Monday, April 19, 2010

Orphaned

Poor Coco became orphaned this weekend... Tiki, which has not shown very good parenting skills, decided to leave on Friday. Luckily that same day I had been down at the vet and picked up formula for puppies. So, since Friday afternoon I have bottle fed the little guy and everything that goes along with it. His box was moved inside at night, and he is a good boy and sleeps all night long (not sure if that is going to last though...)!

What's really sad is that Tiki do come by once in a blue moon, and although she cries when she she the puppy, she only pay attention to him for 2 sec, before she walks off again. Coco get so excited when she's around, and he's so upset when she leaves. But we hare here, trying to comfort him as much as possible! Need to find other puppies though, to get him to learn the puppy language...

Something very exciting though, on Sunday morning when we looked down in the box, a pair of blue eyes met us! So adorable! Then we had a vet appointment today and the wound is almost healed! Vet also pointed out that he is a strong boy! Yea, that's my Coco! He's walking, in a very comical way, around but most of the time is spent sleeping.

Coco also got a new little friend to keep him company. A Bee! See pictures below! As he sleeps about 90% of the time, many pictures are of a sleeping puppy!

Sleeping next to the Bee

Favorite sleeping position! On top of Bee (or whatever he can find)


Although, sleeping on the back is nice too!

Nice and cool place, a hot day like today!


Finally awake! 

Cheers my friends!

Camilla




Thursday, April 15, 2010

Puppy Pictures!

Coco is doing better as the wound is healing. He's a strong little boy and he tries to walk around in his box. He has already escaped the "transportation" box that we use for the vet which is smaller. Now we just wait for his eyes to open! Then we are in trouble! He is now 11 days old!!

Sometimes Coco needs to feed where mommy decided to lay down
But mommy also likes Coco's Frito-Lay box!

After a big meal, medication and cleaning of the wound. Happy and sleepy in my lap!



Passed out!

Cheers my friends!

Camilla

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

TV Channels

How long could you go without TV channels?

So, for about a month now, I have had my flat-screen TV sitting in my living room and it sure has been looking good. But, I have had TWO channels, which are both local... And may I remind you that I live in French Polynesia, at the end of the world and on top of that, my French/Tahitian vocabulary is yet nothing to be proud of.

From my time in the US I have been spoiled with always having something to watch on the TV, with 300+ channels to choose from and with "Tivo" to record shows when I was not able to watch for one or another reason. I followed all the shows, from all CSI, Grey's and Desperate Housewives to food shows and other random stuff.

Moving to the Caribbean was a change as I only had about 10 channels, mostly news, although they were Americans. Lost a couple of shows, but I had to manage.

The selection of channels in Bora Bora is mainly French! Again, my French sucks and all I can hear is one long paragraph when they speak. Once in a while I can make out one word that I know, or at least think I know. Moving to the house, where we have lived now for about 2 months, I HAVE NO CHANNELS! For two months.... Absolutely nothing!

Then last week, Daniel came home and had the "TV kit" with him! Now we just need to install it, and I will have about 26 (!) channels where I will probably watch 4! How exciting!

It's not that easy though! The satellite needs to be installed and aligned exactly to the degree noted. However, when we look at all the other satellite dishes, they are not turned the right way (according to the manual). A full day was dedicated to walk around with the satellite dish to try to find the right spot, with no luck... And the most amazing thing was that the best signal we got, was when the dish was turned to the wall of the house, when it clearly says nothing can be in the way of the signal (not even a tree)! Yea, this might take a while! And while we are at it, maybe we should get a few extra dishes, just as backup!

Courtesy www.tensionnot.com 

Cheers my friends!

Camilla

Saturday, April 10, 2010

Puppy Update

So, the little puppy arrived here yesterday and I left mommy alone with the puppy (with supervision) for a little while to make sure she was comfortable. Then we checked him (yea, it's a little guy!) out a little closer to make sure everything was fine, which it looked like when he was laying there.

To our horror when we turned him around, the poor thing had a big cut in his groin. Off we went with the puppy in a box to the veterinarian. He examined the puppy, which we now call Coco, and said the cut must be new and maybe that's why Tiki (mommy dog) brought it to us for help.

Coco had to get 4 stitches, antibiotic and $100+ later we could leave the vet's office. Now I have to clean the cut, give him medication and make sure mommy doesn't take out the stitches. Plenty of work!

But saving Coco's life, is priceless!

Let me present, Coco - The Coconut Retriver
(credit to Will)




Cheers my friends!

