Magical Pet Portraits

Many years ago I was given a special Christmas gift – a pastel portrait of my dog, Jessie. The gift was even more meaningful because Jessie had just come home on Christmas Eve, having spent the prior week in intensive care. She was very ill, but her failing body was no match for her beautiful spirit.

Jessie and I had that Christmas…and three more wonderful months together. Her portrait hangs in my office, along with one of her daughter, my beloved forever dog, Martha.

If you are thinking about having a portrait done of one of your critters, I want to let you know about Connie Bowen.

Connie is an artist, writer and fellow Oregonian, whose work is simply breathtaking. I’ve had the chance to get to know Connie, and she is as magical as her work. It is no surprise that she describes her journey with pen and brush this way:

"The creative process for me involves meditation and connecting with my higher guidance. I can feel which direction my next project will take. I don't pursue a direction unless it feels fun and exciting to me to work on."

They say “A picture is worth a thousand words.” In Connie’s case, both her artwork…and words…are priceless!


Chris

The Shelter Dog wins Writing Award

I've got exciting news! My book, The Shelter Dog, was awarded a prestigious Maxwell Award from the Dog Writers' Association of America. The award was announced at the Dog Writers' annual banquet in New York City, the night before the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show.

The Dog Writers’ Association of America, which began in 1935, includes more than 400 professional members who share dog writing tips and information about canine behavior, care, health and training. As a native New Yorker I’m sorry I wasn’t able to be there in person, not only to receive this wonderful award but also to enjoy some real New York pizza!

The Shelter Dog tells the story of Hero, an angel dog who asks to come back to earth so he can experience the joy of being adopted from an animal shelter. After all, he thinks, what could be better that having a special person choose you – out of all the other dogs – to come home and live with them?

So Hero waits patiently in a shelter, hoping today will be the day his forever family finds him. But will anyone be able to see how extraordinary this old shelter dog, with the wobbly back leg, really is?

As Hero is about to discover, things don’t always turn out the way you plan. Sometimes they turn out better!

To learn more about The Shelter Dog stop by Lighthearted Press or Amazon.com.

Here’s to all shelter critters – may they find their forever families soon!

Chris

Stump - not just a tree

I confess I don’t know much about the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. I just love dogs, no matter how colorful their family tree may be.

But when I saw the new Best in Show winner at Westminster I fell in love. Stump, the 10-year old Sussex Spaniel who took the top prize, is the oldest winner in the show’s history. He had retired back in 2004, and after surviving a serious illness came back to wow the crowd.

I’ve said this many times before – there’s something very special about older dogs. They keep showing up in life, because…unlike human beings…they don’t seem to know they’re not young pups anymore. They don’t care about birth certificates, Botox or mirrors – they just want to be loved, have some fun, and curl up by their people at the end of the day.

Congratulations to Stump – a winning branch on his family tree!

Chris

The Deer, the Cat and Buck the Dog

If you have a few moments check out this YouTube video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rooyt3ptNco.

Maybe one day we really WILL all be able to get along...just like the deer and the cat.


And for those who believe in miracles (I do!) be sure to read this wonderful story about Buck, the 7-year-old Golden Retriever who survived 6 months in the Montana wilderness before he and his family in Washington were re-united.

This story should leave you with a smile as big as...well...Buck's!

Cheers,
Chris

Forever Cats

A few days ago I was talking with Arlene Eis, a fellow animal lover from Columbus, OH, about how my 4 kitties and I are getting along without a dog running around our home.

It’s really tough…my heart is definitely aware that something important is missing. However, as I told Arlene, for years the kitties graciously shared me with the dogs who were in my life, watching as I’d head out on walks, rides or other adventures that were for “dogs only.”

After I lost Jake in 2006 I could hear the kitties asking me for some special time that would be for “cats only.” In the beginning I couldn’t imagine that happening. I’d come home and look for a doggie face in the window, or I’d open the door expecting to be met by an excited, tail-wagging canine.

