A Trip down the Rhine River, to Munich and the USA

So the Story continues...

Have any of you pups ever been on a Ferris Wheel?. I tell you, that is a trip you soon won't forget. If I hadn't known any better you would think I could fly. First they wouldn't let me on the blasted thing, but Dad persuaded them and off we went. Round and round and round it goes... where it stops nobody knows. Well it stopped, but not on the bottom, right on the highest point. Dad picked me up so I could look out, but I didn't know what to think. Everything was so little below and I could look on top of even the biggest Dog. That is something I could never do before. Boy do they look funny from way up there. On the Humans you could only see the top of their heads, but us 4 leggers you could see the whole body. But what good does that do, when you can't walk up to them and pee on them or at least bark with them.

We finally came back around to the bottom. I must say that this was quite the experience.

One Day Mom and Dad decided to go on a Rhine River cruise. As I liked to travel, din't mind Streetcars, Subways, Trains or other transportation, they thought I'll be OK on a Ship. So off we went on the Rhine. We boarded the Düsseldorf-Bingen Ship. Everybody thought I was just about it and wanted to pet me. I had the time of my life, but what does a pup do when he has to pee? Well they said I could go on the  "Poop deck". I about cracked up when I heard that. But I was good and didn't need to go the whole trip. We went by some Castles on the left and right side of the Rhine, seen Vineyards and would you believe right in the middle of the Rhine there was a tower called the "Mäuse Turm" or Mouse Tower in English. Why in the Sam hill did they put a Mouse tower in the middle of the Rhine with no cats in sight? Who would think of something like that? Come to find out it was quite the story and I put a link on here for you to read all about it. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mouse_Tower

Our next stop was in Koblenz I got to walk and pee on some old Roman streets. I wonder if they had Westies already. But the smells where something to die for. A street that was over 2000 years old and it smelled like Westie heaven. Mom put a link here for you so you can see what I am talking about.
http://www.eupedia.com/germany/koblenz.shtml
And here I am on that street

WE went on down the River, past the Lorelei  and back again. Do humans get sea sick? I sure didn't, I guess I am just about the best travel dog around.

Here I am with Mom along the Lorelei..

One Day Mom decided to go visit my Hu-man Grandma in Munich. So off we went by train. It takes about 6 hours to go there and I was in my element. In Germany you have to buy a child's pass for us to go on the train, but then we have the right to sit in our own seat. Let me tell you, I took advantage of that. I made myself nice and comfortable the whole way. WE went to the dining car and I got some free cookies and lots and lots of petting from the other humans.

Oma just loved me to death and I was looking forward to seeing her again. She was one of the first people of Mom's family I had met. In the Apartment house where she lived, stayed a little girl on the first floor. She always wanted to play with me. One day she brought her doll carriage out and I thought she was going to play with her dolls. But no way.... she picked me up, put me in the carriage and proceeded to push me down the street. Doesn't she realize I have 4 paws of my own to motivate? I guess she just wanted to caress me, but I thought she was squeezing me to death. Well here I am in a doll carriage. How embarrassing is that for a macho Westie? I asked Mom not to publish this picture, but just couldn't talk her out of it.

I had lot's of fun in Munich, but never met another Westie there.

The day came when Mom said that we are going to Iowa. I didn't realize what laid before me. I had to go see the Vet-man again for shots, had to get an International certificate, get a traveling bag and get weight and measured to be sure I fit under the seat on the Airplane. Mom packed my favorite toy, a rubber chicken, and put me in the bag. It had rollers on, so I could comfortably mosey down the walkway in the Airport. The bag was zippered up just so much that I could still stick my head out. You should have seen the stares and laughs I got in the Airport. The Stewardesses (I guess you call them Flight attendant's now) all where real sweet and I got lots of treats. Let me tell you, it was crowded  on that plane. I fit right under the seat like I was supposed to and settled down for a long nap. Yes, you heard me right, I sleep in the Airplane. At first I wondered what all the noise and vibration was, but then I just tucked my head in and snoozed. Mom woke me up once to give me a little of her food, but that was all. It is a long way to Chicago, but I made it without having to go pee. 9 hours flying was hard on Mom, but it didn't face me in the least. In Chicago we had to go through an inspection with an Airport Vet, but then on we went to Iowa. Was I in for a surprise. The house there was short, not like the Apartment on the 5th floor in Germany. I could walk in and out and had a big garden to play in. There I met my best friend Buddy. He was a little bigger than I, but not by much. Right from the start he told me who was boss. We chased squirrels in the back yard, went on walks and there I met a horse for the first time.

See you the next time

Dagobert  

Sunday, January 26th, 2014

Well, here it is Sunday already and this is only my 2nd blog. I hope everybody enjoyed the first one , so here the story continues.

After Mom and Dad got me in Plattling we had to go on the Train to get to Munich. Since it was Christmas Eve, none of the stores where opened, so I guess that started me thinking I was more Human than pup. I didn't have a collar and I got to ride on Mom's lap all the way. When we got home (I was real good and didn't pee pee once) I got to eat out of a fancy porcelain bowl and got to sleep with Mom on her bed. Life is starting off OK for me. We stayed in Munich for a few Days and then went back on a Train. This time to Düsseldorf, which is on the Rhine river. They never told me we lived on the 5th floor in an Apartment building without an Elevator. My little legs where just to short to hop on the stairs, so I got carried until I was big  enough.But Mom was always a little sad about her Pup she left back in the USA with her Girlfriend.. She told me his name was Buddy and he was brown and a little bigger than me. But she also said that we will get him in Iowa when I get to be a little bigger.In the mean time I enjoyed going for walks over to the Park where they had lots of ducks and Geese. They where allot of fun to chase, that is as much fun as you can have on a long leash. The smells where wonderful and I got to meet lots of other "non humans" ( I guess you call us  "Dogs"), but for me I was closer to being Human. Our walks took us over to the Rhine River which I thought was amazing. There on the "Rhine Promenade" where many Westies. I got to bark with them and occasionally have a little Westie Wresteling

