ReadLarryPowell.com

WALKING FOR CRITTERS; ONE BAD BITE & A BIG STRAY; ROLL OF FILM--WHAT'S THAT?

EDITION OF FRIDAY, APRIL 23, 2021 [PetPowellPress] For Thursday’s edition — the one that started with the Mockingbird story — I carefully typed in the dateline “Thursday, April 21, 2021,” but, of course, Thursday was the 22nd. When I saw it and tried to correct it after 7 p.m. Thursday, the system I use to post readlarrypowell.com was down across the nation! The good thing about this is … wait. I can’t think of a good thing. OK, April 22 was Earth Day. I was focused on Mars. 
The 23rd, according to Holiday Insights, is Lover’s Day, National English Muffin Day and Take a Chance Day — there’s a punchline in all that but I can’t write it. I’m focusing on dogs and cats. That dog is a Border Collie/Lab mix currently in the Euless Animal Shelter. Picked him because it’s been so cold lately and his name is Winters. That cat? She, too is in Euless. She’s a young Calico/Tabby mix — her name? Has nothing to do with weather. She’s Willow. We focused on Euless because of the next item.
TRINITY GAP RESCUE WALK-A-THON
TAKES STEPS FOR ANIMALS SATURDAY
We got this reminder from the longtime dedicated supporter of the Euless Trinity GAP Rescue non-profit, our pal Karen Lee of barkleyworld.com.
According to the reminder, the “Trinity GAP Rescue walk-a-thon this Saturday, April 24 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. It is virtual; we are asking everyone who walks to send your pix to steffeniegsprescue@gmail.com  so we can post. We have so many dogs in need right now, so we need your help to reach our goal of $14,000. Every $5 or $10 donation adds up!
 Donate at these sites: https://www.paypal.com/donate... or website:  http://trinitygaprescue.org/. (That second link is where you can click onto the Euless Shelter animals needing homes, i.e., Winters and Willow. Hint. Hint.)
The 2021 Trinity Gap Rescue Walk-a-thon theme is “Spread the Love” and that $14,000 will help a lot of animals get in a really good adoptable condition at the shelter — or in foster homes.
MAX IN MESQUITE,
ONE LOUSY MOMENT…
Why is Max in the Mesquite Animal Shelter? Our source, the volunteer dog biographer Debra Chisholm reports that the “delightful boy,” came in on March 31 because of a bite — he bit a child in the face “while trying to take a marshmallow from the child’s mouth.” Was a minor bite, but, still, it was a bite, Debra says. “Though the details are not known, it is possible there was some teasing goin on and Max just attempted to grab the treat from the child. In any event, it may be a good idea for Max not to go into a home with young children.” 
One of the shelter staffers who’s been Maxie’s caregiver says he “has shown no food aggression and that he is a very sweet boy.”
During his photo session, the 2-year-old, 62-pound pup “raced and bounded... He is a lively, spunky fellow... He knows the sit command is is happy to do so for treats — which he takes gently.” He’s #A47011803 — use it when you call the shelter at 972-216-6283 or email rescues@cityofmesquite.com. Obviously he's an Earhound...
Our pal Judi Brown, also a volunteer biographer at Mesquite, had the privilege of meeting Maggie Sue, a beautiful year-old, 74-pound Great Pyrenees who — get this — arrived as a stay on April 17. [LARRY ASIDE: How does a dog this big “stray?” OK, I’ll ask that later. When I find the human who hasn’t been looking for her. I’m sure there’s a good reason].
Judi writes, “Not only is she beautiful but she has the playful, fun-loving, delightful qualities of a young puppy. She’s very loving and friendly. When she’s not exploring the yard and romping around she comes back for cuddles and to have her ears scratched. You are rewarded with kisses. She is very sweet. Being a puppy she sometimes gets over exuberant and jumps on you. She will get down when you tell her to but soon forgets and jumps up for more hugs. For this reason she would probably do better with children that are older that she wouldn’t inadvertently  knock over. She could use some manners training. She chases balls but does not retrieve them. … Maggie Sue has so much to offer an active family with a good-sized yard. Then, just imagine how nice it would be to cuddle with her in the evening.” Maggie Sue is #47563599. Cite that number when you call the shelter at 972-216–6283 or email rescues@cityofmesquite.com.

CONTEMPLATION
SEARCHES, MEMORIES & KIOSKS
I periodically get an email that announces something like “YOU APPEARED 3 SEARCHES THIS WEEK.” Note to sender: Until you’re wearin’ a badge, pal, I ain’t paying attention. Well, unless, also, you’re searching for me because I picked the right numbers in Lotto Texas. … 
I took my last big collection of boxes and “stuff” from our previous home in Dallas to a storage unit I’ve had since the early 2000s. On Thursday, as I shoved tools, books, a table my little brother made and my shop vac into the thin open space in the unit, I realized, “That’s the last time I’ll deliver anything to that storage unit.” From now on, I swear, I’m just going to be pulling stuff out and either tossing it, sending it to someone who needs a collection of books about space adventures or selling it on eBay for tons of money. Hah. One man’s trash is still another man’s trash. …

Most mysterious item I found in the packing process? A roll of Kodak film, exposed and ready to be developed as soon as I drive it over to the Fotomat kiosk on the nearby mall parking lot. Cue the spooky music. No telling what's on that film. Honest. I shot a lot of lousy photos in my time. I think I have 3 grandchildren who have never seen a roll of film or heard the term, either. They're not alone in this.
—— Offer advice or objection by clicking on ‘comment’ below or by emailing dallrp@aol.com. —-

A MOCKINGBIRD MEMORY; HELPING LUCAS; QUEEN, RUSTY & STAR; RECALLING HAMMY

EDITION OF THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2021 [PetPowellPress] For nearly 3 decades, the morning sounds of my Oak Cliff yard were not gunfire or car chases, they were the constant songs of The Mockingbird. 
I don’t know which bird one particular Mocker was mocking in the 2000s, but it must have been “The Bird With No Sense of Harmony.”
Anyway, I was at the old house on Wednesday going through some old papers and I went outside to get something from the car. When I turned around, a Mockingbird (The State Bird of Texas, you know), was sitting in the lawn not 8 feet from me and glaring. He had one of those, “Where ya been, bub?” looks on his face.
I said, “Hello, Mr. Bird” and he did not reply, neither with song nor tweet. He did sort of shake his head before he flew off to roost in the top of a tree I always meant to cut down so he’d move on. Yep, Mockingbird won. He got the yard, the tree and he can sing whatever he wants. 
I do miss him, though. The birds I have now are little outdoor chirpers. Nobody’s state bird. I’m not sure they sweeten the morning coffee with the enthusiasm of the State Bird of Texas.
[LARRY EXPLANATION: That is NOT a photograph of the Legendary Texas Mockingcat. Nope, that’s William Powell, my office cat who prefers to sleep-in once the bed is rid of its humans. He is a rescue from the feral colony in the neighborhood of the Mockingbirds at our old house. And, if you’ve seen cats and Mockingbirds interact, you know there’s a chance that the cat sounds retreat before the bird is done terrorizing him. Or, as William once spat, “Songbird my dented skull!” In retrospect, he may not have said anything about his skull. Three-letter word as I recall. Started with “A.” I love an office cat who asks, “Pardon my French.]
CHECKING IN ON
LUCAS THE PARVO PUP
You may have seen our report Wednesday about 4-Legged Helpers stepping up to try to get Lucas some help in his battle against parvo.
We wondered how he was doing, so we checked with Leighann Hayden, one of the Helpers and she reported Wednesday evening that he’s still being cared for at the Alvarado Vet Clinic. “Ate a tiny bit of food this morning, which is a huge improvement,” she told us.
Still is going to need some help with the bills. The 501c3 4-Legged helpers are helping with the collection of donations from the heart for a dog who looks like he might just be a St. Barnard fellow— a little bit. 
To ask how you can help contact 4-Legged Helpers’ Laura Macias by texting or calling 214-949-2726 or email cat_girl_71@yahoo.com. The PayPal site is helpingshelterbabies@gmail.com. Via Facebook, go to the 4-Legged Helpers Inc. page. And if you want to mail something, contact Laura for the mailing address.
QUEEN’S BIG CHALLENGE
AT MESQUITE SHELTER….
Now here’s a dog who arrived in a bit of a pickle at the Mesquite Animal Shelter. Our tipster, volunteer dog biographer Debra Chisholm, writes that Queen was surrendered “on April 4 after having been adopted from the shelter in September, 2019.”
 She was in bite quarantine. Why? “Queen served her time,” Debra wrote, “after having bit a pre-school child in the face and arm in the family’s home. Not enough details are known about the circumstances, but obviously it would be a reasonable idea for her not to go to a home with a young child.”
The 4-year-old, 40-pound girl is spayed. And, Debra writes, “She is a real live-wire with lots of energy. …She will sit for treats and takes them gently. Queen is a friendly girl with an outgoing and spunky personality.” She’s #42564830 at the shelter. Use that ID when you call the shelter at 972-216-6283 or email recues@cityofmesquite.com. [LARRY ASIDE: I used two photos of Queen so readers can see how she’s a lively dog and also a dog who will sit and listen to her human.]
Debra also has been working with this handsome, 4-year-old, 65-pound intact mixed breed. “I have named this precious boy ‘Rusty,’” she writes. “He’s a mixed-breed who arrived as a stray … on April 15. … He walks very nicely on a leash. When I led him through the bay past the other dogs, he was very fearful and intimidated by those who were barking at him.” 
And there’s this: “Rusty knows the sit command, but doesn’t appear interested in treats — at least the ones we offered! Rusty has a mellow and low-key personality and is nervous and shy in the shelter environment.”
Learn more about Rusty or go ahead and confirm you’ve fallen for him by using his ID #47560051 when you call the shelter at 972-216-6283 or email rescues@cityof mesquite.com.
And this “blue-eyed beauty is Star. Deb says she’s a mixed breed who “arrived as a stray with two other dogs” on April 16. She’s about 2 and weighs 47 pounds — yep, not spayed.
“She is energetic, spunky and has an outgoing and confident personality.  Star could never be described as timid or shy!  … She seems to have been well cared for.  There's a lot to like about Star and she has the potential to be an amazing family pet.” She’s #47560106 at the shelter. Use her ID when you call 972-216-6283 or email rescues@cityofmesquite.com.
CONTEMPLATION
A NOTE FROM THE PAST
While at the old house in Oak Cliff on Wednesday, I was going through vintage papers and I found (not in a folder, but hidden on a shelf in the patio room), a note from the 20th century. In fact, the records will reflect that this note was written on a blisteringly hot day in 1995 — that’s when I found a 3- or 4-year-old starving brown dog in Kiest Park. Turns out his hair was dying from malnutrition. He became a big ol’ lovable black Great Dane/Lab mix.
Martha would traditionally come home from work, then go out into the back yard with the dogs. We had some: This particular day I’d been walking with Baby Jane Doe, a Shepherd mix I picked up as a puppy at a bus stop in Oak Cliff, and Claire, a wacky kind of giant Schnauzer-looking girl Martha adopted from a rescue group.
The dog I found was so thin he looked like something desperate cooks would throw into a soup to give it a tiny hint of a flavor. Hence, his name.  Hambone Jack. My son Bart contributed the rest of his name, so he was "Hambone Jack, The Canine King of the Blues."
When Martha came home this particular afternoon, she found this note taped to the back door:

“HELLO. 
My name is Hambone. 
I linked up with a dude and two chicks while strolling in Kiest Park shortly after sunrise. They were hot.
 I’m enjoying the backyard. 
I hope you can find a good home for me. I know I’m third behind two mongrel puppies, but I have my finer qualities and a full set of huge canine testicles.
Your Friend,
Hambone.”

Yep, got the incredible Hambone Jack, The Canine King of the Blues, in 1995 and gave him a home and all the human hearts. He went Back to Heaven on Nov. 12, 2010. When he arrived Up There, he was lighter by two huge…well, you know to what I refer. Miss that guy every day.
He took my reading chair.
But I took his picture in the bluebonnet field that used to be on the eastern hill alongside I-30 at Ledbetter — highway progress has obliterated the flowers. Ah, but you can see in that bluebonnet photo a piece of trash flying behind Hammy. The flowers may be gone from that area, but, well, to quote a folk song, “The answer my friend, is blowin’ in the wind.”
Spay, neuter and “Don’t Mess With Texas.”
— Offer joy or triumph by clicking on ‘comment’ below or by emailing dallrp@aol.com. —-

ON SAN JACINTO DAY, YOU CAN HELP SOME ANIMALS IN TEXAS

EDITION OF WEDNESDAY, APRIL 21, 2021 [PetPowellPress] God bless Texas. Here we are — April 21, aka San Jacinto Day in Texas.
New to the state, are ya? The day celebrates the Battle of San Jacinto on April 21, 1836, final battle of the Texas Revolution. Gen. Sam Houston led the Texas force of about 900 to a resounding victory over Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna and about 1,300 soldiers on the battlefield at what is now the City of Houston. 
Didn’t you learn all that in 7th grade Texas History in your school? (Hmm.) More in Contemplations, including a note about the captured leg. That wasn’t in my Texas History textbook. FYI: There are 254 counties in Texas. In this edition we’re going to Abilene, Texas, which is in two of ‘em, Taylor and Jones.
TUX THE DOG
NEEDS A SPOT TO GO
The note came via Butch Burgin, veteran critter advocate, and it took us quickly to Abilene because, well, that’s where this dog Tux is waiting. And waiting. 
Tux was first posted on March 26 on the Saving Abilene Animals Facebook page HERE.
Butch asked, “Please share Tux. Still in the Abilene shelter — re-post from 3 weeks ago. Still hoping for a forever home. Abilene is 150 miles west of Fort Worth.”
 [LARRY ROAD NOTE: Relax, it's all paved between here and there.]
Her note reported, “He gets so excited to see any visitors that he bangs his tail on the concrete wall, causing his tail to bleed. Would love a forever home.”
 And the earlier reported noted that Tux was picked up as a stray — nobody came to claim him.
Tux is a 42-pound Pittie mix —his age isn’t listed, but he looks “all grown up.” 
He’s #A46909836. He came into the shelter on March 16. The number to call at the shelter is 325-698-0085.

When you go to the Saving Abilene Animals link the thing to remember is that’s not the shelter but it is the non-profit that works to help Abilene’s shelter animals find good places to live.
Animals? 
What? Does Abilene have more than dogs to adopt? Yes, indeed. Here are a couple who were on the city’s available animals ist on Tuesday. That duck is Mc Quackers.
As of this writing, he’s the only duck on the pond in the city’s shelter.
There are several cats: We chose to highlight this 8-year-old girl who is known as “Frank the Cat.” Frank (#46626552) came in on February 10 and is in foster care.
THE BRINDLE GIRL LEXI,
AT 11, NEEDS A HOME
The tip on this girl came from veteran Mesquite Animal Shelter volunteer dog biographer Judi Green and, as you can see from the photo, this girl is, indeed, a “Brindle” Pittie. Judi says Lexi, who weighs around 40 pounds, came in as a stray on March 16. “She’s just as sweet as can be,” Judi reports. “When I sat down she came to me and put her head on my lap. She loves to be loved on. She looks up at you with pleading eyes as though she’s begging you to take her home and give her a soft bed, toys and lots of love. She has lots of love to give you. She does have a skin condition. She is missing some hair on her neck, legs, tail and her back. She has been seen by a vet and we’re told this condition is not contagious. She is being given antibiotics. She also has some small growths, possibly tumors, on her mammary glands. But then she’s 11 years old!”

Judi thinks Lexi “would thrive in a quiet home where she could have soft blankets, some toys, and lots of love.” 
Lexi is #46911366. Use that ID number when you call the shelter at 972-216-6283 or email rescues@cityofmesquite.com.
LUCAS IS IN A PARVO BATTLE

AND HUMAN CASH WILL HELP
We got the appeal for helping with Lucas from Laura Macias of 4-Legged Helpers, the non-profit that works to highlight animals that need homes and help, mainly on the southern side of the city. 

The note from Laura reads, “Look at this poor cute guy. This is Lucas. He is a young very sweet 54-pound boy that was at a small rural shelter just south of Dallas that is closed to the public. Appears to be a St. Bernard mix.  Was just pulled Friday but he is sick.  Not eating according to the person caring for him. 

“Lucas was rushed to Alvarado Vet Clinic Tuesday morning and diagnosed with parvo. Initial vet estimates are approximately $2,000 to try to save him.”

To ask how to help, call or text Laura at 214-949-2726 or email cat_girl_71@yahoo.com. The PayPal donor site is helpingshelterbabies@gmail.com. On Facebook go to the 4-Legged Helpers Inc. page.
CONTEMPLATIONS

SAN JACINTO DAY IN TEXAS
I had a great 7th Grade Texas History teacher, Mrs. M.M. Knight. It was the first class of my day as I made the transition from elementary school to junior high. And, in a quirk of scheduling, there was not one girl in that Texas History class. Never again happened in any of my classes except gym, which I did not enjoy nearly as much as Texas History. I scored 100 on my final. And, at one point, I could name all 254 counties in alphabetical order. Not sure that’s possible in 2021. And, yes, I remember Six Flags Over Texas when it was a Texas-themed park and not a roller coaster convention. Things change. I was born 2 blocks inside the State of Texas — that hasn’t changed -- Arkansas is still on the other side of the line.
In the opening paragraph today I mentioned a captured leg — it belonged to Santa Anna. You may have read about Texas’ attempts to reclaim the leg from a museum in Illinois — that was about 7 years ago. Here’s a museum story about the leg and HERE’S A STORY about Santa Anna and the invention of gum. Neither the leg nor the gum came up in 7th grade Texas History in 1960. Heck, there wasn’t even a Six Flags Over Texas until 1961.
Let’s just close this edition with a link to a song by Little Texas. HERE’S THE LINK to a song with a message.
— Offer a salute to Texas by clicking on ‘comment’ below or by emailing dallrp@aol.com and put Native Texan By Two Blocks in the subject line. —

CARMEN NEEDS A WAY OUT; BEAUTIFUL LEXI & WILSON; CASSIDY THE CAT; CONTEMPLATING MARS, HOME TO SOME ON EARTH, NO DOUBT...

EDITION OF TUESDAY, APRIL 20, 2021 [PetPowellPress] This edition is being written as two of our three dogs snooze in the office with me. The third one prefers the couch in front of the TV — likes to watch Matlock. Here’s this edition:
HOW MANY NIGHTS CAN
A DOG STAND IN LOCK-UP?
Earlier on Monday, I got a message from Tami Kukla, the noted animal advocate, about this dog Carmen, currently back in The Colony Animal Shelter. 
It opened with this line: “254 nights sleeping in a kennel at the shelter is starting to take a toll on Carmen.” And it had a video of frisky Carmen on a brisk walk at the end of a leash.

Tami has spent “the last six weekends” walking pups at the shelter run by veteran nice guy and animal care worker Mark Cooper. That put her in touch with Carmen — “12 interactions,” Tami says. “I love her. She gets so excited to see you and gives me a little bark when I take another pup for a walk first."
This passage will get to you soft-hearts -- it got to me. I know what dogs are like when they are uncertain of life.
Tami writes, "On Sunday I brought a sausage muffin for each dog. She was so cute. She took it out and put it on her Kuranda bed. And she ate it slowly.” 
[LARRY THOUGHT: Yes, as if she wondered if it might be her last. Or if any human would ever again give her such a wonderful surprise. Honestly, it brings me to tears just thinking about this 10-year-old dog having not just nobody who’ll love her, but having nobody she can love day after day. This can’t be right, can it? Don’t we humans have a responsibility to love all animals?]
You can see the video of Carmen’s lively walk by clicking HERE . When I watched it, it kind of got to me and I swiveled my chair to look at our dogs — all rescued off the streets —and it struck my heart that they have the freedom to move about that a dog deserves. They sleep on beds — one of ‘em sleeps on mine. They even get sausage biscuits now and then. And they don't have to go back into a city-owned cage.
What separates my dogs from Carmen? Human heart? Timing? Fate?
Carmen. What a story. There has to be a human heart that will match the soul of this senior pup.
Tami’s note continued, “This senior is active and loves to run in the play-yard and go for hikes and walks. She does get cases of the zoomies. Despite the great enrichment opportunities for her at the shelter, 254 days is just a long time to be without a family to call her own. This girl tires always to keep a smile on her face, but it is hard….”
She’s “petite and sweet.”
As it turns out, 254 nights in The Colony Animal Shelter were not in a row — Tami says she was “first surrendered in July of 2020. Then, Carmen was “adopted for a few days and returned…” Happened a couple of times, it turns out.
 The report from the shelter is that she was initially “surrendered with another dog — shockingly,” a staffer reported and added, “Only dog I have ever seen her like. I can’t remember why they surrendered them….She has been adopted twice from us. First time they surrendered her back because they said they didn’t have enough time for her. Second time, they surrendered her back because they said their daughter was allergic to her.” 

This girl is a smaller dog. And she loves to romp in the yard. And, the staffer reported, “She loved it when we put the Easter ears on her and she is good with kids!”

There’s this, too: She would “be sooo happy” with a yard to run around in and “She bonds quickly. She loves to give kisses. She greets everyone she meets. … She could be a great running partner or a Starbucks dog!” 

And there are these two notes: “Her kennel is always neat. She never was properly socialized with other dogs so only dog. She doesn't seem to mind the calm older dogs.”

