Please go and check it out. Thank you so much Sally
Tag: Thomas Wikman
One Week in Paris
One week in Paris and the world’s your oyster.
I’ve been missing in action for a bit more than a week because of a family trip to Paris, France. We visited my wife’s eldest sister and her family, and we celebrated our nephew’s 40th birthday, my wife’s sister’s husband’s birthday, and we got too meet our nephew’s and his wife’s 16-month-old daughter for the first time. We also spent time with an ex-pat friend of my wife and our niece and a friend of hers. She lives in Berlin, but she came to Paris to see us. Naturally we also visited several tourist attractions including several museums, Notre Dame, Montmartre, Sacré Coeur, the Eiffel Tower, and we took a river cruise with dinner and a few of Paris’ 44,000 restaurants. We also went to an opera.
Paris is a fascinating city with so much to offer and so much life. Paris proper/inner-city is 40+ square miles featuring large several hundred years old beautiful buildings, gorgeous esplanades and narrow streets, thousands of restaurants, cafés, bakeries, pastry shops, small stores, thousands of statues, and hundreds of museums, monuments, tourist attractions and parks. Paris is the city in the world with the most restaurants, and the food is great. Italy has been voted to have the best food in the world. I must disagree; it is France. There is culture everywhere and the streets are filled with people long after midnight, and the restaurants are open long after midnight. Paris never sleeps.
The city of Paris (Paris proper) only has 2 million people, but you must add the millions of people working there but living in the suburbs. Paris metropolitan has 13 million people, and the region of Paris called Île-de-France has 12 million people. The city I live in, Dallas, Texas, also has 2 million people (8 million people in the metro) but it has almost nothing to offer in comparison. Dallas has some tourist attractions and offers some culture, it is not bad at all, but Paris has about a hundred times more of that. In Dallas almost all restaurants close before 10PM, which is when Paris really wakes up. That is not to put down Dallas, but to point out that Paris is indeed one of the greatest cities in the world to visit.
I’ve been to Paris several times before, in 1986 after my Swedish army service, then in 2003 and in 2018. This time was different because I could converse in French with waiters and taxi drivers, read signs and instructions, and newspapers. However, unlike in 1986 and 2003 a lot of French now speak English, at least the younger generation, and they want to speak English. In 1986 even the French who knew how to speak English were kind of offended when you could not speak French. Now they want to practice speaking English, and I want to practice speaking French. The problem I had in 1986 has been reversed. I was so happy when I started talking to a taxi driver in English and he said “Je suis désolé, je ne parle pas anglais. Anglais non. Anglais non.”
I heard a lot of different languages spoken, in addition to French, English, German, Italian, Dutch, Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, Spanish, Swedish, Danish and many other languages, and it was all welcome. When I visited Italy in 1986 someone angrily shouted at us that this is Italy and we speak Italian, not English. In 1986 the same thing almost happened in Paris, but I don’t think that is likely to happen in Paris now. The current US government is not popular for understandable reasons. However, there were signs reminding people that the US government is different from US visitors, and I felt that people treated us in a friendly manner.
Anyway, below is an overview of what we did this time with the focus on my photos. In the past we’ve visited Moulin Rouge, Versailles and Le Louvre, which is the world’s largest museum. I highly recommend those attractions but since we have seen them a few times already we did not visit them on this trip.
The Eiffel Tower
The Eiffel tower is one of the main attractions in Paris. We’ve visited the Eiffel tower before. We’ve eaten at the restaurant on the first floor, and we’ve visited the second floor (halfway up), but I’ve been to the third floor (the top) only once before, in 1986. Unfortunately, it has become difficult to visit the Eiffel Tower top. You must buy the tickets beforehand in good time. My wife’s sister was able to get us all tickets from Paris City Vision (guided tours).
Notre Dame
Notre Dame is a very large cathedral located on the island Île de la Cité. The construction of it began in 1163 and it was completed in 1260, 865 years ago. It was severely damaged by a fire in 2019. We’ve visited Notre Dame many times before, but this was the first time we visited Notre Dame since the fire. It looked the same except the big, beautiful pipe organs were missing, and Notre Dame was still being renovated on the outside. We bought tickets beforehand, but you can buy tickets there, but the line is long.
River Cruise on the Seine
We also took a dinner cruise on the Seine. The boat / cruise was called La Seine Ducasse. I started right across from the Eiffel Tower and went a few miles up, passing by the island Île de la Cité and Notre Dame and then turning around. The cruise was a couple of hours long and the sun set during the cruise. The food was amazing (see the menu below). Unfortunately, the beer options weren’t that great, so I had wine.
Opera Rigoletto
One evening we went to see an Opera at Opera National de Paris located nearby the Bastille. The opera was Rigoletto by Cristiano Grimaldi. It was sung in Italian but above the scene there were subtitles in French and English.
Montmartre and Sacré Coeur
Montmartre is a neighborhood, and a hill located in Paris. It is known for its old picturesque buildings, the plaza, the small stores, cafes and restaurants, and the art. At the top of the hills sits one of Paris most famous cathedrals Basilique du Sacré-Cœur de Montmartre. It is open to visitors, but you may have to stand in line to go inside. The view from the top of the hill is spectacular.
