Vita's first heat...

Vita is now on day 6 of her first heat. She's really not bothered about it at all, except for increased need to cleanliness ;) Looks like mummy Easy is going to accompany her soon.

The boys are not taking in as lightly - she DOES smell FANTASTIC! Still, it's not too bad, this morning, Chivas was more concerned about his food than the little temptress right under his nose ;) But Esso, I don't trust at all when it comes to bitches in season. He can lie there all day, pretending NOT to be bothered - then you turn your back in 10 seconds, and he's smack-right-at-it! So, for that reason - and that it's his daughter that's in season - he's gone on a "holiday" to Ludmilla and her boys. He'll spend some time as a "city-boy" in Oslo, and some time as a "countryboy" at her house in the woods of Sweden. And there'll also be a trip to Eastern Sweden, he'll be cheering Ludmilla's boys and Christina's Lotte at an LC Trial!

I forgot to tell, but Lotte (Biscotti Isadora) went BIF (Best in Field) at the Norwegian International LC Trial last weekend!!!!! Huge congratulations to owner Christina and breeder Evy!

A memorable trip to Helsingborg...

Our trip to Helsingborg started well - driving to Ludmilla's Swedish house on Thursday, so that the dogs could relax and we could walk in the forest before packing up the cars and drive on Friday. We picked up Dan in Hällevadsholm and continued all the way to Helsingborg. We stayed at an Apartment Hotel in the middle of the city - a large room/apartment with a small kitchencorner, a large bathroom and a large "livingarea". Unfortunately, the Hotel's parkinggarage was full, so we had to park on the street outside the hotel.

Esso - Int Nord Ch NV-08 Biscotti Esclusivo

Saturday was SKK Sofiero - the showground in a beautiful garden (Sofiero Castle), but half the rings were close (IG rings) and half the rings were on the other side of the garden, in quite a bit of walking distance away - and there Ludmilla were showing Dakar. There were 25 IGs entered for Spanish judge Angela Hauncher Ayucar (12+11 and 2 puppies)

BOB + BIS-5 puppy: Lovoly's She's a Lady

BM-1, BOS - Int Nord Ch NV-08 Biscotti Esclusivo
BM-2, CAC - Dervisch Electric - New Swedish Champion!
BM-3 - N S Ch Dervisch Very Valentino

BB-1, BOB - S Ch Skogsville's Saturday Night Live
BB-2, CAC - Dervisch Strike a Pose
BB-3 - Dervisch Electra des Ombreuses
BB-4 - N Ch Dervisch Fiorella des Ombreuses
BB-5 - Aviendha

New S Ch - Dervisch Electric

Critic Esso:
Excellent head, good neck. Very good topline, good angulations. Moves very well.

Critic Vita:
Very good head, neck, body and angulations. Now she doesn't move OK in front.

Critic Easy:
Good type, beautiful head. Good neck, topline and angulations. Good movements but crosses legs in front.
Kennel Dervisch also won BOB Breeders Group, but nothing in the Finals.

We drove back to the hotel, took in the dogs and the stuff we needed - I then went out to the cars again, and someone had broken into them... The right sidewindows on my car and Ludmilla's car were broken open, and our GPS's were stolen. It's so maddening that people just cannot let other people have things in peace! The stolen GPS is one thing, but it's horrible that the car has been damaged like that, glass everywhere... Dan had to be doggysitter while Ludmilla and I went to first vacuumclean the cars, then get the open windows closed with some plastic. We were going to go out to eat, but no one felt like it after this.

CAC-winner Sunday - Dervisch Electra des Ombreuses

Sunday, it was time for the SvVk (Swedish Sighthound Club) Show. 33 IGs entered this day (15+13 and 4 puppies), for French judge Bernard Barjot.

