My dear old friend

I was going to write a huge list of memories of our little dog, Max, who died peacefully today after a long and fruitful life, and I'm sorry to say, a sadly painful past few months. The list will have to wait; it is too hard to write right now.

Anyway, it got to be impossible to square the profoundly arthritic and out-of-it little guy with the vibrant hunter of rabbits and grasshoppers and nefarious food thief he'd been for so many years.

He wasn't always a well-behaved dog, but he was a very good dog.

I only wish I also had photographic evidence from one of the *two* Christmases he helped himself to the Swedish meatballs while standing on the dinner table. ... Or the induced vomiting after the pig-out on chocolates; or video from the two (or was it three?) days of amped-up Max after he broke into the bag of coffee beans; or the hopping behind me in my snowshoe tracks when he was tired out after a run along the Lamprey River in winter, or...

How soon we must sever

Today's the last day for one of my best friends, so here's a song for him.

Never a dull moment

Our children, plus weaving, plus swimming, plus our children (esp. child No. 3) have kept me out of blogland, as well as sleep, for a spell. Here are some family photos...

Katy keeps an eye on Yuki, who's thinking she'll go after Max's tail. Max, alas, is near the end of the line. He's a dear old guy, my pal on a lot of adventures.
Yuki is a mudhound, and she loves hanging out in the plants (and chewing them up, too).
Here's how Katy asks for a treat. Treats are in the cabinet to her left.
Here's how Katy emphasizes her desire for a treat:
Another silly face:
Yuki is more into tanking up on water than treats, for now anyway.
She'll even hang around the watering hole when the water is being refilled.
They have differing attitudes about fireworks. Here's the scene Sunday night (night three of the barrage):
What's a bathtub full of Newfy look like?
So, that's what I've been up to...

New Hampshire lite/fight club

Well, we finally got a decent snow. I think the last time I saw snow like this here was in the mid-'90s. Katy is a hog in mud in this; Max is OK with it, but would really prefer to have his snow a la carte (aka without the Newfie who's usually included).

Here's their usual hostilities: