goatee

°2023.06.22.Thu | Hello Nixie

On June 3 we returned from Mutt Rescue with a new dog.

“Nixie” (or “Nix”) was similar to her rescue name; Nora and I like Nixie tubes (i.e., Numeric Indicator eXperimental); her bark is raspy like Stevie Nicks; and she’s curious, following us to the bathroom even, hence “nosy Nixie.”

You can see more of her her first month photos with us.

°2021.02.18.Thu | Returning to Old Dog Hill

Amidst the slushy doldrums of February I find myself thinking of a return to old dog hill.

The new extension of the old Cambridge library straddles a small hill. The rain sluices off, making for a comfortable and dry position from which to survey the park and its denizens.

When Casper was younger, we’d pass the hill on the way to the corner of the park where the dogs chase and wrestle. Casper had balls to snatch from the air and dogs to best in tug. We never gave the hill any thought until a middle-aged man and his old retriever became evening fixtures. He sat beside his Golden, idly petting her as she held a tennis ball in her whitened muzzle in remembrance of more active days. That’s when we took to calling it old dog hill.

After a few years, the man and his dog relinquished the hill. Shortly thereafter, we claimed the spot as our own.

Casper’s mid-air collisions and tug battles have left him with a bad back. Weather permitting, we sit on the hill, speaking to passersby, idly petting Casper, and tossing a ball every few minutes for him to leisurely fetch in remembrance of more active days.

We sometimes still see the man walking to the library, alone. And as he passes I wonder if he thinks as we once did, “there they are, on old dog hill.”

✽

How tug-crazy was Casper? Witness.

°2016.08.23.Tue | Late summer sleep

Autumn approaches
The dog returns to his crate
For his evening bed

°2015.10.05.Mon | Snoring

A dog’s snoring is like birdsong in a forest: a sign that all is well.

°2012.12.28.Fri | Peak-a-boo