So I know it's been FOREVER since you have heard from me, and I have a lot of catching up to do on this blog and making it more consistent and timely... Honestly it has not been a proper "paw collection" for a while - and it's now my duty to work on posting more frequently because I want you to get a glimpse of all that is going on over here!
It's hard to know where to begin.. So let me start by giving you a few summary points on what's happened over the past 9 months....it's been a lot for a dog to handle....
SABRINA'S TOP FIVE UPDATES SINCE THE BLOG "WENT DARK"
1. Natalie and Jason told me that the "pack would be expanding" sometime last winter. They said by early fall we would have a "family addition." I now know what that means, but it was a bit confusing at the time and I was worried they were getting another dog (whew, they did not do that!). But instead another human companion would be in store!
2. This spring/summer we moved to a new home, about 5km away from our old place - in a little village called Hermance, Switzerland. It's about 20-25 minutes from Geneva and right on the very end of the Swiss border with France. That means on my walks everyday I can cross an international border with my dog passport (yes, I really do have one!). This gives us some additional room for the "pack addition" described below.
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| Let the record show.. I'm more Swiss than Jason or Natalie!! |
3. We have had some great visitors over the spring and summer, and life was extremely fun for me. Lots of swimming in Lake Geneva (called Lac Leman , visiting with our good friends Chad, Allison, Ruthann, Matthew, Christine, Emily, and of course Natalie's sister April (Emily and April came for skiing back in February - I really wanted to go too but had to stay off the slopes!). I just love showing guests my new country, particularly when hiking is involved!
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| Lac Leman - or Lake Geneva in English... I think of it as my big swimming pool..! |
4. I have become an expert at lake swimming and have logged at least 10 lakes in Switzerland so far. Many more to go! I've also become somewhat obsessed with tadpoles and other small fish, and the futile effort to catch them in lakes and streams...
5. We have taken a number of short trips around Switzerland and other parts of Europe over the spring and summer. I plan on making some specific posts soon to introduce you to some of these places - many of which are a dog's paradise! Here's a summary of where we've spent some of our weekends, day trips, and a little bit of vacation time:
Corsica, France - a beautiful and unspoilt island just north of Sardinia. We took a boat there so I could come along and not have to fly. It was a wonderful week of vacation!
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| Corsica - by ferry |
Local skiing and hiking during the last winter: Zermatt, Davos, Bettmeralp, Pontresina, Portes du Soleil, and La Clusaz!
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| The "Portes du Soleil" - a massive skiing area about an hour away - you can ski between Switzerland and France in this area! |
Spring, summer and fall hiking, the sport that dogs rule at! Switzerland and the French Alps are hands down some of the best hiking spots in the world: Zermatt, the Bernese Oberland, Chamonix (France), Portes du Soleil area, Meiringen, Lake Brienz (named after me?), and the Engadin valley.
| These signs keep your hiking "on track!" |
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| Here's me on a trail, near Davos in the Swiss canton of Graubuenden |
Jason and Natalie left Geneva for a weekend to celebrate their 9th anniversary. They went to the Basque region of Spain and also spent a day in Barcelona. Apparently they got to go to some place called the Guggenheim Museum (doesn't sound like they allow dogs) where they also saw one of their favorite bands (Arcade Fire) play at the museum's outdoor promenade - Jason said it was incredible!
| The Guggenheim - in Bilbao Spain - the concert was right next to the museum! |
A few short day/weekend trips to explore some of the places we have grown to love: Annecy and Chamonix Mont Blanc in France, a truffle market in Provence, Champery in the Swiss Alps, and Gruyeres region, home of the wonderful renowned cheese.
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| Annecy at night |
| Chamonix |
| Trufflemania! |
| Gruyeres village in the "Pre-Alps" - where the cheese all started! |
5. The pack did grow to four, and now I know what Natalie and Jason meant when they talked about a new family member! I stayed at Truffes and Co, my dog boarding and daycare place, for a few days - it was like a little vacation for me...
While I was away, our family was blessed to have a little baby boy born on September 15th - just last week! His name is Nathan Cody Horwath and I love him so much. He was born at 8:08pm at the Clinique Générale-Beaulieu in Geneva's Champel neighborhood - about 20 minutes from our home. Natalie, Jason and Nathan stayed at the hospital until the next Tuesday, and then they came to get me so we could be back together as a family!
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| Nathan - meaning "He (God) gives" - indeed! |
I've already taken him into the pack and it's my specific job to keep him happy and protected. Remember since I'm part German Shepherd, I have a very strong work ethic and am protective of people in my pack! Jason and Natalie are learning a lot about parenthood, and I'm staying the course on property protection and looking after this little treasure...
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| I get to meet Nathan for the first time! I love him very much. |
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| Nathan and I resting, with happy parents watching! |
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| Natalie, Jason, and Nathan the day they picked me up - exhausted but happy! |
Well, that's a good update for now. Stay tuned as I plan on posting more soon. Thanks for sticking with the blog and I will be in touch!
Paws,
Sabrina