So, Dear Readers, you may already have the household limit on petite, 10-year-old dogs…but maybe you know someone who needs a good dog around the house. Pass along this contact information: Call The Colony Animal Services at 972-370-9250 or email animalservices@thecolonytx.gov. See Carmen (#45247565) on The Colony’s “Adopt-a-Dog” list HERE.
[LARRY ASIDE: Carmen is the kind of dog who inspires the goal “Save ‘em All.” Heck, all dogs and cats inspire that at Readlarrypowell.com.]
BEAUTY IS THE THEME
FOR THIS MESQUITE REPORT
Whoa! Look at these very distinct dogs. Lexi, Wilson and Cassidy. Wait. Cassidy’s a cat. We’ll get to her in a minute.
 Thanks to our pal Judi Brown, we have bios on Lexi and Wilson. Judi is one of the volunteer dog biographers at Mesquite Animal Services. 
The story on Lexi is that she is a beautiful Earhound — well, German Shepherd Dog as folks close to the breed describe the GSDs. This one has a rebound story. 
Judi writes that Lexi “was adopted from the Mesquite Animal Shelter in July and returned on 4/16. She was returned because the owners were not able to give her the attention that she needs. Their loss will be your gain. They wrote a glowing report of her on the surrender form. I was also very impressed as she’s a very well-behaved, well-mannered girl that wants to please. She was raised with children from ages 1 to 14 and got along well with them. She was also raised with other dogs and it was reported that she is dog friendly. When I walked her through the bay she did not pay any attention to the dogs who were barking at her. She was an indoor/outdoor dog. Her previous owners stated that she is highly motivated by treats and loves to learn new tricks. She already knows to fetch, sit, roll over, and lay down. .… Her previous owners also stated that she’s a very good listener and that she likes petting. … She stayed close, demonstrating that she would be a very loyal companion. She’s very gentle and yes, she did enjoy having her ears scratched and being petted.” She’s #45175589.

Then there’s the dog who clearly wears the coat of a party animal. That’s Wilson, a 3-year-old, 35 -pound “mixed breed” [LARRY ASIDE: No kiddin’! What a mix!!”]
 Arrived as a stray on the 13th and Judi writes, “He looks like a yellow Lab in the face but is low to the ground so has a Corgi/hound-like body. Whatever he is, he is adorable! He’s got a happy, fun loving disposition. He’s friendly and playful. He is very alert and explored the yard but spent most the time staying close wanting human affirmation! He sits for treats and most of the time takes them gently. He had a strong pull on the leash. … When I walked him through the bay he went nose to nose wagging his tail with some of the smaller, calmer dogs. He barked at the ones that were barking at him. I think it was a playful bark, but I would suggest further the dog testing. A few times Wilson grabbed hold of my leg, demonstrating he wanted to be in control. When told no firmly, he released his hold. He will need a confident dog owner that will take charge and be the alpha." He’s #47532296 at the shelter.
Use their ID numbers when you call the shelter at 972-216-6283 or email rescues@cityofmesquite.com to ask about them.
And, of course, there are cats in Mesquite. This one is named Cassidy and she’s #47573078. Cassidy is described as a year-old “red/white Domestic/Medium Hair Mix” who came in on Monday.
She is one of many cats and tiny kittens at the shelter. See more dogs and more cats by going to the shelter’s site HERE.
CONTEMPLATIONS
Fly Me Beyond The Moon….
Interesting that NASA sent a piece of earlier flight history — fabric from the Wright Brothers’ flyer — to Mars to take a Red Planet helicopter ride. No telling how much tax money was spent on getting all that to Mars. Guess how much income tax the Wright Brothers paid in 1903. Here’s a hint: Revenue Act of 1913. …

First powered flight on Earth (that we know of, for now)? Orville (not Wilbur) at the controls, Dec. 17, 1903, Kitty Hawk, N.C. — 12 seconds, 120 feet on the first flight. First, here’s a LINK to the Kitty Hawk flights. THEN, here’s the link to the tweet from NASA’s Perseverance Mars Rover, aka Percy, with video of the little chopper’s Mars flight. Click HERE.
 ….
Another cultural note: If you look at the formation of rocks lining up on the sprawling dune behind the Martian whirlybird, it reads “E.T. PHONE HOME.” You have to squint….Honest.

—- Offer space news or theories by clicking on ‘comment’ below or by emailing dallrp@aol.com. Tell us what planet you’re from. —-

A GOOD NEWS STORY FOR MONDAY; SOME POLITICS, AN ODD DOG TALE & THE PROJECT

EDITION OF MONDAY, APRIL 29, 2021 [PetPowellPress] We love to report good news on a Monday.
And thanks to the Eastern Seaboard Bureau of readlarrypowell. com, we have some of that “good news” — heck, let’s just escalate it to the “great news” level.
Late Thursday afternoon, we got a one headline/one-sentence bulletin from Eastern Seaboard Bureau Chief Andrew Fisher, the veteran broadcast and print journalist. 
The headline read “New Bureau Staffer” and the sentence read “His name is Dublin, he’s a Catahoula/Rat Terrier mix, and he’s got plenty of energy!” (LARRY ASIDE: The note about Dublin comes from the shores of Indian Lake, the warm and adorable center of Denville, N.J. -- I wrote that as if I were a member of the Chamber of Commerce.I think it's justifiable.)
As you Dear Readers may recall, the Fisher Household is blessed with a cat named Chloe. Andy’s report later on adoption evening read, “Chloe is still under the bed, unsure about the new staffer.”

He also said he checked on Dublin’s origin via Eleventh Hour Rescue and found that “he apparently comes from Texas. The full name on the adoption papers is Dublin Ross Lonestar.”
The Friday report read, “Chloe is a little freaked, but mostly standing her ground; when they confront each other, she arches and hisses, and he barks (the only time, thus far, that we have heard him bark). But she's made a couple of reconnaissance efforts; everything is so new to him that it's hard to take in.
“Last night, he met two neighborhood dogs named Bo (one may be
‘Beau,’ I'm not sure), and this morning, a rescue Greyhound named Ted and a sweet lady with Maxie's coloring, named Winnie. (We’ll cite Maxie later in this edition.) Ted's human is named Brian Wilson (he looks nothing like the Beach Boy of the same name).
“We didn't get a lot of sleep Thursday night, but that was to be expected. He's an active sort, and eager to get to know his new human friends.”

Also, as the correspondence went along, I asked Andy if it would be OK if I posted the Dublin story on Monday — people need a good story on Monday.
He replied, “Dublin Ross Lonestar Mead Fisher would be honored to have his story told in readlarrypowell. com. Such as it is...his most recent history takes him through Eleventh Hour Animal Rescue, the source of previous Fisher pets Bella and Maxie, to a foster house in Netcong, N.J. 
“The ‘Ross’ in his name comes from a previous owner who also had a female dog named ‘Rachel.’ Clearly, a Friends fan! He was returned to the shelter because he was ‘mouthy.’ Well, we do know he is a very eager eater!”
[LARRY ASIDE: When I saw the photo of Dublin in the dog bed, I told Andy this: “That is just about the ‘dearest’ face I've ever seen on a dog getting accustomed to his new humans and their camera-ready attitudes!]
Over the weekend Andy reported, “Dublin's second night was a lot calmer than his first, although he and Chloe are still at the hiss-and-bark stage. 

“This morning [Saturday], he's helping with the housework, supervising the changing of the bed. Usually, that's Chloe's job. You'd think she'd be grateful…"

Then Andy reported, “Dublin made his first visit to Mountain Lakes Boulevard on Saturday, greeting the local canines and their admiring owners, and posing with Annie in front of a forsythia bush. He and Chloe continue sloooowly warming up to each other.”
This is one of the most recent photos of Chloe and her pal Andy who sent the photo with this question, “Who, in this picture, conveys the attitude of the owner, and who, the attitude of the pet?”
Yes, we can all see that Chloe’s got her view of the world! Er, "view of HER world."

Chloe came from 911 Dog & Cat Rescue in New Jersey.

And Dublin, like his canine predecessor, the beloved Maxie, came to the Fisher household via Eleventh Hour Rescue, also a New Jersey-based non-profit.

That’s one of many photos we got over the years from Andy and Annie featuring the wonderful ol’ fellow Maxie. He’s a dog of legend for his grit and determination and his joy at being loved by his people.
He paved a path of adoration for Dublin! And he and Chloe got along just fine.
You can read about 911 Rescue HERE.
And you can read about Eleventh Hour Rescue HERE. 

CONTEMPLATIONS

THE HOUSE; A DOG & STUFF
The Texas Humane Legislation Network continues to hustle support for the Safe Outdoor Dogs Bill. The subject line on the THLN note read “We need YOU to raise your voice for Texas animals NOW!” And, it then explained, “We are at a critical point for the Safe Outdoor Dogs bill (HB 873/SB 474), which would establish basic standards of shelter and care for dogs restrained outdoors. We want YOU to be a part of this historic legislation.” the note included a graphic with the Texas House members who serve on the Calendars Committee. THLN asks, "If YOU live in any of these districts, please click here to complete a pre-written letter form to your legislator asking them to support HB 873/SB 474 and keep outdoor dogs and the people around them safe. If YOU do not live in these districts, don't worry. We will notify YOU of the next step of the legislative process when the time comes.” [LARRY NOTE: Keep up with THLN's work in Austin at thln.org. Readlarrypowell.com tends to avoid politics, but we don’t avoid ideas that make the world safer for animals. Or people who might encounter a tethered, unsocialized dog who is the victim of an idiot’s theory using a dog as an alarm system.] How do you know what Texas Legislative District you are in? Click HERE and if you know where YOU ARE, you CAN FIND YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS! You do know where you are, right?


AND WE SPOTTED another nutty dog story on a neighborhood bulletin board. One resident reported seeing “a small white dog with a veterinarian cone on their neck. Tried to catch the dog but it ran toward a house and couldn’t find afterwards.” A neighbor responded with this post, “Name is Dazzle. I see it out often - just tell it to go home and it runs that direction.” [LARRY ASIDE: I am almost unable to comment on this. Let me just note, as I sit typing and can hear freeway traffic and neighborhood traffic, “Anybody readin’ this ain’t livin’ in Mayberry.” Protect your animals by applying good sense.]

THE PROJECT CONTINUES at our old house in Big D. I'm cleaning out the garage and the home office.  I opened a long-sealed cardboard box Sunday and found two chapters of a book I started writing in the 1970s. On a computer? No. On typing paper -- used a typewriter. Wondered where the story had been — obviously the spark of inspiration had lost its glow. Also found clippings from every newspaper I’ve ever written for — also found some W2s — I don’t know why I keep hoping that I’ll win Lotto Texas when, clearly, I’m already independently wealthy from decades of working for newspapers. Ah, yes,  I wistfully recall looking around the newsroom some nights and counting the millionaires sipping coffee and getting yelled at on the phone by irate politicians and public servants. Yep, the good ol’ days.
—- Offer ideas or rejections by clicking on ‘comment’ below or by emailing dallrp@aol.com — send no money, I can’t handle the tax burden. —-

LAPDOG, CATALETE AND SNOOZING....

Owing to an unfortunate squeezing of personal time in my life, I do not get to pursuit life’s pleasures, i.e., Dwight Yoakam concerts, Major League Baseball games, motion pictures, etc.
But, between typing chapters of The Potential Lesser American Novel and a lawn in the “yardwork or else” category, I do not have even slight time to pursue amusing photographs for our long-running weekend feature Let Sleeping Dogs Lie and Napping Cats Nap.  I depend on your and your animals, Dear Readers.
For this edition, I’m going to use photographs from my collection of oddities to explain how this dog and this cat are able to find ways to sleep.
To the left, you see a picture snapped in 2014 from the 42nd floor window of a historical building in Downtown Dallas. I was writing about global affairs and local connections for the marketing department of a non-profit when suddenly, in the middle of a critically important sentence about international relations and right over the screen of my computer, there appeared a guy happily swinging along and cleaning the window. What do you clean off a window that high up? Bugs -- they'll fly sky-high to stain a window -- it's just plain meanness. They know how humans are offended by stains they can't reach.
And may I remind you that there is a population of sizeable birds of prey who circle in the skies and land on the ledges in downtown Big D.
This worker accomplished the squeaky-sponge window-cleaning with the ease of an ol’ Texaco filling station attendant grabbing a squirt bottle and a fresh towel to clean the windshield of my 1963 VW Beetle. The difference was, of course, I expected the service station guy filling the window — I was not expecting a morning visit by a guy hanging by merely a safety belt and faith 42 flights above the former prairie that has been replaced by Dallas’ ubiquitous, non-bouncing carpet of asphalt and cement. 
Confession: He appeared to feel quite safe; I’ve never felt totally safe in an elevator and I also moved my desk chair away from the window -- I could trip and pitch through a window, you know. Never done it, but it could happen.

To the right, you see one of my favorite photographs of our dog Wendy, more formally Wednesday Louise Wagstaff Arden. To my knowledge, she has never been higher than ground level. She is a long-legged girl — might be Boxer/Bird Dog mix. This photo displays her confidence that even though she is longer than a SmartCar and taller than a Wallaby, she can demonstrate her ability to fall asleep while emulating the beloved term-of-affection “Lapdog.”

That next photo is of my personal consultant, The Senator, captured as he attempted to recreate Wendy’s casual approach to a nap. The Senator generally is a “bundle” of cat when napping but in this case he was seeking a comfort level that allowed him to stretch out his leg — at the time, as I recall, he was in the tryouts for an Olympic competition in the category “Cat Dancing With Ribbons.”
A proud and competitive Catalete, he’d pulled a hammy when distracted by a competitor’s ribbon in the Cat Disco division.
Later, as a member of the Olympic Assessment Committee, composed of Athletes and Marketing Specialists, he voted with the majority against allowing “Cat Dancing With Ribbons” into the Summer Games. He voted, instead for the admission of the Feline Uneven Parallel Bars. You may recall that sport was moved from the 2012 London Summer Olympics to the 2014 Sochi, Russia, Winter Olympics because addition of ice to the bars would, theoretically, keep the participating cats from finishing in one multinational tie for first place on un-iced bars. As it happened, no cats slipped on anything. The event was discontinued after the first round even though a major sneaker company had contracted to buy advertising for its newest shoes, the “Skidless Cat Climbers.”
 [LARRY ASIDE: He'd have been our second family Olympia, the first being the wonderful Cocker Spaniel Inky, Cocker Laureate of Texas, who competed in the Olympic Free-style Ice-Fishing Competition at Sochi. That sketch was by the former official Soviet Kremlin Sketcher, Ivana Penzalotski.]
To the left, you see a 2014 photo from the petting zoo at the State Fair of Texas — a momma sow snoozing while the offspring load up before napping. No pig has ever competed in either the Summer or Winter Olympics — you must, of course, define “pig” as the porcine variety. We are led to believe that there may have been “pigs” of the “slang” variety no matter how many oaths of honor they take.
I’ll close with two photos from the streets of Dallas — the bus is from 2014 and the open street is from 2016.
The bus photo (click on it to make it grow like my waistline in a pandemic) carries an advertisement for University General Hospital, once a facility on Hampton Road in Oak Cliff, but clearly a victim of poor marketing. Who in the world opens a hospital and gives it the shorthand label “UGH”?
The other photo, snapped in Downtown Dallas, Texas, is of a three-lane road. The signs read “RIGHT LANE CLOSED AHEAD” and “2 LEFT LANE CLOSED.” That's three lanes. One can only assume that the street crew was out of “ROAD CLOSED” signs that day and couldn’t count.

[Hello, DEAR READERS, My name is Dudley. I am a wide-awake Border Collie/Chocolate Lab mix and it is my mission today to appeal to you, Dear Readers, to send photos of your  slumbering dogs, cats, kin or other animals to dallrp@aol.com so that the guy who just bored you with that Olympic Catalete stuff can feature some entertainingly slumbering dogs, cats, rabbits, monkeys -- any animals, including reptiles, in his weekend edition of Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap.  We're not asking for money -- we don't need no stinkin' money. We need photographs that show the slumbering animals you love. You’ll be helping people decide to avoid Dallas traffic and stay home to enjoy their newly adopted critters. And you’ll be helping insomniacs realize that “UGH” isn’t a medical term and that Dallas is always trying to make its roads better— there are signs, so to speak. Insomniacs will realize why they stay awake nights and feel very comfortable blaming the City of Dallas, The Racket on the Prairie. Thank you for your consideration, Dudley T. Angel, Advocate For Peace, Justice and Extra Helpings.]
— Offer one thought or two justifiable gripes by clicking on ‘comment’ below or by emailing dallrp@aol.com and put “Olympic Cats?” in the subject line. —-

EXTRA EDITION: THE RETURN OF Z, BELOVED CAT! IT WAS A DARK AND STORMY NIGHT...

EXTRA EDITION OF FRIDAY, APRIL 16, 2021 [PetPowellPress] Every now and then a bit of happy news will boost the soul as it heads into the weekend. 
Way back on April 8 we posted a note about the handsome cat Zee, aka “Z” vanishing on March 30.
His home is with Cindy and Al Gomez in a northern Dallas neighborhood. 
As Cindy told us then, “Our dogs found Z as a 4-week-old kitten in an alley nearby and they brought him home to me. He is now 11 and has lived with 17 different dogs that have found their way into our ‘Dallas retirement community’.”
But on March 30, Z had disappeared after taking his usual route through the house (his home he shares with other species) and out the doggy door. He had not returned. Kind of nerve-wracking for a Z fan in an era of doubts about random human behavior!
The day after Z vanished, Al had to leave for Mexico on a business trip.
 Cindy was vigilant. She gave Z a little time to come back (sometimes cats are like that — return when they "get good 'n' ready"). Then, when he was still missing after a few days, Cindy launched a neighborhood campaign to find him. Nothing certain popped up. Flyers and conversations came up empty. Maybe someone saw a cat that coulda been him, maybe they didn’t. That sort of thing.

Move along to Thursday the 15th. Our longtime pal Diane Combs, veteran rescuer/adoptor and fan of animals, is Cindy’s big sister. So, on Thursday evening, Big Sis Diane took Cindy out for the younger sibling’s birthday dinner. 

At 8:09 p.m., Diane sent me a note about the dinner. “We had such a good time — always do. I gave her a ‘sister’ card, which she loved. But she REALLY loved the back of the card. I cut out old pictures of the two of us when we were young.” [LARRY ASIDE: Yes, there are the young Ligon Sisters — kind of heartwarming to see siblings still bonded, isn’t it! And, of course, we have presented evidence before that in both households this admirable "animal nut gene" runs in the family! Back to the story.]
At 8:57 p.m. Cindy sent Diane a note: “Guess what I got for my birthday! Z has returned.”
[LARRY EXPLANATION: You and I may have heard thunder and seen flashes of lightning about that time Thursday evening, but I am almost certain it was really a celestial celebration for Z deciding the house was a lot dryer where he’d been hiding.
In her part of the 8:57 p.m. note, Diane reminded me that she’d earlier cited Cindy’s birthday and written, “ ‘Wouldn’t it be a great present for him to return today.’ I can’t believe it that he chose tonight to come home!
“Cindy said she went outside a little bit ago and whistled (same whistle she’s always used to get him to come in for dinner) and he appeared!!!

 “Al’s coming in from Mexico in about 45 minutes, but she’s going to tell him to take a cab home because she’s staying home with Z. She said, ‘I’m sure Al would want that, too!” [LARRY ASIDE: We’ve watched Al and Cindy lovingly rescue animals in two nations and give them wonderful lives, so, yep, we agree with Cindy’s assessment.] 
And Cindy and Al were happy to see each other and both were happy to have Z back in the house. 

At 2 a.m. Friday, Cindy sent this note to her sister: “Coincidence: Z left the day after Al went to Mexico. He came home the day Al came back from Mexico!” 
And Big Sis Diane replied, “You need to tell Al he can never go to Mexico again!”
Of course he'll go back — Al and Cindy do some dog rescue work there that needs two good hearts and loving attention. And Z is at home and getting the love and attention he is happy to enjoy. Yep, it's a happy story of The Return of Z.
[LARRY NOTE: We’re hoping to get a current photo of Z. Clearly we'll need his permission. I think he may have an agent. He is said to have returned in good spirits and good health.]
— Offer ways to properly praise cats by clicking on ‘comment’ below or by emailing dallrp@aol.com. ——

WORKING THE LEGE; VOLUNTEERING; SAVING DOGS AND CATS; CONTEMPLATING STUFF....

