Ella the Wonder Dog 2003 - 2018 In Memoriam Ella's calendars have been an annual tradition for many, many years. Even though she's gone now, and sorely missed, the tradition continues with a collection of photos drawn from throughout her...  read

I dreamed of you last night but it wasn’t you it was another dog who looked just like you but I was only borrowing her at the whim of some unseen and uncaring entity sometimes the dog was there and...  read

The new Ella calendar for 2018 is available now from Lulu.com. It features thirteen months of all your favorite Ella photos from from the past year, and for a limited time you can get it for the discounted price of...  read

I've been so focused on my book for the past year or more that I can't even remember the last time I posted an Ella update here to the blog. I find that unconscionable, so I'm here to remedy that....  read

Unaware of the severity of the storms on the horizon, two men and a dog set out on harrowing car trip from Chicago to New York City.  read

She strains at the leash, Trying to turn the corner. "Not that way," I say. But Ella insists, So I give in and follow. Not that big a deal. This short, narrow lane, It's a valid path back home, Not...  read

How can you live with a dog, with its lifespan of ten to fifteen years, and not realize how quickly the clock is ticking?  read

This morning, with a high of seventy degrees in the forecast, amazing for a November in Chicago, I drove the dog to Warren Park. That's where we go for a special treat instead of our usual neighborhood walk, because the...  read

if       poop then       scoop  read

Earlier from the second-story deck I caught a glimpse of the gate slamming shut as Ella chased someone out of the yard. Her wild barking was what had summoned me. The thunk of something landing solidly on the wooden deck...  read