant.</div>
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(You probably don't see the dogs, but there's one black and one yellow Labrador. They look happy and content, as they usually do. That's highly suspicious. Maybe they've stolen drugs from the clinic.)</div>
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We had to wait for a few minutes. The male human registered me, and as usual we checked my weight (29,3 kg, or 64,6 pounds). I leaned against the female human to get some cuddles. The yellow Ortlieb bag contains my blanket in case the appointment is late. I refuse to lie down on the slippery stone floor and if we have to wait for a long time, a blanket allows me to nap instead of standing and whining. This time we didn't need the blanket but I was called in pretty quickly. I started to wag my tail when I saw my physiotherapist. I really like her, and the cat kibble she has in her pocket.</div>
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This is me enjoying. Muscles on my right side were tense, especially the hind leg. That explains why I've felt sore and unwell. I tried to tell off the physiotherapist when she stretched and treated the muscles, but she didn't care a bit, no matter how much I pushed her with my nose. I suppose her own dogs have taught her how to deal with uncooperative patients. </div>
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After the treatment I jumped off the bed and was petted by everyone. I got some cat kibble and we made a new appointment for next month. I trotted out of the room and didn't mind at all the empty examination rooms and personnel we passed on our way out. Happy, happy, jolly girl!<br />
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We took the same bus back home. This time, I stood next to a year-old girl on a pram. She kindly petted my bottom for the duration of the journey and was very interested in my plans for the afternoon ("snack" and "nap"). </div>
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Our path home takes us through a park and I did have some appetizers straight from the vegetable garden (ie the lovely grassy side of a stream). </div>
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It took us a while to get home, but I had light paws and good company. No complaints! Instead, I enjoyed the park and the fact that a month from now, we'll do this same trip again.</div>
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paola_http://www.blogger.com/profile/12486463747794033671noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19713583.post-33257063592496827642015-09-05T17:20:00.002+03:002015-09-05T18:45:57.924+03:00Cycling familyMy humans love cycling. They love it more than sleeping, running, eating, or sniffing other human's pee. Weird creatures. Anyway, last week the female human broke her bike when she had her day off. It had to be fixed. When she got the bike back I got to visit <a href="http://haaganpyorahuolto.fi/" target="_blank">a bike repair shop</a> they frequent when they want something fixed. (Usually, we just walk past the shop, and I mark the hedge and sniff all the messages boys have left for me.)<br />
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For a 12-year-old, I move pretty quickly when visiting an interesting place. The female human had her hands full as I tried to choose presents for the male human. Maybe he'd like a new... chainguard? Or a basket? For bringing home shopping bags full of sausages-ham-cheese-eggs-maybe-even-some-liver?<br />
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There was a desk and a service area with three guys working. I quickly pushed my head inside a paper bin under the desk to check the contents. No sandwiches, no cookies. The guys were nice enough though, and I got plenty of attention, scratches, pats and petting. One of them probably owns a dog, as he held me against his thigh and scratched my shoulder just the way I like it.</div>
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I wagged my tail wildly, as usually the combination "skinny guy and a bicycle" equals my male human. I was a bit surprised the female human paid no attention to these guys. </div>
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They had more bikes than our male (and he has at least seven)!</div>
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When we left the shop my female human was very, very happy. As soon as we left she tested her new brake lever. I realised she needs to be very carefully supervised in case she tries to actually cycle home, so I wrapped the leash around her palm multiple times.<br />
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I led the way to make sure we'll get home safely. I also kept the female human alert by criss-crossing her path multiple times to check pee marks and stare at the wild rabbits living in a nearby forest.</div>
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I'm very pleased with the fact that after years of training, the female human now knows when to stop and wait patiently. She didn't shout at the other humans, and when I spent five minutes sniffing this rhododendron bush she did not start to whine. (She did test the brake lever a few times though, but I think that's understandable. It is shiny, and she used to only have a coaster brake.)</div>
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<br />paola_http://www.blogger.com/profile/12486463747794033671noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19713583.post-36262501924980440562015-05-08T21:05:00.002+03:002015-05-08T21:05:46.472+03:00Queen of the HillHer ladyship enjoys our spring walks on the nearby hill. There's been dirt to eat...
