Herchel

Here is my first attempt at painting what I see. With apologies to our dog I have finally crossed the line from the surreal to the real.

Above is a watercolor of our Boston Terrier / Pug, aka "Bug." Actually, he belongs to our daughter. We got him on St. Valentines day over 4 years ago. He was about 2 years old when we adopted him. He was shy, he pished all over the house and he was afraid of my husband. Our daughter named him "Herchel." And, you know what? The name suits him. Over the last 4 years he has certainly grown into the dignity of his name. He is a volunteer pet therapy dog with Pets on Wheels of Scottsdale. He has made over 200 hours of community service visits with our daughter to local nursing homes. He meets and greets people with good cheer, calmness and confidence. He sheds fur on their beds, and the nursing home residents treasure every furry bit he leaves behind as a reminder of his quiet and loving demeanor.

His full and proper name, as given by our daughter is "Herchel Ridgel Stitch Bug Goldenthal." For a full explanation of all of his names, you will have to read her blog. But I don't know when she'll make a posting to her blog, so please be patient. Her blog can be found at

http://adayinthelife-kiki.blogspot.com