A smoky harbour, the dogs playing, and a successful letter

The letter I wrote to the Editor at the Chronicle Herald last week was in the paper yesterday - the one in response to a previous letter about in-home doggy day cares becoming legal. It's funny because I wrote my letter and I know that Janet Chernin also wrote a letter and the original lady also wrote in a subsequent letter - and it's only my letter who made it in - here's the letter as they published it yesterday:

Trail-blazer

Re: Lisa Dillinger's Jan. 17 letter about the legalization of in-home doggy day cares in HRM. She should be applauding the municipality and Janet Chernin, instead of saying that what they are doing is "surprising and somewhat wrong."

Just because she opened her own business before the legal wrangling has been worked out, so new businesses can't open yet legally on the peninsula, doesn't mean that she should be critical of a business owner who is trail-blazing – and who has spent more than $16,000 of her own money in legal bills so far to legitimize the very type of business that Ms. Dillinger herself opened in Seaforth this past July.

It is because of Ms. Chernin and the 12 years she has spent showing people that a business like hers is a good idea, and that dogs (and dog owners) need this kind of refuge, that people like Ms. Dillinger can now open the same type of business. And in the not-too-distant future, if Ms. Dillinger wishes to relocate to the peninsula, she will have that opportunity and she can thank Ms. Chernin and the HRM.

Joan Sinden, Halifax

It's been very cold here the last few days and the Halifax Harbour has looked spectacular in the morning - I stopped to take a few pictures on my way to work this morning -







Tonight the dogs were playing in the back yard and being especially cute so I took a few photos - I LOVE it when Charlie and Buttercup play together - there is nothing cuter in this world when they play together.