The Call of the West Coast

We had a great time during the last three weeks on the island of Sealand. It did the girls a lot of good to experience a change of surroundings, have people and other dogs venture right outside of our front door.

Where There Is No Time

I hesitated for a moment. It was 7am. "No, I am not going to do it," I whispered to myself. Before there were dogs in my life, I preferred to start my working day at 7am, well ahead of my co-workers and customers, who usually start at 9-ish.

An Unusual Friend

There she was again, our daily visitor. The doe looked at me through the window. She didn't seem afraid at all. She was only 15 feet away.

Like Me, Like Me Not

With the last guests leaving in the coming weekend, a two and a half month streak of welcoming visitors is coming to an end. Apart from their incident, which both Tilde and Zerline luckily already seem to have forgotten, it was good to be around people again.

Running

"Their joy is contagious."

Seasonal Greetings

We leave the house at 4pm, a sunset is imminent. Zerline has a golden glow in the sunlight which is still bright. She is seven months old now, already an experienced sunset chase companion. In the distance the highest dune in the direct vicinity around us looms from the fog that starts to drift in. We hurry over for a good view of the sunset.

Life Changed

I open my eyes and have a peek around me from under the covers. No wonder I am feeling so warm. Tilde is laying curled up between my legs and Zerline is laying fully stretched out on my side. I feel her warm breath blowing in my neck.

A Dog's Summer

"Tilde No!". Too late. Tilde jumped the fence and was out of sight, chasing the bunny on full speed. That'll be the end of this particular fence solution I thought.

Hovawart TV: Zerline The Surfer

It was an impressive sight for Zerline. The first time we went to the beach she dared to go up all the way to the shoreline to have a closer look at all that boiling water and listen to the waves roar.

Summer Socialization With A Twist

In the middle of Summer all the rentals are occupied. Although I enjoy the emptiness of the West-coast during Winter, the tourists bring a special vacation atmosphere with them I have come to appreciate. People are happy and wear smiles, they have time and are not busy, or try their best not to be.

Rediscovering Beauty

The rapidly swelling buzz of hundreds of bird wings made me look up in the air. A flock of Starlings made a fly-over that low, I could have touched them if I would have reached my hand out. Tilde took a sprint after them. Jumping, barking, like a crazed jack-in-a-box. Zerline, who was sitting down, looked up in amazement. Her gaze followed the birds until they disappeared over the horizon. She was mesmerized.

The Paradise Of Senses

I am thoroughly enjoying some of our last hikes in which it will be just Tilde and me before Zerline will join our family. Tilde has become such a great hike buddy over time. We're such a good team now, both on the threshold of the next chapter, holding a new adventure for us all.

My Territory

Tilde takes her responsibility to expel any intruders from her property quite seriously.

Running The Wet Gauntlet

One moment you're playing with your toy in the surf, imaginary rescuing it from drowning, just to cruelly throw it back and rescue it again. Suddenly you hear a rumbling sound approach and you realize you lowered your guard, carried away by all the fun you're having.

Conversations With A Hovawart #1: Treasure Hunt

"I think I am on to something."

"Good girl, Tilde! Keep on searching!"

We have been training to search for money lately. It seems premature to expect too much. On the other hand, it is not the first time I have underestimated my own ridiculously fabulous dog training skills.

The Nose Knows

Easter honored its reputation for new beginnings, the start of Spring, and the return of light. The weather took a turn for the better and with time-off from work we had ample time on our hands to play "Lost", one of our favorite games. In "Lost" we get dropped in unknown territory and let Tilde's nose decide which path to take.

Tilde's Revenge And The Return Of The Seal

This is how it started:

That moment when you find out what she is dragging along turns out to be a decomposing seal, you first thought is "PLEASE don't roll in it!" just before she does.... #toolate #bathtime #yuk #gross #hovawart #shitbag

A post shared by Tilde and Leo (@leoschelt) on Mar 15, 2017 at 8:20am PDT

https://www.instagram.com/p/BRqeAc4hOv9/

The story could have ended right there and then with the aforementioned bath but with Tilde sometimes endings need to be rewritten.

Hovawart TV: Hurry Up!

When you are a Hovawart - or any dog for that matter - you know what is most important.

One of your family members getting further and further away, even if she is occupied in her search for amber, is definitely a no-go.

But how do you make that douche-bag in the rear to get it? Hurry up for pete's sake!



https://youtu.be/dGoqTnSCOcQ

Hovawart TV: A Farewell To Winter

With Winter officially ending, so does our Winter adventure on the West-coast.

It is isolated on the West-coast this time of year. Shops and restaurants close. Tourists leave. Roads even close. Most locals close off their cottages too, as they are not build to withstand the cold of Winter when the relentless forces of nature reveal themselves and storms and freezing rain-showers batter the West-coast to change it into a barren wasteland.

In other words, perfect for a man and his dog.

Don't Be A Stranger

The windchill of a strong breeze instantly dropped the temperature even further below zero. The sun composed a scenery worthy of a beautiful day in Summer and only the freezing cold reminded me we were in the heart of Winter.