Walkabouts in Lille

Here's some pictures I've taken on recent walks around Lille, with Bailey in the park and without her in the city. 

She had a really good, hard run with another dog at the field yesterday, with another female Mal. It seems that she's just more selective about who she plays with now. Bailey is really loving the off-leash walks through the woods. She's doing very well with everyone she encounters, both human and canine, and is very good about coming when I call (or shake her can of treats). 

Rowers on the Doule

Grey heron, a cormorant, and a coot in one frame.

There's a big park here in town with a massive iron fence around it for some reason.

The Porte de Paris

The Porte de Paris from the town side.

The last Christmas pic for this year. I believe this all comes down starting tomorrow.

These are actually the interior steps in our house. Our apartment is upstairs and to the right.

As always: FUCK TRUMP, FUCK ICE, FUCK THE GOP!

Building trust

We got Bailey back home on Wednesday morning. She was very happy to be home and very tired. I know she has a good time there, however. They posted pictures and videos every day of the dogs playing in one of several large play yards that they've got. Everyone has noticed the red spot on Bailey's nose; they told us that she had ran into the gate of the play yard, which I can believe. It wasn't in the pictures until the last day or two so I don't think it's evidence of her being unhappy at the facility and everything we've observed of her body language when we took her out there and the subsequent pictures indicates that she's happy there. 

But something has changed since she's been home. That first day we went to the open field at the Citadel looking for play partners and we found them. She ran around and met everyone, socialized very well with all the other dogs, but she didn't really play with any of them. No play bows, no runs. I just assumed she was tired from the week so we went on our way. It was late in the day and there were not very many people out on the walking trails and paths, so I did something I had not done before, I let her off the leash. I was very happy and only mildly surprised that she stuck with me like so many other off-leash dogs we see walking out there. If she got more than 20 yards away I'd call her and she came right to me, which I rewarded with one of her favorite duck treats. I reattached the gentle leader and leash when we got back to a more populated area. 

Since then our twice-daily routine has been walk to the field, on leash, to give her the opportunity to play. She still hasn't really engaged in big runs and play with other dogs in the field, however. She almost did this morning but it didn't quite get beyond the play bow stage. I guess she knows now that we'll be there often enough that she can save it up for the best opportunity. After some time at the field we continue our walk without the leash until we get back near the road. I'm keeping the treats flowing and she's sticking close. 

We met another off-leash dog on this morning's walk and the two dogs did the greet and sniff dance. The other dog's owner remarked how nice Bailey was. I thanked her and we went on our way. I don't have any concerns about her with other dogs. If the other dog isn't nice, Bailey just leaves it alone. She steers clear of most people but that just shows good sense.

You may notice a new harness in some of the pictures. It has two attachment points, one on the chest and one on the back. She doesn't pull me with this new harness (it's from Halti) although I don't know if that's because of the harness or just because she's walking with me so much better now. At least I don't have to answer questions about the gentle leader now. They are not common here and lots of folks see it and think it's a muzzle, which caused them to be wary of Bailey, at least until they got to know her. The other thing that's not common here is tags on collars. My dogs have always had more than others, but many dogs here have nothing on their collars at all. Rabies tags don't exist and all dogs are microchipped so many folks don't even have ID tags on their collars. Bailey has ID tags, a rabies tag, lots of tourist bling, and an Air Tag. She makes noise when she runs. 

She's doing "ups" for me often without being asked now.

Snuggling with Bailey on the day she got home.

p.s. FUCK TRUMP, FUCK ICE, FUCK the GOP!

Back home

We are back in France after a week in the states. It was a good trip and an interesting experience. I wasn't sure how it would feel. I felt like I did after a trip back to Kansas — it was someplace that I used to live but it wasn't home any more. 

We had a good trip, got a lot of stuff done that we needed, some shopping, some business, and saw a lot of friends, which was really nice.  

We flew into Dulles and rented a car to drive to Charlottesville. We pulled into the first 7-11 we passed and picked up a Big Gulp and some junk food, the real American experience. Over the next few days we hit up Costco and Target for some over-the-counter meds that aren't readily available here. We finished packing a pallet of household goods, the few that we kept, and arranged for its shipment to us over here. The best part of the visit was actually visiting with family, friends, and many of their dogs. We got to see several former fosters, including four of Della's puppies, which is always nice. 

The visit back to the states also made us realize that we are very happy with the move that we've made. Not everything is perfect here and there will always be things, and people, that we miss, but we are happy to be away and to have started something new. 

I was reminded once again how difficult it is to step away from rescue work. My phone rang one day while we in Virginia. I didn't recognize the number but I answered it anyway and immediately recognized the voice. It was the woman I refer to as my "doggie dealer" from southwest Virginia who has brought me so many dogs over the years, including most recently, my baby girl Bailey. It was an all too familiar story - a friend of hers had a young, female shepherd she need to rehome. The dog wasn't doing well with the cats in the home and the woman was dealing with a medical problem in the home while trying to keep dog and cats apart. Good dog, bad situation. Unfortunately, all I could do for this one was to share the pictures and refer the woman to other rescues. 

