Early on a rainy morning

It's 05:50 AM. I can tell by the bright blue numbers on the clock that Bracha and I bought together in Tel Aviv. I get up and saunter over to Bracha, thumping my tail loudly against the dresser.
Bracha takes a tlook at the clock and turns away. "Suki, mita! Lishon!"
I get the message. Bracha does not want to get up. First call, failure. I plod back to my bed, turn around three times like any dog wirth its weight in Pro Plan chicken and rice, and flop down again with a sigh.
But things are, er, rather pressing. It's not long before I wake up and try again. Get up, tail wagging, prodding cold nose. No go. It's 06:15.
"Suki, lo! LIshon! I'm not getting up at 06:15 on Shabbat!" Second call, no go. No va.
Back to bed, three turns around, sign, back for a snooze.
I try again. It's 06:45. This time I even get Nuala into it with me. Both of us stand by the bed, tails wagging. Front paws on the bed, cold noses, and I start licking Bracha's face. "Get up!"
That does it. I get petted, Nuala gets petted, and when things get too crazy Bracha shoves us both back down off the bed. We did it!
Lately it's been so wet and rainy that we can't even go out into the orchard because it's too muddy, so we go busy on the road. There are black clouds on the horizon, my fur is already damp, and the ground is cold and muddy. I'll bet the river is running and full of water, but I think even I would not enjoy swimming too much. It's winter.
But on the bright side, I'm doing much better. I think the other day Bracha was finally convinced that I can take those little pills she keeps putting in my food and still work and do my job. When we got off the bus to go to the train station I zipped down the street, turned in at the right place, and when Bracha said "Rakevet!" I went to the opening of the long tunnel. Bracha gave me a treat, and then we continued down the tunnel, passed the stairs to the first platform, then the stairs to the second, and when I got to the right platform I turned and went to the top of the stairs and stopped. I'm not sure how I know which is the right stairway. I can't read the numbers. I just know. Then I found the water fountain and Bracha gave me another treat and a drink out of my new bowl, and we got on the train. And I curled up to go to sleep. It's all in a day's work.

Oh, by the way, this is my new water bowl. It has the same little dog picture on it that is on the bag to my red shoes. It collapses into a little bundle and goes right into Bracha's bag, and this one won't leak! (Ruff Wear water bowl)

Those inconsiderate whizzing cars!

Today I am parading around in my soft, shampoo-clean whiteness. I am fully determined to find myself a nice big wet muddy puddle to get in, but I know that after the work Bracha put into getting me clean last night she will be extra careful about letting me run loose. Yesterday I looked, er, rather gray. You see, Khaled came to help Bracha clean out the kerosene stove, and I just had to investigate all those black sooty parts on the floor. Then if that was not enough, yesterday after I had gone on a good long run along the beach, Bracha and I started home. It began to rain again and while we were standing on the traffic island in the middle of the road, a car went by and sprayed cold muddy water all over us. I shook myself off the best I could, but I was still pretty dirty. So Bracha gave me a hot shower and toweled me off, and here I am.

I know that Bracha is still slipping a couple of those white pills into my food twice a day. It's to help keep me from having another seez-your. But they make me a bit sleepy, which is really rough in the mornings when Bracha puts me in harness and I have to work. There seems to be a lot of "hup up!" from Bracha while we are waoking because I walk slowly, and stairs seem unusually challenging. Sometimes I just feel like lying down and going to sleep. Bracha never gets angry and understands that I am having a hard time, and she said she would ask Dr. A. if we could cut down the medication in the morning. And sure enough, Dr. A. said that I would get used to it, and that Bracha could give me only one pill in the morning and, would you believe it, another one with a treat at lunchtime! So not only do I get less sleepy stuff in the morning - I get a guaranteed treat, too! Yep, things seem to be working out.

Rainy Weather and Lazy Dog

I seem to have spent most of the day sleeping today. It's raining outside and my bed is warm and cozy. Also, I seem to feel a bit dopey in the morning and feel like I'm moving in slow motion. Yesterday a woman on the train told Bracha, "You're dog looks sick." Bracha knows I'm not sick and I know she'll always take care of me, but I think those little pills she is putting in my food are making me a little sleepy. We'll try them for a few more days and see.
And now there is what I guess is another Emma, only this one is a boy, and is called Tommy! I didn't get to see him yet because I had to stay on the terrace of Itai and Hilla's house, but Bracha helped me buy him a present - a little jump suit with a picture of a dog all across the front! I was so pleased! So I guess Bracha will have to cuddle this Tommy together with Emma, and I know there will always be room for me.

A Little Sick and a Little Curious

Today I am spending the day sleeping. I really had a bad night and made Bracha have a bad night, too. I woke up feeling very strange and went and woke Bracha up, too. She immediately got up to help me and took me outside. It was dark, cold, and rainy, and I was glad to get back inside, but I knew things were not right with me. So I woke Bracha up again. THis time when she took me outside I was sick, and then I guess I had another seez-your, because the next thing I remember I was standing in the yard barking at Bracha - something I never do. Bracha took me back inside and helped me get back to sleep. I felt so bad, and I know that we need some help. Bracha told me everything would be OK and that she would buy me medicine that Dr. Allison prescribed so that I wouldn't have any more epileptic attacks. So we will begin tomorrow. And now I think we both need a little sleep.
But before I stretch out in front ot the stove, I have to tell you that last week we met a man named Nadav. He has a white golden retriever named Merlin, and Merlin is a champion breeding dog. Nadav took one look at me and told Bracha that he things Merlin is my father! o we will have to check this out! And he did say that I was beautiful. ANd I know that even though I kept Bracha up half the night last night, she thinks so, too.
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