The mastiffs are here! The mastiffs are here!

Remember this posting when Tristan and I sent the neighboring pugs packing with our best wishes? Foolishly I joked about the possibility of the new owners having a mastiff. Well, welcome Gus and Gatsby.

How ironic. I'm a bit spooked that I make an offhand quip and suddenly mastiffs appear. The good news is that the mastiffs are not next door but rather three houses down the block. Tonight was our Neighborhood Block Party and I met the new neighbors. I literally did a double take when they said they had two English mastiffs. Two? I asked weakly. The picture is cribbed from on line but I can't wait to meet the guys in person (sans Tristan). They are only seven months old so they must be goofily adorable. I love big dogs but I find it hard to fathom voluntarily signing up for two humongous ones at the same time. Anyway, the mastiff joke is on me.

I have terrific neighbors and the block party was great fun. The people on our block all look out for each other but are never intrusive. It's a great mix of folks from 14 month old Samuel to Robert in his 90's. Robert is in a nursing home now but his very caring daughters bring him so we can all still get together. There's a great tribe of four to ten year olds that race between homes and sets of parents and are absolutely delightful. Everyone always asks about Tristan. I miss Annie who recently moved out of state with her elderly cat, god. When Tristan was still young, Annie and another neighbor spent several hours trying to round up a wandering German Shepherd because I wasn't home and they thought it was Tristan.

Here's to great dogs and great neighbors.