Our Canine Companion

We are now the proud caretakers of Chili, the dog we adopted this week. Chili, a Chihuahua and Mini Pinscher mix, has touched our hearts, in a way that only a dog is able to do. She is an older dog, about seven years old, according to her vet. Needless to say, we already think that she is the best dog in the whole wide world, but we just might be a little bias, since we have become infatuated with every nuance associated with pet ownership. More about Chili, later.

Kindle Update

My Kindle usage increases daily, as I find more and more publications to read from my home page. The books download exceptionally fast, in less than a minute, and you can read sample passages prior to purchasing, to make sure that the book is to your liking.

I have been able to read the electronic ink on my Kindle, even in very low light, without any eye strain. That's definitely a plus for a device of this type. So far I have not experienced any glitches in the performance of the Kindle. The next generation Kindle will probably include color, but so far I have been pretty much satisfied with the high quality black and white photos that I've seen. The electronic ink works quite well. It's a new way to enjoy reading, in a format that simplifies the process of procuring your favorite publications. Thumbs up for the Amazon Kindle.

Amazon Kindle

My long awaited Kindle has finally arrived. Shipping was only three days from when I ordered the electronic reader, but I say long awaited because I've thought about purchasing a Kindle since the first day that the generation one Kindle debuted. Amazon now has a second generation of this device and that is the model I purchased. It's only been out a few weeks and although it isn't all that different from the first offering, it does have improved graphics and the system has been tweaked to make it even more competitive with a similar product from Sony. The new Amazon Kindle does add a new dimension for an electronic reader - text to speech. It's not like an audio book voice, in fact it's not even close to that format, but it's usable and a nice upgrade from the first generation Kindle.

I can't say that I ever considered the Sony version of electronic readers. It seemed to lack some of the features that I felt were important in such a device. Price wise the Amazon Kindle is a little on the high side of what I think an electronic reader should cost, but when you download a best seller in less than sixty seconds, from anywhere that you have a 3G wireless connection, and for less than ten dollars, the price doesn't seem unreasonable.

I'll do an update on my new Kimble after I become more familiar with all the features of this new electronic reader. I can say that the out of the box experience has been good - two thumbs up at this point. We'll just have to see if there are any glaring deficiencies to be found during the next week or two. I've posted a picture of my new Kimble to the right and at the bottom of the blog page.

Tim's Pups

My good friend Tim, whom I grew up with in the West End of Louisville and who now resides in Tampa, Florida, has a neat way of chauffeuring his "guys" around town. Whether it's a trip to a nearby dog park or a journey to the beach, his recumbent bike, with a trailer attached, makes for a comfortable ride for his much pampered pets. Riding around on a recumbent will get you plenty of inquisitive stares in itself, bring the pups along with their heads popping out of the cool looking trailer and you have a unique mode of travel that curious onlookers just can't help but want to ask some questions about. All the "guys" seem to have great fun during the outings.

Tim often shares with me photos of his canine buddies. You can see a picture of Mickey D, Suzzy Q and Teddy B on their way to the beach for some frolicking in that year round warm Tampa sunshine. Thanks for sharing, Tim.