Clik here to view.
Finding the Warm in the Cold: A winter perspective with dogs and cats
Appreciating the beauty provided by Mother Nature: the woods behind our house after a snowfall. The winter of 2018: Snowstorm? Check. (Let’s call it a bomb cyclone blizzard.) Below freezing...
View ArticleClik here to view.
My Dogs Have the Cleanest Ears, Thanks to Lilah
Lilah makes sure everyone’s ears are clean. It’s one of the ways she shows her love, my Lilah. She cleans ears. She’ll start with one of Tucker or Jasper’s ears, then move to the other. Nothing halfway...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Text from Dog: He nose!
I don’t know what it is about dogs and snow. There’s something about it that makes them run and jump and play and bounce—and for some reason stick their noses in it. You’d think that would make for...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Haiku by Dog: Paws
Today’s Haiku is by Jasper. Back in February, we had a tease of spring: a couple of sixty — even seventy — degree days. Then we had a snowstorm, a nor’easter to be exact. Then another. And another....
View ArticleClik here to view.
Text From Dog: Scent of Adventure
Sniffs are kind of like barks. So much better to enjoy, share, and discuss with friends. Also like barks, there’s usually a bit of canine cache that goes to the dog who sniffed it — or barked it —...
View ArticleGreetings from Dogs and Cats: What it’s like to come home to a houseful of pets
Earlier in the month, I joined about 350 talented, funny and encouraging writers at the Erma Bombeck Writers’ Workshop in Dayton, Ohio. About two weeks later, I traveled to Kansas City, Missouri for...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Text From Dog: Instant Message
Or maybe it’s more like a sticky note? Either way, you have to admire the amount of information included in the average pee-mail. And they’re so well crafted that everyone (well, every dog) wants to...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Feline Honored: Nine Certificates of Excellence from the Cat Writers’...
Elsa Clair inspects my Cat Writers’ Association Certificates of Excellence. Jasper seems somewhat less than impressed. Recently I was honored by the Cat Writers’ Association with nine Certificates of...
View ArticleClik here to view.
When Fur Flies: What it’s like when my dogs have their spring blow out
It’s that time of year again: flowers are blooming, birds are singing, and dog fur tumbleweeds are collecting throughout my home. Springtime is when Lilah and Jasper blow their coats. Actually, it’s...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Robin Rescue: A tale of dogs and baby birds
On most days, before I let the dogs out, I perform a song and dance routine in our fenced-in back yard. It’s true. I sing, clap, and wave my arms around in a performance that would most certainly...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Haiku By Dog: Chicken
Today’s haiku is by Jasper. 3 dogs + 13,457 dog toys = 1 stuffed chicken that everybody wants. Do the math, and you’ll realize that the most coveted toy in the house is the one that the Other Dog has....
View ArticleClik here to view.
On Leaving: Making goodbye into a treat for my dogs
The looks I get when they know I’m preparing to leave. They know. They always know. Whether I’m making a quick trip to the grocery store, or will be gone for three days on a trip to yet another writers...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Text From Dog: In The Air
I guess the food is always better in the neighbor’s yard, right Jasper? I supposed when your nosicle can detect all kinds of smells from far away, it’s kind of like spying on someone. I’ve been...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Text from Dog: Shadow of himself
Depending on the angle of the sun, my dogs’ shadows can look very different. Particularly Jasper. Maybe because he’s the tallest of the three, so he can cast the biggest shadow, but he has a peculiar...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Cloud-based Hope
What do you see in the clouds? Several weeks ago, my dog Jasper was undergoing several tests—including an abdominal ultrasound and a thoracic X-ray—to help us figure out why he was hypercalcemic, why...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Text From Dog: A Dog’s Life
It’s a good thing to stop and reflect on the good things in our lives, like Jasper. To appreciate what we have, even the simple pleasures. One of the things I love about this time of year—the time...
View ArticleClik here to view.
This Time the Groundhog Fought Back
I have three dogs: Lilah is a Border Collie mix. Jasper is a hound of uncertain heritage. (Maybe part catahoula?) Tucker is a full-bore, out-and-out terrier. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that...
View ArticleClik here to view.
I’m Published In a New Book: Second-Chance Dogs
Look at the last entry in the table of contents and you’ll see “What’s Wrong with Your Dog?” by Susan C. Willett. That’s the first of my two stories included in this anthology by Callie Smith Grant....
View ArticleClik here to view.
Haiku by Dog: Before
Today’s haiku is by: Jasper. Everyone who comes to our door gets a special greeting: a bouquet of barks, howls, moans and whines, accompanied by tails wagging so hard that dog bodies morph into...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Why We Love Dogs: Celebrating Dogs for National Dog Week
Ninety years ago dog-lover Captain Will Judy declared that the last full week of September be National Dog Week—a time to celebrate and honor our canine family and friends. Thanks to author Lisa...
View Article