News 2020

December 2020

Isn’t that nice : solar panels! 
Nice? Well, not really > those ‘professionals’ – for the pulling of the pipes – drilled holes straight through the sewerage……and even very close to gaspipes…..well : then you know! 
Serious leakage, fungus, moisture damage and loads of nuisance.
To my luck the inspector that came to my house arranged emergancy repair so we at least could use upstairs again. Now it has to dry, then comes the final repair work. 

and then they drill straight through the sewerage

And this all is something we right now are not really waiting for. 
Right now?? Yes, for sure, right now at this special moment.
For… OUR DJAYA DE BESOS HAS A BELLY FULL OF LITTLE LEGS!! Have a look…
Little miracles in the making…… 

ultrasound of a miracle in making

As if I sensed that The Netherlands were to be locked! You see I happened to have bought just about everything we may need when the puppies are born! Such a relief that is.

Also this year, the supplier of our dry food had a very good ‘en-of-the-year’-offer, and again some of our puppy-families took part. The last one – the owner of our Iduña = Saartje – came to fetch her new supply and at the same time brought gifts for my girls and me : só sweet!

Christmas gifts

Oh my : our pregnant girl is growing só fast! With 6 weeks she already is extreemly big : poor girl! 
All of a sudden she was unable to get out from under the sofa > which meant lifting it for her; the next she also couldn’t get under the sofa from behind > that she really didn’t understand. All during the day she wants to be on my lap : as soon as I sit down for a moment she is there …..ans yes : hop, on my lap and I have to caress her belly. 
The second ultrasound on December 23 ( almost 7 weeks on the go ) now showed real doggies, everything looked just fine. It stays special and it’s amazing that that’s possible in only a few weeks time : so true miracles. The day thereafter the doctor sent us the most wonderfull Christmas present you can wish for : a movie of the ultra-sound. 

ultrasound  2…

The same day we received a phonecall and a mail about another succesfull ‘loversdate’ in the family!
Our I Besos di Ròsa’s brother Il Divo di Ròsa ( = Oscar ) recntly had a date with Naya.
And today an ultrasound confirmed : also here ‘PUPPIES ON THE WAY’ 

Naya

After Christmas it was time to get everything ready for the arrival of the new Cocódotjes-miracles : as usual with the help of all my girls ….. for the first time without Rubí.
Once ready and after Djaya did so, the girls all together ofcourse tried it out. 

maternity ward installed and tested
by the whole family

We wish everyone a very happy but above all healthy 2021.
That life we were used to and happy with, may begin again.

November 2020

Isn’t autumn a wonderfull time of the year? On the go in the garden : cut back the plants, bushes and trees, clear away the fallen leaves, plant new tulipbulbs and tidy everything up again. It is a lot of work, but when done it looks great again. 
And I afcourse have the best ‘I-am-not-in-your-way-at-all’-helpers in the world! 
Every time again it is pure enjoyment in autumn, the smells and colours and the sound of those rustling leaves of the wind blowing through all those fallen, dry leaves. 

beautiful autumn picture

It looks like this will be the first real ‘stay-at-home-completely’-month. 
Even Djaya’s invitation for the presentation of her Catalonian title has once again been postponed.
Not unexpectedly ofcourse, but never the less disappointing. 

Djaya de Besos has to wait a little longer for the presentation

On 11.20 we celebrated the second birthday of our ever so special I Besos di Ròsa’s H-litter. 
Her second and – as well known – final litter of amazing Cocódotjes-miracles. 
We sent her into retirement even though she had just turned only 5 years old : it simply takes too much of her. 

H-litter of I Besos di Ròsa – here almost 8 weeks old

And so also the birthday of our very own little one : Hniña de Besos – 
2 years old already : one sometimes wouldn’t say so…… 
Next to cuddles and toys, she in stead of being treated on cake,
was treated on her most desired treats : kibbeling ( fish ) and spicy meatballs.

