Snowday

I woke up this morning and the world looked like this...

and this...

so naturally I ran outside with Janna, camera (and video camera) in hand(s) and played in the snow. Janna had great fun running around chasing the ball. She didn't seem to mind the snow at all, so she must have seen it before, and she looked so cute with it on her nose.

I remember Angel's first time with snow. At first she kept on lifting her paws and walking in this really high stepping way, wondering what this cold white stuff was, and then she raced around and around snapping at the snow and barking. I did something I have never done before in my life today - I made my first snowman! Here is a picture of him with his original head...

Janna got very excited about the snowman and thought his head was a ball and ran off with it. It was really funny seeing her carrying the snowball in her mouth. It started to melt, so she dropped it, licked her lips and then tried to pick it up again where it promptly fell to pieces. She found that very puzzling and tried to pick up the pieces for a few seconds before racing off. I threw some snow balls for her. The snow was lovely - really crisp and soft - so it clumped together to make perfect snowballs. They would fly through the air just like the real thing, and Janna would chase excitedly after them, only to run around in confused circles when they landed and disintegrated, leaving nothing for her to retrieve.

After she decapitated my snowman, I made him a new - meaner - head, so she wouldn't run off with it again. She didn't.

After playing on the grass for about 30 minutes, I walked down to the gate to take some photos of the stream and of the paving stones. Janna was running around with the ball in her mouth. I was standing, camera raised in my hands, busy snapping when the postman whizzed past me on his bike. I think Janna deserves the award for the best dog in the world, because she just stood beside me and watched him go by with about as much interest as if he had been a fly. I held her collar until he whizzed past again and out the gate, but she wasn't interested and just wanted to go back onto the grass to play with her ball. Even when Woozer and Rags started barking from inside, Janna paid no attention. I wanted to take a photo of her in the paving stones, so I called her over. She kept running up to me and then running back to the grass, so I asked her to pose for a photograph on the snow. Immediately she ran up to me and stood still, posing. I said to her I wanted her to pose on the snow, so she ran over to the snow, dropped the ball and stood posing for the photograph. Once I had taken the photo, she picked up the ball and ran back onto the grass.

I couldn't believe it. I must state here that 'pose for a photo' is not a command, so this wasn't a trick Janna had been taught and while I take photos of her, I haven't taken so many that she would know what this phrase meant (or at least I don't think I am that much of a parrot). I know Muffin used to pose for photos, and knew exactly how to do it, but she had been photographed so many times from an early age that she was like a model when it came to cameras. She only had to see one being produced and she would practically say 'How would you like me today?' I was so impressed with Janna, she hasn't had Muffin's upbringing, and yet she understood exactly what I wanted. She is such a good dog. I know every owner thinks her dog is perfect, but I think Janna very nearly is. It started to snow again after that, so we went inside. I would love to have taken Rags and Woozer out to see the snow (they both ran over and sniffed Janna and I with a great deal of interest) but they are not as easy to handle outside as Janna.

I'm back...

in Ireland, and it feels like I've never been away. My adventures in New Zealand are like a wonderful, beautiful dream. I can't believe that robins danced at my feet, dolphins swarmed around me and I tickled a tiger behind the ears. I also can't believe how cold it is in Blackrock. Is winter always like this? I haven't been warm since I got off the plane in Heathrow. Getting used to driving has been weird as well. I still think the indicators are on the right side of the wheel, and my car feels so heavy after Yari. Blackrock is like a metropolis after the South Island. People on the street sound like they are putting on heavy brogues. Still, it is good to be home again, to see my family and friends. Janna and the cats haven't forgotten me. I got a great welcome from Janna, Fudge practically mugged me and Blueberry has been equally affectionate. It has been good to get back to writing as well. I've missed my trusty laptop. It is a pity I didn't bring it to NZ with me, there was Internet access in all the motels we stayed in. I've been reading some of the stuff I started before I went away. It is good, but I can't remember where it was heading, will have to look up my notes. I can't believe Christmas is almost upon us. I am still confused why it isn't summer. What a year 2007 has been for me. 2008 will have to work hard to top it.

Mad Dog

I am so angry with Janna. I got up early this morning to write. She wanted to go out to the toilet, so I took her out and she got a drink as well, and then I took her back to my room. She usually curls up on her bed, but this morning she was really restless and was pacing up and down. She came over to me and jumped up on me. She knows she is not allowed to do that, and I told her to get down. She seemed to settle down, so I took my laptop on my knee and continued writing. Then Janna came over again, jumped up and raked her massive paws across the laptop key board. Two of the buttons went pop and flew off. I was so cross. I found the buttons, but I can't fit them back onto the keyboard and now my laptop looks like some junk yard reject, plus B is really hard to type. I am so annoyed with Janna. I don't know why she did that. I hope I can get my laptop fixed. Argh.

Happy Anniversary Janna!

One year with me today