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THIS CAT ISN'T NAPPING BUT SHE DOES NEED A PLACE TO GO -- SHE'S SUGAR MOMMA!

This is about a cat I absolutely love who really needs some help.
She's feral and she's conquered me and my good intentions. I cannot solve a problem named Sugar Momma. She's rejected all humans so far.
So, for this edition of our weekend feature Let Sleeping Dogs lie & Napping Cats Nap, readlarrypowell.com has decided to highlight a cat that we have never seen napping.
Consider this an appeal to wiser cat people for help -- not with feline insomnia but with placing a feral cat named -- lovingly and appropriately -- Sugar Momma.
We first encountered her more than a year ago when she gave birth to four kittens on our Dallas property and we were able to get her and the kittens into our custody. The kittens were all tabbies -- my monikerspouse Martha named them Ivy, Alfie, Dragon and Qwerty (after the top row of letters on a keyboard). The SPCA of Texas graciously took them in and they were all adopted pretty quickly.
I stupidly vowed that I would conquer the wild side of a Dallas feral cat. I might as well have bought the Dallas Cowboys and declared I'd win a Super Bowl.
Martha and I had enjoyed success with ferals, socializing more than a score of kittens through the years. We found homes for them and their mommas.
As long was we'd been helping Sugar Momma with the kittens, she'd been happy to sit in the big "family kennel," dine on free food and provide the traditional momma's milk spigots for the kittens.
Once the kittens were gone, so was her interest in humans. But, we couldn't just turn her loose. Too dangerous for her. 
Then things began to happen. My mom became sick and died and we had assorted obligations arise, so we just kept juggling Sugar Momma's situation with time marching on while we were anchored in abysmal challenges.
Ultimately, Sugar Momma was given the run of our patio room, i.e., our cat room, and could hide for weeks -- the only signs that she was there being that she'd eaten food, lapped up water and visited the litter box. 
This arrangement went on -- we loved her and she was safe and I lived with the hope of charming her. We moved from Dallas to Fort Worth -- Martha and I went back daily to feed Sugar Momma and check on her. I finally caught the extraordinarily elusive little girl last week in the rusty old cat trap. It has a history -- in addition to catching kittens and cats, it also caught possums and raccoons. Once it even accidentally caught a skunk who'd been enjoying the feral cat breakfast buffet on the front porch. I was able to free the skunk without mishap.

So, now we have Sugar Momma in Fort Worth waiting for a place to go. She is the only member of our front porch feral community I've never been able to conquer with my natural cat-friendly charm and sincere promise of belly rubs. 
You see photos of her here. One is of her in captivity in the cat trap in the cat room in Dallas. The rest are of her in her current quarters in Fort Worth. In the second photo you can see her mouth as it has just slammed shut after opening with a big ol' hissing snap of a threat when I shoved my phone camera into her wire cage. She was serious -- I am cautious.  The next photo shows her with a "calmer mouth" but with a threatening glare!
That kitten on the left is Qwerty -- I'd walked into the Cedar Hill PetSmart to buy catfood and decided to go past the SPCA's adoption display and there was Qwerty, one of Sugar Momma's three boys -- Ivy was the only girl. Qwerty, who didn't bother to greet me as an old friend and the guy who gave him his first canned food, was soon adopted. Looks like his mom.
His mom, by the way, is OK if I'm delivering food -- but with a camera I'm an annoying paparazzi to Sugar Momma.
 She is a beautiful cat, healthy and well-fed. But not interested in humans.
What I'm looking for now is a Barn Cat position for Sugar Momma. We don't own a barn -- if we had a barn, there's no telling what critter Martha and I might accidentally rescue. Feral elk, probably.

Anyone know of an opening in a Barn Cat job or a sanctuary for cats that should never have been pregnant and should have always been cuddled? This cat deserves a good life.
She is the last member of feral cat colony we worked to eliminate for nearly two decades. We spayed and neutered and spayed and neutered and, finally, reached the end of the litter parade with Ivy, Alfie, Dragon and Qwerty. Now it's time to help their Sugar Momma

Please email me at dallrp@aol. com. Sugar Momma won't surprise you with kittens.
And what about the dog in this photo below? I needed someone sleeping to match the rules for this edition, so I grabbed a Fort Worth Animal Care & Control announce- ment on Facebook during the week about a dog who was adopted there and is now beloved and comfortable sleeping on her couch. There are lots of dogs and cats interested in showing people that they, like Aggie, know how to take over a couch.
[LARRY REQUEST: Send photos of your sleeping dogs and napping cats to [email protected] and we'll post their stories in our weekend feature, Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap. You'll be helping people understand how important a good human is to a happy animal. And you'll be helping insomniacs try to conquer laying awake wondering how to place a cat that isn't interested in being placed with humans. Takes more than catnip to soothe a feral cat or a feral insomniac. I know, for I am one. Er, one feral insomniac.]
--- Offer advice or ideas by clicking on 'comment' below or email [email protected]. ---

DOG FACES, CAT WHISKERS, ATLANTIC ERROR, CITY GOATS, CITY PAPERS & COUNTRY MUSIC

EDITION OF FRIDAY, NOV. 15, 2019 [PetPowellPress] As we arrive at our Friday edition, in the aftermath of another school shooting, we could ask questions about the frail nature of humanity. But we'd have no answers. 
So, we're going to focus, once again, on the strong humans we know: Those who work on behalf of others, the "others" being both people and other species!
If the rest of humanity could focus with the intensity and love of animal people, maybe we'd have a kinder world. By the way, in the experienced judgment of readlarrypowell.com, the term "animal nut" is a badge of honor. 

FYI SOME INTERESTING READING: The Dallas Morning News' Columnist Sharon Grigsby, a known animal lover, has an interesting and thorough take on the Petland/Frisco issue. Read it HERE. [LARRY COMMENT: And be damned glad you live in a circulation area where the newspaper allows a passionate columnist to focus on the plight of animals. Send The Big Paper Downtown a thank-you for caring note.]
Oh, that cat? That is Bette Davis, according to the Dallas Animal Services listing for #A1074550, a female black and white, 4-month-old kitten. She's been in DAS' care since October 20 -- living in a foster home right now. Home of a woman named Joan Crawford. I'm kidding -- you film fans will see the humor in that joke.
You might want to save Bette Davis' picture to show your grandkids. That cat is on a floor covered with newspaper. Might not be around that much longer. 

Goats must be difficult to photograph -- at least more difficult than dogs and cats. And, apparently, they're "outside the box" in that logo.
Oh, yeah, in current sports lingo "GOAT" means Greatest of All Time. So, Dallas Animal Services, among its hundreds of dogs and cats and four rabbits, has two GOATS listed. Don't tell the goats about GOAT or they're liable to butt heads over who's the GOAT. 
The first is #A1088329 and he's thought to be a year old The second GOAT (A1088330) is thought to be a year old and he's been at the shelter since Nov. 13. Both are on adoptive hold at the shelter while DAS looks for the right owner of GOATS. Could be your if you get your adoption pre-app filled out in time for the adoption moment. [LARRY IMPLORES: For crying out loud, don't get either goat just to have cabrito or to sacrifice at a religious festival. Yes, it happens in sweet little ol' Dallas. Of course, at the holidays there are plenty of people who'll sacrifice turkeys and chickens, pigs and cows. But I see my vegetarian side has taken over. So I'll just mention that carefully seared seasoned tofu and vegetables can be downright satisfying, spirited and tasty -- and I'll move on, my cravings for vegetarian Mapo Tofu dancing like sugarplums.]
FORT WORTH HAS KITTENS
AND A REALLY HANDSOME DOG

AND MORE KITTENS & DOGS
Ginger Leach, our longtime contact at Fort Worth Animal Care and Control, posted a note about these two fellows, Tom and Jerry. They were in foster, but the foster hd to leave town. Ginger writes, "We would love to get them into a rescue." Tom (43144131) and Jerry (43144127) are 4 1/2 weeks old and getting along without a momma. That happens in the kitten world. They are eating dry food mixed with wet food. And they understand the concept of a handful grip that leads to a human nose-nuzzle and a pair of purrs. To ask about them email [email protected]. [FW's Chuck Silcox Adoption Center is at 4900 Martin St., on the east side of the city.]