Hniña de Besos – 2 years old

mmmmmmmm tasty treats

Ever since early spring we have been meeting up with families interested in a Schapendoespuppy from our house. Most certainly it didn’t wortk out with all of them. It just has to give a click on both sides and they have to feel good with our way of handling the situation. Also to be aware of the expectations on both sides and what of that is realistic. 
But it lookes like we ended up with some nice families – to for once put it like that. 
All this in the hope that our little devil Djaya de Besos will – when the time is right –
will make us happy with new Cocódotjes-miracles. 
For now, she keeps us waiting – it is trueley how she is.
Unfortunately we – when the time comes – will not be able to make everyone of them happy : but we have been very clear about that from the beginning > for we neither know how many puppies there will be neither male or female. 

What also fits her, is that all those handsome guys we chose for her……as is a custom with us…..live in a near or far foreign country, several foreign countries even. And the one after the other due to COVID closed their domestic borders, so they were no longer accessible! 
New miracles…….we in fact had already given up on them! 
But then, but then, but then……when you no longer count on it and when it trueley will be another boring month in which nothing special happens……someone surprised with a ‘so what’…..and it in the end turned out in giving us the special moment in the month, for : our little devil Djaya de Besos ultimately did have a date with a very unexpected lover! 
Now it is wait and see if it will bring the so hoped for result. 

Djaya’s lover

And Sinterklaas : he was there timely this year! Sinterklaas is always surprised about what kind of things my girls like, one of them being : olives! Have a look what nice letter and presents he brought us end of November!

Sinterklaas surprises

And then, when you think you have had all the excitement the month can bring – enough excitement after a long tome of nothing…..and then…. 
Comes in a phonecall that in spite of all the obstacles due to ‘auntie Corona’ > I Besos di Ròsa’s brother Il Divo di Ròsa and his sweetheart are on their way to us for a date! For both of them it is a first time and also these two were real nice together : after a bit of playing around, some grumbling and some spinning around the job was quickly done. 
Exactly in the way we like it : all by themselves and without ‘human’ interference.
Of course my girls from upstairs had a lot to say about what was going on and for the fact they were not allowed to witness. After the happy couple left our house with their respective owners, they intensely checked over all the house, even the garden wasn’t missed out.

the Cocódotjes-girls checking out the garden

The older, the more crazy. Really! 
We still have a puppybed in the livingroom, in which Hniña de Besos gathers her toys. 
All of a sudden grandma Ròsa Ke-sera finds it necessary to once again fit in a puppy bed. 

Ròsa Ke-sera has to fit in the puppy bed

And then…..and then….we, for the first time after Rubí’s passing away, celebrated the birthday of one of her litters. 
Her R-miracles on 2020.11.29 turned 9 years old. We on a birthday always send a congratulations-mail to each of them + to the daddy of the litter. Except for one, each of them responded, but there was one response ……..which made me cry! For…..she, as the only one of them thought of mama Rubí and of what this day would do to me : look at the touching image that was included. Thank you sweet Evelyn with your handsome Roshari = Rico.

…..thinking of mama Rubí

October 2020

During the last 1 ½ year, it – due to Rubí being ill – wasn’t possible to have bowls of water in and / or outside the house > for Rubí needed to drink a certain limited quantity. That meant that I all that time needed to be well aware of the other girls drinking enough and when needed.

Rubí

NNow that Rubí has had to leave us …… I again filled the waterbowls as we used to and…….the girls looked at me as if I were crazy! They would not drink freely but wanted me to give them water when they asked for it! It took about 2 weeks before they decided to go drink freely again > they then also were really happy to be able to do it again : for after drinking they would come running and jumping into the livingroom to go whipe their faces on the rug!!
Only Ròsa : she keeps wanting me to provide her with water when she asks for it > needs more time. 

…our new “Four-leaf-clover”….ouch!

After cheking-up time after time the messages concerning what is and what is not allowed when it comws to traveling to Germany, we – as it was still allowed out of the province we love in – took off for a show in Rostock – Germany > after arriving in the hotel that night I find out…that during the day demands had changed and now one should be tested + be in quarantine during a fortnight! OMG >>> what now?! Just go on….as if all is okay….and keep on guard.
Hniña had to take a stand against Denmark : one of them being a more then adult 6 year old champion bitch >> our little girl however did fine and made second bitch ( res BOS/BOB ) and also won her first German point ( which in fact was what we came for ) : completely satisfied we were! 