But as the months went by I began spending quality time every day with each of my kitties, and I quickly became enchanted by them in a way I hadn’t experienced before! Suddenly I was eager to crawl into their magical little world, and the more they felt my excitement the more they wanted to share it with me.

Arlene asked me if I was the person who came up with the term “forever dog.” She hadn’t heard it before she read my book For Every Dog An Angel. In fact, the first edition of the book, published in 1997, was subtitled The Forever Dog.

Perhaps it’s curious that a person who possibly created the term “forever dog” is currently without a dog.

But let me tell you all about my forever cats…

Purrs,
Chris

How much did that Super Bowl ad cost?

The answer is - $3 million for a thirty second commercial.

According to Dictionary.com, the definition of the word “advertising” is:

the act or practice of calling public attention to one’s product, service, need, etc., especially by paid announcements in newspapers and magazines, over radio or television, on billboards, etc.

When I see a television commercial that appeals to me I may remember the catchy jingle or famous celebrity, but I probably won't remember the product or who the company was.

However, if an organization bought a 15 second Super Bowl ad instead, took 10 seconds to tell me their product message, and then took the remaining 5 seconds to say the 1.5 million dollars that didn’t go into this ad was donated to animal shelters across the country, I can assure you THAT company’s name I WOULD remember!

That company would be the talk of the town on Monday. It would be celebrated, blogged about and toasted by animal lovers around the world. If the company offered a product or service I was interested in and could get behind I would gladly sing its praises until my voice cracked.

If not animals, maybe those unused advertising dollars could be donated to local homeless shelters or food banks in their state. If the company had experienced lay-offs perhaps the money could be used to help laid-off employees pay for their medical benefits.

To me this makes complete sense.

Am I crazy?

Chris

When we don't bond with our animals - Part 2

It’s true – some critters just worm their way into our hearts and stay there forever. But what happens when an animal finds their way to us and we just don't feel a connection?

I think we attract to us those beings who may bring us opportunities to learn and grow…to challenge beliefs that may be holding us back, even if those beliefs feel quite comfortable THANK YOU VERY MUCH!

If I need to be practicing more patience in my life I can guarantee an animal will come to me who will interact in a way that doesn’t perfectly match my patience level.

Or, what if I’m looking to be wrapped in furry love because I’m tender and broken from the loss of a beloved animal? There is a good possibility the critter that will find me may have a completely different life plan than the one I have for them, and taking care of me might not be on the top of their list.

This may force me to look deeper inside myself, or reach out into my circle of friends and family for help and support. It may be that I need to learn how to ask for a shoulder to lean on, instead of relying on my animals to be my main source of healing.

Many years ago a little poodle-mix doggie came into my life. She was about 6 months old, and I named her Gypsy. She was very shy and insecure, and would spend a large part of our 17 years together in hiding. I had several other dogs while Gypsy was with me, but she just wasn’t that big on interacting with them….or me. I loved her, as I love all my animals, but I would never have the same bond with her that I had with Martha…or Jake.

Toward the end of her life she became blind and deaf, and I thought she would spend her final years in her own silent world, living under the bed.

And then I found JAKE. I was concerned about bringing a new dog home with Gypsy almost 16 yrs. old, but when I saw Jake I knew he would NOT be staying at the shelter.

Jake not only changed my life – he changed Gypsy’s, too. He treated her like she was the queen of the manor, and she loved being deferred to. The last year and a half of her life was spent going on walks and taking car rides with her best buddy, Jake, with both their heads hanging out the window. She was so happy!

I learned a lot from little Gypsy, a dog I had never really connected with. I saw firsthand that it is NEVER too late to get in the game and enjoy life. I learned that sometimes we ALL need to be treated like a queen…even if it’s just for a day. And I came to understand that sometimes being blind and deaf isn't so bad - you probably miss a lot of things that aren't good for your blood pressure, anyway!

Perhaps if we let our own expectations and hopes fall away we can see all the wonderful gifts these furry miracle workers bring with them. It took me many years to understand just how special Gypsy was, but by the time she left my life I was oh so grateful for our 17 years together.

