hi everybody! it’s me: bella! remember when i used to blog alot when i was a puppy? my new year’s resolution is to take over mom’s blog more like i used to. i used to do really bad things but now that i am grown-up i am a really good girl. well … most of the time. mom says i am still her problem child. just look how i came to the door the other day and wanted to come inside. would you let me in? i even added a new freckle to my nose.

mom had to get some hot water in a watering can and pour it over my legs. sheesh. i didn’t like that very much. it was more fun getting in the mud in the first place.

yesterday we went for a long walk. we all got in the truck and drove for a little bit. when we got out i knew exactly where we were. hurrah! jungle habitat! at first i ran and ran. on the trail; off the trail. run, run, run. i stay close to mom and dad though and hailey and alex are more laid-back than i am. here i am with hailey (who is moving in this pic) and big brother alex in front.

i jumped in the water a bunch of times. i like jungle habitat because there is always water. i get wet. i get dirty. and of course, i get things caught in my skirts. mom and dad are forever pulling branches out of my fur. but on this walk i really topped it all. i earned a new name on this walk: bramble butt. take a look.

ouch! there are lots of wild rose bushes at one point in the walk and i think i found them all. i didn’t want to move with those things in my butt, so mom and dad had to pull them out one by one. i don’t know if i learned anything by this prickly situation. probably not.

at the end of the walk there is a really nice water place where we always like to get a drink. of course i have to do more than just get a drink. dad took this really cool picture of me and alex in the stream.

and here i am dashing through the woods … wet. can you see the water flying off me?

i had lots of fun. i slept most of the day after we got back. i can’t wait to go back there again! mom took some other pictures there too but they are just old nature photos. i’m sure she’ll bore you with them soon.

Bella, hope you got the sticks out of your butt—uh, “skirts.” How embarassing!!! It still looks like a good time for you guys. Running is fun!!! We like to do slaloms around the yard. Many thanks and bones for the Christmas presents.
Love, Lucy and Sookie (your first cousins).

Hey cousins! Well, if you want to know the truth I wasn’t too embarrassed about the whole stick thing. It’s kind of what I do. I can’t imagine you ever have that problem since you don’t really have any hair to contend with. Glad you liked your presents. Love, Bella.

When I had dogs and cats I could always read what they were thinking and new exactly by their actions what they wanted - its so good to hear that someone else is as switched on to their pets as I was.  Your doggies are amazing.

Joyce, I treat and talk to my dogs and cats like children. They seem to understand and if you listen they will tell you that they understand. Bella is the easier to interpret! Her eyes tell all!