Tag Archives: Herding dogs

It Is Not A Laughing Matter

March 29,  2015

"Naurava Koira" the Laughing Dog Agility arena. They do not make dog cheese

“Naurava Koira” or the “Laughing Dog” Agility arena. When you’ll go to Helsinki and want to eat cheese, remember, they do not make cheese…

 

The Laughing Cow cheese brand, or Naurava Lehma, remember, they do not do agility...

“The Laughing Cow” cheese brand, or “Naurava Lehma,” When you’ll go to Helsinki and want to practice agility, remember, they do not do agility…

 

 

 

I wanted to see some Finnish Pumis in action, so Marja Leena took me to a Pumi agility seminar, held by Lotta Vuorela at the Naurava Koira or “Laughing Dog” Agility Arena. When we got there, a few of the participants asked us not to photograph them.  Of course, we obliged their request so viola, here they are not…

The agility arena

The agility arena

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lotta Vuolera explaines to...

Lotta Vuolera explaines to…

Although, I do not speak Finnish, I liked the trainer, Lotta Vuorela’s style while training the participants and their Pumis.  It was great to see so many Pumis at one place (I counted 16 of them.) The facility is high, clean, bright and has a quality synthetic turf.  I guess it is true after all, if you build it, they will come.

some Pumis left...

some Pumis left…

 

some Pumis came...,

some Pumis came…,

 

there was always somebody working...

some Pumis worked…

 

 

 

 

 

We also visited Carita Friberg of Noisy Kennel.  We met Noisy Dog’s Dante”Musti,” Jellom’s Gigi “Pirre” and Noisy Dog’s Elegia “Piki.”  Our host Carita invited us for breakfast, we ate some delicious Pumi shaped Linzer made with the Friberg’s home made Pumi cookie cutter.  On the way home, we stopped by a cafe place to drink something warm to relieve my cold. I also skipped the daily hike to rest up a little before the end of the day.

Pumi cookie cutter

Pumi cookie cutter

and the Pumi Linzers, shaped by the Pumi cookie cutter...
and the Pumi Linzers, shaped by the Pumi cookie cutter…

Kaa
Carita Friberg is getting an undivided attention  – I wonder why…

Carita Friberg of Noisy Dog's Kennel

Carita Friberg of Noisy Dog’s Kennel

 

 

 

Dear Abby…

March 26, 2015

Dear Abby,

I am a concerned doggy parent who have always believed and put emphasis on training, education, good manners and behavior.  I have provided a strict Catholic training to my doggy kids because I always wanted to be a good shepherd who gives correct directions to her doggies. Photo Mar 25, 4 44 19 PM

However, currently I am facing a crisis. It appears that all my hard work (and those damn expensive cookies) went down the drain. I’ve been traveling with one of my girlies. When we woke up yesterday in the morning, I asked her that what she wanted to do.  I was mortified when she answered in front of our host,  “mom, I think I want to have sex with Daco…” About half an hour later the boy came over (the second time this week…) I feel paralized, I have anxiety attacks, I do not know what to do.Photo Mar 25, 4 44 17 PM

Dear Abby please advise!

A concerned doggie mom…

WARNING! The video below contains sexually explicit material that might be disturbing to some people. viewer discretion is advised. (hide your kids!) 

https://youtu.be/wXOhuUl7Tig   <—-click link

Photo Mar 25, 4 44 21 PM Photo Mar 25, 4 44 22 PM Photo Mar 25, 4 44 45 PM Photo Mar 25, 4 44 48 PM Photo Mar 25, 4 44 49 PM Photo Mar 25, 4 44 53 PM Photo Mar 25, 4 44 54 PM Photo Mar 25, 4 44 55 PM Photo Mar 25, 4 45 18 PM Photo Mar 25, 4 45 21 PM Photo Mar 25, 4 45 26 PM Photo Mar 25, 4 44 02 PM

Finnish Kale (Do Not Look For It At Your Local Grocer…)

