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.
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
