# Duchess Isabella's Diary



## Angelab (Nov 26, 2005)

We have had Duchess Isabella in our home for two days now and have had our first, adventure! :help: 

My daughter and I rounded up our furkids and packed their bag to go to Petco. It appears that I misjudged Bella's size the day before on her harness and a sweater, so we were going to get ones that fit her. Going there also exercises the little ones indoors, out of the inclimate weather. I also try to take Socrates there pretty frequently to help him be a more social little guy. 

Well, anyway, we get ready to go home and everything seems fine. The furkids are in the back laying down and I'm about to leave Salem for the highway that takes me back home. I just get on the bridge out of Salem and my CAR STOPS DEAD in traffic. :dontknow: 

That's right, I didn't know what I was going to do! I had the two little guys in my lap and my daughter and i were getting ready to try to bail out of the car with our little ones and their blankies (That's why I pack for them everytime I go somewhere.) when an officer comes up behind me. Thank God, I didn't have to get my daughter, who is generally useless in a crisis--she panics, the babies and myself out in traffic and try to walk back down to a phone. 

The officer radioed for a tow truck for me and sat behind my car with his lights on until the town truck came so no one would run into the back of us.

Then we all got to ride in a tow truck the rest of the way home which was about 12 miles.

We were all very happy to be back home and the kids promptly found their favorite places and snoozed the rest of the day away, recovering from their adventure. :cheers: 

Oh, we also discovered on one of our walks outside today, that Bella is a :cat: chaser. Yep, she sees kitty cats and delights in making them run  

More will be coming later
Angie, Socrates :king: , Bella :queen:


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## Angelab (Nov 26, 2005)

*Day Three with Bella*

OMG  I am so amazed at the giant leap in socializing that my Socrates has made since he has become buddies with Bella!

Socrates actually was playing in the doggie park with Bella and actually met without running away a silky terrier and a westy. The four of them played doggie-chase games for several minutes. 

Socrates even went up and greeted the other dog's mommy!

He's sooo brave to be trying new things and making new friends. :cheers: 
He's going to miss her terribly if we find her owners. I'm contacting the local humane society tomorrow also to let them know that I've a lost doggy.

This is the hard part of rescuing/fostering dogs. You want to treat them like one of the family and make their lives as normal as possible all-the-while you are looking for the people who will take them away.

Angie, Socrates, and Duchess Isabella


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## Angelab (Nov 26, 2005)

Bella is not a happy pooch!

I've noticed her scratching and we occasionally find a flea on Socrates, but we keep a vigilant watch on him.

I put flea medicine on Duchess Isabela tonight as a preventative and she has sulked and pouted ever since. How long can a little dog stay upset!!

She was so funny, she acted like the drops weighed a ton on her back walking scrunched down and kept acting like she didn't know what to do...or should she roll or hide or what. She has been completely buried in one of her blankies ever since. She just looks at me when I talk to her like I have stuff on me and can't socialize.

Wow, we thought Socrates was a drama-king but he's a rookie compared to Bella!


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## Angelab (Nov 26, 2005)

Bella is liking me again  
The way she carried on about the flea med last night, and for as long as she did..I was beginning to wonder if she was really alright or if she was really having problems with the stuff!
I've heard of dogs having allergic reactions to their flea med in rare cases before....but it seems she was just showing me her dramatic side 

I called the humane society and let them know that I found her and gave them my information in case anyone calls them looking for a lost dog.

We also have a flyer up in Dr. Bob's office now and have an appoointment with Dr. Bob in three days for her to have her check-up.

The lost dog ad in the paper is in this mornings edition and will run for a week.

Dr. Bob scanned her for a micro-chip and found none and looked for tatto but I knew she didn't have one of those.

Bella weighs 11.5lbs and Socrates weighs 9.9lbs


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## Angelab (Nov 26, 2005)

Well, tomorrow will be a week that I've had Duchess Isabella and her and Socrates are just the best buds now. It thrills my soul to see Socrates learning to play with another little dog and having a companion.

