An uneventful autumn

After returning from France we had an uneventful autumn, with limited social events. Work and study continued mostly from home, and our schedule was arranged around Pippin's activities. In the weekends we often hooked up with the girls outdoors for walks, in one of the many areas where dogs can roam freely.

Early December we booked a bungalow in the Veluwe to have a change of scenery for a few days, and Paula, Dorien and Lars turned up as well to join us for a bike ride and dog walks. This was an enjoyable alternative, as it is unclear when we can return to our house in France....

Pippin is reading a book

Walking in Delft

Pippin in Kijkduin

Paula was still allowed to row in a skiff

Dorien and Pippin are walking near Hoenderloo

Paula and Piet are mountainbiking near Radio Kootwijk

Sometimes Pippin acts as a greyhound

September in France

The last part of our holidays started when Peter, one of Piet's cycling mates, came to France for 4 days of riding in the mountains. Piet joined him, and together they did some of the cycling highlights in the region, and obviously also cycled up Alpe d'Huez. After Peter left Piet worked a few days from the house, and he used the last day of a long good weather period to get something off his bucket list: Col Agnel. This is one of the highest mountain passes in France, on the border with Italy. Mary and Pippin joined, and did some short walks in the area. Piet reached the top after a hard, 40 km+ cycle.

The last week the weather was variable, with regular rain and dropping temperatures. The days were spend walking and training with Pippin and some work in the garden and around the house. At the end of the week it snowed heavily in the mountains, and we could light the fireplace. Fall had started.

Unfortunately our departement (or province) of Isere was declared a red zone for Covid-19 during the last week. As a consequence we will not be allowed to return to the house until this restriction is lifted. We made the house ready for the winter as there is a reasonable chance that we will only return in the spring. We drove back with Pippin into a self-imposed quarantine, although we saw very few people in our village the last week, and the risk of infection was very low.

On return the adjustment was tough for Pippin. After a long period with nearly unlimited freedom around our house and village and hardly any dogs he got an overdose of stimulus in the busy parks of The Hague, with many, many dogs to choose from as temporary friend. Listening to his parents took secondary priority for a few days! He is slowly adjusting to the new reality; at least he doesn't mind the poor autumn weather. And he loves the beach.

Walking with Pippin in the village

Pippin likes to swim

Piet and Peter cycled up Alpe d'Huez

Lac Besson, above Alpe d'Huez

Pippin is waiting for Piet on Col Agnel

Col Agnel at 2744 m, on the France-Italy border

Pippin loves his mum

Pippin likes to train (if he is not distracted!)

Picking up an fetch, training to be a hunting dog

Pippin is sprinting towards us

Snow on the mountainsides, view from our garden

A belated summer holiday

Before leaving for France Pippin had to be vaccinated for rabies first, and then wait for 3 weeks for it to settle. As a consequence we spend the whole summer in The Hague, and only mid August we could leave again. During the summer Dorien, Paula and friends held the fort in France, and there was always someone around. When we arrived Dorien and Lars were still there, and Paula rejoined a few days later.

Pippin ruled our schedules, as he can only walk 30 min, a few times a day. He has been thoroughly enjoying the space and freedom in the garden and the village, and the new smells of the animals in the area. We build a fenced off area on our terrace to be able to force some rest on him. Otherwise he would just run around all day, and eat anything he found during his wanderings. In  short: dog paradise, and quite some work for us.

Around the dog walks we managed to do some work in the garden and several bike rides. Paula and Dorien benefitted from the purchase of a racing bike during the lockdown, and joined Piet on a few day trips, ticking off some nice climbs. First Dorien and Lars went home for work and study, followed by Piet and Paula for the same reason. Mary stayed behind with Pippin to get her quota of French weeks, and Piet will return in a few weeks to pick her up. With internet installed now he is even able to work from France, adding flexibility and options for longer stays.

Mary and Pippin training near the house

Pippin is happy in France (and with his dad)

Fixing the bridge at the end of the garden, the neighbours' donkey is supervising

Pippin loves water as well

Paula is cycling near Allemont

Piet and Paula reached Col de la Croix de Fer

Lars en Dorien

Pippin on his daily walk

Pippin

Early July we picked up Pippin, our new child, from the breeder. He was the last one to leave the nest, 9 weeks old. It was a traumatic experience and he was very restless and noisy in the car, finally dropping off to sleep when we turned into our street. Then our new life started...

Pippin was named after one of the hobbits in Lord of the Rings, who was somewhat naughty, always hungry and had a tendency to test the boundaries. All of this has proven to be true! Anyway it feels like having a baby again, with interrupted nights, early mornings and many hours of attention. To keep our sanity we set up a puppy fence in the living room, with his own space to play and sleep.

Pippin has quite some self confidence, and we have been exposing him to as many areas and activities as possible. In principle he has two short walks in the streets around the house, some playtime in the garden and one excursion to a park, the beach, puppy training or Mary's parents. He is allowed walks of 10-15 minutes only, and still sleeps 16 hours a day.
From the first day we have been training Pippin to be obedient, to come back when we call him, to sit, and even to swim. He has bursts of high energy and takes long breaks in between, mainly asleep!

