Write Thinking

Some Adorable Pet Photos from the Camera of Angela Hunt

My good friend, Angela Hunt, has a passion for helping shelter animals find new forever homes. Here's a slide show she put together. Take a moment to watch it. They're so cute.

Guest blogger: Princess Pinky

Hello. My name is Princess Pinky. My human mom is Robin Lee Hatcher, and she is up to her eyeballs in (1) trying to finish another book (Beloved) and (2) proofing typeset galleys for the one that will release in November (Betrayal). So I volunteered to step in on her blog today.

Usually it's "that dog" who gets to do all the guest blogging in this family. Not only that, Poppet trash talks me a lot on her Facebook page. I don't think that's right. Do you? And look what Poppet put as the header on her FB page (see below)!


A dog's life. Humbug!

Okay, a few facts about me. I came to live with Robin as part of her recovery after surgery. As for my name, the only other pink on my body besides the tag on my collar are the pads of my paws. Otherwise, I've got a beautiful black-and-white tuxedo thing going on.

I am 19 months old, and I tip the scales somewhere around 13 pounds. I'm an indoor cat by Robin's choice. Me, I try to sneak out every chance I get, but that isn't often because the humans are on to me.

Interesting tidbit. I'm passionate about yarn, but for some silly reason, Robin doesn't like me to get into her knitting. I mean, I think that yarn looked pretty draped from one end of the living room to another and back again. Like a really colorful spiderweb or something. She should've taken a photo instead of putting her knitting into that plastic box with a lid that locks.

Now, I'm sure you're anxious to learn my opinion of Poppet. Mostly, she's a nuisance, although when she gets into one of those hunter-killer modes, she can be a little scary. At those times, I hightail it for under the bed. Personally, I think she could use some medication so she'd settle down. At the least she should understand that my name may include the word Princess, but this cat is the Queen of the household. I am She who must be obeyed.

Well, the truth is that we get along okay most of the time. Sometimes we both sleep on the bed with the folks, but mostly I spend my nights on the sofa or on the top shelf of my castle (usually called a cat tree, but you understand why it isn't called that in our home). Now and then Poppet and I play together. I would love it if she would participate in those play times more like a cat than like a dog. The dog stuff can be annoying.

One last thing before I go take one of my many daily naps. I'd like you to know that Robin fequently includes cats in her books. Maybe 60/40 dogs/cats. I'm working on that ratio, but the truth is, cats don't herd sheep or cattle and they don't raise much of an alarm when coyotes are in the chicken coop. So I guess I'll forgive her.

Signed,
Her royal highness
Princess Pinky

Cats are Weird by Poppet Hatcher

Hello, from SW Idaho, where it's officially winter but there is still no snow on the ground. Bogus Basin Ski Resort, which we can see from the valley, isn't open yet. Humans who like to ski are very sad. Me, not so much. I don't like having to "do my business" when the ground is white and cold.

Anyway, I'm Poppet, an eight-year-old Papillon (the "butterfly dog"), and I try to keep everything in order in the Hatcher household, primarily by barking lots, licking lots, and loving lots.

Robin didn't have anything to say today on her blog, so I decided to fill in for her. I usually post little comments and jokes and photos and such on my Facebook Page (you're welcome to join me there anytime), but I've never tried to write a blog post before. So it seemed to me that I should start with the topic that is most often on my mind––the weirdness of cats. In particular, the weirdness of Robin's cat, Pinky, a one-year-old feline of questionable parentage who now outweighs me by a good three pounds or more. A few questions on my mind would be…

• Why doesn't she have the good sense to sleep at night? There are times it sounds like she's destroying the living room while humans and I are trying to sleep. Bam! Crash! Thump! It's quite disturbing.
• How is it, even without claws on her front paws, she can find a teeny-tiny-little hole in the sheer living room curtains and proceed to make it a big-huge-long rip? Or maybe the question should not be "how" but "why"? (Curtain salesman due here later this morning to give a bid on new window coverings that won't tear.)
• There's nothing I love so much as a snuggle and a rub behind the ears. But Pinky doesn't want to be touched unless it's her idea. She'll crawl up on Robin's chest on the sofa and purr and knead her spot until she lies down. But no one should even think of trying to love on her at any other time. How dumb! Why is she like that?
• What makes her want to get up to the highest spots in the house? Was one of her parents a circus tightrope walker or something? She loves to leave her nose prints on the high windows in different rooms of our domain. Robin doesn't love it all that much. (We won't mention my nose prints on the lower window by the front door; Robin doesn't love those so much either.)

