The Bedlam template is ever-changing. We have three quite remarkable and utterly different dogs, they get along wonderfully and are tested during this winter of the sub-zero temperature.

Red is a calm, steady dog, responsive and obedient, I cannot recall him ever causing me a moment’s trouble.

Fate is Satan’s Spawn, she is forever pushing the boundaries, obedient only when it suits her interests. A piece of breaded chicken cutlet disappeared from a kitchen  counter yesterday without a trace, it has to be Satan’s child.

Gus is a riot, a loving and perpetual motion machine. He is always up for fun, he makes us smsile.

Each handles the cold in different ways. Gus loves to walk in the snow for a few minutes and then come inside, he also loves to chase Fate through the snow. He does not seem to get cold or need boots or a sweater.

Red does his work, he doesn’t seem to notice the weather but I do not when the temperature falls well below zero, that he isn’t all that interested in staying outside. He loves the fire.

This weekend, just in time for the Refugee Soccer kids to come here for a weekend retreat, the temperature will edge up into the 40’s, a heat wave this winter. Then on Monday, another snow storm. Our storm dogs are ready for anything, they got through this winter so far without a hitch, they can handle whatever is coming.

These dogs are great together, each compliments the other, I love having such a wide range of dogs in terms of behavior and training and life.

This afternoon, we take Gus to the vet to talk about his illness. He’s had three good days, yesterday afternoon was no so good – repeated vomiting on and off for hours. We did let him outside in the storm – I thought it was safe – and I did see him digging through the snow and eating some sheep pellets. My bad.

After the vet, I go in search of a larger bird cage for the Mansion parakeets. One of the residents is convinced the current cage is too small and keeps letting the birds out. So  am getting a bigger and more secure cage.