I due diavolini, 2 pet dogs

3 kittens get sterilized, & Neri's b'day

2012-02-02T22:53:00.003+01:00

2 Feb 2012: Bill took Maia & Silva to Dr L to get them sterilized on 19 Jan. The night before he caught Maia the large gray male kitten, by putting food in a jar with holes in it, into our kennel. Maia loves to eat & thinks by his stomach, kind of like some humans. We kept him overnight upstairs & he was really good & quiet except for a few meows. The next morning Nerina put some kibble into the trap & then she put Silva the gray female kitten into it. So off went the 2 of them to their surgeries. On the way there Silva was lashing out in her cage, of course trying to get out. The doctors had to turn the carriers around & around to try to jab at the cats to give them their punti for their anesthesia.

Before Maia woke up from his sleep, Dr G was saying that she had a friend who wanted a gray cat with bella silver tips. Then when Maia awoke he became wild & crazy, & Dr G reconsidered that he would not be a good choice for her friend. After the 2 of them came home, Bill had them upstairs overnight so that they could recuperate & be warm. The girls were pretty good about all of this except when they heard “meows” & then they started barking. The next am Bill gave the gatti their freedom. They shot like arrows running as fast as they could, up the tree by Giorgio M’s shed, & launched themselves over the 18 foot stone wall & into Germana’s giardino. There they stayed for 2 days. We had never figured out why they went there, like Mama Kitty before them, until Germana had told Neri that they were born in what used to be an old barn in her yard. Maybe that is where they felt safe. But Germana is smart, she doesn’t feed them, so of course they came back to Neri to be fed.

On Monday 30 Jan. we were invited to Neri’s for caffe’ & birthday cake to celebrate her 80th birthday! She had ordered a bella torta with soft cake layers, cream filling, & cookies on top. Now I know where my family gets their sweet tooth from, their Italian ancestors & today’s Italians who seem to know how to make every imaginable dessert. I remember while living in Germany that the Germans also made great ones. We sat around & talked to each other & Giorgio. We gave Neri a card with a cute gray kitten on the cover, & a cd of organ music composed on a fancy new church organ by Bill’s fratello Terry of Orlando. Then Neri’s son Maurizio came over with his wife Ardea & daughter Chantal. Bill & I left after awhile & came home, all of 10 feet from their casa to ours.

Bill had made an appt to get Stella spayed for the next morning, the 31st. Bill had learned that it is best to try to catch the cats the nite before their planned surgery. At night Maia accidentally got caught in the trap & Nerina let him out. He didn’t remember that 2 weeks earlier he had got caught. Bill went to bed having no luck catching the furba black female, Stella. The next am he called Dr L about 8:30 to cancel the appt. Then about 8:45 he called Dr L back telling him that he had caught Stella in the trap, using salmon juice. So off they went to her appt. Dr L waved a cat toy at her to distract her while his wife gave her a shot in her butt. After her surgery Bill brought her home. He kept her upstairs to recuperate in her cage. She really is beautiful with her black hair, yellow bright eyes, & cute little cat body. Dr L said about Maia that he will be a good cat to have around & that he will protect the females from males trying to bother them. We think that he is very sweet.

On Tuesday evening Bill told Neri the good news about Stella, she seemed very surprised & said that she was contenta.

Stella was very quiet in her cage overnight. She did not pee at all even though Bill gave her a little cup of water. On Wednesday morning Bill set her free at 7:00 & she went over the wall. On Thursday morning she was eating on our porch at 5:00 ravenously.

Wed the weather turned very cold with temps in the low 20’s, very windy with gusts about 20 mph, & snow on the montagne. We skipped the girls walks Wed & Thurs because of the cold, but I did go shopping at the base Wed.

New year with the pups!

2012-01-01T22:31:00.006+01:00

1 Jan 2012: It is new year’s eve & we are at home with the girls. They are asleep in their bed out in the hall. We are afraid that they will wake up & bark if they hear any fireworks in our town. They had a really good day, going for a walk with Bill early, & then in the afternoon we all went for a walk together to the park & then down the main street toward home.

Since they were so clean & sweet smelling from yesterday’s bath & grooming, we all took a nap together, just us girls. They were so cute & cuddly, Hon down by my legs & Ted by my arms & then on the pillow with me, licking my face & mouth. Soon afterwards they went downstairs because they wanted Bill to give them their Kong toys with treats. I think it is darling how they love their daily routine.

Sunday am, the girls slept quietly last night & so did we, even though I heard a vicino shooting off fireworks, but the girls didn’t.

Wednesday is my birthday! I plan to make a yellow cake & ask Nerina & Giorgio if they want to come over.

I ordered from Jefferspet in Dothan, Al a “brake fast” food bowl. It has bumps inside of it that is supposed to slow down a dog that gulps down its food & eats too fast, like Teddi. The bowl is red. Ted almost chokes herself from how she eats. Sometimes I must give her chest percussions. We will see if the new bowl helps, when we get it in the mail. I also will be getting a free Kong recipe booklet, for the perfect dog. Mommy will have to go to the PO to pick up the girls’ package when it comes in.

To see a really cute video of Teddi with the poochie bells & peanut butter, click on this video:

To see a really cute video of Honey also with the poochie bells, click on:
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100002748950077

2011-12-03T15:19:00.001+01:00

28 Nov 11: We had ordered new interior doors several months ago, seems like 5 or 6 months, & had waited patiently to get them. Finally the workmen came out at 8:00 last Monday to begin installing them. That morning was very hectic with the men in & out of the house bringing in the doors & all their equipment. It was very noisy with them using their drills & other tools. The pups of course barked & barked. Because the men were working on both floors, we really didn’t seem to have a good place to put the pups. At about 9:00 I decided to go to the base to spend the day. I didn’t feel that I really needed to stay home with all the noisy commotion. Bill could tend to the pups & the house.

So I hurried up & got ready to go, grabbing my stuff especially my heavy coat. When I started our Mini I saw that the temp reading was 37℉. Gradually during the day the temp warmed up into the 50’s. The skies were clear & sunny as they remained all during the week while work continued on our casa. At about 10:00 I did a quick shopping at the commissary. I bought some orange juice & some bottled water because I was very thirsty, not having had my normal breakfast or drinks, because of my quick exit from the house. After 11:00 I went to the Mensa to eat lunch which was pasta pomodoro & apple strudel. I wish I had eaten more, maybe some fish, because I became hungry after an hour or two. Being finished at the flight line, I drove to area 1 to spend the rest of the day.

I parked in front of the hospital between it & the library. Then being very tired I took a nap in the car which is something that I don’t usually do, but at which Bill is an expert. He could write a book about it. Then Bill & I called each other several times so that I could be updated on our remodel. Then I went to get a caffé from the hospital vending machine, & later went to the library. Bill called me before 16:30 to tell me the men were finished for the day & to come on home.

Once home Bill filled me in on the work that had been done, & told me how hectic & noisy the day had been which I pretty much knew. The girls had kept him very busy. The next day Bill figured out that our dining room would make an excellent baby pen for the girls by putting a pet gate between that room & the kitchen. I had never wanted to use the dining room as such because of our Turkish carpet in there. But we were desperate! Anyhow the girls loved this. They got tons of attention over the next 4 days until the work was completed on Friday. They sat with us while we had our caffé & cookies & tried to charm us into giving them something, maybe a piece of banana. We put their bed in there but they also liked laying on the rug. We were amazed at how they never pooped or peed in there, excellent babies. To avoid going by the men, we invented the dining room doggie window. Bill would walk to the backyard & then I would hand him the pups through the window one at a time. Taking them out often was the secret to keeping the room clean. Honey liked to get under the table between the chairs which were covered with long blue scroll design covers, kind of like she was in a doggy den.

