Hi there, this is where I am from... Cape Town, or close enough to 'that mountain' to see it every day when I look outside.  I love this area, even though I did not grow up here, and am going to find it very hard to leave this view behind for a different area. 

This is about as close as I get to a photograph of myself.  The family usually tries to sneak one in whenever they can - I hate cameras with a passion! 

These are my two girls.  The older one is Venus and the pup is called Wraith. 

Venus was sold to me as an eight week old Neapolitan Mastiff puppy.  What a shock when she arrived, barely breathing and unconcious, to find that she was only about three weeks old, very ill and a cross to boot!  Obviously the 'breeder' was nowhere to be found after this.  It took us a long fight, but with the help of the vet, we treated the injuries she arrived with - pads torn off her feet and various scrapes and cuts, mange and infection in her urinary tract.  Unfortunately nothing has helped for the psychological trauma she suffered.  She has a dreadful fear of water and people.  Fortunately she is exceptionally loving toward other animals and with both Gordon and myself.   

Our little Wraith... part angel, part demon!  At six months of age she is now really coming into her own.  She bullies Venus and tries my patience at every given opportunity, just the way a puppy should.  She is insatiably curious and very lively.  She has had a few health problems, but we have managed to sort them out.  Her breeder tries to be of as much help as he can, but we are at the stage now where the student is fast becoming the teacher. 

Author	Feedback	Action
Gary OFFLINE	05/12/2006 Hello Gillian, It is great to see that you have joined us here on MHP. Your presence here is a good thing for this site since you bring so much experience and ethiquete to our humble little pet community site. Thank you for joining. Gary