May this turn out to be the happiest Wednesday of our lives – and I say this knowing that Lotto Texas will be drawing six lucky numbers tonight. The prize is just $16 million, hardly worth the effort, eh?
Still, you can bet there’s some happiness on the Texas Wesleyan campus in Fort Worth. The men’s basketball team hit the jackpot.
The Rams, coached by Terry Waldrop, won the NAIA basketball championship last night in Kansas City, beating Oklahoma City, 67-65.
Our buddy Kevin Millikan is Texas Wesleyan’s athletic director and also coaches the nationally No. 3-ranked Rams men’s golf team. He and his wife, Kelly, are fans of animals, especially dogs, cats, horses and, of course, Rams.
In fact, I have played golf with Kevin and noted that he has a great affection for birdies. The rest of us generally trail way behind and are just happy to shoot a dodo or whatever you call it when you take 10 to 15 strokes before the little white ball, battered and dizzy, rolls into the hole to hide from further torture.
Moving along:
MISSING BLUE: Debbie and Randy Graham are hoping someone can help them find their 7-year-old “baby boy,” Blue The Cat.
He went missing in October 2005 – but there were sightings of him after that in their neighborhood near the Lavon Highway/Naaman Forest area of North Garland.
Blue is neutered, weighs about 12 pounds, has gray fur with stripes (he’s cream-colored on his abdomen) and a ringed tail. He has a little Siamese in him, says Randy, and he has blue eyes.
Debbie says Blue’s always been an indoor cat. But, when they put a doggie door, Blue turned it into a “cat door,” too. Generally, though, he’d never left the yard. Then, one day….well, you know, cats aren’t really bound by terrestrial limits.
Nearby, behind their property, there is a large drainage ditch and, says Debbie, “We see many cats enter and come out of it. We think he may have gone down it.”
He was wearing a breakaway cat collar with his tag on it.
The Grahams have checked shelters, put up posters, combed the neighborhood and conducted an extensive search for Blue. If you know of Blue’s whereabouts, contact the Grahams at 214-952-7239 or 972-804-9982.
MOMENT IN TIME: This picture, taken by noted photo/writing professional and all-round critterfan Anita Edson, has some historical significance. It captures a moment unlikely to be captured again on film – or on digits or whatever it is that digital cameras capture things on.
From left you have the Second Chance SPCA founders Louise Henning, Anne Hartsell and Roni Seely. This was at the shelter’s grand opening last Saturday – it’s adjacent to Doggie’s Wonderland at 505 Alma Road in Plano.
You might also note the presence of a big ol’ dawg. Yep, that is Buster, a boxer mix.
And is Buster available for adoption?
Nope, says Anita, someone met him at the open house on Saturday and came back the next day to adopt him. Five animals found new homes during the open house.
The Second Chance SPCA, by the way, was featured in the March issue of award-winning Urban Animal magazine. It’s quite a story of seeing a need and taking action to help the animals.
OH, MY! AND THEY’RE AVAILABLE! We got this note courtesy of Sydney Busch at the Friends of the Animals spay/neuter/rescue/pick ‘em up off the shoulder of the road group at Cedar Creek Lake.
The note, written by “Pam,” reads, “Someone dumped these four puppies by the county road near our house. I don’t know how old they are but they’re eating solid food and are healthy.
“We brought them home about a week ago, but we just don’t have room for any more pets. If anyone can give these guys and girls a good home, please call Pam at 903-498-4780.”
You know, the creep who dumped these dogs … well, too bad nobody got the license plate because, as you may know, in Texas animal abandonment is AGAINST THE LAW. Of course, so is speeding. Some people just don’t abide by the law.
AN INTERNATIONAL CAT NOTE: On this side of the pond, we don’t often hear about overseas animals unless they’ve come down with bird flu or mad cow disease. You probably saw the story yesterday – it was on TV and on websites – that Humphrey had died at 18. This former stray, a stately black and white cat, had lived with two Prime Ministers at No. 10 Downing Street. He would have lived with three Ministers, but the latest Minister, Tony Blair, either sent him or scatted him – depending on whom you believe – out of the residence and into the home of a civil servant. Google Humphrey and Downing to read the stories. You have to wonder about a cat that can live with politicians – it’s usually a struggle for a cat to put up with a normal person.
DO YOU BELIEVE? There are many things one might believe in without having seen them:
Some believe the Texas Rangers will get to the World Series some day; some believe Terrell Owens will lead the Dallas Cowboys to a Super Bowl; and some believe the Texas woods are home to Bigfoot.
Of those three things, only Bigfoot supporters can offer what may be termed "believable evidence."
Our Bigfoot tipster Craig Woolheater sends word of an exhibit and lecture series Apil 7-July 30 at the Institute of Texan Cultures in San Antonio. It’s titled “Bigfoot in Texas” and it’s a joint effort by the Institute and the Texas Bigfoot Research Center.
Items that the researchers see as “evidence” that Bigfoot roams Texas will be on display – hair, footprints, etc. Sometimes that’s all you need to prove that you’ve got a teenager in your house.
By the way, this photo is of my cocker spaniel, Inky.
We couldn’t find a photo of Bigfoot in our collection, so I asked Inky, who is adept at impressions and also is a noted wildlife impersonator, to give us his impression of Bigfoot looking through a cabin window at a plate of meatloaf.
Chilling, isn’t it?