Puppy BM-1, BOS - Qvickelyckans J Frode
Puppy BB-1, BOB - Lovoly's She's a Lady

BM-1, BOS - N S Ch Dervisch Very Valentino
BM-2 - S Ch Dervisch Electric
BM-3 - S Ch Flying Spirit's Forever and Ever
BM-4, CAC - Skogsville's Shut Out the Light
BM-5 - Dervisch Smoke on the Water

BB-1, BOB - S Ch Skogsville's Saturday Night Live
BB-2 - Nord Ch Skogsville's Kickstart My Heart
BB-3 - S Ch Skogsville's One Hit Wonder
BB-4, CAC - Dervisch Electra des Ombreuses
BB-5 - Dervisch Strike a Pose

Critic Esso (5 in championclass, no ck):
Good proportions. Nice head, long neck, good upper and underline. Beautiful angulations, very good movement.

Critic Vita (Excellent, number 2 in juniorclass):
Good proportions, feminine head. Correct neck, under and upperlines, good angulations. Good movement from side, should be more parallell in front.

Critic Easy (3rd in Open Class, CK):
Good construction. Correct head and ears. Correct upper and underlines, good angulations. Very good movements.

We finished early, and could start on the road home before 2 o'clock. Not the fastest drive home, with the plastic instead of a window, we had to keep a certain speed, or the vibrations were horrible! We didn't have to drive all the way to Oslo, but spent the night at Ludmilla's Swedish house. No long walks, as we came at nightfall, and the woods were too dark to see, but today the dogs got to run a bit. We saw 2 Elks/Mooses on our morningwalk, and luckily Chivas was leashed! The iggies tried to run after them, but Dacar the "fearless" Azawakh were scaring them away with his barking. It was very interesting to smell where they'd been, and my IGs did a lot of running and sniffing in that area. Afte a while, Chivas also got to run, and was sooooo happy! He really is the King of those woods! We took another walk later on, to open up a couple of beaverdams, they block the river on numerous places, and there is practically no waterflow in it.

Off to Sweden tomorrow!

Ludmilla and I are going to Sweden for the weekend. Tomorrow, we go to her "Summerhouse" just across the border, where we'll spend the night, and the dogs get to run free in the forest. Friday, we drive to Helsingborg. We'll be showing at SKK Sofiero on Saturday - 25 IGs entered for judge Angela Hauncher Ayucar, Spain. The Swedish Sighthoundclub is hosting the Sunday Show - 33 IGs entered for Bernard Barjot, France! Of course, I'm hoping for a CAC and Swedish Championship for Easy, we'll have to see how that goes. I mean, someone has to get the bitch CAC, so why not Easy?!?

Cirneco puppies

I went to Evy yesterday, and this time, we managed to get some photos of the cirneco puppies! The weather was, as usual, not behaving very well, so we only got some indoorsphotos. The puppies are in the process of erecting their ears, you can literally see them fold up day by day!

I'm not at all an expert on the breed, but there are a couple of very promising puppies in this litter ;) I'm looking forward to see how they turn out, so I guess I'll be back for more photos as they grow - until they leave home, then I'll have to be satisfied by waiting for updates LOL - it's always so much better to photograph or stack the dogs myself!


All photos are stolen from breeder and photographer, Evy Fredhjem of kennel Biscotti ;)

A trip to IKEA

As my sister has just moved to a new appartment, she also needs to update her "state of furniture" ;) But she only has a small car, so I had to go with her to IKEA today. I write had to as if I was forced, haha

She bought 2 bookshelfs (so that she can start unpacking the book and CD/DVD boxes), a couple of carpets (for the livingroom and for the hallway), some small neccessary "stuff" and an orchid. Finally she's got room in the "windowframes" to have some plants there! I also got her a succulent, they usually live through anything (believe me, I've tried; my hands are far from green!)

The best part of it? Applecake with "softis"!

Not much to blog about really

But I'll do it anyway ;)

The weather has been horrible the last couple of weeks - pouring rain only broken up by less heavy rain... Obviously, this means mostly indoor activities, like working on the IG database. The dogs are more than happy to stay inside, they really hate being outside in the rain!

