Black is the new black.

This has been a difficult update to do.
Endlessly conflicted, I am.
Astrologically challenged, I tell ya.
Nicer ring to it than plumb nutters.
Where to start? Is it really still February? Man. Not the best beginning to this year.
It hasn't all been bad, so I should quit my bitching. At least we don't live in Pittsburgh. 
That's my little homage to the great tradition of making Pittsburgh the punchline (If you don't know what I'm talking about, you must not watch old movies.). But seriously, they got 22 inches of snow in a day!
Both of our birthdays have come and gone since the last update (hazzah, I'm 40!) and a few of the dog's too.

Good news. Bad news. Ain't it always the way?
First, the bad.
The puppies had parvo, despite having been vaccinated. Sweet Chico died. Nothing else to say.
The good...
-George, after having been unable to even stand for weeks, is healthy and going on runs (unless it's chilly, then he'd rather not). We couldn't be happier!
-Ziggy, the formerly quiet, has been neutered.
-Two puppies survived parvo, after a week at he veterinarian's. We're calling them Jack and Lily. They are predictably cute, but are going to need a lot of work to be socialized.
On their 1st chaperoned walk:













Tiger Lily:

















Black Jack:












 





By weird happenstance, we manage to help the neighbor's dog when she was envenomed or poisoned.
Glad to do it, but we were a little confused. Initially we thought she was Elewah, mom to the pups.
Nope, she's Bosha:













 



This is Elewah. Obviously. Silly humans:








 




She and her son are hard to tell apart too:

















Elewah is already in heat again and due to be spayed Monday. She doesn't live here, she just visits often, so I hope she comes by this weekend. This was at least her third litter. Her doppelganger Bosha, just lost a litter. We're hoping to get her spayed at the city clinic, the next time one is held. We're awash in black dogs.
Speaking of... Happy 1st Anniversary (with us) Rufus! What a sweet and fun guy!

As for news I'm ambivalent about... Ziggy....I'm glad he's here and happy...but he's driving me freakin' nuts. Seriously. bark bark bark. bark bark bark. His voice is so high pitched it makes my eyes water. bark bark bark. Not a damn yip out of him for the 6? 8? months that he was around outside the yard...now he never stops.
He may be starting to bark a little less, but it's hard to tell because all the barking makes it hard to think. We're working on it. It's just that he's SO HAPPY and he only knows ONE WORD. sigh. If he were a little quieter, he would make a great companion for someone.All in all, the good outweighs the bad. One point for my optimistic side.
Shirley has no complaints: