I'm not down with this tree branch

It rained kittens and puppies yesterday! I knew it was going to rain because I'm Deuce and I know things. And I heard Dad tell Mom it was going to rain, but that was later. It rained sideways! I'm really glad Mom took me outside BEFORE it started. 

And one bolt of lightning hit pretty close to our house and there was a big POP! The parents investigated to see if there was any damage and Mom found that a breaker had tripped. I don't know for sure what that means, but if Mom's not excited, I'm not excited. 

So with the rain came a lazy afternoon and evening. Dad was watching gun educational stuff on the television so Mom invited me to go to her office to watch television with her. She watched some old show about a hound dog named Reckless Walton, and I settled down for a nap.

This morning, it was still wet and misty outside. I had no choice but to go out to do my outside activities and that's when me and Mom discovered a tree branch had blown down on the John Deere. This did not make us happy at all. Look at me. Do I look like a happy dog? Noooooo.  Tree branches belong in trees, not on the ground. 

Mom's not too worried. She said it's too small a branch to have done any harm and it wasn't a direct hit. She'll pull the tractor out and put the brush crusher on it to move the branch to a burn pile, and then Dad can put the bucket back on and use the tractor to level out a few ruts in the gravel in the lane. There's always something to do after it rains.

I just hope nothing else falls on my John Deere. My parents depend on it to get stuff done. Besides, it's fun to watch. Like Mom says. It's cheap entertainment. 

Deuce's Day, Greenbrier Smokey Deuce, thunderstorms, John Deere 1023, fallen branches, simple country pleasures, a writer's life, country dog, Black Labrador Retriever, funny dogs, blogs about dogs,  storm damage

My "new" van is here!

I have a new ride! It's red! I like it!

I've been wondering what happened to my truck. It's been missing for a few days and now I know it's because Dad sold it. I sure hope he doesn't want to sell me. I'd be sad. 

Seriously, I know he never would because Mom would put a hurt on him. I'm her furbaby and that's all there is to that. 

Anyway.... I have a new van and I think I like it. It's really easy to jump into. Mom and Dad put the back row of seats down into this compartment, then did the same thing with one of the seats in the second row. I have gobs and gobs of room! 

Dad said it's a 2015 Town & Country, which is not exactly what he was looking for, but this van only has 39,000 miles on it. I'm not sure about that. A mile is a long way to walk so I can't even imagine doing that thirty-nine thousand times, but Mom agrees the mileage is "good."

Have I mentioned that the parents have some odd ideas? 

I guess it's okay that Dad sold my truck. Dad is going to take us to McDonald's for supper in the van. I love Mickey D's! I can have my very own puppy burger! I think he really wants to drive it and that's why we're going, but it doesn't matter. It will be fun! 

And maybe he'll stop at the ice cream place on the way back. I'll have to be sneaky and let him know I want him to turn in there. 

I'm Deuce. I know I can convince him. Convincing Dad is my superpower! 

Deuce's Day, Greenbrier Smokey Deuce, black Lab, Town & Country, ice cream, simple country pleasures, a writer's life, rural lifestyle, good dogs, dog with a blog, black lives matter, Retrievers, 

Walking down a country road

This morning, Mom was ready to go for a walk! I can tell you that ten days is forever in dog days. FOREVER!! I'm really glad Mom wanted to take me along, too. I mean, I did confess my faux pas where I knocked her down. I'm still sad about that one. 

We left the house as soon as Mom finished doing some work in her garden. The weather bug told Mom it was going to rain later in the day so she wanted to go early. I don't know what a weather bug is, but it's in her phone. What if it dies in there? 

We had the old homestead trail all to ourselves, which was really nice. I got to be off-leash and really poke and sniff around. And Mom sang to me about walking down a country road. Who's JT? He wrote the song. 

Then we came to some horseshi...er...horse pucky. Mom told me to "leave it" in no uncertain terms. I know that tone of voice and I jumped away from it. One good sniff made me remember what happened the last time - SOAP happened! 

Mom said her Fitbit recorded over 5,000 steps for her and that was a lot for her hip but it felt okay. If it feels okay tomorrow morning, we'll do a short walk to keep it loose. We're not going to overdo it too quickly. 

