JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING: The Pet Parade started in 2014 when, desperate for something to write about, I pasted up pictures of the animals in my household, then numbering two dogs and two cats. It was one of the best performing posts of that year, which gave me a hint about the relationship between JRW readers and their furry friends. So we did it again in 2016, this time with the back bloggers chiming in with their pets. Then in April of 2020, when we were all locked away at home, washing groceries and compulsively reading the CDC Covid statistics, we had the Parade of Pandemic Pet Pals, which gave us all something to smile about. For most of us, this is a much better spring that that was, so what better way to celebrate than with *sound of trumpets* Pets on Parade!
Maury Mechanick: This is a followup to the pet parade back in 2020. I had sent a photo
of Teddy Roosevelt Ruff Rider, our precious golden retriever, who among
other attributes, had actually met Peter Abrahams/Spencer Quinn in
person, and was a big fan of the Chet & Bernie series (including
being an active poster on the Chet the Dog blog).
Unfortunately, only a few months later, the time came for Teddy to cross
the rainbow bridge, and we lost our most precious boy. But out of loss
comes renewal, and about seven months later, young Franklin Delano
(notice a theme relative to naming) entered our lives. Franklin Delano
is actually Teddy’s half brother (from same breeder, shared father but
obviously a different mom, given the eight year gap) and if I would
describe Franklin in a single sentence, it would be that when they
passed out personality in the puppy line, he clearly went back for
seconds and thirds. He also is a big fan of Chet the Jet, although he
not yet had the chance to meet Peter in person (although if we can get
Peter to attend an upcoming Malice, that will definitely be arranged)
and Franklin, under the rubric of WTAFP (which refers to Wookie, Teddy
and Franklin’s Paw or me) continues to be an active participant/poster
on the Chet the Dog blog.
The first picture is a very
young Franklin a few days after we got him. The second is Franklin
watching the 2022 Westminster Dog Show, and the last was taken last
October in Vermont, near Quechee.
Mary Garrett: More of a houseguest, Prince the Eastern Grey Tree Frog appeared my first winter in this house and spent the winter, singing for his supper of one small cricket every other day, on advice of a MO Conservation Agent. On the Agent's orders, I took Prince outside in the spring, to choose safety and room service or freedom and other frogs. An amazing leap to a tree was the answer. ;-)
Judi Purcell: Rosie, Rowdy and Sunny.
Flora Church: Sharing Jimmy (Crackhead), our orange tiger male and youngest of the lot with his sister Missy. PK, the oldest female who doesn't like any of the other cats but has the prettiest green eyes and the greatest purr. Munch our longhaired male, aka Mr. Handsome, and Missy the gray shadow, prissy, spoiled rotten, and talkative. And Nemo, the boys' childhood companion, now elderly and wishing there were no cats in the household.
Leslie Kurtz: Echo and Freckles
Pat D.: Jack the Wonderdog, AKA, Jackyouasshole
Mary Cunningham:
Jeanie Brandt: S'More enjoys his walks. Lots of good smells in those leaves!
Gilian Butler: My one-of-a-kind, sweet and loving Marley (died in 2018). She was the best!
Martin, in Edith Maxwell/ Maddie Day's office window:
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| Cartoon by See Bang, from Comic4Squares.com |
Lovely, lovely . . . sadly, I have no shaggy dog or cat stories to share, but thank you to all who shared their darling pets' pictures . . . .
ReplyDeleteEven if you don't have any pets, it's always fun to see others'!
Deletelove seeing everyone's pet. I have no pet stories to share.
ReplyDeleteIf we ever do our "Jungle Red Con," we're going to have to add on a meet-the-pets day, Dru.
DeleteAs a cat person, I love that cartoon! Thanks for the parade. After pandemic kitten Ganesh, who ate all the blinds strings and viciously chewed holes in boxes, became an uncurable biter of human wrists, we had to give him back to the rescue organization.
