Despite our best efforts last night mum and dad insisted on staying up way past their bedtimes and saw in something they call the new year.
In what has become an annual ritual dad gets his coat and shoes on and leaves the house just before midnight, clutching a small bag of salt, a cork with a coin in it and a candle.
This year things were a little different as the candle had been replaced by a very bright and shiny lamp filled with oil. Earlier in the day dad was seen feeding the lamp a stinky water through a hole in the base.
Dad brought this lamp into the house a few weeks ago. It had been bought for him as a gift by his mum and dad.
As midnight approached the bang pop things could be heard from the garden and we went out to see what all the commotion was about. A few well timed woofs soon sorted them out and silence was restored.
A short while later, with mum pacing around the house dad returned and knocking on the door mum lets him in. He had lit the lamp and it shone really brightly but did smell a bit stinky.
Mum does not see the point in any fuss with new year and always gets a bit frumpy with dad as he goes about his ritual. However, she had prepared the cake and a bottle of some fizzy pink stuff on a table. One final ritual and dad and mum hold the cake knife and make something dad calls a wish as they slice into the new cake. Again mum not really amused but she puts up with it with a grump and a smile.
At last we can go to bed.
Charlie is first to wake earlier this morning and he seems a bit excited. Dad lets him out into the garden and he starts woofing and running around.
Dad takes a look at what is causing all the commotion and finds that it has been snowing again overnight. Charlie is loving it running round and round the garden like something possessed.
Not even allowing mum and dad to have their breakfast we encourage them, in the unique way that we can, to take us out for a walk. We wanted to play.
Given it was cold we all got wrapped up for a walk around the local field.
The paths, just recently cleared of ice, now had a new layer of white dust on them.
Footprints from all sorts of animals could be seen. Birds and the moggy from next door were some we spotted.
Interestingly this puddle in the field had not frozen although it was surrounded snow and the temperature was below zero.
Maybe we have a hot spring or maybe some new kind of un-feezing water has just been discovered.
New sport
Dad thought that it would be great to invent a new sport, the cold must have got to him and Charlie was to be key to his ambitions.
Waiting until Charlie was almost out at full lead length dad assumed the crouch position and waited for the slack in the lead to be taken up.
Dog snow skiing was to be the title and charlie was the substitute for a powerboat. Sadly for dad, Charlie only pulled him 2cm before he stopped and sat down.
I don’t think this sport will make it to the Olympics.
Happy New Year
2010 has started with snow and the discovery of un-freezing water. What more could we want ?
Let us hope 2010 is not as wet as 2009 and we can get out into the big world for more adventures.
Until next time
Buster and Charlie.