Batman's siblings are growing up and beginning to reveal their personalities. Now that Batman is gone, Trump has taken his place as the little guy. His expression differs from his siblings. His head is smaller, more wrinkled. It gives him a peculiar appearance in contrast to the others' fluffy puppiness. He is not Batman, but he helps to fill a hole in our hearts. We all reach out to him for his uniqueness, a desire to embrace and protect the runt. He is more sullen, quiet. He is not a total loner, but he does hang back and watch his more active siblings, still they embrace him in a way they did not Batman, who was always too weak, too small to join in.
Margot, the girl, is going to New Jersey where she is to be renamed Katrinka. Joan sent another big girl there years ago, who bore that name. But, the owner changed the name of that girl to Scarlett. Scarlett lived a long pug life and bore several puppies before finally giving up the ghost. Our friend Bonnie now wants to honor her and Margot by giving her Scarlet's original name. Margot seems the perfect pup. She is adorable and playful. She jumps in to play, but is respectful of the other pups. She barks and nips, rolls and tumbles, but is not aggressive. When confronted by an elder, she backs down, but she shows no fear and comes back for more. She will make Bonnie a good dog.
Argo Kensington is the quintessential middle child. He is handsome and becoming more so every day, although not as big as his big brother or as distinct as his little brother. He is always part of the pack and I'm sure he will blossom when on his own. Each day his little white toes become less white. One day it may be hard to remember that we first called him Twinkletoes because of those tiny splashes of white.
Gryffindoor is a big, fat, baby. He rolls on his back for a belly rub, runs and hides under the table to avoid a conflict. He's a lover not a fighter, but oh what a big, pretty boy.
It's hard to believe that in a few more weeks, most will be gone to new homes. We will keep track of them. I send Christmas letters out to each family, but they will get new names, new families. That is a good thing. It is nice to know that each will be given this gift, but a house without puppies is significantly more quiet, more empty than one with them.
Each litter always leaves an imprint, memories of the time when they belonged solely to Pugdom. Because of the impact Batman made on all of us, this litter will haunt us long after they leave. The ghost of his memory lives alongside his healthy, happy siblings. It is not a shadow that lingers, but a warm glow. The remaining puppies play and grow big -- alive, they are part of this world. And, we laugh and enjoy them and begin our happy goodbyes as we find them new homes. Batman belongs to another world -- we hold him in our hearts and we smile when we think of him and we laugh at the joy each puppy brings for however long they are among us.
