A sad day

It is now Tuesday, March 1, 2011 - one week since I wrote the post below. The death toll form the Christhchurch eathquake is officailly now 154 with the police saying it is likely to rise to 240.  Many people are still missing. Two minutes of silence around New Zealand at 12.51pm today .

There have been more aftershocks. The damage to buildings and the people of Chritchurch is ongoing, massive, unimaginable and I don't have the right words to write here, but this letter published in The New Zealand Herlad (one of our main daily newspapers) says what many New Zealanders are feeling

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/paul-holmes-on-new-zealand/news/article.cfm?c_id=1502869&objectid=10708766

and for daily updates of how things are in Christchurch

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/
http://www.stuff.co.nz/ 
http://www.tv3.co.nz/

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I had planned to post about my holiday last week, but it doesn’t seem right to post my own news after the 6.3 earthquake that happened in Christchurch (the biggest city in the South Island of New Zealand - I live in Auckland in the North Island) at 12.51pm today. There is massive devastation and, less than six hours on, 65 people have been confirmed dead with many more trapped or missing. There are also continuing aftershocks.

My thoughts are with the people and animals of Christchurch.

Puppy photos

If you read my last post you’ll know that very soon I’m getting a puppy! Last Saturday I was lucky enough to be invited by the breeders to go with my humans to meet their ten puppies. The puppies were 5-1/2 weeks old, and my humans got to go inside the fenced area and play with the puppies. I was outside the fence, but that was OK as they followed me around, and I also got to say hello to the four other big Golden Retrievers that were there.

Here are some more photos for you.

Seven of the ten puppies are boys, and we want to get one of the boys. They are 6 1/2 weeks old now, and in a week or so my humans will visit the breeder again to pick our puppy, and bring him home a few days after that. How will they pick? Which will it be? I don’t know, because they all seemed so different in colour and how they acted!

Mum and dad said they like the paler ones (like me!) and as a general rule the colour on the tip of a Golden Retriever puppy’s ear is meant to be a guide to what the coat will look like when that dog is older.

They were all so cute it will be hard to decide on just one, but everyone tells me I’m going to really enjoy having a little brother following me around, chewing on my ears, and playing with my toys. They are already good at the following part!

As for names – there have been all sorts of suggestions. First they tried to find a name that went with my name, but it is hard to think of a name that goes with "Riley". The trouble is that many of the names that my family like are the names of their friend’s children or pets. They both liked the name Bailey, but then mum met three dogs named Bailey in one day! I think they have chosen a name they agree on (and can call without too many other dogs coming in the dog park, or it being the surname of their next door neighbour (with their first dog, new people moved in next door, so mum felt very felt conscious calling her dog or telling him off!).They will see how the name suits our new pup before saying what it is!

Bye for now,
Riley

I'm getting a puppy!

I have some wonderful news. Last Saturday I was invited to visit these 5-1/2 week old Golden Retriever puppies. That's me behind the fence acting as Pied Piper.

When my family and I decide which one is best for us, then all going well that puppy will come to live with us when it is eight weeks old.

More details soon.

Riley 

Wordless Wednesday