EDITION OF FRIDAY, APRIL 16, 2021 [PetPowellPress] Here we are more than halfway through April and we have no idea what’s really going on in the world. For me, it's about the same as 2020 or 1968 or 1948. I may have some ice cream. Nope. I’m closing my eyes and seeing my scales. Here’s our report:
MEANWHILE IN AUSTIN,
THERE’S ANIMAL PROGRESS….
We got this update from Texas Humane Legislation Network Executive Director Shelby Bobosky. She wrote, “We could all use some good news right now. Yesterday (Wednesday), the Senate Committee on Criminal Justice passed our Safe Outdoor Dogs Legislation out on a vote of 4-0! THLN’s legislative priority would establish basic standards of shelter and care for dogs left outdoors and provide much-needed clarification to existing law to promote the safety of animals and the people around them.” (Keep up with THLN's work HERE.}
She described this vote as a “crucial step toward protecting outdoor dogs while improving public safety.” 
Meanwhile THLN’s Director of Government Relations Stacy Sutton Kerby “testified in favor of two more bills.” HB 3710 would “ban public contact with certain dangerous wild animals and is supported by the Humane Society of the United States.” HB 604 is “a bill that requires the scanning of an animal as soon as possible to ensure that pets are reunited with their loved ones.”
Keep up with pro-animal safety and care legislation by monitoring the THLN at thln.org. You can also get involved in helping protect the state’s animals by monitoring THLN activities. You can also get that T-shirt with a message at the website — $25.
[LARRY ASIDE: Seems like a Legislature intent on protecting residents in the State of Texas would have no problems passing those laws. But, again, we can always site the charming way some members of the Lege have behaved toward animal issues in the past. Here’s a LINK TO A STORY
 from May 30, 2019, right after a Metroplex Legislator blocked Senate Bill 295, i.e., an animal cruelty bill that came within a wink of getting to the governor’s office. I bring this up to remind Texas voters that you can write to, email, call or glad-hand your State Reps and State Senators to let ‘em know how you feel about animal bills. FYI: That foul-the-waters Legislator didn’t seek re-election. Remember, just like the watchdog you live with — the one sleeping on your couch — we have to be vigilant when it comes to people who can reach into our pocketbooks.]
A VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY FROM
A VOLUNTEER FRIENDLY NON-PROFIT
For as long as we’ve been writing about Tawana Couch and the Society for Companion Animals, we’ve seen her always being sure to thank the volunteers who help get animals to the big airport and on to safe out-of-town destinations.
 It was no surprise when we got a note from her with the headline “VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!”
Coming up on April 20 and 21st, SFCA needs volunteers to “help unload dogs” at Boykin Kennel so they can be prepped for flights.
 Then on April 21 and 22nd, SFCA needs volunteers to help move crated animals around at the departure airport. 
To volunteer to help with the unloading at Boykin, call 214-330-1500 to sign up.
To help at the airport, email tawanacouch@me.com. 
Keep Tawana’s email handy because you may want to help with the upcoming “Crate Set-up Day”. Email her at tawanacouch@me.com to see how you can help.
Go to societyforcompanionanimals.org and you can see how the organization helps dogs unwanted in the Great MetroSprawl to get to homes in other parts of the country. [LARRY FYI: While Tawana is the leader of SFCA, she is also a hands-on rescuer. We’ve posted stories for years about her work getting unwanted animals off the streets of Dallas. She walks the walk, then puts the animals on a skypath to happiness.]
One more thing: During the pandemic, traditional fund-raising efforts have beens squelched, so SFCA is seeking donations to make up the shortfall caused by a virus. Go to societyforcompanionanimals.org to donate. There’s a button at the top of the page. Until the pandemic changed things, SFCA was annually rescuing and transporting “450-500 dogs annually” to safer places but pandemic flight restrictions reduced the numbers — the pandemic did NOT change the SFCA determination.]
PERCY, ZIGGY, FINN AND MELODIOS?
MEMBERS OF A ROCK BAND?
Might be, but that’s not the quartet we’re writing about. We’re focusing on four dogs in the Mesquite Animal Shelter.
We’ll start with Percy, subject of a dog biography by volunteer Judi Brown. We got four photos of Percy but his tongue was hanging out in every one of him — that indicates that he’s a genuine Texas dog. Judi says he’s a 3-year-old, 60-pound tan and white Pittie who came in as a stray on the 7th. “He’s a seemingly happy dog,” she wrote, then added, “But I get the feeling that he has not been given the love that he deserves. I suspect that he has been an outside dog.  He paced nervously back-and-forth in the yard but eventually came to me and hung out. It’s like he was saying he wanted to be friends but didn’t quite know how to go about it." He’s #47493790.
Judi also provided Ziggy’s bio. She wrote, “You can’t look into Ziggy‘s eyes and not fall in love with him! … Ziggy is a gray and white two-year-old, 57-pound Terrier Pit that came to Mesquite Animal Shelter on 3/28 and was put in bite quarantine. The bite was very minor... more like a scratch. Then his owners chose not to come and reclaim him. So if he looks sad it’s because he is! He doesn’t understand why he’s at this strange place.  Ziggy is extremely sweet, gentle, and loving. He wants so much to be loved on. If you sit down he comes and puts his head on your lap. He also gives you kisses. He’s what they call a Velcro dog because he stays so close wanting loving and extra petting!” Ziggy is #46989262.
Judi’s colleague in volunteer dog biographies, Debra Chisholm, sent us info about “this delightful pup named Finn.” He came in on the 6th as a stray. He’s about 4 months old and weighs 41 pounds. Debra wrote, “My Dog Scanner app classifies him as a Black Mouth Cur mix.  He is all puppy with plenty of exuberant tail-wagging energy.  He ran and played in the shelter yard during his photo shoot and enjoyed climbing on the play equipment.  He has an outgoing confident personality and will jump on you.  Obedience classes would help make this charming boy more adoptable. He is friendly and has such a sweet nature.  He will make you smile just watching his antics.” He’s #47487949.
That brings us to Meliodas. Debra says he’s “an English Pointer mix who was surrendered on 4/12.” Why? Because the 72-pound, 2-year-old dog was, the surrendering humans said, “becoming too much to handle and needs a new and better environment.” He’d lived with those humans for about 9 months. Debra says, “This is one sweetheart of a boy. He came in very scared and uneasy but quickly warmed up, though still a bit timid and shy.  He is a delightful fellow who will roll over for belly rubs and will sit quietly by your side for some human companionship.” OK with other dogs; not so swell with cats. Knows some commands, likes treats, is friendly and just needs a “forever home” that’ll last more than 9 months. He’s #47523145
To ask about any of these “waiting with hope” dogs, use their IDs when you call the shelter at 972-216-6283 or email rescues@cityofmesquite.com. You can see more Mesquite animals by clicking on the shelter website HERE.
Among the cats is #47532576, a thinnish 2-year-old who is listed as “small.” His name is Licorice. He’s been in the shelter since April 13, so he’s adapting and watching — as cats will do. [LARRY FYI: readlarrypowell.com endorses cats as companions, consultants and philosophers. Each cat works for his or her own scale of pay. We have one who works for treats and another who gets 2 weeks of vacation each year and spends that time disguised as a dog and picking up work as an extra in Hollywood westerns. I might have made that part up. But, as you can see, cats can be inspiring.]
CONTEMPLATIONS
Writing, Moonshine & Two Songs…
Every now and then I think how great it would be to read The Last Picture Show without ever having read it before and without having seen the film. It was such a book — written before Larry McMurtry starting writing those cowboy stories. Writers go in cycles sometimes. Some never get the cycle started! “Spark plug won’t fahr,” as they used to say in Northeast Texas when I was a kid. What’s the secret? Who knows. Here’s a quote from McMurtry: “Writing is a form of herding. I herd words into little paragraph-like clusters.” Pretty darned good herder. ….
I was reading my hometown paper, The Texarkana Gazette, which used to pay me to be a reporter, editor and columnist way back in the mid-20th century, and I found an entertaining and kind of wise column by a fellow I’ve never met, Karl Richter. Click HERE.  He points out that there’ll be a total eclipse of the moon on April 8, 2024, and it’s time for Texarkana, which straddles the Texas/Arkansas line, to turn the total eclipse over the area into a tourist attraction. He’s checked weather tendencies and reports that on April 8 in the area, the average temp is 74 and the average precipitation is about an 8th of an inch — that means the skies may be clear. So, with the set up that now is the time to get ready for a potential tourism bonanza, he also writes, “A few minutes of darkness could prove to be Texarkana’s most shining moment.” …
Every now and then on my car’s Sirius set-up, I’ll hear a John Denver song and it’ll send me way back — memories of the two times I’ve been to Colorado come rushing along through my brain. I looked up some John Denver quotes for this contemplation. He once said, “I believe that we are here for each other, not against each other. Everything comes from an understanding that you are a gift in my life - whoever you are, whatever our differences.” Here’s Back Home Again. And here’s the second quote: "The future of life on Earth depends on our ability to see the sacred where others see only the common.” Enjoy the High HERE. Yeah, that one’s dedicated to anybody born in the summer of their 27th year, or a little later, maybe, or not even yet. You like to think every day has a dose of good time somewhere.
— Offer advice or philosophy by clicking on ‘comment’ below or by emailing dallrp@aol.com. —

FROM ERASERS TO THE HOP, WE WORK FOR DOGS & CATS & PEOPLE WHO HELP THEM

EDITION OF THURSDAY, APRIL 15, 2021 [PetPowellPress] Here’s some irony for ya. In almost any other year, April 15 would be tax deadline day for individuals. The pandemic moved that to May 17. And the irony is that April 15 is Rubber Eraser Day. What? You do your taxes in ink? Hah. The folks at the online calendar Holiday Insights, cited April 15 as Rubber Eraser Day and offered this Thought for the Day: "Life is too short. If you can't laugh at yourself, call me. I will."
SPCA GETS GIANT BOOST
FROM PETSMART CHARITIES
The SPCA of Texas issued a news release Wednesday and it sure seems like some pretty big news. The release read, “The SPCA of Texas has received a $100,000 grant from PetSmart Charities to fund veterinary services to dogs eligible through the Southern Dallas Spay Neuter Surge, a multi-organizational effort to improve the lives of pets and people in 23 ZIP codes located in Southern Dallas.”
That’s a humdinger of a summary. According to the SPCA, the grant allowed the organization to “provide other care beyond the spay/neuter surgeries, vaccines and microchipping already included in the Southern Dallas Spay Neuter Surge Phase II program.” The grant covers 24 months and is expected to reach around 400 “owned pets” in the “targeted area.
What’s the targeted area? Here is a list of the Zip Codes covered:
75116, 75134, 75203, 75207, 75208, 75210, 75211, 75212, 75215, 75216, 75217, 75223, 75224, 75226, 75227, 75228, 75232, 75233, 75236, 75237, 75241, 75249, 75253. [LARRY ASIDE: Hello to all my former neighbors in Zip 75224, the free-roaming cat and dog area in the southern Oak Cliff area of town. Ah, the adventures and the animals we saved. Our tip for the day for all of those Zip Codes: Spay & Neuter. Spay & Neuter. Spay & Neuter. For crying out loud.]
You can see the entire news release by going to the SPCA press release page HERE. The treatment provided in this push for healthy animals includes ”additional needed vaccines, mite treatment, orthopedic surgery, treatment for lacerations or abrasions, other general continued care such as re-checks for any surgery or illness.”
 While this is one of the SPCA’s missions, there are other missions, too. As you’ve noticed, I hope, we provided photos of two stellar adoptables at the SPCA.
These two animals have something in common: They will pose right side up or up side down to help promote adoptions.
The cat is Falcon (#46095261) and he’s a small 3-1/2-year-old fellow who came to the SPCA “from a home with too many other animals.” That made the little guy a bit timid and frightened, the SPCA bio says. But he’s in a foster home and learning to be loved. He still has “a baby squeak” when he wants attention and he loves to play with toys.
When we first posted this guy Apollo as an SPCA dog needing a home — might have been pre-pandemic! — we ran the entertaining upside down photo of the lad because it showed off his attitude and his ears. Now, we’re adding this upright photo of
Apollo because it clearly demonstrates his status as an Earhound. His bio on SPCA.org reads that “He loves treats, sunbathing, belly rubs, chasing squirrels, entertaining himself with toys, watching sports on TV, sleeping in all kinds of silly positions and cuddling for nap time!” He’s a loyal fellow, the SPCA says. And, at nearly 4 years old and 44 pounds, Apollo (#41469749) is eligible for a “trial run” with potential adoptors.
MEANWHILE, STRAYDOG HAS
A DOG BORN TO GOLF…
We’ll get to Erika in a moment. The news is that Straydog Inc., the legendary canine sanctuary in East Texas (near the Metrosprawl, has it’s 11th Annual Straydog Golf Tournament coming up on May 14 at Heritage Ranch Golf & Country Club in Fairview, Texas. 

Don’t play golf, but want to help? Straydog needs “auction items for the 19th hole raffle.” The note about the tournament also says, “You can be a raffle or prize sponsor and promote you business and donate. Email straydog shelter@gmail.com."
Among the many great dogs currently in the care of Straydog is this girl Erika, born in October, 2008. She’s described as a “beautiful Basset/Lab mix” and a “very smart girl who loves to learn new things.” See her online at straydog.org and ask about her by emailing straydogshelter@gmail.com. [LARRY ASIDE: Having played golf, I’m betting Erika is the perfect mix for a golfing partner. She’s low enough to help you line up putts. She’s also part Labrador Retriever, so whether you hit your drive into the woods or the water, she can help you find the ball —always a valuable talent on the golf course as I have experienced many times!]
BEN AND BREE GET
SUPPORT; NEED MORE
We wrote about Ben and Bree for Wednesday’s edition — they’re the two dogs found dumped at the same place a murder victim was dumped not far from the despicably traditional Dowdy Ferry human/animal dumping grounds.

Our pals at 4-Legged Helpers have taken in the dogs for now and are looking out for their future. That will involve pledges to help finance whatever these dumped dogs need. 
You may recall they appeared to have been dumped separately, then bonded on the plot of treacherous dumping ground.
Ben is the awesomely handsome Staffie and Bree is that beautiful “mixed-breed” who could have some Beagle (check out the ears) or some Boxer, the 4-Legged Helpers suspect. 
Go to the 4-Legged Helpers Inc. Facebook site HERE to see how to help. And if you want to bring these two into a rescue group or adopt them, call or text 4-Legged Helper Laura Macias at 214-949-2726 or email cat_girl_71 @yahoo.com. 
[LARRY ASIDE: These two were saved for some particular reason— perhaps to make one of you Dear Readers so happy to have them in your lives. Perhaps to get them into a home in a distant state where nobody’s going to drive all the way to Dowdy Ferry Road just to dump them and drive away without a single bit of guilt soiling the blood flowing through their malfunctioning heart.]
CONTEMPLATIONS
A COLLECTION OF ODD NOTIONS
Anybody else remember the era of men’s pants with belt buckles on the backside? Here's a link if you don't. Some people called ‘em “Continentals” and some “Ivy League pants.” I think I remember them from my early days in elementary school when all the “teenage boys” were wearing those belt-in-the-back pants and combing their hair like Elvis! … Two words: Poodle Skirts. Two more words: Soldier Boy (Thanks to The Shirelles in 1962.) And two more: Project Echo, i.e., Echo, the American satellite that you could stand out in your darkened yard and watch as it orbited Earth. I’m assuming you’re darkened yard was on Earth, stranger. … OK, we’ll close with a song in honor of my much-older cousins who might have worn Poodle Skirts and gone to the hop. Forgive the 21st century advertising as you time-travel back to 1958 and have some fun At The Hop.
— Offer sage advice or scoff by clicking on ‘comment’ at the bottom or by emailing dallrp@aol.com. —

WHERE DOGS ARE FOUND THERE WAS MURDER; HANDSOME BOY; CONTEMPLATE ELECTRICITY...

EDITION OF WEDNESDAY, APRIL 14, 2021 [PetPowellPress] What song sicks in your brain and you can’t shake it? Sorry, didn’t mean to start anything. Watching a news story about ERCOT predicting a higher than forecast demand on the ol’ springtime electric supply. Not sure if it’s a heat thing or a cold thing, but whatever it is, I’m still going to join Martha and the Vandellas in singing Heat Wave. I hope to publish this before the ERCOTters go “viral” and announce a “pause” in the state's juice.
TWO MORE DOGS FOUND WHERE
ANIMALS AND HUMANS DUMPED
Somebody dumped these two dogs out into an area that has been the scene of a lot of drama lately.
This alert came from our friends with 4-Legged Helpers, the non-profit that monitors small, low-traffic shelters and tries to help animals find safety via spotlighting the animals and connecting with no-kill rescue groups in other parts of the nation.
The story, sent by Leighann Hayden, cited the recent incident when “an animal rescuers trying to save a cat came upon the remains of a murdered 23-year-old Marisela Botello Valadez in the Wilmer area just east of I-45 and not far from Dowdy Ferry.” Leighann’s note continues, “This poor, sweet girl might never have been found except for the little cat the rescuer was trying to help. ... The 'little cat' was never located, but her little pawprints were found in and all around the dirt where the family placed flowers. The rescuer has continued to try to find this little cat and several people, including members of our group, have been checking a cat trap in the same location.”

Then Leighann writes, “Last night (Monday), this rescuer and two members of our 4-Legged Helpers group found these two dogs in the exact same location in Wilmer. Clearly dumped.  Interestingly, as friendly as they are, and as loving and sweet, we do not think they were dumped together.  Sadly, there are even more dogs there - possibly as many as 4 more - please help them, please, so we can try to help the others too…..
“The boy, who we have named Ben, is a beautiful and we mean STUNNINGLY BEAUTIFUL Staffordshire.  He seems to adore other dogs and all people. 
“The smaller little girl, that we have named Bree seems to be perhaps a Beagle or a Boxer mix and is very loving with big beautiful brown eyes. She is very young - probably just a year to year and a half.  We are guessing him to be about 2 years old.  They desperately need RESCUE."

To offer to help Ben and Bree, call or text Laura Macias at 214-949-2726 or email cat_girl_71@yahoo.com. 
4-Legged Helpers doesn’t have a giant bank account. In fact, the non-profit is “now completely out of money,” Leighann wrote. “We exist and are able to save dogs/cats based on receiving donations and grants. Last year, we worked saving dogs and cats from Lancaster and Wilmer, south of Dallas, and saved over 630+. This year there has already been approximately 200 saved. With no money, we cannot save dogs or cats in these rural areas where we focus.  WE NOW NEED TO BEG FOR YOUR HELP FOR THESE DOGS & CATS those of you not familiar with our group, we help dogs/cats go to either local rescues or to out of state rescue partners that are no-kill that we have thoroughly checked out.  These are all no-kill 501c3 rescues.”
Can’t foster, adopt or rescue, you can help by going to helpingshelterbabies@gmail.com or donating via the non-profit’s FACEBOOK Page 4-Legged Helpers Inc. Contact 4-Legged Helpers via the Laura info above.
QUICK, SOMEBODY CALL
A MOVIE/MODELING AGENT
The first description Debra Chisholm used when writing this dog’s bio for Mesquite Animal Services was “handsome.” Debra has named him "Oakley." She’s written a few (few dozen!) dog bios as a volunteer and “handsome” might come up now and then, but perhaps it’s never fit a dog so perfectly.
 The tri-colored guy arrived as a stray on April 3. Debra says the “Dog Scanner App” pegged him as a “Greater Swiss Mountain Dog mix.” He’s about 3, weighs 50 pounds and isn’t neutered. He is, Debra wrote, “a bit nervous and skittish.  Oakley is friendly, but cautiously so.  He has a moderate activity level and is athletic, as he enjoyed climbing on the play equipment in the yard.  He does not seem to know any commands.  He loves treats.  He ran and played in the shelter yard, chasing tennis balls but not returning them.  He walks well on a leash.  Oakley sniffed at a couple of dogs through the gate separating the yard with the property outside and did not show aggression.  However, it is always a good idea to request a dog test if interested.  He did his business in the shelter yard.”
 Oakley is #47029544. Use that number when you call the shelter at 972-216-6283 or email rescues@cityof- mesquite.com.

See more Mesquite dogs and cats by clicking HERE. As you can see, this black and tan cat clearly qualifies as an Earhound. She’s got quite the set of feline ears. Goes by “Pebbles” and her ID is #47531299. She’s 11 months old and “small”. Probably has a “big presence” in a household. Might even own it after a couple of days.
CONTEMPLATIONS
ELECTRIC, DR PEPPER, DOGS
The weather was so beautiful Tuesday. And, yet, ERCOT asked Texans to conserve power in the face of “emergency conditions.” I mentioned it to one person who replied something like, “But they want Texans to buy a million cars that run on electricity — how is that going to work if the electricity is always iffy?” I think what happens is that during a thunderstorm, we all put up a metal “Texas Lightning Attractor” (it’s designed to look like an oil derrick) on the trunk of our car and the electricity feeds right into the battery. Hmm. I may not understand the science completely, I guess. I filled up my car with $2.29 regular Monday — not a plug or socket in sight and I was so happy to see that price. I don’t know what any of this means except for this: If Texas shuts down the air-conditioning, I’m suing and learning the words to O, Canada!…
Speaking of Texas. How about that Dr Pepper! Born in Waco, you know. You see the news? Bunch of new flavors of Dr Pepper. Do we really need more than “original,” “Diet DP” and, of course, “Hot Dr. Pepper” to cheer up our miserable winters? Here’s a Dick Clark commerical for Hot Dr Pepper. “Delicious and so easy to prepare,” says the guy once known as “The World’s Oldest Teenager.” ….
As I’m typing this, our little girl dog Wendy is on a rug near me, our big boy Dudley is on a rug near me and our zany madcap muttgirl Porche Noel is nowhere near -- she has stretched her 44 pounds across the back of the living room couch and is napping with her idol, my personal cat, The Senator. It’s such a peaceful moment, that I’m thinking about letting Sister Porche start that cable tranquility channel she’s always planning. We’ll make sure she donates to animal causes.
—- Offer carefully formed opinions or just blurt out something by clicking on ‘comment’ below or by emailing dallrp@aol.com. —-

SAVE 'EM ALL: DOGS & CATS & PEOPLE, TOO; WHAT ABOUT THE YEAR 2525?

EDITION OF TUESDAY, APRIL 13, 2021 [PetPowellPress] You ever wonder how many “ordinary” things have been affected by the pandemic? If I had a handle on “ordinary,” I might be able to list some. But I haven’t run into anything ordinary since I planned for one kid and got unexpected twins in 1971. Something like that will keep you expecting the unexpected.

A FORT WORTH DOG’S
CODE RED STATUS
That Code Red thing bothers me no matter where the animal lives. No matter what shelter. No matter who’s making the call. We hold firm to the “save ‘em all” philosophy. 

All that aside, this dog is Max and we learned him by online tipster Butch Burgin. [Click on that photo to make it grow large enough to read "CODE RED."] 
Her opening paragraph covered just about all of the cities close to Max’s current address. It read, “Plz share with anyone in the Fort Worth-Hurst-Benbrook-Euless-Bedford-NRH-Springtown-White Settlement-Haslet, TX area. @ the Fort Worth shelter. Has been at the shelter for 50 days, and is running out of time. HW +, so will need treatments. Selective with strangers, and kennel reactive, so would love a home with the patience to help him overcome those issues. 4 yrs old, and 76#.”