Hniña de Besos

But then, but the, but then! My, had we been looking forward to this! We were to visit our ròsa’s sister Ravi = Mientje > she lives in Dragun, just an hour away from Rostock. And how wonderfyull it was and did we have a nice time there. Mientje was very happy to see me, her behind did not stop jolting, she almost dropped her tail : I loved seeing it! 
Her owner was so happy having us there again that we had to join her on a walk around the neighbourhood to show off to everyone Mientjes’ family.
Later that aftermnoon we went back home with a bag full of fresh vegetables from their garden and delicious Greek
olive-oil > how they always spoil us. 

I Besos di Ròsa

Tja….we kunnen het niet laten! Toen op de valreep de VDH besloot Dortmund – Duitsland de Bundes Siegershow 2020 toch door te laten gaan > maar dan wel buiten op de paardenrenbaan in Gelsenkirchen en met een maximum van 1000 honden per dag….ook hier ons kleintje Hniña ingeschreven! We hadden er wel zin in!
Maar helaas…24 uur ervoor werd – na eerst nog een verplaatsing naar een parkeerplaats bij de Westfahlenhallen in Dortmund – alsnog geannuleerd : ook hier inmiddels te veel geïnfecteerden.
Zo komt ons kleintje natuurlijk nooit aan haar puntjes……

Ròsa Ke-sera

And then………we thought it in spite of all finally was to happen! Our Djaya was to receive her Catalan title! 
Also here instead of inside in Reùs, this show was also to be organized in Òdena.
But…1 week before we also here received the message of cancellation due to the high number of infected. >
here at least with a replacement to another date.

Djaya de Besos

And meanwhile in all surrounding countries – even worldwide – the number of COVID-infected is only growing.
I simply can not understand why só many people continue to be só careless.
Why cannot everyone take a step back for a while? Control one self?
Young and old > we all have to make sacrifices.
If not doing it for oneself, then for others….thát is what we ought to do in this country of ours.
So!! That needed to be said… 

..our new “Four-leaf-clover”….ouch!

GALA’S ARUBÍ VAN HOEFFLAECKEN’S COCÓ

RUBÍ

our ever so precious Rubí

Rubí……….our last Gos d’Atura Català 
Rubí……….our ‘Spanish Schapendoes’ 
Rubí……….our ‘nanny’ 
Rubí……….my ‘brown-blondie’ 

Has had to leave us on 2020.09.24

Rubí now …..

Since then she lives on our little cloud way up above, with Cocó, Hijo, Ke-sera and her mum Gala.
Here, during the last years, she has been ‘one of five’……she now is that there too.
From there she together with them keeps an eye on us and on whatever we do and don’t do.

With us, she also still is with them : on our piano

Rubí together with Cocó, Hijo, Ke-sera and Gala

WE MISS HER ENORMOUSLY

September 2020

Só, done is done! We have taken the last hurdle and what a fantástic start of the month it is! 
On 09.01 the car took us to Kleve – Germany. 
There we for years have the ECVO-eyetest done on our dogs > a very kind doctor and the others are simply also allowed in.
It this time was quiet a fuss : mouthcaps on ofcourse ( that for me being for the first time >> pfff, my isn’t that suffocating ), after registration you had to wait outside, after getting the eyedrops you again had to wait outside and after the examination you had to bring your dog back to the car before going back in to have the payment done. To our luck the wheather was fine! 
This time it was Djaya’s turn, it was to be her first time. 
Result is ALL CLEAR! Extreemly happy ofcourse. 
Now it’s waiting for nature to tell us that it’s time for having a boyfriend……… 

And then came 09.13………
7 years ago on Friday the 13th Ròsa Ke-sera’s I-litter was born. 

I-litter of Ròsa Ke-sera – here 8 weeks old

Out of them our I Besos di Ròsa was to stay with us.

