dogs – Page 16 – FIRST DATE, WORST DATE EVER!

Oopsy Daisy: Month 3 with the Rescue Dog

July 22, 2024July 20, 2024 Posted in animal adoption, animal rescue, California, caregiver, dog training, dogs, humor, memoir, relationships, teacher, teachingLeave a comment

(re-run from 2018) Month number three with the rescue dog has revealed more reasons why she was surrendered. When it’s cold and rainy, Daisy prefers to pee indoors, especially in a dark room when no one is watching. Daisy is agile enough to jump on and walk across the table, as in, where we eat.… Continue reading Oopsy Daisy: Month 3 with the Rescue Dog

Morning During a Heat Wave

July 13, 2024July 13, 2024 Posted in AC, bird bath, bra, California, dogs, drought-tolerant plants, fountain, garden hose, heat wave, memoir, strawberries, summerLeave a comment

(re-run) The temps will soar to 105 degrees in my town today. Yesterday was 102. Tomorrow will be 100. I woke up in an air-conditioned house at 6:30 a.m. No open windows. I opened one to see what was what. Cool air streamed inside. The thermostat was set at 72, and AC wasn’t running, so… Continue reading Morning During a Heat Wave

The First Day of Summer

July 10, 2024July 9, 2024 Posted in dogs, high school, kitchen remodel, lawn chair, live music, middle school, Millennials, neighbors, police officer, relationships, shorts, swimming pool, ticket, traffic school2 Comments

(a pre-multiple-skin cancers post) Okay, it’s not really the first day of summer, but school got out yesterday, and the kids in my neighborhood are running around in their new-found freedom. I walked the big dog and saw the parking lot to the pool, at the top of the green belt, filled with cars. It… Continue reading The First Day of Summer

The Dogs Have Met their Match

June 27, 2024June 27, 2024 Posted in animal rescue, animals, beach, best, California, Carmel, children, cleaning lady, dogs, humor, relationshipsLeave a comment

(re-run) When you are of a certain age, and your two young dogs wear you out on a regular basis, it can be a delight to have a ten-year-old girl for the weekend while her mom works for you. The dogs have finally met their match. The ten-year-old wakes up at dawn to go to… Continue reading The Dogs Have Met their Match

K is for Karma

June 21, 2024June 20, 2024 Posted in California, Carmel, dogs, honesty, integrity, memoir, Monterey Bay, thrift store, weedsLeave a comment

(re-run) My second day at the beach house, the day after my work day of pulling too many weeds and also going to a street fair, was a thrift store day. I drove to Carmel and got there just after the 10:00 opening. I picked out $10.00 worth of stuff so that I could get… Continue reading K is for Karma

The Visitor from the Crawl Space

June 6, 2024June 6, 2024 Posted in alligator lizard, cleaning, crawl space, creature, dogs, memoir, plumberLeave a comment

Two weeks ago, a plumber came over, crawled under the house, tried to sell me new pipes for the entire house and an overpriced water heater, then left without closing up the trap door in my master bedroom closet. When I discovered the open hole a few hours later, I was sure a rat had… Continue reading The Visitor from the Crawl Space

A Scavenger’s Life

May 30, 2024May 29, 2024 Posted in beach, cell phone, dogs, humor, internet, re-purpose, re-use, recycle, scavenger, travelLeave a comment

(re-run from 2019) I see value in things that others don’t see. It can be blessing and also a problem. That paper bag? Take it to my favorite thrift store. The plastic bag the newspaper comes in? A poop bag on a dog walk. A cracked dinner plate? A water-catch for a ceramic pot. So… Continue reading A Scavenger’s Life

Having his Cake

May 18, 2024May 17, 2024 Posted in California, cheater, dating, dogs, firsts, flirting, humor, memoir, pick-up lines, relationships, restaurantLeave a comment

(re-run) Fran and I sat at the bar at Il Vecchio’s next to the guy with the shaved head. Fran chatted him up while we waited for a table. We decided to have dinner at the bar. Adam was cute enough but not too tall. He seemed interested in petite Fran, so at the end… Continue reading Having his Cake

First Dog, Lost Dog

May 13, 2024May 12, 2024 Posted in animal rescue, best, dogs, farm, high school, holidays, humor, memoir, Midwestern, Nebraska, Omaha, outdoors, puppy, relationships, roommate, small town, SPCA, student, teaching, worstLeave a comment

After moving to farm country to teach high school Spanish, I watched my roommate Kristy come home one day with a German Shephard puppy. “Meet Shane!” she said. She hadn’t asked me. She hadn’t asked the landlord. When she did ask him, his response was, “Not in the house.” Kristy made Shane a bed of… Continue reading First Dog, Lost Dog

Daisy in the Spotlight

May 4, 2024May 6, 2024 Posted in Alpha, animal rescue, animal training, dogs, fences, gates, Jack Russell terrier, leash, memoir, reservoir, Roomba, seniors, tennis balls, veterinarianLeave a comment

(re-run) Daisy’s favorite spot at the beach house is on the back of the couch. From there she can see the squirrels taunting her from the trees outside the window. She can see part of the street where dog walkers go by every five minutes or so. Pepper has taken over the antique silk wing… Continue reading Daisy in the Spotlight