Feel free to provide me with insightful answers if you choose. And thanks to Robin (who loves me to distraction despite my barking habit) for letting me guest blog.

~poppet

2011 Reflections & My Word for 2012

Here we are again. Another year coming to a close. How did we get here so fast? Well, regardless how fast it sped by, it's time for one of my reflection posts (the kind you'll be reading all around the blogosphere this week).

My Word for 2011: For new Write Thinking readers, each December I ask God for a word or words for the coming year. I've been doing this since 2005. The word God gave me for 2011 was "Rejoice always!" (1st Thes 5:16). Considering I had surgery in December 2010 and was facing continued cancer treatment in 2011, it was easy to see why this was the word He gave me: To help me stay in an attitude of thanksgiving and praise no matter what storms life might toss my way. Since the 1970's, I've written in the front of my various study Bibles, "No matter what, I will praise the Lord!" When that's how I live, the Lord definitely keeps me in perfect peace. Rejoice always!

Bible Reading: I read through the entire Bible again in this odd-numbered year, as has been my practice since 1997. This makes the 9th time I've read through the Bible from cover to cover in the past 15 years. (I'd read through it more than once in the years prior but never kept track of when.) There was an extra reading tossed in there because our church did the Bible in 90 Days in an even numbered year. My normal even-numbered year reading program is to read the New Testament three or four times, but I may change things up this year. Time will tell.

Bible Study: In the first half of 2011, I completed the BSF study of Isaiah. In the second half, I began the BSF study of Acts. I also completed Beth Moore's Jesus, the One and Only and made it halfway through To Live is Christ. Rich, rich, rich times in the Word.

My 2011 Releases: I only had one brand new novel published in trade paper (as well as ebook and audio) this year, but a number of my out-of-print titles were reintroduced as ebooks and a few as new audio books as well (some were already available via audio so am not noting those). Plus I had an ebook Christmas novella release, new to the Christian market.

• Belonging (Zondervan, September 2011)
• Catching Katie (ebook from Greenbrier)
• Ribbon of Years (ebook from Greenbrier)
• Firstborn (ebook from Greenbrier)
• Beyond the Shadows (ebook from Greenbrier)
• A Home for Christmas (ebook from Ten Talents)
• The Victory Club (ebook from Ten Talents)
• The Forgiving Hour (ebook/audio from Zondervan)
• Whispers from Yesterday (ebook/audio from Zondervan)
• The Shepherd's Voice (ebook/audio from Zondervan)

New Books I Worked on in 2011 (in various stages):

• Belonging
• Heart of Gold (Feb 2012)
• Betrayal (fall 2012; subject to change)
• A Christmas Angel, novella in A Home for Christmas

Pets: Poppet tried (on at least a bi-weekly basis) to kill Pinky through the better part of 2011. It was scary to witness, especially when Pinky was so tiny. But twice she managed to scratch Poppet in the eye which sent the dog to the vet rather than the kitten (ka-ching, ka-ching). More than once I considered finding Pinky a new home in order to save her life, but I just could never make myself part with her. Before she turned a year old, Pinky outweighed Poppet, and peace has reigned in the Hatcher household for the past two and a half months. I'm hoping this is a permanent truce. Here are a couple of pictures of Pinky shortly after I brought her home on 12/30/10, barely a handful and weighing less than one pound, and a couple of her today, weighting in at more than 13 pounds. (I put the same box on the sofa for comparison to when she was crawling on it last year; click photos to enlarge.)