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...and a kingdom to watch. (You know it's spring when Tara decides to lie down. The photo was taken when she did it the first time this year, mid-March.)
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(HRH would like to add that there's no need to eat dirt when her diet is adequate. Lately, there's been too much talk about "gaining weight" and not enough liver, chicken, ice-cream, pizza, sausages, mid-morning snacks and late dinners. "Fat is a feminist issue", she says, and asks me to pass the butter and cheese.)paola_http://www.blogger.com/profile/12486463747794033671noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19713583.post-40361206106483070742014-09-18T18:37:00.000+03:002014-09-18T18:37:32.242+03:00Beware of Bears!We were walking a familiar path in the woods when Tara suddenly stopped to listen. We heard strange noise in the woods. "Bears", I could hear her thinking. "Wolves. Badgers, maybe. Definitely wolverines, and elderly dachshunds." Tara refused to walk and insisted on turning back. <br />
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I could see the group of City of Helsinki Environmental Management Unit workers tending the forest. Try explaining it to a suspicious canine senior citizen.<br />
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<br />paola_http://www.blogger.com/profile/12486463747794033671noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19713583.post-18702962061223142842014-08-15T19:58:00.000+03:002014-08-15T19:58:05.944+03:00ConvalescentTara is resting after a bout of pain and limping. She's most likely suffering from osteoarthritis - she's had it coming for quite a long time. We phoned our vet's office and got instructions for medication. Poor little girl.
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<br />paola_http://www.blogger.com/profile/12486463747794033671noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19713583.post-76530545657799413962014-07-22T14:18:00.002+03:002014-07-22T14:19:15.450+03:00Best Brunch in HelsinkiThe best brunch in Helsinki is served outside <a href="http://www.vetmed.helsinki.fi/english/vth/index.html">Veterinary Teaching Hospital</a> in Viikki. A (plastic) bowl of kibble & mince after a relaxing physiotherapy session - a perfect way to start the day!
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Tara has a limp and has lost muscle in her right front leg. The limp is caused by a small neck problem she's had for years (hypermobility). She tends to avoid certain positions and uses her left side more especially now when she's getting old. Regular physiotherapy has helped with the limp and significantly improved her back mobility. After the first two sessions she started to jump & sprint like a two-year-old again!<!--3-->paola_http://www.blogger.com/profile/12486463747794033671noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19713583.post-90928774102616675432014-07-15T19:24:00.002+03:002014-07-15T19:24:25.255+03:00Retirement in Haaga<div style="text-align: center;">
Miss Scarlett O'Hara has grown old. First her cheeks turned grey, then eyelashes, followed by ears and crown. But she feels pretty, oh so pretty! </div>
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Tara has been very happy with our new place in Haaga. There's a lift (she loathes stairs nowadays, as she has shoulder pains and walking down the stairs seems to be painful). <a href="http://www.hel.fi/hel2/keskuspuisto/eng/1centralpark/" target="_blank">Helsinki Central Park</a> is within walking distance. </div>
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Tara needs her beauty treatments. There's an interesting saluki boy, <a href="http://www.zarabis.fi/index.php/8-zarabis/67-zarabis-oamra" target="_blank">Luru</a>, living nearby. We need to keep an eye on the couple. There's love in the air, and we wouldn't be surprised if they eloped. </div>
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Tara turned 11 last month. She's still brisk and curious, and we take her out for surprisingly long walks. However, she's started to have breaks: she just walks to a soft spot, turns around a few times and lies down. </div>
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There's one thing that hasn't changed. Tara has a healthy appetite, and she loves salmon even more than liver! </div>
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We have four rabbits (mother and three baby bunnies), three young </div>
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squirrels, a wood pigeon and a brown hare living in our yard. </div>
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Breakfast,
lunch, dinner and a few snacks: so many furry little </div>
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creatures to stalk and chase. Oh the joy of living close to a forest!</div>
paola_http://www.blogger.com/profile/12486463747794033671noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19713583.post-8278173933577711292013-06-12T21:59:00.001+03:002013-06-12T22:17:47.529+03:00We, the King and Queen of CheeseHRH had her annual check-up. Afterwards, she quoted her late peer, Queen Victoria: "We are not amused." Don't get me wrong: everything was fine with our little lady, blood works, heart, joints and all. The vet and her assistant just dared to poke her with a needle! Oh her amusement when she managed to dodge just enough to mess up the surgery with blood.<br />