She has helped him make huge progress in socializing wiht other dogs...and here I thought we were helping her :lol: 

Bella is eating better now, but I still believe she was a off the table fed dog in her pryor home so it has been a difficult few days with feeding her.

Still no leads on where she came from which is really weird in my small town. Usually as soon as a dog is missing you start seeing flyers at the two grocery stores and all and my vet didn't recognize her as one of his patients.


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## Angelab (Nov 26, 2005)

Okay, couldn't wait til tomorrow for this because I would forget to record it. Bella is soo confused about my birds. They've been caged most of the time since Bella moved in but today I just had to let them out to fly and socialize. Bella keeps sniffing at them and backing away. 

She is way confused why Tango, my conure is on HER mommy. And then my little Tango thinks he's the boss. He's convinced Socrates but Bella may put a fight up.


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## Angelab (Nov 26, 2005)

Thursday Dec. 1, 2005
Bella has been with us for a week! It already seems like she's always been here :lol: 

There have been a few calls answering my ad but none of them are Bella, they range from brindle colored pit bull to little white fluff ball and almost all of them are from nearby towns but too far for such a little dog to roam. No one has identified a tri-color, smooth coat chi or even came close.

I'm also wondering about the running away part now because I walk her off lead all the time and she sticks closer to me than Socrates does :lol: Beginning to think she could have been dumped but she looked so clean and well cared for it's hard to imagine someone spending all the time to take care of her then dumping her!

I took her and Socrates to the park today and she noticed a black lab that I could tell she was interested in meeting but I also could tell that the lab's mommy didn't want him close to the little dogs. Well as things happen the dogs' curiosity got the better of both of them but the lab was acting a little aggessive so in her best "I'm just as big as you" way she came back at him. Luckily both dogs came back to their mommy's as soon as we called them :!: :!: Bella definitely has little dog syndrome---she must be thinking she's a Rottie or something!!!


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## Angelab (Nov 26, 2005)

Sunday Dec. 4, 2005
Bella and Socrates got baths last night. Bella did really well but I could tell she wasn't enjoying it and was looking for an opportunity to bolt She pouted for a little while after her bath but nothing like the other night with the flea treatment.

She has obviously never had her teeth brushed! That was a new experience for her, but we will work on it little by little.

Her and Socrates are doing very well together.

Socrates has gotten mixed up in his "tricks"/commands. He knows sit, shake, speak, lay down but he gets so excited about getting his treat that he doesn't listen for his cue...he just runs through every trick he knows making it one big trick and then expects his reward. I've started to work with Bella, she evidently had been taught to sit because she does this command very well. So when Socrates does his big combo of tricks and doesn't listen to the command I hide his treat and turn to Bella and give her the command to sit and reward her when she's done it, then all of a sudden Socrates is listening again and will do the command that I gave him so he can get his reward....I just hope I'm not encouraging jealousy by doing this.

Have to take the guys to the park for their walk, will come back later.


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## Angelab (Nov 26, 2005)

Another entry for Sunday Dec. 4, 2005
I did it :cheers: I got brave and cut Bella's nails on one of her front paws, that's as long as I could get her to be still but I got all 4 nails on that foot! Her nails are not as big or tough as Socrates' nails besides he got his trimmed just a week ago and Petco.
This is the first time that I've been brave enough to clip nails, I'm soo afraid of hurting them..I can't clip my birds nails either...I let the vet do it.


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## Angelab (Nov 26, 2005)

This is Bella today,
mommy doesn't usually let me on the computer but she's busy. I have had so much fun today! Mommy took my big brother, Socrates and me to the park and we played chase and walked and sniffed! 
I've also taught mommy a new game! she's is really good at it too! I hide my chew bones and then mommy goes through all the house looking under beds and sofa cushions trying to find my chewies. It's tons of fun and mommy's really good at finding them so I have to keep looking for new places to hide them. 
Socrates is really good at hiding his chewies too, he doesn't chew on them but he just doesn't want me to have any fun chewing on his chewies! Big brothers are like that with their things.
Well, I better go, there's a pile of found chewies in the living room so I have to get busy and hide them all again!!
Keep your tails waggin til next time.