March 25, 2015

Photo Mar 25, 6 02 04 PM

Larry David playing Larry David the obnoxious, misanthropic selfabsorbed character in “Curb Your Enthusiasm

Earlier this month I was listening to a “Fresh Air” episode on NPR.  They were interviewing Larry David, the co-creator of “Seinfeld” and “Curb Your Enthusiasm” about David’s new hit on Broadway, “Fish in the Dark.” During the interview they played a funny clip from “Curb Your Enthusiasm” where the obnoxious main character of the show, Larry David (played by Larry David) meets a friend, Mardy Funkhauser, a guy about 60 some years old. David complains to Funkhauser that he did not return his condolence telephone message (Funkhauser’s mother just died). In his own defense, Funkhauser responds that David should be more sensitive because he, (Funkhauser) just became an orphant. (he lost his father earlier that year and now his mother too.) David in his rude style makes fun of him and says that it is too late to be an be an orphan at age sixty. “Little orphan Funkhauser.” I had such a good laugh…

Yesterday, I had the occasion to think about this clip. Take it apart and look behind it. In a way I  am orphan too, (lost both of my parents) just like Funkhauser, however, I am and has been an orphan in other ways too since my birth.  Born into a German ethnic family (Eberwein x Hundenmeier) growing up as an official ethnic Hungarian (Repasi) minority in Transylvania, Romania. (Romanians had the perfect term for Transylvanian Hungarians, although derogatory in nature; “bozgor,” which means  a person without a homeland and ethnic identity.) Then when I moved from Romania to Hungary, ironically I was simply called a Romanian.  In Austria I was under the  umbrella term “Auslander,” or foreigner and in the U.S. I have become a naturalized U.S. citizen, and so a Hungarian American (my choice).  Always and everywhere “in,” however, always on the periphery.  My social position helps me to observe, listen, notice details, interpret and process from an angle that is impossible to do from the center. Like I, people with similar backgrounds often hear meaningful sentences in certain remarks that for others in the center are only “harmless” white noise. Usually, I do not think about these things, it has always been “that” part of my life.

I tell you this, because I got nostalgic yesterday. On our way home with Marja-Leena in the afternoon, we ran into a small group of well dressed gypsies or Romani.  Their presence captured me… I asked their permission to photograph them. Unfortunately, I only had my phone to take a picture so I missed many details.

The gypsy or Romani diasporas are probably the perfect definition of “orphans.”  Even though, many of them living in urban environments, symbolically they have always remained nomadic, always moving, or ready to move.  Always on the periphery, rarely accepted, seldom assimilated.  They have always been demonized and persecuted in every corner of the world throughout their existence.  However, somehow they have never perished, always survived and thrived with an incredible resilience. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSjaOM7Bewk  click link

I was curious, so after I went to bed, I looked up the Finnish Romani or Finnish Kale (Kaale in Suomi.) The Roma first arrived from England and Scotland to Sweden in the fifteen hundreds. THey were mostly craftsmen and journeymen. While the Protestant Church proactively pressured the erosion of the Romani’s relatively stable position on the social hierarchy, Swedish authorities deported the Kale to the Eastern part of the kingdom (which is Finland today.)  In the first part of the 17th century they were declared outlaws and could be hanged without trial.  For a long time, children frequently have been taken away from their families in an effort to assimilate the group.  After  four hundred years of severe discrimination, in 1917, the Roma has gotten full citizenship in Finland and human rights conditions have gradually improved. The 1995 amendment to the Finnish Constitution granted the Roma to preserve its language, the Kale, as a “non territorial minority language.” The Roma in Finland, just like everywhere else, facing high unemployment frequently due to relatively low education.  They experience significant exclusion from mainstream society and  face specifically severe discrimination in the private housing market.   Sources,  http://www.minorityrights.org/1537/finland/roma.html     http://www.prezi.com/f639kuzyb7jj/romanifinnish-kale/

