I feel so irresponsible since Rockwell went to school. I don't have to look after anyone but myself (if you don't count Peter that is and really, he is able to look after himself, unlike a puppy). It reminds me of when I was going to school full time as a student. I rented a room and all I had to do was feed myself and do laundry. I didn't even have to vacuum my room, as someone else would do that once a week, not that there was any dog hair to vacuum. Which is another odd experience around here - to be able to walk down the hall with the hardwood floors and not see any dog hair, gently swirling against the baseboards, rolling into little tumbleweeds. With a few brief hiatuses, I have had 16 years of dog hair that reappears right after you vacuum it, no matter how frequently you vacuum. I still see dog hair and that will continue until I have done a few more vacuumings where I get more ambitious in my reach. But it is odd.

And boy, is it quiet. I really don't miss the barking that I stubbornly called "his invitation to play" but I do miss the little jingle of his tags as he pads around the house, the noises as he climbs the stairs so he can sit in companionable silence with me while I am sewing, even his wake-up scratching every morning. I hope he is enjoying his new experiences at kennels.

Instead of "holding hands" we're "holding paws".

Those are some blissed-out ears!

Here's the second-last photo. He's too busy sniffing all the great other dog smells in the car to cooperate with Peter.

One last look, and he was gone.