The men were here for 4 days. While working on the 2 bedroom door frames they damaged the partition between them. So they called their manager who called a muratore or stone mason to come out to do the repair, before those doors could be put on & the work finished. This process took about 3 days. Finally on Friday morning the workers were done with the doors & left here, which we were happy to see them go. Friday afternoon the muratore returned to finish the partition. Before he left I asked him to write his name & # for me in case we would ever have need of his services again. He quickly told Bill what he had done & said goodbye. We really liked him & were impressed with his work. He had made the partition look like brand new & the wall finish ready for Bill to paint, at a later time.

During all this time I slept downstairs on the couch for 3 nites from Tuesday thru Thursday. On Monday I slept in my bedroom without a door. During the nite & the next day I was coughing, hacking, & spitting up as if I were a “several packs a day” smoker. I felt like the end for me was near. I also felt very itchy & realized that it was not healthy for me or anybody to be near or breathing all the dust bits or masonry which covered our whole house, but especially the bedrooms senza doors. If I ever have this type of work done again I will buy some masks to cover our nose & mouth. We noticed that one of the workers had a terrible cough, & that neither of them wore any safety equipment that we could see such as masks or ear protectors. We found this so strange. By Friday nite I was so happy to sleep in my own bed. This was after we had shook out all the bed covers & quickly cleaned the room.

We are very happy with our 7 new doors, 4 upstairs & 3 down. They are solid wood with noce lite or light walnut veneers. They are a bella brown color with a reddish tint & came with gold colored handles & locks with keys. Now I can finally go into the bathrooms & lock the doors for privacy, even if only the two of us live here. Each room is more quiet because the doors have a seal around them & they are not warped like the old ones. These are the same doors that some of the hotels use. The doors were made by Dorigo, a company in Treviso, Italy. The hardware was made by AGB, also in Italy. They are of excellent quality & should help us enjoy our casa more & save energy on gas for heating. I like the way the doors are smooth, springy & tight upon opening & closing. The old ones probably 40 years old, would open & close with a bang, not very pleasant.

We saved some money on the project because Bill took the old doors & frames to the dump in our rimorchio or trailer. We had to ask the lazy workmen to carry away the cardboard that had covered the doors & frames. This they did on the 2nd day, I think. But on Friday they left without carrying away a giant, heavy bag of trash from their work, even though Bill had asked them to do so. Overall though we were glad that these men would not be coming back, that the work was finally done, & that we could try to get our house back to normal.

That Thursday afternoon we sat in the living room & watched the Macy’s Thanksgiving parade while I brushed out Ted, & Hon either snooped around on the rug or sat next to me on the couch. Friday evening we had Nerina & Giorgio come over for caffé. Nerina bragged on how bella & wonderful our new doors were, & joked that I had spent all of Bill’s money & that he had told me “i soldi sono finiti” or the money is all finished, there would be no more. We laughed at that. Neri & Giorgio told us about the old times when they were younger, maybe 50 or 60 years ago, & what life was like in the cortile. The families that lived here all knew each other & were related, with there being the nonni, grown children, & younger ones, & the families marrying each other. Many more people lived here than do now. They would have big barbecues of pigs. They would pack up a mule to go up the mountains to have a picnic. Sounds like a different, older style way of life. Most people did not have cars like they do now, so they lived closely to each other & within their town or local area.

Door lock & part of handle

Broken partition between our 2 bedrooms

2011-09-15T15:03:00.002+02:00

1 Sep 2011: On Tuesday 30 Aug, we all went on a bike ride-walk on the trail later in the afternoon. We enjoyed our exercise & being outdoors. There had been a tempesta on the previous Saturday with rain & winds of 80 km an hour, or at least that was what Silvano our vicino had said. The storm did not last very long but it caused our temperature to cool off some, which we like. It did much damage in the local area with tree limbs fallen down. In the fields next to the trail we saw corn fields knocked down.

The girls were darling on the trail. They found something brand new to interest them, acorns which they tried to eat as if they were squirrels. After riding & walking for about 1.5 hours we headed back to the car. There Bill took our photos, maybe I will put one on facebook.

I spent the better part of today grooming the girls, bringing out their natural beauty. Yesterday Bill put together our late Rocky’s old bed for the girls to sleep on downstairs. It is a metal frame with a canvas cover stretched on top. We need to buy more of the hard-to-find covers that fit. After the pups were done with their sprucing up, I saw them standing awkwardly on the floor. Bill saw to his horror of horrors that one of the bed legs had collapsed leaving the pups afraid to get back on their bed. So of course Daddy fixed it for them so that they could get their after-spa treatment beauty rest.

13 Sept: Sunday we went hiking in a place called Forra Del Cellina which is by Lago di Barcis Lake. A forra is a very narrow gorge. It is close to us & only took us a short time to get there, with the girls riding in their little box in the back of the Mini. Bill let me out in front of the entrance to the first tunnel. When he parked the car, he was lucky enough to find a close spot because someone else had just pulled out. This place has no entrance fee which we really like. People are required to wear helmets but we wore our own bike ones, which saved us 1E each, so about $3 for the two of us. We also really like that dogs are allowed to go inside. We are so used to so many places not allowing pets. This place is open most days of the week in summer, but for fall, winter, & spring it is only open on Sundays. They have an excellent web site with up to date info.

We also carried a small flashlight for use in the dark tunnels but didn’t use it much. The girls were so excited to be going to a new & different place. The walk is paved with guard rails all around. We looked up at very tall rocky cliffs with trees & bushes on part of them. We looked down at a very narrow gorge with the Cellina river running through it. There were big boulders in some places. In the spring the river becomes white water in some places, with some people rafting.

The outbound part of our hike was mostly downhill, which meant the return part was mostly uphill. By this time I was mostly tired & hot. We had stopped a few times to take water breaks & to rest during our hike. We also took some photos of the place & of each other.

This area has caves where people can go on a guided tour. There are pipistrelli or bats in the caves.

Before we went home, I went to the visitors’ center to use their very clean restrooms, while my family looked out over the lake. Not far from the center there is a restaurant with tables outside, where we saw many people including German motorcycle riders.

We arrived home about 17:00 & Bill fed the pups, while I made myself some espresso & a p & j sandwich.

Monday afternoon Bill cut the grass which usually makes Honey bark. The night before I read online something about aroma therapy & how it can be used to relax dogs. So I put some oil of peppermint, oil of lavender & almond on my hands & rubbed them together. Then I rubbed Hon & Ted which they seemed to love. I don’t know if the oils really relaxed them or if they just liked Mommy’s special care.

9-1-11 Marilyn with Honey & Teddi

Mommy with babies on bike trail

wagging tongues

9-11-11, us at Forra Del Cellina

Ted doing an "up stay"

Darling husband & pups with dangling zampe

ancora

ancora or again

2011-08-23T12:36:00.002+02:00

   22 Aug: On Saturday the 13th of Aug, we all went on our bike ride walk on the trail & we had a really good time. The girls were their usual excited little selves.
   For the past week or so the weather has turned very hot, into the 90's. We haven't had any good rain lately either, but this is typical for August. So for me to get my exercise or do something outside, we go out late in the afternoon or night. Bill being an early morning person, he usually rides his bike then. This past Saturday we drove to Col Alto in the area of Piancavallo, which is the local ski area. Col Alto is above Piancavallo & is at 1250 meters. We walked a short ways up the hill in an area that was rocky with green patches of grass & some wildflowers, purple campanula or bells & yellow flowers. We saw 2 malghe close to us, which are buildings for hikers & backpackers to stay in overnight. We think that there was one man in a malga, but we didn't venture inside. At the top of the hill we were surprised to see 2 really nice wooden benches at an overlook. Sitting on them & looking around, we saw patches of trees on slanted hills, kind of funny looking. Below far down, we looked at the base's flightline, part of area one, the CRO hospital, the industrial area, & Pordenone in the distance. Col Alto is probably covered with a few feet of snow in the winter. We saw karst which are rocks eroded by underground rivers, causing them to have strange shapes.
   We took photos of the landscape, the malghe, & of each other. The girls were adorably sweet sitting on Bill's lap & next to me, taking their turns drinking cranberry juice. Leaving Col Alto we walked down the path to the car. Bill opened the Mini's hatch & Ted jumped up but not into her box. So Bill grabbed & put her inside. As we looked down we saw little Honey standing up on the back of the hatch with her 2 little arms reaching up & resting on the car, very touching. She is so tiny & short that we must pick her up to place her into the box. After arriving home & viewing the photos, we were surprised how belli they turned out. Once again the pups provided us with wonderful material for our blog & maybe one or two photos on Facebook.
   Yesterday Sunday we went for a night walk rather late to the park. We saw many people sitting on their porches or yards talking to each other, very summer-like. Before going to bed I ate some ice cream & walnuts. Bill had not been buying walnuts at the base for awhile because they have become expensive. But they are much cheaper than at the off base grocery stores. These tasted really flavorful & helped to satisfy my before-bed snack desire.