Sights and Shopping in Paris
Nobody walks in LA but in Paris everyone walks. There is so much to see everywhere, everything is close, and there are several restaurants and shops in every block. So, why not walk a few miles every day. It is healthy too. Below are a lot of photos that I took of things we visited as we walked around Paris.
Museums and Gardens in Paris
We visited several museums and gardens in Paris. One of the museums we visited was Musée de l’Orangerie which exhibit all kinds of art from ancient times to modern times but especially paintings including several famous painters such as, Pablo Picasso, Claude Monet, Henri Matisse, Henri Rousseau, Walter-Guillaume, Amedeo Modigliano, Marie Laurencine, Maurice Utrillo, Eva Nielsen. Some special exhibits were Monet’s gigantic water lily paintings and “flou” art, intentionally blurry paintings and art because life is blurry. We also visited the Auguste Rodin Museum. The museum had hundreds of Rodin sculptures in the museum building as well as in the surrounding gardens. There were also paintings by Vincent Van Gogh and Claude Monet.
Dessert Places in Paris
There are thousands of Cafes, bakeries and pastry shops in Paris and the cakes, pastries, desserts, tarts and other baked goods are probably the best in the world. We visited a number of these stores and creperies and we had desserts at various restaurants. You can find wonderful baked goods in Italy and in the Scandinavian countries, but I have to say that France, and Paris, takes the cake (pun intended). At Angelina’s I had delicious coffee and I had some of their thick and creamy hot chocolate with whipped cream as well as two incredible cakes. At Berthilon I had amazing rhubarb and wild strawberry ice cream.
Violin d’Ingres Michelin Star Restaurant
We celebrated a couple of birthdays at a Michelin star restaurant called Violin d’Ingres. In terms of eating that was probably the highlight of the trip. Out of Paris’ 44,000 restaurants only 123 are Michelin star restaurants (10 three-star restaurants, 17 two-star restaurants, and 96 one-star restaurants). I ordered Pigeon, something I’ve never had before. It does not sound appetizing. I joked that you had to go out in the street and kill the Pigeon yourself. However, it was probably the best meal I’ve had so far this year. It was truly delicious.
Traffic in Paris
Traffic in Paris is horrendous. Paris has successfully promoted the use of bicycles, mopeds, motorcycles, buses and the metro. As a result, the air is much cleaner than it used to be, but the traffic is still bad. One of the reasons is that it has become quite popular to disturb the traffic in various sorts of protests. When we were there the taxi drivers were on strike. You may think that you could just take an Uber instead, but the taxi drivers were blocking other traffic as well, including blocking the entrance to train stations. We were afraid they might block the entrance to the airport on our return day. I have a hard time understanding this since this kind of behavior is obstruction and is illegal in the United States as well as in Sweden.
However, the striking tax drivers were not the only problem. One day when I was accompanying my wife and daughter shopping, I got bored and decided to walk back to the hotel. It was two miles, and it took me one hour. Since the sidewalks are of such high quality and there is so much to see along the way and so many opportunities to stop if you need, this is easy to do.
Along the way I saw two large demonstrations. One was “dépénaliser cannabis” and there were hundreds of people, many with green hair and weird clothes, carrying flags with green leaves on them, marching down the street and playing music. There were also hundreds of police and the entire street, Rue Voltaire, which is a major street, was blocked. Then came the bicycle demonstration. Hundreds of bicycles blocking traffic and lots of police. Well at least it was not a boring walk. Oh, what I saw on Rue Voltaire!
Have you ever been to Paris?
25 Silly Leonbergers
This is another post with the “25 Leonberger photos” theme. This time the theme is “25 silly Leonbergers”. The post feature Leonbergers looking silly or being in funny situations. A lot of the photos are of our late Leonberger Bronco but there are also Leonberger photos provided by friends as well as a couple of Leonberger stock photos. Below is a list of the previous posts using the theme 25 Leonberger photos.
- 25 Leonberger Photos and Illustrations
- Another 25 Leonberger Photos and Illustrations
- 25 Waterberger Photos (Leonbergers in water or swimming)
- 25 Leonberger Puppies and Other Puppies for National Puppy Day
- 25 Photos of Leonbergers with Other Dogs
- 25 Photos of Leonbergers in Nature
- 25 Photos of Young Leonbergers
- 25 Photos of Old Leonbergers
- 25 Leonberger Puppy Photos
- 25 Leonberger Faces
- 3 Years Anniversary with 25 Leonbergers
Also if you have not checked out my new superfactful blog feel free to do so.
25 Silly Leonbergers
The first photos are not really silly, but they are photos of Leonberger puppies and they are cute and act silly. The first photo is of our Leonberger puppy at three months old. It was a chore to get him to sit still.