And when we went to the FW Animal Care and Control dog listings, we encountered this handsome fellow. Mack (384268010), a Pittie mix who came into the shelter according to the onside info, on June 23, 2018. He's in the FWACC Foster Program, so, holy smoke, that's a genuine extended effort to save the life of a 4 1/2-year-old dog from the needle. Even if it's 2019 instead of '18, it's still a magnificent life-saving effort. 
See the dogs and how to adopt them at
http://fortworthtexas.gov/animals/dogs/
[LARRY ASIDE: If anyone would like to testify about the wonderfulness of dogs such as Mack, email mail [email protected] and we'll help you tell the world what loving big ol' love sweethearts these dogs can be. And, tell me what you'd like to do to the person who cropped Mack's ears. But be nice about it unless the mood strikes you otherwise.]
THE LANCASTER CHALLENGE:
DOGS AND CATS ON THE CLOCK
Laura Macias, our contact with the non-profit 4 Legged Helpers, is desperately promoting the adoption and rescue of animals in the low-traffic Lancaster Animal Shelter. The latest email had a long list of dogs and cats -- too long to post here. Could be posted on a website or a Facebook page if 4 Legged helpers had one -- but the organization needs someone to help set all that up. To ask about helping the animals or about helping the organization, call or text Laura at 214-949-2726 or email [email protected]. 
We're featuring just two of many, one of each species. Brent is that German Shepherd fellow. His bio reads, "Very cute boy.  Likes to get on his bed and arrange his legs like the picture shows - it's the cutest thing.  Maybe he was raised with a kitty.  Definitely has his legs the same way kitties curl up on a bed.  Adorable.  He is very lovable."
Also nearing the needle is Chase, a "long-hair Ginger Tabby." His bio reads, "Wow.  This guy is stunningly beautiful with the biggest bushy tail and long beautiful whiskers.  He is very sweet and loving.  He will need to be brushed with this beautiful long fur.  Please, won't you help save him?" That's the plea.
[LARRY ASIDE: No idea how old he is, but I hope he gets a lot older.]
DAISY IN MESQUITE

Readlarrypowell.com grimaces and wants to puke when we see older dogs and cats in any city or county shelter that has a budget for euthanasia juice. 

This beauty is Daisy. She's 7. Listed as a "Shepherd/ Retriever" mix but I see some Rottie in that coloring. Especially on the muzzle -- that's a dog with a face that needs a human to make the gray muzzle smile again.
Our Mesquite Animal Services tipster Judi Brown says 71-pound, spayed Daisy (43142163) was surrendered to the shelter on December 12. "The reason given was financial hardship," Judi writes, then adds, "I was not able to find any surrender papers so I have no further information. However, it’s very obvious that Daisy is sad and depressed! Who could blame her? Here she is seven years old and she’s at the shelter. Hopefully someone will see her sad eyes and sweet face and will be willing to offer her a comfortable home with lots of blankets. She is extremely sweet and gentle. She stays close and looks up at you with her imploring eyes. She wants to please. She sits and offers her paw. She loves to have her ears scratched.."
 Call the shelter at 972–216–6283 or email [email protected] to tag Daisy. Use her ID 43142163 when you ask about her.
[LARRY ASIDE: How can someone live with a dog for 7 years (assuming that's the case) and walk away from her? That is a part of the human element I cannot understand. I hope I'm NEVER able to understand it or accept it. Save Daisy and you've got a halo waiting for you -- that's my theory, but I've only played a priest on stage. I'm not even a deacon.]
CONTEMPLATIONS
TRANSATLANTIC LABOR; THE SATURDAY PAPER; REAL COUNTRY MUSIC
Our Eastern Seaboard Bureau Chief Andy Fisher, monitoring local TV broadcasts, reports that in the evening news Thursday "the local ABC station is reporting on the basement of a local church being dug up in a search for the bones of Chinese immigrants who built the 'transatlantic railroad.' " That's the point at which I snorked Coke Zero and gasped for oxygen. Andy deadpanned, "I think he mean 'transcontinental' but you never know." .... As long as we're discussing media: The Fort Worth Star-Telegram is going to stop producing a Saturday morning print edition -- when I heard that I immediately thought "Revive The Fort Worth Press!" Then I remembered that the beloved afternoon tabloid (RIP May 31, 1975) didn't publish a Saturday edition -- we were ahead of the trend (and ahead of computers, too -- still worked with carbon paper and editing pencils). The Startlegram and The Star-Scramblegram, as we used to refer to the opposition paper, will still be publishing online on Saturdays -- got those sports scores to post and those headlines screenshots for football and basketball players to put in their scholarship-seeking scrapbooks. ... WATCHED THE CMA show Wednesday night. Wasn't real sure some of that was actually country music. Perhaps us real country fans are inclined to offer up this number from the Texas heroes, The Geezenslaw Brothers. Click HERE  for
"You Call It Country, I Call It Bad Rock 'n' Roll."
--- Offer musical opinions and other commentary by clicking on "comment" below or emailing [email protected] where we love country music  and hard-driving newspapers that value facts and context. ---

WINTER SENTIMENTS IN THE FALL; WILMER'S HIDDEN DOGS; ROSY'S TERROR; WHAT'S IN A DOG'S NAME? & CRUELTY IN DC?

EDITION OF THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2019 [PetPowellPress] —Had enough of Winter? Yeah, me, too. Ah, but in case you wondered, the season doesn’t arrive until 10:19 p.m. CST on Saturday, December 21. 
Now, since the temps are warming up around North Texas and since we’ve all found our winter clothes a month early and some of us made a note to buy some, I'll keep typing. 
(LARRY NOTE: I'm "going to press" early, as we ink-stained wretches used to say. Why? Too cold to type. I think I'll read the winter scenes in Dr. Zhivago ...)
Speaking of winter, thanks to a posting by Furbabies of Lancaster, I spotted this posting from Lone Star Doberman Rescue and it is funny and it also fits my feelings about people who think the family dog and cat really love to be outside in either 100-degree weather or an 18-degree windchill. Idiots, and I say that with great love in hopes of enhancing the understanding of the difference between right and wrong. Idiots. Darn. That time it just slipped out. 
Oh, and there’s this: CONTEMPLATIONS has a cruelty note today —two of ‘em if you have a theory about Congress.

LEAVING FOR RESCUE: IT’S TOUGH
FOR A CATAHOULA NAMED ROSY

In the category of “You Never Know,” we cite the case of Rosy. We learned about her from Amy Poskey, our tipster on the moving of animals from I Am Dog Rescue, currently reshaping after the death of one of the organization’s guiding lights. 
Rosy was supposed to be among around two dozen dogs making a road trip to a rescue. 

Didn’t happen. Why? Amy says, “Rosy, the Catahoula mix, was too terrified to make a road trip to the rescue who offered to take her. There for we are asking for DFW-area rescues only for sweet Rosy. She is not aggressive —she is just terrified and will simply need a little time, patience and love.”

She’s among 26 dogs (Labs, Pitties, Pointers, Goldens, Doxies, etc.) needing a rescue group’s help. To offer to help with Rosy or any dog, email [email protected] or call 940-202-0951.
AH, THE DOG WILL NEED
A PERMANENT NAME
So, on Dallas Animal Services Facebook page, I spotted this photo of a handsome, lively DAS dog named “Skarface” and featured as a Tuesday adoption special.

Here’s the text: “Every dog has his day... Skarface (A1067719) is hoping this #TongueOutTuesday will be his! Come meet this goofy grin and adopt him today. He'll be waiting in Kennel #VIP07. #AdoptDAS #BeDallas90."
 So, then, while looking through the dallasanimalservices.org dog photos for a better view of “Skarface” I found this DAS posting for “Joker.”
Yep, same dog. The shelter ID numbers match. Doesn’t matter to me what he’s called right now — I just want him to find a home that’ll give him a good name, a good life and a reason to come when he’s called by that name!
[LARRY ASIDE: How these good dogs wind up in a shelter instead of on the living room couch must surely be because of the failing of a human heart.]

THE WILMER CHALLENGE:
SAVE THE HIDDEN DOGS
Our latest email from Laura Macias of 4 Legged Helpers, the new non-profit that focuses on smaller shelters, pinpoints a problem in towns that just don’t pitch in enough tax money to make a shelter a shelter rather than a warehouse for the doomed.
In fact, Laura included this paragraph in her email with photos of three dogs currently in the Wilmer Animal Shelter. “Doomed to die in this hell hole!,” she wrote. “Doomed to be just another who cares castoff of Dallas County. Just Bullies — who cares about them! After trying to help and save them for so long maybe it is easier just to let this place kill them all again.”

Their time is almost up, she says. And she also writes, “Wilmer Shelter is one of those storage-type metal buildings on property no one can even enter with a huge locked gate.  So dogs here stand ZERO chance.  None.  No one sees them. There are NO public adoptions.”

