That loud noise keeps banging away outside. And then the rains come. I really don’t like that noise. Pop says it is only “thunder”. It may only be “thunder” to him but it hurts my ears and scares me. Now I am one big dog and I don’t scare easily, but when that thunder rumbles, I have to run. But I have not found any place to hide noise yet.

Any ideas? How can I escape the thunder?

Me 'n' my bird

Pops says I am in training to be a retriever. He says that now that I have shown that I like the water and like to fetch, he is going to train me to fetch birds, too. He even got me a bird of my very own to practice with. Here’s a picture of me retrieving.

I don’t exactly know what a retriever is supposed to do. I guess it has something to do with running after what Pops throws. Of course the only stuff we’ve done has been inside the house. I wonder if he will take me outside to play retriever sometime. (Ha! Then I can run and run and run and make him try to catch me. That will be fun!!!)

Lizzie

Bailey can be fun to be with. He likes to play and run. But he sure can be a pain in the neck, too. He has taken over my favorite toy — Mom calls it my snake but it really is a brightly colored rope, sort of — and horns in any time I get Pop or Mom’s attention to play with me. And he loves to chew on things. Our folks are always yelling at Bailey to stop chewing the furniture or gnawing on table legs. When will that kid learn.

He is horning in on my walks now, too. I can’t have a long, peaceful walk enjoying all those marvelous smells ’cause he is right there beside me, sometimes nipping at my heels (yep — he’s a pain in places other than the neck, for sure).

Every once in a while Pop says we are going to “send him back” (back where I don’t know). Once in a while I think that might be a good idea. But when all is said and done he is good company. And I know that someday he will be a good boy, as good was my brother Max was before he went away. (I miss Max a lot, you know; he was my best buddy.)

In fact, I love to sneak into his closet. There are lots of shoes there, and they all seem to taste different. When he isn’t watching I nestle myself in among those shoes and have a great time. It is quite a feast.

I especially like the shoes he wears when he takes Lizzie and outside in the grass.

Me and Pop's Shoe