Hard to believe I wrote my last post over a month ago! I always suspected somebody steals summertime from me but now I’m almost certain!
Where do I start? I suppose I should begin at Belgian Speciality where my girls did very well. The first day, with Rui Monteiro who judged, Ruda got an Exc and Basqa an Exc CQ. On second day with Emanuele Boriero judging, Ruda got an Exc. CQ and Basqa an Exc. I never thought the little one would do so well!
Both days were spent in nice company of other Laekenois lovers and warm atmosphere despite quite chilly and windy weather. It was so nice to meet Rui and talk to him for a while!
I did not have time to make pics but I managed to take a blurry shot of flying Basqa after the show.
What happened between the show and our journey to Holland I cannot recall. Nothing special, I suppose. Working in the garden, training and swimming, that´s what we were doing. Occasionally even taking care of a friends puppy, a Samoyed, who became a very good friend of Basqa. I didn’t know there was a gentle part in her until I saw her playing with this pup! I discover more and more parts of her that I really like!
The next highlight of June was our journey to Holland. My youngest son was travelling with me and I enjoyed his company. We changed at the wheel as well, it was a long drive! The girls behaved very well.
We have visited an old friend of mine who moved to Scania. She showed us some beautiful places. I would mind living there! The climate is much better for outdoor activities and growing the vegetables. Almost no snow during wintertime. Europe is much closer. The dialect they talk almost impossible to understand LOL But I would learn quickly! I always do!
Next morning we took a ferry to Rostock and drove through Germany. As usual it was a nightmare! Lots of accidents and traffic jams between Hamburg and Bremen prolonged 6 hours driving to 8,5 hours but finally we arrived to our tiny house we rented for 3 nights. Wonderful quiet place with a big river nearby situated between green fields. A place where You can watch sunset every day. I never see sunset here. We have trees and big rocks everywhere!
Next two days just disapeared. The dog show which, because of bad weather, was held inside in a low and cramped building with barking and whining dogs, would not be a hit if it wasn´t for all Dutch friends I met!
All my dogs behaved super well though they did not like all that mess at all.
Both got just VG, Ruda because of her missing tooth ( the judge did not accept a veterinary certificate that all other judges accepted before!!!) and Basqa because she was not mature enough ( though she was entered in Junior class???). No, it was not my day, but luckily I wasn´t there for show only!
Everything else was just perfect! The people, the dogs, the gossip and friendly atmosphere! And I personally met both of Alexandras males, Sonny and Monty, that could possibly sire Rudas next litter and I liked them a lot!
The Laekenfun day was just as nice and we even got sunshine the whole day! I was so occupied talking to people, looking at dogs and just enjoying to be there that I missed to make pics. I took one of Rudas family, the one in the middle is her mother.
The journey home went very smooth. I already miss my Dutch friends! Some day I will make this journey again!
And back home there was time to celebrate Midsummer! One of the most celebrated holidays in Sweden, the longest day of a year.
I don’t really get why I should be so happy about days getting shorter but at least we are free from work some extra days and drive to the countryside where we meet our best friends.
Our main occupation will be eating too much, drinking too much, walking in those beautiful forests and swimming in the lake nearby. I usually drive to the nearest dog club or soccer field and train obedience with my dogs. I have friends in the nearest village that make a very nice company. They own a Border Collie from the same breeder and train obedience with their dogs. I really enjoy meeting them!
It´s always so good to have nice company!
Otherwise we walked, played in water and enjoyed beautiful weather. There would be no black clouds in the sky if not those terrible little gnats existed. They just waited for opportunity to eat us up, especially after the sunset. But we survived, we always do somehow.
I discovered that Basqa likes water almost as much as her mother!
Running free in the forest must be many dogs dream. It requres some dose of self control with so many wild animals around. I´m happy I can trust them!
It has been about 35 years since I was invited to this place for the very first time. Some years we would spend every weekend there during summetime. We don’t own the cottage but our best friends allow us to use it whenever we want. There are places I cherish a lot. Holy places for me. This is one of them. It´s such a long time and not so many changes. The forest would disappear at some places, the new one would grow high. New roads would be built. But otherwise everything is as it used to be. The place where one can charge the batteries, find balance and peace. The best place on Earth!
