EDITION OF WEDNESDAY/THURSDAY AUG. 14-15 (MAYBE 16, 2024) [PetPowellPress] I was going to write about how we’re in the
Anticipation Portion of Summer but I figured it’s best just to stop my personal whining and move into the opportunities to help and celebrate animals.
Though I sorta wish I were anticipating the next James Bond movie.
No sign of Bond #26 yet. Though my formerly tiny handful-sized kitten Hastings Streetboy has been calmly practicing looking at his co-cats and dogs and firmly saying, “Bond. James Bond.” That’s his James Bond face. Moving along…somebody cue the Bond theme. …. [LARRY ASIDE: Yes, the heat is affecting my brain — could be for the better this year.]
MEANWHILE IN MESQUITE:
GWEN, LEFTY AND RIGHTY
[LARRY CONFESSION: I love getting animal bios from my volunteer dog bio-writing pals Debra Chisholm and Judi Brown and the gang at the busy shelter. They actually get to do firsthand interviewing with the critters. That’s got help prospective adoptors a lot more than a mugshot and a line that reads “DOG AVAILABLE OR ELSE.” OK, moving along,,,]
GWEN IS READY — We get her story from Debra. She writes, “I have named this charming girl ‘Gwen.’
"She is a mixed breed with Carolina dog in the mix picked up by one of our officers on 8/8 as a stray and brought to the Mesquite Animal Shelter. She has the softest fur, looks as though she’s been well-fed, and well-cared for and yet no one has come to reclaim her.”
Debra says Gwen “walks nicely on a leash, …knows the sit command and has a chill personality. Gwen has the sweetest temperament, is obedient, well behaved, calm and gentle. She doesn't jump on you. She is quite inquisitive and was alert to sounds and noises in the room in which I did her eval and outside in the hallway.
“There was a crate of kittens up on the counter and she was quite interested in finding out what was in the crate making those interesting noises. She seems to be smiling in all of her pictures. She is a bit restless and uneasy, and yet she has only been at the shelter for five days and hasn’t completely acclimated. She would undoubtedly be a loving and devoted companion… She hopes that her new family will stay committed to her and allow her to live inside as an important of the family circle.
To ask about adopting Gwen, cite her Shelter ID #56527539 when you call the shelter at 972-214-6283 or email [email protected].
SAME SYSTEM for these next two pups — LEFTY (#56480276) and sibling RIGHTY (#56480248). We get their story from volunteer dog-writer Judi Brown. And, yep, pay attention to the coloring around their eyes!
Judi writes, “Lefty has all the wonderful attributes of a puppy. She’s a 2-3 month old, wiggly, friendly, happy, sweet, loving, and playful youngster that arrived on 8/1 at the Mesquite Animal Shelter along with her brother Righty.
“Lefty has a black patch over her left eye and Righty has a black patch over his right eye. I gave her a
bath and although she didn’t exactly like it, she did tolerate it. She knows the sit command and is highly motivated by treats. Matter of fact, she’s a little beggar! She seeks attention and stays close. She’s curious and explores. Lefty walks OK on a leash and didn’t seem to have a problem meeting other dogs. She’s not as active as her brother. They both will need a yard to stretch their legs in but want to be inside dogs so they can spend quality time with their new families.”
Judi says the “energetic” brother Righty “weighs a few more pounds” than Lefty. And he has “spots on his back that his sister does not have.” He’s 2-3 months old and “may have some Dalmatian in him.”
Judi also says Righty “walks better on a leash” and he is “a total love bug. He is happy, friendly, frisky, sweet, curious, and loving. He should do well with children as he’s an active boy and would enjoy children playmates. He doesn’t sit for treats, but is highly motivated by them. Like his sister, he’s a little beggar!
“He didn’t seem to have a problem meeting other dogs. Both would need a yard to stretch their legs in but want to spend most of their time inside enjoying family time with their new families.” Again, cite their shelter ID numbers when you contact the shelter.
You can see their photos and bios and the same material for all sorts of other dogs and cats and kittens by licking on this link to the Mesquite Animal Shelter.
Among the many cats and kittens at Mesquite’s shelter, is this as-yet nameless kitten, #55988287. In this photo (the only one I’ve seen of her) she has a great striped coat and an interesting pattern atop her cute noggin.
She’s around 3 months old and came into the shelter on May 23. Yep, a Domestic Shorthair Mix available for adoption and she’s waiting in the Shelter’s Conference Room. [LARRY ASIDE: I’m tempted to motor to Mesquite just so I can see her up close and check out that distinct noggin.
If any of you catfans adopt her, send a photo to us at [email protected].
Cats are always interesting for more than one reason and they hardly ever talk politics.]
KEEPING UP
WITH MOONEY
Here’s the latest report on the Frenchie fellow Mooney we’ve been following through the heart and eyes and camera of our pal and his saving grace, the animal advocate and rescuer Kimberly Jones. Yesterday’s edition reported the challenges of getting the lad to dine and recover happily from surgery.
Kimberly’s report should have dogfans nodding and smiling in agreement with the evidence of Mooney return to doing what good dogs do.
On Tuesday morning, she wrote: "Mooney is doing really well!!! He pooed a good poo before bed last night and he's pooed twice already today! He is eating like his normal self now and I'm getting his medicines in him now.”
CONTEMPLATIONS
ONCE OR TWICE UPON A TIME…
A funny moment in the present started in the past. One recent afternoon I caught a few TV minutes of the 2010 version of True Grit (enjoyed the first one from 1969 a little more — probably an age thing).
Anyway, the dialogue in the film inspired me to want to re-read the 1968 best-seller by Charles Portis, one of my writing heroes.
I know that I’ve got three or four copies (including a hardback) but they’re all in moving boxes somewhere and it was too hot to go to our garage storage area to explore for the book.
So, because I’m a loyal customer at Half-Price Books in several cities, I drove to Arlington to look for a copy. Yes! I found one paperback copy (this photo) from 1969 on the shelf in a literature section of the store.
I nabbed this treasure of the last century and happily handed over the $3 cash. I found the price proper AND amusing.
I paid $3 at a half-price store for a novel priced at 95 cents in 1969 and, yes, I got a great deal on True Grit.
I look at it as a historic investment. I didn’t have a copy with this first-edition cover! So, to me, it’s a bargain at thrice the price.
And it took me back to the era when even small towns might have two bookstores and the local grocery store and 7-Eleven might even have a rack of paperbacks. I’m not sure which has changed the most — the readers or the reading material.
—- Offer reading advice or time travel to a cheaper century by clicking on ‘comment’ below or by emailing [email protected] and put “CLEAN OUT THE GARAGE, NITWIT” in the subject line. —-