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Imagine the look on her face when the vet told us that she can continue eating the extra energy kibble, since there's no need to diet and she's still very active. She tried to drill into our brains the message "she's saying I'm skinny! thin! starving! NEED-MORE-FOOD!!!"<br />
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Our skinny beauty turns 10 today. She's slower than she used to be but still sometimes shows the other breeds how to run properly. She enjoys peaceful walks, food, cuddles, our woollen carpet (it's warm, and she **loves!!** plucking the yarns when she gets bored) and the male human massaging her shoulders and neck. We recently moved flat, and now she has a whole new neighbourhood to explore. We believe she's enjoying her lady-age and the respect she gets from puppies, male dogs and us humans. She hasn't changed much with age, though: she's still much the same she was when she moved in with us. <br />
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(We had a picnic breakfast the other day and Tara got to choose the best place to rest. And eat. And watch birds and squirrels.)paola_http://www.blogger.com/profile/12486463747794033671noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19713583.post-81857278616568097932012-08-20T18:17:00.001+03:002012-08-20T18:19:41.069+03:00Wakey wakey<div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;">
...it's time for morning walkies!</div>
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(Notice how she's smuggled a white and black plush greyhound </div>
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puppy in bed, and placed her tail carefully on her master's pillow.)</div>
<br />paola_http://www.blogger.com/profile/12486463747794033671noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19713583.post-53720133847816324242012-06-23T06:23:00.001+03:002012-06-23T06:23:07.321+03:00Greysummer MadnessIt's <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moomin#List_of_books">Vaarallinen juhannus</a> ("Dangerous Midsummer") again. Midsummer is a huge public holiday in Finland, and all the shops and offices are closed. It is pretty much impossible to find an open restaurant. People escape the city to travel to their summer cottages or visit relatives. The streets of Helsinki are suddenly empty, except for confused tourists (trying to find a loo that's open) and wild greyhounds with their servants.<br />
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With no traffic, Tara got to choose where we'll walk. We never knew she'd want to start a political career. Here's her new office, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parliament_House,_Helsinki" target="_blank">Parliament House</a>.<br />
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Her steps were very determined when approaching the main entrance.<br />
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"What the retriever? It's closed! A summer break??! In the middle of the summer...?? Oh, bugger."<br />
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She decided to take a rest outside <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helsinki_Music_Centre" target="_blank">Musiikkitalo</a> opposite the Parliament House. Servants were told to keep an eye on the office in case it the summer break ends, Tara spent her time looking good in case any possible voters or concerned citizens need her advice.<br />
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<br />paola_http://www.blogger.com/profile/12486463747794033671noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19713583.post-28976003962064832642012-06-12T09:38:00.000+03:002012-06-12T09:38:22.865+03:00HRH Scarlett O'HaraLady of the house turns 9 today. Tara has gray nose, gray eyelashes, and gray hair poking out of her ears, but she still runs to the kitchen when I'm cutting cheese. She has plenty of small boyfriends (dachshunds, german spitzs, chihuahuas, pomeranians) sniffing her toes: sometimes she looks puzzled when a small suitor runs around her feet. When a strange bitch enters her territory she either makes friends (if the stranger submits) or raises hell (if she tries to question her rule). She has a couple of enemies in the neighborhood and a lot of neutral friends she either greets or ignores.<br />
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Tara's getting stubborn and wants to choose where we'll walk. Usually, she wants to visit <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helsinki_Central_railway_station" target="_blank">the railway station</a>, <a href="https://stockmann.com/" target="_blank">Stockmann department store</a>, or "granny kiosk" ie a corner shop where dog's are allowed (and she'll get a treat from the owner). But she likes traveling by metro best: she knows the way to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaisaniemi_metro_station" target="_blank">the nearest station</a>, drags me down the stairs, right to the elevator, and then we'll travel two stations to Sörnäinen. She's a funny old lady.