While reading this minority rights report, I came up with the idea for an interactive comprehensive geography, history, ethnography etc. game for children to learn about history and the world. The name of the game could be “Cut and Paste” For instance, cut Finland from and paste Australia in to an official human or civil rights document, than cut the Finnish Kale out and paste Aboriginal into the same document. Than cut Australia and paste U.S. than cut Aboriginal and paste Chinese and so on… after every cut and past a map would come up with the respective countries and photos of their oppressed ethnic groups, their artifacts and their brief miserable history… Or we can just let the kids watch “Wheel of Fortune…”

The Return (sequel two, part one)

March 22, 2015

 

I am pretty concerned about apossible Icelandic Culinary Month celebrated by Finnair.  I am not sure if I am ready for a fermented shark fin and pickled herring mousse with sour sheep milk.

I am pretty concerned about a possible Icelandic Culinary Month celebrated by Finnair. I am not sure if I am ready for a fermented shark fin and pickled herring mousse with sour sheep milk.

Men plan, nature executes…  Based on Kaffogo Agyag’s reproductive cycle in the past two years

, we had a perfect plan until last week. Than everything turned into chaos and upside down as the four bitches have brought into heat each other, including Agyag.  Bitches…

I had to contact Marja-Leena Puranen to double check wether the male dog is available and wether Marja-Leena was ready for us.  Once we had the green light, I had to break the news to Laszlo while we had only a few days left for a massive rescheduling of all plans for the next two weeks and of course to buy a new airplane ticket to Helsinki.

Since we left late from home (as usual), we had a nail biting four-hour drive to the airport in an insane weekend traffic jam.  At check-in, our saga has continued with customer service.  They had no idea about “live animal traveling fee rates” and I ended up paying double ($400!!!)one way – for Agyag.  (What is wrong with weekend customer service…? Once I am back in the States, I have to recoup the money.)  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9LxaTT8uCV8. <——–Click here

according to

according to the yellow label, Agyag is in the  121lbs category that cost $400 (twice the standard price) each way to transport.  Is it a slightly over weight Pumi or a traveling crate carved of stone?

I waited until Agyag’s crate was conveyed into the belly of the plane then I finally boarded too.  When the plane took off and we were ascending, after all the stress, I could only hope that this was not an Icelandic Culinary Month for all Scandinavian airlines when they serve fermented shark fin, pickled herring mousse and sour sheep milk while someone is out-loud reciting from the Kalevala in Finnish.

My anxiety disappeared in an instance when we reached cruising altitude and  I heard the captain in the loudspeaker, “ladies, gentlemen, it is time to start your cocktails….”

Marja-Leena was waiting for us at the Helsinki Airport.  It was so good to see her again.

Marja-Leena was waiting for us at the Helsinki Airport. It was so good to see her again.

If you had one too many of the cocktails on the plane, you might freak out that you ended up on planet El-Adrel from "Star Trek: The Next Generation" and bumped into a Tamarian when encountering Kim Simmonnsonn's ceramic sculpture in the Art Port at the Helsinki Airport near Gate 37  (Curtesy of Finavia Corporation).

If you had one too many of the cocktails on the plane, you might freak out that you ended up on planet El-Adrel from “Star Trek: The Next Generation” and bumped into a Tamarian when encountering Kim Simmonnsonn’s ceramic sculpture in the Art Port at the Helsinki Airport near Gate 37 (Curtesy of Finavia Corporation).

The Countdown Begins

March 21, 2015

Tomorrow we are going to JFK to fly across the big pond again.  I packed all the essentials…

Passport,  check...

Passport, check…

 

 

Ticket, check...

Ticket, check…

 

poop bags, check...

poop bags, check…

 

tanning lotion, check (because it must be warmer and sunnier everywhere than upstate NY)

tanning lotion, check (because it must be warmer and sunnier everywhere  than here upstate NY…)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Roadside Drunks, Stray Horses, Crazy Pulis And Pumis – Destination Orlando Florida

December 7, 2014

Goofy is ready for the big annual dog show...

