On New Year's Eve  the neighbors couldn’t quite wait until midnight to set off their fireworks. I had to protect my house and yard. Mummy didn’t like my loud bark after the first few rockets went off and told me loudly, twice in no uncertain terms „No!“ I was hurt – she had never yelled at me before - and turned the volume off, but I paid attention. At midnight when the real show went off in the street, they left me inside to protect my ears but Mummy checked on me every couple of minutes. I put on a show of nonchalance, while pouting in front of the sofa. However, after being watchful all evening and getting to bed at 2:30 a.m., I was a bit slow getting up at 7:30 for breakfast!

There have been documented reports about 3 wild boars in our neighborhood: across the street, next door and in the empty lot next to our yard. That’s why every time the patio doors are opened for me I have to rush out and bark and growl at the spot where they once were. My huparents say the fence will keep me safe but they did make holes in the neighbors‘. I’ll just chase them away if they come again. Don’t want them routing in my yard and me getting in trouble for digging holes (which I gave up as an adult)!

Our dog club had a winter walk along the dike in Bremen. There were only 3 dogs along with the 7 humans present and we three had a great time together: my Aussi partner Jo-Jo („Yo-Yo“), Paddy the Leonberger (a battle ship) and yours truly, The Pea. We took turns playing with each other. On the way back I broke through the thin ice and landed in a mudhole. I was really worried about getting back out again and it took me 4 tries but I made it before Mummy got there to rescue me. I looked like an upside-down chocolate-covered cookie. Then I had to go on the leash so that I couldn’t get any ideas about jumping on other people and got a full bath with shampoo when we got home. Mummy was glad that I travel in a crate in the car and couldn’t spread the mud around.

A few days ago we were headed down into the fields and the road was icy. I was in a good mood and frolicking around. Found a stick and was playing with it when Mummy shouted angrily „Cut it out! Stop pulling!“  She lost her sense of humor on the ice. I had ruined her walk two days before by pulling on the ice and she was not amused. I was humbled. Until I found a rabbit in the woods and off I went!  I lost him, of course, and came back across the fields to Mummy and Aunt Uschi. In fact I had two rabbit chases today. What annoyed them more was that I found another deer leg. I gave it up though, as always, and they hid it in the hunter’s blind. Now let’s see: Mummy took one home and threw it in the trash, Aunt Uschi buried one, they put this one out of my reach, …  A deer has FOUR legs. There’s still one in the game! They couldn’t get me out of the woods then, until Mummy put me on the leash.

Two days ago Wanda and Gert came up from Bavaria to go on a walk with me. Mummy wanted to show them the deer leg in the hunter’s blind and opened the door, but it was gone! Today I was out with Aunt Uschi and Mummy, who was just telling Aunt Uschi about the missing leg, when Godmother Uschi called out, „She’s got one again!“   I pranced through the woods and out into the field, not letting anyone get quite close enough to steal my dangling deer leg. Then Mummy said, „Hold still“, which is the command she uses when she needs to pull branches out of my coat, a tick out of my skin, etc. I am so used to obeying that I froze and she took the leg from me, hanging it over the branch of a tree. We are not sure whether this is #3 from the hunter’s blind or #4.  I’ll check tomorrow.