More Belka!

So Belka is feeling mainly better. I think she was also just stressed, but now I think she's learning that even though I leave, I always come back. So that must be comforting. And she's started playing with some of her toys. Right now she's gnawing away on a tooth brush bone. (But not the green kind because someone told me those were bad.) She seems pretty content in our apartment. And we almost have a good routine down. Sadly, right now the routine involves me waking up at 3:30 am to take her out, but I think she's slowly working up to longer intervals. Tonight I'm hoping for an 11:30 walk and then sleep until 5:30! That would actually be perfect. Fingers crossed! She's been here for a week now. It seems already like she's been here forever, but we're still figuring things out about each other every day. I think she thinks I'm weird. She's a smart dog! :) I taught her that she can sit on the "icky" couch. But not the "nice" "gold" ones!
~L

Belka on the town

Today it didn't rain! Very exciting. Belka and I walked to the "weird" park and had a nice day. She is finally feeling mainly better which helps. Everyone thinks she's cute and they call her "собачка" (sobachka) which means little dog. I can't quite understand the rest of what they say, but I get that the gist is that she's cute! She even met some other dogs, although she didn't really seem to enjoy that much. But it was a great day to be a dog. Sadly, our morning and evening walks are always in the dark, and it's getting a little cold, but she doesn't seem to mind, and I have a warm coat and a hat! The funniest part is that I already feel like she's always been here. Although maybe that's just because I've been so sleep deprived that my sense of time is off... But I have high hopes for getting a full night's sleep tonight! well, from 11 to 5 at least! Maybe even 6 if i'm lucky...
~L

Raining cats and dogs! plus, a dog!

Winter in Kyiv is officially here, and it's honestly a little gloomy! Although not as dark as I feared, although we still have another month until the shortest day of the year. We had a little snow already, but I missed it because I was in DC celebrating "Thanks-o-ween" with the family! (well, and working). But I'm hoping we'll have some more soon. It rains almost everyday, which is both gloomy and bad for our construction. But despite my hesitations about the impending bad weather, I finally got a dog!!! One of our local employees helped me find Belka on a website for pets who needed new homes. I went to meet her and she was so sweet that I decided that she would be my first dog. She really is a sweety! I've been taking more pictures and videos that i'll post soon, but here's a first glimpse!
~L