I think, based on reading the email forwarding list, that this tip on Max originated with Rani Parkinson, volunteer/foster with Fort Worth Animal Care and Control. It was posted on March 30 and Max (#46621018) had been “in the shelter 50 days, 30 of those on CODE RED,” the note read. That means, it read, that Max is “at highest risk of being euthanized!”
Max is 46621018. 
How’d he wind up in a shelter? “He was an owner surrender for ‘landlord issues’,” the note reds. “He’s Code Red for 'Selective with strangers, kennel reactivity. Recommend foster based placement ASAP'.”

Rani’s note described him as “an obedience star in the making and already has the cutest little focused heel. He’s very treat-motivated, not jumpy or mouthy and showed no aggression when I examined his ears and teeth.” 
For adoption or rescue email the shelter at fwacctag@fortworth texas.gov
You can see more Fort Worth animals by CLICKING HERE.

Go to that site if you find yourself needing a cat whose colors will inspire conversation, i.e. this kitten Patty (#47504230), who arrived on April 8. She’s listed as “small.” But that left paw looks like she could palm a basketball! And she’s got a fading M on her forehead. Probably needs a human with a delicate touch. But don’t they all.
A DOG NAMED BETSY;
A CAT NAMED SMOKEY
We got the story on Betsy from our pal Judi Brown, one of the steadfast volunteer dog biographers at Mesquite Animal Services. She urges people, “Come and meet Betsy. She is one of my favorites and will be yours, too, if you’re looking for an easy-going, laid-back girl! Betsy is a 5-year-old, 72-pound tri-colored terrier pit that arrived at the Mesquite Animal Shelter as a stray on 4/4. She is not fixed.

“Betsy’s coloring and her stocky build and soft imploring eyes make her very physically appealing. When you meet her and realize she’s very calm, gentle, and affectionate you will be won over,” Betsy says.
She explored the yard and looked out the gate, but most the time stayed close wanting human interaction. She sits for treats and takes them gently.”

To ask about Betsy use her ID (47473332) when you call the shelter at 972-216-6283 or email rescues@cityof mesquite.com.
 You can see more Mesquite animals by clicking on the shelter’s WEBSITE HERE.
Among the many cats and kittens who’ll improve your household is this guy Smokey, a 4-year-old gray boycat. He’s #47500314. He came in on the 8th, just in time to curl his tail and hold his head so that one eye was clearly captured and the other looks like he’s adjusting Superman’s x-ray vision for a penetrating wink. [LARRY ASIDE: We endorse cats at readlarrypowell.com because their odd behavior is not as unsettling as the odd behavior of other beings on the planet — people and politicians, for example.]
CROWD CONTROL EXPERT
NEEDED OUT AT THE LAKE
Well, maybe I oversold that “crowd control” element.But here’s the deal. The Friends of the Animals at Cedar Creek Lake need someone with a gentle administrative touch to firmly limit the number of people in the non-profit’s spay/neuter clinic front room on Tuesdays.
It takes a firm voice, a thermometer and the heart of a volunteer, i.e., this gig doesn’t pay.
As you know, probably, the Friends of the Animals at Cedar Creek Lake operate, so to speak, the world’s most successful spay/neuter clinic in Gun Barrel City, Texas.
Our longtime reliable Friends tipster Sydney Busch sent out an appeal for this sort of “doorkeeper help” around a year ago, as I recall. Here’s the latest version: “HELP! We are still trying to control the number of people in the front room during morning, check-in from 6 a.m.-9 a.m., and take temps. Our wonderful volunteer who has been doing this is now going back to work!”
Sydney says, “This is not a hard job — we just need a very reliable person to do it!” So, if you are that reliable person, call the Friends at 903-451-4701 or on cell at 214-808-4701. Email sydney@friendsoftheanimals.org.
CONTEMPLATIONS
MONDAY, LUCKY AND MUSIC?
OK, here’s a personal note. As I was typing this edition, I was listening to the national news. Holy crap, can’t we stop shooting each other? Sorry, I blurted that out. Ol’ peacenik’s reaction to the national tendencies. I used to be associated with people in the corner of Texas that abuts both Arkansas and Louisiana. That was in the 20th century. One of the great phrases I heard in conversations now and then was a heartfelt assessment of acquaintances and some relatives. The phrase, uttered with a substantial tone of disgust, was, “He ain’t worth killin’.” In the 21st Century, I’m thinking “He ain’t worth killin’” might be a life-saving philosophy.
CONSIDERING THE WORD “LUCKY” — Never having met either dog, I’m going to go ahead and describe these two people as “very lucky!” On one of the Fort Worth neighborhood bulletin boards, these two notes: “Urgent alert: I have a pitbull in my back yard.” And “Found dog on front lawn. Shepherd with pink collar.” We’ve got 3 dogs and two of them just showed up in our yard. Yep, call it “good luck.” In the meantime, I am so devotedly hoping to get to post “Found winning Lotto Texas ticket in front porch flower bed. See y’all around.” ….
Here’s a song from Zager and Evans from the year 1969 about the future and, as you listen, maybe you’ll think that they underestimated how quickly mankind can foul things up. Catchy tune, though. Click HERE.
—- Offer hope or nope by clicking on ‘comment’ or by emailing dallrp@aol.com and put “lost hippie dreams” in the subject line. —-

CANINES IN ADOPTION CRISES; CYGNUS THE CAT; POLITICS, PLANTS AND THRILLS

EDITION OF MONDAY, APRIL 12, 2021 [PetPowellPress] Welcome to Monday — there are only two more Monday’s left in April. And that concludes my statistical report for the day. Now, let’s look at some animal situations.
CANE IN THE COLONY
WAITING FOR A HOME
This note came to us from the veteran advocate Tami Kukla. It focuses on a Shepherd mix named Cane.
The opening description reads, “He is a shelter dog that struggles.” Then it asks this question: “Why does he struggle?” And here’s the answer in the note: “For his 5 years on this planet he was left in the backyard of a home and besides food from time to time left for him he had no human interaction. When he came into the care of the shelter he was afraid of a kind scratch behind the ears as he had never experienced human touch. He has warmed up so much and has learned what it is like to have a toy and treats and a bed and go for a walk. He struggles because he isn't the dog that you can run up and hug until he gets to know you. He is reserved until he knows you. 
“His heartworm treatment cost is covered, which is a plus. What Cane needs is a home that wants to commit to getting to know him and be patient with him. He is a dog that deserves to experience all life has to offer. Cane is struggling and is urgent. I am asking for him to help us help him find that special home. He gets so excited when he sees me and it breaks my heart that he isn’t in a home.”
To ask about Cane (#46660935) — he came in on St. Valentine’s Day (Feb. 14 for you non-romantics), call The Colony Animal Services at 972-370-9250. See more about adoptions, fostering, volunteering, etc., by going HERE on The Colony’s website.

HERE’S A DOG WHO NEEDS
SOME UNDERSTANDING….
ADOPTED AND RETURNED 4 TIMES!
Holy smoke, ladies and gents. This is genuinely a case of “separation anxiety,” I’m betting.
The appeal came from Jennifer Sellers via Leighanne Hayden. And I’m repeating it. Why? Because I love this dog without ever having met him. You may, too.
Here’s the story: “This cutie pie is at the Richardson shelter.  Wesley has been adopted and returned four times.  He needs the right home to give him some guidance and education on how to be a little dog. 
“He only weighs 16 pounds, is 2.5 years old and is neutered.  He needs a rescue to keep him from being euthanized.  He is heartworm negative.

“The right person is definitely out there for him.  They say he's a Yorkie-Wheaton mix but looks kind of Cairn to me.”
The correspondence regarding  #21-0326D in Richardson included these “shelter notes.” Wesley has left quite a trail through his experiences. 
The shelter notes read: “Originally surrendered with 3 other small dogs because owner was going to be traveling a lot.

“Adopted and returned after 6 weeks due to not being friendly with [adoptor's] 4-year-old son. Never bit, but snapped at.

“Adopted and returned after 1 day due to tearing up the house when left alone.

“Adopted and returned after 10 days due to wriggling out of his crate and tearing up the carpet when home alone.”

Well, Ladies and Gents, a prospective adopter should be able to clearly see that Wesley needs a human who is understanding and present. To ask about Wesley, call the Richardson Animal Shelter at 972-744-4480.
[LARRY ASIDE: He’s got everything it takes to be a good dog — except a patient and present person. Got to be one out there somewhere in an area of millions of people!]

MEANWHILE AT DAS
CYGNUS AND THE DOGS
Sounds like the name of a punk rock group, doesn’t it. Cygnus and the Dogs. It’s not. When you went to the Dallas Animal Services’ BeDallas90 website HERE on Sunday, you’d find a page of free-to-adopt dogs. And you’d also find some free-to-adopt cats. Those cats include this lounging fellow — 7-year-old, 16-pound Cygnus. 
Anybody want to guess the origin of “Cygnus”? Yeah,I had to look it up. Comes from the Latin and Greek words for swan. The research shows that Cygnus is a “distinctive cross-shaped constellation best seen in the Northern hemisphere during the summer and fall months” — that’s from space.com. And it also says (get this!), “The celestial waterfowl swims through the river of the Milky Way and is said to be the disguised Greek god Zeus on his way to a tawdry tryst.” Pretty sure Cygnus is no longer equipped to head toward any sort of tryst. He’s just looking for a happy home. Like all these dogs in Dallas.
CONTEMPLATIONS
POLITICS, PLANTS AND THRILLS
Anybody missing that 2020 presidential campaign? Sure lasted longer than a year, didn’t it! ‘Bout time to rev up that 2024 campaign, if it’s going to follow the years-long pattern of the previous campaign. Reminds me: I need to buy some Excedrin. I remember, by cracky, when a presidential campaign had a definite start and a definite finish and after that year or so of campaigning and electing and swearing in, everybody went back to work and American voters could sort of ignore politicians for a while. Those days are gone. … 
This has nothing to do with any nuclear plants in the headlines. This weekend I got an email with the subject line “72 plants that can survive anything.” It wasn’t from the International Atomic Energy Agency; it was from The Old Farmer’s Almanac. I didn’t read the whole list, but I think I have about 50 of those plants are gleefully growing in my front yard. Weeds, we non-horticulturists call 'em.
Here’s one for ya, as they say. This came to us courtesy of Jeff Crilley and his Real News PR tip sheet The Rundown. He posted a story of a teenager in Atlanta, Ga,, who, with all the amusement parks shut down, decided to build a roller coaster in his backyard. This involved sawing off part of his parents' house. You can see the home-made roller coaster at work by clicking HERE.  I have two thoughts on this: (1) Elon Musk will probably hire the kid to lead the first Vacation on Mars tour. And (2), If I had sawed off part of my parents’ house, at the next family reunion, relatives would have said to them, “Didn’t you used to have three kids?” and they'd say, “Sorry. You must be mistaken.” I’d be living in dungeon under the house with no access to power tools.
—- Offer ideas or objections by clicking on ‘comment’ below or by emailing dallrp@aol.com. —-

'PAW'S CONVERSATION WITH THE CAT' (OR, REWRITE THE CAT'S MEOW)

This is a story of creativity, insomnia and slumber featuring at least two creatures of this planet and a cameo by a third. 
They are the spotlighted critters in this edition of Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap.
As you can tell in the feline photo, this cat is deeply into two things — Cat Naps and Show Business.

On Wednesday, I had a human doctor appointment that required me to be awake almost all of the previous night — well, it didn’t require it, but I was anyway. I’ve had a nearly week-long siege of insomnia. 
My eyes were dilated Wednesday afternoon and I wasn’t sure what I was looking at until I snapped these photos and could take a good look at them. 
That stretched-out personality on the couch is our young creative cat, Stevie Ray Treeboy (audition photo left), the feral kitten I plucked out of low-hanging branches on a mimosa tree in Oak Cliff, Texas — hence, he honors Stevie Ray Vaughan with his first two names and his third name reflects where I found him. 
As you can tell, he uses his left forepaw as a character in his two-person handpuppet, er, pawpuppet show.
Note the carefully and cleverly designed character expressed on Stevie Ray's paw. The arm of the couch served as the "fourth wall" between the characters and the audience.
The play is called Paw’s Conversation With The Cat. Two acts, no violence. Stevie Ray plays Paw and his paw plays Lefty the Cat.

It’s as wordy as any play that ever opened and closed on Broadway. First time in the history of theater that repeated “Yowls and Mews” are used to establish the plays mood in a cat’s spotlighted soliloquy.
Favorite line from the show? "Mama always said life was like a box of kittens. You never know what you're gonna get."
And what was the audience reaction? We turned to staff stage and film critic Porche Noel. And we would have gotten an answer from her, but right in the front row, in the recliner, Porche Noel had yielded to natural tendencies and, by the closing curtain, was snoring in the “arms of Morpheus.”
Another audience member, Dudley the Angel, in his cameo appearance, had no comment at first. But, being a senior dog, he decided to assert, “I was listening with my eyes shut.”
In summary, Stevie Ray is tightening the script, working on the make-up and costuming and determined to put more fire in his monologue about the need for spats on cats.
One more thing: Porche said that when the stagehands brought down the curtain so fast, the noise startled her and she needed to “go out” before she could join, as she said, “the standing ovation for that rowdy cat.”
[DEAR READERS: Please send photos of sleeping dogs, napping cats or slumbering reptiles and other snoozing beasts to dallrp@aol.com and include their life stories and their favorite roles in TV, film, stage and radio. We'll spotlight 'em in Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap and you'll be inspiring people to make places in their hearts and homes for animal companions. You'll be inspiring insomniacs to embrace sleeping in theaters if they can just figure out how not to snore.]
—- Offer theatrical criticism or money for taking the show to Broadway by clicking on ‘comment’ below or by emailing dallrp@aol.com and put “no bidness like show bidness” in the subject line. —-

AN ARREST IS MADE IN TWO DOGS' DEATHS; OPPORTUNITIES TO HELP ANIMALS; SHAKE YOUR HEAD AT BAD HUMAN BEHAVIOR

EDITION OF FRIDAY PM, April 9, 2021 [PetPowellPress] I have 3 dogs and I can look right into their eyes and see them looking back and anticipating a treat, a kind word or the touch of my admiring human hand telling them “I love you.” 
There are many of us who pet our animals on the head and feel the emotion all the way into our hearts. 
For that reason, I’m not posting the photos that go with this story, but I will post the logo for the non-profit that works to save animals threatened by mankind in the Dowdy Ferry area of Southeastern Dallas. The Dowdy Ferry Animal Commission works at standing between idiot humans and a bad fate for animals in the notorious dumping area for live animals and dead animals.

This time, as explained by Jeremy Boss, the guiding force of DFAC, the cameras caught a guy arriving with two beautiful, smaller white dogs and leaving without taking the bodies of the animals he is accused of beating to death with a large stick. As of this writing, he’s in jail. You can go to Jeremy’s Facebook page and see official Dallas County Jail information — click HERE.
And I’m including a LINK (keep reading) because it so vividly captures why Jeremy works so hard to prevent these felonies that cost animals their lives.
A warning for the tender ears and hearts that just don’t need to see and hear the horrible nature of the crime: Don't click on THIS LINK if you are completely unaware of the nature of the 21st century and the explanation of the shorthand “POS.” Absolutely there is a “POS” who has been killing dogs.
[LARRY ASIDE: Thank you, Jeremy Boss, for having the guts and the heart to take steps to stop this criminal behavior. We have to stop these criminals from practicing their meanness on animals. Here’s a link to a discussion of law and the Cycle of Violence.]
It might be good if the guy in this Dowdy Ferry case could NOT make bail. Based on his alleged behavior, he clearly qualifies as a “danger to society.” Geez, he’s accused of beating puppies to death in a region that has beaucoup shelters that take in unwanted animals. Ignorance is no excuse.
ONE THAT CAN BE SAVED
BY AN ANGELIC HEART
Jennifer Sellers sent me a notice about this girl Layla and I read about her right after dealing with the emotions that arrived when I was reading about the DFAC’s encounter with the beaten-to-death dogs. So, heck, yeah, we’re going to try to help get this dog a home — save ‘em all, that’s what we want to do. [LARRY ASIDE: I’d even try to save the bad humans; I wouldn’t make bail for ‘em but I’d work on their souls, I think.]
This older girl Layla is in the Richardson Animal Shelter. And Jennifer explains, “She’s not in danger — I don’t think — because they really like her at the shelter. But she’s been there since 10/2020. She’s 8.5 years old and heartworm negative.” 
At the shelter, Layla’s ID is 20-0888D. Call the shelter at 972-744-4480.
Jennifer included the shelter’s notes and reminded us that “obviously there are dogs in danger that should get priority.” 
We agree with that and we also think that if someone moves Layla into a home that will help buy some time for a dog or cat who isn’t quite so fortunate. Save ‘em all, you know?
 Layla is described by the shelter as being “sweet as can be with all people, but with animals, her instincts to chase come in.”
She came to Richardson from another shelter. The story goes that she’d been surrendered to that shelter in August 2019 because a son in the family had an illness that prevented him from being around dogs. She had lived with that family for 7 years. She slept in the owner’s room, only went outside for her business. She “overheats on long walks.” So, she is age appropriate with her exercising in a Texas summer. And the thing is, the shelter says, “She has an ‘extremely’ high prey drive.” No cats, no small dogs, etc. 
She was adopted once but returned after 7 months, The motivation for her surrender to the shelter was “she got loose and ran up to two small dogs and got into a minor fight. The owner got a small scratch on his knee, so she had to be quarantined. A neighbor told the shelter that the dog gets out frequently due to the owner’s negligence and has done this before.”
So, there you have it: Layla’s challenge is finding the right diligent, big-hearted, loving human.
See more Richardson animals by going to the shelter’s link HERE. Among the cats is this year-old girl with — and this is the first cat I’ve seen with this name though I’ve heard the description my entire life…. Yes, ladies and gents, this is a cat named Cutie Patootie.
WAITING FOR THEIR HUMANS
IN THE MESQUITE SHELTER
That’s “waiting in the shelter AGAIN” for this dog Sasha. 
We got the bios on these 4 from the great volunteer Dog Biographers at Mesquite Animal Services, Judi Brown and Debra Chisholm.
They teamed up on Sasha. The new part is, “Sasha was adopted and returned on 4/5 because her owners did not have a secure fence. Huskies like to roam so when she got out multiple times she was just being true to her breed. She’s a beautiful girl and would benefit from a large yard to roam but would also benefit from some TLC and socialization.”
The 5-year-old’s background is she was surrendered to the shelter on April 1 because her human died. Judi wrote that “Family members took her in but found she was too strong for them. A surrender form was not filled out but I found out she was raised with teenagers. Sasha is energetic and paced back-and-forth in the yard. She is very alert and likes to explore. She would need a large secure yard. After spending some time with her she did settle down and come to me for some attention. However, I get the feeling she has not had a lot of socialization.” She weighs 50 pounds and is already spayed. Her shelter ID is 47015724.
The biographers provided this one as the weekend was approaching: “Meet Hat Trick (46977556), named by one of the shelter staff…. [Hat Trick is] a mixed breed (with Malinois/German Shepherd/Dutch Shepherd in the mix).  He arrived as a stray … on 3/26.  He weighs 64 pounds, is approximately 1 1/2 years old and is not neutered.”
 Debra wrote, "Hat Trick has a missing foot/portion of his right back leg, and essentially moves about like a tripod.  I do not know if this was a birth defect or if it was an injury of some kind.  I do know that whatever happened, it does not slow him down one iota.”

This guy is Odie, a 5-year-old, intact, 44-pound mixed breed who is a “playful, fun-loving fellow with lots of energy.” He’s #47029617. During his photo shoot, Odie “raced and bounded through the yard” but also, at times, he was “restless and paced with nervous energy. …He also looked as though he were trying to find a way out. Therefore, a high fence would “be a must’ in order to keep him contained.”

And this is a “nearly pure-bred (according to my Dog Scanner app, 93%) Rottweiler.” Came in as a stray on April 3. And biographer Debra wrote, “I am naming this sweetheart ‘Libby.’ She weighs 72 pounds, is about 5 years of age, is not spayed. There’s so much to like about this girl.” Walks beautifully on a leash, paid little attention to the other dogs in the bay, knows “sit” and “will do so for treats.” She’s also a “bit timid” with a “chill and laid-back personality and is calm and well-mannered.” She’s #47029436.
Use the ID numbers when you call the shelter at 972-216-6283 or email rescues@cityofmesquite.com to ask about these babies.
That brings us to this boy Andy, his bio provided by Judi. Andy's a 3-year-old, 61-pound, black and white Pittie that came in on April 1 as a stray. Judi writes, "The best way to describe Andy is that he is joyful! He meets you with tail wags and exuberance. He's very alert, but once he found out that I had treats, he spent most of his time hanging out with me. His tail never stopped wagging....He could use some manners training ... There's no doubt the loves people and wants to please. He had a strong pull on the leash. i think that was because he was anxous to get out into the yard." He's #47018907.
And see more dogs and some cats, too, by going to the shelter’s online site HERE. Among the availables? Fred is the 4-year-old boy who needs a home. And that kitten? Ladies and gents, that is what a 3-day-old shelter kitten looks like. As a veteran kitten foster, I can tell you, kittens can be a joy. You just open your heart and let it embrace the little puzzler while bottle-feeding the rascal and watching the baby grow in spurts almost before your eyes. It takes guts to foster kittens — the kind of guts that won’t let you say, “Yeah, I’ll adopt all of ‘em.” You want other people to share the joy of a cat’s life well-lived. Honest.
[LARRY ASIDE: Maybe I’m wrongheaded, but I sure do think these “hands-on dog biographies” enhance the chance that a dog will get adopted or rescued. Sure gives you more than a mugshot of information, doesn’t it? Any other shelters have volunteers who with the visit and write the bio routine?]
CONTEMPLATIONS
FOR A FRIDAY EVENING….
The story about the guy who hauled two pups to the Dowdy Ferry Road area and then beat them to death is pretty disgusting. We have enough people-murdering-people around here to make you hurl your breakfast every morning. What causes people in this part of Texas to think “killing” is a solution? I ask that having covered the police beat and courts and edited murder and mayhem stories for decades in cities from Texarkana to Cowtown. Somebody’s always killing somebody. I don’t know why I’m surprised by headlines.

