Four writing fun challenges. Hulver was getting bored with the site in the spring, so I signed up to host the first writing fun challenge, with winners hosting subsequent events. Thanks to 256 for hosting the submission site.

Pet stuff. We lost our beloved dog Sadie at Easter time in April, after a 9-month struggle with lymphoma. We still miss her. The drugs kept her comfortable and vigorous all through until the final week, which was a comfort to us as well.

We also lost our cat Sasha in August; we think she was hit by a car while out hunting.

Late in August our cat Silas went on walkabout for almost 24 hours, and we worried. But he came back like nothing had happened, though he was a bit skittish for a few days.

Labor Day weekend, we picked up Rocky, a 2-year old Viszla (think Weimereiner with red hair). After some initial rough spots negotiating his place in the family, and learning to interact with the strange creatures that infest the place (cats), he's doing fine.

In November, I wrote another novel; actually part of the one I wrote last year. Perhaps one day I'll figure out how to merge the two texts, weed out unneeded stuff, and put in more stuff that is needed.

Travel We went to two weddings this year; one in May in Wilmington, NC, for brainfarmer, who was toxicfur's attendant at our wedding. The other was for toxicfur's brother, in September. This latter trip included finding a bar with an immense selection of quality beers and a very knowledgeable owner, in the booming metropolis of Burgaw, NC. Christmas at my folks, as the last few diaries have detailed. And...

Met a few Husi folks, including aphrael and R343L, on a business trip to SF in October.