We Want More Snow!

Jasper here to tell you we wish it would SNOW so we can go snowshoeing again! We had tons of snow and it was PERFECT until a couple of weeks ago it rained and made a crust and when we tried to walk on the snow we fell through and Mommy said something about not paying for doggy knee and hip surgery...so she would not take us out snowshoeing!
PLUS the driveway was so icy that every morning Mommy and Daddy loaded up me, Riv, Mabel and Moe and drove us to the end of the driveway to start our walk! That was kind of fun 'cause we got a car ride AND a walk! THEN it was WARM for a couple of days and I got thinking about the pond and my mudholes...but today it got freezing cold and super windy so I guess I will have to wait. Maybe March will be swimming weather. Here is a picture of me and River outside today. See, it's not fun snow except for ROLLING in and I do like to roll in the snow. So does River! We only stay out for 5 or 7 minutes then come back inside to wrestle and play tug and "ball in the hall", and Mommy says we have cabin fever but I don't think I have a fever! I just want it to snow!

Hi Everyone! River here. If you have been reading our blog you know that I love my crate, and that Tundra the cat loves my crate, too. Now you will NEVER guess who ELSE loves my crate! JASPER!

I would not have believed it myself except Mommy just got this photographic evidence. A few weeks ago I was on my favorite chair and she could not find Jasper - he was not on any furniture or curled up in any of his usual spots on the floor, and then she finally found him curled up in the back of MY crate. Then it happened again, and then AGAIN, and Mommy wants to know why Jasper, who makes a BIG LOUD STINK about going in his own crate suddenly starts voluntarily hanging out in my crate! And I want to know why I can't just have my OWN crate to MYSELF! He's goofy!

New Cousin!

Hi! Jasper Here! Guess what? We have a new cousin! Her name is Trixie and she was adopted from a shelter in Virginia by Aunt Kristin. Do you know I've never been to Virginia? Oh, back to Trixie. I don't know quite what to make of her - she keeps bugging me and River and I thought that being pesky was MY job around here! Mommy explained that even though Trix is bigger than me, she is still a puppy. We aren't quite sure WHAT kind of dog she is but we don't know for sure what I am either! Who cares? All I know is she loves the snow as much as I do and that is a LOT. We all went snowshoeing a bunch of times and it was fun, and once Trixie even got a carcass and oh boy, was she ever happy. Aunt Kristin tried to get it away from her and she had to pull it out of Trixie's mouth and then Kristin's gloves smelled REALLY REALLY good! I think we are all going to have lots of fun together.

A Christmas Story, by River and Jasper

Twas the night before Christmas,
and here in the house
Cam and Scott opened presents
As they sat on the couch










Me and Jasper then jumped
On the couch next to Dad
Hoping Santa would realize
We aren't THAT bad!











We might wrestle every hour
But as you can tell
We do love each other and
For Christmas, all is well!

Wishing everyone peace and happiness in the New Year!

Where is my hair????

Hi! River Here!
Aunt Susan and cousin Ripley came to stay with us for a week! Aunt Susan LOVES me and Jasper because we sit still when she grooms us. Cousin Ripley hates groomings. Well, I adore the attention, and Aunt Susan was having SO much fun that by the time Mommy and Daddy got home they did not recognize me! Mommy says I look more like a very dark yellow lab! Hey...she's right...where is my hair?????

Last jump of the year?

Hi Everyone! Jasper Here! Thanksgiving was fun yesterday except when everyone tried to make me learn to shake paws, which I just do not do. Hey, I can "sit" on command about 50% of the time...what more do they want from me? Speaking of shake, guess what I did today? You guessed it...I went for a swim! The pond has LOTS of extra water in it right now which I think is just perfect (more to jump in!) but Mommy and Daddy got a little worried because they could not even SEE the overflow grate, which usually sticks out about a foot, so they went down to the pond with a really really long stick to try to clean it out.

Well, water is just FUN and I wanted to do MY part so of course I jumped in! The last thing I heard before I hit the water was Mommy yelling, "Jasper NO it's too COLD." What does she know - she hasn't been in the pond in 4 months!!!! Anyways, did I mention that it was 26 degrees outside and really windy? So I got out and jumped in 2 or 4 more times but then when I got out and River chased me around the yard, my fur froze! Normally I get out, shake, River chases me around, I shake a few more times, chase again and by then my fur is almost dry from the shaking and chasing. But this time when I shook NOTHING HAPPENED! I was frozen! I had to go hang out in the mud room til I melted. But it was still fun. Here is a picture of some of my frozen fur!

Halloween Weekend Tricks and Treats!

Happy Halloween! River here to tell you about Halloween day around here! First, do you realize we have been writing this blog for a whole year? Anyways, even though today is Halloween, Trick or Treating was last night and we had lots of kids to bark at - about 12 kids total which is kind of a record out here. Mommy put popcorn and candy bars and rubber mice in the treat bowl and the kids took lots of stuff.


Lucky for Tundra (the cat) there were toy mice left over! She discovered them today and even though I would have gone right for the Snickers, I guess Tundra likes mice better. She tossed a couple of mice out of the bowl and onto the floor to play with but she didn't get a chance because Jasper was waiting right there...and Mommy didn't realize this until she saw him chewing and he would NOT give it up and she had to dig a mouse out of his mouth, but not before he ate the tail! Mommy says she is pretty sure those two are in cahoots, whatever that means!


So then Mommy decided it was time for us all to go outside to play. She came outside, and Mabel and Moe too, and we had fun chasing each other and chasing the orange toy and running down to the pond. THEN, even though it was in the 30's and the pond water is really REALLY cold, you can guess what happened next...of course! Jasper jumped in...and Mommy hadn't even thrown a stick or toy or anything! He just HAD to jump in. Here is a picture of Jasper swimming back. Doesn't that water LOOK cold? BRRRR. I got in too, but only to my knees! So, it was a pretty good Halloween. Maybe you need to adopt a dog so YOU can have more fun on Halloween, too!!!!!!