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<br /></div>paola_http://www.blogger.com/profile/12486463747794033671noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19713583.post-58117021647946168742012-03-06T22:00:00.000+02:002012-03-06T22:03:58.160+02:00Demolition<div style="text-align: center;">
You've got to be kidding me! I'm supposed to sleep here?
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Well thank you.
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(apologies for the quality of the pics - we were busy rescuing greyhounds)</div>paola_http://www.blogger.com/profile/12486463747794033671noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19713583.post-20700546471116918012012-03-04T20:13:00.000+02:002012-03-04T20:13:44.953+02:00Migration timeLast autumn, we decided to travel to Viikki-Vanhankaupunginlahti nature reserve. It's only a short metro ride away from the city center.
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I enjoyed the view but unfortunately, there were no rabbits. Fortunately, the humans had packed a picnic: they had tea and I ate the rolls.
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My ears got tired, as I had to stay alert all the time. You never know what kind of beasts lurk in the reeds. It's dangerous to meet wild bicycles, geese, blue tits and bird watchers.
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<br />paola_http://www.blogger.com/profile/12486463747794033671noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19713583.post-35579149367845285452011-11-23T07:23:00.001+02:002011-11-23T09:21:01.222+02:00Physical therapy for skinny houndsI visited my vet a few months back. Every now and then I experience sudden sharp neck pain and also hold up my front paw, and the humans decided my neck needs to be re-examined. (It's been x-rayed before, and we know I've got a few hypermobile neck discs, but that was years ago.) Well, the vet couldn't examine me properly because I was so tense with fear, and when she touched my hind legs I screamed and tried to bite her through the muzzle I was wearing. She told the humans that overall I seem to be fine but a bit of physical therapy would probably do good for my neck.<br />
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One morning both of the humans had a day off and we spent a family day together. They allowed me to drag them to the metro (I love all kinds of public transport systems) and I got to travel from Kaisaniemi to Siilitie.
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We walked through <a href="http://www.gardenia-helsinki.fi/viikkinature/index.htm" target="_blank">Viikki nature reserve</a> (located in the geographical centre of City of Helsinki) and finally arrived to the Small Animal Hospital / Veterinary Teaching Hospital. I was excited, but when we walked in I suddenly realized I'd been cheated. I could smell a vet (or actually, plenty of vets). And to make matters worse, soon after we arrived a huge young Irish Wolfhound boy with absolutely no manners whatsoever tried to sniff my bum. Or at least he was looking at me (and my bum). Anyways, I felt threatened and tried to escape through the sliding doors. Unfortunately, I was still wearing my harness and a leash and had to stay in the castle of torturers and huge stalker hounds. And soon my humans greeted a suspiciously vet-looking person and dragged me through a corridor with plenty of vet-offices, vet-smells, and vet-looking humans. I Did Not Appreciate Their Efforts.<br />
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But to my surprise, the vet-person turned out to be a greyhound-massage person. She was very, very calm and kind. She called me a Good Girl, had snacks in her office, and allowed me to sniff every nook and corner. There was no steel table but a nice soft floor, and when she touched me she did not try to see under my tail or inside my ears. She lifted my paws, and petted me, and slid her hands slowly to examine my muscles. Finally, I relaxed enough to lie down, and my female human sat next to me and put a towel under my head. I felt really quite comfortable and didn't mind the greyhound-massage person examining my neck and legs. I only tried to bite her when she was examining my toes, and it turned out that an old puncture wound I have between my toes was still sore to touch. She didn't mind me acting out since the humans had warned her. And when she left the room and came back, I went to greet her with my tail wagging.<br />
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Her diagnosis was a stiff neck due to the hypermobility. She actually told us that the stiff neck protects me from pain by supporting the discs. The neck problem combined with the old toe injury is probably why I'm holding up my paw. She gave us exercise and massage instructions, and also advice on diet. (I don't mind eating more fish, especially salmon.) And finally she told my humans that I have no arthritis, joint problems or other lady-age ailments, and again petted me and called me a Good Girl.<br />
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We left the hospital and walked slowly back to Siilitie metro station.