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## Angelab (Nov 26, 2005)

Wed. Dec. 7, 2005

Bella is walking nicely on a leash 90% of the time now, after she gets through the first reaction and realizes that it means we're going out for a walk. But this morning she kind of ran into my foot while walking, so now she thinks I kicked her. :? 

Her visit to the vet is tomorrow morning at 10:00a.m., I am excited that it's finally here and we can begin getting her vaccinations and prevention stuff.  

There has been no positive results in finding her original home and since it's been like 2 weeks, I am going to just consider her my dog and quit actively searching. I just can't devote any more time to searching for them since it appears that no one is looking for her.


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## Angelab (Nov 26, 2005)

Dec. 8, 2005 Bella's vet visit went real well. she weighed 12.2lbs (ugg!) more exercise and watching her food better.

She got her rabies vaccine and parvo/distemper vaccine.

Doc estimates that she is about 2yr old range so she's still young and has no health issues at the moment.

We got her on Heartgard so she will need to be seen again in 6 months for her re-check.

She has been spayed, the doctor found her scar, whew I don't have that expense and worry of unplanned for puppies.

Got information on her micro-chip which we will do in the next two or three months the price hasn't changed since I got Socrates done. It's not a bad price for the peace of mind that I get.

Tomorrow down to city hall to get her city license, now that I have her rabies cert. and then she'll be all fixed up. and I can get Socrates caught up after Christmas.


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## Angelab (Nov 26, 2005)

Sunday Dec. 11, 2005
Well, I didn't make it to city hall on Friday as I spent all morning watching Bella because of her stiffness, soreness from her shots the previous day. Will have to do this tomorrow though.

Bella was back to her normal self by Saturday when I got home from work and is greeting me at the door and trying to invite Socrates to romps and play times again, but Socrates wasn't in the mood tonight to wrestle...he just looked at her like "grow up kid" :lol: 
I think all the worrying and attention on Bella since her shots has gotten to him. I may actually have to take him on his own for a nice long walk and play time today. Let him know he's still the man in our lives! :king: 

As for nursing doggies that don't feel well, whew I don't remember spending this much energy with my children when they were sick, which wasn't very often. My youngest son is 14 and I still have a first aid kit and medicine cabinet that looks like their's an infant in my home! :wave: 

I have Children's Benadryl for Socrates' allergies....
Children's chewable Bayer low dose aspirin for the dogs (it's cheaper and closer to the right dosage for my dogs than Petaprin)...
Pedialye for times when my birds are streseed and have tried it for Bella when she was recovering from shots because I was afraid that she wasn't drinking enough....Dogs don't like Berry flavors though, so I will have to get the doggie equivalent.

I'm beginning to figure out that Bella is high-maintenance, high-drama..befitting the royal name of Duchess Isabella perfectly!!! Clipping nails, baths, flea treatment, shots/vets..the list of things that send her into a royal pout gets longer everyday! :queen:


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## Angelab (Nov 26, 2005)

I bought a real cheap ($20.00) digital camera/webcam so I can put pictures up of my guys. The quality is what you'd expect for $20.00 but I have pictures and I still have my professional film camera for the good stuff but right now I'm having trouble affording the developing and film, so this will be a good trade-off.

Bella got a new shirt and a new poncho today. Socrates got a new coat but my boys protest so much when I dress Socrates, they are convinced that he hates it and they undress him when I'm not looking. they do admit that Bella seems to like it better than Socrates.

Socrates was doing real well with Bella until she had the couple of sick days when she wasn't walking or doing anything and didn't want him around and got all the attention for those days and now we see some jealousy coming in, but once they start romping and playing again I'm sure he'll snap out of it...right :silent: Anyway, I also got a pattern to make fleece jackets for the two.

