dogs – Page 20 – FIRST DATE, WORST DATE EVER!

Reflections on a Retired Thursday

April 16, 2023April 16, 2023 Posted in childhood, chorus, Costco, COVID, dogs, errands, horse, horseback riding, memoir, memory, OCD, retirement, traffic, Zoom, ZumbaLeave a comment

(re-run) You would think retired people have seven days a week to reflect on their past lives. Not so, Smokey Joe. There was chorus, plus a COVID booster shot on Tuesday which produced a huge headache. “Take Tylenol,” my adult child who lives down the hall said. “No, you’re supposed to let the vaccine do… Continue reading Reflections on a Retired Thursday

Worst Neighbors Ever

April 7, 2023April 7, 2023 Posted in abuse, children, dogs, humor, memoir, Nebraska, neighbors, relationships, worstLeave a comment

(re-run) When I was twenty-eight, I bought my first house. It was in Omaha, on 50th Avenue, south of Leavenworth. It was a cute little two bedroom, one bath with a full basement and big fenced-in backyard. Since I wanted to get a dog, it seemed perfect. I had a budget, and this house was… Continue reading Worst Neighbors Ever

Help your Mood, Pull some Weeds

March 31, 2023March 31, 2023 Posted in birds, butterflies, California, dogs, foxtails, gardening, insects, lizards, lockdown, memoir, Round-Up, Roundup, weedsLeave a comment

(re-run) Yesterday I made the short trip to my little downtown, got some cash from the ATM, picked up two newspapers, and headed back home. On the way into town, I saw two city workers spraying Roundup on the weeds in the median strip. They were still at it, in the very same place, on… Continue reading Help your Mood, Pull some Weeds

Surprise in the Porch Stove

March 27, 2023March 27, 2023 Posted in beach, dog training, dog whisperer, dogs, glue traps, Jack Russell terrier, memoir, poison, porch, ratsLeave a comment

(re-run) I got home from the beach, with temps up to 70 degrees. “Why am I coming back?” I asked myself as the car’s outside temp rose to 82, then 88 then 92 as I pulled off the freeway in San Ramon. When I got home, the dogs went ballistic as they always do. We’re… Continue reading Surprise in the Porch Stove

Weekend Away

March 20, 2023March 20, 2023 Posted in beach, clean-up, dogs, humor, memoir, storms, thrift store, wind, winterLeave a comment

For me, it’s 120 miles from door to door. I can usually get there in two hours over five highways and get back in two and a half hours, unless it’s Sunday morning and everyone (light traffic) is going 75 mph. Even with the planned detour for road construction, I still made it in two… Continue reading Weekend Away

Daisy’s Night Run, a Skunk, and an Anniversary

March 17, 2023March 17, 2023 Posted in beach, California, dogs, foxtails, memoir, Monterey county, raccoons, runaway, skunkLeave a comment

(re-run) With hot weather in the Bay Area, it seemed like a good time to run down to the beach, plus the handy woman was available to come at the same time with her daughter. We had trees to plant, foxtails to pull, and a flat roof filled with pine needles to clean. The dogs… Continue reading Daisy’s Night Run, a Skunk, and an Anniversary

Falling, Falling, Falling

March 5, 2023March 5, 2023 Posted in aging, broken bones, California, coffee, dancing, dog walks, dogs, endocrinologist, falling, humor, memoir, ocean, osteoporosis, scars, seniors, thrift storeLeave a comment

The first time it happened, one of my shoelaces was untied. I stepped on it with my other shoe, then picked up my foot in the untied shoe and fell over. I was going over a berm along a busy street to get to – you guessed it – a thrift store. That was a… Continue reading Falling, Falling, Falling

Two Bird Baths, One Fountain

March 1, 2023February 4, 2023 Posted in birds, cats, dogs, gardening, humor, insects, memoir, nature, relationships, treesLeave a comment

I love my yard. When I first bought my fixer house on a fixer third acre, the yard was full of rocks and rose bushes. Now it has trees, plants, bushes, flag stone, one fountain and two bird baths. The fountain is an advertisement to creatures near and far to come into my fenced yard.… Continue reading Two Bird Baths, One Fountain

Daydreaming on a Dog Walk

February 28, 2023February 28, 2023 Posted in aging gracefully, animal rescue, animal training, astro turf, brain, dogs, language, memoir, neighborhood, neighbors, relationships, writing1 Comment

(re-run) I get some of my best writing ideas while walking my dogs. My brain is free to think while my body is exercising. I am not listening to music or staring into my phone. I am enjoying the view. Today I walked Pepper, my almost four-year-old lab, while Daisy stayed home where she feels… Continue reading Daydreaming on a Dog Walk

Beware of Craigslist?

February 26, 2023February 26, 2023 Posted in best, boat, California, Craigslist, dogs, fishing, humor, memoir, neighbors, parking lot, relationships, Santa, tea cups, texting, worstLeave a comment

(re-run) I’d sold a thousand dollars’ worth of tea cups and dinner plates the year before. When Sis moved in with me, I had to let all that inventory go. It hadn’t been selling that well on Etsy anyway, and Etsy had just changed its policies and had kicked me off their site. Why? Because… Continue reading Beware of Craigslist?