$ for a good cause

(Nicki keeps her eye out for her morning dove and pigeon friends)
I received an email from One lucky Duck today . Attached was an offer:10% of proceeds from all pet product sales would be going to several animals related causes. The motivating factor behind this offer is a rather wonderful adoption story -along with lovely photos of lucky Leon Quinn . Sweet.

Happy, happy holidays!

New news

There is a new member in our family:meet Maxx. He is 6 years old, rescued from a shelter , loves women (and is learning to love men), and looks like a horse when he trots here and there.

Also: Inky the wonder cat's brother "Toughie" has had surgery on the lumps on his head . Happily they were just cysts . Things got briefly complicated when Toughie decided to rip out all of his stitches - risking infection. A second surgery was done to clean his wound and stitch him up again and he is healing well-with the help of a radar dish collar.

(Photos of Toughie to come)

Perhaps the best news of today came from Fred of "One Bark At A Time": his photos of wonderful dogs can again be found online in his newest blog "Pound Dogs" . It was such a nice surprise to see this good friend of animals had come back to life, so to speak.

On a down note, Fred's dog Rocky is doing poorly. What a year 2010 has been.

With all that has gone on this year, personally, professionally and globally, we are chomping at the bit to get out of 2010 and into a better 2011 ASAP. The happy holidays and New Year can not come fast enough!

tornado 2010

Sandi has watched the clean up action from the bedroom window and I can tell you-neither she nor Nicki is a fan of the load noises made by all the machinery required to turn decades old trees into inch sized pieces of mulch.

the negotiation

Sandi thinks the kitchen should be open 24-7. The vet has warned her that her weight IS an issue but she has yet to associate her love of eating with increased inactivity and weight gain. She covets her sister's food and this has made Nicki somewhat frantic around food. I have tired to find ways to feed them to avoid this -with little luck.

Lately Sandi has taken to chasing Nicki whenever she gets the chance but Nicki is nimble and has found that jumping to high places ends things quickly. Her favorite new spot is on the VERY top of my desk.

Sandi then retreats to the kitchen and if I happen to be there she does all she can to try and get my attention so that I may understand just how much she really wants to be fed. Again.If it appears that I am not caving in to her demands Sandi stands up and hangs on my clothes with all of her weight. She has ruined quiet a few pants and skirts that way. She is lucky I love her...

Lola, lost & found

Lola's owners did an amazing job of blanketing the neighborhood with signs when she went missing. The signs are in color and there was a reward offered. Queens Crap did it's usual great job of getting the word out about Lola. And telling the story of how she was "found". The store in question is rather new to the neighborhood and you get a funny feeling when you walk by it-day or night. They have their dogs in baby cribs...I thought this was strange until my sister-in-law told me other stores do this too.

Here is the interesting thing:Lola's signs are still up, weeks after the fact-all over the place-on every corner's lamp post. I kind of like to think they are there as a reminder to whoever took Lola/sold Lola/ bought Lola/returned Lola/pocketed the reward.

This is not the first time someone has put up signs saying someone has taken their dog & as a life long resident of this area I have begun to wonder what has become of the lovely neighborhood I grew up in...

talking

Both Nicki & Sandi love to chit chat. Usually this happens when they are left in a room alone and I am elsewhere, working . Suddenly a plaintive cry can be heard. Usually, I go in search of them,as, in theory, I want them to know I hear them and care about what might be going on. Both cats have a habit of reacting with surprise when I approach-as if they had no idea I was home and are really happy to see me. The interaction often ends with a kiss(which they hate-see Sandi's reaction from earlier today-not her happy face!) or a scratch behind the ears or a toss of their favorite toy.

Ever since they were kittens they have also done this sort of thing right after bed time and the lights are out . Too often it happens just as I am about to fall off to sleep-just as I have hit that edge of blissful semi consciousness. I think they are "saying" :Where have you gone? Why are the lights out? Aren't we getting fed again? Can't we play? The particular meow they make sounds so sad & lonely that I have always pulled myself out of the nice, warm bed to see what was up. I figure it is part of the responsive agreement we have.

Can you do this?

Maggie joined the family for Mother's Day and Jean taught her to "find the treat". It reminded me of those guys one used to see all over the seedier parts of the city, years ago. They would set themselves up on cardboard boxes and lure in passers by with the chance of making a few bucks. I always knew to pass quickly as rumor had it pick pockets worked the crowds that gathered. NO chance of that here. Just lots of fun to be had!