Favorite Movies of 2011:

• The Help –– My absolute favorite movie of the entire year, bar none. Saw it twice in theaters within a week of its release and already have watched it four times on DVD in December. Was stunned to see that one magazine movie reviewer put it in the Worst Movies of 2011 list. What? He/she must have watched a different movie than I did.
• Jane Eyre (the new version)
• War Horse

Favorite Books of 2011:

• Mine is the Night by Liz Curtis Higgs
• A Lasting Impression by Tamera Alexander
• The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
• Decision Points by George W. Bush
• The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt

Other Notes from 2011:

• Knitting: I am just about done with my third prayer shawl, and I have found a real passion for "knitting hugs" as I think of the prayer shawls. They take lots longer than the fun and funky scarves I was making to give to friends, but they also have a great deal of meaning. I've already collected several new pattern books for future projects.
• Exercise: I have done better this year at getting in my (almost daily) exercise. The drugs I'm on for cancer treatment (see next item) cause weight gain so it's a royal battle to be sure.
• Health: I completed my radiation treatments in February and celebrated one year as a cancer survivor in November. I am cancer free, praise the Lord!
• Cruise: I went on my first ever cruise this year, and I had a blast. Best news was, I came home and discovered I hadn't gained a single pound. Now we're planning for an Alaskan cruise in 2013.

Biggest Surprise of 2011:

God worked a miracle and kept a promise in a surprising way. And no, we didn't shrink as we got older; it's the angle of the camera. But we both have less and lighter hair, paler skin, and a bit more weight.

Goals for 2012: Despite the Mayan calendar's prediction that the world will end before 2012 is history, I am making myself some goals for the year. I'm resisting calling them New Year's Resolutions; that seems to set me up for failure.

• Increase my workout time and add more resistance training to my cardio
• Read more (more fiction; more craft of writing books; more history; more Christian living).
• Watch TV less.
• Get my office clutter under control!!

My Word for 2012: "Fear not." The verse God gave me with the word is, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.” (2 Timothy 1:7, NLT) I want to walk in the spirit of power, love, and self-discipline. I look forward to what God is going to teach me about what that means in the coming months.

Finally, I'm sending my Write Thinking readers my very best wishes for a New Year that is rich in the hope found in Christ. The world we live in is so unpredictable and at times, downright scary, but Jesus is faithful to those He calls His own.

~robin

P.S. If you have any year end reflections to share, please leave them in the comments section here on my blog or on my Facebook Page.

Pinky is my new maid

It's true. My cat, apparently, has decided to become my housekeeper. Not in a major way. And since she leaves her kitty prints just about everywhere in the house, I'm not sure that this is balancing things out. Still...

I came out of the bedroom Saturday morning, and during the night, Pinky had run the Roomba vacuum cleaner. My living room and hall carpets had those just vacuumed lines in all directions. I wouldn't mind, but I do like to make sure there aren't any pet toys lying around to get caught in the brushes. Don't want to burn up the engine or anything while I sleep.

I must confess that I wasn't terribly surprised by my discovery because I've been having trouble with her in the last couple of weeks turning the thing off in mid-cycle. Trouble maker. I guess she gets tired of the sound?

A friend told me to check out YouTube where you can find Roomba riding cats and dogs. Okay, I'm easily entertained. Sure enough, there are quite a few pets going for rides on vacuums. I don't want my monster cat to sit on mine. She already weighs 11.5 pounds at 9 1/2 months of age. I'm afraid she would definitely burn up the engine if she were to try to hitch a ride.

Now, this is where I should probably come up with some deep spiritual truth to share with you, but I'm stumped. So I think I will just leave you with one of the "cat riding on Roomba" videos I found on YouTube. Enjoy. Hope you are as easily entertained by animals as I am.

~robin

My Life with a Dog and Cat, Biblically Illustrated

The Story of Adam & Eve's Pets

Adam and Eve said, 'Lord, when we were in the garden, You walked with us every day. Now we do not see You anymore. We are lonesome here, and it is difficult for us to remember how much You love us.'

And God said, 'I will create a companion for you that will be with you and who will be a reflection of My love for you, so that you will love Me even when you cannot see Me. Regardless of how selfish or childish or unlovable you may be, this new companion will accept you as you are and will love you as I do, in spite of yourselves.'

And God created a new animal to be a companion for Adam and Eve. And it was a good animal and God was pleased.

And the new animal was pleased to be with Adam and Eve and he wagged his tail.

