The rains continue, we badly need it, but it would be nice if it could dry out just a bit in between? Fallen oranges cover the ground, and it is too soggy to walk on to try and save some of them. Can only hope there are enough left on the trees for some marmelade and juice!

Having just one dog must be nice, you can take it everywhere (almost) with you and training is possible, but with four of them it all becomes far more difficult. However, they are there and i could not really do without any of them now, they all have different characters and their own funny ways of showing how much they love you. İt was not planned this way of course, these things just happen! I saw Dodi as a small puppy and wanted him, he looked exactly as a mini version of the Alsation we had when I went to school. However, he had been given to some others and that was that. Until one day, about 6/7 months later when I received a phone call from the original owner who told me that the people were not looking after the dog properly and he was going to bring him over to me the next day. İn the meantime I had agreed to look after a dog (Aslan) for some German friends while they were in Germany twice a year, every year, for 2/3 months at a time. Selma had also got a dog (Tier) so now with Dodi as well, there were three of them at times. Good thing they got on like a house on fire, loved playing with balls and empty loo-rolls.

Dodi was born 25th August 2003. His coat is like silk to touch, and he always walks full of purpose, controlling the perimeter of the garden every morning and can always find things to occupy himself. Digs big holes to try and find the cicadas before they come up, tries to catch lizards and is a super rat-catcher. He averages about 6-7 fruitrats in a season, breaks their neck and brings them to me. He has a special bark when he has seen one up in the trees and jumps very high, but not high enough and obviously wish he had wings or could climb trees! Once a rat got into one of the kitchen cupboards and Dodi did not give up till he had dug through the bottom of the cupboard and my kitchen in a totqal mess - but he got his rat! He also loves going in the car, head out of the window not to miss anything. We can only hope he does not get too excited, or stretch himslef too far out, as then we risk being gassed!! And that is strong!!

The first picture is of Dodi and Tier, both quite young, and a couple of them with Aslan and a ball, and in the end Dodi got his ball back and all was well.

Now we write 2009. Like always, this particular time of year fills one with hope that the new year will be a good one, peace on earth etc., but judging from what is already taking place that hope is pretty well shattered. Why will politicians never learn, has there ever been a time when bombs and guns have solved anything at all? My experience is that a common enemy will fuse people together against the "aggressors", people who maybe earlier did not give each other the time of day. Why not use all the money spent on rockets etc. to provide something positive for the people they are fighting, maybe then there would be a lot fewer people to fight? People are the same all over the world, when they have a roof over their heads, a job, and food to feed their families - I strongly believe their priorities would change! But of course, who are listening to us normal people, politicians will do what they do for their own strange reasons and their "chairs".

Anyway, here things carry on as normal. The "boys" are not interested in politics, all they want is their dinner, so it is now cooking in the kitchen. I grate some carrots, some courgettes, or spinach, let it boil up and then finely chop chickenlivers to boil with the veg. When that has cooked for a while I add bulgur (cracked wheat) and after another ten minutes or so, their dinner is ready. A friend of mine has a daughter with eating problems. They were here one summers day just as I was finishing the dogs' dinner, and when it was time for the "boys" to eat, she wanted some too. To her mother's delight, she sat down and ate a big plateful!

We have had quite a lot of rain lately, something we badly needed, but as a result the garden was soggy and of course plenty of the mud and lumps of earth was carried into the house. İt has been a fight to try to keep the floors clean, mainly a loosing fight, but at least I knew that underneath the latest layer of dirt the floors were clean!

Today the weather is nice, have been outside to try to do a bit of tidying up after the storms, and in a little while I will make myself a nice, big mug of herbtea, take my knitting, feet on the table and sit and watch the skijumping from Innsbruck. İt is always a bit of a problem, I only have one lap and all four want to be there, so I normally end up with one on the back of the sofa, one on the lap andone on either side! Let's hope they stay quiet, with no arguments, so I can watch TV in peace. They have been "helping" me in the garden, so maybe they will fall asleep?
May the best man win the skijumping, and should he happen to be from Norway that would not be bad either!