Cheers,
Chris

When we don't bond with our animals - Part 1

Forever Dogs. Those are the pups who come into our lives, and we just KNOW that somehow, somewhere, we’ve been with them before.

Whether we’re talking about forever dogs, forever cats, forever horses or forever tarantulas, one thing remains the same – it’s wonderful to have that kind of connection with an animal!

But what happens when a critter comes into our life and we don’t feel that kind of bond?

If you’ve shared that deep connection in the past, it can be challenging to go forward with an animal you may feel totally disconnected from.

The four-legged love of your life may have been a dog who slept quietly by your feet, waiting patiently to go for a walk. Or maybe it ran through the house like a race car, and the sound of those nails clicking on the floor was music to your ears.

Your forever cat may have been a sweet little purr-ball, who loved nothing more than to curl up contentedly in your lap. Or maybe your fabulous feline was more aloof, but you were so perfectly in tune it felt like two beings sharing the same heart.

So those critters pass from our lives, as all living things do, and in comes a creature who sees the world very differently from your lost angel critter. You want to adore them but you just can't seem to feel that same down-to-the-depths-of-your-soul love that you felt in the past.

What happens now?

To be continued…

Chris

Was my CAT once my DOG?

Many years ago a very special dog named “Martha” entered my life. I had found her pregnant mama running around on some nearby train tracks. I brought mama home, and a few weeks later Martha and her 5 siblings were born in the bathroom of my old Victorian home.

Martha spent the next 13 ½ years with me, and I came to know her better than any human being I had ever met. She was magical…mystical…and definitely odd. She loved me fiercely. It was like having my very own fire-breathing dragon – if someone threatened or got too close to me you had to watch out for her fire.

Martha left me in 1995, and I now share my life with 4 ten year-old sibling kitties – Dickens, Pippen, Molly & Star. I love my 4 felines deeply, for they introduced me to the fanciful world of cat magic.

Molly is definitely the odd one out of the bunch. When I look at her I think of the Cheshire Cat in Alice in Wonderland, always disappearing and reappearing. You can engage in a very animated conversation with Molly, but the feeling that she’s just not really there never leaves you.

Martha was EXACTLY the same kind of creature! Our bond was very strong, and I knew that nothing…not even death…would keep us apart for long. I have wondered for many years if Molly is my dear Martha, come back to me in feline form. Molly doesn’t have Martha’s fire, but perhaps time mellowed her a bit, as it often does to us all.

What do you think?

Purrs…..

Chris

Stressed out?

These are certainly challenging times! Whether it comes from the TV, computer or daily paper, the news is hard to hear. I don’t know anyone who hasn’t been impacted by the struggling economy.

As an animal lover, some of the saddest stories are those of the critters who’ve been brought to shelters or simply abandoned by families no longer able to care for them. Rescue organizations are overwhelmed with loving animals who don’t understand what they did wrong, or where their people went.

It may be tempting to jump into the “river of fear” and let the current take you wherever it wants to, but please DON’T DO IT!

Here’s something I just read online from the Institute of HeartMath. It’s called the De-Stress Kit, and I found a lot of valuable ideas for grounding myself and remaining centered during these crazy times.

The company is offering a free download of this information - www.heartmath.org/destresskit.

If it calls to you I hope you’ll check it out. Then go throw your arms around your beloved animal companion and remember that you can get through anything…TOGETHER!

Chris

The Three-Legged Raccoon

Back in May 2008 I wrote about Jack, the raccoon who had begun visiting my yard. Many things happened after that blog. For one thing, Jack turned out to be Jackie! Shortly after I made that discovery Jackie showed up outside my door with her 4 babies.

I fell in love with this masked family, who had taken up residence under my deck. I was re-living the joy I had felt watching Grizzly Adams on TV!

The raccoon family quickly grew, as relatives and in-laws began visiting, too. One morning it was like a scene from “Raccoons Gone Wild” and I knew I was in trouble. The little critters took over my yard, cleaning their feet in my pond and tearing apart the pump and pond plants.