Maybe we'd have a more peaceful, more loving Lone Star State if the Texas Highway Department would take down those “Bridge May Ice In Cold Weather” signs and replace them with “DRIVE FRIENDLY AND DON’T SHOOT EACH OTHER.”…
As for anybody who kills dogs and cats like they don’t matter, how about some time in a psychiatric facility, and then in a prison. There has to be some way to cure these miscreants on behalf of a peaceful, loving society. The malformed soul needs extra healing. Violence has probably been their lifelong companion and they went from being target to being an agent of delivery. I weep for a planet where violence is the answer whether it’s across international boundaries or a misperceived “who cares?” solution to getting rid of unwanted animals.
God bless us all and may we have an unusually peaceful weekend that stretches into a decade and more.
—- Offer solutions or objections by clicking on ‘comment’ below or by emailing dallrp@aol.com and put “miracle cure” in the subject line. —-

A MISSING CAT CALLED 'Z'; GAP'S WALK-A-THON FUNDRAISER; A SQUISHY FACE ON A DOG AND ASSORTED TALES FOR A FRIDAY

EDITION OF THURSDAY PM APRIL8/FRIDAY APRIL 9, 2021 [PetPowellPress] Pets are so personal. You may learn this from other people. We encounter pet people all the time. Not just their animals. These companions are members of the family. They get introduced at household parties; their stories are told at gatherings. 
You’ll be standing in line at a grocery store and someone will look at your purchases and say, “You have cats? My cat is the most darling thing.” They’ve been waiting for years to tell people about their cat. Or they’ll say, “My dog loves those treats! She’s so cute. She has a little trick…” 

Or, you’ll be reading along and realize the guy who writes this stuff has slipped a photo of his consultant cat, The Senator, into the opening passage. Why? Because a friend of ours has a cat who has gone missing and, speaking for other cat people, The Senator and I know how nuts we’d be if one of our feline roomies vanished. It’s, again, SO PERSONAL. See the face on that dog? Available to give depth of understanding and appreciation in your very own home. We’ll get to that pup in a minutes. 
First the story of a missing cat who is absolutely loved.
BE ON THE LOOKOUT
FOR THIS GUY ZEE!
We got the first note from our pal Diane Combs telling us that Zee had vanished. Then, shortly, her sister Cindy sent an email that began simply, “My cat is missing….”
And Cindy included the flyer that’s being put up around the neighborhood in Dallas Zip Code 75220. People who know Cindy and Al Gomez recognize them as genuine animal lovers — they’ve been rescuing them for years. (Runs in the family: Sister Diane is also devoted to animals — we’ve featured them here. You may recall her Dachshund, Larry.)
Back to the Zee story. Cindy says, “Our dogs found Zee as a 4-week-old kitten in an alley nearby and they brought him



home to me. He is now 11 and has lived with 17 different dogs that have found their way into our ‘Dallas retirement community’.” 
That “retirement community” focuses on found and rescued dogs — Al and Cindy have an eye for animals that need a place to retire!

She says, “Zee has always enjoyed indoor/outdoor life (as dog door is imperative in our house). In fact, he prefers outside. I know he is resourceful and knows every inch of the neighborhood. 
“My fear is dog #17 may have been a bit overwhelming during her adjustment period,  and has run Zee off. I have a secure feeding station and shelter set up, but I don't see indication Zee is using it.”
The contact information is on the flyer. [LARRY ASIDE: As catfans know, these wonderful companions enjoy being in charge of their own lives. There are many stories of cats “staying gone” for weeks or months and returning with an attitude described best as “I’m back. Where’s the food?” We are expecting Zee to be like this. And we’ll let you know, Dear Readers.]
THE WALK IS VIRTUAL;
THE RESULTS ARE REAL
Goodness, I can’t remember how many decades we’ve been writing about either the Trinity GAP Rescue or the the GAP Walk-a-Thon — wait, 12 years — but I can remember that the proceeds go to help Euless Animal Shelter’s residents and other homeless animals. 
We got the note Thursday morning from our pal Karen Lee of barkley- world.com, the person who first introduced us to the efforts of the GAP Club — EulessTrinity High School’s Girls Awareness Program, i.e., the GAP Club, founded in 2012. That’s right, a project of the GAP Club evolved into a respected animal rescue group. [LARRY ASIDE: Might be the only school-founded rescue-group around, right?]
The goal for 2021 is to raise $14,000 with the Virtual Walk-a-Thon (second year it’s been virtual instead of a festival at the school. 
What happens to that money? The GAP news release notes, “Many of the dogs that come into the Euless shelter have major or minor injuries/illnesses that require vet care to help them heal, become well, and more easily adoptable. There are no provisions for dogs who come into the shelter sick or injured.  All vet care is provided thru recycled adoption fees and thru donations to Trinity GAP. This year has been a bad year for heartworms. We have had several dogs already treated and 5 more waiting to be treated.  We are hoping to raise enough money to pay for their treatment, and still have funds to help us get through the summer months until Giving Day.  Our goal of $14,000 (if reached) will enable us to continue to meet the needs of all of our shelter dogs and numerous litters of non-shelter puppies that we routinely rescue.  Summers are always a busy time for dogs in need.”

You see here some of the GAP-monitored animals — go to trinitygaprescue.org and click through the available animals. You’ll see brothers Marcelle and Frenchie — they’d been adopted into one home and were happy until one of the humans developed an allergy to cats. And that barely two-months-old Staffie Earhound is Porter. He will be a “big boy,” GAP says. Right now “he is just a baby.”
FYI, to participate in the virtual Walk-A-Thon, see the rules at the GAP website, trinitygaprescue.org. You can donate at the website and if you have questions, email steffeniegaprescue@gmail.com.
LOOK AT THIS FACE:
A DOG NEEDS A HUMAN
Jennifer Sellers forwarded this note with the subject line “ABSOLUTE DOLL at DAS needs urgent medical release; vision impaired.” Yep, “Rescue only.”

The contact point for #A1117289 is DASrescue@dallas- cityhall.com.
The dog is a 5-year-old, 73-pound, unaltered boy. 
He’s also “HIGH POSITIVE” for heartworms. [LARRY ASIDE: Dammit Dallas dimwits, buy the preventatives, go to the vet, pay attention to your dog as if you loved the animal! You can get your dog protected from the killing parasites without having to sign up with the county or a hospital or a politician. Do it. Pardon my outburst.] 

As the note read, “OMG! Is this not the most squishable face ever! This handsome guy came to us [DAS] as a loose pet from the community. The caller reported that he appeared sick. This fella appears to be vision-impaired but he’s incredibly sweet!”

What else is he facing? We got Jennifer to help us with the ailment list and discovered that the dog has flea allergies, several other allergies, “keratoconjunctivitis sick” or “dry-eye syndrome; an outer ear canal infection.
As Jennifer says, “That dog is so sweet-looking, he would be worth dealing with all his illnesses just to hug him.”
We have no idea what his name has been through his 5-year life in Dallas, but if you get him into a Rescue group and adopt him, you can name him anything you want. I’d pick “Romeo Wonderface.”
CONTEMPLATION
SEASON'S GREETINGS
HALLOWEEN: Here’s a contemplation for you. There are things that show up in April as certainly as Christmas decorations beat the hobgoblins to store windows in October. Tax forms, property taxes, grackles. (That’s from a KHOU-TV Houston story last year. Grackles recreating Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds, I guess.) Hmmm. Wait. Maybe the Pandemic has slowed people down a bit and we’ll be able to see distinctly different shopping seasons this fall. 
MOVIES
I have a long list of motion pictures I enjoy watching from about mid-September through New Years’s Day, but as I sit here typing this, I can’t think of a single film with a summer theme that I’d watch with the enthusiasm I have for Bill Murray’s Scrooged. Any nominees? Heck. I’ll just go ahead and binge-watch Resident Alien again.
NAPS ’N’ CHORES

As I reach this point in this edition, I find myself thinking “Great time for a nap.” But then I also think, “Gotta get some cat food.” I checked with The Senator. He’s fine with whatever I usually give him. “Beats that gruel they serve in the Senate Dining Room,” The Senator said, adding, “Bipartisan Baloney on Wry was my favorite one spring. Didn’t catch on. Some politicians are so sensitive.” [LARRY FYI:That is The Senator in the Senate Gym practicing his Tai Cat Chi — translates as Supreme Cat Ultimate, I’m told. And, he is, of course.] The Senator is a valuable consultant on national and international affairs. He has that "cross-the-table hard-edge stare" the diplomats like to see when North Korea is in the news.
—- Offer menu tips or antacid solutions by clicking on ‘comment’ below or by emailing dallrp@aol.com and put “Time to Diet” in the subject line. —-

JACK HANNA; HELPING SOME ANIMALS; BASEBALL, ROAD SIGNS & 'KUDZU OF THE PRAIRIE' (NO OFFENSE)

EDITION OF THURSDAY, APRIL 8, 2021 [PetPowellPress] By now you’ve all seen or heard the story that dementia is forcing the great pro-animal personality, khaki-clad Jack Hanna of The Columbus Zoo, out of public life. [That’s him in an appearance years ago with David Letterman on Latenight.] 
A note from the Hanna Family explained the situation, praised the guy so many of us knew as a great late night TV show guest and spotlighted one of his favorite quotes. You’ll see, no doubt, that it fits into helping animals by educating humans. Jack Hanna has “always said,” the note read, “You have to touch the heart to teach the mind.” [HERE ARE some animals that need the touch of a heart to give them a better life.]
THE FOXHOUND
NAMED CALEB
Yep, needs a home, a rescue or a foster. Handsome boy. “Incredibly sweet young Foxhound” is how the folks with the non-profit 4-Legged Helpers described him in their appeal for help.
To ask about him, call or text 4-Legged Helpers’ Laura Macias at 214-949-2726 or email cat_girl_71@yahoo.com.
The CALEB bio reads that he’s neutered, fully vaccinated, microchipped and “sweet and lovable as can be.” He’s a year old and his adoptor “will absolutely adore” this young hound. The bio ads, “He is goofy, lovable, sweet, and adores everyone and everything including all other dogs and squeaky toys. Loves to play.” [LARRY ASIDE: You can be guaranteed that, if 4-Legged Helpers is making an appeal for him, Caleb is in a tight fix that can be relieved if only a human will set him up with a home for the rest of his life.]
FOUR DOGS IN MESQUITE:
SIMILAR BUT DIFFERENT NEEDS
Debra Chisholm, one of the great volunteers who helps the Mesquite Animal Shelter, sent us four bios of dogs in different situations but with similar needs. 
She describes Diesel as a “high spirited fellow” who is a “mixed breed with Lab/Retriever in the mix.” He’s about 2, weighs 60 pounds and came into the shelter on April 1 as a stray. 
As you probably recall, the dog bio writers get to meet the dogs they’re writing about. Debra says, “During the photo shoot he ran with abandon in the shelter yard.  He is one spunky, exuberant and confident boy.  He also is very curious and had his nose to the ground much of the time.  He is friendly and fun-loving.  Diesel would best suit a person or family with an active lifestyle who would spend plenty of time exercising and playing with him.  He wasn't interested in treats and does not seem to know any commands.  He walks OK on  a leash, but is a very strong puller.” Diesel’s ID at the shelter is #47013421. Use it when you call the shelter at 972-216-6283 or email rescues@cityofmesquite.com.
THAT GETS US TO GUCCI, described as a “Carolina Dog” “who was abandoned by her owners” and brought to the shelter on March 30. She’s about 10 months old, weighs 54 pounds and is spayed, vaccinated and microchipped. There is a catch: She’s rescue only because she has a “fractured pelvis.” Debra says Gucci “can walk OK but when she moves quickly or runs, she does not put any weight on her back left leg.  Medical records and the X-ray are available from Mesquite Animal Services.  Gucci is a delightful youngster who walks well on a leash and when led through the bay she did not show any unfriendliness toward the other dogs.  She has the cutest smile! … There is a lot to like about her and it is sad that she has received this injury at such a young age.” Debra’s goal is to get Gucci out of the shelter and into medical care. Gucci is #47004426. Again, use that ID when you call the shelter at 972-216-6283 or email rescues@cityofmesquite.com. [LARRY FYI: We also see Gucci as an official Earhound!]
Aries, this German Shepherd mix, was surrendered to the shelter on April 3 with, Debra wrote, “a euthanization request due to her various health issues. The owners could not afford to pay for the vet attention needed by Aries  Therefore, she has been deemed RESCUE ONLY.  Aries weighs 86 pounds, is about 5 years old and is spayed.  According to her former owners her medical needs are continual hot spots, bacterial infections, anxiety and self-mutilation.  In the shelter yard Aries was restless and had lots of nervous energy. … She is lively and active.  Aries is also friendly but a bit standoffish.  She enjoyed chasing balls in the yard and sometimes returned them... and sometimes not.  Aries will need someone committed to helping her get the proper medical attention she needs.” Aries is #47029736. Use those shelter contact points above to help her. 

This is 45-pound, 3-year-old, neutered, Staffie/Pittie mix Hercules. Handsome Hercules, Debra pegged him. She says he’s “a bit uneasy in the shelter environment with all the noise and commotion of the other dogs.  In the yard, he was somewhat skittish and cautious.  He has a low-key and calm personality, with a moderate activity level.  He wasn't interested in chasing balls or playing with toys.  He did stay close to me and is friendly.  He takes treats gently but does not sit for them.  Hercules will jump on you so obedience classes would be in order.  He walks well on a leash. He has such a beautiful brindle coat."  He’s #46996341 — the ID to use when calling the shelter at 972-216-6283 or emailing rescues@cityofmesquite.com.

See more Mesquite animals by clicking on this SHELTER LINK.
Here are two of the Mesquite cats — we’ve men- tioned Van Gogh before — he’s just over 4 years old and has a bit of a non-normal ear — medium size with a big expression on that beautiful face. Van Gogh’s been in the shelter since March 26.
The Orange Cat is listed as “size: large” but still is named “Runty.” She’s 5 and came in on March 24. Two cats in need of human hearts to charm.
CONTEMPLATIONS
CONSIDER THREE THINGS

Ever have one of those days when you run out of energy long before the sun goes down? Welcome to my Wednesday evening. If I’d have had to go to a Southern Baptist Wednesday prayer meeting service of my youth, I’d have been the guy who slid off the back pew, hit the floor and started snoring. Can’t explain it. Might be I’m still trying to adjust to the time change. When’s that next one?
 Sunday, Nov. 7, we fall back. Expect no help from Congress; just try to sleep through the torture. ...
The Texas Rangers won Wednesday — beat the Toronto Blue Jays 2-1 and are now tied for 3rd place in the American League West with the Seattle Mariners. First place? Houston Astros. Your Texas Rangers are 3-3 for the season, but the Astros are 5-1. I don’t know what any of this will mean in September as the season (if played out properly) draws to a close. Question of the day: Should Major League Baseball put the Astros back into the National League? Yes.
I spent about 2 hours Wednesday afternoon driving back to Fort Worth from Dallas. You know the most common road sign in Dallas County? “ROAD WORK AHEAD.”  Here's a quote for you: “It’ll probably be an impressive city if they ever finish building it.” — I think that’s the quote that got Dallas’ founder John Neely Bryan committed to a state asylum. You’d have to be nuts to think Dallas will ever be finished. A cruel or snide person would call Dallas “The Kudzu of the Prairie.” Just keeps unpleasantly growing. Mercifully, there are no snide or cruel people in the State of Texas. That’s what I heard.
—- Offer a defense or praise for Big D by clicking on ‘comment’ below or by email dallrp@aol.com and explaining all the road projects —-

A PITCH FOR CATS BY A CAT; SOME DOGS WHO NEED SOME HELP LIKE ASAP, Y'ALL

EDITION OF WEDNESDAY, APRIL 7. 2021 [PetPowellPress]  Y'all, that's my Kelly Clarkson impression. So, here's the truth: This is being written after dark on Tuesday night. There’s nothing particularly significant about that. But earlier in the evening, as the sun lingered in the west, I plopped down in the couch (checked for livestock in the couch first) and then looked over at my relaxingspouse Martha in her recliner. 
There, enhancing the experience of relaxation, was Martha’s personal cat, the former feral kitten Esme, named by Martha in honor of the snake in the 1978 Chevy Chase/Goldie Hawn film Foul Play. Esme probably has never seen a snake or that film. But she adores being with Martha and I thought that, maybe, her adorable mug might inspire someone to adopt a cat who has no home. 
Now, let’s talk dogs and humans for a minute.
ONE OF THE WORST PHRASES
IN THE ANIMAL RESCUE WORLD
This has to do with a former Mesquite stray, Leila, about 3, 51 pounds and a mixed- breed girl. We got the tip on her from the Mesquite Animal Shelter volunteer dog biographer Debra Chisholm.
This is the sentence that got to readlarrypowell.com: “When she first arrived at the shelter, she was frightened in particular of men.” [LARRY RANT: Debra is right to use that phrasing. It’s a description that shows up all too frequently in the animal world. And it inspires readlarrypowell.com to remind all Dear Readers that we know a number of men who work very, very hard to save animals and help them understand that they can trust again! It’s those bad eggs — the free-roaming jerks — that tick me off!]
 Back to Leila: She’s #46985707 at Mesquite — came into the shelter on March 27. Debra says, “One of our volunteers has been working consistently with her and as a result Leila is cautiously friendly with men after careful and slow introductions.  She appears to have been an inside dog and well-cared for.  She loves attention.” Use her Shelter ID 46985707 when you call the shelter at 972-216-6283 or email at rescues@cityofmesquite.com to ask about helping her.
Then there are these two dogs. They were surrendered to the shelter on March 28 because “their owner had over the limit of dogs allowed in the city…”
Camie is a mixed-breed: “Louisiana Catahoula Leopard/Aussie Shepherd in the mix,” the shelter says. She has “thick, luxurious, silky fur is about a year old, weighs 61 pounds and is not spayed.  Though Camie doesn't especially like having a leash put on, she does walk well on it.  When led through the bay Camie was quite scared of the other dogs. Former owner reported that she had lived indoors, that she lived with other dogs, cats and children and was OK with all.” Knows the “indoor commands” sit, paw, go to sleep and outside commands.
Debra also says that Camie “is what we term a Velcro dog in that when she feels comfortable with you, she stays very close!  … She undoubtedly can't figure out where she is and why she ended up here.” Camie is #37888462 at the shelter. 
And that brings us to Oreo, surrendered with Camie, and described as “a nearly purebred Louisiana Catahoula Leopard. Oreo is about a year old and weighs 68 pounds. Debra writes, “She is truly a sweetheart--calm, gentle, well-mannered.  She is very timid in the noisy shelter environment. Oreo is friendly and affectionate and jumped up on the bench beside me when we went outside for the photo shoot.  She is affectionate and seems to love attention.  Oreo appears to have been well-cared for during her year with her owners. … There is so much to like about this sweet and shy girl.  Doubtless outside the shelter environment Oreo would warm up and feel more comfortable.” She’s #46178472. 
As is customary at Mesquite, use the ID numbers when you call the shelter at 97-216-6283 or email rescues@cityofmesqauite.com.

AWWWWWW. LOOK AT
THIS CUTE LITTLE PUP
Look at this little girl. How in the world did she find herself in the spotlight of an appeal for help? The veteran rescuer and advocate Janie Perelman has the answer in this “plea for donations.” 
Xena is “out of surgery and recovering,” Janie’s note read. And she also gave a special “Thank you” to the folks at O’Connor Animal Hospital “for jumping on this one.”
 What was the challenge? Xena, according to the note with the appeal, “ate a hard yellow rubber substance/thing that lodged in her stomach — we think she found it outside. Good news is that it was not in the intestines! Will be hospitalized for about 3 days She is truly a warrior!”
 Janie says she met Xena “while in line at Petco- she was a tiny puppy with a stomach full of worms. Her owner was crying because he couldn’t afford vet care — I offered to help. The owner decided to surrender her to me — he described her as a Pittie puppy— she is more of a Dachshund Chi! She is a doll!
“All good until last night (2 nights ago) when she was yelping and crying out in pain. She went to the ER and something was spotted lodged in her stomach causing blockage. We hoped it would pass — it did not.”
 That was the point at which it was realized Xena was about to run up a “hefty price-tag” for life-saving surgery. To donate to Xena via her vet’s office call 972-570-0234.
MEANWHILE, THERE’S BERTHA,
A DOG WHO IS A SENIOR NO DOUBT…
Ginger Leach at Fort Worth Animal Care and Control is attempting to help an ol’ girl named Bertha touch the heart of a rescuer.
Ginger's note reads, "She needs a sanctuary or someone who loves the seniors. She can’t live in our office forever.. she deserves better.
She is blind and very hard of hearing. She basically walks our office until she gets tired, plops down and takes a nap. We haven’t been good with taking her out to potty during the day so she just goes and we clean it up. She needs a real routine and that is pretty hard to do at while we are working.
"Please someone give her a real home; she has such a great temperament and such a beautiful soul. Send a tag to
fwacctag@fortworthtexas.gov
You can see video of Bertha on Ginger’s Facebook page HERE. At the shelter, Bertha is A46933286, a 9-year-old Australian Shepherd, 47 pounds, spayed female, HW positive.”
 She was surrendered on March 19 as “found — cannot keep.” She has “painful when walking arthritis” but is “very sweet.”

