It’s so nice to be able to lay in bed with Zoe beside me - she has a rawhide piece and is happily and enthusiastically chewing the heck out of it. I’m grateful she’s easily occupied.

Zoe has earned the nickname “mountain goat.” Why? Because she likes to climb on top of you. When Den and I are in bed, or I’m laying on the couch, she constantly climbs up to sit on your back or chest or hip, or whatever is pointed up. Today she started sitting on the back of the couch. Sometimes she does it because she wants a better vantage point, sometimes she does it to get in close to lick you to death, and she also does it when she’s scared. Every day when Den comes home, he freaks her out - she doesn’t know who’s stomping up the front steps and banging the door open, so she runs over and hurls herself on top of me, sometimes buried behind my back. Then she recognizes him and climbs up onto my shoulder and head, wagging her tail. Good thing she’s still pretty light!

Her new favorite toy is the beaver hand-puppet. I didn’t know it was a hand-puppet when I bought it, but it turns out to be a great idea; she won’t bite hands, but she sure as heck will bite a beaver! She’s pretty vicious, actually, you have to be careful she doesn’t chomp too hard, since she doesn’t know it’s you. But it’s one of her favorite games - us smacking her head and paws with the beaver-hand, and she just lights into it, growling like a wicked little thing. If you put the beaver on your hand when she’s not nearby, and show her, she launches herself across the room to get at it. It’s really quite funny.

Sorry for no pictures lately - all my cameras went dead. Digital will be back in action tomorrow, we got more batteries.