Well, that's about all today


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## Angelab (Nov 26, 2005)

Sat. Dec. 17, 2005
Well Bella still has a lot of work to do! This morning on our first walk I let her walk off leash (I've been doing this a lot lately with good results) but the last couple of days I have had mini-disasters with my little girl.

This morning she barked and chased two little boys that were running towards the play ground at the park. The little boys were wearing hoods and the running didn't help, but still it's not the little boys' fault in any way. They were obviously unsure of her and I called her back as soon as I saw her bolt, she returned and then went back to bark at the boys, who were about to turn around and go back home but I made it clear that the dogs and I were done and were going home so their play time wasn't ruined.

The second time I started to take her off lead (yeah, I'm thick and it takes some time for me to get it) and I got to the sidewalk and she begins barking and confronting someones Jack Russel who was leashed but caused him to be distracted and pull on his lead, so back in the house we went and this time Bella went to the park in her harness and leash. She did very well but it was hysterical watching Socrates and Bella trying to wrestle when she had her leash and harness on :lol: 

The park was empty so I was able to let her off her leash so they could play for a bit.

I didn't realize how well behaved Socrates has really become. He walks off leash perfectly, he doesn't even hesitate when dogs in the neighborhood bark. He never bolts to the road or towards anyone or any animal. He knows his safety commands should he ever forget to behave. So far his safety commands are "wait", "down", "leave it".

We use "wait" at street corners to keep him from going in the street until I can check for cars. I taught him this one because he will not sit his butt on concrete!
"down" is the command that I've taught him in case he decides to chase a kid on a bike or just running by him or any situation where he may decide to give chase.
"leave it" is used for when I don't want his nose investigating something such as puddles that look like car fluids have leaked into them, or garbage on the street, etc.

Bella is different, she doesn't know "wait" but is learning.
She does know lay down but doesn't know "down" means immediately lay down and "leave it" has her completely confused! So she will have many more opportunities to work on and off leash with her emergency commands. I want others to enjoy my dogs as much as I do and a misbehaving out-of-control brat is hard to enjoy.

Bella also has a couple of bad habits that I need to work on such as chasing running children, chasing kitties in the neighborhood, chasing bicycles, challenging other dogs even when they're in their own yard and it's fenced she challenges them through the fence! I have noticed with the challenging thing that she really doesn't expect to get in a fight because when the Jack Russell came back at her she ran straight for me but that is still unacceptable. The last thing I want is to have a dog fight at my ankles with me in the middle.

Oh gosh, this sounds like a very negative entry and I didn't mean for it to sound like that...she really is a sweet little girl, just needs to work on a couple of behaviors and learn a few new commands


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## Angelab (Nov 26, 2005)

This is Bella, I snuck on just to update everyone on some of the crazy things happening in my house.

First mommy decides she wanted me to have a bed of my own for my naps..as if! I think she's given up on the bed because now that's where my toys and blankies are stored. (Mom insists that leaving them on the furniture and under her bed and in the floor is wrong :confused2: )

Oh and about a week ago we went and I got to meet Dr. Bob, mom calls him a vet. I was not impressed with him but mom thinks he's great. He poked and rubbed and looked in my mouth and then, just when I thought he was done...he comes back in and mommy let him poke me with something. It really hurt too!  My whole leg was sore and swollen for a about two days. Mommy told me that she knew it wasn't pleasant to get shots but it has to be done. Hehehe, I did make Dr. Bob giggle when I slid the muzzle off right after he had put it on :lol: I got lots of extra hugs and cuddles and some yucky medicine when I wasn't feeling well though.

All the attention that mom gave me after my shots must have made Socrates, that's my big brother, a little angry because he was sooo grouchy with me for the next two or three days.

