Within 2 weeks it’s my birthday! I will be three years old! Exactly 4 months later – that’s every year like that, he says – it’s my grandpa Lennox’s birthday! He will be 15 years old then! Yes, you read it very good! 15 years old!

He says he’s old now… there’s a lot he can not do anymore… he does not go up or down the stairs, he does not climb trees (never did that – haha!), he does not jump in and out the car anymore, he does not jump on and off the couch, he does not surf on the counter (never did, he says!), he does not play roughly anymore, he does not run fast anymore (and he was a great runner!!)… he sleeps a lot…

BUT he makes four walks everyday, his tail always wagging (and breaking glasses sometimes at home)! And I learned a lot of him! I learned to read the daily newspaper and be informed about the actuality in the dogpark and the neighbourhood. I learned how to smell and know danger. He thought me where to find moles! I learned how to pee like a guy – still do it sometimes altough it is not lady-like. He thought me how to ask for a treat, and that’s his best “art”. He thought me  to respect mum and dad and to listen to them… (what I do, at least most of the time). I learned not to touch his food, he is a labrador, you know! I learned to guard the house and bark when someone’s at the door (he does not do that anymore). I learned that I can play with him untill he’s tired and then I have to stop teasing him…

He learned me to be happy with and thankful  for all the good things that come my way… just like he is, still is, despite his age, despite his hyp displasia, despite his osteoarthritis and despite his kidneyproblems… He says he is thankfull he has no pain. Although he sees and hears less then before, he is still curious and interested in everything.

I asked mum to make a film of his morning walk, so you can see my grandpa Lennox!! Of course I am in it too, could not be without me of course! 😉 🙂

This was really an exciting evening! Why? Me and mum, we went to a fire and to fireworks! Dad and grandpa Lennox did not come with us, because… now you will laugh as I did… well because my big grandpa Lennox, a real macho in his younger years (that’s what he always says), well my grandpa is afraid of fireworks! Can you believe that? 😉

Mum says I don’t have to laugh, that I have enough overseas and Belgian doggiefriends who are afraid of fireworks! She says: I told you about Gus, didn’t I? You did send him lots of goods on FaceBook, lady! Ohoh, I forgot… 😦

Anyway we saw the fireworks, lots of colours in the dark sky. They appeared and then disappeared again. Why do they disappear if it’s that nice? Sometimes the world has those silly things… And of course there was the noise… Lots of doggies were barking… This lady did not! Many, many people came to see it.
After the fireworks, there was that real fire! Mum, look at that! Hundreds of christmas trees on a pile, they are burning! Call the firefighters! What do you say? They are already here? And they start the big fire?? See what I mean: silly world we live in!
Can tell you that this fire was big and warm!!! Mum explained this is a very old Pagan tradition to say hello to the New Year. Looked it up, it’s quit a story! Ans in these days it’s not good for the environment, it’s not ecological… Maybe that’s true but I like this Pagan way of doing… 😉 Maybe because I’m an airedale lady? 😉

Mum made pics… very difficult in the dark… :-(, but I wanted to prove my scared macho grandpa it is safe, all this fire-things, Pagan or not! 😉

In Dutch:

http://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kerstboomverbranding

In English:

http://historymedren.about.com/od/dailylifesociety/a/xmas_traditions.htm

So we are back to normal life and I go to the dogpark every day. But sometimes there are no doggiefriends to play with because we go early! Mum has to go to work, you see!

Then I look for other activities, of course. I’m not of the inactive type of dog, as you already might know… So, I thought I could concentrate on refining my climbing skills. Every aire-lady can always be better in things, can’t she?

Near my tree in the dogpark there is another tree. Branches are more narrow then those of my tree. But I’m good in climbing, so I can go up there! 

Yes, I can! 🙂

But I have a worried mum, she worries too much. When I’m too far away, she whistles…When I climb too high… well, I have to come down! To narrow, she says, you cannot turn back on that tree. (She knows I’m not the jumping type… 😦 ). For once, I listened and tried to turn before to go higher.
I don’t like to admit, just like that, but… she was right: difficult to turn on that branch… so I walked back to my old tree. Grandpa Lennox said: you see, sometimes it’s better to listen! Ggggrrrrrr, he too?!!!!

Mum thought she was filming! Hahahahahaha… Oh no, she only has pics! Hahahahahaha!

Last part of the holiday-stories!

