My friend, Mary, from Ohio emailed me last night on how to set up a blog like this one. I emailed her back telling her how and can't wait to see how she does with hers. Hey- Mary- if you didn't get the email- call me and we can do it over the phone!

What do you do on a rainy, cold afternoon in a little bitty town??? You annoy your animals... and dress them up in funny coats. Loki slept through the dogs playing and chasing squeaker toys.

Ruthie and the new baby.

He got his bath this afternoon.

Our Jersey didn't work out here, but she has a wonderful new home and they renamed her Gypsie.

They really love her and she is doing good!

The lady has had 2 other Shih Tsus and knows their traits and what she will be like- so that will be a lot easier on all of them adjusting.

Ruthie is bonding with Horatio and they are both asleep in the rocking chair now.

This is Knuckles when he was a little guy- listen for the big bang at the end- he was always easily distracted by the birds outside. This was as hard as he could ever play- I know they always say rest in peace- but I hope he is running and playing like he never could- and the bangs don't hurt anymore.

The top photo is all our kids- Doug, Tiff, Craig holding Knuckles and Ruthie

This morning, we lost our beloved Knuckles- he was born with congestive heart failure and was on water pills twice a day for awhile now for an enlarged heart.

He had a normal early morning and after eating and getting his morning pill- he retired to my bedroom for a nap. His heart quit beating and he is now free to run and play like he never could do with his frail body.

He was 2 years old and should never have lived that long. He liked ice cream- chocolate was his favorite and had acquire a taste for BBQ pringles.

When he was a baby, he loved swimming in the bird bath-and in another post I will find the video of him playing with his favorite toy- a little duck, who soon after the video- had no stuffing left in it at all.

I named him knuckles because when he was a baby- he had white knuckles- but he grew out of that and then people wondered why I gave him such a dumb name. But he liked it.

Craig and Ruthie buried him with the rest of our extended family in the back yard- and Steve had to go for a drive alone.

We bottle fed him- he was the only one in the litter to make it here- and the ones who come in alone bond the best with the humans. That he did do. He will be forever missed.

Craig, Ruthie and their friend, Ben on their first date. ( 2 years ago!)

Time flies when they are having fun.