ReplyDeleteWe couldn't be happier with big gentle Martin, who isn't eager to dash outside (saving his humans much heartbreak later), doesn't like a saucer of milk, could care less about raw chicken on the counter, has a complete disinterest in sitting in boxes, and just wants to hang out where we are - making us wonder if he's actually a cat. He's five now, so knock on wood that we'll have him around for a good long time.
Edith, a friend of mine calls those sweet, no-fuss kitties "Potato Cats." I suspect it's originally from a Far Side comic, but the concept of a cat X potato holds true, I think.
DeleteParade of Adorables! Thanks, everyone, for sharing your furbaby pics.
ReplyDeleteWe have not had a domesticated pet in decades. Too busy caring for and feeding all the local wildlife! Luckily, we can get our pet fix when we visit the granddogs, and Ella, the Siamese grandkitty in Oregon. At first my daughter thought Ella was deaf and blind, but then she concluded she was just pretending. She's so funny; they're a perfect match.
Oh, my God, Karen, that may be the funniest thing I've read all day. But totally believable. If there's a pet that will fake disability for sympathy and extra treats, it's going to be a Siamese cat!
DeleteLove seeing this Parade of 4-Legged Furbabies! Nothing quite so wonderful as the love of a pet. Our cat Holly is 15 and going strong.
ReplyDeleteWe have a picture of Holly from the Pandemic Parade of Pet Pals, Amanda!
DeleteThese are so wonderful! Thanks Julia for putting it together and everyone for sharing. I’ve never had a dog but appreciated other people’s… I’m allergic to cats or else I’d have a few. Love the cartoon.
ReplyDeleteGlad you like it, Hallie. I suspect I've developed a cat allergy over the years. My dear Neko, who is 13, will be my last feline. I love cats, but I really don't love the fur floating everywhere, and I don't think it loves me.
DeleteNice photos, all! A pet is such a wonderful companion. We probably won't get another dog. Sigh.
ReplyDeleteJudy, I have friends who are split on that decision. The husband so wants another dog. The wife, who took on most of the care for their increasingly infirm labradoodle (who lived to be 18!!) says absolutely not. So far, she's prevailing.
DeleteMore sighs!
DeleteI love these photos--thanks to all who shared. And thanks Julia for dreaming it up and posting!!
ReplyDeleteAnd for those of you who want to see Lucy's famous T-Bone, he's pictured in the previous pet posts. (I love the alliteration I'm getting around this topic....)
DeleteThank you, and again thank you. We on Nome St. are grieving the loss of Dmitri. He died suddenly around midnight last Saturday. We chose a special needs senior, knowing he might not live long. We were lucky; he was with us for over two years. For me, seeing the happy pets, and hearing their stories is heart warming. Just like there is always room for another great book, there will be room for another cat. Just not now. For me, seeing the happy pets, and hearing their stories is heart warming. Know that somewhere, some how another cat is padding her way to us.
ReplyDeleteI'm so sorry, Coralee, and glad Dmitri brought you joy for a while.
DeleteOh, Coralee, I'm so sorry to hear of your loss. I believe there's a special place in heaven for folks who adopt senior dogs and cats - as you say, the time may be short, but the love and good memories are long.
DeleteCoralee, sorry for your loss! I saw a comment yesterday about the CDS* (cat distribution system), and for sure there is another cat making its way steadily to you on Nome St.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great way to start my day--love love love the photos! My crew is being conspicuously quiet this morning.....hmmmm.....
ReplyDeleteMaybe they're sharing their new fame on social media, Flora. :-)
DeleteCats and dogs – so many. So far it is a count of about 40 cats (only 10 right now, was a high of 17 once, and yes they are all indoor/outdoor.) Everyone has been a member of our family and loved and grieved no matter how long their life.
ReplyDeleteHowever, to all our family the favourite pets (3) have been baby raccoons. To us all, and especially to the kids who slept with them, they were the ultimate pet. I have lots of lovely stories about them, particularly one Christmas story.
I can include an essay about one of our dogs that I wrote in 2015 if anyone is interested. Many people have told me that it touched their hearts with fond memories and many tears.