Viikki Research Farm has cows, and I spent quite a while just staring at
them. Big milk-producing friends, they are. And the cows had hundreds
of geese walking among them - the autumn migration had started. The
birds were loud, as you can tell by my ears.<br />
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We also visited a dog park in Herttoniemi, and I got to sniff and run and wag my tail. I had a Shetland Sheepdog as a companion, and together we walked in the bushes and emptied my water bowl. It was good to stretch my massaged muscles a bit. I felt like a two-year old, especially because the humans seemed relaxed and happy and I could tell they were proud of me. After all, I didn't maim anyone in the hospital, and they thought it was money very wisely spent. I can recommend physical therapy for all the lady-aged greyhounds - it's like visiting a day spa!paola_http://www.blogger.com/profile/12486463747794033671noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19713583.post-66654838262323446772011-09-09T09:08:00.000+03:002011-09-09T09:08:28.414+03:00Forgotten winter images<div style="text-align: center;">
Winter 2010-11 was lovely. First snow fell early and we got to enjoy snow all through the winter. The snow depth measured in Kaisaniemi, Helsinki on 20 December
was 67 cm, or very close to the all-time record snow depth for
December, 70 cm (measured in 1915).</div>
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Both Eläintarhanlahti (Eläintarha Bay) and Töölönlahti (Töölö Bay) froze. There's nothing better than walking on ice on a sunny day! </div>
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Tara and her male human walking under Pitkäsilta (one of the </div>
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bridges connecting southern Helsinki with the rest of the city). </div>
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Pretty old lady posing (there was a very, </div>
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very cute dachshund boy in the distance...!)</div>
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Tara didn't need a coat, even though it was probably -12C when the photos were taken. There was no wind and we were walking briskly, except when she forced us to stop to read love letters handsome boys had written for her:</div>
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paola_http://www.blogger.com/profile/12486463747794033671noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19713583.post-62805116456266555062011-09-03T17:08:00.005+03:002011-09-03T17:27:59.813+03:00The art of postcards"When hiring servants - having satisfied yourself on the points of character and suitability for the service you would have them perform - the most important matter is the quality of their penmanship and correct choice of stationery." (Ms Grey's Etiquette for Young Ladies)
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<br />My maid (ie female human) passed the test by sending me this lovely postcard with a picture of a lunch having lunch on it.
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Pl_F1x9RSLc/TmI4C9KU_7I/AAAAAAAAAx4/ehZLw8P2eQI/s1600/IMG_4716.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Pl_F1x9RSLc/TmI4C9KU_7I/AAAAAAAAAx4/ehZLw8P2eQI/s320/IMG_4716.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5648138506104799154" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_AQ7Rkh3Ea4/TmI4DO4RUWI/AAAAAAAAAyA/HAZ-JORt-jk/s1600/IMG_4717.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_AQ7Rkh3Ea4/TmI4DO4RUWI/AAAAAAAAAyA/HAZ-JORt-jk/s320/IMG_4717.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5648138510860898658" border="0" /></a>
<br />paola_http://www.blogger.com/profile/12486463747794033671noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19713583.post-17254213338171443362011-08-26T13:00:00.004+03:002011-08-26T18:06:24.614+03:00Beauty salonWhen I'm shedding, Tervasaari dog park doubles as a beauty salon. A free hair styling with a massage!