Then came the day I was brought to a strange place. Mom called it the "Groomers". She said it is just like going to the Beauty shop, which I did regularly with her.What in the blue blazes did this Lady do to me. She called it stripping. OUCH!! Well I found out that I was born without an undercoat like most Westies. It never really got that cold in Düsseldorf, so I didn't need a coat. But she cut allot of my nice long fur off. Wonder how she would like it if she had to run around half " nekid".

Well now Mom said I looked more "Westie like", whatever that meant. We walked on the "Kö" that is what the people in Düsseldorf called the Königs Allee, where all the fancy shops like Gucci, Abercrombie & Fitch, Armani etc. are. Well you get the idea. I was strutting my stuff and couldn't believe my eyes. My fellow Westies were wearing more "Bling" than any I ever seen. I guess I have to have a talk with my Mom so I can be like them. How is a handsome Westie like me supposed to get a Lady without Bling?. And let me tell you, I was all still whole. But not for long as I soon was going to find out.

The day came when all of that changed. I been to the "Vetman" before for my shots, so I didn't mind going there again. He was a friend of Mom and Dad's and came to visit every once in a while, so I knew him a little. But that day was different. There was no water bowl here in the morning and I asked Mom in not such a quiet voice what's up. She just said we have to go visit and I be OK. Once we were there at the Vetman's I thought something was strange. There were no other pups or Kitties in the waiting area. We went in another room and I got a shot. Let me tell you, that was some shot. The world started spinning, Mom started to look funny and that was all she wrote.What I didn't know, was that Mom assisted the Vetman and took away my "Family jewels". You see Mom worked for a Vet before and helped with many of those surgeries. When I woke up I was back in my little bed and my tummy was hurting. I started to lick myself, and what do you think I found? I was without my "Manhood". She had the gall to cut my testicles and left me "bare ass" naked. I will never forgive her for that. From that day on I clung to Dad allot more.

 I scared him real good one day. As we were walking along the Rhine River I noticed some Ducks. Mom had decided to sit on the Rocks along the Rhine and let me of my leash to explore.Those ducks were swimming so nice and I decided to dive in after them. Little did I know how deep the River was and I learned how to swim real fast. I was in my Element when I heard Mom scream "Dagobert is drowning". Dad took his socks and shoes of, so did Mom trying to rescue me. Boy was that ever a funny site. But I just swam back to shore and walked out of the Water. Mom had slipped and fell and was sitting on the rocks and I just wandered up to her, shook my fur, like any decent Westie would do, and sat down. Boy, did I ever get a talking to, and that was the last time I was off leash on the Rhine River.

More Adventures in my next Blog

Your Storyteller 

Dagobert

It's about time we start!!!!!!!!!!!

As you can see from the headline, the human is in 4th place since this is from the eyes of the 3 of us. Let me introduce our self:
I am Dagobert, a 14 year old West Highland Terrier, or as you guys call us a Westie. I was born in Plattling, Germany and that is where Mom and Dad got me on Christmas eve 1999. Would you believe I was born on a Goose Farm. Talk about embarrassing, then they stick me with a name like this

"Hannibal vom Gänsehof"

translated that says Hannibal from the Goose Farm. At least my Mom "Human" for this blog had the good sense to change it.

This was me in my younger years. I must say, I did age gracefully. The other 2 of us is Luna, another Westie. We got her 5 years ago when I lost my brother Buddy. He was a Lhassa Apso-Schnauzer etc. Mix

More about him later. Back to that arrogant Sister of mine named "Luna". Who names a dog Luna? They might as well named her "Moon". Well anyway we got Luna from the Little White Dog Rescue in Omaha, Nebraska. And here she is in all her Glory "Miss Luna" at 1 year old. Now she is 6

This was her when we adopted her. And I say we, because it was Mom, Dad and I. Anyway this was Luna before her unfortunate "accident" where she lost part of her ear. And if you think that was my fault, well I guess you'll be kind of right. Mom took us with her visiting and left the 3 of us in the car and when she came back let's just say she about had a heart attack. There was blood all over the car, Luna was minus a little part of her ear and we was just sitting there looking around very innocently. I just thought to myself now the Mercedes color on the inside matches the outside.

The 3rd Musketeer is Scooter, He is 10 years old now and a Scottish Terrier or Scottie. His whole name is Scooter McHenry and he also came from Little White Dog Rescue.  I don't know what Mom was thinking bringing a wrong color pup into our Clan. Didn't she realize that is like bringing a Hatfield to a McCoy? Anyway, here is a picture of the trouble maker the day we got him.

Well, that's the 3 pups. And now you're probably wondering about the "Human". She is my typist and "Mom" and her name is Marianne. So you'll know who is helping me type

all of this crazy blog, here she is. It took me allot of convincing to let me put her picture on this blog, so say a few encouraging words when you talk to her. Mom is from Munich, Germany originally, but been in the USA for over 40 years. She said that pix is a few years old, but it'll do. As for Dad, he said since he isn't typing this blog, I can't have a picture of him. Well friends, so much for the first day and the "Intro". I hope I get to meet allot of you in the future.
Your Friend and Story teller
Dagobert

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