Margo, please do share!
DeleteMAY 2015
DeleteShe was just an ordinary dog.
In 2006, my brother lost his dog and was looking for a new one. He was scouring the SPCAs in the Halifax area and not being very successful, so I said I would look here. All his previous dogs had been Sheltie crosses, so he was looking for something similar. I went to the SPCA in Sydney and found the perfect dog – a little black dog with a bit (very small bit) of Border collie in her. I told him about her, but in the meantime, he had found a dog of his own. That is what should have been the end of the dog story, because we had a great big Old English Sheepdog at the time and we didn’t need another dog. A month later, I went to the SPCA to see if she was still there. She was. Her back story was that she had been brought in with a mess of puppies and of course they were easily adopted but she wasn’t. She was thin from nursing, and so not very inviting. I came home and said we were getting that dog. My heart was given to her. The next day she was ours.
Whoever had her first trained her well. The Border collie bit went zoom-zoom for about two weeks and then she calmed down. She paid no real attention to the chickens – they were just here. Cats were hers – that was all. She never chased them, even if they were from somewhere else and not known to her and on her property. In the morning when the catfood/dogfood was served out, she would let any or all of them eat from her bowl and when they were finished, she would finish it. She just sat on the floor waiting patiently. She liked us and not many others, but she was not mean. She hated other dogs – bar none. It aggravated her so that she barked annoyingly as they came on her property but she did not chase them – just barked. She did not play – that was beneath her – chase a ball, not likely. She owned her property but was not possessive.
She loved to go for a drive, and in the van would always ride shotgun. Should she have to sit in the back seat, it was under her duress. It was not often that we took her away with us, but after a long drive back from Moncton, she would come to life as soon as we turned down Catalone Northside – she knew she was coming home.
DeleteShe knew all the signals for going for a walk and in some unknown dog way also knew when we were not. Somehow, if she saw me putting on the i-Pod, she knew the difference between when it was walk time, and when it was just me working. She loved to go for a walk, particularly to the beach. Here she was perfectly happy to let me do the walking and she would wait for me where we entered the beach. This provided much entertainment for her as she snuffled in the long grass looking for a mouse. She was caught many times with a mouse in her mouth, just walking around.
If she could not go for a drive, she would gaze longingly and mournfully from the hall window as we drove away, and then hustle herself upstairs to sleep the day away on the bed. Many a time I would come home and she would be slowly dragging herself downstairs pretending it was not her who was on the duvet. She was by my side – not always literally - but within eye sight. She didn’t garden, but would lie in front of the chairs in Geriatric Row just keeping an eye on things. There was always the chance that something more interesting would happen. She would lie in the sunbeam and then complain that it was too hot – but guaranteed she would not move.
She lay by the chair in the living room, and would welcome a touch or two through the evening. Time for bed meant a quick run upstairs, where she would wait on her blanket until the lights went out and then jump on the bed. By morning she would often have managed to move aside a cat or two and have her head on the pillow. A quick cuddle would start the day, and then off the bed she would jump, ready to get on with things. She never, ever once made up her side of the bed.
She knew that the cookies were in the pantry closet. This closet is just across from the clothes closet. Both doors have a squeak. She always knew which one was which, and would mention quietly that should there be a cookie on offer, she would be glad to take it. If it was not after 3pm, this was not happening, but she never failed to give it a try. When Jack would come home from work and open the closet door (he was looking for chips) she would try the whole thing again, swearing that she had not had a cookie all day. Liar, Liar, pants on fire! She would take the cookie, stand it upright between her paws and chew her way down.
So, she was just an ordinary dog; but to us she will always be our prized Little Black Dog.
The tumor was first seen last July. To quote the vet “it is a mast cell tumor which may be benign, may be no trouble or maybe not.” For $400 we can do surgery and not be any farther ahead. We elected to let things go. It was aggressive, and by last week we knew the end was near.
DeleteSo, she was just an ordinary dog; but to us she will always be our prized Little Black Dog.