Thursday, I went to Oslo to do some socializing - of myself LOL My friend Camilla (childhoodfriend from Svolvær) were having a "getting rid of half my clothes and shoes" day, so I went there to say hello and see if I could find something interesting. No shoes, as she's not my size, but I got myself a couple of nice jackets and some "basic" shirts and t-shirts. I brought Esso and Vita with me for some doggiesosialization as well, and believe me - IGs at a "clothes and wine party" is never wrong!!! My friend has a pomeranian bitch, so there were also something to cuddle for those who prefer dogs with much coat.

I went to visit Evy on Friday. The plan was to take some nice outdoor photos of the cirnecopuppies, who's 4 weeks old, but our request for OK weather was not granted... The clouds were litterally wide open, I can't remember last time I've seen such heavy raining! Bummer... The puppies are so cute - especially the smallest female, such a nice girl - and so attentive. She stares you right in the eyes, willing you to keep contact with only her!

It's always nice to visit Evy - all dogs are so happy to come and say hello! Especially Don and Saoudie. Looking at the weather and the amount of mud everywhere, I wisely kept my raincoat on during the greetingseremony ;) I was surprised to see the amount of water everywhere, both in the river (no safe crossing there now!) and all the "new lakes" on fields in the area. On the way back from Evy to Spydeberg, there were several places where the water was flooding the road (at least partially), that was not anywhere like that when I drove down there, earlier in the day!

Yesterday was quiet, but I had to drive down to Oslo to rescue Marie after work. In order to see the dashboard when she's driving the long tunnel by Lillestrøm, she needs to turn the lights on - but her car doesn't beep when she opens the door with lights still on, so they'd been on all day while she was working. So when she was on her way home, the car wouldn't start... Flat battery... So I had to drive down with "startingcables" (startkabler ;) to help her get started again. It worked like magic!

Today, it's actually sunny outside. Where did that come from?!? So, we'll take the dogs for a walk later, but we just discovered that the apples are getting ready for picking! That means only one thing - Apple Cake! Now, this instant!!!

Skydiving Voss

In June, the day after my last workingday in Lærdal, I went to Voss at "Ekstremsportveko - the Extremesport Week" to try skydiving! My colleage Eivind is a skydiver, and has been tempting me all winter with photos and filmclips from various jumps - so I just had to try!

It was a beautiful, warm and sunny day - there was plenty of waiting to do (why am I reminded of going to dogshows, LOL!) before it finally was our turn. There were room for 10 people in the plane - 3 tandemjumpers with instructors and photographers (one for each tandemjump, to capture it all on film) - and then we managed to squeeze Eivind in as well ;)

I wasn't nervous at all before the jump, mainly because I knew it would be an unbelievable experience. Not even when I sat on the edge of the planefloor, ready to just let go and be hanging by the straps - it was great! The tumble out of the door was a bit weird and disorienting (summersault!), but we were soon hanging the right way - facing down!

It was actually quite a long freefall, a lot longer than I'd expected. It was a very exciting feeling - knowing you are falling so fast, but still being (hopefully) perfectly safe. The googles were a bit of a nuisance, though ;)Voss from above - quite a view! It takes some time from the parashute unfolds untill you get close enough to ground to land, so there was plenty of opportunity to enjoy the view.

Then, finally it was time to land. That's actually the scary part of the jump! You fly in quite fast, and it looks like you'll crashland big time - of course it came to a crashlanding, I'd be surprised if we'd managed to land standing ;)

Skydiving was a mindblowing experience, and I'd do it again in a heartbeat! Too bad it's so expencive...

Helping my sister moving

Time for some late-night blogging (yes, Margrét, with your speedblogging, I couldn't be a lazy blogger, and had to write something ;)

The last couple of days has been devoted to my sisters moving to a new and much larger apartment! Her small basement 1-room apartment was up for renovating, and she had to move. She wil now be living at Fetsund, a bit north-west of Oslo, in a 67m2 apartment with a separate bedroom, a large kitchen, a sizeable livingroom and a bathroom where the shower alone is almost the size of her last tiny bathroom! Congratulations Marie, you deserve it! I can't wait to see how it will look when you get some furniture for it, haha