CONTEMPLATIONS

BEWILDERING ASSORTMENT

As I reach the end of the work day, after the Texas Rangers have won a game at the stadium in Arlington — I could remember “The Ballpark in Arlington” but I’ll be darned if the name of the current stadium pops into my mind tonight. To me, it looks like a place that’s already being prepared for its next incarnation: regional hay barn, airplane factory, winter home of the Great American Touring Circus and Trapeze Festival. That’s a Fox 4 photo, by the way. What we really want is for this unusual athletic stadium to look like it really is the home of the World Series champs rather than a municipal multi-purpose moneymaker. …
Wouldn’t it be great to have a 21st century Super Bowl champ and a 21st century World Series winner down the block from each other? Here we are in 2021, so both teams have just 79 years to win the titles. …
Probably no way for Arlington to convince Baylor to move the NCAA Champion Bears to the semi-new stadium.
—— Offer opinions and explanations by clicking on ‘comment’ below or by emailing dallrp@aol.com and put ‘Globe Life Field’ You Idiot in the subject line. —-

A BOY NAMED KAY, A TOOTHY DOG, A ONE-EARED CAT & OTHER ANIMALS NEEDING A HUMAN

EDITION OF TUESDAY, APRIL 6, 2021 [PetPowellPress] Once upon a time…..There were dreams of a favorite Lone Star State baseball team winning the World Series. What did the home opener show? It showed a pitching philosophy of rather than let the other guys hit the ball, let the balls hit the other guys. Ouch.…. Well, let’s not focus on that. Plenty of time left in the season. Let’s focus on dogs and cats. Here’s our Tuesday edition.
A BOY NAMED KAY
IN CARROLLTON
This young guy Kay is “rescue only” —- he was still on the shelter population list during the evening rush hour Tuesday. Not sure anybody’s rushing to get him and I don’t know why in a metro area of millions of people there isn’t one heart that can give Mr. Handsome a loving home.
Kay is apparently his real name — he became an owner-surrender when the humans lost their home. That was on January 2. Way back in shelter time. At the Carrollton Animal Services shelter you can see Kay and lots of other animals at this LINK. Kay is #46356465 at the shelter.
He’s a year and three months old, weighs in at 63 neutered pounds and is a Pit Bull mix. He’s described as good with other dogs and is house-trained. His bio, written in first person by his aide de shelter, read, “I’m still a bit fearful meeting new people (men are more frightening than women) and need some help getting over this.” So, that means an experienced 501c3 Rescue Group is where this lad needs to go for now. 
[LARRY ASIDE: Bless his heart and, of course, the hearts of those folks in Carrollton who are making a significant effort to save his life by linking him up to a good-hearted human via a dedicated rescue group.]
A note from Carrollton’s Senior Animal Care Specialist Vanessa Johnson described Kay as “this sweet boy.” Her note says, “He’s a good boy who walks well on a leash… Kay needs some help being his goofy self with everyone he meets. He can take a little bit of time to warm up to new people which is hard in a shelter setting. He loves all the staff here, but when trying to meet a new family he will low-growl at the men and be very shy with the women.”
[LARRY ASIDE: I remember when I was a young reporter lacking confidence: I would low-growl at the men and be very shy with the women. Finally found someone to give me a good home. That’s what I’m wishing for Kay.]
 To ask about helping Kay, contact the shelter at 972-466-3420. Email vanessa.johnson@cityofcarrollton.com.
MOVING TO DALLAS’ EAST SIDE,
WE CITE GARLAND GIRL JAZZY
The note about this girl with the toothy grin came from Garland Animal Services and read, "We want to use the power of the internet to get this BEAUTIFUL (inside and out) girl, adopted! Jazzy's somewhat unusual expression can be attributed to a dental defect. Some may deem her too ugly to love but NOT us! Jazzy is a sweet as pie, low energy, and polite girl. We know that her family is out there somewhere and we need your help to find them!
If you are interested in meeting Jazzy, please call 972-205-3570.”
The American Staffy Jazzy (A250503) is 5 years-old and weighs 44.70 pounds. [LARRY ASIDE: We’re led to believe that most of that is mostly sugar.] Here’s the Garland Animal Services FACEBOOK LINK.


AN ARTISTIC CAT WAITS
IN MESQUITE’S SHELTER
This note popped up in our sphere of reading on Monday. As you can tell, this beautiful feline clearly qualifies as an “Earhound-Mono Point Variety.” 
He’s among the dogs and cats currently in the care of the folks at the Mesquite Animal Shelter. The note about him opens, “This hunky guy is Van Gogh…” Yep, named after the artist who also was of the Mono Point ear variety. 
Feline Van Gogh’s note reads, “He is 4 years old, available for adoption, foster or rescue. Obviously he had some sort of ear malfunction … He weighs 8.3 lbs.”

The shelter says he was brought in on 3/26 as a stray. And immediately, the bio says, “He began sneezing and had a watery eye so he was put in back and treated for URI. His left ear is missing, not sure if it was clipped too short or if it is an old injury. He allows staff to pet him, but has hissed, may still be decompressing.” He’s #46975720 —use that number when you get in touch with the shelter to beg to adopt this Tabby with the most sincere eyes in Dallas County. 
See Van Gogh’s listing and those of all other Mesquite dogs and cats by clicking HERE. Use Van Gogh’s shelter ID number when you call the shelter at 972-216-6283 or email rescues@cityofmesquite.com.
BEAUTIFUL LUNA IS
'NOTHING TO SNEEZE AT'
There’s irony in that word usage. The info about Luna Belle came from Avery Taylor of Oak Hill Animal Rescue in Dallas and the Oak Hill note about this beautiful Maine Coon Mix reads, “Meet Luna. Owner surrendered to us today (April 3). She is 2 years old, kicked out of her home she's always known due to child allergies:). Did we mention they front paw declawed her?

“She's great with kids and other cats but hasn't been around dogs yet. She is looking for a Foster or Adopter through Oak Hill Animal Rescue, Inc.” 
Contact points are PMing (you’ll know what that is, right?) Avery Taylor HERE or Oak Hill Animal Rescue HERE.
[LARRY ASIDE: When my funspouse Martha and I married, she brought a wonderful, beautiful Maine Coon girl named Lucy into the marriage — Lucy loved me. She might have loved everybody, but she really loved me. This cat looks like a wonderful Lucy cat. But we’re all full up with cats today. May Luna go to the best cat home in the world — I nearly wrote “best cathouse” in the world, but thought it's probably not appropriate usage.]
HERE ARE A COUPLE
OF FORT WORTH NOTICES
We got this info from Kristen Barg Morrison at Fort Worth Animal Care & Control. The story of Ten-year-old Thomas reads, “After 56 days waiting at the shelter, he has given up. Now he sits in the medical treatment ward because he was attacked by another dog. He has lacerations on his ears and is walking stiff.”
Thomas (46611933) is 54 pounds, neutered, and heartworm positive. He was found as a stray on 2/8.
The note continues, “He is receiving medical attention for his wounds. He goes out in the play yard but a dog out there recently didn’t like him. I fell in love with this boy. He loves butt scratches and any sort of human attention. He takes treats gently, knows sit, and will run (with a limp) straight back to his kennel when it’s time to go inside. He is dog friendly- would prefer other calm, older dogs.”
 Email the FW Shelter at fwacctag@fortworthtexas.gov.
That brings us to this dog Nana. Hit by a car on a dozen days ago — “can’t walk” Kristen’s post read. “How in the world has this sweet, gorgeous girl been sitting at the shelter for [so many] days like that? She needs a foster! Nana (A46978605) is 8 years old, 56 pounds, spayed, and heartworm negative. Found as a stray on 3/26 near 3400 S. Freeway.
“ Cannot stand on rear legs for very long. She is currently on pain meds.
X-rays are available to rescue groups and others. 
Here’s a passage on the note that may help Nana. “FWACC has over a 97% live release rate. What that means is their staff, veterinarians, clinic and medical, and everyone else goes above and beyond for the animals in our care. While they may not have the ability to provide extensive surgeries or treatments we do EVERYTHING in our power to help the souls that come through our doors. If our veterinarians thought that the quality of life was not there the decision would be made. However, they believe this baby has a second chance at life and are doing everything they can to help.”
 Again, the system says email the shelter at fwacctag@fortworthtexas.gov.
[LARRY ASIDE: If you know someone who lets their dogs romp free in the neighborhood no matter what neighborhood or how much traffic, feel free to lecture them sweetly and effectively. Yeah, that always works. Sheesh.]
THE HOPE GALA AUCTION/RAFFLE
EVENT AT OK IS UNDERWAY…
We got a note Monday from Operation Kindness revealing that the darned virus has caused OK’s annual “spring gala” to morph into a virtual auction and raffle. The purpose is to raise money to help the organization “continue its lifesaving work on behalf of homeless animals…”
  The Hope Gala Virtual Silent Auction & Raffle began Monday and runs through “the evening of Saturday, April 10.” It’s open to anyone who can sign-on at operationkindness.org - click on the red line across the top of the opening page. From that page you may also navigate to the adorable adoptables waiting for new homes at Operation Kindness, the no-kill shelter in Carrollton.
 Those animals are why the spring gala/action/raffle event is so important to the organization.
That Earhound with the golden eyes is Jessie, an American Blue Heeler who OK says might be really good with agility courses.
And that beautiful cat with the green “headlight” sized eyes is Calliope, a Calico who “likes to be held and will always purr if you give her lots of pets and scratches on her chin.”
[LARRY ASIDE: Cats don’t do agility — they’re all beyond that, each capable of laying out his or her own challenging course through your house!]
CONTEMPLATIONS
Poundage and a Missed Moment

Oh, boy, how close was I on the weight of Dan the Collie mix! Fortunately I have an invaluable proofreader among readers Ann Marie Pote. I say this sincerely: GOOD CATCH, ANN MARIE! Early Monday she wrote, “Larry, perhaps you are testing our proof-reading ability, but that Collie mix looks bigger than 3 pounds. I think 3-pound Collie mixes could be become a fad and we don’t need any more dog fads.” Amen, Ann Marie! I inadvertently omitted the key second 3 in that weight! Dan is a proper 33 pounds! Very adoptable 33 pounds.
DAN’S WEIGHT WAS NOT THE FIRST I’VE FOULED. One time in my daily Metro section column in The Dallas Morning News I dropped a period from the weight of a dog and no editor paid to catch my mistakes spotted my reference to a “78-pound Chihuahua.” The morning the column appeared, I got a call from Sydney Busch of the Friends of the Animals at Cedar Creek Lake. She asked with justifiable grinning lakeside tone, “Larry, I was just wondering if you could send me a picture of that 78-pound Chihuahua.” As I recall, she howled with laughter. Of course, we could make a mint if we could market Guard Dog Chihuahuas and Lap Collies. What? Yeah, I posted Dan’s photo again — I’ve mailed that photo of the 78-pound Chihuahua to Ripley’s Believe It or Not.…
THE SUSPENSE ONE MONDAY MORNING…So I and my cellphone were on hold Monday morning and waiting for a conversation to resume about a patient portal sign-in at a doc's office. At the same time, I was watching the “catch-the-lie” daily contest on Live With Kelly & Ryan. I was on lonnnng hold, I repeat. Nothing between me and the TV. A momma who was a contestant asserted (a) that someone once spilled tomato sauce on her birthday cake or (b) she once set up her little kid’s birthday party on a nude beach in Australia. As I was held taught with suspense, the doc’s office came back to the phone and I still don’t know whether the cake was spoiled or the kids got an early learning experience Down Under, so to speak. This unanswered question is an example of the things that make me an insomniac!
— Offer advice or weight tips by clicking on ‘comment’ below or by emailing dallrp@aol.com and putting “Slim the Sleepy Boy” in the subject line —

THE ODD RESCUE IN OKLAHOMA AND OTHER TALES OF ANIMALS AND PEOPLE....

EDITION OF APRIL 5, 2021 [PetPowellPress] April is National Stress Awareness Month, according to Holiday Insights, the online calendar. most of us have been celebrating Stress Awareness since early last year. 
FYI: It’s also National Humor Month and that’s why I can get away with saying I’ve never seen anybody under stress in the animal rescue/advocacy game. No stress at all.
Our first item today is not suggesting that there’s more animal-related stress in Oklahoma than in Texas, but, well, we’ll have two Sooner State stories today that might just twist the ol’ stress meter up a bit. The second Oklahoma story will help you relax. Maybe.  That flower? My botanyspouse Martha said she knocked it off one of her begonias by accident Sunday morning and didn't want it to go to waste, so she gave it to me. I knew just the people who could combat stress by staring at a flower. Enjoy. And read on:
FROM OKLAHOMA  PASTURELAND
OUT WEST NEAR BURNS FLAT
Here’s a “first one like this” situation. We agree with our tipster, Terry Lynn Fisher, the resilient rescuer in Burns Flat, Okla., out in the western part of the state. [LARRY CAUTION: Before you click on that final photo in this story to enlarge it, let me warn you that it is a graphic photograph of nature and how she works. Mother Nature has her ways.]
Terry Lynn wrote over the weekend, “Well, in 15 plus years I’ve done rescue, I have to admit...  this story is a first.

“A man with a farm west of me went out to check cattle. He spotted one dead so he went to check it out.  Even before he got to it he could see coyotes had been eating on it.
“As he got closer he kind of freaked because the cow started moving. A DOG was curled up inside the carcass, probably trying to stay warm.  He said looks like Lab/Pit mix, maybe 9 months old.  Not real big, possibly 30 pounds or so. 
“He had his daughter with him so he took her to her mom and went back out to get the dog.  I had it taken to my vet for now.   He said the dog looked injured.  I’ll need sponsors for this one.   I have to admit. It’s one of the strangest calls  I’ve had.”
This very thin pup is getting all the vet tests and care that he can use in this “emergency situation.” [LARRY NOTE: Click on that photo on the right to make it grow large enough to plainly see how the dog was found. Remember, it may startle the more tender among you.]
Terry Lynn says the little guy is “very calm, very sweet.”
 She says she needs some donations to help pay for his vetting and boarding until the 16th when a foster spot opens. And, she says, “We’re looking for a rescue to take him, as well.” To help her with this project, get in touch by emailing remembering_oddball@yahoo.com.
[LARRY ASIDE: So, Ladies and gents of the city life…we’ve seen some ugly stuff in our time, but at readlarrypowell.com we’ve completely managed to avoid finding a dog living inside a cow's corpse. Mother Nature has her way of saving lives until a human can rescue a puzzled, starving baby dog.]
We’ll have that second Oklahoma story in Contemplations.
CATS ON THE MOVE
FROM NE TEXAS TO AUSTIN
One of the things about volunteers is they really let their hearts ride along with them and the rescued animals! 
Consider this note from Cheryl Morse-Stephenson, a volunteer with the Mount Pleasant Animal Shelter in Northeast Texas (it’s on I-30 90 minutes from Dallas). But northeast wasn’t the direction these cats were going. 
Cheryl posted this note: “On the road again! This is my precious cargo for the day! Stephanie and her two beautiful orange babies and Raven and her 6 babies! They are on their way to Austin Pets Alive! Thank you for saving them!!!” It took a team to save ‘em didn’t it! The shelter had to have the right attitude, the volunteers had to coordinate and volunteer, the folks in Austin had to be ready to help.
Bless those cats and give ‘em happy places to call home.
Lots of canines, lots of felines at the Mount Pleasant Shelter. Here’s the FACEBOOK LINK.
[LARRY ASIDE: Volunteering to transport is a wonderful way to get to see the Great State of Texas and meet people with good hearts. Just a thought.]
IN THE ARLINGTON SHELTER,
DAN MOVES INTO ‘ADOPTABLE’
That’s the shelter’s note regarding this guy Dan (A46716842). He’s an adoptable. He was picked up on Feb. 26 as a stray. And here’s his description “Collie, Rough/Mix, Black/Tan/Tricolor” and he’s just 33 pounds. He’s about a year and a half old and has “medium smooth coat, brown eyes, folded ears, long tail…” 
He was “Rescue Only” but has charmed his way into “adoptable.”
Ask about him by emailing nsanimalrescue@arlingtontx.gov or calling 817-459-5898.
CONTEMPLATIONS!
FOUND, SPORTS & MAPS??
THE SECOND BURNS FLAT STORY came in an e-mail titled “TEARS ARE STREAMING." Relax. And read on. Terry Lynn Fisher’s second situation read like this:  “I’m seriously in tears. Three weeks ago [last Friday], a girl I know that lives about 30 miles from me called and told be her little Boston Terrier was missing.  She said it and her Chi got out when the plumber was there.  The Chi came home. But the Boston never did. She posted rewards and everything.  The dog is microchipped.  She is well cared for. I always teased that she was so fat she could survive a month living off her fat.

“After three weeks my friend began to give up hope.  Especially when the $400 reward didn’t bring any info. Tonight, she was watching TV and her doorbell rang. It was 11p.m. She wondered who the world would be there.”
A woman from next door asked if she could borrow a flashlight. “She said they could hear a dog crying.  They got a light and looked under the house. IT WAS HER DOG.  She had gotten tangled up in some wires and couldn’t get out. She has been there the entire time. She lost a lot of weight.”
The dog was taken straight to Terry Lynn’s vet. And, as Terry Lynn says, the Boston girl “is alive. And she is wagging her tail and giving kisses. All the bad we see, I had to SHARE THIS! … MY HEART NEEDED THIS!”
SPORTS? On Monday, there’s the big NCAA Basketball Championship game between the Gonzaga Bulldogs and the Baylor Bears (If we had prizes we’d give you one if you could name the cities each team calls home). Gonzaga? Is it back East? Is Baylor in Luckenbach? Throw you off? And the Texas Rangers have their home opener -- is the world moving back toward "normal"?  …
THINGS ON THE CALENDAR: We opened noting that April is National Stress Awareness Month. That Holiday Insights on-line calendar also says April is National Humor Month. And National Poetry Month. April 5 is listed as Deep Dish Pizza Day, and there’s the stress on your wardrobe. It’s also National Read a Road Map Day but I’m thinking that’s a vanishing experience in the land of online route information by robots who read the road map for you. There’s a lot of interesting things that turn up when the map you’re reading isn’t all that clear or you’re not a real good map-reader! It’s why gasoline companies make more money that they thought they would — lost husbands driving on vacation! Been there — got there without a roadmap.
—- Offer ideas or squelches by clicking on ‘comments’ or by emailing dallrp@aol.com. —-

Couch potatoes and a cat named Simon -- they fit into our weekend feature just perfectly...

As luck would have it, we have managed to find representation for the two headline elements of our long- running weekend feature, Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap. 