Oh Margo, we had our own black dog with a bit of white once upon a time. He's never been forgotten--he was family (Flora).
DeleteBeautiful story, Margo. I had a border collie as a child. The smartest dog I'v ever known...until she climbed out an upstairs window and fell off the roof! She never ventured out, again, and lived to the ripe old age of 16. I also had a black with white markings shih tzu who was the sweetest rescue dog, ever. She became deathly ill one day and was gone the next. An undiagnosed tumor of the spleen. They give us so much love and take out hearts when they leave.
DeleteI love seeing all the pet photos.
ReplyDeleteI should have sent a picture of Agatha, my short-tenured outdoor cat. We rehomed her before winter. We couldn't bring her inside (Koda is not a cat guy, plus The Hubby has allergies) and the Laurel Highlands is no place for an outdoor animal in the winter. She was the friendliest cat I've ever seen and got adopted within 48 hours of me dropping her off at the shelter.
A happy story all the way round, Liz. I was talking with someone - can't recall who - about this just a short while ago. Sometimes, the best and most responsible decision for a pet is to rehome it.
DeleteS'More looks like Buddy Holly, the winner of the Westminister Dog Show!
ReplyDeleteThanks Julia this is great fun!
Going to the Westminister Dog Show in person is one of my bucket list items, Anon. Fingers crossed...
DeleteS'more is a Biewer Terrier - he had a different name when I got him, but I saw marshmallow, graham cracker and chocolate when I looked at his little face. He's a sweet boy!
DeleteOn Tuesday, Rosie went home. Rosie is my friend Alice's 6 year old English cream golden retriever. It was the first time I had an animal stay with me since Marley died. It was so enjoyable for me to walk Rosie, to hear her toenails clicking on the wood floor, to have her lean against me when I was watching TV at night. It gave me some hope that I will be able to welcome another dog back into my life some day. It will have to be the right dog though, with a calm disposition, good with other dogs, not a lot of barking, and no eating disorders, (Sending my wishlist to the universe)
ReplyDeleteMy first golden retriever, Gloria, had an eating disorder--she ate everything (I laughed and laughed at Bob, the golden in the Janet Evanovitch novels, so similar to Gloria), whether it was food or not. Gloria ate hairbrushes, plastic figurines, my asthma inhaler, a Pilates video tape, two bags of Dove chocolates that were on the mantel (I thought out of reach), a paint roller. The list goes on and on and the vet bills were very high.
Gillian, I can put a plug in for Shih Tzus. Mine will bark at outside noises - which I want them to do, since I live alone out in the country - but are otherwise extremely chill. They don't require too much exercise, they're affectionate, and out of the three I've owned, no eating disorders. Plus, they're hypoallergenic and portable (topping out around 16 pounds.)
DeleteIt was taking care of Victoria's dog Janey that helped bring me to the place where I was ready to have my own dog(s) again after my Louis died. But it took a good three years.
Thanks Julia!
DeleteSo much fun to see everyone's pets! I have six in residence right now: four dogs and two cats. I didn't send in any photos this time because I was recovering from dog five, a foster dog who was supposed to be only here for two nights until I could move her to a long-term foster. For perfectly good reasons the long-term foster had to back out, so I had the dog for about two weeks and oh, my! She came out of the shelter severely emaciated, shorn of all matted fur, and clearly post-puppies--in very fragile health. She was at the top of the euthanasia list, but looked enough like a border collie that my rescue group took her.
ReplyDeleteI was able to get her healthy again, and on the road to regaining weight, but with the new health came new vigor and let me tell you, that girl was a handful! Strong-minded enough to make it through all the abandoned/pregnant/starving tribulations, once she was home and healthy she wanted to rule the world. Always by my side, she didn't want to share me with my other dogs, and thought the cats were probably skeevy too. What a whirlwind!
She has now moved on to a new long-term foster who is a retired military dog trainer. He calls himself a finishing school for dogs, giving them the training they need for good manners and the screening they might need for work or sport aptitude. He'll be perfect for the skinny girl. When I came home without her, my pack checked me over, realized she was gone, and we all took a well-deserved nap.