I Besos di Ròsa

To our happy surprise, one of the families with a puppy from this litter brought birthdaytreats for all 5 of my girls! I also received a treat for my birthday 2 weeks before. 
Owners of Iduña = Saar : thank you very much for your very appreciated gifts. 

enjoying whipcreamcake

And last but not least : the postman brought Besos the usual birthdaycard > so sweet : all my doggies ( and I also ) on their birthday receive a birthdaycard!

birthdaycard in honour of I Besos di Ròsa’s 7th birthday

On that same day – and a little bit shaken whether it would be safe – we participated in there totally unexpectedly organized outdoor-show in Zwolle – NL : outside and with a max of 400 dogs per day.
You were not allowed in before 45 minutes scheduled to be examined ( I mean your dog! and not the breed …. ) and after that you immediately were expected to leave. No Ring of Honour! 
Hniña had been entered, nog in the expectation of winning anything, but to get her to have the show-feeling again. 
After all she had only just turned 1 year old when everything was cancelled and so still had very little experience. 
In spite of all, there had been 7 Schapendoezen entered : 4 males and 3 females, no young dogs – all in Intermediate ( under 24 months ) upto Champion Class. 
The judge found Hniña to be ‘still very much in need of developing’ and so she went home with an Exc 1 but without points : you now notice the lack of experience / training. 

This month we also had something put on our roofs…..solar panels!
It was about time we also kept up with the times and did something for the envirenment. 
The girls however had nothing up with all that messing around on our ( flat and slanting ) roofs! 

And then…..out of the blue we received a message from he ACUCC in Spain that they had received permission form the RSCE and the FCI to organize the normaly indoor shows in Barcelona ( Martorell ) outdoors in Òdena! Would we want to participate…..well, yes we wanted to…..but did we dare…… WE DID! Simply entered but did behave in a very responible way. 
Besos and Rubí were sent of to stay elsewhere : due to her not being well Rubí could no longer travel. 
Day 1 there was the Nacional and on day 2 the Internacional. Both days with appr 400 dogs. 
To our luck we did not have to sit out in the open, but I got help putting up our tent. 
For on day 1 the rain really came pouring down! We sat precisely between 2 mudflows! 

a true downpour

After Zwolle I did not have high hopes, but ……she presented herself in the ring as a true star, very confident – really! The judge of day 1 found her ‘to still be in the developing fase, but briljant! 
And so she won her first Spanish and first Catalonian point. 
At the end of the day we left our tent behind … hoping for the best….but the next day we found it still there and waiting for us. Day 2 was superb wheather, or should I say boiling hot…. 
It didn’t bother our little one for a bit. She once again presented herself as a professional. 
How they can surprise you….. 
Today she won her 2nd Spanish, her 2nd + 3rd Catalonian and : her first International point! 
‘Auntie Corona’ may have put everything on hold, but this way she at least made a start for the adult titles. And : her ‘adult’ career took of with 2 x BOB ( Best of Breed ) 

Hniña’s first adult showtrofees

Once home …. you immediately could see Rubí did not at all feel well, but she was happy and frolic and even enjoyed her food. Okay, since appr. 1 ½ year we knew she was ill and we then were told ‘don’t count on more than a few months’ > so it was quiet a big thing to keep up no less than 17 months. Because on Wednesday 09.23 she really got worse in a hurry, did not want to eat or drink anymore, not even did she want treats. But she kept on being affectionate and happy. 
We did decide to call the doctor with the request to come check her over the next day. 
That night however things went very wrong and the decision had to be made to not have her suffer any longer and allow her to go to our little cloud in the sky. 
To go live there with Cocó, Hijo, Ke-sera and her mum Gala.
It’s getting crowdy on our little cloud……… 
Now she – from above – helps them keep an eye on us and see what we do. 

We comfortably bedded her down in a doggybed and the other girls had all the time in the world to say their goodbeyes.

with the girls Ròsa, Besos, Djaya and Hniña around her

Our little one Hniña however was extreemly upset about the loss – she as ‘our baby’ still did a lot with Rubí > I always called her ‘our nanny’! 
Hniña cried and whined for 24 hours, had to vomit, did not want to eat but brought her food to Rubí, and even tried to pull Rubí out of the doggybed! Só sad but sweet at the same time. 
That night we had some coming to say goodbeye to Rubí, that was comforting. 

The doctor had arranged for us to take her to be cremated the next day, to be allowed to wait till that was done and so immediately take her home again.

