Casa Calado ( English) - Australian Shepherd and Golden Retriever

Thursday, October 21, 2010

State Budget 2011 - a reality

With great apprehension I have seen, heard and even dream about our nation state!

Because I am the sole provider in my house and doing every month gymnastics to our income in order to keep providing, I am worried about the future cuts to our budget and future increase to our expenses, and therefore have to make decisions, perhaps severe within my family.

It is easy to read, talk and even suggest austerity measures to others, but when they reach to our door, it is a different story.

I am not the only soul to cry out for social justice and above all, to cry out to all of those that are taken decisions about our lives, stating that wages above 700 € are too high, should be the first to try to live and support their families with that amount.

Anyway ...

In front of this facts I am thinking, if in 2011, when the year starts, with less money and more expenses in basic needs, like food, water, gas, electric, school (yes, since my sun only has public school until 13 h), social pass, diesel, where am I going to stretch once more ?

At this point, people that wish me and my sun well, ask (yes, once again) if “it is time to reduce my dog number ?”

Since I am a mother and I fear to look in the future to my Sun and say I don’t have hot water for him to take a bath, or in worst case, give him to eat … also … I start thinking … “is it that time ?”

Anyone who knows me, knows that I've been through a divorce, several job changes, several house moves and two major changes in area of residence, health problems and have always achieved (yes sometimes better, sometimes in worst conditions) to keep my four leg family.

But …

Lets face our national reality … for sure I am not the only one to face budget and psychological stress of a uncertain future (no one guarantees that this measures are the solution, for the contrary), so, even those that do like the monkeys (not see, listen, and talk) will also face on 2011 the consequences of all that is happening (no my friends, it will not go away).

Well if it isn’t me that for years lived, fought and shared the good and the bad with my four leg family, that I love, who is ? and this, my friends, is the reality of it …

Oh yes, some clame that there are those that have better conditions … can pay better food … that … and I answer yes, there is, but that can’t be so next year when the economy stops and more people become unemployed … and them ? wasn’t I who make the promises to my dogs to keep in their side until they die ? so will not be on me the responsibility of what happens to them in the future ? … oh yes … maybe the abandon and passage of responsibility to others (so typical of our rulers) isn’t the solution.

It is very annoying to have consciousness, isn’t it ? I wish this country was rule with the some level of consciousness …

So my friends, soup for the two leg members, economic ration for the four paws, electricity, water and gas on the minimum (one bath per week … ) and really nothing of nothing of extras may be the solution.

So, once again I am appealing, don’t abandon your pets and don’t deliver then to the kennels, they are your responsibility and a responsibility that one day you took !

Monday, October 11, 2010

Dog trekking in Almada

Cookie, Australian Shepherd and Bri, Golden Retriever

The goal to initiate my sun in trekking is to try to maintain some level of physical activity, adding the learning of our natural and cultural environment, and sincerely without having money for more, trying to avoid him from occupying his free time with sedentary activities, like video games and TV.

Of course in our case, that we train our dogs exists a big component in our lives out of the sedentary environment, but I still feel that our return to Lisbon drastically reduced our outdoor activity (or maybe this feeling is caused by our agility performance being largely overcame by our dogs running capability … anyway ...)

My sun with Bri, Golden Retriever

As such I try to keep the spirit of doing a physical activity with our 4 leg family members, were we can meet other people and at some time do some physical activity.

As it is obvious, this time, I appeal to the spirit of helping an association for abandon dogs has a last push and there we went, with an additional reason to go, and walk with our four leg friends.

Golden Retriever and Australian Shepherd on dog trekking

Me with Bri, Golden Retriever and Cookie, Australian Shepherd

So, armed with a solidarity spirit, we participate in the dog trekking organized by the HousePet in Almada. It was a city dog trekking without the natural beauty of our previous adventure, but even so, an excellent opportunity to make new friends and support a very close cause.
We brought Cookie, my Australian Shepherd and Bri, Golden Retriever witch is Bianca mother.

A lot of people went and so I have to admire the several people solidarity spirit!

The group

Other trips and travel:

Dog trekking to a museum

Dog Trekking in Serra de Sintra

Alcochete - goldens and aussies

Economic Trips with Dogs

An Australian Shepherd in Salema Beach

An Australian Shepherd in Armona Island

Dogs in Meia Praia

Silves, a visit to medieval times with Cookie, our Aussie

Two Golden Retriever in Monchique

A trip to the São Domingos Mine with our Australian Shepherd

Taking a Golden Retriever to the fortress of Sagres

A walk with my Australian Shepherd through Luz, Algarve Portugal

A Walk with Brad, our Golden Retriever through Lagos

Portugal Algarve, Amado Beach with our Golden Retriever and Australian Shepherd

>> Back to Australian Shepherd, Golden Retriever and Portuguese Water Dog Blog Homepage <<

Monday, October 04, 2010

St. Francis of Assisi and Animal day !