Gigi, I'm laughing at your description. Victoria's Janey was a post-litter, starving street dog when she got rescued, and was still thin and oh-so-skittish when Victoria adopted her. But once she had her feet under her - hoo boy.
DeleteJack has gathered quite a fan club whenever he visits me, along with husband Frank. He is 16 now, peppy in these cool mornings, not so much later in the day. He and Frank go to a dogfriendly coffee shop every morning where he (Jack, not Frank) is greeted with pats and hugs and free bacon. He revels in it. He lets Frank know what time to get up in the morning (he knows better than to wake me up), go for walks, and eat. He is a champion napper. He has really trained Frank well to do his bidding. I adopted him from the animal shelter when he was about four for my father-in-law. Eventually he came to us. We figure he is a jack russell terrier/corgi/sheltie mix and a very sociable, happy dog.
ReplyDeletePat, he looks all of those things in that photo. I love the idea of a daily sojourn to a dog-friendly coffee shop! Sounds like he's keeping Frank on schedule even in retirement...
DeleteAww these pets are beyond adorable!
ReplyDeleteThough I do not have a pet currently, my relatives have pets. When a relative was a young child, she really wanted a dog. Her father said that if her asthma goes away, then they can get a dog. Coincidentally her father quit smoking and her asthma disappeared! They got a dog and since then they always had dogs.
As a child, I had a dog who looked like the dog in the movie Babe the Pig. He was a crossbreed (mother was German Shepherd and father was a Border Collie). He always protected me though he got jealous when I tried to bring my neighbor's cat home at the age of 3. He barked at the cat and the cat jumped out of my arms! LOL
Great post yesterday about trains. I did not get a chance to comment yesterday. I love trains. As a child, I remember that I went on a train trip with my parents from a train station in northern California to Los Angeles. My grandfather met us at the train station. Not anymore. Last time I went on a train trip was from California to Seattle.
If I wanted to take a train to southern California, that would involve riding on buses and I am not a fan of the bus. Last time we went on a bus, the driver went too fast!
Easier to take trains on the East Coast. And in the UK and Europe, it is easier to take trains. I remember taking the train from Kobenhavn (Copenhagen) to Malmo. I loved the train trips from London to Edinburgh. No idea if I can take a train from England to Wales ? Would love to try that someday.
Diana
Diana, you can! From the "Visit Wales" site: "By train. The main direct rail route to Wales is the fast and frequent service from London Paddington, Reading, Bath and Bristol to Newport and Cardiff, with easy connections to Swansea, Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire."
DeleteTime to start planning for that trip!
Oh, I love these photos! I have many critter stories, having had many critters. Highlights - Starlight the polydactyl cat that speed-dialed 911 and led to one of the funniest conversations I have ever had, and Fred who came to the rescue I ran on a vicious cat call. He didn't have a mean bone in his body, I couldn't adopt him out with vicious on his resume so I took him. He was a true gentle giant, but if he perceived an injustice in his cat world, he stomped his big body to the offender and terminated the argument. He also couldn't hold his catnip and would have two nibbles and then fall face first in the dish sound asleep.
ReplyDeleteKait, sounds like Fred might have been the reincarnation of a 30's boxer. I'm pretty sure I've seen some movies about just that kind of character!
DeleteOh, Kait, he sounds like Noah, a big, loving guy I lost almost ten years ago. Noah was mostly black, with just a dab of white at his throat, and he weighed in at 18 pounds, all muscle. He had a sister named Scrap who was just as tiny as Noah was large. I'll never forget the moment when my niece's 5 pound rat terrier chased 8 pound Scrap under the bed, then came backing out again, displaying the universal body language of "oh sh**! oh sh**!" as Noah stalked out from under the bed toward her. Seems she'd interrupted Noah's nap. He could have eaten that little dog for a snack, but he settled for scaring her into my niece's protective arms. The whole thing looked like a Tex Avery take on the Three Billy Goats Gruff.
