His official name is Kloofbear’s The Head and the Heart. We call him Hugo because the name means a combination of intellect and emotion; not as many people assume, because he is going to be huge. The first few weeks home were a blur. Housebreaking, having to carry Hugo up and down stairs to protect his […]
We said we would not do it again. We were going to be a one dog family. And the dog would be small, easily transportable. That’s when we got Rufus Rapscallion the Shih Tzu. We had never had owned a small dog before and raising Rufus, who is now 2 ½, was challenging. Everything was […]
It was something about the eyes. Anyone who looked into them was momentarily taken aback. Many actually did a double-take, as in – this can’t be right, I can’t have seen what I thought I saw. But they did. Murphy’s eyes, liquid brown and shining, were so humanlike, you could not help but think he […]
“Please say hi to Murphy before you meet the puppy,” I instruct our guests without any fear of being labeled a crazy dog lady. Because of course, I already am. Murphy had taken to shedding his natural aloofness to greet each guest personally and effusively, also bestowing on them the inevitable drool. I always have […]
Just about the only time I am ready and willing to broadcast my age is when participating in a road race. In that case, the older the better. Since I came late to running, I can count on my compatriots who were runners in high school and college to be dropping like flies from bad […]
She was the best of dogs, she was the worst of dogs. We found her on Petfinder after losing our 12 year old chocolate lab to cancer and seeing how lonely and stressed our remaining dog was. The Omega of dogs, our Logan needed a strong bitch to rule his life. And that’s how Daisy […]
A few days ago I wrote to a friend –“I am tired of feeling vulnerable.” In fact, I am probably less vulnerable than most in terms of Covid. I am fully vaccinated and boosted, under 65 and without underlying health conditions. So what’s the big deal really, if I do catch the latest Covid variant? […]
I have a confession to make, one I’m not proud of. When I thought one of my senior dogs was failing fast, I started to think about her replacement. Well, not just think. I had a breed selected and I started to search for breeders within 100 miles of us. Well, not just that, I […]
We recently took up sailing. While my husband is fairly new to sailing, he is an experienced mariner. I am not naturally comfortable on the water, but I’m learning. I train at home for strength (raising those sails) and balance, because I am in charge of getting to the front of the boat when it […]
We hold tight to so many things in this life, from the truly insignificant to the supremely vital. A hairstyle from 20 years ago. An outfit that you will never fit into again. Your children as they were when they needed you. The love you have for your family. And if we are lucky, the […]