Sorry, folks:  After a day of trying to catch up on all the Christmas stuff I didnt think I was going to be able to do this year, an emergency developed with one of the four-legged members of the family.  Mom’s dog got past her and out the door, shot over the six-foot stockade fence, and eventually made for Main Street three blocks away, in 5:30-PM-night-before-Christmas-Eve-and-a-Saturday-to-boot shopping traffic hell.

Yep, you guessed it:  Canine head, meet SUV bumper.  (I didn’t see it, thank God, but I heard the howls from three blocks away.  Jesus.)  He actually managed to make it back home before I could get to him in the car.  After an hour of calling, we finally found a vet willing to take him.  Looks like concussion (with some immediate vision problems, but we hope they’re temporary), mouth injuries, foot injuries, and some fluid in the lungs, which may be simply a result of bruised ribs.  The good news is that we think he’s ultimately going to be okay; we’ll know more tomorrow.

So please think good thoughts for the poor boy.  And for my back, too, come to think of it:  Do you know what it’s like lifting a 100-pound dog from lying on his side to a standing position, when he’s a complete dead weight and can’t help?  Doing this by yourself, I mean.  That’s right; you don’t want to know.

Doggy condition update tomorrow, when regular blogging resumes.