I’ve had several people ask how Catching Dawn (my first book!) got published. It wasn’t easy. Agents and publishing companies want someone with a writing resume or an established platform. I didn’t have either. But, what I did have was a dream, tough skin, and a message.
Read MoreThere’s one telephone pole at Garner Street Park that holds a special place in Adriana’s heart. From where we park, the pole stands about fifty yards away, across the parking lot, a grassy field, two sets of tennis courts, and a flight of stairs. It’s not easy to reach, and we don’t pass it a lot. But when we do, Ade’s stride slows. She intently stares at its wooden trunk, gaze traveling north until she reaches the top. The whole time her pink nose works overtime, straining for one whiff of squirrel.
Read MoreI’m apologizing ahead of time because this post has nothing to do with animals, But, Dom Lagana is weighing so heavy on my heart that I want to write about him. Besides, I need everybody sending positive thoughts to Dom and his family.
Read MoreHave you ever met a couple you knew was perfect together? A couple that was meant for each other? That’s the way I feel about a man named Cecil and his bulldog Rocky. Over the past year, they’ve been regularly showing up on the greenway. Cecil is black, a war vet who wears a handlebar mustache, Semper Fi baseball caps, and T-shirts that read my priority is the Second Amendment. Rocky looks like your stereotypical bulldog, short and squat, all wrinkles and snorts.
Read MoreAdriana wanders along the fence line. Her nose skims the grass, tail swaying, paws leaving paths through the dew. Occasionally, she’ll stop, investigate, then move on. When she comes inside, her pink nails will be clumped with red clay.
Read MoreDo you howl with your dogs? I’m not even a little embarrassed to admit we howl with ours frequently. And we’ve been doing it for years. Every few months, Mason and I call all our dogs on the porch and howl until our vocal chords are sore. It’s nice if our sessions fall on the full moon, but it isn’t necessary. It isn’t even necessary for it to be dark because occasionally we cut loose in the middle of the day. A beagle mutt named Dessie inspired this tradition on a cool spring night ages ago.
Read MoreI’m sorry for the lack of posts lately but we’ve had a hectic two weeks at the Farnival. First, I needed surgery because I cracked a tooth chewing on hard candy. I actually cracked it during quarantine but because it wasn’t infected, I had to wait for regulations to lighten before a surgeon would see me. PSA: listen when someone tells you that chewing hard candy can damage your teeth. And never, ever chew it during a pandemic.
Read MoreA couple years ago I saw a young boy, about ten, sitting on the lawn outside his home. His dirty blond hair hung to his waist. He was working on his skateboard and jamming to Metallica, Enter the Sandman to be exact. The song played from an old-school boom box resting on the porch, so it was loud, and I instantly recognized it.
Read MoreI run a fine-toothed brush from Adriana’s ruff to tail over and over, pulling out handfuls of short white hairs with every stroke. Ade sits between my legs on the porch. She stretches her shiny pink nose towards the sun so that I can reach under her neck. It’s her sweet spot. Around us, a breeze ruffles, birds tweet, squirrels bicker, a hawk screeches. The countryside isn’t quiet. But, it is peaceful because like my dogs nature exists outside of language. And right now, there’s nowhere I’d rather be.
Read MoreWalking has always been a ritual in our house. A day without one throws the whole household out of whack. Most days, we walk twice. In the mornings, we go four miles on the Springfield greenway, and it’s all about exercise. But during the afternoons, we stroll. And that stroll is all about the best parts of my small southern community.
Read MoreHey there. If you’ve been reading this blog long enough, then you’ll know I suffer from clinical depression. I’ve only had three major episodes in twenty years, each one worse than the last, but still that’s a pretty good track record. Especially since the first time I had no idea what was happening to me until it was too late, until my serotonin levels were too low to come up on their own.
Read MoreEvery month as close to the 15th as possible, I bathe all four mutts. They hate bath time. They hate it so much they remember it and scatter the second I pull the blue leash and my flip flips out of the closet. Everybody runs to a different room and hides behind a different piece of furniture. Meadow is the worst of all. Meadow, the proverbial A-student the one who always behaves, becomes a completely different dog during bath time.
Read MoreYesterday, I saw our mail lady for the first time since we lost Mr. Pine. And wouldn’t you know, the first thing she asked was why we cut him down. She said she’s been doing our route for 28 years and he had been there the whole time. She never saw him when he was small. He had always been big.
Read MoreThe dirt heaves near my paws. A mole tunnels underneath it. The earth stills, stays still. The mole has no idea how patient I can be. My big sister Sara taught me about a huntress’s patience. She teaches me lots of things. Right now, she’s watching and her approval means everything.
Read MoreI had been looking for monkeys from the moment I landed in Costa Rica. Actually, I’d been downright searching. But as mangrove day concluded with that cold shower I’d been daydreaming about all afternoon, I still hadn’t seen one.
Read MoreHave you ever fallen in love with a tree? I mean felt real affection for one? Before I saw Mr. Pine, I would have shrugged and said sure. In general, I care about all trees. On several occasions, I’ve even been called a tree hugger. But after I met Mr. Pine, I realized I’ve never really been in love with one before he came into my life.
Read MoreIf you missed part one of our 700-mile road trip in Costa Rica, click here. Click here for part two. By the way, this smiling iguana picture has nothing to do with this post’s two subjects, mangroves and sea turtles. But, we did take it in Costa Rica. And I love it so much that I’ve been looking for an excuse to use it.
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