Just storing the memories ...

A topic I have wanted to write about already a long time ago is our home area. As you know we have 2 homes and about country life I have written quite a lot, so it's our city home I wanted to write about.

We live in Tallinn, quite close to city center, in area, which has quite long history. It's history book as Tallinn's subdistrict begins around 1800 (while Tallinn is from 10th or 11th century). First citizens there are believed to be people who couldn't make their living in country and built their homes near to town to try to make their way in town. Also it is believed, that it could have been hiding place for people who broke the city law, hence the name Pelgulinn = Shelter town. Pelgulinn's old architecture is really really beautiful to my eye. More and more houses are renovated so getting even more beautiful year by year. If there would be style-police in the world, our house would never have been built or people who built it would be sitting lifetime imprisonment :-) . It's sovjet-time 9 floor panel house next to beautiful old small houses. But well, I have to be grateful it was built, for our needs it's really good place to live. When our office was next to Tallinn main square, it was 30 minutes walk to go to work. And if to walk to opposite direction, it's 15 minutes to sea and 5-10 to forest. And we have most beautiful old town view from window:

Well, that was intro. This is still a dog-blog so now to what I really wanted to write about - our life with dogs here.
Possibilities to walk the dogs here are wonderful, with forest and beach just a short walk away and another beach short drive away. Somehow our schedules with all the ca 15000 "neighbors" match very well - at summertime, when beach is full of sunbathing people and forest full of barbeque-people, our dogs live in country. And on autumn, when we are back in town, "neighbors" all are nicely tanned and have full stomach and move to their TV-s, or shopping center, or where ever and forest and beach are ours :-).
As I'm office-rat and dogs have to be home during office hours, I have always tried to have 2 proper walks with them daily. During my 15+ years as a dog owner in this area, I have met very nice, interesting or different people.
In the mornings we walk very early, when there's not so many people out.

When Rocco was young, we usually went to forest. We almost every day met a wonderful, cheerful old lady, who used to walk with 4 big mixed breed dogs. Now she has only 1 left, but herself she hasn't changed. She always waves us from long distance and tells best wishes to dogs, when we meet. She sure is my example for the time I'm in her age - if I can be then as active and cheerful as she has been, I'm happy :-).
And then there was an old man who looked like Nukkumatti from Finnish TV children show (Sandman - you know, who brings the sand to children eyes, so they would sleep :-) ). I always thought, that when I have a child some day, I'll bring her/him and show her/him how Sandman is exercising :-).
Well, but then one day when we were in forest, police car drove by looking for somebody with spotlight. It was kind of scary, and after I found out that there was a cruel murder day before next to old town, I kind of didn't want to go to dark forest alone any more. No we go or drive to the beach or walk between houses. Often we meet lady from bakery shop in the corner of our street - she is usually having brake at that time, her stoves are working at full already, delicious smell all around. Then we sometimes meet Forrest Gump :-) - a young man who is running long distances always with same fast pace, like it would be no effort for him at all. One more very brave person we met in the mornings last spring when we were walking on the beach. It was still fairly cold outside. I remember I had forgotten to take gloves one morning and had hard time to keep my fingers warm - and then there was an old man who went swimming to the sea!!! We saw him doing this every morning we went to the beach. My respect.

But not only on the mornings we meet interesting people. And of course, by having 3 dogs, to some people I'm the one who's interesting - not to say weird :-). Well, it was before Mammu's time, so I only had 2 dogs with me and Kelli AND her RAT.We were walking on beach, discussing how fun we might look to other people when we met a lady walking with a mini pig. After that we seemed completely normal to ourselves :-) . Piggy was very sweet, by the way. Her owner told us about her and we even wanted to take photo of her with Lucky - but Lucky didn't agree :-)

Last one who needs to be mentioned is an old man with grey beard, who is always walking barefoot. In winter too. We have seen him in bus, in shop - still barefoot. No idea, why (definitely doesn't seem to be too poor to by boots). I think now my most interesting "neighbors" are mentioned.

Now, a little bit more about our environment - if what I told about police car looking for someone with spotlight from our forest made you think we live in "wild west" which isn't safe, you are wrong :-). Main dangers of the forest are excluded by prohibition signs :-). -> -> -> ->
There is lighted trail in our forest and you are not allowed to go by car - OK,
not with baby carriage!!!???
not with horse
and of course not with dogs :-(.
Which makes me double criminal, as I sure went there with baby carriage and dog and now with 2 dogs too. Basically Estonia isn't very dog friendly country. It has improved a loooooooot during the last years, but still - by the law I could only let my dogs run free in special dog garden. Which in our area, is situated in a such dark, muddy and unpleasant place, that I'm not brave enough to go there :-) . Not that I would want to.
We continuously sneak to forest and I have to tell you - usually meet there other co-criminals walking with dogs, or even worse, with babies :-). As it comes to those, to whom this trail is ment for - sportsmen. Well, it's another story. Sportsmen tend to have good cars and a lot of fuel, as ski trails near to our country home (which is situated in small village, 70 km from Tallinn) are crowded on season. But in town, sometimes I miss someone else to be out too. Privacy is of course very nice with 2 crazy screaming puppies like mine, but would be kind of more brave feeling with more people around.

Little about dogs who walk with my co-criminals. When we moved to Pelgulinn, the favourite breed seemed to be rottweiler. Usually both, dog and owner were in total overweight and rottweiler totally uncontrollable. We usually did well avoiding them, but once (in dark forest of course) I had to fight with German Shepherd, who attacked my Rocco. Nowadays it's much better, favorite breeds are Chihuahuas, dachshunds, goldens, setters... And even some Shelties we loooove.

And then the other beach I

mentioned before, drive away from our home. It's next to where the ferries to Finland and Sweden go (which is soooo fun, such biiiig waves come out of that). There were fisherman villages before

sovjet-times, but then it was made to border-guard area and ruins from that time make this place ghostly. There is beautiful nature, bird-protection area and quite impressive fauna, we have seen foxes, rabbits, raccoons, beavers and even wild boars. This year, in September, with our daddy, we went to walk dogs there first on evenings, but then before going to work too (5 a.m :-) ). If you remember, during summer, when we live in country, we go to swimming before we go to work. This year I managed to broke my arm in August, so I was "excused" for the end of August. But in September, in town I one day forgot to put my orthosis on, and didn't have my "excuse" any more :-). So, on mornings 7 km fast walk and then swimming, almost until the October :-). It was dark, when we started our walk and almost light, when we went to swimming. Very, very nice experience. We repeated the walks before Christmas, but skipped swimming then :-)

Madeira is 5 months old, her height is 30 cm has all new incisors and 8 canines :-) - new ones are out a little already, but old are still firm in place

She is such a sweet and happy little girl with a most tender soul. But with Personal Opinion, like every proper little girl. Showing it for example by standing in front of me and bark on me for not playing with her :-).
And Lucky is soon bold, as she likes to snap him and usually has piece of his precious coat hanging out from her mouth after that :-).
She has also learned a lot from Lucky, first barking :-), then playing soccer - I play and they run and bark:-), and snow splash games :-). We now go to puppy school with Mammu. To Leader dog training school and trainer Natalja Garatsenko. I saw Nataljas puppy class trainings when we went to agility trainings with Lucky years ago. And thought that if I some day have a puppy, I will go too. And now I got the opportunity and I'm happy. Our trainings are interesting and positive, a lot to learn for me and a lot to teach to Mammu.