Did I mention...

Did I mention we've had snow?

Red Sky in the Morning

... Shepherds' warning

Brrr

TJam has been doing some shopping today. We wondered if she was going to make it home when the weather turned like THIS:

(Did you spot the optimistic little kid crossing the road with his sledge?

It was just like a Hollywood film!)

When TJam got home, we went for a most excellent walk. Beanz was overjoyed. Snow is her absolute favourite. She did her special bouncy run to celebrate.

Remiss

TJam has been very remiss at allowing us computer access. It started last year with lots of this.

We took Huddersfield Town on a walk with us. Will he ever find his way again?

We did love the snow, but Chips got cracked paws after a while and actually abandoned a walk at the end of the drive and had to come home. I think she stepped on rock salt or something. She was hopping about like one of those lizards. But also crying. And if there's one thing Chips is not, it's a wimp.

We also made a new friend, puppy Millie. I just watched in wonder as she bounced around. Getting a photo might have to wait until she is a bit old and has slowed down a little!

At the last minute, weather permitted us to visit Brazil and Boy Wonder and all the family for Christmas.

TJam ate a pickled walnut. She said it tasted nice but she didn't offer us any.

We visited all the family and made everyone pose for a photo. Probably not the best idea to photograph Xaja when he'd just been told off. But then it's not Christmas until somebody's cried.

For Christmas, TJam's cousin, Potter, made TJam a plate. You can arrange your food around the face to make hair or a beard. Or cover the face and then reveal it as you eat. Of course, us dogs don't have time for stuff like that but humans can be funny

.

All over Christmas, Chips slept on TJam's rucksack, just in case TJam tried to go on holiday anywhere and not take us with her.

When we got back home, the canal was still frozen. This picture is actually cracks in the icy canal, with the canal bank at the bottom. Weird huh?

Over New Year, TJam had planned for us to do backups and other boring computer stuff, transfer photos over and blog to our hearts' content. However, a virus put paid to that. Nurse Carlsberg looked after TJam upstairs and made sure she rested.

She is fine now, but has taken a while to catch up with herself. In the meantime, I have been sleeping off my Christmas hangover. I would like to wish all our blogging friends and other friends and family a belated Happy New Year. We hope 2011 is good to you :)

Winter

I think that since the "Autumn" post, things have moved on. TJam has been busy and not letting us get on the computer. Meany.

It was a bit nippy as we set off for our walk.

Our field was frozen and foggy.

Up close, the frost was beautiful. And cold. Obviously.

Stay warm friends!

Difference a Week Makes

What a difference a week makes. Last Sunday we were out in the snow and visitig the cafe. Today, it was all clear (although I still had my coat on for the outward and homeward journeys). That reminds me, I haven't told you yet about TJam's Christmas present, the FURMINATOR.

Today it has been dry here and raining down South. We hope TJam's dad reads this. He is always gloating about the weather.

Deja Vu

We all had a surprise this morning. More snow!

The dogs got to see some beautiful scenery. Of course it was wasted on them.

Luckily, Chips was wearing her new coat, which TJam is very pleased with cos it doesn't fall off. I think Chips was pretty glad of it too.

Me? Well, this is what I think of snow.
It's for dogs.

From the Wardrobe

One minute I was in a wardrobe, the next....

... so since we were out in the field, so to speak...

... we decided to make an expedition of it, B1B2 led the way...

...although B2 did end up with a frozen beard.

That's a true explorer's beard.

Back to Work

This morning was more of the same, but no less beautiful...

Pin came to the rescue today. TJam's car doors were frozen shut so Pin gave TJam a lift to work. At least there was a space on the carpark today, although no one stuck to the designated spaces.

TJam reporting for duty.
"Ready for some INTENSE work boss!"

Snow Day

Yay!!

Chips is now up to her chest and can just about walk along. I say she needs a coat. Ha ha ha.

TJam was snowed in. We were glad.

Snowy Adventure

-by Carlsberg

Today, the humans (TJam, Nerospal and B1B2) and dogs went for a walk in the snow. TJam fell over twice in the first 5 minutes. The dogs were pretty sure footed...

but the humans made more of a meal of it...

