Sorry to break the theme, but I'm still going through old pet pictures. Here's Poppy, the First Dog. My DH and I found her in PA when we were living in midtown Manhattan and spending our weekends in the country. When Poppy, a stray, had puppies, we adopted her. What a culture shock it must have been for a country dog! She adapted well, though (other than chewing a big hole in the arm of our new sofa). She occasionally accompanied me to work at Lincoln Center, and became the mascot of the Philharmonic's softball team. A thoroughly nice dog who paved the way for many more dogs.

The lighthouse at Key West, FL. I wish I was there now. It's so cold here today! Brrrrr

This a a barn door, that was painted red after it was sold to the new owner. My son and grandson''s great and great great grandfather built this barn back in l926. They both were named after him. Here's some of the article that was in the newspaper that I found. The Pennsylvania Dutch barn stands like a sentry guarding its past and preserving its future. The big, red barn on the Luverne Highway, stands proudly at 45×80-feet and three levels tall and has the distinction of being the largest Pennsylvania Dutch barn south of Kentucky. “The barn is off the road and a lot of people probably go by without even noticing it,” said Bonnie Holland, who owns and maintains the historic structure. In 1926, Parke Thompson built the stately barn using lumber from his plantation and stones that were picked up in the fields. “Parke Thompson was a wealthy landowner and the barn was used as breeding house for animals,” Holland said. “He exclusively raised silver heel hogs and transported them to Chicago for shows and judging. So, he had a very upscale and highly regarded hog operation.

Got Elvira 13 years ago today. Best Christmas present ever! (She was such a tiny thing. Not anymore. LOL). With son and big artificial Christmas tree.