Rubí now

Now she, together with Cocó, Hijo, Ke-sera and Gala is on our piano……so still being with us…..
But…..there are no words describing how we miss her. 

it’s getting crowdy on the piano

As hard as it may sound…and it does….life goes on…. 
For some time in our calender was the examination ( Inventarisation ) of Hniña. 
In fact we should have had a Litter-evaluation of I Besos di Ròsa’s H-litter, but under these circumstances we cancelled that. 

But : we did go on the road to Alsfeld – Germany for Hniña where she with the German Breed Club was to be evaluated > well : once again we absolutely cannot complain! 
Also this little lady was to go home with a fantastic evaluation. Só happy that our doggies time and time again are being judged so extraordinary well.

That’s it for this month
I would say : in spite of not having much to experience these days, our month has been full ….. both in the literal and figurative sense……. 

August 2020

And then it’s August and …… it’s a real scorcher! Só warm!!….or should I say : hot??!

And just then, you shut yourself out with in all doors the keys in the locks on the inside!. 
Then you’re outside in the full sun with a temperature of 35C and all the girls inside! 
Before….I would have asked my neigbour to come help > but he passed away, or the owner of the local blacksmith shop > but he retired and the business is closed >>>> WHAT NOW??? 
To my luck there is a young family living close by with whom the doggies also are well acquainted and he was willing to try and break in one of the upperfloors! I did hope that the girls would also accept him in these strange circumstances, but to my luck he handled that well so they immedialtely started cuddling with him. I was só happy to be back in the house!!! 

Two weeks later and…..the temperature dropped with 20C! What strange country we live in. 
Those changeovers are só immense….. 
And out of the blue the rain poured down, in no time there were big puddles in the garden.

it poors

08.27…….the day before : house tidy, all washes doen, doggies combed aso aso aso…
…for what we should be doing is : having a party. 
Not that I am a big fan of birthday parties, but a crown year always makes a difference. 
But unfortunately : due to ‘auntie Corona’ that wasn’t going to be the case, so instead spread out over the day some coffee-, tea- and/or wineguests in the house >> that also was pleasant and this way there was more time to talk with eachother. 
So also now : every disadvantage has an advantage……. 

“Happy Birthday”

July 2020

In the beginning of July the wheathergods were beginning to let us down a little, so we were truely experiencing ‘having to stay home’…….less going out and being in the garden less.
The wheather being so nice upto know made up for all the rest. 

Having the lovely garden we have gives great satisfaction en happiness > makes you always having something to do and also lessens the feel of being ‘locked up’. Now we see kiwi’s, figs and grapes and in the pond we see more and more water lilies.

kiwi’s

Slowly we have started to receive guests in the house again.
We live spaciously enough to be able to do that in a responsable way.
Gives me a good feel and certainly does well on the girls.
We have all missed the personal contact with others  

We also had a lovely – due to Rubí’s age and health not so long – walk with one of Rubí’s sons and his owners. The glass of wine thereafter on their terrace was the first in this way since the beginning of March and hasn’t tasted that good since long.

Rubí with her son Alf

And finally……the 4 eldest had an appointment with the veterinarian for their yearly check-up and vaccination > which they passed with no remarks ( even though all 4 just like me have gained some weight these last months….. ), Rubí this time didn’t even try to hide for the needle she knew was coming, she all the time frolicked around in the doctor’s office! Special girl she is.

my 5 pretty and healthy girls

even though things are slowly getting easier to live with….take care.

Rubí, Ròsa Ke-sera, I Besos di Ròsa, Djaya de Besos, Hniña de Besos

June 2020

June more or less was like May….nothing special to tell because we still are being carefull, don’t go anywhere and only have a few people coming in the house.

On June 14 it already was 2 years ago our princess Ke-sera de Cocó’s Hijo passed away.
Whatever people say…it stays a big loss.
I am happy she ‘s not alone on her cloud in the sky, but found her daddy Hijo and grandma Cocó waiting for her 

Ke-sera de Cocó’s Hijo – already 2 years not with us

And then the double feel……
On June 14 there also is something to celebrate!
Our beautiful Rubí ( Gala’s Arubí Van Hoefflaecken’s Cocó ) made 11 years old.
Just like her siblings Amiga – Alegría – Athina – Agasco and Aradí.

