Madeleine, aka Mady, Standard Poodle on the right, now inheriting the title of senior dog, spent the first night after Zeph's death searching the house and garden for her missing companion. The next morning she watched, a little perplexed, as we buried her friend. Well really, in fact, she understands -- could smell the faint decay we missed. It's we who are perplexed. But now she has a new companion to train in the ways of SwallowHill and at this training business she has infinite patience and tolerance.

Bibi, aka the Bibster, also a Standard Poodle. Only 5 months old but growing quickly. So black it's hard to see any detail -- except when she has snow on her muzzle or, occasionally, up close when you catch the white of an eye. Full of energy. Accepting each day as a given. The first day it snowed she (having never seen snow in her life) ran out and started to play in it as if it were only to be expected. Humans would rub their eyes and ask what was going on. If the world were suddenly one morning to be covered in trampolines, Bibi would not stop to question; she'd run right out and start jumping on them all.

Zephyr, aka the Zeph, Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier, was the senior dog at SwallowHill, elder companion to Mady, and much loved friend to all of us, until Zeph's sudden death from a brain tumour on Sep 19/97.

During the 1990s "the owners" were Zeph and Mady. But going back to 1988, was the age of an even earlier owner, Tassel.

Tassel was a miniature poodle, a city dog of many years, who made the transition with us to the country some nine years ago. She lived for another year here on our drumlin overlooking Lake Ontario. She died on the living room floor with both of us patting her -- and is buried under a birch tree in our garden. A death one would choose for oneself -- but of course we don't have a choice.