Charlie has a pen pal!

We have some very good friends that come and visit once a year and they even made it this year as a surprise.

We visited with proper social distancing and masks on the porch. The boys are young 8 and 6, I think. 
The boys fell in love with Charlie and Charlie charmed them. They had a bad experience with a dog and Charlie gave them back some confidence.

Here they are in the creek last year. Charlie was supervising with the older boy not facing the camera.

This fall I thought it would be fun to write them letters. Things were tough for the boys with school closings, quarantining because of Covid exposure at their school and the family moving.

So I had Charlie write the letter. 

This time Gannon wrote Charlie back directly. Charlie and Gannon like snow, love snow, but not terrible terrible cold. Charlie likes catching mice and biting them to make them squeak. Does Gannon? 

NO Gannon thinks mice are ugly and gross.

Does Gannon like cookies and treats.

YES, Gannon loves treats especially cookies.

Charlie has a few questions to answer now from Gannon. It is going to be lots of fun.

~~~~~~~

Dear Gannon ...and Gunner:
I miss you guys a lot. Wish you were here to go hiking and playing but Valmom says it is too cold for me to be out too long. My feets get cold and my tummy because the snow is so deep I have to swim through it up to my shoulders.

I do like ice cream but I don't get any because Valmom and Rich say it is people food and I shouldn't have it unless it falls on the floor then I can lick it up. Do you like food on the floor? I love things that drop on the floor. 
I bet your mom makes you eat at a table like most human folks. 

I think you miss so many fun things on the floor like crumbs and stuff. 
Since you don't like to bite mice, do you like to bite spiders or hunt them? I love looking on the porch for spiders in the summer. It is fun to watch them. 

Before it got really cold out I went hiking with Sven my goat friend. He is nice and doesn't bother people at all. Maybe he can hike with us next time you visit. He pretty much just hangs out with Valmom. He thinks she is his mom because she bottle fed him when he was an orphan. He eats leaves and stuff. Yuck.
He doesn't even try to taste deer droppings! 

How is your school stuff doing? I flunked obedience school according to Valmom. I just sort of do what I want to do. 

You asked how we were all doing with this Covid thingy. Well, I sit with Rich and keep him company all day. I make sure he doesn't wander off while he watches stuff on the TV. We are all doing fine. 

Valmom said she took Rich for his first shot. I think it is like getting rabies shots at the vet. It doesn't hurt much. But Rich didn't get a puppy treat afterwards. 

Last question. Valmom says you play sports. I play retrieve the ball when I feel like it. What sports do you play and which is your favorite?

Yours Truly

Charlie

I've always enjoyed having a pen pal to write to. Handwritten letters are so special in these times of email and texts. It is like getting a gift in the mailbox.
All I know is that I look forward to seeing what Gannon writes back to Charlie's questions.

Gannon turns 9 today. 
I must say that these two boys are near and dear to our hearts. We don't get to see them often especially since Rich and I don't travel like we used to. But there you go, this is another way to keep in touch.

Dear Children

Dear Children.

Forgive me because I will eventually become old and infirm. But I won't realize it.

You may ask me to give up driving. But I may not understand why. [My father did. He asked me point blank if his driving scared me and I answered Absolutely! He quit driving.]

You may ask me to go see a doctor about something that concerns you and I may tell you to go it is none of your business or even tell you to go to hell. Be persistent and bribe me.

I may get lost while hiking. [Well, that wouldn't be so bad would it?]

You may notice that I stopped cleaning my house. Okay. Maybe not. House cleaning is NOT always my number one priority. Though I do like to keep things tidy now after our addition.
Maybe I quit making my bed. Well, that joke is on you. I never liked making the bed. Good enough just to throw the blanket over the top!

Oh. Perhaps you will find Science Experiments in my 'fridge. I am actually better at that than I used to be. So, maybe you should ask if I am trying to 'grow' something.

If I forget your name you should worry. I've always loved your names.

I may forget the year it is.
I may ask the same questions over and over.
I will tell you the same story repeatedly.
[That may not be new!]

I may forget what was told to me yesterday or argue with you over what happened. Please remember I will be on a different channel than you.
Or if you'd like to think of it this way????

My Wifi is not connected, it is trying, but it isn't quite working and it is sporadic.

My information may be different than yours.
Or...I can't always sign into my network.

I will always love my kids. That is just Mom Law.

Remember this when I can't.