Now I gotcha.

The brash impunity of youth. Every single time I let Bess and Ruff out in the backyard I warn her, Stay Off The Pool Cover. Yeah, sure. But the excitement and the temptation seem to overcome the fear of punishment. Ha! What punishment, all you do is remind me once again. The warrior queen is immune to fear. Ruff taught me that.

What appeared to be some fear in slipping on the snow covered slope of the pool cover yesterday apparently was only short-lived. I saw the hundreds of footprints in the snow this morning so I know Bessie was all over the pool cover last night in the dark. But what amazed me was when I caught her casually trotting down and across the cover this afternoon with not a care in the world.

The weatherman has predicted above freezing temperatures for Sunday thru Wednesday so the ice on the cover will probably melt. I will have to keep an eye on the little queen to make sure she doesn't try to go swimming.

I'm only guessing what Ruff had in mind when he raised this little girl. I jokingly referred to her as his Warrior Queen but in the absence of not being raised by a female, little Bess has turned into a Tomboy.

  

Seen through the kitchen window

Our first snow last week, all 1/2 inch of it came and went. And Mother Nature gave us a nice, brand new, replacement last night. This time we got a full 2-inches and the Rottweilers were in their glory once again. But the weather has turned very cold, hovering between 0-degrees F. and in the mid-20's and one thing out back has changed. The foot-deep puddle in the middle of the pool cover has frozen solid. Now Bessie loves to explore and do wild and crazy things, because she is young, has been using the pool cover as an exciting trampoline, running across it, bouncing with every step and leap. And occasionally running through the puddle or at least at the shallow edge of it. I know this because I saw her do it twice but also because she frequently comes in the house soaking wet from her belly down to her toes.

The frozen puddle is something new to her and it also had to be checked out.

For several days I have looked out the kitchen window and noticed skid marks in the thin snow cover on top of the frozen puddle. This told me that Bess has been sliding across it. Then a few days ago I actually spotted her attempt to walk across the ice. She didn't do it too well and I was determined to capture her comical, legs flailing efforts with the camera. So I brought the camera out and left it on the counter top near the kitchen window.

In between our two snow days I captured Bessie standing at the rear of the pool with the setting sun behind her. When I uploaded it to the computer this afternoon it looked so pretty. She was glowing in the sunlight.

And earlier today after the snow stopped, I got some nice shots of Bessie and her ever-present protector Ruff also out behind the pool. And the last picture I took was Bessie's attempt to walk on the pool cover. All she managed to do was step on it and when she began to slide in the snow she leaped back on to the sidewalk.

I'll keep the camera in the kitchen until I get to see her try to cross the ice. It will be worth the wait.

Postscript: the next day.
I couldn't see what was going on in the backyard last night but this morning it was quite evident from all the footprints that little Bessie has been having lots of fun running across the pool cover. And I got two photos this morning of her doing it but because of the thickness of the snow she doesn't seem to be sliding when she runs across the ice.

 

Cold days, warm nights

Winter has arrived in Northern Kentucky. I knew it had to eventually. You can get used to Spring-like temperatures in December like we had here this season. So yesterday we had our first snow, all of 1-inch, but still enough to get the Rottweilers excited. So it was decided they had to go for a walk down to the backyard. Well, two out three made the trip. The old guy stayed indoors, something about a need to take care of his Mom. Whatever, he looked very comfortable laying on his couch so I left him there.

An inch of snow is just as pretty to look at as a foot of snow. It would have looked prettier if the Sun was out but the sky was still overcast with clouds. The overcast was so bad that I had to boost the exposure on these photos to lighten them up before I posted them - which made them look a bit washed out. Besides that, this was Bessie's first chance to run wild, off leash and attack every snowflake she encountered. And Ruff was not too far behind her.

And back where we started.

Later that night after everyone had dinner, Bess and Ruff decided to entertain us. I am never sure what the objective is with some of their games so I often just let the photo(s) tell the story. I've seen the things they do in the leather chair and sometimes it looks like the game we used to call King of the Hill. But anyway, I talk too much.

And with this out of their system (whatever this was) it was time for some love and kisses. That's my favorite time because I was also in the middle of it and managed to avoid getting the camera slobbered.

What you see in this last picture may look like a three-way but what actually happened was a four-way. And yours truly got kissed by everyone.

We have made a new friend in Finland

There is one thing we can all agree on, every Rottweiler puppy is the cutest ball of fur you can imagine. And I just met one living in Finland that reminds me of the fur balls I have lived with here in Kentucky.

Meet Roki. http://rokitherottweiler.blogspot.fi/

This new blog is different from other Rottweiler sites I've visited. It has been written from a "first-person viewpoint" from the perspective of the Rottie pup himself. It is about his adventures seen through his eyes and very entertaining. And, I must admit, I am a bit jealous, whoever created this blog has managed to include video, something that I always wanted to do but couldn't figure out how to do it.

Go pay them a visit and have a good time.

 

Some very strange sleeping habits

I do know one thing for a fact about my big boy Ruffin, he does not stay out late partying. But in spite of appearing like he came home drunk he does have a strange habit of seemingly falling off his bed or any other bed he happens to sleep on. I know he does come into my bedroom and plop himself down on his fancy bed. I hear him at night, but he gets up and moves around a lot. Sometimes I find him wrapped around the toilet bowl sound asleep. I told the Vet about it and he said its because Ruff probably likes to sleep on a cold floor, even though no one else does. That makes sense in the summertime but not all year round. I also know he curls up and sleeps next to my bed on the hardwood floor because I have had to tip-toe over him in the middle of the night. One does not want to accidentally step on a sleeping Rottweiler.

But then there is this:

I posted the picture on the left a few days ago and then I spotted Ruff sleeping on Bessie's bed that I moved from my den into the family room. And once again I have to admit, of all the seven Rottweilers who I have lived with, Ruff is the only one who sleeps like this. Other than this, old man Axl will sleep for hours on the couch but won't go near a dog bed on the floor. And when Axl lays down it sounds like dropping a sack of potatoes on the floor.

Gotta love 'em.

Something to start the new year. Pray for Peace on Earth