New Year's Day family meetup!

So they tell me that I have five brothers and sisters, but who can count, really? Anyhow, I spent some time with mom and dad earlier in the summer, but today we went to the park to play in the snow, but who shows up but my brother and sister!

This is my brother Winston (lying down) and my sister Rilee. When we first met again, I didn't really know who they were, and sniffed around while they ran and played.

But it didn't take long for me to get into it with them, running and play-fighting on the snowy field. Rilee and I didn't wrestle, but Winston and I really had some fun!

He's a pretty big guy, but I think I'm just as big as he is, so neither of us ended up getting the upper paw on the other. It's been a while since I've played with a big dog like Winston, and I tired out quickly.

I was happy to lie down in the snow and snuffle up some powder - whew! I don't know when I'll see my brother and sister again, but I hope it is soon!

Buddy

Merry Christmas!

So this is apparently what some would refer to as a "White Christmas" - all I know is that the snow has kept falling, and I have been having way too much fun running around in the backyard playing in it! I have been helping Richie shovel the walk when it snows, and he throws snow in the air for me to catch in my mouth (or at least try to)!

Another noticeable feature of Christmas, is that Christine is always around - not like normal days where it's just Richie and me hanging around the house. Here we are posing for what is apparently an annual Christmas photo. Berner smile!

One evening, Christine and Richie went away for the evening - I don't know why I was not allowed to go along, but I slept the whole time anyways. Then the next day, the Johnson family came over, along with my cousin Rufus. I was much better with him this time, and he tried to play with me a few times. As long as he goes home with his humans after each visit, I'm ok with this guy.

Anyhow, after a bunch of days and evenings with company over, I think Christmas is over. Can someone please get these bells off me now?

Buddy

My new cousin

Yesterday, Christine's sister showed up at my house with a puppy... what I didn't know at the time, is that he is only just visiting. His name is Rufus, and he's an 8-week old Great Dane / Maremma cross.

I was really wary of him when he came in, even though I must outweigh him by 8 times! Lucky for him that he didn't get in my face at all, or I would have had to school him on who the big dog is. After lunch, Richie went away with him in the car, and so I howled - how could he leave with another doggie?

"Hey... what are you doing inside my surfboard?"

But after an agonizing period of time, he came home, but still had that Rufus with him. I was so happy to see him, I barked at the door while he was out with Rufus in my yard! Christine let me out, and I ran down to see him, and make sure that Rufus knew whose human this was.

Back inside, I made sure that Rufus could not get close to my Richie, and did my best lap-dog impersonation. Then after a couple of hours, he left, and it was only then that I realized that this was not Richie's new puppy, and that Rufus is just my cousin. Drama over.

Buddy

Snow is still here!

I haven't seen snow before this past week, and I don't know how long it's supposed to stay here. However, it does make things different for sniffing in the backyard.

However, you can see above that I still managed to dig a hole in the yard one evening. I don't know what comes over me, but once in a while, I end up with more energy than I know what to do with, and the next thing you know, I'm getting my paws washed in warm soapy water!

Here I am, sitting nicely in the front yard (notice the rope), after stealing one of the silly Christmas lights from Richie. After a brief game of keep-away (it's hard to get away when you're attached by a rope), I decided to sit and watch him instead.

Then on the weekend (I've figured out that when Christine is home all day, that's a weekend), we went for a car ride to the park, and I ran around in the snow! I sniffed all around, and even played a bit with a couple of other doggies I met there. I like snow.

Buddy

Vacation time!

So Christine and Richie left me recently; not to worry, as their friend Krista and her little human, Olivia, came to take care of me while they were gone. I behaved myself really well with them, most of the time.

But when it came time to go to bed, I would lie out so that I took up all of the room! I think Libby really liked being around me, and we had lots of cuddle time.

Then one night, all of this white stuff showed up! I didn't know what to make of it at first, but after I got over it, I was bouncing around in it like a bunny (assuming I actually know what that is)! I was busy eating it up off the ground, and it tastes like the "ice chips" that Christine and Richie give me when they are making drinks. I don't know what this is, but I hope it stays around for a while. Then after a bunch of sleeps, Christine and Richie came home, and I got really excited!

Anyhow, the other big news is that I ate a glove - or at least part of a glove. I didn't feel good the next day, and so at 4:30 am the next morning, I barfed it out. I felt a bit better, but still something was amiss. A couple of mornings later, at around 4:30 am again, I barfed out a little bit of green stuff, but nothing else. Another day of not feeling just right, then one more time (yes, at around 4:30 am) I barfed out another (different) glove! I don't even remember eating it, but I guess I must have. Hmm... I wonder where the other glove is?

Buddy

A brief update

The other day, we went for another car ride, which I am getting really good at. You see, I used to put up a fuss getting into the car, but now that I know that we usually go somewhere fun, I am jumping right in! Anyhow, we went back to that place called Point Roberts, but when we were almost there, we got out and I got put into this cage!

After a short stay in my holding cell, we continued on to the cabin. I love it there, but it was raining, so we didn't spend much time outside. I wandered around the entire cabin looking for some trouble to get into, but couldn't find anything. We didn't stay long, and got back into the car and went to check out Christine's parents' new house.

Yesterday, Richie emerged from the garage with this thing. Apparently, he made this so I would stop knocking over my water bowl. Something about it however, makes me want to eat even faster, so they have something else in store for me. But anyhow, it's pretty cool - I don't think many other Berners have a surfboard for a feeding station.

Buddy

Muddy puddles!

We went to that awesome place called the UBC Endowment Lands again today. It has been raining a lot recently - I know this because Richie doesn't like it when I lie out in the yard and then do some digging and then come back into the house.

Anyhow, I found that there was this awesome little ditch next to the path, which was now filled with water! I ran up and down the ditch, something that Richie and Christine call the "Luge Run". Apparently Mischa and Paisley used to do the same thing. I don't think they like me lying in the muddy water however.

Then the water runs down the ditch and then disappears into this tube thing. I had to check it out, but I can't tell where the water goes.

But as you can see, I got thoroughly muddy. For some reason, I got hosed down when we got home, and then got a vigorous towel-down, followed by a blow-dryer session. Now I am all clean and fluffy again!

Buddy