I guess I’m not much at blogging, as evidenced by my consistent failure to do it on a timely basis, so this page should really just be called a place for news updates.  Today I have three. 

The first: Audrey is in training at The Seeing Eye® and is said to be doing well.  We’re keeping every possible digit crossed that she will pass and become a working girl, er, dog.

The second:  My next book, VENGEANCE RUNS COLD, will be published in February 2009.  In this book Wally accompanies a friend to her new home along the shores of Lake Champlain.  Shortly thereafter a body turns up in the walls of the house. 

The third:  We have a new puppy, Wilda.  A short clip of her playing with our cat, Smudge, can be seen on YouTube. 

Get out the bitter apple and the wads of paper towels; Wilda is just a 9-week-old baby, the first little pup we’ve had in five years.  In some ways it was much easier getting a grown puppy, as the last three were, but we’re hoping to avoid some of the problems that “used” puppies might bring with them.  In fact, Wilda already does stairs better than either Jamie or Walnut when they first came to live with us.  

I’d forgotten how cute a puppy can be, whether it’s walking under one of the other dogs as if she isn’t there or snuggling up beside her.  Misty continues to be the chief object of affection; sourpuss Bambi would rather be left alone.  So far Wilda hasn’t started chewing on Misty’s ears, which I’m sure Misty appreciates. 

The cat, on the other hand, enjoys jousting with the puppy, perhaps because she is still smaller than he.   He is up to his usual tricks, such as running across the yard during a mini-training session to distract the puppy.  Just as he is a cat against literacy when he sits on my newspaper or keyboard, he is a cat against trained puppies.