OK . . . I BARKED four times this morning. Yeah I bark at balloons. Not the silly dog balloons that some clown makes. I’m talking the big kind that carries two people and lands in the field across the street. I think my family is starting to see some of my quirks. At least they keep their sense of humor (ok they’re not too crazy about the scratches on the woodwork). Back to the balloon thing. Dad let me out this morning around 7:00; for the second time since I convinced Mom that I should go at 5:00 (bet Sis can’t get that out of her). Anyways this huge hot air balloon was landing across the street. I was trying to run and get over there but Dad yelled at me. I kept trying to decide – run, go back to Dad, run, go back to Dad. Dad won out. He feeds me. Dad goes and wakes Stacy and so Stacy and I go look out the front door. I was crying, whinnying, BARKING and begging to go out and see that balloon. Sis wanted Dad to go over and bike to see balloon with her. Dad said he had to make a pot of coffee for Mom. Dad kept trying to decide – go see the balloon, go make coffee for Mom, go see the balloon, go make coffee for Mom. Mom won out. Not sure why, she doesn’t feed him. Dad said something about a coffee-less Mom is a crabby Mom. She’s never crabby to me. Sis and Dad need to learn to look cute and use the sad eyes.

I’m afraid of storms. You know I was trapped for a week during a hurricane by myself. Now when it storms I kinda of freak out. Sis has decided it is her job to calm me down. She does a good job. I just wish her services were available 24/7. She sleeps a lot! Anyways the other day someone was shooting off fireworks. I got a little excited so Sis came over to calm me down. She had it wrong, I was happy excited. I WANT TO GO HUNTING. Fireworks sound like guns. I WANT TO GO GET A DUCK. Maybe I can convince my Uncle Ken and Cousin Jake to take me hunting.

Other news on the home front. The whole family is getting passports. I guess Dad is going to Germany for a work conference and Mom and Sis are going to meet him at the end of the conference and spend some time there. Nobody has asked for a photo for the passport for me – I am guessing they are going to use many of the 1000’s of pictures I have posed for (they love me so much! – I’ll bet they didn’t take that many pictures of Sis). Anyways I know they are going to take me – I do have some German shepherd in me. Should I be worried that Dad, Mom and Sis have their plane tickets and they didn’t get one for me? Dogs get to fly for free if they’re cute? Right?