February 6, 2007--Do you mean to tell me that it's STILL winter?? Well, let me tell you, as much as our German Shepherd Dogs love the cold, they can't wait to pee and come back in! Unfortunately, when it snowed here in SC last Thursday, at 0552 in the morning I didn't head out the door with the camera. Mia lept for joy in her angst of catching the silver dollar-sized snow flakes, while Bella ran out the door and suddenly straddled in a frozen position half way out into the yard as if to say, "WHAT in the heck have I gotten my feet into?" She didn't know quite what to do; but honestly, although the two of them were bouncing from one end of the room to the other like children on a snowy, Christmas day--and just as bothersome about me drying the wet & snow from their feet & bellies--neither of them could scarcely wait to get back inside from the bitter cold. Later that day, still without the camera, my husband laughed as he threw snowballs out into the yard while "Bella the ball girl" ran after them trying to distinguish the broken balls from the snow-laden yard! Hopefully, we will be better prepared with camera & film with the next snow fall.
Actually, Mia & Bella are just getting over yeast infections in their ears; with ears laying to the side like (the Star Wars) Yoda and poor Mia's entire head tilted to a 40 degree angle, it was pitiful to watch; so no..there was little snow-playing outside for them!
The two of them have had to settle for a few quick, "here i'll throw the ball for 5 minutes until i'm too perky to move" as we run back into the house for warmth, and then have a little ball play in the house (yeah, yeah, i know...my MaMa taught me never to throw a ball in the house, but sometimes ya just gotta live a little...)! But, as you can see in these photos, they do make the best of it....and their ears are as big as ever, now that they're feeling better.
The saddest news I have to announce is that Mia & Bella have a sister who was recently lost; and most likely stolen. She and Bella are from the same litter. Jada's owner came home to find that their gate was opened and their dogs were missing. The two mutts returned the next day; two weeks later, Jada is still missing. What really breaks my heart is that she was best buddies with their 3 year-old son who still looks for her every night. And now that the cold weather is settling in with 40MPH winds, i hate to think of her out there in the cold and without the love and affection that she had grown to know. For those of you owning Shepherds, you will testify that they are very smart; they know where they live & she would have gone home had she had the opportunity. If she's at all like Bella, she loves to frolic, but she'd have come home! And a dog with a license & a collar just doesn't disappear unless someone intentionally prevents her from doing so by neglecting to call the number on their tag. If anyone would like to know more in order to help us, please let us know. We hope to find her soon! Until next time...love those German Shepherd Dogs! Pamela