Gala’s A-litter 11 years od –
here at 8 weeks 

May 2020

1st of May…..to others ‘labor day’, to us : our machissimo Hijo’s death anniversary Now already 4 years ago…. 
We miss him dearly. 

Archimède HIJO Van Hoefflaecken’s Cocó 

Nothing much to tell this time.
Except that we made appointments for the girls with the doctor for their yearly vaccination and check-up, and one of them can also go see the eye-specialist….. 

We did however finally receive the confirmation of Hniña de Besos becoming Junior Champion of Spain.
Exactly 6 months we had to wait for it…….

diploma Spanish Junior Champion

It is typical ‘auntie-Corona’-time…..
The whole house has been taken care of, all closets are tidy even the garage is so neat one can go live there and the garden looks tip-top > this time with more one-year-bloomers’ than usually : do we need to stay at home than we want to have beautifull things to look at and enjoy! Don’t we? 

And in the garden a miracle happened!
Appr. 7 years ago someone molested my kiwi-plant and since it hasn’t bloomed and/or carried fruit
But this year……BLOSSOM!!! So we will have kiwi’s again.
I guess my singing helped 

Kiwi-blossom

May 2020

My, what wonderfull families did the miracles of my girls end up with! 
Also – or should I say especially – showing their concern about us during these scary times
(even though that does make you very aware, now belonging to ‘the groups in risc’…..)
It confirms how important a careful choice is. 

Despite all the misery thanks to ‘auntie Corona’…………………..
How better to start of the month, than with flowers………………..
And very special flowers……………………
Since 1 1/2 year we have a young family with 2 children living diagonally opposite to us……..
They surprised me with this sweet bouquet…………………..
A few days later, the same from another young family.
Also the owners of a sister to our Djaya surpised us with a bouquet.
My, aren’t there still lovely people in this world, warms your heart.

As I believe is well known, our miracles go to families who simply want a nice family-dog, in other words we in principal don’t sell to breed or show with or so.
With the Gos d’Atura Català only 1 sister to our Rubí had 1 litter. 
Also with buyers from these puppies we have contact > contact they wanted and seeked……..
Isn’t it sweet that even they come and ask ‘to hear whether everything is allright here’?  

My, were we spoiled with beautiful wheather this month of ‘intelligent lock-down’! 
We had really pretty tulips in the garden.
After our weekly combe-session the girls as usual lay in the back of the garden to as usual check eachother over and I quickly managed to make a ‘tulip/Easter-composition’. 

my “girls-tulips/Eatser-composition”

What else did the month of April bring us?
‘A trip’ at the moment means going to the supermarket… 
And mails….they kept coming in with cancellation after cancellation of yet another show.
I think we in that sense should concider the year 2020 to be a lost year.
A decision like that immediately calmes things down.

STAY SAFE EVERYONE

For starters I wish to thank al those owners of miracles of ours! To reassure me during these uncertain and scary times we presently live in, and to inform me about our miracles, I from many of them received lots of foto’s, video’s and stories : THANK YOU SO MUCH! 
We so far are doing fine. Please take good care of yourselves, your loved ones and our miracles. 

February en March 2020

Wat’s better than starting the month of February with a birthday party?! 
On 02.01 ( born 2010.02.01!! ) we celebrated our Ròsa Ke-sera’s 10th birthday.
And of her siblings Riko – Ravi – Ronin – Reza – Rafa – Rago – Rana – Rani – Raya.

Ke-sera de Cocó’s Hijo R-miracles,
on this foto almost 8 weeks old

The planned Birthday-/Litterwalk was posponed due to 2 upfolowing weekends with serious storm > and as one of the participants – and does so every year again – needs to drive over 500 km for it …. that wasn’t a responsible thing to do. So that walk will be on a later date.
Let us say : to be continued…….. 

