If you’ve been reading here for a while, you know that I’ve been a long-time amateur astronomer. Going back to my early childhood, I’ve had a fascination for all things up in the sky. It’s a fascination that Cait has come to share. We’ve spent many a night (and early [...]
When my family gets together, there are a lot of us. One of the many things we’re thankful for is that we all enjoy each other. There’s always a buzz of activity and lots of laughter.
We got to share an unexpected moment of merriment when, after a long day of [...]
In this season of thanks-giving, it’s an easier time than others to reflect on the importance of shared responsibility for and appreciation of the earth and all her inhabitants. To me, one of the most important facets of giving thanks means finding ways to give back. In my desire to [...]
From the Mailbag: Martha writes, I found your blog after reading Dogs of Dreamtime (loved Loved LOVED it!) and have been a reader ever since (thought not a very good commenter, sorry). I’m taking a writing course now and realize how hard it is to sit down and write everyday. [...]
Graidy is my early bird; he likes to start the day around 5 AM-ish. Once he gets me up, it’s rare that I can get back to sleep. So we hang out and take in the early morning sights.
Once the sun came up, this is what we saw this morning.
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Over the years, many people have asked for help on how to pick the perfect dog. I’m always happy to assist when I can. I usually start by asking: How many dogs old are you?
Huh? you say. Are you asking me how old in dog years I [...]
It’s that time of year; hard frosts herald the end of my gardening year. As I work to put my garden to bed until next spring, it’s a good time to take stock of the growing season. This year, with summer weather more typical of Ireland than upstate NY, and [...]
Lately, I’ve had to spend more time working at my “office” office, which means that I haven’t been able to work from my home office nearly as much.
Seeing these two faces at the door as I drive by is the pits. I hate it! I don’t know [...]
I’ve been growing my own garlic for about 15 years — all from my own bulbs that I harvest from year to year. I don’t remember what possessed me to order my first bulbs from Seeds of Change way back when.
After all, garlic seems a slightly peculiar item to [...]
As I mentioned last week, Cait makes sure Finn is in every night. On a recent night, the time got away from her before she realized that it was dark and Finn was not yet securely locked in the house.
So she started the nightly ritual [...]
It’s been a while since Finn, Cait’s Maine Coon mix, has gotten any air time. Let me remedy that. He’s almost 4 years old already! And he is well-loved by both humans and dogs alike around here.
That said, I’m not what you’d call a natural cat lover. [...]
I’ll be leaving in a few days to head out for another Walkabout to spend time in my belonging place.
It seems every so many years, it’s just something I need to do — go spend time in a natural landscape that speaks to me. That’s partly because I live [...]
I’ve been writing since I was eleven years old, when I wrote my first book. I first started writing in my father’s old Air Force writing kit. I’d just replace the notebooks after I’d filled them. When I’d finish writing a story long-hand, I’d type up the [...]
I grew up in the country where there were many more animals per square mile than people. There were no cell phones, no internet, and certainly no malls or McDonalds dotting every corner. Essentially, there was no instant gratification.
During summers, especially, we kids had to learn to be resourceful if [...]
Michelle O’Neil over at Full-Soul-Ahead! is someone I very much admire. She knows I’m nuts about my dogs and sent this to me. I hadn’t seen it before. Maybe you haven’t either.
Though I’m not conventionally religious, something about the pureness of gospel singer Wendy Francisco’s voice in this [...]
Cait’s little boy hasn’t been feeling so well. Feverish, tired and achy, all Wink wants to do is rest quietly. It’s sad to see this normally effervescent little guy so under the weather. (Though, in a day or so, he should be back to his normal self because he’s been [...]
Having recently gone through a growth spurt, Cait was in need of some new clothes. So off to the Mall we went. We always concentrate our efforts in this one particular store, because we always have good luck finding cloths that fit and that Cait will actually wear.
The tradition is [...]
It’s miraculous! I can now see without needing to have two pairs of glasses on my person at all times! Sing it with me now! Hallelujah!
To what do I owe this miracle? A marvel of modern invention. Yes, we’re talking contacts.
I don’t know why it took [...]
Early this morning, around 2 a.m., I was awoken by incessant barking coming from downstairs. Not an altogether unheard of occurrence at our house, with so many wild animals engendering great interest as they traipse through our ten-acre kingdom.
Boy, was I never so happy to be roused from a sound [...]
This one’s for my dad, who died twelve years ago today.
There’s an expression: “You can’t paint the air.”
It means nobody can do the impossible. I think my grandfather might have made it up. I’ve never come across it anywhere else, so I’ll give him credit for it. He was a [...]