Monday Mush

It's Monday morning, and only after I finished my 25 minutes on the cycle and had the coffee perking did I remember I needed to blog (Mondays are my days on the group writers blog, Writes of Passage). Oh dear. My brain is mush.

I'm still working on the line edits of Heart of Gold. Very close to the end but not quite. And in the evenings, I've been proofing some of my older out of print titles, preparing them to be re-released for eBooks. I wish I was a much faster reader, that's for sure. And I wish my brain wasn't mush.

Yesterday after church, I dined out with my daughters, their families, their father, and friends of my youngest. Great fun, and I ordered the Cinnamon Swirl French Toast. Decadent! Surprisingly, the scales weren't mean to me this morning. Still, I tried to work extra hard on the cycle, just in case it shows up later.

Okay, it must be time for a pet update. We have gone two or three weeks now without Poppet attacking Pinky. I'm feeling more relaxed. Poppet does chase her several times a day, but it's a game rather than an intent to kill or mutilate. Perhaps, thanks to the prayers of many, we are over the hump and a treaty has been reached between dog and cat.

I was worried because Poppet hadn't been eating much of her food for several days in a row ... and then I discovered she was eating the cat's food. So now Pinky dines in the upper box of her castle.

While in the pet store to buy more kitty chow (I couldn't believe the cat was eating so much food!!!), I saw these feather and ribbon concoctions on a stick for just $4 so I bought one. Oh. My. Word. This thing has not only kept Pinky busy but me too (since I'm required on the other end). She jumps and spins and somersaults and soars and crashes. I laugh and laugh.

Have I mentioned that I'm a simple woman who is easily entertained?

As you can see, Pinky loves her toy. I believe her instincts to kill birds is in high gear when she sees it. And Poppet, obviously, is completely unimpressed and would much rather stare out the window than watch me and the cat act so silly.

~robin

Poppet and Pinky (Like Wolf & Lamb) Will Do No Harm

In completing the final chapters of the BSF study of the book of Isaiah, I couldn't help thinking of my warring pets when I came to this passage:

"The wolf and the lamb will graze together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox; and dust will be the serpent’s food. They will do no evil or harm in all My holy mountain,” says the LORD. (Isaiah 65:25, NASB95)

Poppet keeps trying to confuse me (the little beast). One moment she's after Pinky with vengeance in her eyes, her scream-like bark clearly saying, "I plan to kill you!!!" The next thing I know, she's sharing floor space or the back of the sofa with Pinky as if they are the best of friends. Like these photos taken this weekend:

Okay, let me apologize for that photo showing all of my patio furniture still covered and bunched up for winter (that changed yesterday afternoon; I'm ready for warm weather now), not to mention my Dust Buster not put away. Oh, well. You might as well know. I live in my home. (You can click the photos for larger versions.)

~robin

Idol 10: from 6 to 5

Before we get into the results show, must give a POPPET AND PINKY UPDATE: Late this afternoon, I was working in the living room and suddenly realized I hadn't seen dog or kitty for some time. And after a lot of barking because today was yard work day and Poppet has to let them know they're disturbing her. Anyway, I went looking for the animals. Both of them were lying on the bed in the guest room in the (rare) April sunlight streaming through the window. Lying there like they were friends and Poppet never tries to kill Pinky. I don't want to get too trusting, but I sure hope it means that we may reach a place of peace in the Hatcher household. (Full Disclosure: Poppet acted like she would attack Pinky more than once today, so it wasn't all peace and tranquility on this Thursday.)

Okay, here we go. Ryan told us a lot of fans were going to be disappointed with the results tonight. If that's true (that a lot of fans will be disappointed) and if I'm right that the bottom three most likely will be Jacob, Haley, and Casey, then I predict Casey will go home. Not many would be disappointed if Jacob went home (IMHO). Haley has been in the bottom three a number of times, so I can't help thinking she doesn't have a large enough fan base. So if we're going to be surprised as well as disappointed, then I'm betting it will be Casey.

Group sing. Not particularly good. 'Nuff said.

Ford video to Our House. Good song and cute ad.

Oh, wow. Haley had on a long skirt.

