A couple of weeks ago, our family added its newest member. Her name is Ruby, and she’s a 10-week old puffball of love. This post is little more than an excuse to get her overwhelming cuteness on the screen.

This gaze is the remedy to all life’s problems.

She requires a lot of attention. She isn’t allowed to mingle with the other dogs yet. And she simply doesn’t have the endurance, or mindset, to take a walk that actually progresses down the street or trail. As a result, my birding has been limited to the backyard, in-between exhortations and congratulations for pees and poops. But I’ve got no complaints.

COVID has changed our lives in so many ways. And it’s been a year full of unrelenting loss. Finding Ruby amidst it all has been a delight.