And let your cares float away on the wisps of whispering breezes.
Works for me every time.
[...]If you can start the day without caffeine,
If you can get going without pep pills,
If you can always be cheerful, ignoring aches and pains,
If you can resist complaining and boring people with your troubles,
If you can eat the same food every day and be grateful for it,
If you can understand [...]
One of my great joys in life is heading out to the garden to collect food for dinner. Weather like this simply adds to the adventure.
I’m usually very thankful for rain, but with all the wet weather we’ve had, it’s really slowing down some of the crops.
As [...]
In my earlier post on Operant Conditioning: Part 1, I explained how it can be used with great success at motivating 2-leggeds and 4-leggeds. I shared the example of how, at Cait’s suggestion, I used +R (Positive Reinforcement) along with -P (Negative Punishment) to help motivate [...]
As much as anything, what I love about gardening are the nice surprises — what I call the “Gifts” and “Guests.”
The gifts come from seeds that I didn’t intentionally plant. Since I use open pollinated seeds, and I save my own seeds from year to year, I’m always allowing a [...]
It’s in the air today, along with the gathering thunder clouds. Everyone around here is hunting for something.
Our Great Blue Heron is on the hunt for his lunch.
He seldom misses.
He’s snagged himself a nice fish.
Oh, there’s something else fishing there along the side of [...]
When I was young, I was quite shy and never liked drawing attention to myself. One of the ways this manifested was that I spoke very softly. My wonderful father was bothered by this trait and took it upon himself to remedy the situation. Anytime I spoke, [...]
Maybe you’ve seen this ditty passed around in an email:
Ten Rules for Being Human
1. You will receive a body.
2. You will be presented with lessons.
3. There are no mistakes, only lessons.
4. Lessons are repeated until learned.
5. Learning does not end.
6. “There” is no better than [...]
Ever go through one of those times where you wake up in the morning to find a truckload of manure in your driveway? You didn’t order it. You don’t need it. You can’t return it, because the midnight interloper has left no forwarding address. And you’re not going to be [...]
I picked up Kiera late yesterday afternoon and she had a tough night. She’s doing much better this morning.
The vet thinks the growth was a result of an abscessed tooth, which she removed with a section of the gum just to be safe. It looks like [...]
Kiera is going in for surgery this morning to remove a growth on her gums.
Please send good thoughts for a speedy recovery and a benign biopsy.
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Time flies when you’re having fun. And Cait has been having loads of fun with her little boy. Hard to believe he’s one year old!
Our very first meeting. Wink (then named Casey) was a little shy and oh so tiny.
First day home.
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Cait came into this world with extra helpings of compassion and empathy. It doesn’t take long for people to discover this about her. And it’s not surprising that her friends frequently put her in the role of confidant and mediator. But it’s a role she often finds stressful — she [...]
Having lived with and loved a rescue dog who came to me with aggression problems, and having been around the block with various training philosophies to find one that worked, I’m happy to see that progress is being made in the understanding of what actually helps and what hurts. While [...]
What I love most about April is its promise of spring and rebirth. Even its holidays are days that offer cause for laughter and joyous celebration.
For those of us dealing with wintry climates, April ushers in excitement for all that is sunny, warm, and green. Winter coats get packed away, [...]
As I continue to collect amazing stories about dogs showing their smarts, I’d like to share the occasional one with you. I’ve selected this story because it speaks volumes on so many levels. See if you agree.
~This story came to me from Margo Seamus in Washington
The Ground Beneath Her Feet
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It’s been one of those “one for the record books” weeks. I won’t trouble you with all the details, except to ask that you add Erica and Karla to your prayers, if you’re the praying type. And if your loved ones surround you in one piece, remember to hug them [...]
What do you get with a herd of sheep, some LED lights, a few highly trained sheepdog and some rather imaginative Welsh shepherds? You won’t believe your eyes! Really. You won’t. (Make sure you stay for the fireworks.)
Click here to view the embedded video.
“We took to the hills of [...]
… could figure out how to crawl inside her skin to be that much closer, I’ve no doubt he would!
This is how the two of them sleep every night. Face to face. Breath to breath. Heartbeat to heartbeat.
It’s a love like no other. And I can’t believe [...]
I am often asked for help on how to go about submitting a book to publishers. In an attempt to simplify the process of passing along useful information, following is a crash course on how and to whom you should submit your manuscript. Consider it a nitty-gritty action plan.
First things [...]
With all the various projects and work stuff clamoring to get done, I’m starting to feel like the proverbial bouncing ball.