Then just this last Monday, Jason, Socrates' best buddy in the whole world..came home with a real tree!  Oh my I was in doggie heaven, our very own tree! Then mommy told me that I wasn't to use the tree for...Ummm, well I'm sure you get it. Oh, and I'm also not supposed to drink the water out of the big red thing that the tree is sitting in :roll: It just seems like every day mommy is telling me about a new rule!

Today, mommy got freaked out again because I had to protect her from these two creatures with no heads! She called them little boys and said they were just wearing hats, but really...how was I supposed to know that!? Then she really got upset when I had to tell this rude dog that the sidewalk was mine...ALL MINE...I am a Duchess after all! :queen: Mommy made me practice on the leash after that and is teaching me some new words...Let's see, Umm..Oh, "DOWN" means "do it know, or else" yep i'm supposed to remember that one especially. She had more, Oh "leave it" means something like...I'm grouchy and I'm trying to ruin all your fun and adventure...anyways that's what I think they mean. 

Mommy didn't stay upset very long because before work, she clipped my nails and I did very good this time. I tried to be really still for her and I didn't growl or cry. I even got a treat and a belly rub when it was all done. Mommy was very happy with me.  

Well, it looks like mommy has caught me on the 'puter, so I better give it back to her for now. Bye Bye!


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## Angelab (Nov 26, 2005)

Wow, today I got my own dogster page! :cheers: 

Here it is: http://www.dogster.com/?236976

I'm so excited because I can have more pals and another diary. Boy things are sure different since I chose this new family. Yippee,


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## Angelab (Nov 26, 2005)

Dec. 21, 2005
I might have made a mistake! 
Outside has been really yucky this week, so Socrates and I have had to stay inside a lot. It makes us a little depressed and sleepy. today mommy found a break in the rain and took us out, she was only going to go to the end of the road and back but we were so happy to be outside that she walked us all the way to the park! Yippee, we ran, and ran, and ran, and tasted the puddles (mommy used the "leave it" words again) and ran, and then a little shih tzu came to our doggie park (I was wondering why mommy wanted to pick me up) so I barked to tell the little white dog that she was really in OUR PARK! 
Mommy told me that wasn't a good thing? That the park is supposed to be shared with all the dogs and that I was never going to make friends if I continued to act like that around every other dog. 
Mommy decided that we were done at the park for now and that we had to get home before it started pouring buckets of rain on us again.
Mommy also mentioned that now she smelled like wet doggies and was going to have to change before work. (I smelled her and she smelled just fine to me :? )but she changed her shirt anyway. 
When we got back home, we felt so good and had so much energy from being outside and running, that Socrates and I wrestled and did zoomies in the house for about 20 minutes. It was soo mcuh fun! Socrates really does love me...I just know he does. TTFN :wave:


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## Angelab (Nov 26, 2005)

Tomorrow, Dec. 24th I will have been in my new home for 1 month! Wow,it sure has gone fast. Something weird happened today. Mommy was talking on the phone VERY early this morning and then later someone knocked on the door and left three little human pups at our house!

Mommy said that they need to stay with us for a few days. I'm not very sure I'm okay with that but mommy says it will be fine. Socrates, that's my big brother, said that I should keep my distance because those type are clumbsy and fall a lot and they can be rough and noisy! He said to keep an eye on them because those types are known to drop everything they pick up and you can score extra treats! He also told me that's about the only positive thing to them being here...extra treats!


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## Angelab (Nov 26, 2005)

Dec. 25, 2005
I am going to have to write Bella's entry today because poor Bella had too big of a day and has been napping on the couch for the last four hours! She's all tuckered out :lol: 

She did very well with everyone at my mom's house. She did have some growling issues but it was the type of growls that were more just grouchiness than meanness. Once she got used to the new people being around then she calmed down a bit, but both her and Socrates were pretty much velcro dogs at my ankles all day.

They looked so cute in their little outfits! My baby houseguest were a big hit with everyone too. My sister Dezi did ask how long I was to have these babies, she loves to remind me of my age and thinks that I should be trying to get kids to leave my home instead of having more coming in all the time. I just tell her the kids keep me young and when I crash in bed at night exhausted it is a GOOD exhaustion because I know that what I did that day mattered.

