November 2002

It happened again yesterday.  We were just starting

our walk when this fellow came along and exclaimed:

"What a beautiful animal!  What is it?"

I was tempted to say "Wolf."

Cheers!

Can't believe Rafe is already one and a half--it just

doesn't seem that long since I saw the little head pop

up over the side of the mattress that first night we

had him.

The little head is bigger, but still beautiful.

It was a nice afternoon (finally), so I decided to

take Rafe for a walk on one of the bike trails (a

former railroad bed that is now gravel and dirt,

running though fields).  We drove over to the starting

point, parked, and headed past the other cars toward

the trail.  A middle-aged couple were unloading their

bikes from the back of a truck, and she just watched

him coming and then said, "What a beautiful . . .

companion."  Then she added:  "He is just too

beautiful to be called a dog."  Rafe naturally went

over to them, kissed their hands (very politely, for

once, did not jump on them), and made friends.

Needless to say, we are now keeping him for at least

another week.

Cheers!