Tag: pets

I’m Back!!

Well fantastic followers, after two weeks and nearly 4,000 road miles later I am finally back online and ready to blog. I have a ton of photos and stories to share with everyone. Still getting the pics downloaded and sorted so it will probably be a series of blogs.

Hubby and I had fun visiting (in order round trip from Arizona) New Mexico, Texas, Arkansas, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, New Mexico, ending back home in Arizona of course.

Our sweet little 15 foot travel trailer we have fondly named “Daisy” performed exceptionally well. She is a vintage 1982 Sport and we look forward to sprucing her up. We got a lot of attention and great comments about her.

We spent a week with Aaron and Chelsea. Hubby and son working on some RV repairs, going to Epcot, Magic Kingdom, and Animal Kingdom at DisneyWorld, watching Chelsea be excellent in a production of Beauty and the Beast, and eating way too many donuts!

Our place and our pets were well cared for by Heather Herman, with help from Kristopher and Trinity. It was such a relief not to have to worry about anything. Millie was crazy to see us again, and Cleo was mildly interested that we returned.

I finished the laundry, we’ve got most of everything put away, Daisy is cleaned out and now it’s the getting back to normal.

More to come!

Cheers!

-N

Do Not Disturb

Some people don’t seem to understand what it takes to focus on writing. Just because the music is playing and I am walking around talking to myself doesn’t mean I am not in a writing zone and it’s okay to barge in and start chatting. I am seriously thinking I need a “Do Not Disturb” sign on my door.

Some people need silence, solitude – space to make the words flow and the jumble of thoughts to become a cohesive body of narrative. Me, not so much. That works at times I’ve found, especially when I am editing. In most cases I have music – all kinds of music – filling my work room. I dance, pace, wander, talk to no one, and fiddle with my muse.

Right now the playlist is soul/pop from the last forty years. Prince, Jimmy Luxury, Michael Jackson, Sly and the Family Stone, The Temptations. Whoa baby, digging it.

Then the interruptions….

Thus the blog refuge to focus my mind on creating and my fingers a needed a warm up – you get me?

 

Had a fun thing happen yesterday while hubby and I were gardening. Lots of soil was moved, reseeding the back yard and planting flower seeds by the pond. I asked if the spa was hot and he said yes, and I replied after this day we need a soak and alcohol, and who knew what next. He agreed and by 8:30 pm we were in the hot water, staring at the stars, planning our next adventures. It was splendid. In my mind I thought “I’m going to use this in a story!”

Isn’t that great when that happens?

We have introduced Cleo to the outdoors and she is digging it. She has gotten big enough and savvy enough to know to stay near the house while she explores. One interesting aspect is Millie, as the big sister German Shepherd, pays attention to her and when she gets out of Millie’s sight the search is on. Millie kind of whines as she tries to find the wee cat, only calming when she is back. So adorable.

They are so cute and are pretty good buddies. Cleo loves Millie’s big swishey GSD tail, and Millie will nudge and lick Cleo when she is laying on the floor. Their food bowls are in the same place separated by a water bowl they share. 

We had Jake for a while but he went back to his family once they were again able to house him, much to Jake’s happiness.

I have always liked having a dog and a cat. I love the difference in the two animals, and they both nourish the variety of pet lover needs I have. Chuck and I are both this way.

So now the words are flowing. Time to ease back into the past as Jude Tremaine arrives at Fort Bowie, Arizona Territory. It could very well be a bloody night in the mountains around him. Ready for a rowdy ride, a betrayal, and a heartbreaking loss? Volume II of The Tremaines is in progress. Pray for no more interruptions unless the house is burning down or the wine is running out.

Cheers!

-N

 

Writing and Dogs vs Kitten

Good news on the writing front. I sat here in the living room, casting You Tube videos, with my tablet nearby, and the words just came rolling out. The scene I just finished set up an important relationship that will affect several of my characters and will drive the big drama between the main characters.

I looked back at some of the stuff I wrote a few days ago, being a bit more critical and immediately noticed necessary edits. But I’m not going to touch those until this first draft puppy is done. I know better than to mess with it like that when so much is yet to be written. I’m at 16k+ words right now.

I’ve been working on a design for our Galifrey One t-shirts. We are going to wear matching T’s on Friday. I think what I’ve come up with is pretty nice. Simple but gets the point across. I’m so ready to to be there. My kids live on opposite coasts which makes it hard to get together. I need to sell a bunch of books so I have the money to fly to Orlando more often. My daughter in LA is easier, just a eight hour drive from Tucson. Flights are also cheaper from Phoenix to LAX. Next month will be wonderful with all six of us together. I was telling my sister this a few days ago and almost started to cry.

We have some cold nights in the forecast this week so the dogs are spending the nights indoors. It’s 7:30 pm and 38 degrees. It’s been hilarious watching the dogs as they figure out the little furry boss in our family. Cleo runs the show, this teeny calico kitten running the two big German Shepherds around. She isn’t shy of them, and she will play, especially with Millie. We weren’t sure how they would all get on once they were introduced, but with patience they are coexisting.

Hope all of you are enjoying what ever is happening at your place.

Cheers!

-N

Yay Nick Foles and the Eagles!! 

Dog walking and thinking blog

Took needy Miss Millie for a walk, nice and long one to tire her out-it worked!20151012_092404

While out there I was thinking about some contemporary romance books I’ve read recently. I like romances with good stories to hold them up and some of these authors are real wordsmiths. There is something described that’s consistent in all of them-so far.

All of the incredibly handsome and hot, mega alpha, libido-charged masculine leads always and I mean always use condoms. The beautiful, sexy, perfectly shaped, “wet, tight and hot” female leads expect them to have condoms. Nobody goes without birth control.

Can we make this detail real life, please?

I would rather an unwanted pregnancy be prevented that to kill unborn humans. Abortion should not be used as birth control, besides the moral questions, repeated abortion is really hard on a woman’s body. Save it for those situations where there is no alternative.

Another dog walking topic that came to my mind was protecting animals in our care from harm. Harm from predators, bad weather, bad owner choices. Taking on the responsibility of an animal means you will make decisions for it. It is not in control of it’s life. If a human wouldn’t walk outside without shoes then think before you force freezing or blistering temperatures on your poor animal.

If your dog is aggressive or out of control GET IT TRAINED!! You doing the animal no service letting it stay in this condition. Another thing which is huge is getting your animals (especially cats) spayed or neutered. Uncontrolled litters become feral packs and food for predators. Bad.

Ok I’m off the soap box.

Cheers!

-N

 

Crazy living this last two weeks

Since my last blog things went a bit crazy, everywhere.

I started to get ready to go visit my daughter over in California. She lives in the Valley in a cute little guest house and no room for Millie. Thus began the effort to find a kennel. I had previously used a place and they always had room. However…when I called them their number was not in service and I found out they closed down! Yikes now what? That began a the staggering process of finding a place that I was comfortable leaving my puppy. She is 6 months old and hadn’t been apart from us, and especially not for a week. I was starting to get concerned.20151012_092404

The search was hard because it was the holiday. No duh! After calling, leaving messages, asking friends and  neighbors and coming to the conclusion I might not be going I had a thought. Maybe there would be someone in the Valley I could use! I got online and in one night of searching I found a woman who is part of co-op of home kenneling. I got it set up and was back to my plan to leave the Sunday before Thanksgiving.

It was great.

So-Millie and I left by 7am Sunday morning after a not so good nights sleep but that’s why there is Starbucks right? Millie was not traveling well in the front seat of the Explorer. I was bringing a bunch of stuff to Melissa and there wasn’t room for her so she had to ride in the front. She had become a drooling mess, whining and wiggling around. I knew she wasn’t remotely comfortable and this was going to be a 7 hour nightmare. I was just to the outskirts of Phoenix when I got a text from Melissa saying she was terribly sick with a stomach bug. I spoke to her and found out this was going around her landlord’s house. Everybody was sick.

No thanks.

