Wow…Nick can tell you all about it.  He is covered every day from his running. This dog even runs in the rain.  Well so do the joggers!  I wonder if they ever notice his tail wagging all the time he is barking and running. It's a game to him.  He wants to beat the walkers or joggers to the goat barn.  When he does, he tags up and runs to the well house.  If they haven't made it to the well house, he runs back to the goat barn, tags up and beats them again to the well house.

Most German shepherds have jobs to do. They like to be responsible for something. He has decided his job will be to beat the people to one place or the other. Of course he does have a job to do when he is in the house.  When we leave to go shopping, we always say, "Now take care of the house."

Sometimes I am napping in the afternoon when the deliveryman brings a package. I am surprised he even brings the package to the front porch, the way Nick carries on.  Nick is about six feet tall when he stands on his hind legs. He carries on like a mad dog when someone comes to the porch.  He doesn't do that when company comes. He barks, but only to say someone is here to play ball with me, as his tail about wags off.  Now I know why dogs' tails are so thin.  They wag all the time and fast!  But all Arlene has to say is "Nick come get a biscuit," and that is more important.  One lady asked us one day how we get Nick to mind so well, and Arlene replied, "He has graduated from five dog obedience classes," and 50 boxes of biscuits!

Nick has a girlfriend. Her name is Tasha.  She had her hip operated on and he sent her a get-well card.  We signed his name for him cause we didn't think he should put his muddy paw on the card.  She is a Great Dane.  She likes Nick, too.  They want to play together, but her mom says not to talk to strangers. Nick's bark is different when she walks by. She wants to walk on this side of the road, but her mother says, "No walking down the road, on the way back we will change sides of the road and walk on Nick's side."  

 Sweetie, the little dog, has her job to do, too. When Nick is in the yard, she takes care of the house. It's her turn to stand in the window and bark, as backup.  People laugh at her, and say she could be an ankle biter!  She isn't as brave as Nick when company comes into the house. She stays back and sometimes even barks until she decides its okay for them to be there. Of course she doesn't get dirty because she is a lady!  And also because she is not an outside dog! (Good reason.)

We have a lot of birds.  I thought the other day I heard Mother Robin. I called to her; she didn't answer, but it definitely was a robin.  I know we have winter robins.  We had a Pileated Woodpecker knocking on a tree out back.  He didn't stay long but they are beautiful birds to watch.  Their song is not much, "Knock, Knock, Knock!"

I bought Arlene a lighthouse birdfeeder, and the birds seem to love it.  One more feeder seems to make them happier.

I really don't dare say too much about the weather. I am afraid we will get buried in snow if I do, so I won't.

Arlene's daughter, Diana, lives close by, and she is following in her mother's footsteps, raising laying chickens and meat birds.  We recently helped her process her meat birds for the freezer.  Now she is talking about raising turkeys.  I can hardly wait.  The store-bought are some different than home grown.

Arlene received some seed catalogs in the mail.  They always come the first of January.  It brings a smile to her face and she says to me, "See winter is almost over, I better plan my garden".

So folks, start planning!!  Spring will be here before you know it, after we get through ANOTHER mud season in March!