January is already behind us. It has been a whirlwind month. We got back from India on the 2nd and got into the swing of things very quickly. It felt like a cold month after the warm and sunny India.

Johan and I have been out and about quite a bit. We went to the camp for a long hike. We have also been going to the Corner room for breakfasts every Friday. It’s not as fun as our Zeno’s nights, but it will do.

Both Tanya and I got our ears pierced. So there was some painful excitement to make up for the cold weather. January is also a big birthday month for us. Leena had her 12th birthday with her friends at a trampoline park named Get Air, followed by lunch. Then I had my birthday. Johan and I went to Webster’s to hang out and eat lunch and in the evening we all went out for dinner at India Pavilion.

Of course, the most fun part about our birthdays are always the mornings when we sing happy birthday and the dogs howl! We had our traditional ceremonies for both the birthdays.

Johan bought a huge coal hauling truck from the junkyard and it was quite exciting to bring it to our place. The truck had sat unused for many years and there was no telling how it would perform. We pumped up the tires and put some hydraulic oil. Then Johan drove it while I followed him back. It was a bit of a hair-raising experience.

Kylo Ren the dog: A bit?! C’mon mom. It was a downright horror show. Here I thought I was the lucky one going on a car ride with my mom and dad. We ended up in the junkyard. I thought it was going to be a date with my girlfriend. Instead, dad started working on this monster truck and mom started helping him. I was on leash behind the truck.

Now there’s one thing you may not know about me. It’s a blip in my otherwise flawless character. I am really scared of the idea of getting left behind. So if there is a family car around, I want to be in that car. All of my being gets consumed with the idea of getting inside the said car. If I am not in the car, I am stressed. And when I am stressed, I throw all kinds of tantrums. These include, and are not limited to, whining, barking, crying, jumping, pacing, drooling. You get the picture.

I proceeded to do all of the above and more after I was tied to that monster truck. My mean mom and dad ignored me. When they were finally ready to leave, I jumped in the car! But my nightmare was far from over. Dad did not join me in the car. He went in the yellow monster truck. I was upset.

You may recall that I am really smart. My mom got another taste of my smarts that day. She noticed that I look at all the side roads for oncoming traffic. I even look up and down a train track to check if there is an oncoming train.

All my efforts and excitement got me very tired that afternoon. I was happy to get home and stretch in my crate. Here comes my dear wife Rosie. Over to her.

Rosie the dog: I am the heart and soul of birthdays at my household. As soon as the humans start the birthday song, I join in with gusto. I howl out my well rehearsed birthday song much to the delight of the birthday girl or boy. Even at my age, I rock the birthday celebrations much more than Kylo Ren. Also, thanks to me, we dogs got birthday presents wrapped in gift wrappers. They were mostly treats but Kylo Ren also got his old, chewed up toy wrapped up in a bit of paper. My silly husband Kylo Ren thought that the wrapper was the gift. He tore the wrapper apart, dropped his toy, and ran to his crate with the wrapper hanging from his mouth. Gawd.

Crazy Cookie the chicken: I am pleased with Leena. She has been giving us hot water every morning. Our coop is unheated. Mom insisted on not heating the coop for the fear that they may come to feed us one morning and find chicken barbaque (over done) from the accidental fires that coop heaters sometimes create. I am happy. I don’t fancy becoming chicken barbaque. But absent a heated coop, the daily servings of hot water are very welcome.

Oh yes, a baby Cooper Hawk has been hanging out in the pine tree in the backyard. I think he is after the sparrow or Blue Jay. At first we were wary of the hawk. But we soon realized that it was scared of us! So if it ever comes near, we flap our wings violently and the hawk quickly retreats in a far corner. Oh, time for bed. Good night!