One day Mama showed up with her babies, and one of them was missing a back leg. I was heartbroken, because I thought the little one’s days were numbered.

Boy, was I wrong!

The raccoon visits slacked off a bit during the fall, but recently the little darlings began coming by on a regular basis. The other morning there were three in the yard, one of whom was eating the food I had put outside for a neighborhood kitty. Out of nowhere a creature came tearing down my hillside, pushed the feeding raccoon away and took over eating the cat food.

It was the three-legged baby!

This tenacious kid, who was now HUGE, had survived the terrible snow and ice storm we had here in Portland over the holidays. It had survived the predators in our woods. Heck, it hadn’t just survived – it had thrived!

Lately I have been struggling with knee problems. After limping around for over two months, I learned that my left leg is completely out of whack, and the left knee is turned inward toward the right. I am working with a physical therapist to change the structure of that leg.

It’s not easy. My funky knee has been perfectly happy all these years facing the wrong way. I’ve tried telling my knee it will be the laughingstock of knees everywhere if it doesn’t correct itself, but so far it seems immune to the threat of public humiliation.

Then I saw the three-legged raccoon, and I realized if that little one could survive in the wild with a missing leg surely I was capable of getting my knee back into shape.

Maybe that’s why the raccoons came to me – to teach me about perseverance.

Chris

Good Dogs with Bad Names

As a writer of books for animal lovers you just KNOW I love a good read! So, here’s a fun and informative book for dog lovers that came my way recently - Good Dogs with Bad Names by Maxyne Bursky.

The cover says the book is “A playful and purposeful journey through the world of breed rescue, with tips on how to adopt the dog of your dreams!”

In addition to many excellent tips for people looking to bring home a new dog, the author also offers her thoughts on good (PAWS UP) and bad (PAWS DOWN) names for specific dog breeds. For example, you should NEVER name your Dalmation SPOT. NOELLE, however, is perfectly acceptable!

Ms. Bursky has a light, engaging writing style. I laughed out loud at several points in the book, while finding many other areas about the world of breed rescue very educational.

For more information or to purchase the book please visit the Good Dogs with Bad Names website.

Happy reading!

Chris

Why don't dogs live longer?

“The thing about dogs,” says Sandra Ferguson, “is that they live such a short time and though I hate that, it is the way that it is.

"The reason is that they are truly angels from Heaven and it takes a lot of energy to keep that kind of glory contained in a dog body. It just burns them out. And each dog has something unique to teach us so we are meant to know many in our lives.”

Here is Sandy with her poodles Kiley (right), Tessa (left) and new rescue puppy, Toby, on her lap.

Sandy shared her thoughts with me in a recent email, and it got me wondering about the glow I have often seen around my dogs and cats. Maybe all that loving energy IS too much to be held within a body for very long.

What about you - have you noticed your critters glowing?

Chris

Shelter dogs, animal lovers and one very special New Year's Eve event

Just like Christmas Eve 2007, animal lovers gathered on New Year’s Eve 2008 at Clackamas County Dog Services, here in Oregon. This under-funded program takes care of abandoned and stray dogs in need of help.

One by one people brought gifts from their cars and added them to the rapidly growing pile of food, toys, treats and beds…lots and lots of beds. No dog would be sleeping on a cement floor this night.

I visited with all the pooches, but I have to tell you my heart was immediately stolen by Ralphie, a sweet 5 yr. old boy who put his paw on my outstretched hand and never stopped looking at me.

“Just take me home,” his eyes said.

There are so many loving dogs at the shelter including Sandy, a three-legged sweetie-pie, and Gizmo, a little bundle of black fur who just needs a lap to snuggle in.

Looking to bring a new dog into your life? I hope you will consider stopping by the Clackamas County Shelter. If you are the lucky person to adopt Ralphie, Sandy, Gizmo or any of the wonderful dogs there PLEASE email me davis@lightheartedpress.com and let me know.

