The Beauty in Loss

One month ago, a relatively routine trip to the vet took a difficult turn. I dropped Tayo off for bloodwork and headed into the office. That same evening, I said goodbye to him. Exactly one year earlier, he’d gotten his tail kicked in what must’ve been the cat fight to end all cat fights. Ever […]

Fair Share

My neighbor dropped off a Christmas gift tonight. Unfortunately/fortunately, it’s edible. What was masquerading as your basic apricot pastry from a local, mildly famous bakery was, in reality, more like a delicious, stone fruit pizza, complete with a buttery, flaky, croissant-like crust, sweet glaze and sugary frosting swirls on top. Why can my diets never […]

Keep the Peace

I started looking online for solutions more than a month ago. Nothing seemed like it would work. The holidays are magical to me. I love putting the tree up right after Thanksgiving and coming home to it each evening. With all the lights on a timer, it would greet me through the plantation shutters when […]

Squirrels.

There’s a commercial for DirecTV that keeps me cracking up long after its 30-second duration. The squirrels just aren’t listening to Dave. In a park setting, a man is unsuccessfully trying to shoo a gang of rodents away. They’re not interested in his pleas and shrieks. In fact, they leap onto his legs, torso — […]

Tayo’s Lesson

He’s getting up there in age. He usually doesn’t sleep with me, as he tends to prefer staying out most of the night despite his years. He’s lazy and naps during the day while I slave away. He is soft-spoken but demanding and persistent when he wants something — which is rare, except when it […]

Unlikely.

It was somewhat of a surprise that the baby rhino had been orphaned. But it was an even bigger shock when it befriended a warthog. In Ireland, Doogie the lone dolphin befriends Ben the Lab. Both swim for hours, though one will never tire. The other will draw from the dolphin’s energy, occasionally getting a […]

Dog Days

When I was about ten years old, I thought it would be a great idea to take both dogs for a walk at the same time. One was a Lab mix, the other a Samoyed mix. They had been part of the family for a good five to seven years at that time, and I […]

The Squeegee Truth

I squeegeed my carpet tonight. I heard a tip recently that a squeegee works wonders at getting pet hair up and off of whatever it is that’s overly furry — with the exception of the pet itself. I’m sure they wouldn’tĀ appreciate being accosted by a rubber-edged contraption at the end of a long handle. During […]

The Stillbird

A few days ago before work, I squeezed in a bit of early morning watering in the backyard. My eyes drifted upward and I saw a hummingbird sitting on the telephone line. It was rare to see such a thing, as there are a few that enjoy flitting around the potted orange jubilee, savoring the […]