2009-01-25

The tooth fairy came!

And she did this...

As a side thought - anyone an idea why this damn template doesn't work properly with pictures?

2009-01-18

Harpo back ok!

Harpo is ok again; he is his usual active self, and produces nice little hard heaps.

Today we did the second puppyclass at dog school. Things marginally went better although he still managed to break away from an apport and run through the group of "advanced" dogs...

No hard feelings though - it made for an interesting run. Ever tried running on wet grass while shouting and whistling, and trying to catch a wet puppy?

You get the image. Luckily Mrs Stellegasie didn't take a camera...

2009-01-16

Harpo is sick

When we came home yesterday Harpo had left a little present in his bench. No problem, can happen, just some cleaning needed.

At 3 AM this morning though he started whining. When I came down it turned out to be a nocturnal diarrhea. No fun at all; Mrs and Mr Stellegasie wearing plastic gloves while trying to wash a slippery 15kg puppy.
Of course the colour of his fur does not help when checking if he is clean or not...

Mrs Stellegasie visited the veterinarian with him this morning; it turns out he does have some problems in his belly (at least it is painfull for him when you touch it). For now we are on a special kind of easily digestible food, and he has to take some strong anti-infection tablets.
If nothing changes over the weekend more investigation is needed, caca-analysis and x-rays most likely.

No good.

2009-01-12

yet another new car

As I have not yet received my new leasecar I am driving rentals for the moment. Had a Seat Leon for a few good months. Nice car, good looks, very good handling and performance - too good for legal road use. Unfortunately, I had to return the Seat at the end of it's rental period.
Then I received a Peugeot 308. No need to discuss it here - it was the very worst car I have ever driven, both when considering driving characteristics and when considering construction quality. I returned after doing 3000 km in it. Note: the very first 3000 km of that car! Electrical and mechanical problems had me freak out in pure rage for the first time since long.
Now they gave me an almost new Opel Astra GTC. Again, nice and sporty looks. But no comfort at all on the inside (it is the base model, after all); hardly any space (not possible for normal sized humans to use the back seat); and since it is a three-door model Harpo does not really get in without twisted paws. Engine off course a diesel (gasoline?), 90 BHP from a tiny 1.3l. If you have enough patience to last through the turbo lag and you shift fast enough it even is fun to drive.
Sometimes.
Am I too spoiled after driving a fine Volkswagen for a few good years? Why is it that other cars in the same price range are such crap? At least another week before I get my final car, the one I chose myself...

at home he does listen

Yesterday Harpo and I attended our first puppy class, at the Gouden Jachthoorn retriever school. Conveniently located in Zichem next to the Ernest Claes house; the birth place and former home of one of Belgium's great (so they say) writers. This is in fact one of the only dog training schools in Belgium which only accepts retrievers (Labrador, Golden Retriever, Flatcoated Retriever, Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever, Curly Coated Retriever and Chesapeake Bay Retriever). No obedience training or silly agility here - this is the real stuff, hardcore hunting preparation :)

In any case, school was fun even though objectively things did not go as well as I thought they would. As the trainer mentioned the most heard phrase at puppyclass is "at home he does listen"...

But I can't blame Harpo. It was in fact me and Mrs Stellegasie who made some mistakes in training up till now. We did our home work, read about everything there is to read about labradors and dog training, joined a labradorforum, picked a good breeder who gives advice - but nothing beats hands-on, one to one training from a good instructor.
As an excuse we can say Harpo has never so many dogs at the same time, and after all he was by far the youngest puppy in puppy class. Nevertheless we now have practical homework - very good for me, I never was a hero in theoretics. Harpo of course doesn't mind. The only theory he is interested in is Discovery channel and repeat broadcasts of TopGear. Good boy!

2009-01-07

- 17°C

It is horribly cold here. - 17°C according to my car last night. That is, -17°C after a minute or so, when the LCD display in my dashboard finally lit up.

Coldest temperature recorded in Belgium was not far from sugartown, -21.9°C. Of course these are the official temperatures, taking from a shielded thermometer. When I took Harpo out in the fields yesterday evening wind chill forced us back in the car in a matter of minutes. Afterwards at home he almost refused to go outside to pp. Maybe he doesn't like yellow snow.

Driving in these conditions, with frozen snow on every B-road and on my favourite highway lane, is a bit challenging. Too challenging apparently for most other people out there - I haven't had this much road rage in ages.

2009-01-02

happy new year!

Best wishes for 2009, from Mrs & Mr stellegasie, and from Harpo.

Harpo saw snow for the first time today. Didn't fancy it much, the mud underneath was nicer he thought...

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