Well, Bella and Socrates got their holiday feast of course. The babies wore most of their holiday feast (the two oldest ones) and the dogs all of a sudden decided they wanted to be the kids' new best friends with all that food hanging off of them :lol: Hey, if anyone is having trouble getting your furbabies to befriend small children, maybe try hiding food in their hair, shirts, pants, etc  

My sister, Yolanda and her husband, were very Delighted  with the drum that I got my nephew for Christmas. I work with both of them and Jerry, her husband told me to expect paybacks! :lol: Dustin spends so much time at my house that I almost feel like he's one of mine too :lol: in fact he came home with us tomight.

I started knitting a doggie sweater tonight after I got the babies to bed (I think one of them is still awake though) I don't know which of the guys will get this one though..I guess I'll just wait until it's finished before deciding.

My sister Dezi looked at Bella's necklace, so she could get an idea of what I would want for Bella jewelry (yes she did think I had lost it) but Bella is sooo cute and it's not all the time, just once-in-a-while. Her and Socrates never fail to put smiles on the faces of people they meet when they are dressed up!


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## Angelab (Nov 26, 2005)

*No More Babies!*

Mommy's foster babies went to a new home yesterday. Mommy said that she was happy that they were getting to all go to the same home.

I'm happy too, there were just too many feet in the house! I got to where the babies weren't so scary to me, but I still prefer just the bigger teen or adult type humans!

Mommy packed up all their Christmas goodies and everything for them to take to their new home.


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## Angelab (Nov 26, 2005)

*My New Year's Eve!*

My New Year's Eve! 

No social life for me on New Year's Eve! 
My mommy decided that we had been on too many doggie walks in the rain and sloshing in the muddy grass and she gave me and Socrates baths! I can't believe it...I'm sure we've already had a bath recently too. 

Mommy has made sure that we are welcoming the new year squeaky clean, with our teeth brushed and all the other stuff that me and Socrates really don't like! She even worked on my brown tear stains on my face, then she bundled us up and let us dry off and put our sweaters on to keep us warm until we are thoroughly dry and we have our favorite doggie cologne on too, but I think she wasted it since we are staying home tonight!. 

She also said we don't have to have another bath until next year...Socrates said not to believe her though because it's a trick! 

I wonder, do any of the other doggie's on here get their nails polished! My mommy's friend said that she would do my nails. I'm not sure about it, I hate to have my feet messed with. Mommy said that the dog pawlish seemed a little expensive right now because we just got through Christmas! 

Well, It's time for pupcorn and a movie!


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## Angelab (Nov 26, 2005)

Jan 2, 2006
Wow, this is the first time I've written 2006!

We are all excited around here today!
Bella had a really good walking session. We used the leash for about 50% of the time with just a little off leash time at the park to run and play.
She was near several people and other dogs and although definitely interested and even noisy at times, she didn't do her normal "get out of my park" bark but more of a high pitched excited bark...she also regained control a lot faster today and was heeding her cues such as "leave it", "down" and "enough".

She did chase a kitty today, but came back to me when I called her back and stayed by me the rest of the way home, even though she kept watching the kitty. 

Oh boy! I might have a dog that isn't an embarrasing tyrant in public after all!

Success no. 2 today. I think we may have found a solution to get Bella to quit growling and barking at my guests! Mom came over today and Bella and Socrates did their normal and acceptable, somone's here barking. Bella started into her usual I'll growl until my throat is too sore to growl thing and after telling her enough and seeing she wasn't going to listen I used a squirt bottle and she was perfect the rest of the time mom visited (she was going to continue growling even though she knows mom) The squirt bottle worked in only two tries and she was a very good girl the rest of the day with guests coming in and out. :blob: :blob4: 

If I were able to, I would be doing hand stands right now, I'm so pleased with her :lol:


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