The weather bug was right about the rain. Mom and Dad both are at their computers. Mom is playing with Photoshop so I stayed with Dad. I have to remember to spend time with him now that Mom's retired. Me and Dad have been buds all my life, and Mom being home won't change that except when it's time to go walking. 

JT is right. My paws know where they want to go when we walk down a country road. 

Greenbrier Smokey Deuce, Deuce's Day, black Lab, simple country pleasures, walking in the woods, James Taylor, a writer's life, country roads, retirement, Fitbit, dog walks, creeks, woods, country lifestyle, rural living

Why would they do that to me?

It was a beautiful morning! I even thought Loki chasing some poor unfortunate rodent through the yard was fun to watch! Mom did not agree, so I tried to play it cool, but she knew I was interested.

I was interested right up to the point when I realized Mom had on her hat. Her hat means a walk! Her hat is a good thing even if it does smell like bug repellant. I forgot all about Loki because a walk with Mom trumps everything. It's my very favorite thing to do. 

We got to the end of the lane and I looked at Mom to see which way we should go. She said, "left," and that's a new word I'm learning. I went in the correct direction and got TWO snackies for that! I always learn better with snackies. 

But when we got up to the old reservoir, I was not pleased. Someone had put big sticks across my pool. Why would they do that to me? And to other dogs? Some of us enjoy splashing in the creek. Some of us are big dogs and we need more room to splash. I was sad someone would do that, but Mom was sort of angry. She thinks teenagers must have done it. They probably believe no one would ever see what they did, but when it comes to the trails we walk, Mom sees more than I do. 

Mom removed some of those big sticks and says she'll do the rest next time. She'll be sure to wear her really old walking shoes because it won't matter if they get wet. And that's the thing. This creek is really easy to step across just a couple of feet downstream of my little splashing hole. 

People need to leave things alone. The woods are for everyone. Not every furry human is as lucky as I am. Some of us may only get to enjoy a splash hole once in our entire life, so don't ruin it for us, okay? 

Deuce's Day, Greenbrier Smokey Deuce, black Labrador Retriever, country dogs, simple country pleasures, a dog's life, a writer's life, walking in the woods, playing in the creek, black lives matter 

Not again!

Cousin Dave... I love Cousin Dave! He looks out for me all the time! And he always tells me I'm a good dog, too!

Where was I? 

Oh, yeah. Cousin Dave had to go to a visitation, and he asked Mom if Sadie could come up and stay with us while he was gone. Mom didn't ask me, she just said "sure!" 

Really, Mom. You could've asked me first, you know. Sadie makes me nervous. She jumps all over me and you know I don't like that. What's a guy to do? Cousin Dave looked out for me when Dad was in the hospital, so of course, Mom had to look out for Sadie. I do get it. 

So Sadie came up and she was all excited to be here. She went round and round and round until I had to show her my excellent teeth. I didn't snap at her or anything, but she saw my lip curl up and she stopped making me dizzy. 

We had a little chat, and then everything was okay. I stretched out beside Dad's chair and we touched noses, and then Sadie went over and sat on the other side of Mom's chair. 

I think Sadie is finally growing up. She didn't jump on me - not once! That's so much better than before when she'd paw at my face. I don't like that. But this was fine. Well, until she sniffed my rump. That was rude, but I smacked her with my tail so she might not do that again. 

Cousin Dave came and got her and they walked home. I guess it'll be fine if Sadie comes to visit again. And maybe we'll go on walks together this summer. Heck, I might even like if she plays in the water with me. We'll have to see how that goes. 

Ok, so it's neat

 

Mom decided she'd better go through the papers on her credenza. She had to scan and then shred a few papers, go through some old receipts she kept in case she needed to return anything, and file a couple of things. It's all stuff she has to do to keep the Manor running smoothly. BUT... do you see what I see? 

Look closer at the picture. 

There are TWO clear glass antique canning jars on Mom's credenza. 

And they are EMPTY. 

They should be full of MY treats! 