Who are these dogs? Kimmie is the Shepherd/Boxer mix we posted in Wednesday’s edition. She’s a “very, very sweet” dog, according to Laura’s note. The dog with the blue/green eyes is Blue, described as “honestly one of the most beautiful bullies in person we have seen. The third dog is Autumn who has a collar but nobody has come to look for her. She’s described as a “silly, lovable, precious little girl.”
Save their lives by calling or texting Laura at 214-949-2726 or EMAIL [email protected].
CONTEMPLATIONS
D.C. CRUELTY & THE LAW; BETTING ON A PHRASE; WHAT ABOUT THAT UFO?
On Wednesday I ran across a story on The Hill’s website about therapy dogs visiting Capitol Hill. That’ll challenge the dogs’ training. Also, I’m wondering if bringing dogs to Capitol Hill right now is some kind of animal cruelty — it’s cruel enough for humans. But, coincidentally, there’s a bill approved by both Houses of Congress currently awaiting the President’s signature that would make animal cruelty a violation of federal law. We’ve mentioned it before and you’re probably aware of it. [LARRY FYI: The Senator, my friend to the right who swears he hasn't had plugs, long ago endorsed this bill. He also endorses cat adoptions as a way to make America a more pleasant nation.] Read about it the pending law HERE  and, maybe, you could even Tweet the president and remind him to sign the bill real soon. He can't sign it TOO SOON! … Do you think someone in Washington has set up a pool betting on how many times “quid pro quo” will be said by a public official this month? … As long as we’re talking about Washington, this is a good time for a UFO story from the venerable magazine Popular Mechanics. Click HERE  and keep watching the skies. Cue the spooky music HERE. Sorry about the advert -- profiteers from Mars.
—- Offer advice, opinions or objections by clicking on ‘comment’ below or by emailing [email protected] and put “Attention: Planet Earth” in the subject line. —-

DENZEL, CARY GRANT, DOGS, CATS & L'IL ABNER...IT'S ALL PART OF A MIDWEEK EDITION

EDITION OF TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2019 [PetPowellPress] Holy smoke — we’re beyond a third of the way through November and we still have Halloween candy in the pantry — that is a new record for longevity for chocolate. 
Why am I able to fight off cravings right now? Because every day I get to look at this sweet face — free dog, you know. Wandered up in the yard at Christmastime and stayed. He’s named Dudley the Angel after Cary Grant’s character in The Bishop’s Wife —we’d just watched it (again) on TV when he arrived. See how this is connected to Macbeth when you get to CONTEMPLATIONS and don’t forget to send photos of your sleeping dogs and cats to [email protected] for the weekend’s Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap.
FOSTERING SAVES LIVES
We got an email appeal that set off a reminder to do a reminder note. Here's the reminder: Fostering animals is a great way to save lives and learn how big your heart is by loving a dog or cat you’re going to hand over to someone else to love.
The appeal came from Paws In The City with the note that “Our volunteers are working hard, but what we really need is for kind people to open their homes! If you have ever considered fostering, now is the time. Apply at pawsinthecity.org to help us save more lives!”

And the newly-formed 501c3 Four Legged Helpers is also looking for fosters to help with animals in Lancaster, Wilmer, Hutchins, Ferris and any other local small shelter that doesn’t enjoy a lot of human walk-through traffic. Get in touch with Laura Macias by calling or texting 214-949-226 or email [email protected].
FYI Laura sent a note Tuesday cites the Lancaster Animal Shelter and says, “Now 17 dogs in this shelter!” Saving ‘em is a matter of hours, not days, she says. So this could be your chance to save a life by fostering. That dog is Kimmie, a Shepherd/Boxer mix patiently waiting in Wilmer and needing some medical help, according to Laura's latest note about the numbers overwhelming small shelters.
Sometimes shelters have organized foster programs — check with your nearest shelter. I’ve never run into a rescue group that didn’t have a foster program.
Know what both the shelter programs and the rescue programs have in common? They ALWAYS NEED FOSTERS.
EAST LAKE PET ORPHANAGE
SCHEDULES A BIG SATURDAY!
Yep, it’s time for ELPO’s Pet Fair 2019 — noon to 4 p.m. at East Lake Pet Orphanage, 10101 E. Northwest Highway in Dallas. Some of the highlights, according to a promotional release are: “Free Admission; Adoptable Pets, Fun-Games-Food-Entertainment, Silent Auction…”
Silent auction. Yes. And there’s bidding online HERE and you can bid at the event. Event info is HERE.
Lots of animal art at the auction include a print of Texas artist April Murphy’s painting “Eyeballin’ It”. Yes, that is a tennis ball “his eyes are laser-focused on” the description reads. And there’s a painting of a cat on a board — the artist isn’t listed, but how many cat-in-a-bowler paintings do you already have?
We’d be remiss if we didn’t mention the adorable adoptables at East Lake Pet Orphanage. You can see the online listing HERE. 
But we’re going to go ahead and cite Cola, a female Chihuahua/Dachshund mix who was born Aug. 21, 2014. Her bio describes here as “a refreshing little pupper” and says the sweet and loving dog “was in foster care while she nursed her puppies and then she helped them find homes. She is now waiting for a home of her own. Cola likes to wiggle when she is excited!”
Then we have three cats demonstrating an ability to focus at the lens or, as we used to say in the pioneering days of cameras, “Look at the birdie!”
The stretched-out cat is Orchid. Get this bio entry: She “and her kittens were abandoned in a cardboard box and left in triple-degree weather during a Texas summer day.” Mom and the kittens suffered from “severe dehydration.” Where were they abandoned? In the ELPO parking lot where nobody spotted them until all began crying out for help.
Inside the East Lake, the veterinary staff and volunteers all worked a miracle to save Orchid and her kittens. That was seven months ago, so Orchid is ready for her loving home.

Those other cats are Zara (left) and Squeak demonstrating their ability to stare.
MEANWHILE, NICK IS IN MESQUITE

Is that not an interesting face? Nick, a year-old Anatolian Shepherd, looks as if he has makeup borrowed from a circus clown. But he’s no clown — he’s a former stray, arriving at the Mesquite Animal Shelter on Nov. 4, reports his shelter biographer Judi Brown.
She says, “When he is standing still he is very statuesque.  He is long-legged making him very tall. He has a sprinkle of freckles across his nose, dark rings around his eyes, and a fluffy curly tail. It all makes for a very striking appearance. When I met him in the kennel he was all wiggles and kisses. It was obvious he was very happy to have some human interaction. When he got out into the yard he ran back-and-forth with abandon. At that point he was entertaining himself and was obviously very joyful to have freedom and space. My Dog Scanner app identified him as an Anatolian Shepherd! After reading the characteristics, it all came together because they explained that the Anatolian shepherd not only is tall with long curly tail but also is very agile and runs at a high rate of speed. That explained Nick!!!”
 He’s tall, but a thin, underweight 53 pounds. His shelter number is 43147876.
Use it when you call the shelter at 972-216-6283 or email rescues@cityofmes- quite.com.
You can see more Mesquite shelter animals HERE, For example, that cat is Schmittin, the Anatolean Tabby ... Oh, OK, I made up that Anatolean part. But he could have traveled to Anatolia — he’s more than 3 years ol and a large fellow (#42990010). What? Anatolia? Rugged region of Central Turkey. Look I made up that Anatolean Tabby title to give him a little interest in print. In person, he appears to be quite the big cuddler. And that is why he needs a dependable human — as you now, nobody cuddles like a human. So I’ve heard…
CONTEMPLATIONS
NAMES, STARS AND THE ‘SHMOO’

