bits

This morning we brought Daphne the puppy with us on the way to school. Esme was in the back seat, geared up for cold in her jacket and hat and backpack. Daphne was howling and grumbling and 'talking' as coonhound puppies do. Esme was telling her 'it will be alright - we are not bringing you to the people', and 'it is morning time, the brown bears only come out at night, don't cry, don't worry'. Both of those cracked us up in the front seat. 'not bringing you to the people' was because we had given away all of the other puppies and we are keeping Daphne. It is funny and sad that Esme is still that scared of the 'brown bears' coming at night if we are outside. But - that has kept her from wandering too far in our woods or from going outside at night when we can't find her. Some day she will realize that brown bears do not live out in our woods - or at least anywhere close. However, coyotes do, and bobcats, and other things that would like to tear her up. So the legend of the Brown bears will still hold as long as it can. For the record - she has told me the big dogs and the goats fight the brown bears all night with their paws and their teeth and their horns - and that is why they don't get hurt but sleep a lot. Pretty good theories...

Mark said he watched Esme play at school a bit before he picked her up. She was chasing all of the other kids, throughout the playground, whether they wanted to be chased or not. That definitely sounds like her mother at her age ;)