Today I found these photos tucked in a book; I hadn't seen them in a long time.
They were dated 1998, when our big dog Jack---still just a pup---had been given to us by his original owner, who was moving to an apartment where he couldn't keep a pet.
As with most of our dogs, Jack liked to sit with me in my home office as I worked on my newspaper column. Early one morning I walked into that office and discovered that Jack had emptied my waste basket! As you can see, he had also decided to act as a shredder!
Of course I gave him his first scolding---it wouldn't be his last---and he ran to the sheltering arms of my husband for comfort. As you can see from that photo, he kept a wary eye on the mistress he had so displeased.
Jack retained a boyish air of mischief most of his life. He was fun to have around. It has been a year since his death, and we still miss that dog. And his mischief.
