Updates:
The bridge is finished! It is two-way, very modern, and has bright red guard rails which keep it from looking blah-functional. It was a one-lane bridge for so many, many years that people still pause before crossing to wait for the traffic coming from the other direction to clear. We will post a picture shortly. We meant to take pictures as it was being built, but never did. Many hands went into its construction -- this is a labor-intensive part of the world. And it should probably stay that way.
Our newest dog, Giaco, is quite a fine fellow. His hair is growing, for which he is grateful as nights at this time of year are very chilly indeed. We had a bit of a conflict of opinion going with two people here being convinced he was a Saluki, two convinced he was an Afgan. Jim and I don't really care, but I sent his pictures to the Saluki rescue organization in the States where there are apparently experts at distinguishing between them (wouldn't want to rescue an Afghan by mistake) to calm the heightened emotions of the disputants. I received word back that he was either an Afghan or an Afghan mix. No Saluki. However, I might point out, these folks have never seen the dog in person. Anyway, Jim and I had started referring to him as an Afghaluki. I like the ring of it. We'll see how long his hair gets before coming to a definitive decision, though of course there are some short-haired Afghans!
Here are illustrations of skeletons of a Saluki and of an Afghan. Can you tell the difference?