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DFPePG2oCJY/TldvCVQ6KFI/AAAAAAAAAxw/xxk9c7rqrhg/s1600/IMG_4696.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DFPePG2oCJY/TldvCVQ6KFI/AAAAAAAAAxw/xxk9c7rqrhg/s320/IMG_4696.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5645102743790692434" border="0" /></a>paola_http://www.blogger.com/profile/12486463747794033671noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19713583.post-76188166192556468062011-08-21T14:36:00.004+03:002011-08-22T06:30:45.635+03:00Very special guest starsA while ago, my female human ran away to meet her primary school friends. They spent two days talking, eating, and laughing (like girls do when they have escaped all the responsibilities). Fortunately, I didn't have to worry about her getting into trouble, since there were guards on premises:
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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-c_rjz_kBLVU/TlDusGDeN4I/AAAAAAAAAxg/Z-c4WNBL2mM/s1600/IMG_4637.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-c_rjz_kBLVU/TlDusGDeN4I/AAAAAAAAAxg/Z-c4WNBL2mM/s320/IMG_4637.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5643272774402062210" border="0" /></a>Salli (Fireheart Limited Edition) is a Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever, and Manta a Finnish Hound / Finnish Spitz mix. They'll notice any aggressive rabbits, gamefowl, squirrels, and other dangerous beasts way before the humans will.
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<br />Together the girls took very good care of my human. Manta slept next to her, and Salli made a bed out of a bed cover and some clothes my human had left lying around. They also ensured that her outfit was perfect, ie full of dog hair.
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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-L91zn0H7ySU/TlDusUdgAfI/AAAAAAAAAxo/MFWep_7R648/s1600/IMG_4633.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-L91zn0H7ySU/TlDusUdgAfI/AAAAAAAAAxo/MFWep_7R648/s320/IMG_4633.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5643272778269327858" border="0" /></a>Both dogs are very kind and like cuddles (here's Salli with her owner Katri). The female human said that there was no shortage of begging looks when she was eating, requests for play, and demands for petting. And she also told me that it was easier to sleep when someone was hoarding the bed (as usual). Sounds like a perfect holiday to me!
<br />paola_http://www.blogger.com/profile/12486463747794033671noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19713583.post-32893274602615781602011-08-13T16:31:00.004+03:002011-08-13T19:36:12.715+03:00Human on holidayMy female human is a librarian by profession. She has gathered a huge pile of books to read on her holiday (a professional illness*), and now has about four weeks to complete the task.
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<br /><div style="text-align: center;">I wonder why she's not making much progress?
<br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aVo0__bkHL0/TkaeFcsXvOI/AAAAAAAAAxY/0NOnAD7FdnU/s1600/IMG_4679.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aVo0__bkHL0/TkaeFcsXvOI/AAAAAAAAAxY/0NOnAD7FdnU/s320/IMG_4679.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5640369399766957282" border="0" /></a>*Most of the librarians do this. You spend 11 months selecting new items to acquire, preparing new items for public use after they've arrived, choosing books for book talks, suggesting reading, arranging book displays, retrieving information from various databases, ordering interlibrary loans, answering "Ask a Librarian" questions, shelving books, talking about books, and constantly bumping into books (I've got the bruises to prove it). Eight hours a day, five days a week, plus the reading time it takes to prepare for book talks. It's impossible to avoid finding hidden treasures. "Oooooh! A young adult novel about <a href="http://www.teenreads.com/reviews/9781416925040.asp">suffragettes and slavery</a>! And a history of <a href="http://www.helmet.fi/record=b1566878%7ES9*fin">Finnish youth voluntary work during WW2</a>... a book of <a href="http://books.google.fi/books?id=437JchaXKOkC&lpg=PA12&ots=V6ip6TsDis&dq=A%20is%20for%20apron%20%3A%2025%20fresh%20%26%20flirty%20designs&hl=en&pg=PA13#v=onepage&q&f=false">apron patterns</a>... new Ella book by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timo_Parvela">Timo Parvela</a>... <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Buddhist-Psychology-Caroline-Brazier/dp/1841197335">Buddhist psychology</a>... <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/One-Blood-Inside-Britains-Culture/dp/1847392814">British gang culture</a>..."
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<br />Our holidays are way too short. A lifetime is too short to read them all.