a malga

Mommy with babies

view from Col Alto, Aviano AB below

trees on slanted hillside

handsome husband with pups

more sweetness

due malghe

view on opposite side of Col Alto

2011-08-02T21:38:00.002+02:00

We love our Teddi Bear!

We love our Honey Bird!

27 Jul 11: I had to take a break from hugging & kissing Teddi in the bed today, to write in our blog. On Friday the 22nd we went on our bike ride-walk on the trail. The girls as usual were very excited, especially since Bill had taken them to Dr L in the morning. Bill said that when he drove up & parked in front of Dr L’s, Teddi “Miss Innocent” jumped down from the back of the hatch like she usually does. Honey started to come out of her box, saw where she was & wrinkled up her forehead, & then went back into her box, “what a smart girl”! So Bill had to pull her out of the box. Honey wanted nothing to do with going to the vet & all that goes on there. Hon had her anal gland squeezed, & Dr L examined a bump under her left arm, which he said was just a wart. Dr L trimmed Ted’s long nails.

In the afternoon after parking at San Biagio, for some reason I decided to go down a dirt road that Bill said went by the assini or donkeys. The road was very muddy with potholes of water which we had to skirt around. Bill or I walked the bike while the other of us held onto the girls. Bill would pick them up sometimes so that they would not get too dirty. They loved being carried by Daddy & were so adorable when I looked at them. We saw 2 assini on our left. The road wound around to the right where it joined up with a mostly gravelly one. Going down this I went too fast while I looked down at my gear indicators (of which I have none on the right handlebar), & I almost wrecked. My ride had not gotten off to a good start. Then where the road forked I took the left side which met back up with the paved trail. Along the trail we stopped for our cranberry juice drinks a few times. There were very few other people out that day. As I started to go up a short tough hill, I pushed hard with my legs & realized that I was somewhat out of shape. Then I went down the paved trail & made a u turn to the left at the end of the trail, where there was dirt & gravel from a farmers' dirt road. Almost having a wreck, I put my left leg out after braking hard & then the bike & me went sideways to the left. After that I saw my family coming towards me & told Bill about the almost wreck. He said “maybe you should stop riding today because your reflexes don’t seem good”. Then we all went down the trail a short ways & met up at the Mini.

Am Saturday I woke up & couldn't walk, I had injured my left knee on my ride the day before. I had pushed too hard to go up the hill & I must have sprained my knee when I jammed it on the ground during my stupid u turn. So I stayed in bed all day with an ice pack on my knee & later used a brace. Bill sweetly brought me my food & drinks while I took naps or watched t v. Sunday I also used an ice pack, the brace, rested, & elevated my leg when I could, (RICE). I'm almost becoming a 1st aid expert but not really by choice.

We have been having cold weather like March, with the bora winds blowing east of us from the direction of Trieste, where I go to my dermatologist, Dr M. Ted was afraid to go out one morning to pee or poop. She doesn't like to get her fluffy blond hair wet or blown around. The temps have been in the 50's or 60’s & mostly rainy, at least here in Giais within our microclimate. Bill came home from shopping at the base today & said it was hot there.

Domani at 09:00 Bill has an appt with Dr L to get the stray brown-black cat that Nerina has been feeding, spayed. Neri had talked to Bill earlier about wanting us to help her get some of the strays fixed. She is a very loving, caring person. Of course to make matters more complicated, the mom now has 3 kittens, 2 gray & one almost identical to her. I haven’t turned the kits upside down yet to check their sex. They are skittish of us. It probably doesn’t help that we have “eau de puppy dogs” all over us. Yes the kittens are cute & charming, Bill loves to watch them play & frolic. If they stay inside of our sheltered courtyard they will be safe & should live long lives (?). Tentatively we plan to have them spayed in November or December. However, I am still the mommy to 2 pups, no cats! Neri is their mommy.

The kits seem to be winding down their nursing, but they are still trying. They knead their paws on the mom while doing so. I’ve learned some of this cat lingo from my niece Kelley & younger sis Suzanne who are both ardent cat crazies. In the meantime the males have been fighting, & Bill says the mom is brave & chases them away. Nerina hits them with a broom or scopa. The males could kill the kits so that the mom will mate again, horrible. Any of the toms could be the bio dad but I think maybe it is a pitiful looking gray one. He doesn’t look healthy or well fed. Bill says he looks like he has fallen on hard times. There is also another grigio cat that is fluffy, looks well fed & is probably someone’s pet. Sadly fixing these cats is not a priority for so many people. Their irresponsibility causes problems for others. None of these strays belong to anyone in our courtyard but somehow they have ended up here where previously there was only Hon, Ted, & Laura’s Guappo, a bello black & white boy spaniel. As an attempt to laugh at a potentially sad situation Bill said "the mom will go into early menopause", or as my cousin Jamie says "she will have a hysterectomy"! She just kills me whenever she says that.

2 Aug, Tuesday: yesterday Bill & I went to the base where we ate a delicious lunch at the Mensa. We had risotto with saffron which gave the rice a pretty yellow color, & I also had a piece of cake. I’ve never learned the names of all the Italian cakes & pastries, so I must do more important research. Then we did some errands & shopping before going home.

Update on the cats: Bill was wonderful to take the mama presto mattina Thursday to her spay appt. He held the kennel box which he had washed out earlier, while Nerina dropped the mama inside. They had to do some fast thinking & work to outwit her suspicious nature. Later that afternoon, Bill paid Dr L & then later Neri gave him the money, 100E which is about $150. Bill then gave her the receipt. It would be great if everyone had neighbors like Neri. I am also happy that we could help out in some way. After Bill brought her home he let her out of the box. She had self dissolving stitches & was given an antibiotic shot & a pain med. Dr L said that she is a half wild cat & would probably try to run away, which she did. I’m so used to dogs where if we bring them home, they stay. They are smart enough to know where their bread is buttered. I’m much more comfortable with having my little luvs inside with me. Neri said “si perda un gatto non mai” which means one never loses a cat, they always come back. We laughed at that.

After the mama ran away & took the kits with her, they were spotted by our vicina to the back of us, Germana. Then the next day we all saw them perched up on an old stone wall, about 12-15 feet high, which divides our cortile from hers. They were just looking down on everybody with their cat eyes & their pointy ears sticking up. As of yesterday they seem to be back & forth from here & Germana’s.

2011-07-08T17:20:00.001+02:00

4 Jul 11: This past Saturday we all went on our bike ride- walk on the trail in Giais. The girls got so excited as usual, especially when they heard me rolling my bike out the front door. I think they already know the sound that my bike makes, which is the free hub clicking. The girls are intuitive little things.

Once on the trail we went on our usual way, stopping altogether a few times to share cranberry juice & water. A few weeks ago, Bill had put a new rack on my bike which is a Blackburn expedition one with 4 supports on each side. Why not have the best for my little jaunts? It is lightweight, silver, which matches my bike, & is great for carrying my bike bag. I am more comfortable having things in the bag than trying to wear a fanny pack. I am hands free & “body free”.

