It’s been a strange summer in Seattle, in fact, two stranger summers in a row. Cooler than normal, and damp when it’s usually dry. But all’s well because the lavender is here! I use lavender for my business. I keep huge bunches of the grosso variety everywhere, clumped in vases, draped over towel racks, and […]
Worshipping at the Altar of Rimadyl
My eldest dog, Murphy, a female Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, is 13. We never expected her to make it to 3, but she’s vibrant and healthy. It took a lot to get her that way. Some of her problems were inherited, some medical mistakes, some the normal up’s and down’s of life. Murphy’s health took […]
It’s Called Trespassing: Quit Ruining the World for Dogs
It was a summer evening and the dogs and I were out for last call. A man and woman at the end of the block were standing next to the waist-high wall that bordered my neighbor’s steep property. It’s unusual but not alarming to see strangers lingering in our busy beach neighborhood at night. However, […]
Hug Sale: Get Yours Now!
Yesterday I took the afternoon off to have some fun. I loaded up on tasty candy at my local food co-op and headed off to see Cowboys & Aliens with a new friend. Sure, Wall Street was acting up big time (again, and pointlessly, really, how should we handle a spoiled brat?), but I had […]
Yellowstone: It’s Why I Buy Canon USA
Sure, I love my Canon printers. Even the non-techies among us can use them, and if you can’t, they have excellent customer support. I should know: this summer the kind folks at Canon have had to help me install my printer drivers for two printers on three different occasions, as I dealt with computer issues. […]
The Camperdown Elm: What Are We Doing to Nature?
Copyright (c) 2011 by Danny L. McMillin I’m staring at a Camperdown Elm as I write this. I’m in my car, at Port Gamble, Washington. The dogs and I are going to see our vet (yes, we drive a minimum 5-1/2 hours to see the vet). Every time we do that, we stop at the […]
Why MY Dogs Aren’t Spoiled–MY Cat Ain’t, Either
Amazing the number of people who scowl and tell me I’m spoiling my animal family. It flummoxes me. These people, ‘the complainers,’ don’t just turn up their noses at me and my kids. They’re rude about disapproving of people (like me) who treat our animal family as something more than discardable toys, and in public […]
Grace the Cat’s Tail
We live in a small condo: just me, two Cavalier spaniels (Murphy and Alki), and Grace the Cat. Well, okay, let’s include my crystal partner, Fallon, and Raymond, a fifty-something jade tree who spreads out like an oak. Yes, our condo is small. Still, it’s plenty of room for my head and Grace the Cat’s […]
When Animal Communication Bites
Have you always wanted to talk with an animal? And hear it talk back? It’s easy. Just do it. But be polite, or you’ll find out, like I did, that animal communication can bite. Just like talking with any being out there, from a tree to a hurricane, animal communication is about respecting all life […]
When Good Toys Go Bad
Toys are a big part of the magical goofy fun side of family life. In our case, it’s a multi-species family life, which means we are a woman, two Cavaliers, and a goofy eight-pound cat. At our house toys (practically) rule. We have every kind of toy, from bouncy tennis balls and rubber chews to […]