…as my contributions are likely to be a little less robust than normal.

We had some bad news this morning, as Wally passed away overnight. He was about a month shy of his 10th birthday. It seems he died in his sleep, and I found him this morning.

Losing a dog is like losing a family member. There are people who say it’s like losing a child; I wouldn’t go there, never having lost a child and I imagine the people who have would probably take offense at the suggestion. But a dog is a loved one, and Wally was without a doubt loved. And he loved in return; he was one of the friendliest, happiest dogs you’ll ever imagine, and never met a stranger.

Boxers are a wonderful breed of dog. They’ve got tremendous personality and they’re extremely loyal. And having had him in my home from the time he was just six weeks old, I’ve lost a dear and trusted friend.

And it’s devastating.

Actually, I can’t really say that it’s hit me yet; all I have is an empty feeling and a profound awareness of a quiet house.

Beyond that, I don’t have much to say – maybe at some point when I’m up to it I’ll tell those of you who never got a chance to meet him more about Wally, but I don’t want to belabor the point.

And nothing else matters a whole lot to me right now.

So particularly given that this is going to be a slow couple of weeks with Christmas coming up and the political scene going into hibernation anyway, you’ll forgive me if I make myself a bit scarce from time to time.