I noticed that the type of plants in the fields had changed since our last ride in June. The purple, yellow, & red flowers had been replaced by small white daisies with yellow centers, & they were in abundance.

Toward the end of our trip, we all hurried back to the car because of an approaching rain shower. Bill rode my bike home while the girls & I were on our way in the car. As I was driving up the trail where it curves sharply to the right, I saw a man & a young boy crash their bikes on the opposite side of the road. The boy wrecked first falling to the ground & then he started crying. Very quickly the man wrecked behind him. We had seen them on the trail earlier going in the same direction as us, & we had said the usual “buon giorno”. I stopped my car & the girls started barking, hearing the commotion. As I asked the man “va bene?” he looked at me as if I was crazy & showed me that his right arm was bleeding profusely. So I pulled over & stopped my mini to get it safely out of the road. Not panicking I thought “there’s got to be a first aid kit somewhere in my car”, never having used this mysterious thing before. It is the law in Italy that all cars must have a kit. It is also the law that drivers must stop & render aid to any injured people, but it mostly refers to victims of vehicle accidents. So I put my driver’s seat forward & then saw a bright red, never opened case on the floor. I walked towards the people & opened up the kit, & then put the it on the ground. I tried to open a plastic bag containing a bandage & I couldn’t get it open. So then I saw scissors & used them to open it. Since the man was bleeding much worse than the boy, who was maybe his son, I helped him first. I put the nonstick part of the bandage on the worst cut which was on his elbow, & then continued to wrap the super long mesh bandage around & around the bleeding part of his lower arm. I was thinking something like “apply pressure to stop the bleeding”. I was laughing not at the people, of course, but at how much I had to wrap the bandage. Now I know that I could have cut off part of it & put it in the kit to use later. The man pointed to my arm & showed me that some of the blood had got on it. Then I went over to the boy & picked off some of the dirt & leaves on his cut, which was on his left knee. The cut didn’t look as bad to me, it seemed to be more of a scrape. Again I laughed at myself having to wrap the long bandage around, with me having to go behind & then in front of his leg to continue this wrapping.

In the meantime, the man called someone (his or the boy’s mama) to tell her what had happened & to pick them up. This is one of the good things about cell phones which most Italians like Americans, now have. The man lit a cigarette & started smoking. I told him that this was the “prima volta” that I had used the first aid kit. He said that they were going too fast down the hill & on the curve. I was thinking how glad I was that they had not wrecked into my car, even though I was going super slow up the hill. The man introduced himself as Michele & the boy as Mattei & said they lived in Malnisio. Then I told him who I was & where I lived. Michele kept thanking me & I said to him “prego” or “you’re welcome”. I asked him if he needed me to stay until his ride came & he said no, & Mattei said that the mama would arrive subito. So then I went on home.

Before going into the house I told Bill, who was outside, what had happened. He said that I was a hero & that made me feel good about helping the people. Then I washed my hands & arms very well & changed my clothes. We decided to buy some alcohol wipes to stock in the kit for future use, because we need something to disinfect wounds. We had also noticed that the man & boy were not wearing helmets, so their accidents could have been worse. It is required that children be protected with helmets.

.*-

2011-06-12T22:24:00.007+02:00

6 Jun 11: Teddi & me at the Pet Fair at Aviano AB: Saturday Ted & I went to the pet fair at the base. We were there from 10:15 to noon. The weather was hotter & sunnier than what I had expected. Bill drove us there but stayed in the car. The day before Bill had bathed both girls. Wanting Ted to look her best, I groomed her & brushed her teeth. I got all of our stuff ready that night.

When we arrived at the large lawn to the right of the commissary, there were already plenty of people there with their pets, all dogs. Teddi immediately started sniffing the ground, not being used to being around such a crowd. The “Strut your Mutt” contest was for smallest dog, tallest, most patriotic, best dressed, best talented, & look alike. Prizes were given out for the winners such as a framed certificate & a gift card to the commissary or bx. I was hoping that Ted would help us win one. I had decided to enter her in the best dressed with her adorable little pink & white print summer dress, & in the best talented with Ted doing her “dance”. Surely we would win something.

I talked to a man who was taking photos of others & of us. Then I asked if I could take one of him & if he would take one of Ted & me with my camera. So he reached into my backpack purse to get my camera. After that I walked around asking others if I could take photos of them with their dogs. A few people asked if they could take ours.

After awhile the contests started, with the judges being the people who worked at the vet clinic. I didn’t know any of these people because we take our pups to Dr L off base. I don’t remember exactly in what order each contest was. One of the cutest ones was the smallest with the entries being Yorkies, maybe chihuahuas, & a mini dachshund. The judge got down on the ground with a ruler or tape measure to measure each dog from ground to withers. I don’t remember each winner in the categories but I may have some photos of them to put in my blog.

There seemed to be no competition for the tallest, which was easily won by a very sweet German shepherd. For patriotic, owners walked with their dogs around in a circle. Most of the dogs were dressed with red, white, & blue outfits, & some with scarves. People laughed at the shepherd because he was ridiculously dressed, having on bdu pants with a hole cut out for his rather large tail, a t-shirt, a bdu cap, & to complete the matching ensemble a “dog” tag. Bdu for those of you who don’t know, is the military work uniform. The dachshund who won had a flag tucked into his scarf & also wore a red, white, & blue ribbon, which somehow got into my tote bag later.

Now for the really big contest which Ted & I entered, best dressed. We & the other contestants walked around in a circle, with Ted being darlin’. But the winner was a dog who wore a matching bikini which was customized for her or him. It was colorful with the bottoms having a hole cut out for the small tail.

For best talented Ted & I did our trick. Over her head I held my hand moving it in a small clockwise circle while Ted was spinning around in a circle on her back legs, & then I gave her a treat, what amazing talent! We repeated this about 3 more times, with Ted not having stage fright. I believe that she & Hon are descended from circus dogs. Some of the other owners & dogs did tricks such as stay, come, roll over, sit on owner’ back or neck, etc. There will be photos of these on my blog.

No one submitted a photo for look alike owner & pet. So the judges came up with 2 or more dogs who look alike. There was a family with 2 beagles & another with 3 Boston terriers. Two of the judges tied, so they asked a third person to judge. She looked back & forth at the dogs, but finally declared the Boston’s to win, saying that there were 3 of them. Maybe next year we could win if I submit a photo. I could color my hair blond, have spiky fringe on the crown of my head, put dark brown or black eyeliner around my eyes, drawing more liner outward from the corners, & then hug Ted closely for our photo.

At the end of the fair, I walked around to the different tables to get pet-related freebies given out, many wonderful things. I got treats, a large box of Crunch n’ Clean dog biscuits, dog omega-3 vitamins, dog magazines, puzzles with dog & cat pictures on them, a free subscription to the magazine, velcro arm bands with a zipper for change, etc, pens, wipes, a bumper sticker, & pins. At the Hawc table I talked to the techs there, who I see when I go to the Hawc to exercise. They gave me a black Hawc tote bag with health related books & pens. While at the table Ted went under the cloth hanging in front of it, to get cool & to be petted by one of the techs. She is such a sweetie.

The sponsors of the fair were the vet clinic, the bx, the commissary, the Hawc, Purina, & Bark the magazine.

Before leaving I saw a man who I also see sometimes at the Hawc, with his daughter & their 2 tiny Yorkies. One of the Yorkies weighs 3 lbs & the other 3.5. My plate of spaghetti that I eat weighs more than that! While I was taking their photo, little Ted had her big head stuck inside our tote bag that was laying on the ground, busily eating the treats. She is such an opportunist & she knew that I couldn’t watch her, take photos, & talk to people at the same time. There were left only a few treats to bring home to Hon.

Some people said nice things about Ted, that she was pretty, talented, well-behaved & friendly, all true.