Crystal Bowersox returned to the stage. She was a favorite of mine last year. Enjoyed this performance.

A segment of questions for the finalists and their answers. Then began the results. Haley was first and she was safe. Ryan tortured three more without saying if they were safe or not (Scotty, Lauren, and Casey). The next segment told us that James was safe. Jimmy Iovine didn't like the blue and yellow suit at all. (Hmm. I kind of liked it. I thought it looked like his style. But hey, I spend the winter working in pajama bottoms. What do I know?) No result for Jacob. Then the remaining three were called back to the stage to join him, and seconds later, Lauren was told she was safe.

Bruno Mars performed.

And finally we get the results. No bottom three to be announced tonight. Just a slow reveal. [Update: Just to clarify. Scotty was not in the bottom 2 or 3. AI didn't reveal the bottom 2 or 3. Scotty was just the Idol contestant they left standing next to Casey.]

And the Idol going home tonight is ... Casey. (Too bad I'm not a gambling gal, huh?) Well, the Judge's Save took Casey from #11 to #6 so it wasn't wasted. I think he matured as a performer in those five weeks.

Casey, you brought something really unique to American Idol this season. You made the bass very cool. You're going places. I don't doubt it for a minute.

~robin

Biting your own leg to spite yourself

One of the pastors at my church shared this video (embedded blow) on his blog. I thought what a good example it was of how we can attack ourselves in numerous ways, sometimes over very superficial things (like a dog bone). Hopefully no canines were hurt in the making of this video. LOL!

Evening bliss

While I was recovering from a back injury the past couple of weeks, I sent Poppet to the kennel for a few days. Pinky decided she really liked not having the pooch around, chasing her. She has also decided she likes sitting on my lap or my chest, even if I'm trying to work on the laptop. (I'm not doing much of that because sitting is the worst when your back hurts.) That's her at left in a photo taken with PhotoBooth from my MacBook a few minutes ago.

Poppet literally barked herself hoarse at the kennel. I've been trying to keep her inside and quiet so her throat can get better. Her barker sounds very strange, though it's better today than yesterday.

Anyway, Poppet is sleeping on the carpet by my feet and Pinky is in my lap (now laying on her back) and Fiddler on the Roof is playing on my DVD. This is just about perfection.

~robin

Moving Castles & Happy Pets

Okay, so I shared the new "castle" I got for Pinky in Monday's post. But the castle has been moving slowly around my living room since I snapped those shots.

The first location, between the sofa and the fireplace and near the window had a few problems. First, it was very tempting, when the gauzy blinds were down, for Pinky to want to reach out to them and snag her claws in the fabric. She also liked to step over onto the mantle and walk among my Thomas Kinkade village pieces. I didn't care for that at all. Plus, being next to the sofa gave Poppet more ways to torture the kitty. (Click any photo to enlarge.)

The second location, I quickly discovered, also had a couple of problems. This time it was the chair that was so close that it gave Poppet easy access to the center of the castle. She doesn't move onto the castle itself, but she can poke her nose where it doesn't belong. Plus, though it can't be seen in the photo below, it was too close to the island between my living room and kitchen. Within about a minute of this shot, Pinky just hopped right over from the castle onto the counter. Uh, no. That won't do. Besides the cleanliness issue (love my pets but don't want them where I prepare food), the raised counter is also where I set my knitting to be safe from Pinky. Sigh.

At last, the final location (no kitty in this photo). I've got a little distance and a small end table between the castle and the chair, the lamp is hopefully in a good location where neither pet can knock it over, and Pinky can't hop from the castle onto mantle or counter or anything else. Nor can she try to take flight to catch the ceiling fan when it rotates which I have discovered she really wants to do (I got hot moving furniture; thus the discovery).

The oil painting on the wall, by the way, is the original artwork for one of my general market romances (circa 1995). I absolutely love what the artist created, and I'm glad the castle and lamp aren't going to force me to find a new location for it..

And to close this post, we are finally having a bit of spring like weather in SW Idaho, some sunshine between a string of rainstorms that have blown in from the Pacific for waaaaaaaay too many days. So Poppet went outside to enjoy it. I had to shoot a photo of her through my living room window. Can't you see the pure pleasure on her face? Pinky even came over to the sofa to check it out. Pinky, I should mention, is an indoor cat. Just not safe for kitties with all the cars. So far she has never attempted to dart outside when the door is open. Hope it stays that way.

