Balance.

It's been over a week now that we buried Rudy. It's left a bit of a hole, for certain. One year ago during last summer's heat wave, a little black cat came out of the woods to our back door and we took her in. Unable to track down an owner and one day before we were to take her to Wayside Waifs for placement, we couldn't let her leave. We always joked that she balanced out the family. Blond dad, brunette mom. A daughter, a son. A nearly white male labrador Rudy, a black cat, Alice. Alice seems to miss Rudy as well, and seems to sense our sorrow - she's been much more affectionate this week. We'll get a puppy soon enough - probably to Alice's initial disapproval - but for now Alice is Queen of the house.