Ted seemed like she had become too hot at the fair. I tried to give her water but she didn’t drink much either from our bottle or from the plastic kiddie pools set up for the dogs. I poured some water onto her head trying to cool her.

About noon Ted & I walked to the car where Bill had been waiting for us. He gave Ted cranberry juice with water. Then I left them together while I went to the restroom. I looked into the mirror & I saw that my face was bright red & I also felt that I had heat exhaustion. I drank what little juice I had left & put cold wet paper towels on me. When I felt somewhat better I went to the bx & then to the commissary where I bought 4 boxes of Snap treats on sale for 1$ each. Then I went back to our car & we all went home. Ted & I were exhausted, what a day! I didn’t really feel much better until I ate something & took a cool shower. The next morning I washed my face, looked into the mirror & was relieved to see that I did not have a sunburn. The free sample of sunscreen that I had picked up at Dr M, my dermatologist’s office in Trieste the week before, worked very well.

Overall, we had a really good time at the pet fair. Ted & I have a date for next year.

Marilyn & Teddi at beginning of the Pet Fair

Darling Teddi & me

German shepherd with military uniform

Cute Yorkie & Dad

Winner of Best Dressed

13 year old Jack Russell

Shepherd & Ted in love with a piece of weiner

Mom & cute puppy

Winner of tallest pet

Poodle in talented competition

Yorkie in talented competition

Dogs

Dog in Talent competition

Dachshund, winner of most patriotic

Beagles in 2 or more pets Look alike

Boston terriers, winners of Look alike

Beagles

Yorkies who are friends

Chihuahua in Best dressed competition

Big dog

Dad with 2 golden retrievers

Big dog & Ted getting petted by little boy

Sal with daughter & Coco & Fiona

Video of Teddi at Pet Fair on AFN show "APS 120"

2011-05-23T17:32:00.000+02:00

24 May 11: Last Wednesday I groomed the girls after Bill had bathed them the day before. We took some pictures of them to put into their blog.

Yesterday we went on our bike ride-walk on the bike trail in Giais. We went later in the evening because of the warm weather. There were bello wildflowers such as red crepe paper-like poppies, small white daisies, & purple flowers. We saw more people out on the trail than earlier in the year. We like to park at the old church San Biagio because there are some shade trees to get under, with other people doing the same. We saw maybe 15-20 other walkers, bikers, baby stroller pushers, & dog walkers, a real crowd for our small area.

We had fresh cranberry water to drink because I used my black camelback to put the water in. The girls approved. Today both Bill & I are very tired. In the am yesterday Bill rode his bike to Piancavallo which is close by, to see a stage of the Giro d’Italia, a famous bike race in Italy. On the trail I rode up a very short but tough hill, at least for me.

Mommy brushing Teddi

La bella diva!

Mommy brushing Honey

Hon loves "Mr Hand"!

Us with background of flowers

Us on the trail!

2011-05-08T06:16:00.032+02:00

On 21 April I bought a new bike from the BX. It is a Cannondale Adventure 4 trekking bike that is good for dirt or gravel roads, has tires with deep tread on them. It is beautiful, sky blue, a woman’s bike with a step-through frame, is aluminum, has 24 gears grip shift, V brakes, & has a comfortable big saddle. Bill has put black plastic-coated aluminum, lightweight fenders on my bike today. They were some that had been sitting in the attic, so a good reuse. He plans to put a rack on my bike soon.

On Sunday we all went on the bike trail, my first time with my new bike. It was a bella day but warm. We weren’t gone that long because I didn’t have any clean water or cranberry juice to drink. The acacia trees were in bloom wafting their sweet perfume smell throughout the trail & the fields. A delicious honey is made from the pollen that the bees collect from them. We could hear the loud hum from the bees, a kind of meditation for us.

Marilyn, Teddi, Honey, and her new bike on the trail near Giais.

La galleria verde

Marilyn pedaling

Acacia in bloom- che bello profumo!

Close up acacia bloom

Marilyn and the girls

2010-09-26T14:38:00.007+02:00

24 Sep: Today is Bill’s 52nd birthday! It’s wonderful to have him another year. His wish was to go to the beach at Bibione yesterday. Germana’s sister had told him the day before while they were out in the back yard gardening, about a new & special dog beach that we should go to. She described it as being close to the faro or lighthouse & gave him directions on how to get there. We laughed when she had told Bill that we should leave at alle 6 mattina. I would not even be up by then. She said that the German turisti & the Italian vacationers would all be gone home by now, as this was the end of summer. For us it was the first time we had gone to the beach in quite a few years, except for last June when we went to the American beach at Camp Darby. Bibione is only an hour away, whereas Darby is a 6 or 7 hour drive & we usually stay a few days.

When my alarm rang I woke up very groggy at 7. Then I ate cereal & drank tea & juice, while Bill packed our lunch, drinks & loaded the car. He had to go upstairs to get the girls’ big kennel, making a rattle as he took it down from the top of the cabinet. Upon hearing this noise the girls became very excited & started barking. By 10 we were all loaded into our Mini & on our way with Bill driving. We parked on the street across from some rather empty hotels, then walked across a small park, & then crossed over to a walkway towards the beach. There was a concession stand with some people sitting around. The walkway had paw prints on it, & to our left side was an estuary where we saw a woman in the water probably catching crabs. So I picked out a place on the brown sand for us to stay, while Bill made 2 trips back to the car to get the rest of our gear. At first the girls were angels just kind of looking around & being quiet, after all this was their first time ever at a beach! They have in some ways led a sheltered life.

We saw a couple with a red golden retriever type of dog who was barking while they seemed a little embarrassed. As I took the girls closer to the water they seemed afraid of the waves & were trying to get away. As we walked up on the beach the girls started barking & growling at almost everybody & at almost every dog. I was so embarrassed! It seemed like the longest time before Bill returned from the car with one folding chair & a few bags. Then he left again for the car while I was I all alone with 2 barking, growling dogs who were pulling my right arm & shoulder off. Today I am in terrible pain. Then I call Bill begging him to hurry because I can’t control the dogs from hell. Finally he returns with our beach umbrella & the other chair. We save much money by bringing our own umbrella & chairs so that we don’t have to rent them for the day. The truth is that because our pups are so badly behaved we must stay as far away as possible from other people & their pets.

I had put sunscreen on me in an attempt to protect myself from the sun, but it didn’t work. When I got home that evening I was as red as a beet, feeling hot & miserable. On the beach we saw thin women with their bikinis, people walking & playing with dogs carrying sticks or rubber ball toys in their mouths. Some people would throw a stick into the water, then their dog would splash in, retrieve the stick & bring it back to its parent to have it thrown again. One woman with a German shepherd threw a pink toy that looked like a sea urchin with little knobby things on it. The dog acted as if he loved this toy, nuzzling it in his mouth. He was so good, not bothering anyone else like 2 small dogs that we know.
Bill decides to take the girls into the water for a swim. So holding them by their leashes he walks them into the ocean, it’s all of a few feet deep. I don’t really know, I wasn’t getting into it after I saw a giant dead jellyfish washed up on the beach not far from where we were. It’s a good guess there are more of them from where that one came! So as I watch the 3 of them with their backs turned towards me, Bill tries to get the girls to swim out, is he trying to drown them? Well they’re no stupid little things, they live by instinct. They immediately turn their tiny heads around, shore facing while doggy paddling. I start uncontrollably laughing, cracking up while looking at this cutest thing. The girls have this look on their face, kind of happy, kind of smiling, but with a resigned look like “let’s just keep paddling until we get out of this wet stuff with giant (not really) onde or waves, let’s head toward Mommy, hell Daddy’s on his own even if it’s his b’day tomorrow, he’s the one that got us into whatever this stuff is”! So this process of their swimming with Dad while he holds onto them by their leashes is repeated a few mores times over the day, while in between we sit beachside or walk. One time while they were swimming & I was taking their photos like the proud Mom & laughing, 2 Italian women walked by looking at them & laughing. They said that the pups were afraid of the water & the waves, & I told them that this was their prima volta for swimming. They thought that was really something! Bill said that Ted was kind of floating with her thick downy hair, paddling kind of easy going, & Hon was swimming fast with her thin but muscled legs.