Pippin, just before he left his mother

Drinking water in the garden

We often need to carry Pippin to make some distance

Sundowner in the garden

Paula and Jasper watching Pippin run back to Mary

Pippin found a friend

Almost everything can be destroyed: we allowed a garden glove this time

Piet and son

France: after the lockdown

On the 15th of June the French borders opened for foreigners, and on the 18th we drove to our house. After working from home for 3 months, and limited activities in general, a change of scenery was very welcome. Luckily our new village neighbours inherited two Corona horses, and before we came they put them in our garden to eat the grass. This made getting the garden under control a lot easier, and we could settle quickly into our routine of cycling, hiking and working around the house.

The weather was great, and after 10 days our visitors started arriving. First our friend Jan, who is living permanently in the French Pyrenees, dropped in. Then Piet's sister and husband, and Paula and  Jasper arrived as well. Piet and Jan cycled up Alpe d'Huez, something that was long overdue, and the evenings were spend catching up, and comparing notes on life during Corona in Belgium, France and The Netherlands. Also the wine cellar was attacked with some enthusiasm.
After two weeks we had to return to The Hague to pick up our new baby, whist Paula and Jasper stayed behind to do some mountaineering. Due to the rabies vaccination that is required we will stay in The Hague for 6 weeks, before returning to France. Luckily Paula, Dorien and friends have made sure the house is occupied the whole summer!

Relaxing at our house, with the neighbours cat Thomas

Walking back from Refuge du Chatelleret

A marmot near Chatelleret

Jan is cycling up Alpe d'Huez

Jan and Piet did Col d'Ornon as well

 Marc and Mary near Refuge de Carrelet

 Paula is descending from Aiguille Dibona

A few more pictures

There has been little change in our lives, despite the lifting of some of the Corona measures. We have been working at home, with limited social activity. Luckily we had the freedom to walk and cycle without restrictions, and we made good use of it.

In addition we are in anticipation of our new family member, a Viszla pup. Mary has been receiving daily updates from the breeder: video's, pictures and newsletters. Early July we will be able to pick him/her up; in the meantime we are getting the house ready...

The pups receiving their first solid food

Kitesurfers in Monster

Mary in Katwijk

Renaat and Peter waiting at the Maassluis ferry

Piet and Renaat pausing in Hellevoetsluis

Brothers and sisters

Family expansion

These are strange Corona times, all of us feeling grounded with limited social activity. Piet and Lars are working from home; Paula, Dorien and Jasper are trying to follow their university classes virtually as best as possible. As Proteus and Slopend are closed there is no sport, so both Paula and Dorien ended up with a racing bike, and are regularly making rides around Delft. We are taking care of Mary's parents, who have self-quarantined, doing the shopping and checking in twice a week. Holiday plans, business trips and all other non-essential outings have been put on hold.
The main advantage of the Dutch government measures is that we are allowed to go out for a (mental sanity) walk or bike ride, and we are making full use of that freedom. Piet is clocking record kilometres in absence of other activities, and after several solo rides he teamed up with his cycling buddy Peter, who lives 100 m away. Other days Piet and Mary go out together on the bike for shorter rides. In the end complying with the 1.5 m society is not that difficult. 

And there is some exiting news as well. Firstly, after careful research, Dorien and Lars found two kittens, and collected them two weeks ago. Their flat has been upgraded to a cats' paradise, and they settled in quickly. The cats are from the ragdoll race and called Dobby and Arthur, and suitable for an indoor life.

After Beau died Mary continued helping her friends at the stable, and was riding or walking two or three times a week. But at some point she was looking for a new challenge, and an old plan, to raise a dog once Beau wasn't there anymore, was kicked off. First the question was pup vs. adult dog, and what type of race. After a lot of research we ended up with the Vizsla race, a shorthaired retriever, and a wish to raise and train a puppy. Mary contacted several people, and got ourselves on future breeding lists, with the aim to start sometime after the summer.

Then out of the blue came a call from one of the owners that her dog was pregnant with more pups than expected, and if we were willing to accept one early July. As our holiday plans are uncertain and we have flexibility we quickly accepted, and were invited for a get to know you, with the owners and their dogs. They explained many ins and outs about the race, and demonstrated their search and retrieve skills. Vizsla's are smart dogs, that need a lot of physical and mental exercise, and training from an early age is essential to keep them healthy and sane. There are many similarities with horses.... 

A few days later 8 pups were born, who will stay with their mother for 9-10 weeks. During this period we will receive a lot of information, and will be invited to visit the pups. The final decision on which pup goes where is made by the owner, with help from a puppy character expert, and no input from us. A whole new world, but it feels like getting a new baby. More to follow soon!

Dorien is playing with her cats

Peter and Piet on top of het Kopje van Bloemendaal

Mother Kedves with her 8 pups

 The pups are blind after birth