Let’s get back to this great dog Dudley the Angel. We’d have named him after Denzel Washington’s character in The Preacher’s Wife (the 1996 remake of 1947's The Bishop's Wife), but I’m thinking we needed to save Denzel for a dog or cat we rescue on the night of The Oscars. Denzel Washington is my favorite actor — he’s beyond a “star.” Malcolm X — fantastic. The Devil in a Blue Dress. Inside Man. The Taking of Pelham 123. 2 Guns (with Mark Wahlberg!) and now, you may have seen the announcement, he’s in pre-production for Macbeth with Frances McDormand! Holy double, double toil and trouble! … Speaking of Macbeth, when I was in high school we had a guest actor perform for us one afternoon. This was an older guy (older to a high school kid — what does that mean?) who performed a one-man production of Macbeth. Every character. In the three-witch scene, he played the middle witch and the others were fake heads with witch makeup and wigs mounted on the ends of a broomstick that ran from one side of his shoulders to the other. Each head wore a dress so that, with slight movement, the guy could make the 2nd and 3rd witches appear to be alive. I was fascinated that “theatre” contained so much “show business.” The big cauldron, by the way, looked real. This was in the early ‘60s — lightweight plastic was only a dream and if you know Macbeth, dreams matter.  I wish I coul remember his name -- but somewhere he's hearing the applause. …. For November 13, we turn to Holiday Insights and find ourselves on a journey through the past. November 13 is Sadie Hawkins Day. What? First celebrated in Al Capp’s “Li’l Abner” satirical comic in the 1930s. [That’s the comic book cover from 1947. For sale on e-Bay.] In Dogpatch, USA, the girls could chase the boys one day a year, Sadie Hawkins Day. Holiday Insights reports, "Sadie Hawkins Day races and events grew in popularity during the course of Al Capp’s long-running carton. This cartoon-made holiday largely died out after 40 years when the cartoon was discontinued. It can occasionally be seen celebrated on college campuses.” [LARRY ASIDE: Not without protest these days, I’ll bet. Al Capp also created a satire of the famed comics detective Dick Tracy — Fearless Fosdick. And he introduced the political/social term “shmoo” in 1948 — look ‘em up. Capp did a lot of stuff that lasted for as long as anyone was reading Li’l Abner and then when it ended, things began to fade. As is the case with many creative elements of culture.] I’m guessing there may not be10 people reading this who ever read an episode of Li’l Abner in the daily paper. Probably you’ve never seen the Broadway show or the movie, either. And, yet, like Nehru Jackets and Hot Dr Pepper, there are memories left by "pop culture." Sometimes.]
— Offer opinions, objections or Nehru Jackets by clicking on ‘comment’ below or emailing [email protected]. —-

HOW DO YOU GET AN ANIMAL TO CAPTURE YOUR HEART? JUST LOOK AROUND....

EDITION OF TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2019 [PetPowellPress] You know what these two cats are doing — they’re marveling. They are indoor cats — that’s William Powell on the left and Stevie Ray the Kitten on the right and I snapped the photo as they contemplated a big branch blown out of a tree in our front yard Monday afternoon.
What is Stevie Ray saying? He’s leaning in to say, “Mr. William, I was completely unaware that those things could fall! Good thing we’re housecats, right?”
Yep, Stevie Ray, good thing.
A REBOUNDING EARHOUND
NEEDS FINAL LOVING HOME
Well, this is one for the books — the books they keep at the McNatt Animal Shelter & Adoption Center in Denton. We got her story from the noted shelter monitor Amy Poskey.
Here’s the dog’s bio: “Lovely was originally surrendered because she is high energy and not recommended with children.  She has been adopted and returned several times because she is mouthy, energetic, and needs training.” 
[LARRY ASIDE: “Mouthy, energetic and needs training” — Ladies and Gentlemen, as a father I can promise you that those 5 words are the very definition of a human child. This dog may have learned how to behave from kids.]
 She’s not house-trained, doesn’t like other dogs, but volunteers have been working with her to get her to behave like an honorable, calm, well-trained dog. 
Amy’s report says Lovely is maybe 2 years old, a German Shepherd mix who is “fully vetted, heartworm negative and willing to love.” 
To ask about Lovely (#85027) call the shelter at 940-349-7594. Email these people: [email protected], [email protected], and/or [email protected]. Here is Lovely’s PetFinder LINK.

NOTE TO THE LITTLE WHITE DOG
AT OAKLAND AND ROSEDALE IN FW
I don’t have a photo of this dog. I was too busy driving.
But here’s my note to him: I am sorry I was unable to capture you in our 30-minute roadchase Monday around noon. I was in the black car that kept tailing you as you trotted desperately down several streets, sometimes head-on toward the traffic. It took me a panicked minute to find my flashers — I’ve never used them on purpose before.
 People stopped to help, but you didn’t stop — you kept moving, reversing direction, stopping to see if you recognized the neighborhood. I could feel your panic, it was so vivid.
 I lost track of you when you switched lanes on Rosedale and dodged traffic to enter a neighborhood of residences. I hope you vanished into the yard you were searching for — I saw you were wearing tags, but never got close enough to grab you. Neither did the guy on the bike who tried to head you onto a safe parking lot and you wouldn’t go. Nor two guys in two different pickups who couldn’t get you to sit still after they hopped out. So, I’m really sorry I let you own. You have the spunk of a dog who needs a human companion.

***
[Dear Readers, if you know of a small Poodle type dog — pointy-nose, mostly white coat with a brown saddle pattern over his hips and the base of his tail — let us know he is safe. He covers a lot of ground quickly for a dog whose legs are less than 6 inches long! 
I’m sure the gusty winds blew open a gate or blew down a fence or, maybe, someone left him outside and said, “Good luck with the cold front.” I may not have had a photo of this runaway dog, but I do have a copy of this artwork I spotted on Facebook earlier in the week. The editorial comment at the end is not mine but, yes, readlarrypowell.com endorses the spirit of the message...]
A SUGARPLUM ROLE &
A CHANCELLOR WAITS!
This is the “sign” that was on the EARS Facebook page — that's Education & Animal Rescue Society.
Pretty spot-on, right-to-the-point explanation. And my longtime friend, the animal advocate Melissa Boesch, posted a note: Larry Powell, would you be interested in doing this?” Of course I would but I’m already obligated elsewhere and won’t be in a red suit. I’ve portrayed The Great Red One (quoting the cinema classic Ernest Saves Christmas) several times ranging from Candlelight at then-Old City Park (now Dallas Heritage Village) to posing with animals on behalf of Urban Animal Magazine. This time, my calendar is full. But, for any of you wannabe actors or wannabe right jolly old elves, I can swear that you’ll get some wonderful emotions worth remembering when you put on the uniform and bring Christmas to this little corner of the world. Get in touch with EARS.
(Regarding Melissa: We worked together at The Big Paper Downtown decades ago. Melissa is a great friend to animals, particularly rescued Beagles.)
As long as were talking about EARS, let’s mention one of the adoptable adorables with EARS. That’s this fellow Chancellor. Describe as “a little ball of fluffy” who is “so cute and cuddly. He loves belly rubs and playing with his foster siblings…..He’s conquered ‘look’ and ‘sit’ like a champ.” Go to earstexas.org to fill out the adoption application. Maybe you can have him ready to pose with Santa on the 7th.
MEANWHILE, A NOVEMBER COAT
ON A YEAR-ROUND DOG
This is Maggie Sue, 3, a Pittie mix who arrived at the Mesquite Animal Shelter as a stray on November 1. Our usual Mesquite tipster, the volunteer biographer Judi Brown hit the nail on the head when she wrote, “Her coloring makes her a real stand out.”

Yes, she looks “November.” Not too much bright sun, not too much winter, just enough gray of mid-autumn in North Texas.
Plus, Judi say, she’s a “friendly dog who loves to be around people and wants attention. She loves to play with one of our kennel techs and when she saw him I had a hard time keeping her attention.  She became vocal about wanting him to come back and play with her. She definitely has a mind of her own! She is exuberant and her excitement is contagious. She’s very alert and curious. She does want to please though and she does sit for treats. … Maggie Sue would do well with an active family with a large yard.” Her shelter ID number is 43127611 — use it when you call the shelter at 972–216–6283 or email [email protected] .
You can see more Mesquite shelter animals HERE. We’re not sure, but this cat Bond, James Bond, has vanished from the listings for the shelter — could mean he’s been adopted. Might not mean that. But readlarrypowell.com is so very hopeful that a black and white cat named James Bond has been adopted by someone who appreciates the wacky, entertaining nature of cats.
CONTEMPLATIONS
A THANKS; CELEBRATING; A SENTIMENT
Thanks to all you people who, on Facebook, posted photos of your loved ones who, in MANY wars, served America and Americans! I caught myself wanting to read more about each person cited — young, old, man, woman. Do you think that this year there may have been a particular reason so many of us were moved to pay tribute to the veterans we’ve known? We Americans are fortunate to have been loved so much by so many people who were ready to sacrifice so much for the sake of our American liberty. … Checking with the Holiday Insights online calendar, we find that November 12 has two “days.” One is "Chicken Soup for the Soul Day," in honor of the series of publications based on that theme. The other “day” is “Young Readers Day” — Holiday Insights says it was “co-founded in 1989 by Pizza Hut and the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress.” Pizza and reading -- sounds like the way I spent my first five years as a newspaper editor. ... Speaking of reading: Reading the obituaries is a habit I picked up during my decades in newsrooms. Why? Always looking for a feature story or an unusual element or, in this case, a confirming element. I was reading The Dallas Morning News' obituary of Dennis Koustoubardis, 68, who died Sunday. He was born in 1950 “to immigrant parents, Prometheus (Jack) and Anastasia Koustoubardis” and, the obit reads, he “spent most of his childhood” at his dad’s Burger House in Snider Plaza near SMU, and spent years after that as a successful insurance man. I didn’t know him or any member of his family, but the final sentence of the obituary told us a lot about the family. As decent folks and as animal fans, you’ll appreciate the expression in this passage: “In lieu of flowers, please donate to the American Diabetes Association or to your favorite animal rescue, in honor of sweet rescue pup, Bailey.” I don’t know Bailey, either, but it is such a touching thing to see that the love for Bailey was such a big part of a life. To the Koustoubardis family, thank you for that one sentence reminder of the rescue animals we have loved. I’m not the only person who started flipping through the mental photo album of sweet rescued animals that have blessed our lives.
—- Offer your view by clicking on ‘comment’ below or by emailing [email protected]. —-

