IN A HOT TIME IN TEXAS, THERE ARE SOME COOL CRITTERS NEEDING HOMES

EDITION OF TUESDAY, July 27, 2021 [PetPowellPress] We endured the planned power outage in our neighborhood Monday morning. I was sitting outside in the cool morning air re-reading Norwood, published in 1966 and the first book by Charles Portis -- you may recall his second book, True Grit. 

The Oncor team had promised power would resume by noon but at 11:28 a.m., suddenly in the silence of my reading, every a/c unit in the neighborhood clicked on! Congrats to the Oncor team! That simultaneous “Click,whrrrrrrr” was music to a Texan’s ears on a 100-degree day. Click, whrrrrrrrrr. Such a beautiful sound. 
Porche and Wendy, who’d been sitting in the shade with me, immediately jumped up and raced to the back door. They know the joys of air-conditioning. More Norwood, heat and writing advice in Contemplations.
THE CAT LEFT, CAME BACK; NOW
WAITS FOR A RIDE OR A NEEDLE
There are shelters that will not adopt black cats around Halloween. This ain’t Halloween, chums, and that’s a black cat on the clock. She’s Laney, spayed and microchipped available now at the Lancaster Animal Shelter.
The shelter had "sent her to another shelter that offered to help,” according to a note from 4-Legged Helpers, the non-profit that monitors and helps Lancaster promote its animals. Alas, that other shelter “just sent her back saying they are now too full and her time was up.” 
She’s back at Lancaster. An “absolute sweetie,” the Helpers say.
To ask about helping Laney with the fantastic tail, call or text 4-Legged Helpers at 214-949-2726 or email [email protected].
MEANWHILE IN FERRIS, one of the small shelters monitored by the 4-Legged Helpers, we have this canine dramatic presentation. 
That dog encouraging the shelter helper to give her some enjoyable backscratching is Sweetie who, the Helpers say, lives up to her name. And, in the sec- ond photo you can see that she also knows how to be held and get ready to doze off. This is a 43-pound girl Boxer/Retriever mix currently awaiting a rescue in the Ferris Shelter.
And if you want some feline affection, among the cats and kittens in Ferris who are waiting for a good home that scratch-happy momma (or might be momma) cat currently named Alyssa. She’s a Tiger Tabby who is “graceful, sweet and gentle” and “adores people.”
As is the system, call or text 4-legged Helpers
at 214-949-2726 or email [email protected].

AND THEN THERE’S WILMER’s situation. The shelter is not large, not set up for human traffic, doesn’t take cats and has a prob- lem finding room for dogs. The current headlining dog in Wilmer’s care is Blue, described as “a beautiful girl with sky blue eyes” who may be “some sort of small Shepherd or smooth Collie mix.”
Someone brought her to the shelter, left her, photos were taken and there’s not a spot for her longer than a “little while.”
Wilmer works with 4-Legged Helpers to try to help animals find homes. Once again, call or text 4-Legged Helpers at 214-949-2726 or email [email protected].
BACK TO SMITH COUNTY
WHERE THE CLOCK TICKS…
A couple of weeks ago we posted a note about the crowded Smith County Animal Shelter lining up dogs to euthanize to make room for more dogs who’d be on the clock.
Our tipster, the devoted-to-saving-animals Kimberly Jones, reported later that there’d been many lives saved. Now comes this note with a whole bunch more dogs on the clock. The note, from Smith County Pets Alive, which monitors the Tyler shelter’s condition in order to keep the inventory low (and moving!), reports that the dogs in this note “are all urgent and need to be adopted or tagged for rescue on or before Thursday 7/29.”
 If not? “They will be killed on Friday 7/30,” SC Pets Alive reports. 
These are some — but NOT ALL of the animals at peril. To ask about helping them, contact Smith County Animal Control in Tyler at 903-266-4303 or email [email protected]. 
And, to get involved with Smith County Pets Alive, email [email protected].
TRINITY GAP CLUB
TRIUMPHS AND NEEDS
We’ve told the story many times through the years of how Trinity GAP Club evolved as a wonderful force in the rescue of animals after being developed by the Euless Trinity High School Girls Awareness Program.
 And, as we mention this, it seems only appropriate to note that the Girls Awareness Program has drawn the attention of a young man named Jayson. On the GAP Facebook page, there were photos of Jayson posing with the result of his work. GAP wrote, “A huge thank you to Jayson! This young man raised over 2,000 pounds of dog food for the Euless Animal Shelter for his birthday. This is so awesome. Thank you, Jayson!” (Click on the art to make it grow!)
Among the dogs GAP Rescue is trying to help is this guy Zak. “His current temporary foster said he is one of the sweetest dogs and a big cuddle bug. Sadly, they can’t continue to foster because their older dog does not enjoy a puppy. Zak is potty-trained, leash-trained and knows basic commands. He gets along excellently with other dogs and children. Please contact [email protected] if you can foster or would like to adopt Zak. He is fully vetted. Otherwise, he is headed back to the shelter on Wednesday.”