We walked toward another part of the beach where we saw a stream of water going into the ocean, this being the Adriatico. It was so funny, a crab was flipping itself backwards to go into the ocean. We saw 2 bearded collies running & playing, one was gray & white, the other was blond, being very bella dogs. Their parents, a couple who were both thin & very suntanned had set up 2 small green tents, I guess for their dogs. I didn’t want to get my sneakers wet so we didn’t cross over to this part of the beach. I’m probably one of the few people who wear sneakers with socks only to have them fill up with sand. It’s so much fun washing all this stuff in the machine trying to get all the sand out. We could tell the real beach pros, they had on plastic bright blue or other brightly colored shoes that could be seen from a distance. They look like flamingos or some other tropical or sea bird. No washing nasty sneakers when they get home.

Under our umbrella I sat & ate my sandwich, banana, & drank some juice. By this time I felt dehydrated because we had not brought enough juice & I also felt too hot. After all of their big day of swimming & barking & growling, which really tires out little dogs, not to mention the extreme stress on their Mother, the girls were hungry.
We forgot to bring them any treats, so I gave them some bread from my sandwich. After I ate they jumped into my lap, clawing my legs, thinking I wanted their wet, sandy, hot bodies all over me. Then Bill ate. By this time we were ready to go home. What a day!

When we arrived home, I ate a snack, took a much needed bath, went to bed at 19:00 without eating dinner.

sign for Bibione dog beach

Dad carrying pups out into the deep abyss

pups in water

pups 1st swim ever!

pups swimming

pups paddling toward the shore

adorable pups closer to shore & Mommy

Dad with tuggers on beach

2010-09-11T22:20:00.001+02:00

I must tell you what Ted did today. We were out in the backyard on a bella giornata. I looked by our one grapevine & noticed Ted was eating something. When I went over to her, she was munching on a bunch of very ripe picolet grapes. She was very happy & would have eaten all of them if I had not picked her up. She sticks her adorable nose up into the air & wiggles it to smell things. We usually get one large bowl of grapes to eat this time every year. We are not like the snooty people who have a vineyard for wine.
Then I saw Hon nosing over by the grapes, so I went & shooed her away, not wanting 2 small sick dogs.
Later that evening we all went for a walk past the park & to Blackie's house & the clothing store. We do not really know very many people in our town, so we make up names for the dogs that we see along our walks.

2006-04-25T17:44:00.000+02:00

Spa Time!

19 Dec 05: The girls went on a "Mini" trip to Casa Del Cane. This is where Rocky, our beloved poodle-Skye terrier went for 10 years. Their appointment was at 10:30 AM. They met Stefania & her Mom, the groomers. The father & a sister also work there. The girls were angels,"amorini".
The first thing Stefania asked us was "Where is Rocky?" We told them the sad news, that Rocky had died of cancer in Febbraio. Stefania seemed surprised that now we have 2 dogs. She took Teddi first to the back room. She clipped her toenails, & cleaned inside her ears. She brought her back outside & handed her to me. Teddi smelled of baby powder. Next, Stefania took Honey & clipped her nails & cleaned her ears. She said that both of them were good.
We bought a large mattress pad, plaid check, for a dog bed. We also bought a beautiful red nylon leash, with a silicone padded handle, for Teddi. The girls seemed to enjoy their mini spa. Poor me, I must do my own nails & ears!
31 Dec 05: This is the last day of the year, 2005! Sad news is that Pipo, Nerina & Giorgio's beloved cat, died Thursday, 29 December. I have started a small memory diary for Pipo.
We will start the new year without our beloved Rocky, who died 17 Feb 05. It is sad for us. We will also start the year with our 2 buttons, Honey & Teddi, now about 9 months old, 1 Jan 06. We have estimated their age, plan to celebrate their birthdays on 1 April. Some April fools' day.
These past 2 weeks or so have been a bit strange. Teddi & I love each other as much as always. She is crazy about Mommy. She is the kind of puppy who is usually happy. If she does something wonderful, I love her. If she does something naughty, so what, I still love her. I don't get upset with her. Bill says that I don't make her mind.
The situation now is that we usually have 3 pet gates up in the hall, where the puppies stay. Miss Priss has learned to jump over them, with the greatest ease. This is so much like Rocky, when he was younger. She clears the top of the gate, with her front legs stretched high & forward, & her back legs stretched high & backwards. She tries to come into any room that she wants, usually where I am, or where there is food or treats. Her negative consequence is that I pick her up & cuddle her, then put her back into the hall. I just know that she will be emotionally scarred for life, with such dire consequences.
Honey can jump over the gates, I think. But, she usually doesn't. We try to praise her for being good. What's been happening lately with Honey is rather sad & troublesome.
She has some kind of behavior problem. She has been acting aggressive towards Teddy. She will follow her, biting at her ears & at her tail. We thought they were play fighting for awhile. This was mentioned by their previous owners, which I thought a strange comment. They said " don't worry, it's nothing bad". This should have been a warning of unusual behavior. We will not let Honey be a bully to Teddi. Honey is only a 10 lb dog. She seems so innocent otherwise. I thought maybe she is jealous because sometimes I give more attention to Teddi. I have been concentrating on giving Honey equal attention. Somehow, I don't think this is really the cause of the problem, though it could be a factor. Bill thinks the girls have been cooped up, because of the snow & cold weather of the past week or so. He thinks they need more exercise, which I agree. He is welcome to take them out in the cold.
We need to study how to handle this problem. The last thing we want is unpleasant behavior. In the meantime, we tether Honey's leash to the wall if she is being unkind to Teddi. I think Honey's behavior may also cause Teddi to want to escape from the hall, & come seek me.
I try to hold Honey, but she is very wriggly & squirmy. She calms down some if I pet her behind her ears. She doesn't want me to brush her, which I think would be good, as grooming establishes closeness. She has a worried look on her face sometimes, as though she has the problems of the world on her mind. Bill thinks this is just a trait of her breed, along with being more nervous.

