I Only Stopped for a Card

I swear.

I went to the Cumberland Mall Hallmark shop after work.

I bought a black Labrador.

I freely admit that part of the appeal was that the black Lab comes with the autumn window. I wanted it for my den, which is masculine and sturdy, with paneled walls and a wood floor (and it will have a fireplace, too, when the Clydesdale finally arrives; the fireplace is the special gift with it).

He also looks solemn and a little bit sad.

James must be rubbing off on me because instead of some generic water dog name like Splash, I named him after Guy Gibson, who was the commander of the squadron responsible for the famous "Dambusters" raid on Germany in 1943. Gibson had a Labrador who was the squadron mascot and almost as famous as the flyers were; however, the dog had a name that, regrettably, was very common for black dogs in that more-prejudiced era. So he's named after the master instead of the dog.