The cat is Simon; the dogs are Greyhounds. The Greyhounds are promotional; Simon is a mystery — and we’ve had him since the fall of 2017.
My photosnappingspouse Martha caught the big guy this week in a “Comfort Spot.” He loves to squeeze his bulk behind the TV and flop his head on the cable box. This is something cats don’t learn in the wild. They have to be in a loving home with a cable box! Simon likes The Great British Bake-Off. I think he's waiting on a landline call from the chef/judge Paul Hollywood, but I could be wrong.
Now, regarding Greyhounds. We have many times heard this great breed of dogs referred to as “couch potatoes.” Of course, they are known primarily for having been “racing dogs” in tracks (now-closed) across the USA and elsewhere. We like the “couch potato” designation. And, as it turns out ,we found some examples as we were perusing the items up for auction in the current Greyhound Adoption League of Texas “Greyt Art Lovers Auction."The bidding is open even as you read this and look at a painting called “Couch Potatoes” — it’s from artist Margaret Prince’s “Home Sweet Home” series.
And, as you can see, Greyhounds apparently will pose as sleeping dogs for the creative process.
 At first glance, we thought the dog on the red bed was sleeping but he’s got his eyes open a little and, the description of this ceramic tile says he is “giving you that ‘Where’s My Dinner’ look we all know so well.” This tile’s title is “Cow Dog.” See the works you can bid on by clicking HERE.
The auction runs through 9 p.m. on April 12. There are 26 pieces of Greyhound-themed work that GALT has described as “priceless,” though, of course, they’re hoping you’ll help put such a price on ‘em that Greyhounds will be celebrating the entire year. That’s appropriate because, GALT is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year.
Does it need money? Who doesn’t? But here’s the GALT answer from the news release: “Last year, we took in a record 280 hounds and as of March 31 (2021), we have already welcomed 46 more hounds this year.”
So, yep, the proceeds from the auction will help fund GALT’s operating expenses — “more than $633,000” annually. Artists donated artwork to help the Greyhounds who find their way into a tough spot. “
Now, back to Simon. What inspired me to use Simon in this edition is I love the little rascal, though he’s not so little any more. You can see that in a photo shot this week as he went to sleep while sitting up near the TV.
These baby Simon photos were from Autumn 2017 right after I rescued him while he was alone and screaming at the top of his lungs under one the ivy plants in our front-yard flower bed in Big D. He’d been there for several days quietly enjoying the company of his mom and siblings — he was the only one that wasn’t either orange or black or gray. For some reason, Mom and the siblings vanished overnight and left this boy squalling when he realized lunch wasn’t coming back. I waited to make sure. But Mom never returned. It broke my heart, so I grabbed him and turned a feral kitten into a big housecat.
Some are familiar with his story:
(1) When he was being bottle fed, he also liked to bite the hands that were feeding him. That's Martha feeding him before she needed BandAids.
(2) We first named him Ivy Diane in honor of our friend Diane Combs, the veteran SPCA volunteer and a friend to dogs and people who love them.
(3) We took Ivy Diane to meet her vet, Dr. Vladi DeJong, and he smiled and picked the kitten up and looked where experienced eyes should look and said, “Congratulations, she’s a boy.” The photo of Simon standing crestfallen at the door of his carrier was taken within seconds of his being told that he was not Ivy Diane. He has adjusted.
And as you can see, now and then he will take up a position on the entertainment cabinet and nod off while sitting. He so human that I expect him to have credit cards in his wallet.
And we’ll close with this photo I snapped Friday of Simon standing across from my laptop and, in the background, the portrait of a dog he never met, my Cocker Spaniel soulmate, Inky. They’d have been great friends — that was Inky’s lifestyle. Simon is working on winning friends and influencing dogs. The foundling cat is more partial to dogs than to
the housecats he bunks with. 
He’s a real work of art and I’m sure he’d pose to help GALT raise funds for Greyhounds if the fee was right — he’s partial to Catnip Fever treats.
[DEAR READERS, Remember to support your favorite rescue groups with your volunteerism and your Lotto Texas winnings or whatever else you have in the bank or wadded up in an old sock. And, also, remember to send photos of your slumbering dogs, cats, newts, etc., to dallrp@aol.com so we can celebrate them in Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap. You’ll be inspiring people to embrace animals as great friends to have around the house. And you’ll be suggesting to insomniacs that they could get some sleep if they’d just agree to strip down and model for artists. Or not strip down. Your call, sleepy.]
—- Offer ideas or suspicions by clicking on ‘comment’ below or by emailing dallrp@aol.com. —-

FOR THIS EDITION: TIME & TOWNS WORKING AGAINST SOME SHELTER ANIMALS

EDITION OF THURSDAY PM APRIL 1 & FRIDAY, APRIL 2, 2021 [PetPowellPress] Many years ago I read a quote from (if memory serves) the famed columnist Jim Bishop. “There are 10 million windows in New York and a story behind every one of them.” Probably Eleventybillion windows by now and, yeah, probably a story, too.
 That’s the way it is with animal shelters in Dallas/Fort Worth and the surrounding metrosprawl. Bless all of you rescuers and volunteers and foster folks and staffers who are doing your best to keep up with every story in every shelter. Save ‘em all this weekend. We have a tiny sampling in this edition — and nobody would know about them if you volunteers and sensitive shelter people weren't involved in this noble cause. That's not the ol' columnist. That's Jordan, a dog in a no-traffic shelter in southern Dallas County and he's available if only someone with a heart can save him. Read on.
PINKY AND SOME KITTENS,
SITUATIONS NEEDING HUMAN HEARTS
Our sincere hope is that by the time you read this these animals will have been the recipients of some angelic rescues.
Both the dog and the cats were featured on the Friends of Arlington Animal Services Facebook page. Their situations require special considerations.
Pinky was described as “11 pounds of scared Chihuahua.”
At Arlington Animal Services, Pinky, a 7-year-old, is listed as #46984222. She’s “Rescue Only” because this little owner-surrender is “fearful” and "unable to be placed in the city’s adoption program." Here are the contact points: Email nsanimalrescue@arlingtontx.gov; call 817-459-5898.
In case you’ve never seen a photo of four unweaned, maybe a week-old kittens before, this is what this particular Arlington quartet looks like. They are, of course, “RESCUE ONLY.” The description from Arlington Animal Services says, “They weigh 9.3 lbs each. No mom and not eating on their own.”
They were supposed to be out of the shelter by 5 p.m. Thursday. Maybe they made it. Maybe you can still save them. And, even if someone claimed them, there’ll be other kittens you can help. That is one of the constants in life: There are always more kittens.”
MORE ANIMALS WAIT FOR HELP:
SMALL SHELTERS SOUTH OF DALLAS
The folks at 4-Legged Helpers work hard to help animals in small city shelters and “holding facilities” that do not have adoption procedures, adoption/rescue/foster programs. The mission is to make sure the animals have a better chance at finding a home by getting their faces and needs into the public view. 
Here’s the latest list from the determined rescuers at 4-Legged Helpers. And with each of these, here’s how to get involved in adopting them or bringing them into the rescue you work with: Call or text 4-Legged Helpers’ Laura Macias at 214-949-2726 or email cat_girl_71@yahoo.com.

We started with Cassie, the Female Husky who is “stuck at a small rural shelter closed to the public.” The 4-Legged Helpers appeal reads, “She is incredibly sweet and very loving and friendly.  This small city sadly does not even have a dedicated animal control officer but we understand they think ‘perhaps’ she might be pregnant.  So sorry, we wish we had true confirmation but it is just not something we will be able to get from this shelter. …Very worried since dogs at this shelter just do not have long.”
Lindsay, this black 'n' brindled dog with the white highlights, is “precious, gentle, extremely loving and cuddly girl with big sweet soulful eyes. So cute. Only about 40 pounds.
She is a wonderful dog that loves other dogs, children, cats, etc.  We believe she may be housetrained.  Everything about her is just as cute and sweet as can be.  Shen enjoys hanging with her person watching TV, or going for a walk or a ride.  Sweetest most gentle soul.”
We’ve mentioned these two  before— Jessica the German Shepherd and her pal Jordan, the Shepherd/Collie “with a touch of Basset) mix.”
The story of Jessica reads that she is “completely adorable and loves everyone!  Very sweet and extremely friendly.  This sweet girl found herself in small rural shelter south of Dallas that is NOT open to the public.  She stands zero chance unless someone in rescue can help. Came in with Jordan pictured below.”

Jordan’s story reads, “This boy is so great! Loves kids, cats, other dogs.  Even likes chickens. Everyone that meets him completely adores him. Just a completely loving dog.  Jordan is a precious boy that loves everyone!!!   Very sweet and extremely friendly.” Same predicament as Jessica and that is, 4-Legged Helpers says, “He stands zero chance unless someone in rescue can help.  Came in with Jessica pictured above.  Please, you won't find a sweeter or more deserving boy.” He and Jessica are both in that “small rural shelter south of Dallas that is NOT open to the public."
4-Legged Helpers is the contact point between the isolation shelter and the outside world. Again, Call or text 4-Legged Helpers’ Laura Macias at 214-949-2726 or email cat_girl_71@yahoo.com. Here’s the Helpers’ Facebook LINK.
ROSE WAITS IN FORT WORTH;
PART OF A CRUELTY CASE
This girl needs a rescue group to move her out of the Fort Worth Animal Care & Control Shelter. She’s Rose, #47007076.
The note about her, from FWAC’s Ginger Leach, reads, “This sweet, long-hair, 2-year-old German Shepherd was also part of a cruelty case that [all animals] were surrendered to us. Rose has a dead tooth that needs to be pulled and she is also heartworm positive. She is being held until 4/4.”
That’s right. Until April 4. Time is short to save this beautiful victim of human folly.
 To tag her for rescue email fwacctag@fortworthtexas.gov.
CONTEMPLATIONS
A FAVE PATIENT; MR. MONK; ACROSS THE LINE
Last week we wrote about Dr. Glen Campbell, the star vet at Friends of the Animals at Cedar Creek Lakes’ spay/neuter clinic. He was scheduled to have surgery to repair his right arm — ruptured biceps tendon OUCH. So, on Thursday he posted this photo and the caption, “My favorite patient this morning is Winston. Check out these ears!” Yes, “The Doctor is in again.” When the Doctor isn’t working at his usual place, he’s busy operating at his other “usual place,” the Friends of the Animals at Cedar Creek Lake Spay/Neuter Clinic. It is, as you may have heard, “the world’s most successful spay/neuter clinic at Gun Barrel City, Texas.”
LET’S TALK ENTERTAINMENT: Of all the many Monk episodes I adore, the favorite currently is Mr.Monk and the Rapper, starring Snoop as a performer who goes by the name Murderuss and winds up accused of, indeed, murder. One of the great little extras of that episode is Snoop performs the opening theme, It’s a Jungle Out There, which in its original form, won an Emmy for songwriter Randy Newman, who has two Oscars for movie songs. Here’s the Snoop version  — and here is the Randy Newman vocal. Ah, but here’s the BELOVED FIRST MONK THEME from the early episodes of the long-running detective show. People carped when the change was made. …
Should someone begin planning the Texas Rangers’ 2021 World Series Parade? Where would it be? Not Dallas. Not Fort Worth. And Arlington -- bless it's ever-growing metroness -- has the worst traffic patterns in the Metropavement.
—- Offer parade routes or Rangers’ odds by clicking on ‘comment’ below or by emailing dallrp@aol.com and put “NOT SO FAST” in the subject line. —-

SNORLAX, CATALIE PORTMAN; PETEY'S TRIP; FLOWER SAVED; RICO CHICO & MARSHALL; TWINKLE & EVE; CONTEMPLATING ANGIE!

EDITION OF APRIL 1, 2021 [PetPowellPress] I swear this opening is not related to April Fools Day. It’s straight-up no foolin’. Coincidentally, straight-up no foolin’ is how a person must deal with cats. Cats resent being fooled by a human — they have taught me that, among other things of a philosophical nature. 
So, in looking over the feline inventory at Dallas Animal Services online I discovered another “cat first“ in my young life. This 7-month-old, 9-pound orange cat is the first I’ve ever encountered with the name “Snorlax.” 
And, just to make sure “Snorlax” wasn’t the name of a nocturnal digestive treatment dreamed up for April Fool’s Say, I googled the name and discovered that a Snorlax is a character in the Pokeman universe. That’s a picture of a Pokeman Snorlax and when I found it, I also found this explanation of the Snorlax: “When it is done eating, it goes promptly to sleep.” Well, that is quite catlike, I think.
Also waiting at DAS is a girl we’ve mentioned before and can’t figure why she hasn’t landed in a sweet and gentle home: She’s a 6-pound, 11-year-old named for a film star, Catalie Portman. And the photo on the right is Catalie’s inspiration, Natalie Portman in her costume as Padme from some of the Star Wars films. Ask about adopting Snorlax and/or Catalie by going to the DAS site at bedallas90.org.
PETEY’S BIG TRIP
AND HIS NEW PAL
You see the photo of Petey as he was being prepped for transportation from Gilmer, Texas, to an undisclosed site in Illinois. We got the latest info from Christine Kallas who provided the photographs of Petey with his new friend,
John Winterringer. 
You may recall that Petey was headed for euthanasia until the wander-up dog’s admirers began working together to find him a safe place to go. And, now, Petey is at his new home. Our tipster Christine Kallas reported that earlier in the week, “Petey [was] still unsure of what is happening and a little dazed after a long trip, not aware he escaped the needle to start a new life in Illinois. Can you see the little guardian angel clinging to his ear? He is one of the lucky ones. As always, it took a village to make this happen. First and foremost Laura Wright (of Wright’s Veterinary Clinic in Gilmer), for making us aware of Petey's plight.” Christine thanked people involved in the transport part of the Petey story and, she writes, “Of course, John, who reached out immediately when he became aware of Petey's dire situation. A few years ago, I coordinated rescue for a pibble in Corpus Christi in his eleventh hour, that John committed to help. He is a big advocate for the underdog. Thank you once again John, for taking this boy under your care.” [LARRY ASIDE: Christine also thanked readlarrypowell.com, but as I have long told people, we’re just the conduit telling stories of the heroic angels working on behalf of animals.” Bless all of you angels and keep you and Petey and all the others safe and healthy!]
FLOWER POSES WITH
A RESCUE VETERAN
That’s our longtime pal Mark Verma, president of the Paws In The City, the Dallas-based rescue group. He posed with this pup and explained, “Meet Flower who is a new addition to Paws In The City! She is a Westie mix that was excited to get out of the shelter. She will spend a few days at our vet partner Vickery Place Animal Hospital, then head to a groomer before going to a foster home. Available for adoption soon!” You can arrange to get involved in the the Paws In The City foster program or the Paws In the City adoption program by going to pawsinthecity.org and making rescue and adoption a personal mission.
[LARRY ASIDE: Like so many of you reading this Flower story, Mark is one of those rescuers/advocates who has just kept-on-keepin'-on through the pandemic -- dogs and cats have needed rescue the whole time. And you rescuers/advocates/fosters/fundraisers have kept things going against great odds.]
RICO CHICO OL’ ROY HAS LOTS
OF NAMES, ONE SCARY DEADLINE
We got the story on this guy Rico Chico Ol’ Roy from Laurie Gautreaux, dedicated volunteer at Fort Worth Animal Care & Control. 
She opened the appeal with a heartfelt statement: “This is BLEEP! This boy is going to die because he’s stressed in his kennel! He is a must save!!!!!”

He’s a last-call dog who, Laurie wrote, is “set to be euthanized tomorrow morning, Thursday, 4/1. He must be tagged for adoption or rescue before 8 a.m. He needs immediate recue or foster!”
The dog Rico Chico Ol’ Roy (A46685621) was an owner-surrender on Feb. 22. He’s a year old, neutered, weighs 59 pounds and is heartworm positive. 
The bio reads, “He is a big lover but unfortunately really struggling in the shelter environment despite being on trazadone. He is so stressed he is injuring himself while in his kennel. Rico is extremely sweet and smart! To anyone interested in him, from the person that found him: ‘He did not jump our fence when he was at our house over the storm.’ He’s amazingly sweet and smart but has a little food aggression with other dogs. Other than that, toys or playing he was perfect. MUST SAVE!”

As long as you’re in a mood to “MUST SAVE,” there’s this guy Marshall on the same Fort Worth Animal Care & Control clock as Rico. Marshall (A46455779) is 2 years old, 48 pounds, neutered, and heartworm negative. Found as a stray on 1/20.”

Don’t call the shelter — rescue/adoption tags should be emailed to fwacctag@fortworthtexas.gov.

Laurie’s Marshall note read, “Dog aggression noted, difficult for staff to handle/selective with strangers, kennel neurosis/declining in care. He did come in with another dog. He has been ‘staff handle only’ at the shelter so I have not taken him outside. He was working with a staff member continuously and after building trust he seems more comfortable.” [LARRY NOTE: A human he can love would go a long way toward helping Marshall be a beloved companion.]
MEANWHILE IN MESQUITE:
TWILIGHT AND EVE WAITING
Here are a couple of dog stories from our pal Judi Brown, volunteer dog biographer at Mesquite Animal Services.
 She writes “Twinkle is not just pretty, she’s handsome. She has a majestic beauty about her! Twinkle is a one-year-old mix who arrived at the Mesquite Animal Shelter on 3/26 as a stray. She welcomed me into her kennel and  immediately gave me kisses. She sat obediently while I put her scarf on. She had a strong pull on the leash when I took her to the yard, but then did her business immediately! She investigated the yard with her nose but then spent the rest the time close to me ....especially after she found out I had treats. She sits for treats and takes them gently. She also speaks. She lets you know what she wants. She is calm, gentle, friendly, and affectionate.” The 47-pound dog “would probably do well with young children as she is so gentle and loving.” Judi also suggests Twinkle would “enjoy spending time with her new family in their home snuggled up in a pile of blankets.” Twinkle is ID#46977770 at the shelter.

 Then, there’s Eve (#46981352), a 4-year-old, 59-pound “Tan and Smoky Gray Terrier Pit” who recently came in as a stray. Judi writes, “Eve could win a personality contest for being so sweet. …She has beautiful coloring with hazel eyes to complement her look. I can’t imagine why the owners haven’t come looking for her. She has so much to offer! She’s very calm and gentle and yet active but not overly so. She’s friendly, loving and seemingly very happy. Her tail is in constant wag. …[in some photos] she even seems to be smiling! She met a little girl in the hallway and she was very calm and gentle with her. She walks very well on a leash. Actually she seemed to be heeling.”
For either or both of these adorable canines, use their ID numbers when you call the shelter at 972-216-6283 or when you email rescues@cityofmesquite.com.
CONTEMPLATION
DEDICATED TO AN INSPIRING ANGEL
Thanks to the veteran rescuer and animal advocate Maleska Fletes, we have dedicated this edition’s Contemplation to one person who has inspired many people to work hard at trying to “save ‘em all.”
That’s Angie Manriquez, the rescuer who early in her mission was referred to as “The Fairy Dog Mother of West Dallas” but has become such a legend that she’s now The Fairy Dogmother of Dallas!” And beyond, sometimes. These are photos of Angie and animals she's saved.  Plus, you’ve heard of, no doubt, “Angie’s Friends,” the rescuers. I opened with one of the happiest of Angie & new friend photos -- this was from December when Buddy had been rescued from a cruel situation. He's a smiling boy -- had lots of interest immediately.
Maleska’s note opened with “Angie is turning 80, so let’s take care of HER!” And here’s the donation link .
The note Maleska sent reads, “For all of us who know Angie, and know that she has saved and improved the lives of thousands of animals across South and West Dallas, it’s a fact that Angie has always put the animals FIRST and herself SECOND - or LAST!
“For over 25 years, Angie has devoted almost 100% of her time everyday to help these creatures in need. Angie has never taken anything out of her non-profit or been paid, so we felt that in turning 80, she should have some monetary THANKS for all her years of service. Please contribute to Angie’s Personal Fundraiser, knowing that any amount of gift for her - will in essence - help the animals!”
 [LARRY NOTE: I began writing about Angie back in my days at The Dallas Morning News — pre-2004, in fact. Might have been in one of those years that started with 19…She taught me a lot about how some of the folks in one of Dallas’ high-crime areas were using staked-out dogs as drug guards and "alarm systems" and how these dogs were generally at peril. She’d wade in and save them. One very persuasive and tough woman dedicated to saving lives.]
We’d be remiss if we didn’t mention a currently adoptable dog that Angie saved. You can find this dog and others on the Angie’s Friends PetFinder site HERE.
This is a girl enjoying the ride in the car is named Abbie, a year-old Lab/Staffie mix, according to her bio. It adds that she is “sweet, cautious around strangers. Was ‘skin and bones’ when rescued from a place where she was kept in an outdoor crate all the time and … deprived of food.”

Her condition was so lousy that a neighbor risked stepping up and asking the dog’s human to surrender Abbie to Angie. 
Since then, Abbie has been demonstrating her ability to be affectionate and happy.
There’s this sentence in the bio: “She showers your hands with kisses as if you were the Royals.”

So, CONTEMPLATE HONORING ANGIE and also, CONTEMPLATE adopting Abbie and having a dog who loves you more than you ever expected to be loved!
[LARRY EMOTION: After a year of Pandemic stress, it feels good to write about someone who has made the world a better places for humans and animals.]
—- Offer advice or thoughts by clicking on ‘comment’ below or by emailing dallrp@aol.com. —-

ON THE LAST DAY OF MARCH, SOME FACES, SOME CHALLENGES AND SOME DANCE

EDITION OF WEDNESDAY, MARCH 31, 2021[PetPowellPress] The final edition of March 2021 and the day before the Texas Rangers open up the 2021 season. It’s a long road, the baseball season. So, as some advice for the 2021 Rangers, we’ll quote from the great New York Yankee philosopher/catcher Yogi Berra: “When you come to a fork in the road, take it.” Read on and mind the forks.
FOLLOWING UP ON
THE EAST TEXAS DOGS
Last week we wrote about Sandra Reardon’s efforts to save nearly two dozen dogs — mostly Redbone Hounds — that were loved and cared for by her brother until he was killed in a motorcycle crash near Palestine a couple of weeks ago.
There has been some movement — organizing and studying and hoping to arrange the rescue and fostering and adopting of these animals.
This is a photo Sandra sent with her note about attempts to “coordinate all the rescues. … Until then, we are keeping them fed. I so wish it would happen overnight! I wake up worried and go to bed worried! This little lady has the most beautiful eyes.”
To ask about helping Sandra and her team or to ask about adopting this girl with the beautiful eyes, call or text Sandra at 817-319-4748 or email santom456@yahoo.com. The second dog is a mugshot of one of the available adorables Sandra told us about in our first story about this sad situation. No name. You can adopt and give him a name. I suspect he’s able to smile at times. Most dogs are when they have a loving human and a human they can love..
HERE’S THE DOG PEANUT,
AVAILABLE AT THE COLONY
Tami Kukla’s message had two purposes: (1) Inspire people to help Mark Cooper and The Colony Animal Shelter lower the population and (2) get this guy Peanut adopted.
She wrote, “Meet Peanut. He is absolutely the cutest, spunkiest boy ever and would make an awesome addition to your family. He's super easy-going and just likes to follow you around to see what you are doing and how he can help. Peanut is kid, dog, and cat friendly. And as a side note he would like to try out for American Idol.” [LARRY ASIDE: Anybody help with that American Idol challenge?] Here’s the LINK to The Colony Animal Services.
Peanut is #46923041 in The Colony Shelter. He’s a mix: American Eskimo/Rat Terrier. Listed as “8 years, 4 months, 27 days” old, Peanut is a “medium-sized” dog. He came into the shelter on the 18th. His staff-written bio gives Peanut credit for this quote: “One of my most favorite things is food. Any and all kinds really.” [LARRY ASIDE: They’re so human…]
 The Colony’s online site also offers this cat for adoption — She’s Monroe (46914638), listed as just over 3 years old and “medium.” Kind of beautiful. She came in on the 17th.
JESSICA AND JORDAN WAIT
IN A NO-TRAFFIC SHELTER…
We got this info from the folks at 4-Legged Helpers, the non-profit that focuses on helping animals that are stuck in small shelters that have no visitors and no visiting hours.
That’s the case for Jessica and Jordan. First we discuss Jessica who arrived with Jordan.
The bio for this female Shepherd-type dog reads, “Jessica is completely adorable and loves everyone!  Very sweet and extremely friendly.  This sweet girl is currently stuck in a small rural shelter south of Dallas that is NOT open to the public.  She stands zero chance unless someone can help.  Came in with Jordan pictured below.  Please, you won't find a more loving or more deserving girl.”
Jordan’s bio outlines many of the “location” details currently assigned to Jessica’s bio. It also reads, “Jordan is a precious boy that loves everyone!!!   Very sweet and extremely friendly.  This adorable boy is currently stuck in a small rural shelter south of Dallas that is NOT open to the public.  He stands zero chance unless someone can help. … You won't find a sweeter or more deserving boy.” Jordan is described as a “Shepherd/Collie with a touch of Basset” mix.
To ask about saving or being helped to adopt these two, call or text 4-Legged Helpers’ Laura Macias at 214-949-2726 or email cat_girl_71@yahoo.com.
MEANWHILE IN RICHARDSON,
DOTTIE, AGE 9, WAITS….
Oh, my, look at this girl Dottie! Nine years old and sitting in the Richardson Animal Shelter without any interest since January 25. She’s been listed as “ready for adoption” since Feb. 11. She’s #21-0082D.
Here’s a LINK to her adoption info. The shelter is at 1330 Columbia Dr. in Richardson, 75081. And click HERE  to arrange an appointment to adopt Dottie.

