SAVING ANIMALS IS A MISSION OF THE HEART; A BONBON MEMORY AND JUDGING STATE FAIR PIES -- OH, MY!!!

EDITION OF MONDAY-TUESDAY OCT. 2-3, 2023 [PetPowellPress] The longest hour?
You may have a “longest hour” in your daily existence, too.  Ah, the dark mornings of autumn have arrived, typed the guy who the dogs and one unmannerly cat woke at around 4:45 a.m. Monday.

Suddenly, there we were in the longest hour. Perhaps you’ve experienced this challenge. 
When I wake — as an insomniac — I’m AWAKE — no 40 more winks. Combine that with this: A kind heart cannot shush a hungry cat. That is Junior Office Cat Stevie Ray on the Office Feline Training Desk this morning — he was helping me (a) wake and (b) wait. 
Each morning I take a pill. After I take that pill, I can have nothing but plain water for a solid hour. Thus that is the day’s longest hour. It is an hour before I can hit the “go” button on my coffee machine and create a magnificent cup of low-prized, big store coffee. An hour — that’s a long time when you’re jonesin’ for java.
That pie? It’s a State Fair of Texas Pie. Chocolate, in fact. More samplin’ and slicing in Contemplations. And, Big Tex? Note the hands.
That's a photo I shot on Saturday -- before anybody had mentioned "rain" in a local forecast.
I think the very smart and wise Texan is giving us a palm-up signal that he feels raindrops in our near future.
Probably he has a bunch of meteorological instruments in that hat.
I’m not sure how many people visit Big Tex daily, but he’s got tall boots so I take the rain forecast seriously.
EXPLAINING THE WORLD,
A PARAGRAPH AT A TIME?

OK, more than one paragraph, but you see this dog? Look at that face. Shelters throughout our nation — AND YOUR OWN NORTH TEXAS CITIES! — have dogs that’ll look at you and wait for a friendly bit of petting. They’ve been dumped at shelters, been brought in as strays (a violation of canine law), magically appeared lashed to vet office doorsteps or shelter entrances — there are a ton of individual stories. We can’t tell them all — there’s not enough room in the known universe of online or on paper print to show off everyone of them in one edition. Ah, but you can see so many of them if you’ll make the effort to go to the websites of the big shelters, small shelters, rescue groups, etc. [LARRY NOTE: I’m addressing that sentence to people who are not quite evolved enough to realize they, too, are responsible for the lives of dogs and cats on this planet. In fact, every time a shelter animal gets the needle, your tax dollars paid for the deed. Every time a dog gets picked up as a stray, your tax dollars are paying for the ride. Everytime some jerk turns a dog loose in a park and drives away — well, that jerk is going to pay for that in a different Venue and some lawyers who have experience at trying to keep people out of Hell. Pardon my preachin’. But pay attention to it, too.]
I do not understand how some humans can make it so darned hard to see dogs they might need in their hearts and homes. 
Where do you think that dog is currently waiting? Think about it and I’ll tell you later in this edition.]
MEANWHILE, IN MESQUITE:

BONBON IS THE NAME…
[LARRY ASIDE: This dog has a place in my heart. It’s the name. When I was a kid reporter in the mid ‘60s, one of my regular contacts was a World War I veteran, Weaver J. Barkman, who’d served in France during “The War to End All Wars.” … Helped along by a VFW buddy, he’d come to my desk to make sure I personally got the news release. And, Mr. Barkman, a smallish man, thin, blind and always in a gray suit and a wonderful western business hat, would declare loud enough for the newsroom to hear, “Larry, get this important item into the Gazette and I’ll make sure you get a free box of bonbons.” Yep, the WWI-in-France treat “bonbons.” Then he’d laugh, thank me and, with the help of his VFW pal, find his way out the door and onto the sidewalk. At the door he’d always turn and wave as if he could see his 16-year-old reporter sitting at the newsroom desk. I miss him and hs patriotism and his desire for peace. That really fine man is who I thought of when I saw the name “Bonbon.” A sweet time in my life. A sweet dog waiting for your life, perhaps.]
We got Bonbon’s biography from Mesquite volunteer dog-writer Judi Brown. 
Bonbon is #54475760, a cocoa-colored, 2-year-old Pittie girl who arrived as a stray on September 26. She weighed in at 51 pounds. Judi’s story of Bonbon reads, “Bonbon has recently had a litter. It appears obvious that the puppies were taken away from her too soon. In spite of that, she appears to be a happy, easy-going girl with her tail going constantly.” Not spayed, of course.
Judi reports, “She gently jumps on you for hugs, and at the same time will wash your face with kisses. She does get down with a sharp retort. It’s obvious she wants to please. She rolled over for belly rubs. She’s very docile and submissive. She sits for treats and takes them gently. She walks well on a leash. She wagged her tail meeting other dogs, but the hair on her back went up slightly. I would suggest you ask the shelter for a dog test if you have another dog. She’s friendly and very gentle. She should do well with young children when taught not to jump on them. She’s looking for a family to love that will love her as much as she’s going to love them.”
 To ask about Bonbon, use her ID #54475760 when you call the shelter at 972-216-6283 or email [email protected].
Same system for this guy Tank. Judi also wrote his bio and asks, “Would you call Tank handsome or cute?” And she adds that “with his stocky, muscular, low-to-the- ground body I think he’s adorable! He is a 4-year-old, 44-pound old Bulldog. The shelter lists him as an English Bulldog. My Dog Scanner said part French Bulldog and Staffordshire pit. He came in as a stray with Hercules, a Cane Corso. They were kenneled together, but were protective of one another. 
“Once they were separated they both did better! When Tank first came in to the shelter he was fearful and uncooperative. Thanks to the dedication of one of our volunteers that spent time with him, he is starting to trust and come out of his shell. He has a fun-loving, warm, friendly personality that is starting to shine. Tank now lets you pet him, and I think he’s actually starting to enjoy it. His  little stub tail even does some wiggling.” Tank is #54203521 at the shelter.
And that tall fellow is Hercules [#54203558], “a 4-year-old Cane Corso who weighs 80 pounds.” Judi says he’s not neutered. She also reports, “With a slow introduction … I got to know Hercules. I took it slow and let him smell me. Apparently I met his approval because shortly after that we became BFFs. He let me pet him which he had not been allowing before. I even got some short, stubby tail wags. At the end of the photo shoot I got a delicate kiss. He doesn’t seem to know the sit command but maybe he’s just not comfortable enough yet to put his talents on display.” To ask about any of these Mesquite Shelter animals or any animal in the Mesquite shelter, call 972-216-6283 or email [email protected].
Remember, you can see by clicking on THIS LINK.
LOCATING AN
ADOPTABLE ANIMAL
That white dog with the pointy ears we mentioned earlier is Phoenix (#1151750) in the Dallas Animal Services Shelter & Adoption Center. No idea why this year-old, 61-pound fellow wound up in the shelter. His bio says he’s a Labrador Retriever — but readlarrypowell.com has some experience with canines and, using the ears as evidence and that pointy nose, we’re guessing Phoenix is largely a Shepherd mix rather than a floppy-eared happy-go-lucky Lab Mix. Doesn’t matter once Phoenix owns your heart, right. [LARRY ASIDE: We’re at the limit or Phoenix would have a home with all the meals and sleeping places he’d want. He might even get a ton of hugs.
And here are four more Dallas dogs — oh, wait, that fourth dog is a cat named Sable. [Oops. It’s Blurry Monday 2023.] 