A Leonberger in Action Illustrated
For a couple of weeks there was a peeping Tom who trespassed on our property and sat outside our bedroom window shouting obscenities and threats primarily at my wife. As it turned out the peeping Tom was doing the same thing to a lot of other women in the neighborhood. He had been quite busy looking through bedroom windows at night.
The police were not able to do anything about it, so I hired private detectives. The plan was that they were going to catch him in the act and turn him into the police. They sat in our backyard behind the bushes with a whole bunch of instruments, cameras, recording devices, and metal detectors. They also hid in a dark car parked nearby our house. My father-in-law was surprised that I was able to find the detectives. He did not think people like them existed and he asked me “how did you find them?”. I found them in the phone book (phone books still existed back then). They reminded us of the Ghost Busters with their enthusiasm, dress, and all their instruments.
Unfortunately, Ghost Busters, I mean the detectives did not catch the peeping Tom, so I had to let them go. However, that’s when Bronco stepped in. One night we heard a shuffling outside the house, and I sent Bronco out to chase him. It worked. The peeping Tom was really frightened, and he never came back. Bronco probably just wanted to say hello and lick him, but the peeping Tom did not know that. Bronco saved the entire neighborhood. Well Bronco was not the one who was silly this time, but everyone else was including the detectives.
Back when Bronco our Leonberger was young, the kids had pet hamsters—Moldova and Montenegro. The hamsters escaped from their cages sometimes, but Bronco usually helped us find them whenever they did. Claudia would tell him, “Bronco, find the hamsters,” and he would go around the house sniffing until he found them. One time he found them in the linen closet; another time he found them on a shelf in the living room.
On one occasion, a friend of David trusted us with his two hamsters while he and his family went on vacation. A couple of days later, Claudia noticed that the two hamsters were missing from their cage. The next thing she noticed was that Bronco’s cheeks looked puffy, so she said, “Bronco, drop it!” Out came the two hamsters, both unconscious.
In a panic, Claudia started performing CPR on the unconscious hamsters. She put one hamster at a time in her hand and gently compressed each tiny chest using the finger of the other hand. Fortunately, one hamster revived right away. The CPR didn’t seem to be working on the other hamster, but Claudia put both of them back in their cage, and soon the second hamster also woke up. We decided to keep the incident to ourselves. Hamsters don’t squeal. In this case I think Bronco was silly, even though he might have been a hero.
On yet another occasion Bronco was really silly. He had a toe amputation, and we were instructed to keep him inside for ten days and keep him as still as possible. We were to make sure he wouldn’t bump the cast. This was, of course, almost impossible to do, but we were going to try.
However, Bronco really wanted to go out, which he showed us in various ways, such as scratching at the front door. After a week or so, Claudia suggested that we take him outside a little bit, just in our driveway. I agreed. When I handed her the leash, she said, “He can barely walk; do you think he’s going to run off without it?” We laughed, and I agreed that it didn’t seem like we needed it this time. So, Claudia walked out with Bronco slowly limping beside her.
Less than a minute had passed when I heard shouting outside. I opened the door and looked outside to see what was going on. First I saw our neighbor and his two corgis running down the street as fast as they could. Our neighbor was screaming at the top of his lungs, “Get him off me! Get him off me!”
Behind him, Bronco was running with his cast going kabonk-kabonk-kabonk as it hit the sidewalk. Behind Bronco ran Claudia, who was also screaming at the top of her lungs. “Bronco! Sit! Stay! Stop!” Finally, Bronco stopped, and Claudia grabbed him. Holding his collar, she led him back in. This time Bronco was really silly.
Another time that Bronco was silly was when he started barking and jumping around when he saw a dog across the street. In the process he accidentally pushed our German Shepherd baby into a storm drain. I had to lay down on the ground and lift Baby out of storm drain all while holding onto Bronco. The owner of the other dog lifted up his dog into his arms and ran as fast as he could down the street. That was embarrassing and stressful. Silly Bronco.
Additional Silly Leonberger Photos
In the photo below it is really our mini-Australian Shepherd Rollo who is being silly. But he is very silly pulling Bronco’s tail. He even swung in it like a swing.
Below is a photo of silly gingerbread stealing dogs.
Good News Highlight
Today’s post is a highlight of Good News from my super fact blog, which I call Superfactful. I am listing eight posts, seven of which are what I call super facts. A super fact is a fact that is important, not trivia, and that is known to be true and yet are either disputed by large segments of the public or highly surprising or misunderstood by many. The super facts included with this post are what you can call Good News. Surprising news, perhaps shocking news, but still good news.
Peace Is Boring News
The first and my most recent post is not a super fact but my musings on the fact that good news tends to be boring news and therefore forgotten.
To visit the Peace is Boring News page click here
Emissions of ozone-depleting gases have fallen by 99 Percent
Super fact 41 : Largely thanks to the Montreal Protocol in 1987 the emissions of ozone-depleting gases have fallen by more than 99%, 99.7% to be exact, according to Our World in Data. This has resulted in halting the expansion of the ozone holes and the reduction in emissions of ozone-depleting gases is saving millions of lives every year.
To visit the page for Emissions of ozone-depleting gases have fallen by 99 Percent click here.