DeleteThat's fabulous! They have such great personalities! Noah sounds exactly like Fred
DeleteAdorable in every way! And this is so much fun… awwww.
ReplyDeletePerfect for pet lovers with allergies, Hank. All the awwww, none of the ahCHOO!
DeleteSuch a hilarious story! Glad she was ok!
ReplyDeleteRhys: all so precious. Although we don’t have a dog because of the complications of traveling a lot I am blessed with four granddogs who give me lots of loving
ReplyDeleteI have a granddog and a grandcat, and I love it, Rhys.
DeleteSorry for being late to the conversation again! It's finals and grading week at my community college, I was traveling through Tuesday, as you all know, and for some reason I also took on several social commitments this week into the next. I feel like Lloyd Bridges in AIRPLANE! - "I picked the wrong week to stop sniffing glue."
ReplyDeleteHeart explosion!!! I love all these critters to pieces! As a person with two dogs and five cats, I could have a solid parade in my neighborhood of my own. But I'm not up for herding cats, so...maybe not.
ReplyDeleteI don't know, Jenn, having heard some stories about the Hooligans and the Hubs, I suspect you're probably pretty good at herding cats...
DeleteLove all the pix and pet stories, especially when I'm in Westminster Dog Show withdrawal. My Jazz and Louie are in the backyard hunting moles today.
ReplyDeleteMargaret, I've become a HUGE fan of poodles since getting to know my friend Jessica Ellicott's Sam, a moyen poodle about the height of a Border Collie, weighing around 25 pounds. So sweet and clever, and with so much personality. I would 100% consider getting a poodle for my next dog, but I know myself - I'm not energetic enough to supply all the stimulation such an intelligent animal needs.
DeleteI don't know about stimulation...though we had plenty of kid action for entertainment when we had just one dog...and legless Barbie dolls. By the time the youngest left for college, we had acquired a second standard poodle, and the dogs are always together and always near me. Yesterday, Louie supervised my planting the deck boxes while Jazz dug up half the backyard. We do walk them two miles every morning and another mile before dinner. Talk to your local poodle club adoption advisor.
DeleteWe promised our son a dog when he started school; didn’t follow through until he started middle school but got two - supposedly a mother and daughter rescues. They ran the house for many years with the mama passing one day before we went into lockdown. We waited almost two years until I retired before getting another dog. He had heartworm and had to be kept “quiet” for two months while receiving treatment. As a result of the two of us being home together all day (he couldn’t be walked or even play with his beloved toys), he bonded with me. He’s fine now but definitely a mama’s boy. I love it because my husband has always been the pet whisperer so this time I am the alpha! —Pat S.
ReplyDeleteThat's so nice, Pat. Yeah, all of our dogs bonded most closely to me, because I was at home most of the time (and when the kids were younger and more feckless, I also handled 90% of the feeding, etc.) One of the reasons Victoria adopted her Janey when she moved to her then-boyfriend's place was because she wanted a dog that would love her best!
DeleteJudi, I'm laughing out loud - what a story! Victoria's cat Juno loved to jump up on the washing machine, and I was always nervous she'd miss the edge and go straight into the barrel. Glad to see there's a way out of even the worst misstep! Poor Swee'pea must have spent the better part of a year licking the last of that detergent from her gleaming white fur.
ReplyDeleteI should have included some info about Lulu with the pics. Lulu is our second Brittany Spaniel adopted through the National Brittany Rescue and Adoption Network. We will have had her for two years in June, and she just turned ten. Lulu came from what I suppose is considered a puppy mill. I don't know any particulars about the place except that she was given up to NBRAN after many years as a breeder. I don't want to think what trauma she endured, but it took close to a year for her to completely relax with us. Imagine a dog who wasn't used to being loved. She is just the sweetest girl and we spoil her shamelessly. We want her golden years to be completely happy and carefree. I admit that traveling, or traveling without Lulu, would be a problem. I never want her to suffer the trauma of being put in a kennel somewhere and wondering if she's been abandoned. So, we're looking at taking her with us on some shorter trips. The only place I would feel comfortable leaving her is with my sister-in-law (husband's sister), because Teresa is the dog whisperer extraordinaire. But, I don't want to impose on her for more than a few days. I can attend Bouchercon because husband will be here with Lulu. We love this girl so much.