What gives, Mom? Why are the treat jars empty? Don't you love little Deucie any longer? Was I bad?

No. I was not bad. You always tell me I'm a GOOD DOG! So why no treats in the jar, hmm? 

I don't know about this whole retirement thing. Mom says she'll be here to take care of me every day. That we'll be able to go on long walks and play in all the creeks. She can go to the store whenever she wants to make sure we don't run out of stuff. 

So... why no treats in my jars? 

I think I'm missing something

I'm confused. Mom was home a lot for a while, and we got to spend a lot of time together. Now she's gone back to going to her office in town every day. What's a protégé, and why does Mom need to spend time with her? Mom should be spending time with ME! 

Mom told me she only has to leave me and Dad 20 more times to go to her town office. TWENTY!! That's an awful lot! At least I think it is, but I'm a dog and sometimes we dogs don't count very accurately. But it seems like a lot! 

I really want Mom to be home with me and Dad so we can go on long walks together. I love, love, love to walk on the trails and splash around in the creek. It's a lot of fun for a Lab (that's me) and Mom and Dad like to watch me have fun. 

Of course, when Mom is home, Dad and I will lose some nap time unless we can convince Mom that naps are a vital part of our day. I bet if I hopped on the bed in the middle of the afternoon, Mom would join me. I'll have to try and remember to do that. 

I'll have to watch Mom and Dad pretty closely the next few weeks until whatever is going on gets resolved. Dogs don't like a lot of schedule changes, at least the smart ones don't. 

I'm Deuce and I'm pretty smart. I know how to observe my parents and figure them out. 

Is it spring yet?

 

Mom and Dad told me it's spring. I think they lied to me. It was only 21F when we got out of bed this morning. Do you know how cold that is on my bare paws? It's COLD!

And boy, did the wind blow! And it snowed! The parents called it a snow squall but snow is snow and snow is cold. Sure, it melted really fast, but I feel very lucky I don't have to live outside in a squall. Some dogs do, you know. People, too. It makes me sad.

Mom tells me not to worry, that I'll always have a warm place to sleep. I wonder if Mom and Dad have room for just one more dog that needs a home. Our den is sorta small, but we could probably squeeze in together. I'll have to talk to Dad about that and see what he says. 

We did a daffodil check around the yard on Saturday. At least, I think it was Saturday. I'm a dog and I get confused by the days sometimes. Mom and I went all around so she could video the daffodils. I don't care much about them, but they make Mom happy,

I sure hope the cold weather blows out of here soon. We've only been on a couple of long walks so far this year and I'm itching to get going! Every time Mom stands up, so do I. I'm not going to let her get out the door without me. No way. I'm too quick for that to happen.

I guess I'll just have to be a bored couch potato pup a little while longer. 

Is it really spring yet?

Double for pancakes!

 

Mom. Dad.

Remember when I told you I'd snatch a donut one day? A whole donut? All for me! Well, it goes double for a stack of pancakes.

Pancakes! I love pancakes!

What do you mean I had a whole pancake with butter on it? I do not remember that. 

You'd better keep an eye on your plate.

Don't say you weren't warned. 

Mom has a dealer?

Last night after we went to bed, Mom told me I should be a happy dog because we now have a dealer. 

Huh?

I watch television with Dad and I thought having a dealer was a bad thing, so why was Mom happy?

It turns out Mom has a new BEEF dealer and has put her name in for a quarter of beef next year. 

BEEF? I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE BEEF! STEAK IS BEEF! Oh, Mom loves me so much!!!

Then again, it will be about a year until we get it. A year. That's a long time. I'll be seven years old by then. What if my teeth are gone? What if I forget how delicious steak is? A lot of things can happen in a year. I think it would be better if we have steak NOW. 

What do ya say, Mom? Can we have steak this weekend? Maybe steak and a chuck roast? Have I ever had a rump round? I see it on that picture and it looks like something I would love, love, love. 

I'm Deuce. Don't think for a moment I'm going to forget about this. 