Here’s to shelter critters – may they all find their forever homes soon.

Happy New Year!
Chris

Snowbound – A glimpse into the life of a shelter animal

I know it’s not a perfect analogy. Being snowbound in a nice warm home, with my critters all around me, plenty of food and a roaring fire doesn’t sound like a bad life, much less like the life of a shelter animal.

But after being stuck at home for ten days (not including the 5 days the week before) I realized something was beginning to happen inside my head…and my heart.

I knew that many neighbors down the hill were getting out – some from day one, others after several days - but my circumstances pretty much corralled me back at the old homestead. My plan was to use this time to catch up on some reading, but I was so restless I’d pick up books and put them down again. Then I thought I’d try to do all those little end-of-the-year organizing projects, but I simply couldn’t stay focused.

So I moved to the window and began watching the snow fall…and fall and fall and fall. I’d look for signs of life...not that plentiful on my dead end street.

When something happened that engaged me – a telephone call or a knock on the door – my spirits would rise and suddenly I didn’t feel so imprisoned. But shortly thereafter I’d remember I was alone and I’d sense the fingers of hopelessness trying to reach out and touch me. I was trapped, and there was no way anyone could come and bust me out of the joint!

I’m not a party animal, but I’m not a recluse either – I probably fall somewhere in the middle. Toward the end of my forced confinement I had passed my ability to cope with the solitude. I knew it was temporary, and I WOULD get out, I just didn’t know when – and the not knowing made it easy to slip into despair.

One day I said out loud “I wonder if this is how the critters feel at the shelter.”

I thought about that for awhile. Anyone who has ever walked past the dog kennels or cat cages at a shelter has seen the sweet furry faces standing at the gate, hoping for a little recognition. But there are always some critters who stay back in the corner, eyes closed, not even bothering to get up any longer. They know, as I knew, that somewhere down the road other creatures ARE getting out – that something good is happening, it’s just not happening for them.

No animal lover can walk through a shelter and not feel their heart torn into pieces. You want to save them all…and it’s just not possible. But I think after this experience of being housebound I will better understand the look in the eyes of every shelter critter who is desperately waiting for his kennel door to be flung open wide so he can be free at last...and then he can go home.

Chris

Joyful Furry Faces

I have kept this picture of Trooper on my desktop since it was first sent to me a month or so ago. I fell in love with his face – doesn’t he look like one of the Whos from Whoville?

His past was a very sad story indeed, but despite how terribly he was treated this sweet dog could still look you in the eye and smile that beautiful smile. Trooper, who luckily found his way to the Good Samaritan Pet Center in Denver, was adopted by the people who were fostering him. They just couldn’t give him up – can you blame them?

May you live many happy years, Trooper, in the loving care of your new forever family.

Then there is Suki, the beautiful Labradoodle who shares her life with my friend Debbie Knitz. I took one look at Suki’s face and couldn’t stop smiling. I understand why Debbie loves her so.

I was so inspired by these photos I decided to create a HO HO HO picture of my own special kitties. They all put their tails in the air and walked away.

“OK,” I said, “what if we put a fuzzy Santa hat on your furry little heads? Would that perk up your interest?”

This is Molly…enough said.

To all the animal lovers out there – a very joyous and happy holiday to you and your critters!

Chris

Can we go outside and play

…asked my 4 kitties this morning. They love to be in their outside enclosure, which was written up in the March 2008 issue of Cat Fancy Magazine. As you can see, on a sunny day the enclosure is a great place to be!

We haven't seen much sun lately. It's rare for Oregon weather to force the cats to stay inside, but our snow storm - the worst in 40 years - has done just that.

I've been stranded in my home for most of the last 9 days. I feel like I'm 10 years old, but my Mom isn't around for me to pester. The cats sit by the sliding doors and claw at the glass...I'm thinking of joining them.

I'm running out of ideas for keeping us all entertained. Board games aren’t an option - can you imagine 4 cats and all those Monopoly pieces? They refuse to watch any more Christmas movies, whether from MGM, Disney or Hallmark.

