...Animal Farm...

We adopted a puppy!

It's true, I don't even really like dogs. But I always said I might like a dog if I was able to get it when it was a puppy...so here's to discovery! So far, the puppy makes noises like a dying cow at night when he's lonely (the night watchmen call it "crying." I call it horrendous). He's also got something wrong with his hind leg, so he's been limping all weekend. When they took him to get his rabies shot on Saturday, the vet said that the leg wasn't broken so we're hoping it will just heal. The puppy will start his worm treatment medicine today...maybe that will make him gain some weight. He's a bit scrawny...and a little worse for wear. He was living at a school downtown and the kids here tend to enjoy stoning dogs...so he's got a couple of battle scars. Oh yes, I believe he is going to be called "Frodo." Originally they wanted to call him "Hobbit" but I vetoed that. Giving him a name like that would be like naming a child "Human." It's just too impersonal. Even for a dog that makes noises like a dying cow.

We also have a cat. The cat has been here since I arrived. She's given birth to something like 3 litters, but ate two of them. She managed to keep from devouring her most recent litter which was born just before I arrived. We're so proud. The kittens were given away before I moved in. Nuts. The cat's name is Beatrix - after the queen of the Netherlands or something like that. I don't know. I just call her "Puss." I'm not so original with names. When I was a child, I had a hampter named "Hampsty," and three fishes named "Goldie," "Blackie," and "Strawberry." Three guesses what colours they were! If I ever have children, I'll try to be more inventive.

They make books for that, don't they?