Natural Disasters Kill Less People Now Than 100 Years Ago
Super fact 35: Natural disasters kill a lot less people now compared to 100 years ago. That is despite a larger population and despite the fact that climate change has increased the frequency and intensity of many types of natural disasters.
The explanation for this is that we have become much better at warning people, preventing deaths and rescue people.
To visit the page for Natural Disasters, Kill Less People Now Than 100 Years Ago click here
EV Cars Indeed Emit Less Carbon Pollution
Super fact 29: EV Cars emit less pollution than Internal Combustion Engine, even considering manufacturing, disposal and EV Cars being charged by dirty grids.
To visit the page for EV Cars Indeed Emit Less Carbon Pollution click here
Smallpox Killed 300 million People in the Last Century Before Eradication
Superfact 24: Smallpox killed 300 million people in the 20th century. However, there have been no naturally occurring cases of smallpox since 1977, and the world was declared free of smallpox on May 8, 1980, by the 33rd World Health Assembly.
To visit the page for Smallpox Killed 300 million People in the Last Century Before Eradication click here
We are living in relatively peaceful times
Superfact 9 : Despite all the wars going on, the world was filled with a lot more war and violence in the past. Despite the grim news reports we are living in relatively peaceful times.
To visit the page for We are living in relatively peaceful times click here
US Violent Crime Nearly Cut in Half Since 1990
Superfact 8 : Despite all the news reports about rampant crime, the US violent crime rate has fallen to half of what it was in the early 1990’s.
To visit the page for US Violent Crime Nearly Cut in Half Since 1990 click here
Poverty and child mortality has been sharply reduced worldwide
Superfact 7 : Extreme poverty as well as child mortality has been sharply reduced the world over. The countries that are the worst-off today are still better off than the countries that were doing the best at the beginning of the 19th century. Over the last 50 years extreme poverty and child mortality has continued to decline sharply.
To visit the page for Poverty and child mortality has been sharply reduced worldwide click here
If you have not subscribed to my super fact blog you are certainly welcome to.
Todays Mail the LeoLetter Badlands and Reunion Coda
Today I received interesting mail. In addition to the usual junk mail and a couple of bills I got the LeoLetter, the Leoberger magazine, and I got a box from Amazon containing two brand new books that I am very excited to read.
The LeoLetter
The “LeoLetter : Great Dogs, Great People,” is the official quarterly publication of the Leonberger Club of America. You can read about the history of the Leonberger Club of America here. What makes today’s LeoLetter special to me is because I have an Ad in it for my book “The Life and Times of Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle: Stories and Tips from Thirteen Years with a Leonberger”. To visit the Amazon location for my book, click here.
Badlands
Next, I opened the box in it was two books. One of them was Badlands (Savage Land) by Jacqui Murray. I bought the paperback version. I have only read the beginning, and it is very exciting. It is book two in a trilogy about prehistoric man. I read the previous book Endangered Species, a book I loved, and you can read my book tour post here and my review here. There is an ongoing book tour for Badlands, and you visit the five first book tour posts here:
- Book Tour at Smorgasbord Blog Magazine
- Book Tour at Roaming About
- Book Tour at Chris The Story Reading Ape’s Blog
- Sandra’s Place
- Elizabeth Gauffreau
Below is Amazon’s Overview of the Badlands
Savage Land is the third trilogy about prehistoric man in the series, Man. Vs. Nature.Written in the spirit of Jean Auel, Savage Land explores how two bands of humans survived one of the worst natural disasters in Earth’s history, when volcanic eruptions darkened the sky, massive tsunamis crossed the ocean in crushing waves, and raging fires burned the land. Each of the tribes considered themselves apex predators. Neither was. That crown belonged to Nature and she was intent on washing the blight of man from her face. Join me in this three-book fictional exploration of Neanderthals. Be ready for a world nothing like what you thought it would be, filled with clever minds, brilliant acts, and innovative solutions to life-ending problems, all based on real events. At the end of this trilogy, you’ll be proud to call Neanderthals family.
In Badlands, Book Two, the tribes must split up, each independently crossing what Nature has turned into a wasteland. They struggle against starvation, thirst, and desperate enemies more feral than human. If they quit or worse, lose, they will never reunite with their groups or escape the most deadly natural disaster ever faced by our kind.
Reunion Coda
Another nice surprise in the box was Reunion: Coda: Book 2 of the Reunion Duology by Alex Diaz-Granados. I also read parts of this book so far, and I loved it. It also has a lot of nice pictures to support the story. The end of the book features my interview with the author, which you can read here. You can read my review for the first book in the duology (Reunion) here <<Link-10>>.
Below is Amazon’s Overview of the Reunion Coda
In Reunion: Coda, Jim Garraty’s journey continues as he navigates the intricate dance between past regrets and present hopes. Now a successful history professor, Jim’s life is a tapestry of unspoken love, haunting memories, and the pursuit of emotional closure.
As Jim reflects on his high school years and the profound impact of his relationships, he grapples with the lessons learned from missed opportunities and the unpredictable nature of life. Through introspective moments and heartfelt letters, Jim uncovers the strength to confront his deepest fears and embrace new beginnings.
Reunion: Coda delves into the complexities of love, loss, and the enduring power of memory. It also explores the significance of friendship and the unpredictable turns that shape our lives. This poignant novel is a heartfelt exploration of the choices that define us, the connections that sustain us, and the hope that guides us on the journey of self-discovery.
What if we get it right?
However, before I finish the two books above I will finish another good book that I am reading for my book club called “What If We Get It Right?: Visions of Climate Futures by Ayana Elizabeth Johnson”.
Below is Amazon’s Overview of What If We Get It Right?
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “With a thoughtfully curated series of essays, poetry, and conversations, the brilliant scientist and climate expert Ayana Elizabeth Johnson has assembled a group of dynamic people who are willing to imagine what seems impossible, and articulate those visions with enthusiastic clarity.”—Roxane Gay
Our climate future is not yet written. What if we act as if we love the future?
A SMITHSONIAN BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR
Sometimes the bravest thing we can do while facing an existential crisis is imagine life on the other side. This provocative and joyous book maps an inspiring landscape of possible climate futures.
Through clear-eyed essays and vibrant conversations, infused with data, poetry, and art, Ayana Elizabeth Johnson guides us through solutions and possibilities at the nexus of science, policy, culture, and justice. Visionary farmers and financiers, architects and advocates, help us conjure a flourishing future, one worth the effort it will take—from every one of us, with whatever we have to offer—to create.
If you haven’t yet been able to picture a transformed and replenished world—or to see yourself, your loved ones, and your community in it—this book is for you. If you haven’t yet found your role in shaping this new world or you’re not sure how we can actually get there, this book is for you.
With grace, humor, and humanity, Johnson invites readers to ask and answer this ultimate question together: What if we get it right?
Dog Humor 8
It is time for another Dog Humor post. To see the previous ones see the list below. All the dog comics are Facebook pictures that are being passed around. The original creator is typically noted on the cartoon.
Physical and Mental Health of Dogs
Today’s post has the theme of the physical and mental health of dogs. I chose this theme today because we took our dog Rollo to the veterinary emergency room a couple of days ago because he threw up three times within six hours. He had been chewing on a lot of rawhide which is a bit risky, so we were worried. He got an X-ray and various blood tests. Everything was normal. It was probably just a stomach flu or upset stomach. He received anti-nausea medication, and he is taking anti-diarrhea medication. However, everything is otherwise fine with him. The cartoons below speak for themselves.
Our Leonberger ChatGPT and Google AI
Today I was having fun with ChatGPT and Google AI. I asked ChatGPT the following question : Was there a Leonberger called Bronco?
The answer is shown below
If the text is hard to read in the picture, this is the answer ChatGPT gave.
Yes, there was a Leonberger named Bronco. Bronco, officially named Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle, lived with the Wikman family in Dallas, Texas, from 2007 until his passing in 2020. Notably, he lived an unusually long life for his breed, reaching almost thirteen years, surpassing the typical life expectancy of Leonbergers, which is around nine years. His story is detailed in the book “The Life and Times of Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle” by Thomas Wikman, which shares anecdotes of Bronco’s adventures and provides insights into caring for Leonbergers.
I think that sounds right.
Confusing ChatGPT
Next, I asked ChatGPT the following question : Did the Leonberger Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle rescue Hamsters?
I can add that Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle is a unique Leonberger name. There is a Leonberger database called the Worldwide Independent Leonberger Database featuring more than 172,000 Leonbergers. It covers most Leonbergers in the world back until the beginning of the 20th century and only three of them were named Bronco including Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle, which is the only Leonberger named exactly that. As you can see below ChatGPT is confusing our Leonberger Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle with another dog.
If the text is hard to read in the picture, this is the answer ChatGPT gave.
Yes, Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle, a Leonberger, is known for his heroic act of rescuing a group of hamsters! This event gained attention when Le Bronco, who was living in Germany, saved several hamsters from a fire in 2011. The hamsters were trapped in their cages, and thanks to Le Bronco’s quick thinking and bravery, he managed to alert his owners and helped rescue the small animals.
His actions were recognized as a remarkable act of kindness and heroism, showing the intelligence and sensitivity that dogs, particularly the Leonberger breed, can possess.
I’ve noticed that ChatGPT is sometimes wrong. For example, when you ask questions on a topic for which there is sparse information ChatGPT frequently gets the answer wrong. Another way to confuse ChatGPT and get bad answers is to ask vague questions or ask questions that cannot be answered precisely. ChatGPT relies on internet data and may base its answers on people’s biases and cliches rather than accurate information.
Google AI on Bronco
Interestingly enough, Google AI gave more extensive and interesting answers to my questions, and unlike ChatGPT it answered both of them correctly and provided links to the sources.
First, I asked : Was there a Leonberger called Bronco?
This is what I got :
If the text is hard to read in the picture, this is what the screenshot says.
Yes, there was a Leonberger named Bronco. Bronco, officially named Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle, lived with the Wikman family in Dallas, Texas, from 2007 until his passing in 2020. Notably, he lived an unusually long life for his breed, reaching almost thirteen years, surpassing the typical life expectancy of Leonbergers, which is around nine years. His story is detailed in the book “The Life and Times of Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle” by Thomas Wikman, which shares anecdotes of Bronco’s adventures and provides insights into caring for Leonbergers.
Yes, there was a well-known Leonberger named “Bronco” (Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle) who lived with the Wikman family in Dallas, Texas, and was the subject of a book and blog called “Leonberger Life”.
Here’s a more detailed look at Bronco and his story:
As I scrolled down there was more
If the text is hard to read in the picture, this is what the screenshot says.
Owner:
Thomas Wikman, a retired automation, robotics, and software engineer, and his wife raised three children, and later lived with their two dogs—a pug and a miniature Australian shepherd.
Book and Blog:
Thomas Wikman wrote a book, “The Life and Times of Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle” and a blog, “Leonberger Life” about his Leonberger, Bronco.
Longevity:
Bronco lived a relatively long life for a Leonberger, receiving the “Grey Muzzle Award” for living longer than 12 years.
Notable Incidents:
Bronco was known for his bravery and protective nature, saving Daisy’s life and potentially Baylor’s life, as well as scaring off a trespasser.
Death:
Bronco passed away in 2020.
On the right side there are references to two of my blog posts and one post by Annika Perry.
If the text is hard to read in the picture, this is what the screenshot says.
Thomas Wikman had Bronco, a 167-pound Leonberger who, by all accounts, was an extraordinary dog with a remarkable owner.
This is followed by a link to the People Newspapers a Newspaper that published a review of my book.
How did Google AI do on the second question?
I asked Google AI the same question : Did the Leonberger Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle rescue Hamsters?
If the text is hard to read in the picture, this is what the screenshot says.
Yes, the Leonberger, Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle, is known for a story where he “rescued” two escaped hamsters by carrying them in his cheeks, though they were later revived by Claudia, Thomas’s wife, performing CPR.
Here’s a more detailed account:
If the text is hard to read in the picture, this is what the screenshot says.
The Hamster Escape Artist:
The kids had pet hamsters named Moldova and Montenegro, who occasionally escaped their cages.
Bronco’s Unique Skill:
Claudia would tell Bronco, “Bronco, find the hamsters,” and he would sniff around the house until he located them.
Examples of Bronco’s “Rescues”:
One time he found them in the linen closet.
Another time he found them on a shelf in the living room.
On one occasion, a friend of David trusted them with his two hamsters, and Bronco later “rescued” them after Claudia noticed they were missing from their cage, with Bronco’s cheeks looking puffy.
The “Rescue” Incident:
Claudia noticed Bronco’s cheeks were puffy, and when she said “Bronco, drop it!”, two hamsters, both unconscious, fell out.
CPR Attempt:
Claudia panicked and performed CPR on the unconscious hamsters, and one hamster revived right away.
Second Hamster’s Revival:
The CPR didn’t seem to work on the other hamster, but Claudia put both back in their cage, and soon the second hamster also woke up.
Keeping the Secret:
They decided to keep the incident to themselves, as “hamsters don’t squeal”.
Google Search for Leonberger
Finally, I did another experiment. I typed in “Leonberger” in Google Search and my blog came up on the first page following the Wikipedia entry for Leonberger, the “People also ask” section, the American Kennel Club web page on Leonbergers, the Things to Know section and the What people say section and then comes my Leonberger Life blog followed by 7 more sites on the first page. Interestingly my blog is ahead of PetMD, the Leonberger Club of America and the United Kennel Club.
In conclusion, I was not that impressed by ChatGPT but I was impressed by Google AI and thought the Google search of Leonberger was fun to see.
Additon : A blogger friend of mine, Miriam Hurdle found the following information, which explains the result. Thank you so much Miriam.
Google AI has a larger database of all the information out there. Probably that’s the reason it has the details of your book and your blog. BBasically Google indicates that ChatGPT is good at idea generation and writing, etc. I think that’s why it doesn’t know the details of your book.
25 Leonberger Faces
This is another post with the “25 Leonberger photos” theme. This time the theme is Leonberger faces. The post feature close ups of Leonbergers looking into the camera. A lot of the photos are of our late Leonberger Bronco but there are many other Leonberger photos as well. Below is a list of the previous posts using the theme 25 Leonberger photos.
- 25 Leonberger Photos and Illustrations
- Another 25 Leonberger Photos and Illustrations
- 25 Waterberger Photos (Leonbergers in water or swimming)
- 25 Leonberger Puppies and Other Puppies for National Puppy Day
- 25 Photos of Leonbergers with Other Dogs
- 25 Photos of Leonbergers in Nature
- 25 Photos of Young Leonbergers
- 25 Photos of Old Leonbergers
- 25 Leonberger Puppy Photos
Also don’t forget to check out my new blog if you haven’t done so.