Meeting up with Killian the first day we were back.

He still remembers Clay and I, and he likes having his butt scratched.

On the flight over, United Airline's television entertainment offerings included an edited version of their broadcast of Puppy Bowl XX, included some Green Dogs pups and people. 

We dropped by our neighbors' house Wednesday morning. They have two of our former fosters, Duvel (one of Della's 12-pack) and Chester. Both boys are very sweet and were happy to see us.

Duvel

Chester

Just a little further down the road is the home of two other former fosters, both Danes. MoDean (formerly Allagash) was part of the 12-pack. Rorschach (formerly Galaxy), came into rescue along with a number of other Great Danes that we seized as part of a hoarding case. Many of them were related.

Rorschach

Rorschach and MoDean

MoDean is a big boy.

Friday evening Clay and I went to Decipher Brewing and invited any and all local friends to drop by to say hello. Many did and it was very nice evening. And of course it included a few of our former foster dogs.

Maze is another one of Della's pups, and her personality is very much like Della.

Rocco is a former foster and is just as nice as he is handsome.

This is not a great picture of Greta (black dogs are always touch to photograph). 

Greta was a pretty short-term foster from back in 2021, she came in April and was adopted out in May.

A short term and easy foster, very unusual for a female shepherd especially.

This pretty girl wasn't a former foster, Bridgette actually came from Caring for Creatures but she belongs to some friends of ours and she was there Friday evening. She and Maze really wanted to play.

There were a lot of people from Clay's beer world and my dog world who came by to say hello and we really enjoyed seeing them all. We had another, smaller gathering at Patch Brewing on Sunday afternoon and really enjoyed that as well. The flight home was long but uneventful. We got back to Lille on Tuesday morning. Bailey's boarding kennel is closed on Tuesdays we we'll get her back on Wednesday. The kennel has posted pictures and/or videos of her and all the dogs at the facility every day, usually pictures of them running and playing. I know she is happy there but I also know she will be happy to be back home tomorrow.

This is the girl I was contacted about who is needing a new, cat-free home.

If anyone is looking for a one year old female shepherd, please let me know.

Snow and sun and travel

Saturday started and ended with snow. We awoke to find a dusting of snow on the ground and cars. It wasn't enough that anyone needed to shovel but it was sort of pretty. When Bailey and I went out on our first walk I found that the snow had a rather strange texture. It was dry, and it wasn't flaky. It looked like tiny styrofoam beads. In spite of the snowy start, it was actually a rather sunny day, until late afternoon that is, when we were out on our second walk and it started to snow again. 

Saturday evening we went to another concert at the cathedral, this one a Ukrainian trio consisting of two violins and an accordion. This is the second or third small ensemble that we've heard that included an accordion. I think it's actually an underused and underrated instrument in the U.S. where it seems to be mostly associated with polka bands and Lawrence Welk. It's actually a very versatile instrument and perfect as part of a small ensemble because of the rich orchestral sounds it can produce. It provides a lot of accompaniment to a pair of violins from a single instrument. The group was very good. 

We got there early enough to get seats in the center portion of the cathedral under the heat lamps. We had dressed warmly, everyone does, but it felt like we were being cooked when they switched on those lights. I've not seen those in other churches, but in a cavernous, unheated structure with what is probably a mostly elderly congregation, I'm sure it helps. 

Sunday morning continued our cold streak, and there may have been more snow overnight, more of the dry, beady stuff, but still just enough to barely cover concrete surfaces. There were a lot of people out walking, as always, and we found a good group of dogs and their owners in the playing field. I am getting to know several of them, or at least their dogs. Today we met a German Shorthaired Pointer, a little younger than Bailey, and one of the few dogs we've met who is actually faster than her. His owner spoke English well enough that we were able to have a good chat. She was intrigued by our move to France, and to Lille in particular, but like all the Lillois we've met, she was gracious, friendly, and welcoming. 

The weather for the coming week looks to be cold and wet so this appears to be good timing for our upcoming visit back to the states. We leave here Tuesday, January 6th, returning to France on Monday the 12th. We have a lot to do in the short time we are there but we will be at Decipher Brewing for happy hour and evening on Friday, January 9th, ~5:30 - 8:30 p.m.  If anyone in the Charlottesville area wants to stop by and say hello we'd love to see you.

It wasn't deep, but snow was covering the cobblestones Saturday morning.

On the backside of the Citadel where the sun doesn't shine, the water has partially frozen.

I was enjoying the splotchy pattern of the snow on the ice.

More of that dry snow with the look of styrofoam on Saturday later afternoon.

Concert at the cathedral Saturday evening.

The Christmas market is gone but the city lights are still up for now.

Sunday morning walk