And, as long as I’m getting species and breeds straightened out, that dog on the deck is clearly a pointy-eared Chihuahua. Oh, I’m kidding. That’s Milo (#A1171455) a 2-year-old German Shepherd who tips the scales at 52 “very social” pounds. His bio reads, “He likes to make friends wherever he goes. He doesn’t love being alone.”
[LARRY REMINDER: Readlarrypowell.com has no idea how these animals wound up in the big, overcrowded, buys-euthanasia-juice-by-the-barrel shelter. We do know how they can get out. A human needs to open a little bit of room in the heart and fill a big space in the house — and the heart with the love of a good critter! It’s so easy to do. Here’s the LINK TO DALLAS ANIMAL SERVICES.]
CONTEMPLATIONS
THE PIE AND I & OTHERS, TOO
I have referred to the Creative Arts Contests at the State Fair of Texas as a place where the “soul of Texas is on display.” Artists, quilters, collectors, photographers, cooks — all sorts of wonderful visual delights from the Hearts of Texas are on display in the Creative Arts Building. 
And this year, the pies were magnificent. In fact, Kathy Bennett, the Fair’s Director of Creative Arts & Special Events announced on Saturday morning that in 2022, the Pie Baking Contest had drawn 190 entries. But this year’s contest drew 280 entries in nine categories of pies. Those included Berry, Buttermilk, Chess (Director Kathy’s favorite, fyi), Chocolate, Citrus, Cream, Fruit Nut, and Sugar-Free Pie. 
Martha and I, veteran judges of the Fair’s cookie, cake and, yes, pie contests, drew the joy of Chocolate Pies, i.e., it was my childhood dream come true. All the chocolate pie I could eat. And there were dozens of them, either 27 or 47. I’ve sort of lost track of the actual count. Twenty-seven, I think. A sample of a slice at a time.  I can testify in court without fear of a being charged with perjury that, “YOUR HONOR AND ANYBODY ELSE, I HAVE NEVER HAD A BAD BITE OF PIE AT THE STATE FAIR OF TEXAS.” Without going into our deliberation process, each pie in each category is judged on taste, consistency and appearance. In our category they all tasted like choclate pies, but each had a distinction, whether it was the delicately added spirits, the assorted nuts, the marengue or the whipped cream (two schools of thought on that), the crust (graham crackers, sandwich cookies or home-made-and-baked Grandma’s style of crust. You find reasons to support one pie and another reason that edges another pie from category winner into 2nd or 3rd or honorable mention. It's all positives, in general. And it is a privilege to be a State Fair cooking judge. It is also a joy to see earnest cooks celebrating a triumph with a special recipe and a history of “Momma’s pie” or “Grandma’s pie” or “A pie for Big Tex.”
Judges frequently find themselves challenged by the task of picking just one blue ribbon pie or cookie or whatever’s been created. So, though I have no official right to do so, as an observer of the efforts to bake winning pies, cakes or cookies for the State Fair of Texas, I’m prepared to declare anybody who hopefully, proudly enters a cooking contest is a winner already. I adore you and please acknowledge that after sampling more than two-dozen of your contestant-baked chocolate pies, I’d still sit down at the table for another slice. An alarm would go off in a number of my doctors’ offices, but I’d get at least one happy bite down before I realized I’m off of chocolate pies until after Halloween. Yeah, when I taste someone’s chocolate pie at Thanksgiving, I won’t just be “havin’ a bite of pie,” I’ll be putting that recipe up against the best chocolate pie recipes in the whole wide world. Texas pies rule.
Borrowing from the state song: 

Texas, our Texas, 
our pies are all so great! 

Texas our Texas,
It’s the chocolate pies I ate
Texas our texas
I judged ‘em with my mate
Texas our Texas….
I’m dizzy with the greatness of the pies and have lost track of words that rhyme with “great.” In fact, once you use “great” with Texas pies, you begin trying to use the word superb — but I’m certain there’s no pie word that rhymes with superb. Superb is high praise indeed. So is "gimme another slice uh that chocolate pie."
Check in with the State Fair at bigtex.com and you can see winners in the pie contests HERE.
And you can also buy the annual State Fair cookbook that includes the championship recipes. 

Texas-wide Fact: Nobody enjoys the State Fair of Texas as much as a hefty fellow who drew the challenge of judging more than two dozen chocolate pies. I may never be rid of this smile! Thank you, Big Tex and your Creative Arts staffers and volunteers and contestants. Now I need a cup of coffee and a slice of pie — if I can just hold it to one slice. Thankfully, I am an insomniac so I only dream of all the pies I can eat every now and then.

—- Offer recipes or baking tips by clicking on ‘comment’ below or by emailing [email protected] and put “SLOW DOWN, SLIM!” in the subject line. —-