PAMPERED POOCH
Yes, I am a pampered pooch. That is as it should be. After all I am a Dalmatian. I have been described in many books as an ornament of the gentry and we all know ornaments must be cherished and well cared for. I certainly am.
I was also fortunate enough to be preceded by Prince Duncan who, after many months of hard work, had trained his humans to almost perfection. I only had to do a bit of fine tuning of my own. I pretty much run the place now and set my own schedule.
One touchy area is my bedding. I have this uncontrollable desire to chew on it and when I finally get it ripped open - well, then all the stuffing has to be removed. It's a challenge I cannot forgo. This behavior did not go over big with the humans. It seems dog bed cost something they call money. After I had eaten or otherwise destroyed three of these lovely comfy beds the threat was made that I would be sleeping on the bare floor - heaven forbid. For a week or so I was napping on the old new England plank floor.
Then my humans discovered an ad in the Orvis catalog for a indestructible dog bed. Supposedly I nor any other canine could chew through it. And if per chance I did, the bed would replaced with no questions asked. So, I was given another trial. Now let me get this straight. I could chew this sucker up with little effort, but I have opted not to do so. It's stylish. It's comfortable. It is even embroidered with my name. Besides I am not really fond of sleeping on the bare floor. I do love my Daddies and I think I am going to give in on this one. I know I can do it, but, oh, the urge to chew is still there and I must fight it constantly especially when nobody is watching. Wish me luck. It's coming into Winter now and I really would rather not be sleeping on the cold floor.

DOGGIE DREAMIN'
It's late Fall rapidly approaching early Winter; these shorter days are just perfect for long afternoon naps. And what does this Dalmatian dream about? He dreams about snow, a good hard blow that leaves the earth covered with the heavenly white powder. It has snowed twice so far this year and both incidences were totally unacceptable. Halloween was a wet miserable snow that only looked pretty in the sky. As soon as it hit the ground it became slosh and mud and then quickly disappeared. November 26th there was a somewhat decent display of those frozen white flakes and I enjoyed looking up at the sky and catching a few on my tongue and in my beautiful white eyelashes. But, again, the ground was too warm and we were mired in instant mud. What a pleasure to awaken the morning of November 27th. It was really snowing and blowing. I couldn't wait to get outside. I herded daddy Thom through the house and out the door where I promptly slid across the ice on the deck. Oh, what fun. We went to the tennis courts and I got to romp and frolic for a good long time. It was great. I was happy. Sadly, by mid-afternoon my beautiful white world had all but vanished.
So - the dreaming continues in earnest. I want the real stuff. I want it deep enough to burrow into the drifts headfirst. I want it powdery enough that I can kick up a sparkly white spray as I charge about the yard. It will happen. It is coming. I know this for sure. After all I live in Downeast Maine by the sea where snow and ice in the winter are givens. Since it is a bit late in arriving this year I shall just have to remember last year and keep on dreaming just a little while longer. Any day now I will awaken from the dream to the reality.