IN HONOR OF VETERANS -- A THANK YOU

EDITION OF VETERANS DAY, MONDAY, NOV. 11, 2019 [PetPowellPress] 
You can read the official story of Veterans Day at a lot of places online and they’ll note that it began as Armistice Day 102 years ago on this date, Nov. 11, 1918, and it honored the military veterans who fought in The War To End All Wars. That became World War I. Of course, there was a World War II around two decades later when humanity had so many sordid people trying to conquer the world that the non-sordid and not-as-sordid people had to team up to defeat the really sordid people.
From the point of view of Larry Powell, dedicated civilian who appreciates the American military, I’m hoping we’re not aiming for #III.
My ol’ man (that’s him in the uniform photo/art) and my civilianspouse Martha’s daddy (that’s him with the sweet face and civilian attire shortly after the war, were U.S. Army veterans of The Big One.
Johnny “Red” Muse was a medic and, bless his tough heart, he was with Gen. George Patton’s army. My dad, John Calvin Powell, barely old enough to drive in the State of Texas, was an infantryman with Gen. Omar Bradley. 
Pop went ashore at Normandy on D-Day Plus 1 or 2 (I can’t remember) but he always explained, “They were still shooting at us.” They shot at him and strafed at him all the way across Europe into the Concentration Camps he helped liberate. 
These two Veterans — and my Vietnam veteran newspaper pals Howard Swindle (Navy) and Allen Pusey (Army) — are among the people I think of on Veteran’s Day. So is our dear friend Andy Fisher, our “Eastern Seaboard Bureau Chief” on peaceful Indian Lake at Denville, N.J. Before his life in print and broadcast journalism, Andy was a U.S. Army soldier assigned to Stuttgart in West Germany during particularly hot moments of the Cold War. Think "Soviet Union ambitions." Scary.
There are many others. My Uncle Merl Thatcher served in Korea before anybody had drawn any lines of demarcation to stop the madness of war…Two guys I went to high school with — and still see now and then — Jerry Morris and Ray Hughes — went to Vietnam with the U.S. Army. They weren’t enjoying a class trip to Six Flags or hippie parties on campus, you know? 

So many of us Baby Boomers and those who came after us have benefited so bountifully from the veterans who gave up their lives and years of their youth to make sure America remained free in spite of horrendous outside terror and pressure of war and threats of war. These sacrifices are still being made by American forces who are veterans in different conflicts and different peace-keeping missions. All is different except that they are still at peril on behalf of their nation.
Johnny Muse was one of the sweetest guys who ever walked the planet. When I first met him, he was out in the front yard of his home with three grandkids dangling off of him, all of them laughing and giggling — little kids romping with a grandpa who’d served with Patton. Don’t you know hanging out with those three grandkids beat the dickens out of any memory of war! Mr. Muse was one tough soldier and then “after the war” one loving daddy and grandpa and a beloved uncle, too. At Mr. Muse’s funeral, his nephew, the renowned Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle movingly spoke of his uncle as “a role model for me.”
That daddy (two daughters: Donna and Martha), that grandpa, that uncle, that brother was a veteran who got to come home and live a life he’d dreamed of while he was dodging mayhem and patching up people bleeding for their country.
My daddy? Happy to be a civilian again. A wife, 3 sons. The guy who carried and used a rifle for years on the other side of the world came back to be a family man. He taught us baseball, how to throw a football, many other things. He brought us dogs through the decades — Spot the mutt, Frisky the Collie (a gift from an army buddy in Tyler) and a Border Collie named Queenie. He also brought home a kitten he’d rescued from the rail yards where he worked — Pepper the Cat. He was a Daddy, formerly a man of war. He went on wintertime campouts with our Boy Scout Troop 22 even though his feet still hurt from the winters he’d fought in Europe. I didn’t know this until he was gone and Mom told me about his postwar pain. 

Like Johnny Muse, Pop didn’t talk with me about the war. Except one time in a private father/son moment at my grandmother’s funeral — his mother-in-law. Pop was not as old then — 1982 — as I am now but that day I was a kind of young journalist still celebrating/revering the freedom of the press all those people had preserved for me and the profession.
Pop and I, two guys in our black suits, were sitting at a table in a quiet corner of the house, talking about “Grandma” and he said how much she’d meant to him when he met her in 1946 after he got home from Europe. And from that memory he segued into the challenges of being an infantryman in a genuine “shooting war.” It was awful. It wasn’t a paintball game. This stuff was real life and death situations.
I couldn’t imagine my daddy doing some of the things he and other soldiers were required to do in order to defeat a madman. 
Then Pop began to tell me about going into a concentration camp — he was among the the first four or five GIs to enter the camp. They rode into it in a jeep and, he said, “walking skeletons” surrounded their vehicle. 
“These people were reaching up their hands and moving their fingers like beggars and saying, ‘Brown bread. Brown bread.’ Probably the only English words they knew.”
He paused at that point and decided not to go on with describing what he’d seen. “Well, we were just there trying to help them and we didn’t have anything with us except hope.”
That conversation was in 1982. By mid-November, 2008, he was on his deathbed. I was visiting him with Mom and my brother Garry. He was clearly delusional, on his back, flailing now and then and unable to communicate. His eyes were closed — like the eyes of someone trying to avoid what he was looking at.
Suddenly, Pop was reaching up with his hands like a beggar — those big, strong hands that had carried a rifle across Europe 64 years earlier were reaching for something. And immediately I knew the scene he was re-enacting. From the fog of medicines and painkillers and disease and age, my sweet ol’ daddy began very clearly crying out, “Brown bread. Brown bread.” 
And he was grimacing — either from the pain of his disease or the pain of his memories.

The rest of us don’t know what baggage you veterans carry. We can’t tell at a glance how tough your service was. 
What we can do is look you in the face and, with our hearts, say “Thank you. Thank you for all you have done for us. May your life always be peaceful. May you always be loved. ”
Generation after generation, Dear Veterans, like the GIs on that jeep inside the Concentration Camp, you always traveled with hope. Thank you for being there.
— Offer responses by clicking on ‘comment’ below or emailing [email protected]. —-

AND THEN ONE DAY HE WAS SEEN...

That photograph of the seeping dog in the blankets may be the most beautiful picture you’ll see. It’s not just the artful quality, the lighting or the framing, it’s the wonderful subject and the wonderful story.
When playwright/- Washington figure Claire Booth Luce gave the world this great quote, “No good deed goes unpunished,” that dog had not been born. 
Dobby is the exceptional good deed. 

That brings us to this weekend’s edition of Let Sleeping Dogs Lie & Napping Cats Nap — this dog was not sleeping when he was found. 
No, he may have been in a lonely panic.
We learned of this miracle story from our friend, the animal advocate and rescuer Diane Combs. Diane, who named her public relations-prone Dachshund Larry after someone who types for a living, knows a lot of people and knowing people is how she got onto this great story. 

The first note we saw was directed to Diane, mentioned friends of Diane, and began, “This is Helen, Molly and Sharon’s BFF! Sharon thought you might like to hear about my new little friend, Dobby!”
 Connections — networking — friendship. All goes together to the benefit of animals, right?

Yes, that hairless boy and that matted boy are the same dog Dobby. 
The heroes in the story are Helen Barker and her boyfriend Nick Metherd. Helen says that yes, her last name is “Barker, very fitting for a dog lover!”

This story reached its “save-the-dog” point on Tuesday the 5th. Helen writes,
“On Tuesday, my boyfriend (Nick) saw a white scruffy poodle mix running in the rain in a field in Lewisville so he chased him down and brought him in out of the cold.