25 Leonberger Faces
About half of the photos of Leonberger faces below are mine, mostly of our Leonberger Bronco. There are also several photos by Jen O’Keefe and Leonberger community friend. There is also a photo by Brenda Seito and one by Debbie Ireland, and the illustration of Bronco’s face was made by Naomi Rosenblatt.
The Magical World of the Seasons Weaver
In this my Leonberger blog I sometimes post about topics other than Leonbergers, including non-Leonberger books that I like and want to promote, and this is one of those. With this post I would like to promote a wonderful fantasy novel, called Tale of the Seasons’ Weaver by D. Wallace Peach. Below I am giving some information about the paperback and Kindle version of the book.
- Paperback – Independently published (January 2, 2025), ASIN : B0DNXKS4D4, ISBN-13 : 979-8300966072, 308 pages, Item Weight : 1.17 pounds, dimensions : 6 x 0.7 x 9 inches, it cost $12.00 on US Amazon. Click here to order it from Amazon.com.
- Kindle – Independently published (January 2, 2025), ASIN : B0DMKLLW9C, 310 pages. It is currently $3.99 on Amazon.com and free with Kindle unlimited. Click here to order it from Amazon.com.
Amazon Description of Tale of the Seasons’ Weaver
“Already the animals starve. Soon the bonemen will follow, the Moss Folk and woodlings, the watermaids and humans. Then the charmed will fade. And all who will roam a dead world are dead things. Until they too vanish for lack of remembering. Still, Weaver, it is not too late.”
In the frost-kissed cottage where the changing seasons are spun, Erith wears the Weaver’s mantle, a title that tests her mortal, halfling magic. As the equinox looms, her first tapestry nears completion—a breathtaking ode to spring. She journeys to the charmed isle of Innishold to release the beauty of nature’s awakening across the land.
But human hunters have defiled the enchanted forest and slaughtered winter’s white wolves. Enraged by the trespass, the Winter King seizes Erith’s tapestry and locks her within his ice-bound palace. Here, where comfort and warmth are mere glamours, she may weave only winter until every mortal village succumbs to starvation, ice, and the gray wraiths haunting the snow.
With humanity’s fate on a perilous edge, Erith must break free of the king’s grasp and unravel a legacy of secrets. In a charmed court where illusions hold sway, allies matter, foremost among them, the Autumn Prince. Immortal and beguiling, he offers a tantalizing future she has only imagined, one she will never possess—unless she claims her extraordinary power to weave life from the brink of death.
In the lyrical fantasy tradition of Margaret Rogerson and Holly Black, D. Wallace Peach spins a spellbinding tale of magic, resilience, and the transformative potency of tales—a tapestry woven with peril and hope set against the frigid backdrop of an eternal winter.
My Amazon Review of Tale of the Seasons’ Weaver
Weaving Fantastic Tales of Magic Creatures
I don’t read a lot of books in the fantasy genre but when I was a teenager, I read C.S. Lewis Chronicles of Narnia and J.R.R. Tolkien’s fantasy novels (Hobbit, Lord of the Ring, etc.) I’ve never lost my fascination for fantasy, and I still frequently read science fiction novels. I am so happy I came across this delightful read. It is a great novel for older children, young adults and adults alike.
In Erith’s world there are humans and animals as well as magical beings said to be charmed. For the most part they stay on the Isle of Innishold in the lake of Dryftweel. There is an enchanted forest and four kingdoms, winter, spring, summer, and autumn. The charmed often have magical powers, and some of them look scary and some of them are dangerous. Erith, who is part human and part charmed, a halfling, has a unique skill and a unique job, and that is to weave the seasons. She is a Seasons Weaver. The entire world depends on her.
One winter day human hunters defile the land of the charmed and kills the Winter King’s white wolves. The enraged Winter King decides to take revenge on all humans. He sets out to cancel spring by preventing Erith from weaving. His objective is to let winter remain until all humans are dead. This also means the death of nature and all mortal creatures. What the Winter King does not seem to understand is that it could mean the end of the charmed beings as well. Can Erith prevail against the powerful Winter King? Luckily the brave and handsome Autumn King steps up and helps her.
This is an intense and fast paced adventure filled with intrigues, magic, fierce battles, and I think several dozen different kinds of magical beings. There are amusing creatures and funny creatures such as Nobbin, huge and powerful creatures, shape shifting creatures, witches, dangerous and scary creatures, evil frog like evil creatures, and kings, and queens. In addition, there are some obvious themes. Erith must learn to trust her abilities, to be confident and find her strength, and use her wonderful imagination. She is much more powerful than she thinks she is. Her story is an inspiration for all of us.
I loved the author’s imagination and the fantastic world she is skillfully forming in the reader’s mind. I loved the captivating storytelling and the lyrical and magical prose. The author is certainly a weaver herself, a weaver of tales and imagined worlds. In the book the charmed creatures come to realize that they were dependent on human minds and belief for their existence. Is it also the other way around? A manifestation of the mental nature of reality if you will. In any case, I highly recommend this fascinating book.
