Photos of hard winter

Talvikuvia

18.1.2006

"Hi Kiia, 

I did not succeed to write you lately because we have a lot of problems. It is snowing very bad and the snow is very big now so at home and especially at the shelter is a huge work.  There is ice in the kennels, in the courtyard, the water in the bowls freezes instantly, the bowls broke etc. Dogs think that it is just fun to slip on the ice but my mother does not think so when she tries to work in the iced ground.

I told you that we have the announcement in the press for a lot of time in order to find a second employee. Few people came, saw the shelter and said that they cant work here.Yesterday came a gipsy who said that he wants to work so we had no other option than to receive him for the moment. He promised a lot, and said that he want to work with papers.  We pray that he stays.

Just few hours ago my mother called me from the shelter crying that the first employee left without saying something to us and left the gipsy all alone in the shelter, between the dogs who are not very familiar with him. So, my mother was feeling very bad,very angry, as this second employee does nott know to do anything after one day here and my mother has to work all by herself. Since morning it has been raining bad so I think you can imagine what this means for the shelter, she needs to take with the shovel all the snow etc. She told me that if she will not feel better she will call me to go there too to help her.

Had no time for anything else, in the morning I was busy at the shop and when I was coming home at about 11 my mother was going at the shelter and she returned home at 11 in the night. At that hour, she was completely exhausted, she could not eat and fall to sleep. This evening she will be probably later back home. She is also very tired as we couldnt sleep last night at all. Since yesterday morning our Alma had more then 11 epilepsy seizures, so between this seizures she was crying and agitating on and on and was very nervous. Although I gave her 1 pill and a half of phenobarbital, the seizures didnt stop. Now, until this morning she has no seizure and I hope not to have anymore.

I am so sorry to hear about your Ferdi. Tutu is also old, if you remember her. We dont allow her to go outside because everytime she does this she falls down and has a seizure of loosing consciousness, has convulsions and screams. So, when she wants to make her needs I go with her in the front garden and supervise her for several minutes. In the rest she stays all day long in the bed and sleeps, nothing more.......and hides when she sees me in the vevening that I want to give her the pills.

Today, because it was snowing I took all dogs outside in the garden and Tutu came so fast, running and jumping, she was so happy in the snow but this didnt last long because she fall down again and I had to take her into the room. Bursu is crazy to go outside, with Marc it is easier because he has the wheelchair but Bursu cries to go outside and run. I don't want to make hopes in vain but he, helped by me, makes some steps and pushes on his back legs.

I will write you more in couple of days.

With hugs,

Patricia"

21.1.2006

"Hello Kiia,

I am sending you some photos that my mother took yesterday at the shelter. Luckly we had only couple of days snowing. Today was sunny but extremely cold. The snow and water is frozen. It was announced that starting with 22th of January it will be between -10 and - 20 degrees.

At the shelter, my mother is with the man ( the gipsy ) I told you about. Two days ago, after I wrote you, came another man who stood for several hours and the second day, yesterday, when my mother called him to ask to come at the shelter he said that he will not come anymore because he is not made for this work, he just cant. So, yesterday came another man, I dont know yet if he wants to stay or not. For the moment there are two, the problem is that they are new and don't know to do much. I hope that they will stay because we soon do not know what to do. This last days my mother left home at 10 o'clock in the morning and returned at 11 in the night because she can't leave them alone at the shelter.

As yesterday was extremely freezing, the gipsy was keep asking my mother if she can hold on anymore. To be honest, I dont know how long, I can't resist in cold outside many hours, but thinking how much she spends time outside, I just don't know how she can anymore. As she is saying that only God and good people who care gives her the power to hold on and not to fall down.

Also, have received the money you sent last week, 1200 Euro and change it into the RON account. We want to thank all our Finnish friends for taking care of the dogs of the shelter. As for Brigitte Bardot foundation, they told us that we are on schedule until May. Food supply do not come every month but we just received two tones of dry food. I will let you know when I found out more details.

Besides this, we wait to pass this awful wheather so you and Jukka can come here again and maybe stay more this time. Also our Finnish friends are welcome to visit us.

Big hugs,

Patricia"