 

I've been right at her side...mostly

I need a loooong nap! Seriously!  Christmas is past and while it was pretty quiet, Mom and Dad made it hard for me to do my job every day. I'm supposed to keep track of them and watch over them, but they just didn't stay in the same room. Dad watched TV in the living room while Mom was in her office doing bookish stuff. I think maybe the giblets made up for it, though. They were soooooo good. 

Mom told me we got a new "badge" from Fitbit. No wonder my paws are tired!! 4,132 miles is a long way! (Mom told me that and I believe her.) I've been by her side for almost every step, so it's my badge, too. Mom says an award is a good way to close out this year and get ready for the New Year. 

We get our next badge at five thousand miles. I'm not very good with math other than counting how many snackies I get to be sure I'm not being cheated, and I do know when the cuckoo sings out it's bedtime, but I thought mileage had to do with my truck...er, Dad's truck. Whatever. I'm a dog. I only know what I'm told or I figure out, ok? 

Mom says we'll probably get the next badge sometime around August or September. That seems a long way off, but we know it's good to have goals. 

I have a goal for today, Mom. It's called napping. How about it? Can we please nap today? Think about it. We've walked a long way and we deserve a nap. 

Let's hurry this thing along!

I know it's there, resting in the freezer. I SAW it when Mom brought it home. I'm not just any dog. I'm DEUCE!!! I can read and the label said TURKEY!!!!!

And I know from experience that inside that ball of ice are GIBLETS!!!

Who does Mom think she's dealing with here? If I had thumbs, I'd get the turkey out of the freezer and go for the giblets now. 

Mom and Dad are planning a Thanksgiving dinner next week, but why do we have to wait? You know what they say, right? A bird in the mouth is worth two in the freezer. 

This waiting is just awful. 

Sunny day walkabout

 

Yesterday was a really busy day! We went out to pick up sticks...I love sticks! Sticks are fun! Not after Mom tosses them on a fire, but before. Anyway, we went out to do a bit of clean-up so Dad doesn't get his chair stuck when he's down at the shooting range. 

It was perfect weather to be outside, but the ground was a wee bit damp. I felt it in my legs by bedtime, but it didn't stop me from hopping up onto the bed with Mom.

While we were out, Mom and I took a walkabout around the yard, and of course, Mom did that video thing as we went. So here's my video story of yesterday!

I'm Deuce, and I'm a star!

Black on black, that was me

The pack has been enjoying the fall weather. There are deer everywhere! And squirrels! Mom says they're here munching on all the acorns. That makes no sense. I tasted an acorn. Yuk. Who would want to eat an acorn? Make mine steak! 

I chase the deer out of the backyard almost every day. It's great exercise. Mom and Dad are winding down the outdoor projects. Mom's cleaned out her garden corral and Dad got the old Craftsman mower stored for the winter. He spread some gravel out and got all the attachments for the John Deere lined up for the winter. Mom moved some pots into the little greenhouse. It's been sort of slow and lazy work, but we needed the break. 

The other day, it was good weather to burn the brush pile again. Our yard is ringed by a lot of trees and we gather up the branches when they break off, and put them on a pile. It's a never-ending job but that's okay. When it's time to burn, we can sit back and watch the fire. This time, we all piled into the Colorado, except for Loki, and watched the burn. 

The backseat of the Colorado is pretty comfy for a dog my size. Mom put down a special seat cover just for me. I bet I could really snooze there if they'd let me, but noooo. I can only get in Mom's truck when she's in it, too. 

So we all watched the fire. It's always great when the pack is together. 

I bet you're wondering why there's not a picture of me. Well, it's a simple answer. Black dog on a black seat cover in a black truck on a cloudy day. The camera made me vanish! Poof! It was... wait for it... black magic! 

It's not nice to tease me, Dad

 

Dad is really good at putzing around in his shed. Putzing is like puttering. Or "working on a project" only he knows about. We did that today. 

I'm not sure what he's working on but it involves 2x4 lumber and a lot of noise. I usually don't pay much attention, but then the magic happened! Dad opened the doors on MY truck! So of course I jumped right in! 

And that's as far as I got. 

Dad had no intention of taking me for a ride. He just messed around with the running board and left me sitting there like the good dog I am. Then he took my picture and sent it to Mom and now it's on a blog post. 

That's the way things work around here. 

One weekend, two walks

 It's fall! Okay, I'm a dog and I'm not sure what that means, but Mom and Dad sure like it. If they like it, I love it. 

I think fall means it gets cooler at night, and that's okay. I'm a pampered pup and get to sleep on a king-sized bed with Mom and Dad. I get the middle and I like it there. I need to keep an eye on my parents. Plus, they're good props for when I need to cool down my belly and stretch out with my paws in the air. 

Yesterday, me and Mom took an early morning walk around our big loop. Are seven thousand steps a lot of steps? Mom talks like it is. I was tuckered when we got back but it was great fun to be out in the woods without all the gnats and mosquitoes flying around my head. Mom agrees. 

This morning, we went for a walk past the old reservoir and Dad went with us. He can't take his chair across the creek because he doesn't want to short out his wheel motors, so he waits for me and Mom to finish our walk and come back. We're glad he does that. 

Mom took some pictures but they weren't many of me. What gives, Mom? I thought I was your favorite photography subject? Should I be worried? AND Mom forgot to take snackies along on the walk today. Mom? Don't you love me anymore? 

Boy, am I getting the look... Of course, Mom loves me. I know that. Just teasing ya, Mom. 

Mom's pictures are pretty woodsy photos and she made a collage so we would remember the weekend. I'm not going to forget. I'm smarter than that. 

On the way home today we ran into Cousin Dave and Cousin Sadie just beginning their walk. Sadie is a nutter. She always tries to jump on me! Mom tells me to chill out but it's not fun getting whacked on the nose so I keep my distance so Sadie can't reach my nose. Problem handled whether Mom and Cousin Dave like it or not. It's MY nose. 

We might go for a walk again tomorrow, we don't know yet. We'll have to see what the weather is, and Mom needs to check the hunting season schedule. I might have to start wearing my orange vest again soon. I wonder if Sadie will get one to match? 

Our walks were fun but it's almost time for Mom and Dad to start dinner. I wonder what we'll have? Maybe I'll get another slice of Fresh Pet for a before-dinner snack! That would be wonderful! I'm really looking forward to anything but dry dog food. 

I'm Deuce, and I deserve a people plate of my own! 

A long ride in Mom's car!

 Yesterday started out like any other day. I got Mom up so she could open the door for me. I chased the deer out of my backyard. I did my other outside activities and then went back inside for a "good boy" snackie. Then me and Mom settled down in her office so she could check her email and stuff on her computer. Yeah, it was pretty typical. 

When we finished with the computer stuff, we joined Dad to check in with some of the YouTube channels they follow. Do you think I'll ever get my own channel? I don't think so, either. Making videos is a lot of work and Mom's already pretty busy. I'm not giving up hope, though. 

I'm Deuce! I'm handsome enough to be a star! Whatcha say, Mom? (Boy, did I just get a look...)

Dad found something interesting when he was surfing the internet. It's a place about an hour north of where we live that raises chickens. 

Hey! I like chicken! I like eggs! We should get some chickens for me! (Boy, did I just get another look...)

It was a really nice day. Not too hot, not too cold, and lots of sunshine. Mom said we should go see it, which confused me. Mom knows what a chicken looks like. AND THEN IT HIT ME!!!! MOM SAID WE!!!

She meant I could go along for the ride! In the Charger! Well, I hot-footed it right out the door and hopped into the backseat! No need to tell ME twice! 

When we got there, I was really disappointed. There wasn't a chicken or an egg in sight. It was just a big field of sunflowers and lots and lots of people taking pictures and videos of them. 

People are weird, but it made Mom and Dad happy, so there ya go. I'm happy, too.

Anyway, we headed home, and like always, Mom knew right away when I started to get peckish. She went through a McDonald's drive-thru and we got lunch. I love getting a puppy burger. It's sooo good! Just the roll and the burger without all the sloppy stuff people eat. I mean, who really likes pickles? Not me. 

It was good to get back home and relax. We chilled on the patio for a little while and just enjoyed the nice weather. And do you know what we had for dinner? CHICKEN!