B1B2 and her dog, B2, had a quick cup of tea at the cafe...

Then everyone set off to the pinetum. The dogs usually go pretty wild there. They must be communing with the spirit world. You can see Beanz heading off to frolic...

They went to their special tree...

...before heading off in the blizzard, singing Christmas songs.

When they got home, Beanz went for a lie down in the garden...

... and I pounced on everything that moved. You will notice that photos of Chips are severely lacking by this point. She was in her warm bed...

...and now my favourite photo, in which I am bigger than Beanz!

Mystery Tracks

There have been some mysterious tracks in our lovely new snow...

...was it a triangular footed bird? rabbit? deer?...

... and it turned out it was the tracks of my tongue as I licked up the snow!

Yum yum

Snow

By Chips

Well, it's been a roller-coaster of a week regarding snow. The weatherpeople getting our hopes up and us drooping our ears and dropping our tails in disappointment most days. While London got snowed in and ground to a half, it was work as usual round here. Boo hoo.

On Monday, we did get a little covering. Beanz thought the pond was frozen over. She soon found out that it wasn't. This is the exact moment she realised that she was up to her chin in icy water and reversed out at the speed of light. Doesn't she know? You should NEVER walk on a frozen (or not frozen) pond. If only the camera hadn't been slow you would have seen her at the actual point of realisation. Never mind. This is almost as good. If you enlarge you can see the hole she just came out of.


Tuesday was no snow.

Wednesday was no snow.

Thursday, when we looked out of the window, things had started to look up...

(yes, our world actually is neon blue)

That morning, Beanz had a little lay in the snow and I dug up a stick.

And on Friday, the flakes were so big, Beanz and I looked like dalmations in negative (except longer haired and floppier and not as good at following carriages).


It didn't stick, so there was no snowman. So, all in all, our snow experience has been minimal but still quite fun.

In other news, Bamgee has been in hospital and out again. She is poorly enough to need medicine but not too poorly to play with us. We are especially not allowed to jump up as she has got a drip in her arm but she can sort it out at home now. She is practically a trained nurse! We are very proud of her. Plus we are glad she is there to remind TJam to give us an extra chew.

Gung Hay Fat Choy!

- by Beanz

Gung Hay Fat Choy everyone. That is happy new year if you are Chinese. Today the humans abandoned me and Chips and went to the Chinese New Year celebrations in a nearby city.

There were loads of stalls and you could buy special drums to make loads of noise to keep bad spirits away. If they's have taken me with them, I could have made loads of noise to keep bad spirits away. But no, we were not invited on account of the fire crackers. And the fact that TJam wanted to have a relaxing time, and not two hyped up hounds learning about cultural issues, especially cultural things that fall on the floor, like noodles, rice and pad thai curry (or something, so we are told). Here are Bready and Bamgee buying some stuff.
Then they went to the parade. There was a dragon. I could have protected everyone from the dragon. Lucky for the dragon I wasn't there.

The humans were a little surprised that there were no Chinese people driving the dragon. Plus the cox was saying, "move it, move it" to the dragon drivers. The humans' Chinese friend said they say the same thing in Chinese, just that it sounds more romantic and festive when it it not done with a northern accent.

The humans were also stopped in the street and told they could "make a wish" on the Buddha. Now, I'm just a dog, not a theologist, but I thought prayer and meditation were associated with Buddhism. I didn't realise that all this time we could have just been making a couple of wishes. Let's see if Buddha comes good with all those bones I'm going to ask for...

anyway, next the humans went to the art gallery. Actually they just needed to use the facilities, but it turned out there were loads of interactive Chinese things there. And then Bamgee said, "Aren't those Silky's bags?" (Silky is her spy name) and it turned out that TJam's friend Silky has some bags for sale in the gallery! How cool is that?! Don't they look good.

Finally, the humans saw fit to come home and take me and Chips for a walk. There was a sugar dusting of snow while we were out and when we got in the car, look how cold it was:

Snow is forcast for tomorrow so we hope TJam can't get to work and has to stay home with us and sit in front of the fire, stroking us. We can always make a wish.