This apparently is my look of intense focus :)
My first husky ride.

And while I did have to focus and hang on for dear life, it was nearly an hour and a half of so much fun.¹

And the huskies were the friendliest doggies, I’ve met!

Have been too busy to write and so for the near future, I’ll put up photos.

As part of our journey across Europe, Abby and I decided to go husky sledding in Finland.
While my arms ached for days after, I absolutely loved the experience!
And even moreso, I fell in love with the huskies I rode with.
And as we were making our way home, I developed terrible husky withdrawal syndrome. By the time we reached Austria I was miserable :)

Abby, being the loving wife she is, got me this baby husky from a small curio shop in the Innsbruck Alstadt, as souvenir of my time there.

God said, ‘I need somebody strong enough to pull sleds and find bombs, yet gentle enough to love babies and lead the blind.
Somebody who will spend a day on a couch with a resting head and supportive eyes to lift the spirts of a broken heart.’

So, God made a dog.¹

“One day the sun admitted
I am just a shadow.
I wish I could show you
The infinite incandescence
That has cast my brilliant image!
I wish I could show you,
When you are lonely or in darkness,
The Astonishing Light
Of your own Being!”

— Hafiz

The little things you say
To me, and nobody else
Make me feel good
The little things you say
To me, make me laugh out loud
And not when I should

That’s why
I like to hang out with you
I never can guess
The next mad thing you'll do
And I like that we've made, a mistake or two
Together

— Mikey McCleary, The Little Things You Do

You turn 34 today!
I’ve known you for seventeen of those years.
(I’ve known you half your life! :)
We’ve been in love, eight.
And I’ve been privileged to share my life with you,
and walk with you for nearly, six.

I cannot imagine life without you.

You love crazy movies;
(Which you drag me to.)
You can engineer anything out of anything.
(rain gutters out of old bisleri bottles,
window screens out of old packing material.)
You fill our home with warmth.
(occasionally by burning stuff on the stove,
mostly with love and cakes.)
You keep me sane.
(by reminding me, that all we ever need is love and fresh air.)

You’re wiser than me,
stronger than me,
and way cooler than me :)

Happy birthday, sweetheart ❤️
I love you!

Memento Mori
and gratitude!
That is all…

“I love you, I do –
you have my word.

You have all my words.”

— Lang Leav, Lullabies