I'm even starting to cry when I hear the song White Christmas - and not the happy kind of tears.

Today I was so desperate I did something practically unheard of for me – I cooked! Turns out the kitchen isn’t just a place for microwaving myself tasty meals and dishing out critter food – what a surprise.

Please let the snow melt soon – I can’t let this cooking thing become a habit.

Ho Ho Ho!

Chris

(To see more pictures and a video of the Cat Enclosure visit Lighthearted Press.)

Don't Forget the Birds!

We are getting another major snow storm here in Portland, OR. Heavy snow and ongoing temps in the teens and 20s are not the norm for us, but we are doing our best to keep going.

I can't even imagine how hard it is for the outside critters! I usually only see the starlings in the spring, when they show up with their young and attack the suet feeders. I took this picture through a window, but I think you can see it is STANDING ROOM ONLY for the suet and the seed.

Right now it's 24 degrees - must be the perfect temperature for a bath or a dip in the pond. Perhaps they think they are penguins!

The Bluejays, Juncos, Thrushes, Sparrows, Flickers, Towhees and Nuthatches are all getting their fair share, too, as are the squirrels and chipmunks.

If you are fortunate enough to be visited by outside critters, keep them in mind during this cold spell. I know they will appreciate it!

Stay warm,

Chris

Willie and the Magic Bed

Several weeks ago I wrote about The Grey Muzzle Organization, a group of volunteers who work to improve the lives of older dogs who have been abandoned or left homeless. I just love their Donate a Bed program. If you’re looking for a last-minute gift for the dog lover on your holiday list, why not donate an orthopedic bed to an older shelter dog in their name?

With their permission, I would like to share the following uplifting story that appears in the current Grey Muzzle newsletter:

Grey Muzzle provides funding for orthopedic beds and Kuranda cots for the senior dogs at Washington State's Humane Society for Tacoma and Pierce County. Last week, the Humane Society sent us this story. We were amazed. And so glad that we could play even a small part. We'll let the Humane Society tell the story in their words:

Willie came to us as a miserable, crippled up old shepherd mix who had a badly healed pelvic fracture, terrible skin, fungal ears, tumors, etcetera. He was going to be euthanized but we were holding him for a few days in case an owner claimed him. We actually held him two days beyond because he was doing well on pain medicine and was starting to rally. He just had such a great spirit, and something made us put it off just one more day. I think having a comfy bed, off the floor made him much happier than wherever he’d been sleeping!

Willie was scheduled to be euthanized after we closed Friday night (at 6:00), and around 5:00 a woman came in and identified him – an old neighbor had seen Willie when he came in looking for his dog, and called her to say he was sure he saw her Mom’s dog at the shelter. She came down, and sure enough, it was Willie. The strange thing was, her Mom died 2 ½ years ago, and the dog ran away during the memorial service. She has always felt so guilty about it.

Then, here he is nearly three years later, looking awful! He had probably been hit by a car and not treated for the pelvic injury, and he was at least six or seven when he disappeared. She couldn’t stop crying. We transferred him out to her van and she took him right to her vet. (The great thing about the beds is you can pick them up like a stretcher and carry the dog without moving him off of it.) He is under her vet's care, and we don't know how long he'll be with us, but he will have at least a few days at home to be loved.

I'd say Willie's bed had a lot of love tucked into it...and perhaps a little Christmas Magic!

Chris

The Bucket Brigade

According to my dictionary, the definition for Bucket Brigade is:

-A line of persons formed to extinguish a fire by passing on buckets of water quickly from a distant source

- Any group of persons who cooperate to help cope with an emergency

Portland, OR has been hit with snow, ice and very cold temperatures. Mother Nature seems to be having so much fun she hasn’t put an end date on the bitter cold weather. The icy roads have left me, and many of my neighbors, stranded up here on our hill. Those lucky enough to own chains have been able to creep down the roads and make it into town. The rest of us aren’t so lucky.