Goofy is ready for the big show…

 

Today I woke up the sun. He slept in it was Sunday...

Today I woke up the sun. He overslept , I gave him a break it was Sunday…

It is that time of the year again, Eukanuba National 2014 in Orlando, Florida.  I packed the truck last night, washed the dogs and went to bed early. The alarm woke me at 2:30AM and we were rolling down the icy drive way in the cold and dark by 3:30AM.  I am always anxious to drive on Rt-28 in the dark.  Deers crossing, drunken pedestrians walking along the dark road and sometimes abandoned vehicles can create unexpected road hazards late in the nights and early mornings.

And yes indeed, just like any other early Sunday morning in the Catskills, I passed two heavily gesticulating drunken men and further down the road three horses trotting on the center line of the dark road in their nice cozy horse blankets. I guess, someone somewhere left the gate open… Perhaps the two drunks whom I saw earlier?

Agyag and Anka are blocking the door "no more stuff in the car..."

Agyag and Anka are giving some dirty looks while blocking the door “no more stuff in the car…”

 

Marika just discovered some room in the car for both of us (Anka looks disappointed she hoped for a "dogs  only" road trip)

After loading the car, Marika discovered some room  for both of us (Anka looks disappointed she hoped for a “dogs only” road trip)

 

I arrived to Marika’s house in New Jersey before 7AM. We loaded all the dogs and my stuff in her car and we were on our way to Maryland.

We arrived to Cherie and Charlie Green-Johnson’s home at  11:00 for a short visit and to groom Fitz, one of our B-litter Pumis.  We were happy to meet again and I was grateful to see what a loving home Fitz has and how happy he has been with his two Puli friends.

While grooming Fitz, our Pumis and Cherie’s two Pulis , Winston and Sophie reorganized the house.

Although, the lunch invitation was tempting, we had to say goodbye and hit the road to be able to finish the planned first leg of the road.  We had eleven more hours ahead of us to get to Charleston, SC.

Stupid Quiz #1 (while driving to Florida)

Question: what do Catskill Pumis and George Washington have in Common?

Answer: They all crossed the Delaware…

Then...George Washington Crossing the Delaware

Then…George Washington Crossing the Delaware

Contemporary Crossing  of the Delaware...

Now… Pumis Crossing the Delaware…

Marika at the wheel
Marika at the wheel

 

zipping under Baltimore Harbor.  Feels like time travel.

zipping under Baltimore Harbor. Feels like time travel.

 

 

 

Bushwhackers

 

The Loot of Catskill Battyogo Bikfic over the weekend

The weekend loot of Catskill Battyogo Bikfic

September 7, 2014

We’ve had a fantastic weekend.  Catskill Battyogo Bikfic has earned 5 points this weekend and has won a big one, “Best in Beginner Puppy Show,” where he has competed outside of the Miscellaneous Class, in the “Big League.” I think Bikfic is the very first Pumi competing in the big league in conformation and winning Best in Show (4-6 mos :-))

Three days, three wins for Bikfic BOB, BiM and one Jackpot Saturday, Best in Beginner Puppy Class (4-6 mos)

Three days, three wins for Bikfic BOB, BiM and one Jackpot Saturday, Best in Beginner Puppy Class (4-6 mos)

Solid disposition, confident appearance nice conformation, please meet Catskill Battyogo Bikfic...

Solid disposition, confident appearance nice conformation, please meet Catskill Battyogo Bikfic…

Marika and Paul Foreman, owners of Catskill Bikfic and Csibesz,  invited me to their home for the weekend  since they live only ten minutes from the show site. (Laszlo could not make it as he just had a surgery Tuesday.)  They have been perfect hosts.  They’ve fed me and entertained me for three days.

Hey you out there... get ready...!

Hey you out there… get ready…!

