Saint Bernard puppy

surprised by her first snowfall

camera? inside.

Yeah, I wrote you puppy haiku.

Late last Friday night was Karma’s first snow. If you weren’t outside that night, it was that really cold snow where each fallen snowflake is perfect and whole; so crystallized that you could hear the snowflakes colliding with each other and crashing to the ground. Karma was afraid to come outside at first and then spent ten minutes snapping ineffectually at the swirling air. I hadn’t realized it was snowing before I opened the door to let her out, so no camera on hand. It’s a real bummer. I wish you could have been there.

Anyway, I’ve had a number of people asking for more Saint Bernard Puppy updates

Thankfully, Karma eventually overcame her urinary tract infection. Housebreaking was successful, and she now sleeps for six hours straight without wetting anything. THANK EVERYTHING THAT IS HOLY.

In related news, Jeff tore the carpet out of half the house.

Karma is so very cute and sweet, but she’s mischievous as all get-out too. She is very routine-oriented; if I try to hit the snooze button on my alarm she yanks the covers off the bed. And she has decided that once the kids go to sleep, it’s Mommy and Puppy Playtime, which is immensely frustrating when I’m trying to get something done so I can get to bed at a decent hour. But I hate to tell her no.

The nice thing about Saint Bernards is that their disposition mellows in proportion to their size. If this dog was this big and still nipping and raising Cain I don’t know what I’d do. Our Zooey (black lab) was a hellion until he was at least five, and up to no good until the day he died.

Karma loves Cassidy with an intensity that is almost frightening. Jake comes home an hour before Mav and Cass do, and she is generally pleased to see him, sitting up to watch him come down the hill and wagging her tail. But when she hears the brakes of that later bus, boy howdy, she is up, she is ready, she is coiled and throws herself at the door, hurtling up to give Cass hugs and kisses.

Which is quite a spectacle when the dog is as big as the girl.

You see. Remember the little puppy?

That’s her at the vet last week. She weighed in at 80 pounds.

“Oh, Robin,” I can hear you sighing. (I can hear it very clearly, which is odd because no one ever actually calls me by name. Even Siri on my iPhone calls me Honey Badger Mom.) “That picture doesn’t give me any perspective on how big she is.”

Perspective? You want perspective?

OK. Jeez, all you had to do was ask.

Well, here she was as a puppy with Jimmy, aka The Dogness. (I’ve decided Karma is the Duchess of Dog, if anyone needs to update their spreadsheets.)

And here they are now.

Here she is with Cassie and Jake at 7 weeks–

And with Cass now at 7 months.

She’s a big girl.

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Hey, this blog’s going to the dogs!

I’ve got a few more pup-related posts to close out this week, including a giveaway.

So y’all come on back now, you hear?

If you can’t see it, it says:

“If I get any wrong, perhaps this picture of Mr. T riding a unicorn will make up for it. Have a nice day!”

Seriously, what am I supposed to do with this kid?

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I feel a very unusual sensation-

if it is not indigestion,
I think it must be gratitude.

-Benjamin Disraeli

Happy Thanksgiving!

May your meal be delicious and nourishing (to your stomach as well as your soul).

May your house be warm and full of laughter.

May no giant naked turkeys stand outside your window.

(It’s probably not a good day for that.)

For each new morning with its light,
For rest and shelter of the night,
For health and food, for love and friends,
For everything Thy goodness sends.

~Ralph Waldo Emerson