And then….because of the Windows 10 issue, you bring your laptop to a professional to have that taken care of and get a new laptop and have them put all your files on the new one and also check the external hard drive ( for it was said that something was wrong with it ) then……. couldn’t get worse. Just like that you all of a sudden have 100 x more files than before including all kinds of old stuff and …. and…..
I was truely desperate for : how do you get that organized again? 
And as if that wasn’t enough : all my mail-addresses were ….gone! It took me days and days and nights and nights to get the files more or less organized again and brought back to normal numbers and safe as much as I could. I took out the litterfiles to at least get back those mail addresses, but that’s only what concerns the puppies…..All other addresses simply are lost. Didn’t know and still don’t know wether to cry out of misery or to scream out of anger…..or both…..As I am writing this they are still working on it and it is wait and see what can be saved.
……….I have little to no hope…….. 

On 02.23 out little one for the first time was to try out showing with ‘the big ones’ 
Sadly it wasn’t a correct judging but a “judges- meet-up”….she as the only one didn’t even need to show movement.
I don’t understand how people can be happy with points won that way….. 

February was a strange month,…..stormy in every way – literally and metaphorically.

The last day of February and the first day of March, were stolen out of our calender for shows : in Groningen – NL this time > Hniña still in Junior Class, she also was the only entered female.
As far as the first day was concerned, let us just say the judge made most of the Dutch Schapendoesworld very happy…………. 
She awarded our little monster a VG. Our first since our Rubí received one 10 years ago……. 
The second day however our little lady made BOS ( Best Female ) as well as BOB Junior
(Best Junior of Breed). Which is more as is a custom to her. 

Then came March 03 : the day to have Hniña’s hips checked
>I find it to become more exciting each time we go, we have had super results for such a long time> generation after generation gives HD-A. It makes you wonder ‘how long will this keep going on’.
But : on 03.09 we received mail that the results were there > once again HD-A!! Só happy!! 

also Hniña has HD-A hips

That meant we the next day took of for Spain in a very good mood. 
Djaya there on 03.15 was to receive her Adult Catalonian Champion title. 
But : shortly after arriving we received a mail >> cancelled!! 
There will be a new date….. 

Just like last year, Djaya on 03.12 in Spain celebrated her birthday:
this lady now already is 3 years old >> time flies. 
Ofcourse we did not forget to congratulate her siblings Divini – Dante – Duarte – Dinda – Dálida – Daraya – Duque with their 3rd birthday 

And that was that as far as our Spanish March adventure was concerned! The title-presentation being re-scheduled and the news of the Spanish prime minister ( Madrid to be locked ) and the Catalonian president ( borders to be closed, and already 15 Catalonian cities were locked!! ) made me decide to get everything packed again and to go home as soon as we could > which was done without any problems for upto halfway France the only traffic were trucks and Scandinavian people also going back home! On times like these there is no better place to be than …..HOME!!
It was very funny however that I had just bought a really big supply of water and had to take that all back home. 

driving home with a good supply of water

Once home we – as we should and as was asked for – took and take it calm and easy, only went out for the necessary shopping and walks with the dogs. Thanks to the nice wheather we could start up the work in the garden. We also passed the time playing in the garden with my girls, with extra cleaning- and restorework ánd….the garage has been cleared and rearranged! 
As you notice : every disadvantage has a benefit………

the garden became a playground

Now we simply have to wait and see how ‘auntie Corona’ is going to behave and when our normal life will slowly come back.

Everyone : take good care of yourselves, your loved ones and also of our miracles! 
With whom we to our luck still are allowed to cuddle and hug as much as we want to! 

with all my heart………

January 2020

New Years Night was horrible here! Last year I was able to be in the backyard with all puppies on my arm one-by-one to get them used to the smell and noice…..now this wouldn’t have been possible without causing a lifelong trauma……
The next day all the grass in our garden was invisible and our special and see-through porchroof had all colours of the rainbow and was full of rubbish….. expensive job to get it clean again…past a joke…..

On 01.04 we recieved the sad news that our Hijo’s son, our Ke-sera de Cocó’s Hijo’s brother : Kwinto de Cocó’s Hijo = Balou had passed away. His number was up – he was allowed to reach the age of 13 ½. 
The last 5 years of his life he had a housemate : his second cousin our Martí di Ròsa = Patto. Thank you Family Schimmel for the loving home he had with you.