By daylight, I was not UFO-ing of course! But I was running a lot! I like the beach and that big space and the water and the sand and the running! One morning, mum was filming to show the friends I run very far away! She says that I’m a mini-Kita for her when I’m that far away!

But I think sometimes mum is a little bit worried that I forget her when I’m too far away! And then she uses the whistle-language! That’s something I know very, very well – although I say it myself! – When I her the whistle: short, short, long… then I should hurry to mum, as fast as I can. Playing with other dogs? Stop it! Sniffing something interesting? Stop it! Eating something? Stop it! And: RUN! And that’s what I do then! I’m a lady!!! And… I always get a very good treat!!!

Little detail: mum should use that short, short, long-whistle more often! 😉 That would mean: more treats! 😉

Mum’s holidays are over! She goes back to work tomorrow! That’s allright, I need some rest and… then I can use the tv-typing-machine to tell the holiday stories! 🙂

We did really fun things. We were at the seaside and these days it’s getting dark real early! But when the sea is very far away…

At low tide, Kita, at low tide!

So when the sea is not near the dike and the houses, the beach is not big, the beach is enormously big! I like to run there and I love running far away from mum till I feel the sea at my paws, then I run back to mum and again and again while mum comes to the water too! She says she loves it when I’m enjoying myself, running like that. So I please her and … I run! 🙂

But these days it’s dark early! And mum wants to see where I am, always, when I’m off the leash… Me, I don’t think that is necessary, but mum… she is stubborn! So, remember mum bought me a light-collar? A red one? An overseas friend said that I’m a real UFO then! So I went UFO-ing on the beach! Even when it was dark, I could run to the far-away-sea! I was so happy about that! I ran, and ran and ran!!! 😉

Mum filmed a bit, but in the dark that is very difficult, she says…

Me, Kita, and my mum, yes, and my grandpa Lennox and my dad, we want to wish you a very happy and healthy 2014. I was looking on my mum’s tv-typing-machine and found two very inspiring pictures!

Me and mum we think you find the most important things in life in these 2 pics… That’s what we wish you for 2014 and of course a good health too!

I asked mum to add some good memories of little – big – things to take with us from 2013 into 2014!

Happy New Year, you all, out there, around the world from me, Kita, here in Belgium, Europe.

Mum did agree with me! For this year, she says, I’m right! I call the 25th of december: Light-mas… because of all the lights everywhere… Mums laughs and she says, well, she says…That it’s called…  hmmm…

Christmas, Kita, Christmas!

We spent a few days at the seaside! On Light-mas morning we went to the beach! The day after the storm! Well, at the beach it really was Light-mas and not… euh… euh, you know!! Light was very bright and beautiful!

And then? What did I see? Another Kita! She was following me all the time, when I was running and playing and jumping. She did exactly the same thing as me!
But I gave my mum a big hug and she didn’t!! 😉 She shouldn’t, mum is my mum!

And then we saw the bird. Mum made some pics for Ike and Sam in Wyoming. Romantic pics! Bird was lonely! Another seagull came and talked to the first one. They flew away together! See, how kind?!

In the afternoon we went to the beach again! But the other Kita disappeared, we could not find her anymore… 😦

Mum made many pictures and you can see on every picture 2 Kita’s! But not in the hug-pic!!  

Finally! Finally, I can use the tv-typing-machine to tell my stories! Mum has two weeks of holidays! Holidays should mean: no work! You don’t know my mum yet if you think holidays are holidays here… 😉

Anyway she has more time to go out and to play with me! 😉 And she is knitting a lot so I can use the tv-typing-machine! Lots of things to tell!

You know Gitte? She’s my friend! She was the first doggie I met when I came to live with my mum. She’s only 6 weeks older than I am!
And yes, last thursday was her birthday! Mum and me we often go early to the dogpark when mum hast to go to work afterwards and then Gitte is not always there, that early!
But on thursday morning she was there before me! I tell you! What a surprise!
We practice our judo exercises and Gitte won’t rest before she wins with an ippon! Then we play some bitey-face that scares a lot of other mums and dads when they see us do that for the first time. Our mums are used to it by now.

And then? Well, Gitte’s mum made little parcels with treats for every friend in the dogpark to celibrate Gitte’s birthday! Gitte’s thirth birthday! Gitte and I had a very close look when her mum looked for my present in the big bag! Curious me was too curious! Got on the bench, got my paws on the table… Mum was not pleased, that’s the least you can say… 😦

But I was! 😉