It's Dad's birthday!

Today is Dad's birthday and we're having Salisbury steak for dinner! I'm not sure what kind of steak that is, but it's STEAK! This is a good thing! 

I'm not sure what we're going to do special for Dad's birthday. He had one of those weird video chats with his litter ma.......er........siblings last Sunday. Mom's home today and I heard them say something about going to pick up Walther. All I can say is birthday or not, Walther had better not be another cat. 

Dad and I have spent a lot of time together over the years. Mom's been off working, but that's changing. She's going to be home more now and we like that. It'll keep me busier, having two parents to watch every day, but I can do it.

Keeping an eye on Dad is harder than you'd think. He goes outside and has me stay inside. I do not like this. He worries I'll get into some mischief or even get hurt while he's puttering around in the shed or using the John Deere 1023. Do you think now that he's had another birthday that will change? Me neither. 

Dad takes me down to the creek almost every day when the weather is fit for him to be outside. He gets the mail and I splash around for a bit. Then I look for the frog and he laughs at me, but that's ok. 

A lot of days we guys just hang out and that's pretty cool. We can't do that when Mom's here. Dad's not constant movement the way Mom is. 

So, happy birthday, Dad! I'm really glad you're my Dad and we get to take care of each other, sort of like it was meant to be. You're a great Dad! 

Now, who is Walther? 

We had a busy weekend going green

Deuce stepping up to get a snack

My parents like to include me in just about everything they do. I even get to go along in the truck sometimes. That's one of my favorite things even though I know it's my job to keep an eye on the homefront when they have to run a few errands. Everyone needs a little break now and then, right? 

This past weekend Mom and Dad decided it was time to burn the brush pile. I get to help with outside work as long as I pay attention and keep out of the way of the tractor. I knew it was going to be a long day, so I took my orange ball with me so I'd have something to play with.

Dad got on the John Deere 1023 and Mom got on the John Deere x370 and off we went! There sure was a lot of green working in the woods! Green is the best! Green makes Mom and Dad pretty happy. 

Dad doesn't get on and off the tractor so it's easy to keep track of him. Mom? Mom jumps around a lot picking up sticks, raking around the fire, and spraying water around the fire ring. I have to really watch out for her when she has the hose. 

While Mom tended the fire, Dad used that wicked-looking thing called a Brush Crusher to pick up and carry old trees and branches that have been lying in the woods for years to the fire. Dad really likes the Brush Crusher because he can get a lot done with it, things that would never even be done at all if he didn't have it. Mom says it was a good investment. She knows about that stuff and Dad knows about tractor implements. 

The area we're cleaning up is what Mom and Dad always called the "wilderness area." They left everything to nature so the birds and deer and other critters could have safe cover. Well, the raccoon changed all that and I understand why. It seems like the wild things are getting too comfortable too close to the house so it's time to open up the area so they don't have places to hide. The critters will have to go down the other side of the hill.

It was two long days, but we got a lot done. And you know what the best part was? My parents remembered to take snackies along for me!