I must have incurred karma somewhere

Saturday! Yea! Mom said we were going for a long walk and I was there, baby! 

I got a little antsy at first. Mom said we were going and then she sat down at the computer. What was up with that? Thank goodness she wasn't there long. I would have had a spasm or something!

It was really misty outside and Mom thought it was really cool. I didn't care. We were going for a walk! 

Mom said we were going the long loop so down the road we went, not up the hill to the old reservoir. And then things got weird. We turned back on the old homestead lane and it was all different. Like really different. So that's what all the noises I've been hearing have been about! The people who own the lane have smoothed it out and put down a really firm gravel base. It's a lot easier to walk on now and I don't need to be careful and watch for broken glass. That's all good. Mom says that since they're almost finished, we can walk back there more often again.

So we were checking it all out and went up to the one stream. It dries up a bit in August and sure enough, no water. We turned around to get back to the trail and that's when Karma kicked my black ass. 

There stood Sadie. 

In the middle of my walk - in the middle of MY woods. There she was. Cousin Dave and Cousin Sharon were with her, but I was so piqued I didn't talk to them. When Mom said we could walk together, I wanted to howl. What if she came home with us again? We babysat her once and that did not make me very happy.

I don't know what I did. I've been good. I don't pee in the den. I don't even growl at the UPS guy or the mail lady these days. Yes, I chased Bambi a few times but I didn't hurt her. I don't think I deserved this dash of Karma. 

But maybe it was just a fluke. We got to a cross trail and Sadie went that way and Mom and I finished our normal route. Whew! I was sooooo relieved! 

Mom says I need to get over it, that Sadie is a nice girl and once she's older she'll be fine. I sure hope Mom is right because the occasional play date might be fun. Once she learns not to jump in my face, of course. 

It was great to get out and then get home before it got too hot. Mom says we're probably staying inside for a couple of hours since we got so overheated this morning. That sounds like a good idea to me. I need a nap and to rest my tired paws! 

Sometimes, it's just life

I have a really good life, even for a dog. Mom says the world revolves around me. I thought it revolved around the sun, but who am I to correct Mom? If she thinks it's all about me, I'll let her since it makes her happy. 

We've been busy the last few weeks. It's been life as usual, and that's okay. Dad's been using the Brush Crusher to clean up the woods, and Mom's been preserving food I don't like. Pickles? Ickky-poo! Peaches? Yuk! It's a good thing there are snackies in my jar. 

This summer has been the opposite of last year. Last year was cooler than normal and this year it's hotter. Dad has made sure I get to hop in the creek every day because when it's this hot, going for long walks doesn't leave us feeling real energetic. 

Mom's been home for the last eight days. Someone at the day job she wants to leave came down with the Covid-19 virus everyone is talking about. Mom wasn't anywhere near them, but she won't go back into the building until it's been sanitized. Actually, she told me she might not go back at all, that the people who got sick are something called 'anti-vaxxers' and Mom's afraid she'll snicker at them and she knows that won't be very kind. I like it when Mom works from home. I get more snackies. 

I've been on a lot of rides lately, too. This is a good thing. Dad and I like to ride along with Mom when she's running a quick errand. We stay in the car with the air conditioning running. Mom knows it's a waste of gasoline, but she thinks it's more important that Dad and I get out of the house from time to time. 

Another thing that's been going on is target practice. Dad's guns are loud! My parents wear ear protection but there's none for me so I have to stay inside all by my lonesome. I don't like this, but it is better for my hearing to stay safe. 

Sadie ran away from Cousin Dave one day and he had to come get her. Mom didn't mind she came up, but I don't think Cousin Dave was too happy. You know what? I've never run away from home like that. If you leave home, you might not get snackies and that would be a bad thing.

Someone named Fred brought a lot of rain with him up from the Gulf of Mexico the last couple of days. I don't know Fred. He didn't stop here, but Mom and Dad seem to think it's okay his trail passed over us. Maybe now that's it's rained, the heat will dissipate and Mom and I can get back to our walks. 

That's about it for now. It's a good life, but sometimes it gets boring. 

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?