Birthday Boy

Today is Ozzy's 9th birthday. It just seems impossible to me that eight years have gone by.  We got him just a few days before his 1st birthday...and here we are today.  So much has changed in that period of time, it's almost more than I can stand, though the one thing that has remained constant through all the trials and smiles: my wee boy.

He's driven me crazy sometimes, worried me desperately (last year when he got so ill and nearly died), made me laugh more times than I can count or remember, made Alan a small dog lover, and has more miles on his passport than most people.  He's adorable, tough, too smart for his own good--or mine--and has given me more unconditional love than any human being ever has.

Ozzy on the seawall at the waterfront at Cramond, our old neighborhood in Edinburgh.  He has just had a trim and looks like a little puffball.

His beautiful feathers cascading down from his ears--gone now, probably for good since his horrific scalping last year from the most incompetent groomer on the planet.  There are a few wispy hairs growing back, but nothing like the thick, trademark feathers he used to have.  Still.  He'll always be a most handsome guy, with or without the flash.

Happy Birthday, sweet boy...and here's wishing you many more.  Thanks for letting me be your human.