Kitty Catnip Coma

It's not quite seven weeks (Dec. 30th) since I brought home Princess Pinky. I'm sure you're all dying for an update. Okay, maybe not but indulge me.

For the first ten days, while Pinky was barely as big as my hand (1 lb, 1 oz), Poppet played nice with her. Then, totally out of nowhere, Poppet attacked her. Poppet isn't a big dog, just nine pounds, but she had the poor kitty in her mouth and wasn't playing. Pinky limped for about five days. Because I'd been laughing as I watched Poppet and Pinky at play, I thought perhaps the attack was somehow my fault. Several days went by. Then it happened again, this time in my office and I wasn't doing anything but writing.

Home became a little bit of an armed camp after that. I was anxious all the time and did my best to keep them apart. Pinky ended up sleeping at night in the spare bedroom (which means a second kitty box ... Sigh.) After the fifth attack, I called the dog trainer and had him come over to help me with the situation. I've got some new commands for Poppet, and for now, whenever she is in the house, she is on the leash so that I can give her a quick correction if needed. There hasn't been another attack in the past two weeks, although I think Poppet has wanted to get her a couple of times. One difference is, Pinky is getting bigger (2 lb, 2 oz at last vet visit) and faster, and she's learned the one place to go where Poppet can't get to her.

Confession: This weekend, Pinky was not my favorite pet. She got in one of those rip-around-the-house-at-a-hundred-miles-an-hour moods. On her third trip around the living room, she hopped onto the back of the sofa, ran to the end, and launched herself onto my expensive gauze-like blinds. So she is hanging there and I run to remove her. Three good-sized holes in the fabric. Bad kitty. Bad, bad kitty.

Pinky was free to a good home, but my free kitty has already cost me a small fortune. Vaccines. Toys. Climbing tree. Spray to keep her off some furniture. Spray to keep her from clawing furniture. Two kitty boxes. Food. I'm not going to think about what the blind might cost to repair. Gulp!

Today I went to pick up more litter at the pet store, and I bought a new toy (a ring with open sides with a ball in it) and some catnip toys and catnip spray. Pinky loves the new ring and tried to get that ball out of it for a good twenty minutes. Then I got out the catnip toys and I sprayed her bed with the catnip spray. She played with that little ball of fluff imbued with catnip (that little purple and white thing in the photo) all over the living room. The next thing I knew, she was in a coma in her bed (above).

Have I mentioned that my hands, forearms, and lower legs are covered with little scratches and puncture scabs. Pinky loves to attack my legs and hands. I affectionately call her "The Beast." She's not trying to scratch me. She just hasn't grown a brain yet.

Truly, I'm loving having this little pest as part of my family. She makes me laugh at least once each day. And she does a spectacular Halloween cat with the hunched back and walking sideways.

Do you have any pets that brighten the days of your life?

~robin

PS You can click on the photos to see larger versions.

And who do you see in the mirror?

I stumbled across this image on the Internet (a quick google search pulled up about a hundred of them). Some had a slogan: "What matters is how you see yourself?"

Of course, as a new "mommy" to a kitty who thinks she's Queen of the Beasts (some times I call her The Beast, especially right after she's attacked my ankle with her teeth and kitty claws), I totally "get" the photo.

But it also made me think that when I look in the mirror who I want to see looking back at me is the Lion of Judah.

How about you?

~robin

Breakfast at Ginger's

Oh, man! This is so, so funny.

Here's an "Ahhhh" moment

The rottweiler is a year old. The beagle puppy (a neighbor) is 9 weeks old. Doesn't it make you want to rush out and get a new puppy? Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh.

~robin

Heroic Golden Retriever saves boy

When I read this story in People Magazine, I knew I had to share it for those, like me, who never caught it on the news during the past month. I got this from People's Pets web site (January 5, 2010):

A heroic golden retriever appropriately named Angel is recuperating after bravely stepping in when a cougar viciously attacked her 11-year-old owner. The beloved family pet has become an instant celebrity, while citizens in her native Canada — and around the world — are praying for her full recovery.

