Staying active

We’re staying in the city this weekend cuz mom & dad have stuff to do, but little did we know that some of that stuff included us! They were gone a few hours during the afternoon, but showed up only to grab Alfie, Scooby and Daysee Mae and head out again! They went to Slottsskogen, a park in the middle of the city, and today was Göteborgsvarvet, a famous marathon running through Gothenburg. There were people and dogs everywhere! Alfie did really well; he was excited by all the commotion, but he still handled himself nicely. He didn’t mind the dogs in the park while walking around – the thing with him is that if you stay in the same place for a while, he becomes territorial after only a few minutes. They tried doing that and after about 5 minutes he guarded against a man and his dog when they came too close. It’s a natural behavior for this type of dog, but it didn’t help that it was a blind man and his therapy dog… Or maybe it did; it might have been worse if the man had reacted in another way than he did; with surprise instead of anticipation of the worst (which lots of people do when they see Alfie). Dad was impressed with how well mom handles Alfie. He hasn’t seen her walk him for a long time since he’s always doing it before he goes to work. Mom and Alfie go for long walks every day and it has really paid off. They’ve come to know each other on a deeper level and are very comfortable together. Scooby and Daysee only had eyes for the crowd – it was their first time in such an extreme environment. Scooby soon relaxed though, but Daysee was all about exploring every inch of the place! I’d share more photos of them but unfortunately most of them are blurry cuz they wouldn’t stop moving!

It began really well on mom’s part, though. She took a step on what she thought was dried mud, but it turns out it was very much wet – and deep! Good thing those shoes are washable (and that it was mud and not s**t)…

Group photo!

Sharing an ice cream :).

Ice cream for all! 

Tough on the outside, a momma’s boy on the inside ;).

Smile for the camera, baby!

Where’d the blind man go? Or more importantly, his dog?

Oooh, seals!

Scooby prefers looking at the crowd.

The attraction.

DID YOU SEE THAT?!?

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When they came back from their little adventure, it was time for ours! Evian, Adela, Yoshi, Legolas, Mafaldah and I got to go for some easy-breezy fun at the beach in Askim! Unfortunately our time was cut a little short cuz we got a flat tire and had to meet up with the assistance guy. It was a bit of an inconvenience but it didn’t stop us from having a good time in the sand! Mafaldah and I were the only ones wearing a leash, but that’s okay, I like being close to dad anyway :). Since I tend to eat inappropriate things and the beach is full of them, and Mafaldah needs more training before she can be fully trusted, we had no choice but to accept the circumstances. Mafah probably had a bigger problem with it than I did; these days I actually enjoy boundaries, while she’s still young and crazy and wants to party all night long. These kids today…

No longer a youngster, but still a striking looking fellow, if I may say so myself :).

It’s hard to believe that head belongs to that body, but that’s why we love ya, Mafah!

Believe it or not, but Ev went WILD on the beach! Was it the salty air, the feeling of wet sand or the sea itself, we’ll never know, but something finally got this old geezer moving!!

This one was all over the place! By the way, don’t let the harness fool you; he’s no fan of swimming, thus a pretty bad excuse of a lifeguard…

The sheer horror in Adela’s eyes stems from her pure hate of getting her precious paws wet. It’s always something with her, isn’t it? Next thing you know she’ll want her breakfast in bed, too!

Yoshi is amazing, he really is. At his size you’d think his batteries run out before ours, but no siree! Apparently his batteries are more powerful than ours together! This little rascal will walk almost any distance without so much as a look of “pick-me-up-pleaaase”. Although sitting like a parrot on mom’s shoulder is a lot of fun, he admits.

Yep, today was a good day.

My weekend in pictures

Dad was off work on Friday so we went up to the house a day earlier than usual. The weather was nice; the sun was shining and it was actually warm outside! Again, kinda scary for January in Sweden, but luckily no less comfortable! As I get closer and closer to my old age I feel more and more at ease with taking it slow. I’m no longer up for those 1,5 hour walks – hey, I barely make it half that long – and I can honestly say I enjoy sleeping a whole lot more. But, if the weather permits, I can easily stay out a little bit longer if I get to sit in the sun, which is my favorite spot, wherever it may be. So this weekend was a hit for me. Although we had a tiny bit of “snow” on Sunday, the sun was still out, heating me up with its radiant rays…it was just that poetic.

This is what we call my “fruit face”, simply cuz I look like a fruit while doing it. (I know it’s very clear already, but in case someone out there isn’t able to visualize it, by “fruit” I mean something like a pineapple). I make this face when I’m comfy.

Alfie plays hide-and-seek with Lego.

…7…8…9…

…10! Here I come!!! 

Our one-eared girl.

1, 2, 3.

Playing like crazies, those youngsters.

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 Then mom decided to paint. She’s been nagging holes in our heads about painting, saying she’d love to do it but has no experience or knowledge so she’d feel stupid to. Well, she finally accepted the stupid-part and picked up one of those cheap brushes she bargained on a sale and went on with it. As she lacks any kind of creativity (I mean, she’s just a hairdresser, for God’s sake) she decided to paint a dog, and since she apparently also lacks style, she painted Alfie (cuz anyone could tell her I’d obviously be a better choice). 2 hours it took her, but in the end she was happy she had finished her very first painting! I made her promise to paint me too, and I told her I won’t get upset if it’s not perfect. After all, it must be really hard to capture all that beauty, right?

Alfie in acrylic.

Yeah, yeah, it’s nice. But 2 hours already!

Ev was bored.

But I assure you, I was bored-er. (This is what we call me being “demented”, by the way. It’s when I drift off into my own little world, still standing up. Just saying.)

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At the house, every night is movie night, and this weekend was no different. Except for tons of Soprano’s episodes (it’s so good) we also watched Red Riding Hood… Such a sleeping pill, you guys. Like, don’t even bother. Please.

Here’s what I thought of the movie…

The Red Riding Hood effect.

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We got back to the apartment last night, so today it was back to reality. And believe me, we wasted no time! While everybody in the pack but myself (well, I told you I’m not up for it!) went for a regular 40 minute walk, I stayed put in bed, waiting for the best to come. Then Lego, Scooby, Daysee and I were treated to some forest-fun! I really like that cuz I can move in my own pace and stop and smell the flowers… The others did no such thing, they were too busy chasing each other and looking for hares. These kids today…

WOOHOO!!! 

I tried secretly scratching the ground after a good pee, although I know I’m not allowed to… Momma says it’s a dominant behavior to spread your scents all over the place, but you gotta love a dude for tryin’!

But then who has the audacity to urinate aaaall over my work well done, but my brother, the blue menace…

Damn you and that powerful squirt of yours!

Ladies and gentlemen, let me present to you the infamous look of a begging dog…or two.

And there it is, the look of hope. How cute.

Lego and I made up a competition, we call it “Model Search”. Whoever looks the best in a photo wins.

Strike a pose!

Wait, we’re not ready yet! 

And the winner is…..

…………….

…!!! Wh..?!? Who?! Daysee?! Nuh-uh! That’s not fair!

Well, I never! 

I was still upset about how Model Search turned out when I stumbled across these delicious little treats, just hanging from the trees looking all tempting. Unfortunately it was a no-go. All I had to do was look at mom to realize it wasn’t gonna work out the way I hoped for… Mom said it’s just like me to try to steal food from hungry little birds when I get properly fed twice a day myself. Well, since you put it that way… Stupid birds.