The little white dog pictured in the banner is my buddy Max. On Friday, October 22nd, 2010, we celebrated his 19th birthday. That’s right, I said 19th birthday. And, that’s only one of the things that makes him a truly extraordinary little beast. In the interest of full disclosure, Max is a toy poodle.

Mighty Max, our ten-pound tyrant.

He has taken upon himself the task of maintaining order and harmony in the house, and does so remarkably well. This, despite his advanced age and near blindness from cataracts, which, together with arthritis, are his only noticeable age-related deficits. He keeps my wife and I on a strict schedule: breakfast by 10:00, lunch by 2:00, dinner by 7:00, and he complains bitterly if we are not all in bed by 9:30. He does not recognize Daylight Saving Time. Thus, we sometimes refer to  him as our “ten-pound tyrant.” All of which has me convinced that his fuzzy little head is packed with an intelligence far superior to that of mere humans.

Our most faithful friend.

Max is also affectionate and loyal, as one would expect of a family dog. And, his loyalty, affection, and uncanny ability to read our moods and emotional states has, quite literally, saved our lives. During the hardest times we have ever faced (the specifics of which are unimportant), Max kept us focused on the here and now. When we despaired and were ready to give up on everything, he gently and unfailingly nudged us, reminding us that we were (and are) loved and compelling us to care for him and ourselves. We owe him everything.

So, that’s why I honor him by putting his picture on my blog page.