"We’re really lucky that he was saved by an Angel, because that’s exactly what it was. There’s no other word for it," said Jay Forman, father of 11-year-old Austin Forman, the Today show reports.

The drama began Saturday night when Austin walked outside his family’s home in Boston Bar, B.C., to gather firewood. Almost immediately — and out of nowhere — a cougar began charging at him at top speed. But before the creature pounced, Angel stepped in to save the day.

"The dog obviously knew something was up because she ran toward me just at the right time and the cougar ended up getting her instead," said Austin.

Terrified and shaken, Austin ran inside for help, and the family listened in anguish as Angel and the cougar battled it out. "(She was) whining and making noises like we never heard before. We knew that cougar was killing our dog," said Austin’s mom, Sherri.

Sherri quickly called 911. Chad Gravelle, a constable for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, made it over to the home just in time: He shot the cougar seemingly moments before it would have delivered its final blow to a struggling Angel.

"The cougar had its mouth over top of the dog’s mouth trying to suffocate it, blood all over the animal," said Travis Comkin, Austin’s cousin, who was also at the house at the time of the attack. "And out of nowhere the dog breathes a gasp of air – just, like, comes back from being dead and goes 'ahh,' and spits out blood. And I’m looking at her and holding her and I’m like, 'she’s going to be all right, you guys.' "

Angel’s injuries were serious — her skull was fractured and she sustained puncture wounds to her head and back leg— but she pulled through a successful surgery on Monday and is expected to make a complete recovery.

Angel may head home as early as Tuesday afternoon, and Austin told Matt Lauer he already has a reward ready for his "best friend": "I bought her a big, nice juicy steak."

If Poppet tried to save me from a cougar (and she probably would as she doesn't know she's only 9 lbs), I'm afraid she would end up a quick snack.

~robin

The smiling dog

Okay, Poppet makes me smile all the time, but I don't believe I've ever made her smile.

~robin

Is this cat dehydrated? And how high is the owner's water bill?

I used to have a cat that would jump up onto the bathroom counter and curl up in the sink to sleep. But he didn't want water in it. This video made me laugh and laugh. I have seen lots of crazy things with pets but this one takes the cake.

~robin

The Power of a Dog's Love

Last week a friend sent me a link to a YouTube video of a dog, Gracie, welcoming home her master who has just returned from a tour of duty in Afghanistan. Wow! The joy is infectious. The video, needless to say, has gone viral. Who can resist it?

While I was watching Gracie's video, Poppet heard the excited whimpers and reacted. So adorable that I had to capture it on film too. So here you go, Gracie's video and Poppet's video. Hope they make you smile as they do me.

~robin

Life with Poppet

It's no secret to my family and friends or to the readers of this blog and folks on Facebook that I love my pesky, high-pitched barking, high-energy canine pal, Poppet. She brings me joy and laughter and companionship. (She also gives me headaches, not to mention probably making me deaf, but that's another story.)

Poppet's registered name is Ma Poupette des Bois (My Small Doll of the Woods). Actually, Poppet (an English word of endearment as heard in Mrs. Doubtfire and Pirates of the Caribbean, derived from the French poupette) isn't as small as most of her breed. She's an inch too tall to be allowed to show. But since I didn't want a show dog but a pet, that doesn't mean anything to me. And a wonderful pet she is, despite her less enjoyable traits. Today I have a couple of Poppet stories to share.

I buy Poppet's medications and greenies from 1-800-PetMeds. Every time they send me an order, they drop in a large dog biscuit. Since all of my orders are for a dog under 10 pounds, I'm not sure why they give me a biscuit that looks like it could weigh 10 pounds itself but they do. Poppet never eats the large biscuit (sometimes she doesn't eat the small ones that we get at drive-through banks and Moxie Javas either; she prefers more expensive treats). She'll just carry the big biscuit around the house until eventually I toss it in the trash.

Well, the other day I got a new order of her heartworm prescription, and there was another big biscuit. I gave it to her, then went outside to water the new grass I'm pampering around my back patio. Poppet came with me. The next thing I know, I looked up to discover her pushing dirt over the dog biscuit that she'd just buried.