2006-03-29T18:33:00.000+02:00

Abbiamo i Nostri Passoporti

14 Dec 05: We have been so busy this past month. Our things arrived from NM, which is great. But, we've been putting things away, sorting through them. Some things we threw away, others we donated to charity. Some things we don't have room for. We are still in the sorting process.
Our Mini Cooper S, we finally have it legal to drive in Italy. We have the tags, insurance, etc. It was a very long process. Bill used the services of Signor L in Roveredo, to help us. Now, the girls have a beautiful car to go places with us. We've had enough of the rental cars.
House training: Bill has been a good father to the pups. He usually takes them outside to do their business, about every 2 hours. Sometimes, they still have accidents in the house. We want them to make the connection that if they are trained, they will get the run of the hallway. Bill thinks that they really don't remember things for more than a few minutes. They are baby-like dogs. We don't want the pups to come into the dining or living rooms, unsupervised. We have Turkish rugs that we want to keep clean.
One day, I put down a wee wee pad for the pups to use. While I was in the living room, I heard a strange sound coming from the hall. I opened the door & saw Teddi with white cotton hanging from her mouth. Honey joined in with her, also chewing on the cotton. There were also shreds of blue plastic over the floor. The wee wee pads were not used for their intended purpose. They are supposed to have a chemical which attracts dogs to pee on them. But not for Teddi & Honey. They were having too much fun using the pad as a chew toy.
The girls love to be with us in the living room. They sit on our laps & get petted. Teddi usually gets in my lap. Sometimes, she will lay on her back, with her head toward my tummy. Her legs will be stretched out, resting in the middle of mine. She likes for me to pet her with both hands. If I touch the remote control or something else, she doesn't like it. I must hurry to pet her again. She likes when I pet her under her neck, by her ear. She likes when I pet her stomach, a leg, or her top notch. She will look up at me with her great brown eyes.
Teddi has a puppy stomach. It is very white & soft, like someone who never gets in the sun. She let her surgery stitches heal nicely. She has the bottom stitch left. Her hair is almost white under her neck & on her tummy. She has about 3 or 4 shades of blond on her. Her hair close to her body on her back, is a reddish color.
Honey usually gets in Bill's lap. She is more squirmy than Teddi. She wiggles around & rolls into the folds of the couch. When Bill starts petting her, she usually gets more relaxed & comfortable. Her eyes start drooping, she gets a sleepy look on her face. To be a puppy, her face & expression are more worried looking. But, she is happy.
Her hair is very soft, like velvet. Her ears & neck are very soft like a velvet muffler.
15 Dec 05: All of us went at 11:30 AM to the veterinario of Aviano, to apply for the girls' passports. There was a line of people waiting, mostly Americans. It seems to us it is the Americans, not the Italians who are following the new law. The European Union law is that all dogs must be microchipped, & get passports to travel outside of the country. We have no plans to travel anytime soon. But, we want to be ready when we do.
We showed Franco the vet, our paperwork from our Dr. He came outside, the pets were not allowed inside. He passed the scanner over Teddi first, then over Honey to check their microchips. The scanner beeped. We were happy to know the chips worked. This was the first time I had seen the scanner used, except on TV. We were told to come back the next day, Friday, to pick up the passports " passaporti per animali da compagnia".
Bill went at 8:30, 16 Dec to get the passports. They are very official with the stamp "Regione Friuli & Dr Franco C". The booklets have pages to include mostly health information. It can include rabies & other vaccinations, tick treatment, heartworm prevention, & exam information. There is also a spot for their photos, which we need to include.
England, Ireland, Malta, Sweden have special requirements. They require a rabies serum test within 6 months of going on a trip. The pet cannot go to a non EU country, & then go to one of these countries for several years. The laws are complex.

2006-03-05T19:56:00.000+01:00

Siamo bellissime
So, on to plan C: After the girls very important surgeries of 4 November, we decided to keep them downstairs in the hallway. We would let them be off leash, which they love! This entailed us going to the base BX & buying another Top Notch pet gate. I should invest in the stock of this company. Well, we put one gate between the hallway & the kitchen. We put the other gate at the front door.
On the first day, I tripped while hopping over the kitchen gate. The girls looked in awe at my clumsiness. Bill & I decided in the interest of my health & for the welfare of the pups, that we would take down the kitchen gate. The next day, I called Bill, desperate to get out the front door. The pups needed to go out to do their business. I didn't know how to unlatch the Top Notch gate. Bill gave me step by step instructions, "push on this, lift up this, etc." Finally, I was able to lift up the gate, push it to the side, & take the pups outside, one at a time.
As of now, we will stick with plan C. It seems to be the most pleasant way to entertain Honey & Teddi. We can't let them go unsupervised on our Turkish carpets in our living & dining rooms, because they are not house trained. There will be more on this later. Wouldn't it be wonderful if houses were designed for animal lovers? There could be luxurious rooms designed with the pet in mind, to accomodate all of its needs, as well as those of the pet parents. Instead, we must try with all of our wits to pet proof our house.

16 November 05: Plan C is not exactly working out. The girls are not house trained. Bill & I know we must work on a serious method for this. We are back to plan B. In the last week since the surgeries, Teddi has been very sick. Bill took her yesterday AM to see the Dr. We don't know what we would do without him. Teddi had been having diarrhea, & excessive urinating on the floor.
We thought maybe she had an urinary infection. But, the Dr treated her for the diarrhea. He said it is common this time of year, autumn. I don't know why. He gave poor Teddi another shot. Bill said she was brave, as usual, but cried. Dr said the shot had stinging medicine in it. He gave Bill 4 small bags of Hill's Prescription Diet. This is supposed to get Teddi's intestinal tract recalibrated.
Anyway, Teddi seemed to feel better after the Dr's visit. We all took a walk about 3PM or so. Bill remarked "what a remarkable recovery" for Teddi.
Monday night, the 14th: Bill brought out the "petting chair" & put it in the hall. I put Teddi in my lap & brushed her out, for only the 2nd time since we adopted her. In the meantime, Bill petted Honey to keep her from being left out. Teddi is a dream puppy! She loves to be brushed out! The more I brushed her, the more she wanted to be brushed. Darlin, my miniature poodle, 1973-1990, was also like this. I have a wig brush & a dog hair comb which I use. I brush as much of her beautiful hair as I can. Her hair is about 3 to 4 inches long on her back. She has a long ruff of hair under & around her neck. Her hair is dark blond, with black tips on the ends. She has white patches under her neck. She has a long curled tail. She has great big round, dark brown eyes, & a big round black nose. Bill & I tell her that Liza Minnelli wants her dark brown eyeliner back! Her eyes have dark brown rings around them. We also say that Diana Ross wants Teddi's hair, a dog wig. We really are so silly.
I plan to spend more time with Teddi, brushing her. I also want to brush Honey. Honey seems afraid of the brush & comb. I know they can be awfully scary, just the thought of being brushed & beautiful. Honey seems to be more nervous, & less apt to sit still.
More on Honey & Teddi's interaction with each other: The two of them curl up together sometimes when sleeping for the night, or just resting. Honey will curl into a ball on a towel. Teddi curls around her like a spoon. Sometimes, she rests her head on Honey's back. Teddi is not stupid. Why not cuddle with Honey & use her for a soft pillow. It makes sense to me! Sometimes, Teddi's head points in the same direction as Honey's. Other times, it points in the opposite. These ideallic scenes would make a marvelous pet calendar. Perhaps, I could sell the calendars & become rich!
Monday or Tuesday, the 15th: Bill bought some gifts for Teddi. He bought her a brown leather collar, to fit into a halter style collar. Teddi has chewed though about 2 halters, her own & Honey's. Honey is so easy going, she lets Teddi chew on her things. Bill bought a Flexi Comfort 2 gray & black leash. It is meant for a much larger dog, or a Teddi. She has chewed up about 2 leashes. This one cost about $3, cheaper than they used to be.
We are scheduled on Friday the 18th, for our household goods shipment from NM. It has only been 3 months since our goods were packed, 12 August 05. We thought that they were lost. We will see if the pups can use any of Rocky's things.