After we returned to Marika and Paul’s home each day after the shows, we could not stop watching and laughing the three crazy Pumis turning from well behaving show dogs into Bushwhacking Pumis, in Marika’s yard.

http://youtu.be/BtbRxZWDYkI    <—— Click here…

 

 

 

My Personal Stockholm Syndrome

August 9, 2014

The belly of the beast... ( hope they do not forget to close the doors after loading and the ship does not turn into a submarine...

The belly of the beast… ( hope they do not forget to close the doors after loading and the ship does not turn into a submarine…)

So, Thursday we took a cruise-ferry to Stockholm, Sweden on the  board of the Silja Symphony.  I have been wary a a bit about the trip considering the ship’s history. The builder of the boat, the Wartsyla Marine shipyard, went belly up  – ok sort of…they  went bankrupt during the construction of the ship in 1991.

A very thoughtful sign now I feel really safe...

A very thoughtful sign now I feel really safe…

After she was put in service, she’s had several scary incidents. Once it sucked in a swarm of fish that stopped the engine at open waters. Several years later, she ran into the dock in the harbor of Marienham in a storm that has created some major damage. So here I was, ready to go on my personal Titanic trip to experience “My Personal Stockholm Syndrome.”   (it works in reverse than the original Stockholm Syndrome…)

 

The "Pumericans" ready to embark on an adventure. From democracy to Absolut Monarchy (extra dry please...)

The “Pumericans” ready to embark on an adventure. From democracy to Absolut Monarchy (extra dry please…)

Well, in case you did not know,  Sweden is a kingdom. Surprisingly the only absolute monarchy in Europe. By the way, it comes in various flavors, black currant, lemon, orange, etc. (all other monarchies in Europe are constitutional.)

The last Absolut Monarchy in Europe ( in Many flavors...)

The last Absolut Monarchy in Europe ( in many flavors…)

Of course, I know other things about Sweden too. I’ve also known Ingmar Bergman’s movies, Alfred Nobel, (the guy who invented the dynamite and than they named a peace price after him…) Than there is August Strindberg, (I saw one of his plays the “Creditors” at BAM, Brooklyn NY. )Than there is VOLVO. I call the 1970’s-80′ models  “OVLOV”  like they would have been Soviet made cars because of their austerity – NO CUP HOLDERS!?!?!? (hey they were safe and simple…)

serious cruise ship fun...

serious cruise ship fun…

Photo Aug 08, 12 21 14 AM Photo Aug 08, 12 26 11 AM

One thing however, that all  Americans know about Sweden is, the country’s phenomenal pop music success.  Remember ABBA, Ace of Base and the Cardigans? (You call them cheese today, but you’ve kept hitting “rewind” over and over again  while driving long distance back in the days.

So the songs started popping up in my head and while I was doodling, I was missing my dogs back in the States and Kaffogo Agyag  in Finland. I left Agyag with Marja-Leena Puranen while I was sailing to Sweeden. (By the way, Marja-Leena, thank you sooo much to take care of my baby dog!)

The first Volvo ever by the Vikings. (more like an Ovlov...) It was amphibious.

The first VOLVO ever. Built by the Vikings. (more like an OVLOV…) It was amphibious.

Photo Aug 08, 2 31 51 PM Photo Aug 08, 2 36 26 PM

Than I went to bed, and the whole thing just got mixed up and I had a weird dream (here it is…)  Video Aug 09, 6 01 20 PM <——CLICK HERE…

Wobble Baby Wobble…

May 10, 2014

When Sandy came to see the Pumi pups on Monday, it was love at first sight.  When she came back today, it was love all over again.  We know it, we can tell from miles away, because we are addicted to Pumi love.

It is something that one cannot describe.  It has to be experienced.

I imagine when the Aspirin went on clinical trial to cure head ache, pain, and heart ache, the control group must have gotten some Pumis to hug and no surprise, they’ve experienced the Placebo Effect, and oh yes it has worked since… Those of us who have taken the Pumi Pill, we know it…

Are you ready for your healthy addiction…?

http://youtu.be/MBhbPnFsHmI          <——Click here….