Ebba

Thanks to Ebba's antics I'm once again going down memory lane. Our newest friend makes me think of the boxer dogs we had as children. Ebba finds it hilariously funny to run past me really fast, close to my legs and so far, it's been a success. She has a sleek, catlike running style (as she is still on the slim side) but it makes me think of what will happen if she crashes into me...

When our boxer Stina was a young dog she tried to do the same and sent my sister flying high up in the air. I can't have been very old at the time but I can still remember it. I can even show you where it happened. She was a young girl at the time, but think what the same would do to an older, heavier me. We have discussed this with Ebba, but she just laughs it off as ramblings of an old lady....

Ebba has a lot of the boxer dog humor as well as the craving for adventure. Everything must be tasted, tested and played with. Being a dog who believes in hard work makes her a challenge for all of us. Ebba believes in getting things done, so we are constantly on high alert around her. We also love her to bits...

I had a lovely goat called Dinny when I was a child. She was born in the village, at my cousin’s place, so Dinny got to grow up alongside her mother My. She was my cousin's goat and we had good fun - the four of us and the goats were happy to have each other as well.

I think goats are the best animals and I would like to have some of our own. The problem is that I'm not twelve years old anymore. In order to be a good goat herder, in my opinion, you have to be young, childish, creative and have all the time in the world for your animals. (Now I'm talking goats as pets, not hundreds of milk-producing goats).

Dinny and I had brilliant days. She was a very kind soul, who was lacking horns and probably thought she was a dog. She followed me everywhere, went for long walks with whoever walked our dog and sneaked indoors for a nap on my parent's bed. This, usually when I was away so I was called back to sort it out. At least she did not smell strongly of goat.

Dinny lived with our horses and was a good companion to them, as she did not nudge or push them. She never grew horns so there was never the question of "to keep or not to keep them?" thank goodness. There was a billy goat in the village with impressive horns and we still remember the pain from them.

Dinny and I enjoyed rock climbing, jumped hurdles and we spent time hanging out, reading books on the lawn. Just like you should if you've chosen to keep some goats. Dinny even enjoyed being out on the water as she was a sea faring goat and a proud one. Cars was okay too. I still miss her...

If we kept goats today, we would not have time for all of that and they would get bored, run away to seek their own adventures and it would be no fun at all. We would feel like we failed and the goats would agree. But maybe one day, you never know....

So now we have super-dog Ebba keeping us fit. No question of reading books on any lawns as Ebba would either eat the book or distract us until we gave up. There is a small matter of cold and snow at the moment, too. Morning coffee in bed is not the same relaxing affair as it used to be, as we now have huge paws flying around our ears. Ebba likes to stretch in the bed... Mr. Chip had tiny feet and slept through the whole coffee ritual.

Things change, we hope for the best and thank our lucky stars for every beautiful animal that finds its way to us. Without them life would be orderly, maybe even prim and proper and much too tame for our liking. It would be nice to be able to walk with our dog without falling over, though...

Experts say that you should always remember to laugh out loud with your animals. We do that on a regular basis and I think it's a therapy session saved for all and everyone. Ebba laughs a lot too...

Darya the hen believes in the joy of spending time with good friends so she joins our kind sheep when they go outside, in the mornings. The snow covers the ground at the moment so after a while she jumps up and warms her feet. She is loved by all four feet warmers and they laugh a lot together, too...

Take care and remember that chocolates are a must in January too, whatever the radio tells us!