2006-02-07T22:19:00.000+01:00

Noi sceltiamo la nostra camera di letto
7 November: On 5 Nov Saturday, we've had the girls about one month. We all love each other very much. I want to write about all the cute & also, not so endearing things that they do.
It's obvious that Teddi & Honey have a special relationship, sort of like sisters. They have a strong bond between them, which we humans don't really know about. Sometimes, they snuggle together when sleeping or resting. They will curl around one another. Usually, Honey is in a curled ball, while the larger Teddi is wrapped around her, like a spoon. Sometimes, their heads are pointed in the same direction; other times, in the opposite direction. We don't yet have beds for them. So, we give them towels to lay upon, & keep sweaters on them.
We have had a rocky adjustment period, trying to find the best place to keep them. Living in a 2 story home, we kept the girls upstairs in the hallway, with one or two pet gates up. Well, this did not work out so great. One or both of the puppies would jump over the gate, or chew the plastic mesh of the gate. Teddi chewed a giant hole through, it was amazing what her teeth could do. She has the adorable mouth like Rocky had. She has a small white row of teeth in the center, & the 2 upward pointed canines on the bottom sides of her mouth. This I think is the terrier mouth, meant for some serious work, to catch varmints or something. Usually, Teddi is intent on catching treats such as "pigs in a blanket".
At first, Honey kept jumping over the gate. I would catch her & put her back in her room. Then, Teddi kept jumping over the gate, learning that she could. They are both so young & fun loving, everything is a game. The world is set up, or should be, for their enjoyment. After Teddi jumped over the gate, she ran into my bedroom, of course. Then she jumped onto my bed. There is no better place in the world than Mommy's bed. I kind of like it because so far it is dog hair free. Anyway, I would pick up Teddi & put her back into her room. I was going to teach her & Honey where to stay, yeah! Well, Teddi thought "what a great game", & also a way to get extra attention. So, on one day Teddi jumped over the gate about 10 times. Things were not working as I had planned.
Next course of action, plan B: Why don't we put the adorable pups downstairs in the hallway. That way they would feel like part of our family. But, we couldn't let them run out of the house whenever the door is open. So we put a pet gate at the front door. To prevent unwanted wanderings up the stairs we put a pet gate at the bottom. Poor little Teddi has such short terrier legs. They are only good for getting her into trouble. We also attached a leash to both pups which we hooked to the wall. We separated the 2 leashes so they would not get tangled together. Well, we did this for about a week or so. Then, one day Bill & I heard a very loud, gnawing sound. It was like a TV wildlife show when the beaver is chomping on some wood or taking down a tree. To our amazement, Teddi had chewed a large chunk at the edge of the wooden stairs. She seemed to suffer no mouth wounds or lack of appetite from this. So, we cleaned up the wooden splinters. On another day, Teddi chewed the wooden leg of an antique chair, over 100 years old. This chair was given to Bill by his now, very elderly Momma, Mary Yount. The chair may be antique, but it is not very pretty. I guess this can be said about some other things. Anyway, plan B is not working out very well. The pups are not content. Our house is being demolished by the puppy crew.

2006-01-21T20:05:00.000+01:00

Che bravi cani
About 2 weeks later, we took the two to see our veterinarian. He seemed surprised to see Bill & me. We had been away from Italy for 13 months. We had been in New Mexico at Cannon AFB, for Bill's last military assignment. The Dr was surprised to see us with the 2 puppies, but also without our beloved Rocky. He asked us "Where was Rocky?" We had to tell him the sad news, that Rocky had died on 17 February 2005 in NM. The Dr gave Teddi & Honey their second booster rabies shots & examined them. Their previous owners had taken the puppies to the Dr for their first shots.
That day, the doctor told us he thought the 2 girls were about 6 to 8 months old. He said they probably were sold at the Italian market, which I found strange. Honey was the short haired version of the puppies sold, & Teddi was the long haired. Either way, they were both cute & lovable. The doctor told us about their breeds. I had wanted to hear that they were some exotic, expensive breed. But, alas, they were only small dogs to love.
The Dr gave us the "libretti" for both dogs. This is their book or record of health, immunizations, etc. We made an appointment for 4 November, to have the puppies spayed & microchipped.
In the meantime, all of us hoped that neither puppy would go into heat, & be attracted to a male dog. We are firm believers in population control for dogs & cats. The kindest thing people can do is to spay & neuter. Honey had started showing an interest in Guappo, a male black & white dog in our courtyard. His mommy is Signora C. Honey would sniff in our yard, where Guappo had been. We wanted to nip this behavior in the bud.
4 November: Bill & I woke up at 6:30 AM for the girls' most important day. I am not a morning person, but I awoke 5 minutes after my alarm rang. This is not my favorite sound. I skipped breakfast, finding that it makes me linger too long at home. Bill brought me a small cup of coffee, while I showered.
The girls skipped breakfast, per Dr's instructions. They were very good about it. All of us left home at about 8:10. We arrived early at the Doctor's office. The Dr weighed Honey. She weighed 4 kilos or about 10 pounds, very nice & trim. I am jealous. The Dr then gave Honey the shot to sedate her. She cried & nipped at the Dr. The doctor said the shot hurts because it stings like alcohol. Then he & his wife, also a vet, proceeded with the surgery, the spaying. Honey was also microchipped.
In the meantime, I walked around outside with Teddi. She is like Rocky. She doesn't always walk in a straight line. She likes to jump up on ledges, & put her nose on the ground, taking big sniffs & whiffs. Bill came outside, & the 3 of us sat in our car, with the heat on. Teddi ate up the love & petting, while I held her in my lap.
Then, it was Teddi's time for her spaying & microchip. She also cried when Dr L gave her the shot in her butt. Her weight was 6.5 kilos or 14 pounds. She is a chunkster. I wonder will she grow to be as large as Rocky, about 24 lbs. We will see.
After their surgeries, the girls were put into cages to rest & wake up. In the meantime, Bill & I went to the base, to the golf course to eat breakfast. I care nothing about playing golf, but I love to eat. Bill had a cheese omelet, a biscuit, & coffee. I had a cheese omelet, 2 biscuits, & cappucino. Then, we drove to area one of the base, to go to a health fair for retired military. I got my flu shot.
At about 11:30, we drove back to the Dr's office. The girls were waking up. Teddi came out of her cage. Instead of coming to me, she went to the Dr, giving him sugar. She has a short memory about the big, bad shot. Then, Honey came out of her cage; both went to Bill. The girls each have stitches on their lower stomachs. The stitch is about one inch long, vertical down the middle line of the stomach. They looked rather beautiful after their surgery. We finished up our business there, & went home.

2006-01-08T09:32:00.000+01:00

Honey and Teddi Find a New Home

Bill & I adopted Honey & Teddi on 8 October 2005 in Italy. It was a very happy day for us, & also for the 2 puppies. Our beloved dog, Rocky, a poodle-Skye terrier mix, had died in New Mexico on 17 February 05. We were extremely devastated & lonely without him. But, we felt that it was better to wait awhile to get another dog. We knew that we would be moving back to Italy soon, from NM. We had planned to retire from the military to Italy. We thought it would be best not to take a dog on the plane, on an overseas flight. We had done this a few times before, with Darlin, my poodle, & later with Rocky.
On 7 Sept we arrived in Aviano, Italy, very happy to be back home. We were & still are, very busy getting settled into our house. Even so, I was very much wanting to find a dog to love. So, every Friday, I read our base paper, the Vigileer, looking for a dog that needed a great home. Usually, the paper is only useful for lining my garbage. The ads in the paper have become microscopic, the print too small to easily read. So, each week I read the ads, not finding anything promising. Then, on 7 Oct I saw an ad that looked interesting. An American military family wanted to give away 2 small female dogs. The husband is a cat lover, not fond of dogs. Bill & I know many people, some in my family, like this. So, I called the phone number in the ad at about 7 PM, expecting that no one would answer. Or, I expected that maybe the dogs had already been given away. I usually, expect the worst.
I called & talked to Sara. She said that one dog was a mini Pinscher mix & was very small. The other dog was a long hair mix. So, I asked to see the dogs the next morning between 11 & 12 noon. Of course, I knew then that I would be their new mommy! They sounded really cute & probably irresistable.
So, Bill & I showed up at the people's house in Roveredo. As soon as we went into the front gate, we saw the cute puppies. Teddi, the terrier mix, was dressed in a T-shirt, with pink & white stripes, with a white collar. Sally, her name at the time, was a mini Pinscher mix. She was adorable, dressed in a sweater. Her sweater was red, white, & black stripes, with a Mickey Mouse patch. The family, Sara & Michael, had just given them a bath. The couple, both active duty Air Force, have 2 young girls.
We put the 2 puppies in our rental car, with all of their dog stuff. They came with 2 heavy, small silver bowls, a giant plastic tub of puppy chow, some leashes, a Y leash, some bones, & wee wee pads. They were very excited on the way home, from Roveredo to Giais. Honey was in my lap, not very safe, I know. Teddi was in the back of the car, looking around.
Our neighbors, Nerina & Giorgio, seemed surprised that we now had 2 puppies, not just one. But, they came together. Honey & Teddi are very attached to each other. We call them sisters, even though they are not. They are really "Buon amice", best friends.