SNOW, ANIMALS, PEOPLE AND THE WAY 2021 IS A YEAR OF CHILL & WARM CATS

EDITION OF MONDAY, FEB. 15, 2021 [PetPowellPress] Finally, the song Jingle Bells begins to sound appropriate in North Texas. (We’ll explain this Fowl Weather photo in Contemplations.) 
Here’s a sentence I never expected to write: “As I type this, snow is falling on the front yard and I am watching it through my office window and wondering (a) when will it stop and (b) why, in all these decades in my home state, have I never bothered to buy a winter coat?”
My funspouse Martha let the dogs out Sunday morning and they romped in the snow — even 15-year-old Rottie Texas Earl the Cheeseman was frolicking like a puppy. Before I could get a camera aimed at them, they were back inside, toweled off and occupying their assorted furniture, comforters, custom-beds, laps, where ever they wanted to warm up. 
So, you see there a photo from our blizzarded (that a word?) yard. Pawprints left by our dogs — I call it “Wolves at the Door.” Our pups have only heard of wolves, but they do know about their cousins, the coyotes —“The wild bunch,” Porche Noel calls them, without a hint of former roaming streetdog irony.

PAW SUPPORT WORKING
TO HELP NOTABLE NAME
As a guy whose first newspaper reporting job was in 1965, long before the era of computers and satellite broadcasting, I can tell you one of the rules of journalism has always been: “Names make news.”
 So, here’s a little news about a rescued puppy named Bernie Sanders.
He turned up on the snowy weekend Facebook page of Paw Support, the Dallas non-profit that works to “save animals from euthanasia and homelessness.”
At story posted by Paw Support reads, “Everyone meet Bernie Sanders. Bernie was found on the HIGHWAY.
“A lovely couple stopped their car after almost hitting him. He is a very mangy little baby but he is now in foster care being loved and spoiled! We can’t believe he has survived the cold and the streets! We need to keep creams and sweaters on this sweet boy, so if you would like to donate an item to Bernie that would be amazing!” (Here’s that WISHLIST LINK to help Bernie get past the horrifying neglect he’s endured. Paw Support says that Bernie Sanders “will be available for adoption once his vetting is complete!! Isn’t he the most handsome boy you’ve ever seen?” And to audition to adopt Bernie, email [email protected].
TWO IN MESQUITE,
ONE ADOPT; ONE RESCUE
The “rescue only” girl in the Mesquite Animal Shelter is called Twix. She’s #46603984. We learned about her from the volunteer dog biographer Judi Brown. 
She reports that 6-year-old Twix came in as a stray on the 6th and is a “rescue-only” dog “due to a large mammary tumor and several others.” Kind of an ugly situation that resulted in her being sent to a vet and being treated for a mammary infection.
Judi writes, “She has obviously been over-bred. These issues do not seem to bother her as she’s an easy-going, happy-go-lucky girl who loves everyone and everything. She’s very joyful. The expression ‘the tail wags the dog’ fits her perfectly. She’s very excitable and does jump on you so will need manners training. She craves attention. She’s highly motivated by treats and seems to want to sit for them but doesn’t quite know how. She obviously wants to please. Her brindle coloring is very striking and she’s got big soft brown eyes to match.” 

Judi also tipped us to Peaches (#46620027), a 5- or 6-year-old, 50-pound stray who arrived on the 9th. Judi says, “My pet scanner said she’s part Terrier Pit and English Fox Hound with possibly a little bit of Jack Russell terrier thrown in the mix. She’s a very friendly, exuberant, fun loving dog that loves to explore. She’s very alert and curious about her environment and the perimeters. When I was doing the photo shoot she got fixated on a car that pulled up in the parking lot and I couldn’t distract her. Consequently I took her inside in order to get her attention and continue the photo shoot. She immediately went about exploring that room also and checking out the exit. She’s capable of jumping quite high so she will need a secure fence. She’s really a delightful girl who wags her tail frequently and likes her ears scratched. She could use some manners training to stop her from jumping on you, but she does want to please so she should be easy to train.”

To ask about these dogs or any dogs in the Mesquite shelter — no matter what the weather is — call 972-216–6283 or email rescues@cityof mesquite.com.
See the animals in the shelter by clicking HERE.
The available animals include these two handsome boys. Five is about 7 months old and Scooby — middle name may be “Doo,” it’s unlisted — is just over a year old. [LARRY NOTE: In addition to tabby cats, Siamese cats and other cats of all breeds and origins, we endorse black and white cats as being very interesting. Cat-lovers will support this position as will the cats.]
THE RYLEIGH RESULT
Back in mid-January, with the help of the non-profit, small-shelter monitoring 4-Legged Helpers, we were able to publish the photos of the dog Ryleigh. I referred to this girl as a “leaning dog.” She posed interestingly for her shelter photographs.
The note from Laura Macias and Leighann Hayden read, “Poor baby has clearly been lost — she is very emaciated (ribs showing) and desperately needs out of the shelter ASAP. She is a wonderful, cute, loving cuddlebug who loves all people and dogs alike.”

Over the weekend Laura sent me a photo and a three word description that is designed to make an animal-fan smile. The description read: “Ryleigh’s adoption photo.”
CONTEMPLATIONS
WARM CATS, COLD WEATHER & LASTING SNOW?
I’m quoting this on behalf of people who have more than one cat in the household. We have enough to stay warm. Here’s the note:
Sunday morning, Darlene Payton on Facebook posted the note “Just got a message about conserving energy, which made me wonder what do most people have their thermostat set on…..” And a comment or two later, Beth Bodden Felker, after some sage advice, wisecracked, “Just pile on a couple more cats.”  We both endorse and practice that method of adorable warmth in the time of uncharacteristic snow. [LARRY FYI: That is a classroom photo of The Senator, earlier this year, teaching the other cats how to serve as a chin and neck warmer for a napping human. The Senator is demonstrating the "Enhance Warmth Method With Purr." He’s available for lectures — everyone must wear a mask — his is off for photo purposes only.]…

This photo I call “Fowl Weather.” It was taken Sunday morning just before the Backyard Soccer League called off the 3-player match. The players are Chicken, Duck and Dogball. Dogball’s usually round countenance had frozen flat on one side and was working on freezing flat on the other in this team photo. He complained this frozen flattening would affect his usual bounce game. …
And the final photo is of my grandkids and one of their pals on their snowy yard in southwestern Fort Worth. They were about to do some sledding. The "grand kids" are (left two) Connor and Hannah and (far right) Emily. The tall fellow is their pal Logan.
Everybody is wearing a mask. Socially responsible grandcitizens, eh? The grown-ups, Bart and Erinn, were avoiding the snow behind the camera. Bart’s brother Bret, known as Uncle Buck, had a presence. He’s the one who had the foresight to give the kids the sleds years ago — well before this years’s snow was a gleam in a weather forecaster’s computer screen. Yep, Texas kids sledding in their home state. Maybe 2020 really will be better than 2021. It was a pretty good Valentine’s Day with my funspouse Martha. Now, I’ve got to check my Lotto Texas numbers. Oh, and can any other Northeast Texas kid remember snow lasting more than 24 hours? ….
— Offer ski tips or lotto theories by clicking on ‘comment’ below or by emailing [email protected]. —