<br />paola_http://www.blogger.com/profile/12486463747794033671noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19713583.post-83592019637837711722011-07-30T19:36:00.010+03:002011-07-30T21:43:44.836+03:00A lady in distressLast April, we visited <a href="http://www.tampere.fi/english/index.html">Tampere</a>. Humans attended a wedding party, I enjoyed being pampered by auntie R. As you can see, auntie R. knows exactly how to treat her guests:<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LQJvYG8izSk/TjRB7cOQ_5I/AAAAAAAAAxA/wYK2Ra23fdg/s1600/IMG_4313.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LQJvYG8izSk/TjRB7cOQ_5I/AAAAAAAAAxA/wYK2Ra23fdg/s320/IMG_4313.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5635201523191447442" border="0" /></a>Yes, that's a dried pig's ear! My favourite treat!<br /></div><br />We had a lovely evening (treats! walkies! excellent company!) and by the time the humans returned, I had fallen asleep on the couch. They wanted to drive back home in the middle of the night. I must have fallen asleep again as I didn't hear the rationale behind this decision, but trusted on them knowing better. We left auntie R.'s home around 1am. By 2:30am, we were approaching <a href="http://www.riihimaki.fi/Riihimaki/Information-en-se-de/English/">Riihimäki</a> (109 kilometers from Tampere, 69 kilometers from Helsinki and home). It was dark, windy, and cold outside. Suddenly, we lost all the electricity and the engine died.<br /><br />Humans called <a href="http://www.autoliitto.fi/in_english/">ATCF Road Service</a> for help. We had to wait for towing for about 45 minutes. I was tucked under an extra blanket for warmth. I wanted the humans to explain me the rationale behind leaving Tampere, but they ignored my questions. It was unfair: the back seat wasn't nearly as comfortable as auntie R.'s couch, and we had no food with us.<br /><br />When help arrived, we had to leave the car. I only had my thin coat and it was b***dy cold. I peed on the motorway. I had to be lifted to the cab of the towing truck (I'm no ladder-climbing creature). The cab was designed for three humans, not for three humans and a freaked out lady greyhound. We had a very, very uncomfortable 20 km ride to <a href="http://www.hyvinkaa.fi/Muut-sivut/Nopeat--hyodylliset/In-English/">Hyvinkää</a>, where the nearest garage our insurance company accepted was located. Half of the time I was standing my bum against the windscreen, the other half I was trying to walk around and made everyone (the driver excluded) freak out. Again, I asked the humans to explain me why this is more fun than staying with auntie R., but they were busy watching the scenery.<br /><br />By the time we got to Hyvinkää it was 3:45am. Truck driver kindly gave us a lift to the train station before disappearing with our car. Local trains to Helsinki were still running, but the station building was closed. To avoid freezing to death, we had to wait for the next train in an underpass, for about 40 minutes. There was no shortage of drunk company as the local nightclubs had just closed. Fortunately, the female human had grabbed my blanket before we left our car. She made an emergency shelter for me:<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IRX76nH_dZo/TjRB7jgNmmI/AAAAAAAAAxI/qQBU23MHHh8/s1600/IMG_4315.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IRX76nH_dZo/TjRB7jgNmmI/AAAAAAAAAxI/qQBU23MHHh8/s320/IMG_4315.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5635201525145770594" border="0" /></a>A T-train arrived at 4:23am and took us home. It was warm. I tried to get some sleep. I tried one more time asking kindly exactly why a local train full of sleeping drunks is better than dreaming of rabbits and eating breakfast with auntie R., but the humans were discussing the benefits of cycling and public transport.<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-f6s2jPITVjk/TjRB72GHfbI/AAAAAAAAAxQ/hsOQFIcXZfU/s1600/IMG_4323.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-f6s2jPITVjk/TjRB72GHfbI/AAAAAAAAAxQ/hsOQFIcXZfU/s320/IMG_4323.