And, if you're in the mood for an entertaining cat, on the Gap website trinitygaprescue.org you can see this fixed fellow Koi giving himself a good stretch in preparation for either jumping up or curling up — cats have constant built-in options!
Remember, Trinity GAP Rescue works with Euless Animal Services to get animals out of the shelter via rescue or adoption. Many of the animals wind up in a good foster home that teaches the to be the perfect pup or cuddly cat for an adoption. 
See animals in GAP’s care trinitygaprescue.org.
And see Euless Shelter’s waiting animals by going HERE. You’ll see 8-year-old, 8-pound, heartworm-positive Chihuahua George. He likes to shop and also likes to watch TV on the couch. Perfect dog for a civilized human being.
And this cat is Cali the Dilute Calico, a 15-year-old girl who has a magnificent purr. Needs to be in a calm and quiet home without small kids. And there’s this: Purrs when being brushed. The Euless Animal Shelter can be phoned at 817-685-1549.
CONTEMPLATIONS
A FILM, THE TEMP AND PRECISION
As I was waiting out the electric line repairs in our block Monday morning, I really was enjoying the writing in Charles Portis’ novel Norwood. I’ve only re-read it one other time since I bought a new copy of in 1967. That was before it was made into a movie (released in 1970) starring the guitar-picking singing star Glen Campbell and the Super Bowl victory predictor, QB Joe Namath of the New York Jets. Glen Campbell of Delight, Ark., and Broadway Joe — you can’t make that stuff up. Neither was nominated for an Oscar. Female lead in Norwood? Kim Darby who also portrayed spunky Mattie Ross in the 1969 film version of Mr. Portis’ beloved True Grit (with Glen Campbell as a Texas Ranger getting “hooraw’d” by Arkansas Deputy Marshall Rooster Cogburn, John Wayne’s Oscar-winning role. ) True Grit, the book, was released in 1968, Norwood the book two years earlier. Ah, the good ol’ days of novels as entertainment. Of course, we all read back then. …
THE HEAT IS ON? By the arrival of autumn at 2:21 p.m. Texas time on Sept. 22, my Sweatfreespouse Martha and I will be able to say that our a/c unit ran from sometime in late March or early April all the way to autumn except from 9:28 a.m. to 11:28 a.m. on Monday, July 26. And that is why Texas is the true test for an air-conditioning system. It’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon. …

As a longtime newspaper editor I sometimes cautioned reporters to be precise in their writing. While reading a local neighborhood bulletin board Monday I found this message from a member of the forum: “I cannot wait to vote this imbecile out of office.” Once again I am compelled to suggest “write clearly — which of the imbeciles in office?"
— Offer precision ideas or spray some thoughts by clicking on ‘comment’ below or by emailing [email protected] and feel free to use DEAR IMBECILE in the salutation. —-