OOF – under the weather today. Yesterday I got the first of two shingles vaccines, and boy, did it pack a punch; I’m achey all over, very sore arm. The second dose I get in the summer will be much worse; the druggist said the side-effects could last a week. Better than shingles. 

Spring is unfurling slowly; there are purple croci in the garden. I came down the other day to find Monsieur Cardinal having his morning bath in the saucepan on the deck. What a fuss – he splashes and ruffles. I wonder – does he sense how magnificent he is? Can he tell that the sparrows he’s surrounded with are so ordinary in comparison?

We’re going as a family in two weeks to pick up Sam’s pup in Oshawa. He bought Bandit from a group that rescues dogs from northern reservations and keeps them safe until adoption; he had to go through a rigorous vetting process. We’re especially eager to welcome this pup because Anna’s beloved cat Naan is definitely on her way out, and Eli is heartbroken. He told his mother he’d never love another pet because it hurt too much when they go. He’s nine! Perhaps he’ll change his mind.  

I apologize in advance for the upcoming avalanche of puppy photos. Can you blame me?