“His fur was completely outgrown and matted all the way down to his skin; he had no collar, and it seemed like he had been out running for about a month.

“Nick brought him home to me that night and the little pup immediately curled right up and fell asleep. 

“The next day Nick took him to Midway Hollow Pet Clinic and they told us he’s about 8-10 years old, no chip, was severely underweight, not neutered, and had bad teeth decay.

“He got all his shots updated and then got shaved to get rid of all that matted hair. Once he was shaved we decided to name him Dobby — like the house elf in Harry Potter because he looks just like him now that he’s bald and pink! 

“We have decided to keep him and get him back to the healthy little Poodle mix he should be. He is the absolute sweetest dog, loves to cuddle, he’s a little blind so he runs into things often but he’s getting used to my house quickly. “Once he has gained back some weight we will have him neutered and a good teeth cleaning, but in the meantime we’ve been working on cleaning out his wax-filled ears and encouraging him to eat and drink often! Here are some pics of our new guy, hope you enjoy!”

So, as demonstrated, the good deed by Nick and Helen is rewarded with photos, cuddles, a story to tell of saving the life of a little dog. We don't know a thing about Dobby's life until he was rescue. But what we know is this: Bless the heroes and their dog Dobby.]
[LARRY ASIDE: As you veteran animal rescuers know, it takes a lot of determination to save dogs in such a fix. You want to catch them; they’re frightened and don’t want to be caught. Out-determining a dog is a display of love. You love the dog because a dog ought to be loved. Yes, dogs ought to be loved.]
[A REQUEST, DEAR READERS: Tell us the stories of your dogs and cats and send photos of them sleeping or napping to [email protected]. We’ll proudly publish the biographies and the photos of the dogs and cats you love. You’ll be setting an example for people who are wondering if they should have a dog or cat snoozing around the house. And you’ll be helping insomniacs believe that they, too, can get some restful sleep — if they can just find the right quilt to roll up in after they’ve had their entire bodies shaved. I’m kidding about that full-body shave. Kidding, but it might have happened….maybe. We insomniacs are dangersously creative creatures. f you have a dog or cat you love or dog AND cat you love, that’s a head start on getting some sleep.]
—- Offer sleep, stock market or lotto advice by clicking on comment below or by emailing [email protected]. —

WEATHER CHANGES, ANIMALS WAITING & THE WORLD AFFAIRS COUNCIL TRIUMPHS!

EDITION OF NOVEMBER 7-8, 2019 [PetPowellPress] Here we go with some idle thoughts — no idol thoughts; I was raised a Baptist — and a national triumph for a local non-profit dear to my heart. 
As this is being typed — I’m reluctant to use the word “written” — our usual cats-only office status (the dogs usually would rather be on the couch or bed) has been changed by canine presence. It’s a chilly, rainy morning that almost makes me miss August, but not quite. The difference between 101 degrees and 45 degrees (noon Thursday) is more than heat — it’s attitude and gratitude! I don’t really need to have gratitude weather lower than 45 degrees with chilly drizzle. That’s enough winter for me until North Texas figures out a way to build a year-round ski resort. The photo? Stevie Ray was using his pal Porche’s backside for a pillow when Dudley the Angel came over to make sure he was comfy enough on Porche’s fluffiness. I spent decades writing for newspapers —- if I could have had a Journalism Service Dog or Cat, I’d have won a Pulitzer. Maybe two or three. 





And then there's this from Dallas Animal Services: "Remember, November is #AdoptASeniorPetMonth and as a part of our “Thank You For Being A Friend” Adoption Special, all pets 6 years or older will be just $10!"
Among the dogs who qualify is this boy Havoc, who we mentioned months ago — he’s about 8 years old and has been in the shelter’s care (he’s in a foster home right now) since August 22. Of course, he’s neutered and, as you can see, he’s a tan and black German Shepherd. Email dasadopt@dallascity- hall.com and mention Havoc by shelter designation ID#00666474.
We’ve mentioned Mr. French before, too. He’s also neutered, a brown and white Tabby and he’s been in the shelter care since Oct. 28 — he’s believed to be about 10, so he qualifies for the special adoption. You can see him at the DAS’ PetSmart Everyday Adoption Center, 16821 N. Coit Road, in Dallas. And remember, this is PetSmart Charities’ National Adoption Weekend.
See more DAS animals by going to dallasanimalservices.org or by going to the DAS Facebook page where you can also read an appeal for donations of bedding. DAS says it is “currently very low on blankets and towels and would love any donations of these items you can bring to the shelter. Help our pups feel cozy and comfortable during their stay here.”
[LARRY ASIDE: The shelter is at I-30 and Westmoreland and very visible to the human eye and probably from outer space, too. I don’t know that space thing for a fact, but I’m willing to say it is absolutely true based on the interstellar glow given off by cats attempting to contact their home planet. Relax. I’m just kidding cats and cat people, of which I am one. Our dogs, having had experiences with cats, agree with me.]
THE BURLESON SOLUTION!
Remember these babies and their mom from Thursday’s edition — found and protected by some heroic people as Mom sheltered them in Burleson. Our pal Patty Sprong, the ardent foster mom, reports that the good people at Humane Tomorrow will be picking up the family. Read more about Humane Tomorrow by clicking HERE — there’s an adoption event and also Putts for Paws golf tournament (weather permitting!) and an appearance by the great professional golfer Kathy Whitworth, winningest golfer on either the LPGA or the Men’s tours — Monahans native, Golf Hall of Fame, etc. Tournament is at Bridlewood in Flower Mound. The adoption event is at the PetCo in Highland Village. 
REMEMBER THIS FACE?
That is Noah, one of many dogs we’ve featured from the Wilmer Animal Shelter thanks to the hard work publicizing small shelters by the non-profit 4-Legged Helpers. Our Helpers contact Laura Macias reports that “Noah has been rescued by a Colorado rescue — they couldn’t stand seeing his face there any longer!” 
And that’s the ‘face” of Noah which, of course, is on the brink of being cheered up by human hearts.
 The other dog is Kimmie, a Shepherd/Boxer mix, described as “very, very sweet” and, Laura’s note reads, her pictures “do not do her justice.” Ask about helping the dog, helping 4-Legged Friends or getting on the group’s mailing list by calling or texting Laura at 214-949-2726 or by emailing cat_girl_71@yahoocom.
MEANWHILE, THE MESQUITE
SITUATIONS NEEDING HUMANS
These reports are from Judi Brown, the volunteer biographer for Mesquite Animal Services.
First up is 4-year-old Pittie mix Biscuit who came in on Oct. 23 as a stray -- she'd been adopted in 2017 from the the shelter. Judi writes, "At that time I had written a glowing evaluation telling about all her wonderful qualities. Obviously someone was smitten with her charms and adopted her. Unfortunately her previous owners have not chosen to reclaim her. She’s a friendly, enthusiastic, fun loving dog with lots of wiggles. ... She’s a delightful girl that is very easy to love. Come meet her and you’ll see what I mean." (48 pounds, her number is 30720284.)

Zorro a 3-year-old Pittie with a happy face, came in as a stray on Oct. 30. "He’s a handsome boy with very distinctive black and white markings. He’s also a happy, fun loving dog that seems to be smiling most of the time. He’s playful and has a zest for life. He loved the freedom of exploring the yard but would come back frequently to have his ears scratched. His tail wagged constantly." The 75-pound dog's # is 43113347.
To ask about these dogs, call the shelter at 972-216-6283.  To see more Mesquite animals, click HERE. 
See more Mesquite animals at THIS LINK.
Any fans of Ramen Noodles reading this? This cat is named Raymond Noodle. He’s #42543537, just over 3 years old and ready for adoption. He has been waiting at the shelter since August 22 — clearly a patient boy, but that’s at least 60 days that some cat-lover has been cheated out of because they didn’t yet know they were a cat-lover. [LARRY ASIDE: It’s easy to know if you’re a cat-lover. You declare you don’t like cats, then sit down in a roomful of cats and see how many come immediately to sit in your lap. Yeah, cat-lover/cat-magnet. Same thing, it turns out.]
CONTEMPLATION:

A NATIONAL TRIUMPH
IN THE GLOBAL ARENA
This is a story of success. North Texas has an intellectual/culture championship. On Wednesday night in Washington, D.C., the World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth was honored as the Council of the Year by the World Affairs Councils of America. There are more than 90 councils in 40 states.
WACA was established  in 1918 as the League of Free Nations Association. The World Affairs Council of D/FW was founded in 1951 by Dresser Industries leader Neil Mallon as a “non-profit, nonpartisan organization that would engage residents in global issues and position North Texas as a player on the world stage.” That mission has continued and at dfwworld.org you can see the list of upcoming programs it presents plus the Global I.Q. Minute podcasts in which Council President Jim Falk interviews the leaders and opinion-makers who speak at council events. Now and then those Global I.Q. Minutes make some news.
[PERSONAL NOTE: I worked in marketing at the Council for about 4 years and I can tell you how hard the staffers — all with impressive credentials and dedication — work to keep the Council members and the general public ahead of the pace on global issues and events. My globallysmartspouse Martha is the Director of Administration and Executive Assistant to the President — oh, of the Council. Years ago her boss hired me without telling her and her comment was, “Is there nowhere that I can get away from him?” Yeah, bright and funny!]
As a former writer for the Council and as a guy who believes knowledge is important in international affairs, heartfelt congratulations to Mr. President and CEO Jim Falk and his team of dedicated members of the Council, hard workers on its board and the always hustling Council staff. [That's Jim moderating a discussion of NAFTA at the Naveen Jindal School of Management at the University of Texas at Dallas.]The council’s strong international mission is complemented by its Global Young Leaders education element. It involves students all over the region in the study of international issues and global relationships. The Council aids in international protocol for the City of Dallas. There’s travel (Havana in the past and the Arctic Circle next year -- Paris, etc.). Lots of things — every now and then a comedian: Maz Jobrani has been a guest several times.
And, in case you wondered whether there’s something else that might interest you at the council, go to dfwworld.org and see the “variety pack” on the calendar. There’s history (Nov. 12) “The Korean War’s Greatest Battle”; current affairs (Nov. 16) “Council Conversations: Arms Sales 101” and culture (Nov. 20) “Hymns of the Republic: The Story of the Final Year of the American Civil War” ( with Pulitzer Prize finalist and New York Times best-selling author S.C. Gwynne.) There’s more in November, too. And among the early December events is an appearance by ex-CIA undercover officer Amaryllis Fox discussing her memoir Life Undercover: Coming of Age in the CIA. When her writing mentor, the journalist Daniel Pearl was murdered, she joined the military and took a career path into fighting terrorism with the CIA. Why’d she get out of the clandestine services? Had a baby — that “inpired her to work for peace.” See her brief video HERE.The Council is an open-to-the-publi
c non-profit that works to inform people of the changes, the nuances, the interesting moments of life on this planet of challenges.
—- Offer WACongratulations and global advice by clicking on ‘comment’ below or emailing [email protected] —-

ELECTRICITY WAS NOT IN THE AIR....AND OTHER FACTS AND STUFF

EDITION OF THURSDAY, NOV. 7, 2019 [PetPowellPress] You know what you can't light in an electric failure? Our gas stove. Inexplicable household power failure in the middle of the night and, now, all day Wednesday. I'm typing while waiting on a technician. This will be long for Thursday's edition because I may not have power for Friday. Life is funny -- now and then. Not that funny.
I'm working on a laptop and using the "hotspot" on my phone to be the go-between for me and the outside world. By some quirk, power works in one room and the back bathroom.
Yes, I checked all the boxes. It's an odd problem. Thank you for listening to my whining. Now, let's move on. [Wendy curled up and went to sleep. She may have sled dog in her family tree.]
We're all looking forward to the arrival of the cold front. Blanket time. We've still got it better than these Burleson pups below have had it.

Before we move on, Lauren Babis has posted a note on the Save Cookie petition site that says the dog's owners and the City of Dallas are reaching an agreement that will save the dog's life.
Here's the link. More to come, Lauren says. Cookie was going to be euthanized, i.e, killed dead, because she'd been a "loose dog." 

THE BURLESON BIRTHS
AND THE HEROIC RESCUERS
Leanne Hayden, the noted animal advocate, sent this photo with an email labeled "Stray pup and 9 babies and wrote, "Look like little Lab mixes.  Adorable.  Very sweet mommy.  Substantial donation to a 501c3 rescue that can help save them. Contact [email protected]." Burleson is about 15 minutes south of Fort Worth on I-35W -- if there's no traffic interruption. So, it's not like you'd have to drive to Presidio to help these dogs.
Now, Dear Readers, when you read the following note, you're going to say, "These are good people!" They're doing the work of angels with these puppies.
The note that came with the photographs reads, "One of my friends sent me these photos. She and her husband  went out to some property they own in the country and found a mama dog under the old porch, along with 9 puppies.
"They put out a comforter under an old picnic table and brought food and water. They want to take all of the pups to a no-kill shelter. Vet bills will be paid for but they want to make sure the pups will not be put down. They live in Burleson and would like to know of some good no-kill rescue groups in the area that would take them in. A substantial donation would also be made to the rescue group.  Suggestions?"

[LARRY ASIDE: There's the challenge. But, please, there's got to be some group or no-kill shelter with enough room for these puppies -- they'd probably only be there a little while. I hope. The sap in me wants to believe that puppies always find homes and are adored and treasured forever. That's how it works in my happiest dreamworld.]
DOG AND DIAMOND DAZE?
It's coming on the 9th at Haltom's Jewelers Ridglea in Fort Worth. 
How do we know? One of us stopped in at the Haltom Jewelers on Camp Bowie to get a watch battery and photo- graphed this big poster stationed among the wonderful jewelry and watches.


The adoption event benefits The Saving Hope Foundation -- read about it HERE -- you'll be moved by the story of Hope and what she faced.
Here's the Facebook link to the event -- it's from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday at the Haltom's Jewelers Ridglea, 6102 Camp Bowie.
Dogs and diamonds -- that's a lot of sparkle in one spot!
VOTING RESULTS,
WHAT DO THEY SHOW?
I got these illustrations from The Texas Tribune, the online news source for people interested in the politics and government of the Lone Star State. Click on 'em to make 'em big enough to appreciate.

 

I'm not board-certified as anything -- especially a political scientist -- but I like to think these figures show that more voters are interested in helping animals than they are in having their income taxed by the state. Can I get an "Amen"?
Relax, I don't expect to be hired to interpret the 2020 Presidential Election for any of the major networks.
CALL THIS THE FACE OF LANCASTER

(THERE ARE MANY MORE)
Here's a new development in the 4-Legged Helpers' relationship with residents of the Lancaster Animal Shelter. Laura Macias says, "There is a $100 donation for each approved 501c3 that takes a dog. If you can, please just let us know."
 You do that by calling or texting Laura at 214-949-2726 or by emailing [email protected].
There are a number of dogs and a recently arrived kitten, too, at the Lancaster shelter, one of the small southern Dallas County shelters that is traditionally unnoticed except by people trying to save lives.
This first dog is Tyler, a Shepherd mix boy who, the 4-Legged Helpers' appeal says, "is a fabulous dog -- truly. He is awesome. So well behaved and loving and so sweet.."
The second dog is Rusty, a Flatcoated Retriever Mix who is "cute and super sweet" and has been in Lancaster's care for a while.
[LARRY ASIDE: If someone would volunteer to operated a Facebook page for 4-Legged Helpers, we'd be able to cite a link where you could see all the dogs and cats at the same time. For now, you'll just have to email Laura at [email protected] and ask to be put on her mailing list. Be nice if someone could be the 4-Legged Helpers Facebook guru so the animals in Lancaster, Wilmer, Hutchins, Ferris and any other largely ignored (result of budget and policy) shelter would get some attention.]
MEANWHILE, OUT AT THE LAKE...
We got the note on this dog from Sydney Busch of Friends of the Animals at Cedar Creek Lake. She wrote, "This very handsome boy was rescued by a caring animal lover - he is NEUTERED! - she's working on house-training (he's getting there!) ..heartworm negative! - about 50 pounds... VERY GENTLE WITH and loves cats and other dogs. He would be a great addition to any home" 
To ask about this pup, text 972-984-8254 or 903-984-8254. Also, contact Sydney at [email protected].
AND, OF COURSE, THERE ARE
ANIMALS WAITING IN MESQUITE
You look at that boy and you think, "That's a happy dog!" And, yes, he may well be. But he's got a story that comes from our Mesquite volunteer biographer Judi Brown who personally gets to know the dogs. Nino is 3, a Pittie/Staffie, was surrendered to Mesquite "with another family dog, Scooby...on 11/4 because their owners are moving and not taking the dogs with them." The bio reads that he "walks OK on a leash, but is a strong puller. As soon as Nino arrived in the shelter yard for his photo session, he began in a joyful and exuberant manner to race around the yard.  It was fun to watch his dart around, even though it was raining!  Nino looks to have been well-cared for and he knows the sit, lay down and shake commands.  He is house trained.  He is quite energetic and lively.  Former owner reports that he likes to fetch and run, loves laps and is a social butterfly.  He has lived as an inside dog with children and is friendly with them. 
If you go online HERE you can see many other Mesquite animals -- big, little, cat, dog -- including that beautiful little guy Scooby (#42368606), the 9-month-old Lab Mix who grew up thinking he and Nino were going to be pals forever. Scooby's bio describes him as "delightful."
Nino's number is 43152531. Use the numbers assigned to Scooby and Nino when you email Mesquite's shelter at [email protected].


