Dearest friends,

It may not come as a huge surprise to you that I have once again been working hard on earning demerits, but sometimes it’s just not my fault. I found some more delicious trash to roll in and it was by far the best because the stink has lasted for several days now. Oh yeah, I smell good! I’ve heard some sort of mention that there will be a bath for me this weekend. Oh the horror. What dog wants to smell all fresh and clean? Bleh. But I do hear that some of my favorite people who I haven’t seen in MONTHS will be here next weekend, so that should make up for a bit of my forlornness.

Have I told you about my personal pond? It’s not mine per say, because we didn’t build it and we don’t own it…but it’s just the right size and depth for me and not far from us at all. Usually when we’re out walking I just go in the stream along the way and take a little foot bath. Making my feet moist also allows me to pick up massive amounts of dirt so I can bring it home with me and decorate the kitchen floor. I’m getting pretty good at sand painting.

But sometimes we will take a slightly different route on our way home and I get to go in the pond. It’s just barely deep enough for me to swim in (which is good because I get a little bit scared out in the open water) and the sloping sides give me some extra exercise as I haul my soaking wet body up to dry land.

Don’t worry, mom always makes sure that I’m not overdoing it. When I start looking tired and as if I won’t make it up there too many more times, we walk on home. Apparently she doesn’t want to have to come in after me…or carry me home herself! How rude! 😉

The pond is actually a runoff collection tank which belongs to one of the local farmers. It gathers water from the metal roof of his storage building and then he either uses it for irrigation or just lets it overflow via a pipe into the stream I was talking about before.

As you can see, there’s a bunch of his equipment laying around…but he’s thankfully never seen me in there. I’m not sure he would be too pleased. But honestly, if he didn’t want me in there, he should have put up a fence! A Newf has got to swim!

Mom doesn’t like me swimming in there in the winter. I don’t know why. I think breaking up ice blocks with my body is fun. And then being covered in icicles a few minutes after you come out. What could be better? I swear, she’s always just trying to ruin my fun!

Until next time,

Ayla