I was able to reschedule with the kennel, thank God, and turned back toward Tucson. Travel plans were changed to Wednesday to give everyone time to recover. One good thing, it reduced the amount of clothes and things I needed to bring.

Three days later I left for California with a much better bed for Millie. I made great time and was able to get Millie to the kennel, and stop for dinner with Melissa and get back to her place in time to take it easy. Thanksgiving was wonderful. A nice variety of food, though I was missing Chuck, Aaron and Chelsea, but the company was very relaxed and friendly.

Then Friday showed up. We ate breakfast at Weiler’s (yummy) and came back to her place to exchange her entertainment cabinet for my smaller one. That was a really good idea and it fit her place so much better. We had to take her big cabinet apart to fit it into my car but we had Jeff’s (her landlord) help with that. We decided to visit friends and then go to the movie, even paid in advance for a seat reservation. After about an hour at their house I started to feel ill. It didn’t take long before I was sick, and I mean sick!! The thing I thought I had avoided was happening! Ugh!! We went home and I literally crawled into bed. Melissa managed to get a refund for the tickets and took care of me. It was an awful night.

I still had to drive back to Tucson.

Saturday morning I was better. Not well but better. This was one of those suck-it-up-old-lady moments. We picked up Millie, filled up the car and went back to Melissa’s to pack up my car. I left California with my tail between my legs and counting the miles to my own bed.

But I did it.

I spent Sunday thinking about doing things, that’s pretty much how far it got. The cursed bug came back with a vengeance that night. I lost most of Monday trying to recover.

Today is better and all you fine readers are up dated. I know you wanted the latest details.

-N

Dogs and humans

Miss MacyThis is Miss Macy my first German Shepherd puppy.

Last weekend I went to see my sister and for the first time to meet my puppy. She was three weeks old and so amazingly precious. It doesn’t matter what age a person is when we see a puppy our hearts turn to applesauce and we can’t help but fall in love. While we were there my sister’s granddaughter came over and she had same reaction as I when she got near the puppies. You just can’t avoid it.

My dog, when full grown, will be a big beautiful German Shepherd female. I’ve had this breed before and I love them. There are lot’s of humans who don’t like the breed, or don’t want such a big dog, but to me they are the best. Because I am getting a puppy I know I will watch her grow and remember the adorable little puppy in my heart.

I think this is why so many people like small dogs (or as I so affectionately refer to them-coyote bait.) They never stop looking like a puppy. I am not fond of little dogs and I know lots of folks have them because they work well in small dwellings. Ok if that is what works for you. I have no need to keep my dog in a purse or spend tons of money on puppy bling.

I have always loved my pets, but they are that-pets. I wouldn’t spend money on a pet at the expense of a human in my family needing care. But I do whatever I can to take the best care of my pet. They are part of the family and like all members of the family they have their place, their job and my attention.

One of my biggest “pet” peeves are the stupid humans who insist on harming their dogs with their idiocy. For example it is 105 degrees outside and some moron in an electric wheel chair decides to go to the convenience store around the corner and proceeds to haul their dog along. Ok, said moron would never sit butt down on the asphalt road or concrete side walk because it is 120 degrees, but moron thinks nothing of taking a dog with him/her, expecting this poor animal to endure the burning of its pads and the radiant heat off the ground roasting it’s insides. I’ve actually gotten into yelling matches with people I see doing this crap.

If you can’t stand for two minutes barefoot then it’s too hot for your dog!

On my Facebook page I berate my followers regularly with posts about leaving animals in the heat or cold, warning I will break a window if I see an animal in a hot car or I will call animal control if I think an animal is being abused. If you can’t keep yourself warm on a cold night without a heater, coat and shelter why the hell do you think your dog can! Ranchers bring cattle and horses into shelter when the weather turns to protect them.

I would more than do this for a human child, so as one given the heart to look after another species why wouldn’t I do the same for them. It is the responsibility of humans to look after the other life on this planet. If we have been given the care of a dog, cat, horse, snake, chickens, cows, etc. we must do the best job we can. If you know yourself and you know you will suck at it and maybe cause more harm then don’t do it! Give the care to someone who will do a better job.

Off soap box,

-N