We are still looking for a dog. One breeder is waiting for her dog to go in heat, another has a bred dog with only one pup, my sister has a nice dog who could use more attention. We are taking our time, waiting for some clarity. This afternoon, I think we should go to a nearby shelter and just look around. Red is the best imaginable dog for me, he is the dog I have always wanted, the new dog – replacing Frieda and Lenore, who both died this winter – will be mostly Maria’s dog, her studio and walking companion.

Lots of people think there is only one way to get a dog, I think there are many and we want to take our time. Maria misses having a dog acutely, and I just have this feeling about this shelter, this sense there might be a dog there for us. I suspect we will end up with three, that has always been a good dog number for us.