Cats, you want cats? Mesquite still has Bond, James Bond, that black and white cat. And there's Lady (43118846), a 2-year-old "large female who came in on Oct. 26. James Bond (42099196), also 2, has been in the shelter since July. Seems like a cat names James Bond would have a fan club.

CONTEMPLATIONS
CELEBRATING, TUNA AND BANGLES

We did a quick check Wednesday to see what "days" are celebrated on Nov. 7 and Holiday insights listed November at "Bittersweet Chocolate With Almonds Day: and "Men Make Dinner Day," i.e., the first Thursday of the month and so I guess some of you will be enjoying a dessert of Bittersweet Chocolate With Almonds. I don't know if that goes with soup and a sandwich. I took a glimpse at November 8 for those of you looking ahead. Holiday Insights says November 8 is "Cook Something Bold Day" and -- as some of our fellow Americans already know -- it is also "Dunce Day." Celebrate, you madcaps. ... ... It's the holiday season, isn't it? Holy smoke. Funniest Christmas production ever? A Tuna Christmas. Is it too early to wish Jaston Williams, Joe Sears and Ed Howard a Merry Christmas? What? You never heard of Tuna, Texas? "Third smallest town in Texas." The originals no longer tour with any of the Tuna shows, but maybe you'll catch one being done by another cast.
Last week i drove about 25 miles in the rain, parked my car in a garage, returned an hour later, turned it on and saw a bright yellow light on the dashboard that I'd never seen before. It looked like it could have been a car or maybe a car engine. Definitely a warning light. What it didn't have was "words." We are living in The New Hieroglyphic Age. Remember The Bangles' big hit, Walk Like an Egyptian? Update? Read Like an Egyptian? There's a LINK and it may start with advertising for something you don't need or never heard of or it may remind you that this weekend is PetSmart Charities National Adoption Weekend -- that's what I got first time I clicked.
--- Offer opinions or protestations by clicking on 'comment' below or emailing [email protected]

DEMOCRACY, DOGS, CATS AND HOLIDAY CALORIES -- GOD BLESS THE USA

EDITION OF WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2019 [PetPowellPress] Looking forward to the next year of political campaigning, are you? It is part of the beauty of democracy. We all get to vote for — or against — a candidate or an issue. God bless the USA and its people and the productive zaniness, too. And put Houston back in the National League, give the Texas Rangers power to judge arms and finance good pitching and help me, in this Thanksgiving season, avoid yearnings for desserts (more on those in Contemplations). That’s my sticker for voting! … Another reality? I saw that plaque at the enduring shop Fête-ish in Bishop Arts — didn’t see evidence of any cats in the store: the shelves were orderly and nothing was on the floor! At our house, we’ve learned to recognize what has “fallen” by the sound it makes. That’s me and The Senator editing his latest mystery novel, The Crash In The Kitchen and the Counter-Surfing Dog. Yeah, some of you know elements of that "Don't blame the cat!" plot!
THE MISSION CONTINUES
WITH DENTON MOMS….
Amy Poskey, our belove Denton McNatt Animal Shelter monitor, provides upbeat reports on a regular basis — people respond to her appeals and the shelter is continually working to help animals. It works for the animals.
In this case, the appeal was issued for “sweet little Macy, a 2- to 5-year-old Terrier mix who — ain’t this a lucky note! — is expecting. "Any day!" Amy’s appeal read. She’s a 19-pound pregnant pup. On Election Day, Amy sent a note reading, “I’m happy to report that Lisa Collins with Homeless Hounds Animal Rescue  will be pulling sweet Macy so she can have her puppies in a loving foster home.” [LARRY NOTE: When you get ready to adopt a puppy with Macy’s looks — maybe — get in touch with Homeless Hounds and give a pup a home.]
In the meantime, there’s a need for Cena and her 8 pups — nearly newborns. Amy writes, “Cena an her babies are still waiting. …Help them land on a soft bed in a home where they can be showered with love.”
 [LARRY ASIDE: The photo is a little dark but you can make out a puppy in the lower left next to mom’s tummy. Here’s the deal: Someone foster Cena and her puppies in a brightly lit home and send a “more marketable” photo to us at [email protected]. The truth is, shelters are not set up for photo sessions — especially the maternity wards, er, cold, cement and brick kennels. Staffers work hard to help Cena and kids stay warm and comfy, but everybody would love to see her in a happy home.]
To offer to help with Cena and the pups, call the shelter at 940-349-7594. Email these people: [email protected], [email protected], and/or [email protected].
THE REPORT FROM FERRIS:
DOGS ARE ON THE CLOCK
This appeal comes from Laura Macias and Leighann Hayden of the 4-Legged Helpers, the small organ- ization that focuses on helping small shelters find places for their animals. Laura’s latest note reads, “Everyone, please won't you help?  Ferris Shelter is desperately needing some help.  They no longer have an ACO.  We are truly begging for some help to save the lives of these sweet little faces you see ...
“Dogs coming into this shelter are truly deserving, just like the dogs that are in Dallas County, Wilmer, Hutchins, Lancaster, etc. There are zero walk-in's to this shelter.  Please .... please ... help these poor sweet babies ... you will truly save a life.”
 The dogs are Stormy, the boy Husky; Trio the female Aussie/Border Collie mix; Trevor the sweetheart terrier; Lindy the tail-wagging American Bulldog and the guy she came in with, Teddy, the “wonderfully chunky” staffie who "just wants to be cuddled.”

Call or text Laura at 214-949-2726 or email [email protected].
[LARRY ASIDE: These people, the non-profit 4-Legged Helpers, need a social media-savvy individual to help them set up a Facebook page that focuses on the animals in the small shelters. You’d be helping save lives. Get in touch with Laura at her contacts in that penultimate paragraph. And somebody tell us why such great dogs wind up waiting for the needle in city shelter systems that are designed to warehouse animals until they can be killed?]
CONTEMPLATIONS
VOTING, DOG EMOTIONS, CALORIES
The bulk of this edition was written before all the votes were counted on Election Day. You know why? The time change. I can’t stay awake past the 7 p.m. closing of the polls. Discovered that Monday night. Had the kids over and was absolutely on the brink of collapse at kickoff — you know, like Dallas was in the first half before the cat episode…REGARDING THE CAT? Did you see video of the black cat on the field in New Jersey where the New York Giants hosted the Dallas Cowboys? [There are lots of videos: HERE’s ONE.] One commenter said this was “the only thing the Giants fans have had to cheer about in years.” A radio report said the cat was pregnant; all the sports writer/TV reports reported as if the cat were a boy. We're still trying to get the truth in this feline episode. LATE NITE UPDATE: Our Eastern Seaboard Bureau Chief Andy Fisher reports that Sports Illustrated has the story on "Sally Whiskers." Here's the LINK. Based on the readlarrypowell.com experience in covering the animal community, I believe if that cat event hd happened at a Dallas-area stadium, someone would have gotten the field judge to OK adoptIng the cat before he or she got to the end zone! Animal Control officers are spread too thin to work the big crowds. When the Cowboys huddled up, the cat would have joined them, called a long pass and served as a decoy until she could run into the waiting arms of a pet rescuer who'd won the end zone ticket at a charity auction benefiting spay/neuter campaigns. … Returning to thoughts of Thanksgiving yearnings: In addition to enjoying watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, I also enjoy all the positives of the day: Positively pie (mincemeat!!!!), cake, cookies, cheesecake, ice cream, puddings and second or third helpings. Experience has taught me this: Holiday calories DO count, maybe double. That is Porche Noel demonstrating the best way to sleep off Thanksgiving at noon so you can be ready to go for Thanksgiving at dinner. Like running a marathon, you have to plan ahead and be fit for the challenge. I’ll have some more lettuce and lemon juice, please.
—- Offer holiday diet advice, stadium cat rescue tips or lotto numbers by clicking on ‘comment’ below or emailing [email protected]. —-