Country at Conaway

Steve and I took Country to the Conaway Ranch last Thursday, where he kicked up his heels and frolicked in the marsh. We really laughed, watching him bolt into the water, then make his sweeping circle of perhaps 12-15 yards before returning to the shore. He must have done this 20 times, occasionally pausing to snatch up a mouthful of weeds, or to listen to ducks calling in the distance.

It was his first visit to the marsh, and for a pup just six months old, he did very well.

Can't wait for him to meet his cousin, Miley Meredith. More adventures to come!

Ahhhh, Christmas

It was a great Christmas, filled with the goodies a writer/music-lover/reader/gardener appreciates most: gift cards from Starbucks, Borders, iTunes and Capital Nursery. And, yes! Massages too! And from the parents of my son-in-law, a 2-lb. box of See's candy, which Erich and I promptly dove into (and swam around in) shortly before breakfast. In true "Christmas Story" fashion, the four of us (Steve, Maya, Erich, me) finished off the first layer before the evening sky turned "purple and soft."

I also received a small bronze statuette from my mom of a girl reading; she looks like Tinkerbell, and has alighted on my desk, just to the left of my laptop. She's too young to be reading THE COLLECTOR by John Fowles (one of my very early favorites) and too old for the LITTLE HOUSE series. Maybe she's reading GREAT EXPECTATIONS, since it opens on Christmas Eve. I think she will serve as my muse.

Rounding out a great holiday was time spent with my own parents and in-laws; calls from Jena/Jeremy and Pops; and a nap on the floor with Country (Maya and Erich's black Lab puppy), his warm nose buried in my neck. Ahhhh, Christmas.

Country Kepner

Here he is, "Country" Kepner, dog-child of Maya and Erich. He's a nine-week-old Labrador retriever, and already knows how to sit! Steve and I now have two grand-dogs, a boy and a girl. I'll meet Miley when I fly to San Diego in October to visit Jena and Jeremy.