Self catering holiday rental accommodation in the Alpujarras, Andalucia, southern Spain

Sunday 27th February

A week of glory, or a glorious week?

I was told by the nice german lady who was my breeder in Madrid that Andalucia is a lovely place to live, that it has a perfect climate and that it enjoys warm sunny days through much of the winter. Well, she was certainly correct this week, absolutely glorious it has been, wall to wall sunshine, blue skies and blossoming trees. What more could a young pup want? I even saw a few of the two legged folk wearing short trousers by way of beckoning on the arrival of Spring. A glorious week, indeed, and what better way to celebrate my weekend of glory?

I speak, of course, of the National and International Dog Show in Granada, organised by the 'Sociedad Canina de Andalucia Oriental' - try saying that with a muzzle full of puppy meal. Two days of preening and pampering of pooches, then parading and posing on a pee stained carpet in front of some highly critical judges. There were lots of strange looking dogs there, some of whom were placed on a table, held tight with a hoist and were being blown by a machine that produced hot air. Others had their fur all wrapped in in bits of fabric, or trimmed in a most unusual fashion. Luckily all I had to tolerate was a brush dragged through my progressively wirey coat, but I still put up a fuss.

I was entered for 'Best Puppy', in my class - Teckel Standard with wire hair - in my group - all teckel puppies - and overall - all puppies in the show. As for my success? Well, they told me I was a 'good boy' and I seemed to bring home a plate as a souvenir, but if you want to know how it went you will need to watch the Youtube video link:

Oska at the Show

Click here to see past blogs:

Jan 2011

Blog from 2010

I am being reminded, and perhaps put in my place, that this blog, whilst written by me should not be about me, so what else to report? Well, it is February 28th, which means it is Andalucia Day and a holiday for everyone living in this region of Spain. Plenty of visitors are in the area, enjoying the sight of the almond blossom and the white snow on the high mountains. I have yet to be taken up to the snowy part of the Sierra Nevada, but I'm told it will be great fun when we go and that Ella will teach me how to slide on my back.

I'll finish now with a letter sent to me by somebody I have never met, but certainly hope to one day, he's a fellow countryman:

Dear Oska, you don't know us yet, but that might change at some point. In any case it is nice to see that you have taken over the most important job ever from Fergus: Keeping us up to date! Thanks! But just one question: How come that your English is so good, after just 2 months of leaving all the Madrilenians and now having British "bipeds" around?! We are really impressed! And there is another thing we didn't understand: Have they told you how they came from "Eick von Lehrschen Forst" to "Oska"?? "Von Lehrschen Forst" sounds a bit German to me, therefore "Oskar" would have been an option. ;-) But even I (as the first and only (?) German guest so far) have to say: I like Oska much better! Looking forward to meet you at some point!

Christian & Annemieke - PS: Is there a way to directly comment on your blog?!

In answer to your last question, well, I don't know. I'm sure there must be but I need to learn a bit more about this computer business. Must go now, I've got a plate to polish.

Yours, with duster in paw

Oska - oh, and I'm also told I have to tell you what is flowering in the garden, so here it is, a Mimosa tree; nice if you like that sort of thing.

Tuesday 15th February 2011

Pause for thought

It's raining today, and I'm not sure that rain and I are going to get on. As a puppy I still don't have my full wired haired coat and the rain drops penetrate right to my skin. Not sure I love being towelled down when I come indoors either, but I'm sure I can find a way of making a game out of it. So, whilst it's raining outside for a day or so I thought I'd take stock of what I've seen during the last week or so - read the blog entry below to find out how the month started.

Well, the garden has been great fun, I've been snapping twigs off everything and have discovered the joy of bones, and what you do with them. Ella has been showing me, but I'm under the strictest orders not to reveal her secrets - especially after my last blog! It seems that whilst our human companions won't give us any bones - something to do with a nasty incident when Ella was younger which meant that Robert had to put his fingers deep down her throat to remove a offending bone shard - we can get a plentiful supply from stealing them from the shepherd's dogs, Tula and her gang. The shepherd brings them scraps from his table every day but then off they all go off with the sheep walking around the hillside, leaving their morsels behind. When the coast is clear, Ella and I sneak down to the sheep pen and help ourselves to the pick of the bone crop, then bring them back to the ornamental garden for processing and sorting. Smashing!

I have been told that life is not all fun fun fun and that I've got to start studying. To begin with I need to learn the names of some of the plants and when they flower. Oh, and also I need to learn that plants are, what was it they said, 'Not edible; delicate; there for everyone to enjoy; not to be picked, stood on, burrowed beneath, barked at or generally be made the object of a wrestling match with Ella'. So, here goes, some flowers I have noticed in the garden this week, all in flower.

Yellow Crocus Purple Crocus Virburnam Tinus White hellebore, or Christmas Rose

And along with nature's fab flowers, there has been the hard work of my human companions who have been building me a ramp and a set of dachshund friendly steps - I understand that I will have to share these with our visitors in the fullness of time.

But back to the rain. Has anybody got any beauty tips for me? As you will know I'm to be entered into a dog show in Granada this weekend and with the damp rain, I can't do anything with my fur. It's all stuck up on end and won't do what it is told. On Youtube we watched a dog show in the USA where a big fat fluffy poodle was being coated with hairspray. I don't want that for me, I feel I'm going to be more of an organic pup. Ella has offered to donate her beauty tips, which as far as I can make out revolve around licking and applying liberal amounts of saliva. Are there any other options? Please!

Yours, feeling a touch nervous,

Oska.

Sunday 6th February 2011

Keeping up Appearances

May I say a rather tentative 'hello'? Eick von Lehrscehn Forst is my full name, although I seem to have ended up with the epithet 'Oska' - no 'r', please. A touch precocious, perhaps, but then I am a bona fide, Spanish registered pedigree teckel puppy and need to distinguish myself from the various dodgy looking mutts that seem to populate the rural part of Spain I have come to reside in. I was born in a suburb of Madrid, but I think this mountain living is going to suit me. The smells are so much fresher and fruitier than the stale pavement aromas of my birth place. And the climate, so much more sun to enjoy and so far non of the nasty damp weather that can hang like a wet blamket over the north of this country. Andalucia, the Madrileños dream, romantic, warm and exotic. My home.

I've been told that my most important role here at Cortijo Opazo is keeping up the general high standard of the outfit, so I've been getting to know the house, the gardens and the area in general, and I must say, I'm impressed. There's nothing I like more than a good run around and a sniff, followed by a vigorous tumble with Ella - she thinks she's a circus lion and tries to fit the whole of my puppy head into her mouth, but it's fun! Here, the gardens are big and laid out with all sorts of exciting paths that I can chase around. I've made myself a few short cuts by pushing my way through the bushes and flowers that are growing here. The two humans who live with me think it is hilarious since every time I charge through the flower beds they shout encouragement at me. "Off the beds, get off the flowers" they yell in near hysterics. What fun! Walking here is great too, every day we find somwhere new to go and I love exploring all the footpaths and gorges that can be found close to the house. I think I'm going to be a good walker when I grow up, it's in my genes, I can tell.

Ella makes a big fuss about going out in the car, but I don't mind it myself. Last week we made a tour of the surrounding valleys and every time I got out of the car, there were new smells and some wonderful views. The humans kept pausing to take pictures of the trees and the blue skies. The trees were interesting enough, covered in delicate pink flowers called almond blossom. Apparently it happens every year and is one of the reasons why February can be a very special month in the Alpujarras.

There are normally guests staying in the accommodation we have here, and my job will be to see they have all they need and are comfortable. Sounds pretty easy to me since the holiday apartments seem to be full of all the comforts you could possibly wish for. There's nobody staying in them at the moment since it is supposed to be a quiet time of year. What a shame, I know of a few people from the north who'd love to re-charge their batteries with a little winter sun shine. And sunny it has been this week. We've all been out working in the garden every day, digging and cutting - and I've been chewing, just about everything I can get my teeth into. The humans have been building a long sort of ramp with steps in that leads from the end of one of their terraced gardens down to another. They've made it out of stone and wooden beams. I expect they are doing it for me since, as a puppy, it has been quite hard scrambling over the rocks to get to the lower garden. Very kind of them I'm sure, since now I can run a huge circle around the garden without having to stop, it's like a fast race circuit now.

This weekend I have been told that I need to look after myself since I am going to be a champion. It transpires that the lady who looked after me when I was a tiny puppy is actually an international judge at something called a 'Dog Show'. She maintains that I am such a good specimen of a teckel that I will surely win prizes. She has been in touch and given my companions details of two Dog Shows in Granada, in two weeks time. I have to look after myself, eat my puppy food and learn how to behave on a lead. Then, if they like me the judges might award me a prize. How thrilling! Something new to look forward to. Must ask Ella what it is like to win a prize and ask her how many prizes she has got. I wonder where she keeps them? Probably in the cave where she stores all those socks she has been collecting - oh, I wasn't supposed to say anything about those. Oops.

Time now for me to get some pedigree beauty sleep.

Yours, reclining,

Oska

Comments:

"Oska looks adorable - another good reason to come back over" - Cath Ashworth, UK

"Dear Oska,

What a clever chap you are putting together your first dogblog. And lucky too, to have a home in such a wonderful place. We are so looking forward to meeting you but beginning to panic somewhat because your availability calender is filling up fast!! We hope to be in touch again soon to book ourselves in. In the meantime continue to enjoy every minute of your new young life.

Barbara and Roger (UK)

PS Have you met the shepherd's dogs yet - Tula and her gang? Do hope they continue to stay safe too. "

See the blog from January 2011