Today is 4 of October, the St. Francis of Assisi and Animal day !

St. Francis of Assisi was dear to my father and he always said that when he would dye it was to his heavenly garden he would go to help St. Francis of Assisi to take care of the animals over there, so it is where I imagine my father soul.

For those that don’t know St. Francis of Assisi, he was a man that was born in a very rich family and along his live path decided to dedicate his life to the church and animals. He defended the ideal of a brotherhood that would integrate men with nature and animals.
For him each living being was an expression of God kindness and to love an animal was to love God and his creation.

This year, the lost of members of my four leg family, were high and it is to then I dedicate today my memory and prays. It wasn’t suppose for then to go so soon … and certainly not without having the chance to give their best and enjoy life.

Monday, September 27, 2010

Dog trekking in Serra de Sintra

Me and my sun

This weekend I took my sun, his Golden Retriever, Bianca, and my Australian Shepherd , Teco, to a hiking with dogs organized by the association Pé ante Pata, on Serra de Sintra.

It isn’t the first hiking the association organizes, but we couldn’t go before, and since this opportunity emerged I started to foreseen our change to go, and engaged on the “art” to persuade my sun to put aside the commodity and embark in this adventure.

The Serra de Sintra it is, in my opinion, one of the beutiful places to visit. We can go there 10 times, and still find something new to see and know !

Recently it was classified has a Humanity Heritage and that reason brought an extra incentive to the preservation of its historical and natural environment.

Of course, what I know of Serra de Sintra it is its tourist and famous site, so I anticipate in this, a chance to know more deeply its natural ecosystem, for witch the mountain is also famous. But without a guide or sharing of knowledge from someone that knows, it is difficult for us to find for ourselves.

Like everything that is organized in portuguese lands we went prepared for three options:
1) the possibility of being organized by enthusiasts, but without knowledge that would end in a dog confusion
2) the possibility of being organized by experienced experts without patience for beginners
3) the possibility of being well organized and becoming a good adventure

Of course, if the two first possibilities would occur, I would take my son and four leg companions to a more traditional path were we would enjoy and wouldn’t have any possibility of getting lost.

australian shepherd and golden retriever in serra de sintra

My sun, with his Bianca, and another little companion

But, with a great relief, the third possibility occur, and I find out that we have on national lands people that organize events with no profit in mind, offering their effort, time and knowledge, to provide us, enthusiasts and curios, an well spent adventure, with our 4 leg friends, in the middle of people with the some taste and will.
It isn’t easy to find people like that in Portugal. And the simple detail of having 6 people, 2 in front, 2 in middle and 2 in the end of the group, taking care of the group and dedicating their energy in keeping the rhythm and enthusiasm, was frankly something to bring tears to my eyes …

Here we are in the meeting place

The trekking itself it is only easy for our four leg companions that were in heaven with this new adventure provided by their crazy owner. Bianca, like a Golden Retriever , enjoy the attention and petting of everybody, Teco, in his Australian Shepherd way, enjoyed the natural environment, the virgin territory, and the chance to know new four leg friends.

Here I am in one of the tracks with our four leg companions

For us humans, it was a success to reach to the end of the trekking, the enormous pleasure to be in the middle of nature, the chance to know a new aspect of Serra de Sintra ecosystem and the enjoyment to spend well a Sunday morning in the middle of dog loving people.

An adventure that I hope to have a change to do it again !

One of the beutifull views of Guincho beach

A stop to enjoy the view to Guincho beach

For everyone that doubt we were in Serra de Sintra, here it is the famous Palácio da Pena

A group photo

A neolitique tume

Marco geofisico

Other trips and travel:

Dog trekking to a museum

Dog trekking in Almada

Alcochete - goldens and aussies

Economic Trips with Dogs

An Australian Shepherd in Salema Beach

An Australian Shepherd in Armona Island

Dogs in Meia Praia

Silves, a visit to medieval times with Cookie, our Aussie

Two Golden Retriever in Monchique

A trip to the São Domingos Mine with our Australian Shepherd

Taking a Golden Retriever to the fortress of Sagres

A walk with my Australian Shepherd through Luz, Algarve Portugal

A Walk with Brad, our Golden Retriever through Lagos

Portugal Algarve, Amado Beach with our Golden Retriever and Australian Shepherd

>> Back to Australian Shepherd, Golden Retriever and Portuguese Water Dog Blog Homepage <<

Tuesday, September 07, 2010

candle of prayer

When nothing is left ... I light a candle and pray for my children

Sunday, August 29, 2010

Australian Shepherd puppies 2 months

Saturday, August 28, 2010

Herding with Australian Shepherd

This week, Teco and Angel, our Australian Shepherd had the change to go to the Herding Training Curse by Educação and lecture by Eng. Alfredo Pereira.

I enjoy the practical and theoretical content were the first steps of herding and basic commands to direct the dogs were lecture.

It was good to review the herding discipline, my dogs heritage !