CONTEMPLATIONS
NORMAL, FOCUS AND DANCIN'
Is the opening of the Texas Rangers 2021 season a sign that we are returning to some sort of normal? By “normal” I don't mean finishing toward or at the bottom of the American League West. Texas opens the regular season in Kansas City on Thursday. That could be a sign. Remember, the Kansas City Chiefs made it all the way to the Super Bowl. And, the Dallas Cowboys did not and they play within a booming field goal of the Texas Rangers home park. So, ignore the signs and do this: Focus on baseball. Focus on baseball. Focus on baseball. What we want to do, kids, is play so good and finish so high that nobody drags out the Yogi Berra quote: “It’s like déjà vu all over again.” FYI: I know at least one life-long Rangers fan who has written ‘em off already. No pitching. [LARRY ASIDE: The preceding was a demonstration of “normal” in which a person who wants to see his team win takes time to bad-mouth the team in hopes of tempting the Baseball Gods to arrange for great arms to suddenly appear in Texas uniforms. It’s a weak theory of achieving success at the big league level.] ….

WHAT THEY KEPT DOING! Remember, throughout the entire Pandemic and wintry onslaught, people kept rescuing dogs and cats, saving lives, finding homes for animals. Take all that as a sign that there is goodness at work in the world. May it reign for the sake of humans and beasts and the plants, too. …

JUST FOR FUN I hope you’ll enjoy this performance I mentioned last week. Click HERE and enjoy a dance from Gruene Hall in New Braunfels, Texas. It’s from the film Michael. Put some soul into your day. Thanks to John Travolta, the great Aretha and, for the sensational guitar opening, the fantastic Joe South.
—- Offer views or gripes by clicking on ‘comment’ below or by emailing dallrp@aol.com. Put “Lost on Planet Earth” in the subject line. —-

FROM SUEZ TO SOME THANK-YOUs WITH DOGS AND CATS AND PEOPLE IN BETWEEN

EDITION OF TUESDAY, MARCH 30, 2021 [PetPowellPress] Our long international nightmare is over: the big boat Ever Given is floating free in the Suez Canal. I hope we don’t find out the captain of the ship was letting his teenager try his hand at the helm…Do ship’s still have “steering wheels” or are they like our phones — dependent on programming, battery power and satellites? Surely “human error” won’t come up in the conversation. Ever Given. Wonder if it has brother, the Even Steven?
  That's my personal assistant, The Senator, who traces his lineage back to a managerial feline called "Prime Minister" who was the captain of the Seagoing Ratter Crew on The Mayflower. It's documented somewhere, I'm told.
COCO, A ROTTIE GIRL
WAITING FOR A HOME…
[LARRY ASIDE: Yes, readlarrypowell.com after losing our fantastic gentleman Rottie Earl a couple of weeks ago, continues to be “breed sensitive” regarding Earl’s kin — just as we are sensitive for every other dog and cat that needs a good home. I already told Mesquite volunteer dog biographer Judi Brown that we’re all outta dog room at our house. Still, it would be wonderful to know that someone lovely has adopted Coco. Here’s her story.]
 Our tipster Judi says Coco is a year-old Rottie who was surrendered to Mesquite Animal Services on Friday the 26th. Here’s the background: Judi writes, “The people that surrendered her had found her and a sibling abandoned on the streets when they were puppies and took them in. The children played with her a lot when she was young but as she got older the children lost interest. Coco was wanting more attention than she was getting so they surrendered her.” [LARRY FYI: The family kept the brother.]
 Judi, who meets all the dogs she writes about, says of Coco, “To meet her is to fall in love with her. She has got a very sweet gentle disposition. She is friendly and calm. She stays close for extra attention and loving. She loves to have her ears scratched and her belly rubbed. She sits for treats and takes them gently. She walks well on a leash. She wagged her tail when meeting other dogs in the bay and did not show any aggression. She is easily startled and appears to be afraid of loud noises. She is a total sweetheart!!!” The 55-pound pup isn’t spayed. Her ID is #46978213.
Also waiting? Yes, there are MORE dogs in the Mesquite shelter. Judi’s colleague in dog biographies, Debra Chisholm, cited the need for Midge to find a home. She’s listed as “mixed (American Pit Bull/American Stafford- shire/Staffordshire Bull Terrier).” The 57-pound girl is about 4 years old and came in as a stray on March 24. In the shelter, she’s timid, nervous and uncomfortable in the noise. Debra says, she’s had “at least one litter of pups. … It is highly possible that Midge has been an outside dog and has not be socialized much. She is a calm and gentle girl with a mellow personality.” She’s #46963040.

Debra also met “adorable Gracie,” a “mixed-breed” stray who arrived on the 22nd. She’s about 6, weighs 26 pounds and isn’t spayed. But, Debra writes, “There is a long list of things to like about this highly adoptable girl.” Walks “beautifully” on a leash, didn’t react to dogs who barked at her, knows “sit,” takes treats “gently,” and “has an outgoing personality and seems well-adjusted. She is easy-going and fun-loving.” She has also become a shelter staff and volunteer “fave,” Debra says, then adds, “But wait, there’s more! She is athletic and enjoyed the climbing equipment in the yard. Gracie met a child (elementary school age) on the property and was friendly. She appears to have been well-cared for by her owner.” Gracie is #35747417.

To ask about Coco, Midge and/or Gracie, use their ID #s when you call the shelter at 972-216-6283 or email rescues@cityofmesquite.com.
NOW, TO THE WESTERN SIDE
OF THE METRO DOG NATION…
How about those photos by Carlos de Leon! Bonded dogs?
Here’s what Fort Worth Animal Care & Control posted about them on FACEBOOK HERE
The text opened with this: “You know that one friend you have that you do everything with and that you couldn't live without?”
Canelo (A46604306) is a 4-year-old Black Mouth Cur mix who weighs 45 pounds. Poncho (A46604308) is a 2-year-old Collie mix who weighs 57 pounds.
FWACC’s post explains, “This bonded pair of pups came into our shelter in the beginning of February when their owner could no longer care for them. Poncho is a bit on the shy side, and he relies on Canelo to help him be brave. Canelo loves meeting new people and playing with tennis balls! Together, they make the best duo..
“They’re both at the main shelter — visit Fort Both of them are available at our main shelter. Staff can assist you with meeting them - their adoption fee is currently waived!” 
Here’s the FWAAC SHELTER INFORMATION.

Before we leave FWACC, we should point out that this is a FIRST for readlarrypowell.com — this is the first cat we’ve ever encountered named “Persephone.” Her ID is 46318928, she’s pushing 6 months old, is a small gray Tabby and is currently in the shelter’s off-side foster program. She came in on December 23, 2020.
[LARRY FYI: Research into Greek mythology shows us you might want to change this cat’s name — Persephone was the “queen of the underworld” and also the “goddess of spring growth.” This kitten is too young to have a “reputation,” but the original Persephone had one.]
A HUSKY NAMED OLIVER
NEEDS HELP WITH A HOME…
Sometimes fate deals a lousy hand to humans and animals and that is the case for this dog Oliver. 
The daughter of Oliver’s human posted this note on her mom’s neighborhood account in Eastern Fort Worth. Daughter Jordan wrote, “My mother passed away two weeks ago and unfortunately I am unable to keep her pup at my apartment. My heart is very heavy posting this but I am needing to find a new loving home for her husky, Oliver. He is the chillest, sweetest dog and never barks. He is great with kids and other dogs. My mom had him on a pet care plan at PetSmart so he has all of his shots, is neutered, and is chipped. My mom also had a backyard so I would love for him to go to a home with a yard so he is not cooped up inside. If you are never home or not able to give this sweet dog the love and attention he deserves please do not respond. This is already hard enough to post this and I hope more than anything I am able to find Oliver his happy and loving FOREVER home.” 
To ask about adopting Oliver in a really good, loving home, text 817-507-9161.
CONTEMPLATIONS
EGRETS, SUPPLIES AND THANKS
We’re on a lot of city email lists — the City of Dallas never fails to post notice that the trash is being picked up! And on Monday we got a City of Fort Worth Community Engagement Office email warning that it’s Egret season in North Texas. Nesting Egret season. What does that mean? The note (you can see the original city post HERE) says, that “sometimes as many as 200 birds nest in a single neighborhood. What comes along with nesting is an immense amount of falling white poop and plumage that literally covers roofs, trees, sidewalks and driveways. Then there’s the smell.
“What all residents need to know ahead of egret 'scouts' arriving is how to protect their neighborhood from allowing the birds to nest in the first place. Residents should look for a yellowish-colored bird named the yellow-crowned night herring. The scout birds arrive as early as February. Nesting season is typically from the end of February through June.”
 So, Fort Worth, there you go! You're in March already! The early bird gets the worm AND the prime nesting place over your parked car, back yard and roof, I guess. FW’s note says that once the egrets start nesting and laying eggs, it’s hands-off because “they're protected from harassment under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918.
BACK TO THE SUEZ CANAL: The first time I was aware of the Suez Canal was due to the classroom publication My Weekly Reader (sold to kids from 1928 through 2012). That Suez info came sometime around 1956 when, I think, the magazine wrote a brief (what else!) story about remodeling the Suez Canal. It was the first story about Egypt I remember that didn’t focus on Biblical events or the Pyramids! And I have this question for people who do the household shopping: Was any other mate sent to the store over the weekend to get an “extra week’s supply” of bath tissue in case the cargo-delivering Suez didn’t beat the blockage? Well, never mind that — if there’s freedom in the Suez, let it spread around the world…

ABOUT OVERDUE THANKS: I’ve mentioned before that there are people I wish I’d sent thank-you notes. Four recent deaths highlighted my shortcoming. I’d have noted that each of the people lifted my spirits at assorted times on rocky roads or during academic challenges or moments in movies. (1) Thank you Beverly Cleary (1916-2021) for writing about Beezus and Ramona and, especially, about Henry Higgins and his dog Ribsy, who he once turned pink for a dog contest. (2) George Segal (1934-2021), star of many motion pictures and, among the funniest, the 1970 film with Barbra Streisand, The Owl and the Pussycat. My favorite scene was at the end when he decided to give up on a writing career and, from a hilltop in Central Park, hurled his portable typewriter and sent it bouncing away and changed his life. [LARRY NOTE: Computers are too expensive for such cavalier behavior.] His character, thanks to either playwright Bill Manhoff or screenwriter Buck Henry, is responsible for starting a book with this: “The city came to life.The sun spit morning into Julian’s face.” Here’s the SPIT LINK, I was howling through my popcorn when I heard that line. I’ve written a bevy of sun-spitting lousy lines myself. And Mr. Segal was among the stars in the only movie that had ever given me a headache, the 1966 domestic drama Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?. Oh, my. And Blume in Love (1973) and the original Fun with Dick and Jane (1977 with Jane Fonda.) Thank you, George Segal — and for TV’s Just Shoot Me! … Larry McMurtry (1936-2021) for writing his early stuff and setting off dreams of literary success in young newshounds earning a buck in newsrooms all over Texas. Secret dreams of people who’d earn a living while thinking their words might eventually fit together as well as McMurtry’s. The Last Picture Show. All My Friends Are Going To Be Strangers. The early stuff before the cowboys caught his fancy. …
And thank you Yaphet Kotto (1939-2021). When you were on screen, the audience was compelled to watch. Alien (1979), for example. Lots of TV cop dramas. And even a 1973 James Bond film, Live and Let Die. So many roles, and a Bond villain, too! Thank you.
We’ll close this segment with a quote from Albert Schweitzer (and if you don’t know who he was, thank me for inspiring you to look him up). He said, “At times, our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us.”
— Give a thankful notion by clicking on ‘comment’ below or email dallrp@aol.com. --

EASING INTO A MONDAY WITH DOGS, CATS & THE LEGEND OF BOGGY CREEK

EDITION OF MONDAY, March 29, 2021 [PetPowellPress] We’re going to take so very easy this Monday that we’re publishing the edition on Sunday. We’ll start in Oklahoma and work out way into the swamps and the weeds. No politics!
THE ALTERNATIVE, THEY SAID,
IS ‘WE’LL JUST SHOOT THE DOG’
Sounds like some areas of Texas, doesn’t it. This time it’s in Oklahoma — the town of Burns Flat where the resilient rescuer Terry Lynn Fisher works hard to save lives. Including this one.
Here’s what she wrote. “Yes, this is Oklahoma. Shooting a dog is an every-day thing in the state. And sadly, nobody seems to give a damn!  But wait, there are some that do give a damn. And I happen to be one of them!
“This boy is young, under a year. He was hit by a car in a town about 35 miles north of me. He drug himself off the highway into the back of a dollar store parking lot. The people there called one of my friends and told her if he was still there tomorrow, they were going to just shoot him. She rushed to see if she could find him after calling me and me checking with my vet to bring him in.

“Blood was dripping from his nose and when they touched him he cried in pain. This poor sweetheart has a broken pelvis. He will need crate rest for up to six weeks. Right now he is on pain meds to help him, for it is very difficult for him to get up and walk and do anything at all.
“I do not have a place to keep a dog like this, so for now he is still at the vet. If there are any rescues that can take this one on, please let me know ASAP. I will get him to you somehow.” 
Email Terry Lynn at remembering_oddball@yahoo.com. She says the pup needs bedding, too, and boarding money. Her PayPal is terrylynnfisher59@yahoo.com and the vet is Elk creek Clinic, 1301 Airport Industrial, Elk City, OK, 73644. Call 580-225-4863.
Terry Lynn says, “This precious young boy wants to live. He is full of kisses and love. Please help us keep him alive until he is well enough to find a home of his own!”
PETEY THE DOG IS CLOSER
TO A SAFE, HEALTHY RE-START!
We got this over the weekend from our Petey tipster, Christine Kallas. She wrote, “Remember the dog that was in danger of being euthanized?” 
Indeed, we remember Petey. We posted him on the 19th. He was living in Gilmer where he’d wandered up and the guy to whom he’d wandered up has been trying to find a safe place for him to go — even enlisted the help of the Wright Animal Clinic to look for an angel for Petey.
 What’s happening now? Christine sent these “cone photos” of Petey from over the weekend.
She wrote, “Here is Petey, ready to start a new chapter in his life. He was neutered yesterday and he tested negative for heartworms. Always welcoming news in rescue.

“Petey is leaving for Illinois on Monday as John Winterringer is anxiously awaiting his arrival. When John became aware of Petey's plight, he immediately reached out to us offering to give Petey a loving home. These pictures don't do him any justice, he is a stunningly beautiful pup. John is a true advocate for the breed. As a Veteran with PTSD he can relate to their struggle to exist in this chaotic cruel world. Thank you to everyone involved paving Petey's path to a new beginning. It is your time to shine Petey!!!”
HALO, SNOOT & HATCHI:
THREE ADORABLE ADOPTABLES
(PLUS STUMPY THE CAT)
Our pal Judi Brown, the volunteer dog biographer for Mesquite Animal Services, has presented us with 3 dogs with odd names — I’m almost certain that in 20-something years and thousands of dog stories we’ve never had a Snoot or Hatchi before, and maybe not a Halo, either.
Judi says “Halo is a perfect name for this year-old, 54-pound ‘terrier pit’ that was surrendered on 3/26. She was basically abandoned. The story goes that she was dropped off at some friends/relative home and then the [humans] never returned for her. Their loss is your gain because this is one sweet, lovable, friendly, well-mannered Southern lass! She may look black-and-white in the pictures but she’s really more of a smoky gray and has beautiful hazel eyes that look up at you adoringly.  She’s gentle and calm.... especially for her age. She sits, lays down, and gives her paw. When she’s anticipating a treat she sometimes gets excited and jumps but she really doesn’t jump on you, she just jumps up. The people that surrendered her said she was an outdoor dog and that she was raised with a toddler and up and gets along well with children. They also said she was raised with other dogs and is friendly with them.” Judi also adds, “She told me she wants to be an inside dog and live inside with her new family.” Halo is #46973493. Use that number when you call the shelter at 972-216–6283 or email rescues @cityofmesquite. com.

That brings us to Snoot, a year-old Brittany Spaniel looking for an end to a streak of bad luck. Judi says she was adopted from Mesquite, then returned on the 25th “because of a conflict with one of their other dogs. Snoot got along with one of their dogs but not another one. When I walked him through the bay he did not have any problem meeting other dogs. However I would suggest further dog testing and if you do have another dog they would need to be introduced slowly. Snoot is all puppy! He’s just a happy, wiggly, friendly, energetic, fun-loving, playful guy. His tail wags constantly.” And the wiggly dog is already “fixed.” he’s #46900803. Same Mesquite contact points as for Halo.

 And here we are at 7-year-old, 45-pound Yellow Lab mix Hatchi, surrendered to the shelter on the 25th. Judi writes, “He’s a mix and is very low to the ground. On the surrender form they just said they can’t take care of him anymore. He spent his whole time in the yard looking out the gate. I know he was looking for his owners! It made me so sad! I brought him inside to get pictures of him. He’s a very active boy... especially for his age. He went back-and-forth in the shelter yard. He thoroughly explored the laundry room and found some toys he liked. … He was obviously very loyal and loving to his previous owners and now needs someone else to love. Will that be you? Please come meet Hatchi. If you’re patient with him you will see that he will warm up to you.”
Hatchi is #43209116 — use it when you call the shelter at 972-216-6283 or email rescues@cityof mesquite.com.
See more Mesquite animals — dogs and cats — by clicking on the shelter link HERE.
Among the cats is this fascinatingly ear-accented girl, Snowball, a 5-year-old who came into the shelter on March 25. She’s listed as “large.” [LARRY ASIDE: Considering the State of Texas’ experience with snow this year, the cat may be begging someone to adopt her just so they can change her name to something like Spring or Warmfront the Cat. Not Ercot The Cat. She’s #46969657 at the shelter. Same contact points as for dogs with odd names.]
THE 2 FACES OF STUMPY
@ DOG 'N' KITTY CITY …
This guy is a medium-sized youngster, born in September, 2020, and capable of two different facial expressions — at least two! 


 

 

 

 

He’s in Dog and Kitty City, the no-kill shelter run by the Humane Society of Dallas County. Read about it at dognkittycity.org and see how to adopt this guy.
 Stumpy’s in Dog and Kitty City (at 2719 Manor Way in Dallas not far from Love Field) and he’s there because he was “surrendered because one of [the] owner’s dogs kept nipping” at the cat. The shelter was safer for the cat, so that’s why he’s there. Stumpy is described as “really friendly and spunky.”
CONTEMPLATIONS

A MONSTER’S VOTE; A FILM; WEED DAY
We start Contemplations with a story that is about voting but has nothing to do with politics, viruses, borders or odd objects in the sky. Nope, this one is about a monster: The one who starred in the 1972 motion picture, The Legend of Boggy Creek. It's about the mythical “Fouke Monster,” a Bigfoot-like creature said to have roamed the river bottoms and swamps near Fouke (pronounced Fowk as in “ow!”). The small Arkansas town is just south of Texarkana on U.S. Highway 71 not far from the Louisiana border and the Texas border (Hence, the area is the “Ark- La-Tex.”). Anyway, in its Sunday edition, my ol’ hometown paper, The Texarkana Gazette, reported that the film is “up for two 19th Annual Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards” — as you can see at the award site HERE  Rondo Hatton was a film star/journalist — he’d been quite a handsome fellow in his youth, but acromegaly, a disorder of the pituitary gland, reshaped his face. He was in 26 films from 1927 to 1946 — not all horror films, especially in his younger years. FYI: The organizers allow one vote per person — so, to see the ballot go to
rondoaward.com/rondoaward.com/blog (yep, that's the link) and to vote, email your choice to taraco@aol.com by midnight April 25. As research will show you, many organizations bootlegged copies of the film, but a couple of years ago, the daughter of the late director, Charles B. Pierce, acquired the rights and had the film restored and upgraded. The pre-bootleg version had beautiful music and beautiful scenes of the bayous and landscape and wildlife around Fouke. FYI: The Fort Worth Press’ legendary film critic and entertainment writer Jack Gordon told me in the early ‘70s that The Legend of Boggy Creek had sold more tickets at the Seminary South Cinema in August of 1972 than the other big film that year, a little thing called The Godfather sold in March of ’72. Of course, in those days, you could actually go to movies and fill all the seats.
And, for the curious, here’s a LINK TO A RONDO HATTON MAGAZINE STORY with photos of the actor/journalist as both young and older. Perhaps you’ll recognize him. …
And, having barely scratched the surface of The Legend of Boggy Creek, we’ll close today’s Contemplations with a note reminding those who pay no attention to botanical celebrations, that March 28 was Weed Appreciation Day.
Before you jump to conclusions, the “weed” in this appreciation refers to the actual weeds to spring up in your lawn, your garden, between the slabs of a sidewalk, etc.
Holiday Insights notes that weeds help provide oxygen for Earthlings and offer food and shelter for some wildlife. Then the site urges, “Take some time today to hug your weeds….” It’s like we time-warped back to the ‘60s, isn’t it.
— Offer facts or fiction by clicking on ‘comment’ or by emailing dallrp@aol.com. —-