About the Author of Tale of the Seasons’ Weaver
A long-time reader, best-selling author D. Wallace Peach started writing later in life when years of working in business surrendered to a full-time indulgence in the imaginative world of books. She was instantly hooked.
In addition to fantasy books, Peach’s publishing career includes participation in various anthologies featuring short stories, flash fiction, and poetry.
She’s an avid supporter of the arts in her local community, organizing and publishing annual anthologies of Oregon prose, poetry, and photography. Peach lives in a log cabin amongst the tall evergreens and emerald moss of Oregon’s rainforest with her husband, two owls, a horde of bats, and the occasional family of coyotes.
For book descriptions, excerpts, maps, and behind the scenes info, please visit D. Wallace Peach Books
For her blog on all things writing, please visit here
For her Amazon author’s page, please visit here
Super Fact Page Added to Superfactful
Some of you know that I have a second blog. The goal of this blog is to create a long list of facts that are important, not trivia, and that are known to be true yet are either disputed by large segments of the public or highly surprising or misunderstood by many. I’ve created a list of super facts, which I keep updating as I add new super facts. So far, I’ve been posting and updating this list on every super fact post. As the number of super facts increases, this becomes a lot of work and in addition it is not good for SEO to repeat a large number of the same links over and over.
Therefore, I’ve created a new page featuring the super fact list as well as a new menu item “super facts” that opens this page. Below every super fact post I am adding the text “To see the Super Facts Click the Super-Facts menu above”. I am curious whether this menu and the page are easy to find. Please visit the superfactful blog and see if you can find the “super facts” menu item and the page. I have pasted the current content of the page below.
- (1) We Know That the Earth is Billions of Years Old – click to visit
- (2) Some Things Cannot be Known – click to visit
- (3) Economic Externalities Are Spoilers of Free Markets – click to visit
- (4) The Speed of Light In Vacuum Is a Universal Constant – click to visit
- (5) Two events may be simultaneous for some but not for others – click to visit
- (6) Radon Represents our Largest Exposure to Ionizing Radiation – click to visit
- (7) Poverty and child mortality has been sharply reduced worldwide – click to visit
- (8) US violent crime nearly cut in half since 1990 – click to visit
- (9) We are living in relatively peaceful times – click to visit
- (10) We are Star Dust – click to visit
- (11) United States Europe and the Pacific Ocean Are Bigger Than You Might Think – click to visit
- (12) The United States is a Republic and a Democracy – click to visit
- (13) The Strange Worlds of Exo Planets – click to visit
- (14) The vastness of space and the beginning of infinity – click to visit
- (15) The Bizarre Reality of Black Holes – click to visit
- (16) Wind power is providing more than a quarter of Texas Power – click to visit
- (17) Wind power is not a major cause of bird death – click to visit
- (18) Accents are very difficult to lose – click to visit
- (19) An account impersonating you on Facebook does not mean you have been hacked – click to visit
- (20) There are flying Turkeys – click to visit
- (21) Neutering or spaying a dog at 6 months old can be dangerous to their health depending on breed – click to visit
- (22) The Surprising Monty Hall Problem – click to visit
- (23) GPS uses relativity for accuracy – click to visit
- (24) Smallpox Killed 300 million People in the Last Century Before Eradication – click to visit
- (25) Global Warming is Happening and is Caused by us – click to visit
- (26) The hockey stick curve is accurate – click to visit
- (27) EV Cars Indeed Emit Less Carbon Pollution – click to visit
- (28) Eating local is not necessarily ecological – click to visit
- (29) Many Popular Actions for the Environment Are Useless – click to visit
- (30) 10 Times more people died from natural disasters a hundred years ago – click to visit
- (31) By 2018 the emissions of ozone-depleting gases had fallen by 99.7% – click to visit
- (32) The United States and Europe are minor contributors to the plastic waste problem – click to visit
- (33) Developed nations has successfully reduced carbon emissions since 1990’s – click to visit
- (34) The US is the largest cumulative emitter of carbon – click to visit
- (35) There are many environmental success stories – click to visit
- (36) Human behavior initiating a sixth extinction – click to visit
- (37) Sulphur dioxide pollution has fallen by 95% in the US since the 1970’s – click to visit
- (38) Entropy Always Increasing Does Not Contradict Evolution – click to visit
- (39) Early homo sapiens lived at the same time as many other human species – click to visit
- (40) Evidence for evolution is strong and evidence against it is weak – click to visit
- (41) We know something about the evolution of whales – click to visit
- (42) Evolution is a fact – click to visit
- (43) Modern farming techniques have greatly increased cereal yield per acre – click to visit
- (44) Animal Biomass has increased Wild Animal Biomass has decreased – click to visit
- (45) Industrial Farming has condemned billions of animals to brutal and often short lives – click to visit
- (46) You Choose Before You Know You Do – click to visit
- (47) We know that homeopathy does not work – click to visit
- (48) Astrology is not science and lack predictive power – click to visit
- (49) Vaccines do not cause autism – click to visit
- (50) The Average Lifespan More Than Doubled Since 1800 – click to visit
Leonberger Life 