Even though a lot of the scenery in downtown seems so very gray with the graffitti and concrete that surrounds us, I can't help but appreciate the odd things that I find visually stunning. For example, there's a big parking lot we often walk by with with red, white, and a blue metal fence surrounding one edge. In the first photo, you can see the blue metal on the left and the red metal on the right. I notice this every time we walk, and today wondered to myself, "Does anyone else take the time to appreciate the way the red, white, and blue repeat themselves in the midst of the neutral grays and tans in the background?

There's also a parking lot we walk by with a stunning vintage neon sign that reads "Parking," along with a red arrow that points you in the right direction. Immediately inside the parking garage, the white and royal blue section of the wall with these sort of fanciful swirls caught my attention today.

Thanks so much for all your sweet comments about Koda. He's doing great! He was very out of it on Thursday after his anesthesia. He's was on the equivalent of codeine for the five days following his surgery, and while I would have been a mess, he was for the most part same old Koda.

On Saturday, I took him for a walk, and you could tell he just wanted to run. We played it cool and walked, though, because dogs just don't show pain or injury the same way a human does. His stitches seem to be healing well. Our poor little guy has a space where his tooth used to be, but luckily, he never shows his teeth unless he's growling at another dog- a very rare occurance for Koda. He's a lover, not a fighter!

We live in a neighborhood full of all sorts of dogs, including lots of little dogs who bark furiously and look like they want to attack as their owners at the other end of their leash try to control them. Koda's always so calm, sometimes a bit curious, but he never barks back. Such a sweet puppy.