I laughed so hard. Poppet has never been a digger. Thus her instinct to bury that large dog biscuit took me by surprise. I tried to explain to her that the biscuit would disintegrate but she didn't seem to care. Do you suppose it will sprout a dog bone plant later this summer?

Next story: Awhile back, Poppet got her right rear leg tangled up in her doggie seatbelt (yes, I put her in a seatbelt; I don't want her hurt by a sudden stop). Anyway, a time or two since then, she's acted as if that same leg bothers her. It never lasts more than a few minutes, but it's made me watchful. Papillons are known for their fragile bones.

So last week, I got up in the morning and carried Poppet with me out of the bedroom to turn off the alarm. I've always carried her so that she doesn't run down the hall and wake Mom up. Now she expects me to carry her! After turning off the alarm, I walked to the back door, opened it, and set her down. "Go do your business," I said, just like every morning.

But Poppet didn't jump to obey. She couldn't. She was limping. Her right rear leg was held up and she couldn't go down the one big step to the patio. Gasp! Was she hurt that badly? Visions of surgery and thousands of dollars flashed through my head. I bent down to pick her up again.

If you've ever seen this breed, you know that they have beautiful long flowing tails. Well, it turned out nothing was wrong with Poppet's leg. Instead, her tail had a knot in it and was acting like a sling, holding her leg off the ground. LOL!

Gotta love my life with Poppet. Never a dull moment.

~robin

PS Click on photos to see large versions

another farewell and a word of thanksgiving

For the second time in 29 days, I went to the vet's to put another beloved pet to sleep. Once again, cancer was the culprit.

On Labor Day weekend of 1994, I drove out into the farm country of southwestern Idaho to get a puppy, a border collie. Misty was adorable from day one. She loved the outdoors and was always on the move. When she got the chance, she loved to herd the grandchildren when they were toddlers. We had lots and lots of video of her racing around the backyard, throwing a biodegradable flower pot, minus its bottom, into the air and catching it by sticking her snout in the air and letting it fall over her to become a collar. Crazy, crazy dog.

Misty loved people, and her favorite thing in the world was to catch the Frisbee. She would do it until she dropped dead if a person wanted to throw it long enough. And she was smart. She was also a little dangerous if she got to playing in the house. She was no respecter of property.

She was a good "big sister" to Tiko (2 years younger) and Poppet (almost 10 years younger). Three female dogs is never a good idea, I suppose. But it was the littlest of the three that was the most alpha female. Yet even when she was picked on by either Tiko or Poppet, Misty usually submitted, preferring peace to strife.

When I downsized my home and yard, Misty went to live with my oldest daughter and her family. They were all so good to Misty and loved her as if she'd always lived with them.

Yesterday, we were all five of us there to say goodbye, and all five of us were crying. But the tumor in her throat made her breathing agony and it was painful to hear how she was struggling. There was a relief when it was clear she didn't have to struggle anymore.

It is comforting to think that Tiko was waiting for her and that the two of them are once again running and playing as they did so often in life.

Good old dog. I'm gonna miss you.

******

In keeping with my month of gratitude expressions, I'm thankful today for all the pets who have added such joy to my life, from childhood to now.

-rlh-

Poppet and her hedgehog

I just had to share a photo of Poppet playing with one of her favorite toys, her hedgehog. Isn't she cute?

you simply must watch these puppies

This is just too much. A puppy cam watching these little guys in their crate (I assume it is their crate). You can view them 24/7 if you so choose. And as I posted it, the puppies were whining at each other and Poppet started sniffing around and barking. She thinks I'm cheating on her. LOL

Streaming Video by Ustream.TV

sing to her, second try

Note: A number of people have told me they couldn't view the file I uploaded yesterday, so I checked out YouTube, and it was there. I'm deleting the other attempt from 8/8/09. Pardon me if I'm repeating for some of you.

I'm working with a dog trainer to rid Poppet of some of her bad habits (barking after I've told her to stop; jumping up on visitors; etc.). But now I see that I should bag all that and just sing to her instead. Think it would work?