Hi There!

Hello. My name is Dots and I live next door to MerrilHope and this is the first time I have appeared in her daily journal. As far as I know, I am, by heritage, 100% Istanbul street dog, but was lucky enough to be adopted during puppyhood as were some of my siblings. My Mum now lives on Buyukada - one of the Prince's Islands in the Marmara Sea near to Istanbul (here). That was nearly four years ago now and I am totally adapted to living with humans, although there are times when on guard duty, which I take very seriously, I will employ my ancestral FEROCIOUS growl, because you can take the dog out of the street, but, well, you just can't take the street out of the dog, so they say. Nevertheless, I am generally, absurdly happy - my tail wags constantly. Life is GOOD.

Today being the first time that we have seen some sun recently, MerrilHope went walkies with her camera and I bounded up to the gate of my home to say hello and she took this photograph. I hope you like my portrait - I am very excited to be nearly famous.