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5635201530136591794" border="0" /></a>Humans forced me to walk home from the Helsinki railway station. It was 6am and we were all starving. They served me my morning meal. I wolfed it down too quickly and spent the following two hours gagging and throwing up. The humans had to follow me around because I wanted to throw up on pillows, carpets, blankets and clothes. They tried to lure me to bed, but I resisted the temptation till 8am.<br /><br />I blame my sudden illness on the humans, who were busy locating car dismantlers and only served me kibble. I bet auntie R. would have served me an omelet, with two sausages and a bowl of strawberries and cream.paola_http://www.blogger.com/profile/12486463747794033671noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19713583.post-55367408044730020482011-07-25T21:42:00.006+03:002011-07-25T23:11:02.190+03:00Learning psychokinesis<div style="text-align: center;"><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4xz-v1vHxmg/Ti26GQ5s4MI/AAAAAAAAAw4/Klmv2oC6o8w/s1600/IMG_4583.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4xz-v1vHxmg/Ti26GQ5s4MI/AAAAAAAAAw4/Klmv2oC6o8w/s320/IMG_4583.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5633363325689323714" border="0" /></a><br /></div>paola_http://www.blogger.com/profile/12486463747794033671noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19713583.post-8559184463640552212011-07-02T17:50:00.006+03:002011-07-25T22:48:02.234+03:00Hard-working auntie GreyA few weeks back, I was on a baby-sitting duty. I was visited by brothers <a href="http://kumina.blogspot.com/2010/08/paavo.html">Paavo</a> and Väinö, and their cousin <a href="http://kumina.blogspot.com/2011/05/fast-moving-subjects.html">Sisu</a>.<br /><br />Väinö is a human puppy, only two months and a bit! I sniffed his head carefully and then gave him a small lick-kiss. He smells lovely. It was my duty as an auntie to guard him.<br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pwVpH6Yi0eM/Tg8xC1PDEnI/AAAAAAAAAMw/a0VmZGm7fHM/s1600/img_4605.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pwVpH6Yi0eM/Tg8xC1PDEnI/AAAAAAAAAMw/a0VmZGm7fHM/s320/img_4605.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5624768384328733298" border="0" /></a>When I was trying to rest after Väinö left, Sisu decided it's playtime. <a href="http://kumina.blogspot.com/2010/04/leader-of-human-pack.html">He's always had a fancy for my tail</a>.<br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mlpethtirG4/Tg8xCOWnZKI/AAAAAAAAAMg/K56m66kKJmo/s1600/img_4616.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mlpethtirG4/Tg8xCOWnZKI/AAAAAAAAAMg/K56m66kKJmo/s320/img_4616.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5624768373891490978" border="0" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-v4sXlhOaFcs/Tg8xCULRp0I/AAAAAAAAAMo/ZL0gycYLNqg/s1600/img_4615.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-v4sXlhOaFcs/Tg8xCULRp0I/AAAAAAAAAMo/ZL0gycYLNqg/s320/img_4615.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5624768375454541634" border="0" /></a>The best thing about babysitting is an endless supply of snacks and treats. I have to stay alert just in case something falls. The adult humans have to keep an eye on me.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fr3UCwfraN8/Tg8xD_38fEI/AAAAAAAAANA/OHF00dk4Ygs/s1600/img_4609.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fr3UCwfraN8/Tg8xD_38fEI/AAAAAAAAANA/OHF00dk4Ygs/s320/img_4609.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5624768404364491842" border="0" /></a>An innocent child having a snack of watermelon and apple juice.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-x4zrGwiS1Mk/Tg8xDZCH6XI/AAAAAAAAAM4/RJElzKcCwxs/s1600/img_4611.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-x4zrGwiS1Mk/Tg8xDZCH6XI/AAAAAAAAAM4/RJElzKcCwxs/s320/img_4611.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5624768393938200946" border="0" /></a>A greyhound acting silly. Behind the smile is a predator ready to strike and polish off any misplaced fruit.<br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-t-1zACwxQBQ/Tg8xpqe7HRI/AAAAAAAAANI/Wnr8Y5b_nDw/s1600/img_4608.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-t-1zACwxQBQ/Tg8xpqe7HRI/AAAAAAAAANI/Wnr8Y5b_nDw/s320/img_4608.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5624769051457428754" border="0" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2