Kwinto de Cocó’s Hijo

And then, the day thereafter you have a wonderful meeting : we finally managed to have the first Birthday- / Litterwalk with the H-miracles of our oh-so special I Besos di Ròsa. 
Out of the 8 puppies, 5 were present + mama Besos. It wasn’t the best wheather in the world, and there was a lot of mud and mud baths, but that didn’t spoil the fun for the doggies. Everyone had time to catch up and as usual we closed with a cosy and delicious lunch. 
We truely appreciate the Restaurant welcoming us and our doggies every time again – even on a day like this, when they are wet and dirty. 

mama Besos on a bench with 5 muddy miracles

That night all of a sudden, Hniña fell ill > vomating! The next morning : mama Besos also, Tuesday-afternoon her halfsister Djaya joined them and by Tuesday-night grandma Ròsa also. 
Really nice. The whole week it was cleaning up after them, freshening mouths and cooking chicken and rice – which they wouldn’t eat…..Oh, what fun! Ugh!! 
To our luck our Gos d’Atura Català Rubí remained free of the problem, for……. 

On 01.12 there was the Dutch Dog of the Year – show 2019, and she had been invited to it! 
Last year our Schapendoes Djaya de Besos Van Hoefflaecken’s Cocó there even made Winner Reserve Dutch Breeds 2018!! 
And now I was allowed to present our Gos d’Atura Català Rubí there, with the Veterans this time. 
Extra special to us as she is our last Gos. And to then – at the end of her career – having the chance to show her there…..make it even more special. 
There were 15 Veterans entered and present and Rubí was the oldest but for 2. 
The judge preferred freshly groomed to the way our breeds look – more ‘natural’. 
Rubí still was nr 1….but in the catalogue. And she forever is nr 1 in our heart and life. 

NL Dog of the Year – show 2019 : Rubí 1 of 15 Veterans

Oh happy day!!! That is what 01.13 was : for we then received post for Djaya de Besos and Hniña de Besos! For Djaya the postman brought the NL Winner ’19 – title and for Hniña there was the NL Junior Winner ’19 –  title. Now it’s official! 

NL Junior Winster ’19 title for Hniña de Besos

01.14 we celebrated the sixth birthday of the U-miracles of our sweet Rubí. The Birtday- / Litterwalk was on 01.19

Rubí’s U-miracles – on this foto almost 8 weeks old

Then we on 01.17 fot the last time visited the brother to our Djaya for whom we last year – on request of his first owners – were asked to find him a new family and were lucky to find one fast. 
He there is very happy and has the best relation one can ask for with his auntie. Now we signed him over to them and made it official. We wish him many happy years with them.
It’s only sad to experience, that when it then comes to making a closure with the former owners…..they all of a sudden are inaccessible and even have comments…. 
Even better – and that for more than one reason – this little chap has a new real family….. 

A combined Birthday-/ Litterwalk it was time on 01.19 : with the U- and B-miracles of our Gos Rubí! All of them happy and free spirits with friendly owners, and on top of that all also lovely wheather : cold, dry and sunny. We had a lovely walk and had a lot to tell eachother. The doggies had a good time running around and some of them even went for a paddle in one of the – due to the rain we had lately – temporary pools. The usual lunch for closure as always was cosy and delicious.

Rubí with some of her U- and B-miracles

Ah well…..it had been 5 weeks since we last did it, so……..it was time for another show. 
This time the journey brought us to Belgium – Mouscroun where our Hniña was tot try and obtain the last point for the Belgian Junior title. Quiet a trip, but : done is done, isn’t it? 
And this little lady said to herself “might as well complete this Belgian Junior adventure in style”, for she not only obtained her last Junior point, she also made BOB ( Best of Breed ) Junior + BOB and in the Ring of Honour she out of 60+ Junior-dogs was selected Best 6 of group Junior.
We very much appreciate judge mrs. De Ridder for allowing us this closure. 

Best 6 Group Junior and now also Belgian Junior Ch

On 01.30 we celebrated the fourth birthday of the B-miracles of our dazzling Rubí 
The Birthday- / Litterwalk was on 01.19

Rubí’s B-miracles – on this foto almost 8 weeks old