Warning!

That's right, I'm a man with a dog, AND a blog and camera. Pretty much the 21st C. version of the parent with a wallet, or '70s slide carousel, full of pictures of the new baby who traps you at work or the end of a dinner at their home...

In much less than 24 hours I've already been brought to a weepy stage a few times watching and interacting with Ruby. Her crying herself to sleep last night was... It is amazing the noises sadness can bring forth. More importantly the sad whining lasted maybe 15 minutes total before she went to sleep!! :) This thus avoiding in her adults the need, borne of a sleepless night, to throttle the sweet darling :) In fact, it was ME who had to wake HER up at 6 this morning! But most of the emotionally overwhelming moments are not the result of sad moments like the lonely cries last night, but just moments of pure puppy poignancy and trust.

In both photos, Ruby sleeps (she's an eyes-open sleeper; and a big dreamer -- in fact, she's herding fish off the Portuguese coast at this very moment, kicking her legs as she sleeps at my feet); one shot she's with her sheep toy -- the same toy that Ruby's mother nearly disemboweled and de-limbed during a few moments of "get mommy's spit all over the toy" incident :)

She is thus far a remarkably laid back dog, quiet in all ways -- although she did bark at Bob Rae's canvassers who came to the door; obviously has difficulty with Party jumpers...