The Count Has a New Friend
November 2005

Thanksgiving came, bringing with it 3-4 inches of snow (our first this season here in CT). My dear daughter and her cousin went outside after dinner and built a snowman in the front yard. A cute thing with two sticks jutting from the sides for arms. That evening when all company had left and I set myself down with the last of the champagne and dear hubber let the doggie out for his evening business, I heard a ruckus coming from the front yard. Orion was barking and growling up a storm. Yes, the same dog who wouldn't bark to wake up his daddy when I was locked out was barking at the snowman! I called hubber over to see this, as we watched him give that snowman a talking to. Finally, Hubber called Orion in and told him he was very silly for barking at a snowman. The next day when I went out to get the mail, I noticed Orion had decided the snowman "belonged to him." I figured my daughter would be very upset, but when I returned to the house she came in the room, set her arms on the table and gave a deep sigh. "Orion marked my snowman," she said. I guess he wasn't afraid of it anymore.