Boing! Talk to this client. Boing! Get that paperwork done! Boing! Add this idea to the to-do list. Boing! Research that article and get quotes. Boing! Meet this deadline. Boing! [...]
Amuse themselves by putting on skating shows for the only friends to be found for miles — their animals.
(That’s Finn sitting on the fence post.)
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Anyone who’s visited my blog over the past few days has been greeted with a big, bold “404 Not Found” message. The equivalent of the blue screen of death for a blogger.
In case you’re wondering what happened, my site got hacked. I had a couple of days [...]
When is the right time to bring a new puppy or dog into the family?
Rarely is someone in the position of being in the perfect time/perfect place — home most of the time, big fenced yard, older or no children, significant dog experience, familiarity and experience with [...]
For the tenth time, Andrew opened the refrigerator, hoping that something “good” would magically materialize. For the tenth time, when no miracle occurred and the exact same food stared back at him, he finally exclaimed, “Is it me, or is there only weird stuff in here?”
Because I hate grocery shopping [...]
The first time I saw them, I was camping out in Nova Scotia on an isolated sliver of a peninsula that jutted out into the choppy Atlantic Ocean. As I’d done since I was a kid, I threw my sleeping bag on the ground so I could [...]
Dashing through the snow, in a one dog open run, over the fields he goes, laughing all the way.
Apply dog’s version of K.I.S.S. more often:
Handle every stressful situation like a dog.
If you can’t eat it or play with it,
Just pee on it and walk away.
One of the ongoing battles I have with the modern world is how it works so hard to rob our children of their childhoods. I’ve fought a good war on as many fronts as I’ve been able — protecting my daughter when she’s needed protecting, and encouraging her to move [...]
My favorite carol for your listening pleasure.
Click here to view the embedded video.
While I always value simple things, that’s been especially true this holiday season. It’s been the little things (which really aren’t so little to me) for which I feel most blessed.
Like an uncluttered Christmas tree. And a daughter who’s old enough and wonderful enough to cook dinner [...]
Interesting changes in light all day today.
6:30 am
8:30 am
10:30 am
12:30 pm
2:30 pm
4:00 pm
6:00 pm - Power out from an ice storm.
8:00 pm
10:00 pm. Jupiter and Venus, [...]
Here’s one smart dog who’s figured out a creative solution.
Click here to view the embedded video.I’m having a blast reading through all the “Smart Dog” stories people are sending in. I wish I could include this video sent by Heide. Kinda sums up the spirit of my book.
For those [...]
Cait, knowing we had a long drive ahead, led with her standard question as soon as we pulled out of the driveway, “So, Mom, what should we talk about?”
Feeling more than a little frazzled and grumpy from a ridiculously hectic morning, I said, “Give me a [...]
In this season of thanks-giving, this video reminds me of how precious life is and how thankful I am for all my beloved four-footeds and two-footeds.
Click here to view the embedded video.May your week be filled with as much love, joy, and peace.
From the mailbag: Cheryl writes: I just started a blog four months ago and at first had all kinds of things I wanted to write about. Then I started putting too much pressure on myself to come up with something brilliant everyday and I quickly got writer’s block. Then I [...]
I’ve got to make some decisions about which vaccines I’ll be subjecting Wink to and whether or not he’ll be neutered.
It’s been several years since I’ve had to deal with puppy vaccine and neutering schedules, and there’s been a considerable amount of new information [...]
Hey guys, want to make your smart dog famous? I’ve been contracted to write a book that will include stories about how dogs demonstrate their intelligence. I’d like to include a story about your Doggy Einstein if you’ve got a good one.
If you think for a moment, I’ll bet you can recall [...]
Where has the time gone? How can she be nine years old?
It was just yesterday that she came home with me.
She has been Cait’s best babysitter.
Guardian of the gardens.
Protector of the flock.
[...]
PetDoc has a terrific web site and blog for pet lovers, chock full of health news, behavioral and training tips, and interesting editorials and interviews. Today, I’m the featured guest and you can read the interview here.
While you’re there, stick around and read these interviews from [...]
Having recently written about how to find a dog from a breeder, I wanted to give equal air time on how to find a dog from rescue or shelters.
I’d like to start with this piece written by a rescue person, from the Best of Craigslist.
Note to adopters
Lassie, Cleo, [...]
What’s that saying…? Never discuss politics or religion.
It’s a rule I’ve pretty much followed, because I’ve found that I’ve never (not even once) experienced an enlightening conversation on these topics in mixed company with opposing views.
Too often, it just gives people a chance to sharpen the points on their own [...]
Welcome to WordPress. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start blogging!
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