Okay, I have some catching-up to do. Lots of posts with lots of pictures finally available for your viewing pleasure. I will begin at the beginning.

Back around Thanksgiving I realized it was just about time for Duchess to have her little operation so she wouldn't present me with any unplanned puppies. When I decided to get a dog I did a bunch of research and decided I had no interest in breeding. It was hard enough for me to face the idea of one puppy - let alone a whole litter.

But when it came down to getting the operation done I was surprised at how hesitant I found myself. Duchess is ADORABLE. She would make ADORABLE puppies. Also, it's scary to bring her to a vet and ask them to cut her open when she's perfectly healthy. As it turned out, I needed a lot of reassurance that I was doing the right thing. I was shocked. I didn't think I had it in me to be that emotional about an animal.

Fortunately, my wonderful vet was very supportive and understanding and convinced me I was doing the right thing. So off she went to have the deed done, and home she came again. I got this picture of her that day as she was recovering. I thought she would want to lounge by the fire on her favorite blanket, but no... she went straight back to her kennel and twisted around into this funny prezel shape. Who knew?