This my 7th day at my new home, Rose Cottage. It's different than being with my family in northern Minnesota and I miss snoozing with Mum & my sisters and brother but Linda Mum and Doug Daddy are my wonderful new parents and now I have Lily as a sister though she is usually cross with me when I try to get her to play. Linda Mum tells her, quite often that, someday, we will be best friends -- perhaps when I am a little older and learn my p-s and q-s.

I had never been in a house before but I figured out, right away, that I must go to the door to be let outside to potty and Mum & Daddy were very pleased with me and gave me lots of huggies and kissies when I did my business and asked to come back in.

I now have lots of toys and chewers and my very own dinner dish and water bowl (though I like drinking out of the 'big girls' water dish and Lily lets me without any crabbing). Lily was taking my ball and teddy so I took them out to the screen porch and hid them under the glider. Lily is only a little bigger than my own Mum but I'm pretty sure she can't get under the glider (though she's never even tried).

Friday and Saturday were very warm and Doug Daddy, Lily and I spent all day outside in the yard. It's a very big yard with a great pond right in the middle, between the house and the gardens. Though its entirely fenced, I can't see from end to end. There are also many trees the line the yard so it is still like being back home in the country. I hear them talking about neighbors but I only figured out what that was when Matt took me next door to meet a little boy named Simon. Simon's Mom says maybe he will get a dog next year.

This has been a busy week. We've had quite a lot of company and Matt (Daddy Doug's boy) and his fiance (Jessica) come over all the time. Matt says he doesn't want me to be a 'girly' dog (Lily is also referred to as "Her Majesty") but that I should romp and play like a boy. We already got into a scrape with Linda Mum when I jumped into the koi pond and discovered I am a great swimmer. Matt pulled me out right away but, when he brought me in to Linda Mum (sopping wet except for my head, which I cleverly kept out of the water as I swam) -- she acted very mad at Matt; scolding him as she wrapped me in a big towel. Mum Linda was still sort of smiling as she read Matt the riot-act and I don't believe she can ever really be mad at Matt -- or me, either, since she coohed and sang to me all the while she dried and held me as I napped after the swim.

Yesterday Linda Mum and I took a car ride to Grandma Angie and Grandpa Harry's house. My Auntie Julie also lives there with her great Scottie dog, Mac. I wore my new halter and leash (which I didn't like, at first, even though it was pink and had sparkly diamonds on it) and Mac had a green set on. He is very grand and black as night. I couldn't help but be a little scared -- I have never seen anything like him before -- but he was extremely polite and very kind. We went for a walk out to the barn (Auntie says it was to teach me to walk on a leash) and Grandma gave me some bits of bread when we came back and a little dish of water. I rode home in a new carrier that Auntie called her "baby crate" and Grandpa sent home a large black contraption Linda Mum also called a crate. She said, when I bigger, I will stay there when they leave the house. Lily doesn't have to stay in anything at any time and she also gets to be in the living room with Linda Mum at night when they watch TV. I don't like the wall Linda Mum built so I couldn't get into the living room. She says I must learn about carpet, first, and its too hard to watch me if I would go behind the chairs or under the sofa. The shiny wood floors are fine but I slip, a bit, since I'm more used to dirt and grass and leaves.

Today, Linda Mum took a video of me because my right ear is starting to prick and she gave me a soft blankie under the train clock by the deck door. It's also right in front of Doug Daddy's chair so that I can play the shoelace game with his tennis shoes. Its my favorite game. But, most of all, I just like to snooze and look at the leaves outside.

I think this will be my happiest place in my new home.