Camilla

Friday, April 9, 2010

Puppies?!

I told you all about the little visitor I have coming on my terrace, Tiki the ptibull mix with legs on the shorter side. Anyway, she was highly pregnant and used to come and sleep on the terrace during the day. Then during Easter she left the terrace and I didn't see her for 24 hours.

Of course I thought she had gone to give birth to her puppies, and after a day she came by, very briefly, to say hello and let me know she had the puppies. Then after that she has come by during the day, staying only for short times before she takes off again.

The question was, was there any puppies alive? I was afraid that the owner didn't want puppies, and might have taken care of the "problem", but then Daniel asked him and he said she had given birth out in the bush somewhere and he didn't know where. So there was still hope!

Yesterday I made a little bed for Tiki. Nothing fancy, just an old towel and a small carpet so she could lay on something soft (she sleeps here anyway, so I thought she could have something to lay on).

Then this morning, as I was surfing the net and after her and her stinky friend had taken off, she showed up with a puppy in her moth and dropped it on the re-arranged towel, where she is now feeding it! It's a chocolate brown little thing and has not open his eyes yet.

But I know nothing about puppy care! Please help! Anything I need to do more than make sure he/she is safe?? I really need to get online and do some research about this!

Well, I guess I will go and cuddle with a proud mama and her puppy!

Cheers my friends!

Camilla

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

The Gardener

We have a gardener who cuts our grass...

The property where we live is quite big, and as I said before there are five houses. The landlord cuts half of the property with his ride-a-long mower and it takes him about two hours to finish (usually he does it over two days).

Here you only see 2 houses on the property. The other 3 is to the left

The other half of the property is cut by the gardener. He uses a trimmer to cut the grass! It takes him two full days (8 hours per day) to finish! And the landlord manage to cut his side twice before the gardener decides to show up to cut "our" side!

No, he did not know I took pictures of him for the blog!

Why on earth doesn't the gardener invest in a lawn mower? He could have done this property in half a day (with trimming and everything) and he could move on to the next one and make more money! Well, I guess I know the answer to it... Island speed... Why do everything in one day, when there is a day tomorrow too?!

And not only that, by the time he shows up, the grass is between the ankles and the knees so there are a lot of grass not being raked up, because they don't seem to do that...

Soon I'll buy my own rake (and maybe a mower!?!) and do it myself!

Cheers my friends!

Camilla

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Friday, April 2, 2010

Follow "Camilla in the World" could not be easier!

I finally figured out how to make it easier for you guys to follow my blog!

Just fill in your email address in the top box on the blog labeled "IT'S SO EASY TO FOLLOW" (www.camilla-stahl.blogspot.com if you are not on the page already!) and click on "Subscribe". It take 2 seconds

Now you will receive an email every time I write something new in my blog (if I don't update, you will not get an email!).

Easy, isn't it?!

Cheers my friends!

 Camilla

Thursday, April 1, 2010

Påskkärring & Blåkulla

On Easter Thursday, it is a Swedish tradition for both boys and girls to dress up as Easter Witches (yes, boys too). A Påskkärring (Easter Witch) is traditionally dressed in a dress, apron and scarf on the head. A broom is also carried. Boys can dress up as an alternative to the Easter guys, with period-style men's clothing, a hat and mustache. They walk around in the neighbor hood in a group, wishing Happy Easter and hands out Easter cards they have made them selves. In return they receive gifts as candy or money. The gifts are collected in a basket or an old coffee pot.

During the big witch-hunt in Sweden during 1668-1676, hundreds of "witches" were killed, and people (including children) testified that they had been abducted by the witches and taken to a place called Blåkulla (Blue Hill) on a broom, branch or something similar! The stories from children or adults regarding the abduction was in Witch Trials the only evidence - and the only evidence needed - when the witch would be charged.
While the witch was in Blåkulla, surroundings could not notice that she had left, she could still be seen in usual places (Really?). 

At Blåkulla they partied (like a Rock Star?). They drank, ate, danced and had sex (definitely like a Rock Star!) while the Devil were under the table and laughed as the room thundered and hell fire smoldering through a hole in the floor where you could see the tormented souls in hell. They danced with their backs against each other and did everything backwards to how it was done in real life (kind of creepy if you ask me!). 

So, that's why we in Sweden dust off the brooms at Easter and go for a ride to Blåkulla. Will I see you there?!


Glad Påsk (Happy Easter) to all of you!


Camilla


(info taken from Wikipedia)