I am stuck on a dead-end road in the woods, which has made it impossible for me to fill the holiday orders for the animal lovers who purchase my books. The mail truck hasn’t made it up our hill all week. Needless to say, I've been feeling very alone.

I'm not very good at asking for help, unless it's a real emergency. This will come as a surprise to a few of my neighbors, who seem to always be helping me with one thing or another (Paula & Don – you know who I’m talking about!) But I sent out an email to my neighborhood watch group to see if anyone could help me get my packages out.

That's when I realized how NOT ALONE I was! Several neighbors offered to help in any way that they could...and we put together a plan.

I trudged down the icy hill in my clogs (I keep meaning to get boots) carrying my bag of parcels and using my walking stick. The first neighbors took me to the post office and to the market for supplies. That’s where I ran into the second neighbors, who took me into their truck for the ride back up the hill. OK - I took one look at that icy hill and I bailed...but their intentions were good!

It was then that I thought of the bucket brigade. At first I thought I was the only recipient of all the kindness that was flowing around me.

But then I remembered that I have been on outside critter patrol this week, for when the cold weather arrives there are many things that have to be done. The hummingbird food has to be defrosted and replaced every two hours. The bird suet has to be broken into pieces the birdies can eat – the large blocks freeze. The seed has to be replenished often, for falling snow quickly covers it.

And then there is Sammy. He is the outdoor cat I’ve been feeding for 5 ½ years, since he showed up as a kitten in my yard. Were it not for my four inside kitties Sammy would have come into my home a long time ago.

Sammy gets top notch food that I buy from the veterinarian. When I look out and see him waiting in the little “house” we built for him my heart is full of love that is hard to put into words. He trusts me, and knows he can rely on me to take care of him. However, I get so much joy out of watching over him I'm sure I am getting the better part of the bargain.

Sammy is part of the Bucket Brigade. Only a few people in the neighborhood know about him, but those neighbors who have helped me, and are watching out for me, are therefore watching over Sammy, too…once removed.

I am filled with gratitude for being blessed with such great neighbors. If any of you are feeling alone, or stranded, as I was feeling, look around for your own bucket brigade. There may very well be a group of friends, or neighbors, waiting to tuck you securely into a safety net you didn’t even know was there.

That's what I discovered...right in my own backyard!

Chris

D-boy, The Pitbull Hero

There's been way too many stories in the news lately about Pitbull attacks - especially here in Portland, Oregon. So you can imagine how delighted I was to hear the story about D-boy, the Pitbull hero.

D-boy is the Oklahoma dog who came to the rescue of his family when a man burst through their front door. D-boy ran in from another room, but the intruder shot the dog twice in the head before he could get to the man.

D-boy kept going, but he was shot a third time.

The intruder, apparently spooked by the dog, ran out the front door.

The good news is that D-boy survived - the veterinarian said it was his hard head that saved him! The family is safe,too, but now they are left with a large medical bill for D-boy. Visit this website to learn more about this wonderful dog.

Good boy, D-boy!

Chris

Do cats enjoy music?

For over 20 years the same wonderful man has come to my home to tune my piano. Chris was here the other day, and, as always, when he finished tuning he played a song or two for me. I LOVE to watch Chris play the piano, because I can tell he loves to play as much as I do!

For the first time in all these years I played a recording for Chris of some Christmas songs I sent to my Mom, back in 1983. The highlight of this recording was the duet of me and my dog, Martha. Martha was an amazing singer – whenever she heard the first note on the piano she’d come running from wherever she was in the house to join me in song.

Martha’s been gone for 13 years, and for the first time in my life I am living with four very special kitties…but no dog. I haven’t played the piano as much as I used to because somehow without a dog curled up under the piano bench it just doesn't feel quite the same.

But I sat down the other day to play and to my surprise Pippen, one of my magical cats, came over and joined me on the bench. She sat there while I played and sang, and seemed to be mesmerized by the keys, the music, my singing - it was such a lovely and unexpected gift!

So, here’s my question to other cat people – do your felines enjoy music?

Purrs,

Chris