ReplyDeleteFor a funny story. Coco Chanel (her registered name) was our first Brittany Spaniel rescue. She was eleven when we got her. (We like adopting seniors.) Well, Coco got loose from my husband outside, and while I was ignorant of the situation, Philip was scouring the neighborhood looking for her. A man came out of his house and asked Philip if he was looking for a dog. Philip was so relieved when the man said he had her. They walked around to the back of the man's house where Philip expected to see Coco, but the man kept going on into his house. Inside the man's wife was calmly sitting in a chair watching TV. No Coco there. The man continued on to a bedroom where Coco was lying on the bed. We laughed and laughed about this (Philip told me about her running off after it was over). That the man not only let her in his house but let her get on his bed and lay down, and that Coco would easily do this, was hilarious to us.
Now, one more thing. I meant to comment on yesterday's post, too. I love trains. The history of them is fascinating to me. I don't know if anyone else here watched Hell on Wheels, the AMC series about building the transcontinental railroad, but my husband and I loved it. When you mentioned the Chines laborers and how they were ignored in touting this magnificent achievement, I thought of the depiction in this show of how the Chinese workers were mistreated and had no rights or protection. The show certainly had its violent moments, but it also didn't pretty up the conditions in which people lived in early towns along the route. Of course, it didn't hurt that the series featured a gorgeous leading man, but I barely noticed that. Hahaha! Also, I love mysteries on trains. Kim Keeline, the show runner for this year's Bouchercon, does programs on mysteries and trains, and I won a live program presented by her in an auction. A small group of friends and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Kim knows lots about trains and is certified (not sure that's the right term) to operate a steam engine. And, Philip and I too a train trip from St. Louis to Kansas City (four hours) for our anniversary about five years ago. He took care of the arrangements and got us business class seating, which was so nice. We've talked about doing a long train trip, the California Zephyr or the Empire Builder or the Canadian Rocky Mountain trip.
I hadn't heard of Hell on Wheels, Kathy - thanks for the tip. I just love the idea of Coco running off and making herself at home on some stranger's bed!
DeleteI could read these stories and look at pet photos all day long, *such* a delight. Thanks so much for including my precious kitties in this fantastic group. Growing up we had dogs, cats, fish, and turtles, but for the last 40 years my husband and I've had cats, as they suit our life/traveling style better. All of our cats have been rescues. And Julia, yes, in a sense Spenser is named after the poet. He was named after Robert B. Parker's detective, who was named after the poet. He had a littermate we called Dashiell, and Keith's littermate was Mick. Maren (aka Maraboo, The Boo, the gray flash) was my dream girl, found by our vet after being horribly mistreated and abandoned. Once she realized she was safe she became the most loving, affectionate girl. I was able to have her with me in assisted living after a catastrophic fall, and she made ALL the difference in my recovery. We often spooned at night before falling asleep, with her deep purr like a lullaby. Bob, and his sister, Stella, came to us after friends lost their business in the pandemic. We also got darling Taj, our Norwegian Forest Cat, second-hand after a friend's mom died three years ago. He's 19 now, has medical problems and only weighs five pounds, but is such an enormous blessing in our lives. We're very lucky ducks, indeed.
ReplyDelete~ Lynda
I love the names and the stories behind them! Having adopted mistreated animals and senior animals, I know what a joy and privilege it is to care for them and make their lives brighter.
DeleteWhat a fabulous idea, Pets on Parade. I adore this and a rescuer of cats. These all are so very special. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteLove seeing all the pets pictures! Such a wonderful idea, Julia. Murphy and I are tickled to death to be included.
ReplyDelete