Military Dog: The Life and Times of Tucker Pants Bernard

Doggy in the Window:The Summer of 2009

One of my favorite places to sit to look out the window!

My uncle Eric and Grandma were able to visit my mom for a when when they brought me to Germany. I took a little time getting used to my new house. I loved exploring every nook and cranny of my new house. There were so many smells to smell and so many crevices to squeeze myself into. But there were some firsts for me. For example, there were these huge, high stairs that went up to the bedrooms. They had no back on them! I was a little worried I would fall right through them! But I practiced them a lot and I got used to them!

It was nice that uncle Eric and Grandma stayed for a while, because my mom had to work some days, so they kept me company. I liked to go outside in my new back yard and run around and play, but I still liked to take walks even better! We walked up and down the street. Down the street was the town. Up the street was a farm. Up the street, there was also a big dog. He would bark at me when we walked by. I wasn't afraid of him, though!

My mom lived in a small village and there were not a lot of houses. Sometimes, we could walk around the streets and get all the way to the other side of of the town, to the main street, by the church. But mostly, I liked to walk to the dirt road by the farm. There was a very small stream there and there was a lot of things to smell and sniff there. Sometimes there would be other dogs there. When we were not outside, we played with some of my toys in the living room/dining room. One time, we saw a horse! (That thing was HUGE!) My grandma liked to look at the cute little houses with their tiny yards. But she wouldn't let me...you-know-what... on them

Another "first" for me was meeting up with a slug! I was outside sniffing around and I saw this good size redish-orange ball. I sometimes like to play, so I went to sniff it. Grandma was sitting on the patio reading, so I thought I'd bring it to her and she would throw it and, you know, I'd go catch it. But I noticed it was kind of slimy and I couldn't get a good grasp of it. Grandma noticed me trying to pick up the ball, so she came over to get it and, I guess, throw it for me. All of a sudden the thing started to move!! You should have heard my grandma scream! She said it was the fattest, slimiest and reddest slug she had ever seen! She threw it in the garbage and then threw the garbage bag in the can outside. Phew! I don't want those in my yard for sure!

My mom, grandma and uncle Eric went to do some sight-seeing. I'm not that interested in sight-seeing. For one thing, they always want to see different things than I want to see. I like to find areas to "make my mark" (if you know what I mean). I like to sniff things that smell different. But, they like to see monuments and museums (and you're not allowed to make your mark there!). Luckily, my mom met some new friends who also have dogs and I got to have a little "stay-cation" with them. It was awesome! One day, my mom took grandma and uncle Eric to Luxembourg to see the WWII American Cemetery. Uncle Eric said they also saw the German cemetery too. Then, they went to the Rhine, and visited St. Goar. My mom bought a fossil there (she really loves fossils). They stayed over night so they could Berg Eltz (Berg means castle), which they said was very beautiful and interesting (but I don't see how an old house can be very interesting. They tried to explain that it was really big and majestic, with winding stair ways and arched windows, but I still didn't get it). Walking and driving around, they saw wineries and other castles among the landscape. And one day, they had lunch right across the street from the river. I guess humans think that's all pretty cool.

In my opinion, the best thing that happened to them on that trip was meeting some new friends, Hans and Fritz. I saw some pictures of them and they were pretty cute. Mom said when they checked into their hotel, Hans and Fritz were in their room! They looked like sheep to me, but my mom said they are called "Stuffed Animals." Must be some kind of new species. Anyway, they didn't bring the new friends home, so I never got to meet them.

While they were sight-seeing, I made a list of the things I wanted to do in my new hometown. I'm pretty sure there is a dog living in the apartment downstairs from us. I plan to meet him or her. Also, on my walks, I noticed there were some farms around us. I've never really been to a farm. That's on my list, too. And uncle Eric keeps talking about this Italian restaurant downtown. I'd like to go and see if it's any good. Meanwhile, I have to get used to my new home and help my mom meet some new friends. Yep, I was about to turn one year old and my mom and I were starting a big adventure!