mis

This was taken before, on Christmas day, he raised his leg and peed on the tree.

Let me tell you more about the dog.  He was born in Lohmen, a good 23 kilometers away from my parents’ house. It was a pretty close call: he wasn’t breathing when he came out of his mother’s womb and the breeder had to help him a little. He developed fine, thanks, not least, to his rather healthy appetite.

He is one of eight siblings, five boys and three girls, all of whom found a good home. There are plenty of pictures of the little ones’ growing up on the breeders’ homepage. If you want to spot our four-legged friend among the happy crowd of wee dogs, then look for a puppy with a white spot right on top of its head. Yep, that’s him. Barney.

The breeders posted a few videos on Youtube as well. There is this one (below) of Barney playing with one of his sisters  when they were four months old. Don’t ask who is who, at that age, it was still rather hard to tell them apart. The female voice in the background is the breeder’s, the male my dad’s, the barking is probably Gundula’s (the doggies’ mum) or their step-dad’s, (Moses) who sadly died a few weeks ago.

My dad and I visited Barney and his siblings a few times after they were born before we took him home in February this year. The first time I got to hold him he weed on me. He didn’t know it, in fact neither his eyes nor his ears had opened by the time, and he didn’t even have a name, yet, but this was probably the first time Barney marked his territory or, rather, declared ownership. I had, of course, already lost my heart to him by then, in the bleak midwinter of 2010.

It’s been a while since I posted anything. About a year, it seems. Much has happened during that time, and little. My life has changed, and not. I have … , or maybe … Too many contradictions. Too many distractions. I suppose I’m looking for a focus to keep me going and to let myself go. My way.

One great thing which has happened is the dog. Hence the picture in this post. He’s an airedale, just turned one, and I had the pleasure and privilege of meeting him when he was only a few weeks old and about the size of two large fists put together. He’s much taller now and still a bit of a handful but I love him to bits. The downside is I don’t see him often. The upside is that I enjoy every minute we’ve got together – at least until he tries to eat me again.

Another, much much less significant thing happened: I left FB. People have been asking me why. For, mainly, three reasons. Firstly: there was an obvious discrepancy between what some of my ‘friends’ did in real life and what they did online; secondly, I found the new features FB offered its users (archive your whole life online etc.) rather, lets say, off-putting; thirdly, and most importantly: some week, in the space of what felt like only a few hours, two old, dear friends of mine got in touch because they needed to talk, someone to listen, advice. It made me very grateful.

I’m sure FB will have kept copies of everything I ever posted, everything I ever deleted. Maybe it will be preserved for virtual eternity that way, I don’t really care.

This place is and should only be about what I really care about.

There will be photos.