Running in January 2011

01/15 1.86 km 15 min 8:04 min/km
01/16 1.86 km 15 min 8:04 min/km
01/20 3.48 km 30 min 8:37 min/km
01/29 4.87 km 36 min 7:23 min/km
01/30 4.85 km 32 min 6:35 min/km

A beginning...

I will run a 5 km race on March 05. and a 10 km race on April 09.

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Tina

Knitty Winter 2011

Just found out that the new Knitty is online, have to get back there to check the designs out. More to add to my to do list?

Sunny January Sunday

Back from an early afternoon walk under the bluest sky in the brightest sunshine. Had the camera with me but it is hard to take nice pictures when you are out alone with one doggie on the leash and the others exploring mice tracks or rubbish lying around in three different directions. But we had fun!

So beautiful in profile, too. Look at her shadow!

When I wanted to take a pack-picture not everydoggy was cooperative

but there was at least one picture that is half way ok:

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Tina

The Couch Corner

What was looking promising before felting and in my imagination could have been perfect came out way too small after felting. I think I will keep it as it is, but for another place, not for the corner of the sofa because only when Flavie is curled up she fits on it completely - and that only when the edge is down half way.

I had fun knitting it, like how the colours match the cherry blossom photo-wallpaper behind our sofa, but remembered now why I had not wanted to try out felting when I first read about it years ago - over here top loading washing machines aren't common, where you can check on the size in mid-cycle. So it was a nice try but not to be repeated.

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Tina

Bisou healing update

Finally the last open part of Bisou's op-wound starts to close. There was a bit of thread from the tissue down under sticking out there and the vet could easily pull it out. I hope that was the last bit that had stopped that spot from healing properly.
The plate holds the bones greatly in place and she only needs a bandage "light" now, just to protect the wound, without splint any more. Her shoulder looks so nasty because of the leftovers from trying to stick the bandage up there last time. Nice try and it was partly a success as the skin on her upper "arm" could recover enough that we can stick it again there, partly it was not successful as it didn't stick in most places and glided way down. But I have to go to change bandages every other day anyways...
She uses her leg nicely when standing or walking slowly while sniffing around and I need to go with her alone on short slooooow walks and show her that it is great to use that leg again - great for clicker training. But as soon as she needs to get somewhere quickly it is her perfected 3-legged hopping.
It is so fun to watch the "sisters" cuddling, squeezed in the same bed or even when there would be enough space to lay looser together. And it is nice that it isn't a one way relationship as each of them searches the other one to sleep close to. And then a big sister is good to support that d**n bandaged leg a bit, too :-)

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Tina

Mid January back yard view

This looks so different from the one a fourtnight ago that I thought I might post it, too.

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Tina

Legs and tails

Here you go to divide them up:

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Tina

Myrtille and Bisou

Ment to love together!


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Tina

P.S. I ment to write "live" but that's just ok like it came out... :-)

There's also knitting going on

These are my current projects I am working on:

a sweater from the German magazine Verena Winter 2010 that I loved the instant I saw the picture. Had yarn in stash that is not exactly the same yardage and I am knitting at a tight gauge but I think with wet blocking it will come out great.

Then there is the Quarter Corner. Had the idea for that when I saw the wool to felt in the supermarket. It is going to be a dog blanket for Flavie's favourite spot on the couch when we are away. Not sure if it is working out size-wise as it is my first felting project. All I know is that it is a yearn eater. Need more. The border you see here is gone as I write this as it will be nearly non existent after washing so I thought if I have to buy more yarn anyways I can keep up with the pattern on the border...

Oh and to talk about the weather for a second - the snow is all gone due to temperatures about 10°C and a day and night of rain. Welcome the mud!

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Tina

Meet Bisou

As you have seen on my new year's picture we've got some new addition to The Pack:
Bisou is an 11 month old rat terrier aka Ratonera Bodeguero Andaluz – a rescue from Spain. Unfortunately she had fractured her foreleg at the place where she was waiting for her new home and we found out that she needed surgery as the bones hadn’t healed in the correct position and there was no bone-tissue after 6 weeks. We had the opinions of several vets and we saw that it just had to be done.
It went well and she is fine, no pain obviously, now the wound needs time to heal. and I hope the bones will heal properly, too.

She is very lively on her on-leash-only-walks outside and just loves to dig her little nose in the snow or deep down into the grass to smell for the mice down there, while she is quiet in the house and loves to snuggle with us as well as with Dingo or Myrtille (Flavie isn’t as grumpy with her and in general since she is here but still doesn’t want contact-lying with the other dogs).

Perfect playmate for Myrtille!

Myrtille was on heat once and now spaying is over. I hate general anesthesia and surgeries! This is her in her cute little body to protect the wound recovering covered up on the couch.

Dingo loves the snow and is acting a lot younger out there again! This picture though is from late fall.

Flavie loves the snow too, just as much as she hates rain, that fluffy white water seems to be ok. But best place is home!

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Tina

January Garden

What looks like I made some new year's resolution is something I have wanted to do for some while now:
Take and post a picture of the back yard from the back door on the first of every month to see the changes with the seasons and with time in general. This is going to be our third year of gardening.

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Tina

HAPPY NEW YEAR

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Tina with Flavie, Myrtille, Bisou and Dingo