Puppies

« One of these four cuties will be a new addition to our lives in late December. :) »

After this depressing week, I thought I'd share some happy news that we're expecting a furry four-footed ball of Saint Bernardy goodness in late December. We lit a candle yesterday for HB at the cemetery and quietly informed him that we will always remember him. I had sent email to a few breeders and found myself looking at puppy pictures and feeling guilty about it. I was reluctant to bring up the topic with Jarkko but a good friend of mine said, "Dog people need dogs and dogs need dog people.", and egged me on. Mari must be obeyed so I complied. So, we are going to go visit the pups in couple of weeks and prepare for the arrival of one of them in our lives. The world may be going to hell in a handbasket, but there's nothing like the big wet nose and wagging tail of a dog to make everything seem friendlier and, well, more hairy. :)

I found this comparison between Saint pups with a chihuahua to be pretty amusing. HB used to traumatise a neighbour who had a teacup version of one of these dogs that was just a wee bit bigger than a sewer rat which he frequently mistook for a squirrel or a rodent. I couldn't blame him for the mistake since the first time I laid eyes on the dog I thought it was a rat, too. I don't suppose my laughing every time he got that bewildered look on his face when he realised it wasn't a squirrel yet wasn't willing to accept it was a fellow canine helped either.

Doggie cuteness can be found at The Dog which is apparently pretty popular in Japan. The calendars are pretty adorable with some excellent photography and have some unusual breeds like Bernese and Newfoundland along with the far more popular breeds who are always on everything. Amazon carries all the calendars.

The Jugendsali has a new photo exhibit, Bed Sit, which features the work of 3 photographers trying to capture the youthful zeitgeist on film in an almost Lomo-ish style. Free, interesting and worth a visit.

Through November, the Goethe Institute is featuring a photo essay of Finnish and German grillis [ Nakkikioskikulttuuria ] that I've just got to go see since the grillis are as close to a White Castle and its belly bombers that I'm going to find around these parts.

The Sanomat has a flashy 24 hours in Helsinki web presentation that has some good photos taken around Helsinki at all hours of the day and night.

And, lastly, Just Coffee Art. Art made from coffee almost as thick as coffee in Finland by some Americans of Finnish descent. I found the Kalevala themed works quite lovely. I wonder if they get a serious buzz when working with the coffee.

There, I have exorcised the gloom for now. Just keep thinking "puuuupppieess...puuuupppiiiess..." and watch out for that tin man.