Introducing Baxter Dedes, the newest member of the family and the new ‘The Poet by Day’ office manager. Baxter is a Rat Terrier and Chihuahua mix … a “Rat-Chi.”

Remembered warmly and with gratitude, Baxter’s predecessors:

Brutus.

“A kind of additional or subsidiary Deity designed to catch the overflow and surplus of the world’s worship . . .  The Dog is a survival — an anachronism.  He toils not, neither does he spin, yet Solomon in all his glory never lay upon a door-mat all day long, sun-soaked and fly-fed and fat, while his master worked for the means wherewith to purchase the idle wag of the Solomonic tail . . .” Ambrose Bierce, The Devil’s Dictionary

Buddy and his best pal.

“A dog teaches a boy fidelity, perseverance, and to turn around three times before lying down.” Robert Benchley

Xiang Xiang’s Ah Man, better known as “Gus.”

“My dog is worried about the economy because Alpo is up to 99 cents a can.  That’s almost $7 in dog money.” Joe Weinstein

Feyd.

“How’s it going, Mr. Peterson?,” asks Woody in Cheers. “It’s a dog-eat-dog world, Woody, and I’m wearing milk-bone underwear.”

© 2016, photos from the family album, Jamie Dedes, All rights reserved