We have a pretty big yard, and on nice, warm, sunny, dry days (actually, at this point I’d be okay with just having the “dry” part), Chopper usually spends most of her time outside. Play, play, play all day, then she’s down for the count at night. These are glorious days. These are the days when the heavens smile upon the beautiful friendship my dog and I have.

Then there are days like every day for the past week and half, when it’s rainy, cold, muddy, and just overall nasty. These are the days when she doesn’t understand that “Let’s go potty” means “Let’s go potty and let’s be quick because it’s raining and cold and no don’t you dare jump in that mud puddle – CHOPPER!” The days when I have to spend roughly 30 minutes to an hour throughout the day just cleaning her up. The days when I have to make sure she’s not chewing up the world, eating all the cat food, or nosing around in the trash. And still manage to get some work done. These are the days when my dog has taken over – and sometimes I cry, lol.