Rottweilers struggling to deal with a record-setting Winter.

This Winter has introduced everyone to a new phrase in our conversation. They don't understand what a "bippy" is when Daddy tells everyone we have Bippy-Freezing weather outside, but it means just that. It means you gotta learn to go outside and do your business and then come in. No playing games, literally, when the standing temperature is in the minus numbers and the wind chill will cause frostbite in less than a half-hour. And while I'm all bundled up in warm clothing, you Rottweilers are walking around barefoot. So struggle they must even if they don't understand. This Winter has gone down in the records books. Last week we had -17 F. along with three snowstorms in 5 days that gave us 15 inches. This morning it went down to -6 F. The snow was nice until the temperature got very cold and the Rottweilers didn't like being brought inside in that nice cold invigorating air. Then the surface of the snow froze and walking on it was like punching holes in ice. That is what Mr. Axl was having problems with.

Bessie has been paying a lot of attention to old man Axl, to the point she seems worried about him. I told her this morning she was acting like his nursemaid. I think she has noticed he has trouble outside walking in the deep snow, his hind legs get stuck and he falls down and I also think his eyesight is not as good as it once was. I saw Bessie holding his collar in her mouth as they were walking through the family room last night. At first I thought she was trying to play with him like she does with Ruffin but she didn't have the same look on her face, she seemed to be leading him. For an almost 8-month old girl she looked somewhat serious. Then she seems more willing to stay close to her Mom than she did before.

And she also keeps an eye on Ruffin especially when he goes outside by the pool. She always lets me know when he has come back and wants to come in.

Ruff is the only one who gets to go outside in back by himself because Axl can't climb the stairs on the deck and Bessie doesn't know where to walk around the pool. The one time I took her out there she ran across the pool cover and thought it was a big game. And damn near gave me a heart attack trying to get her off of it. Ruff knows where the sidewalk ends and the pool rim is and you can see the well-worn set of footprints. Bessie is a free thinker and has no sense of caution.