A Step Forward: The Best Of Social Media

Artie May 8, 2014, 10am:
D7100, 1/1000, f8, iso 640, 140mm (18-140 lens), out of camera, uncropped.
I want to thank Pete W. for sharing his "Flying Goose" settings. I just went out and shot 111 pictures of my silly dog and instead of having maybe 2-5 decent ones to choose from, I have over 60 to maybe 80 to choose from!  Some are a wee bit fuzzy (because it's hard to throw a toy AND whip your camera up to take  the shots) but this is leaps and bounds to where I was just yesterday. This is just one shot and I'm pretty happy with it!
Instead of crying tears of frustration and anger ("why isn't my eyesight better?" "why can't I do this?"), I'm actually crying tears of joy! (OK, I'm a girl, give me a break!)
This is what this group and social media is at it's best: people helping people, people connecting with people. From the UK to Northeast Ohio, Pete helped me to improve and gain some confidence with this camera.
My heart is full of gratitude.  Thank you!

Your Adorable Puppy? Welcome To Teenaged Dog Hell!

Someone on one of the cattledog groups wrote:

"I just want to share something for new puppy parents: When you see and read the stories on here of all the wonderful, well behaved, well trained, and awesome adult dogs that most have, and you wonder how they all "lucked" out and won the dog lottery- KNOW THIS: most of us wanted to KILL our little adorable pups when they were 4 months old. I personally lost half a bookcase of old books, 5 pairs of shoes, almost all my socks, two expensive rugs, a floor-stand antique mirror, and countless hours off my life due to blood vessels popping in my head. So remember, when looking at photos, you will look back and forget all that stuff when you see cute photos of your baby when he/she was a puppy. THEY GROW OUT OF IT. "

4-8 months, horrible, horrible, horrible time!  Sometimes it lasts into their first year.

Horrible!!!

Did I say horrible?  I meant horrible. Horrible with a capital Hor.

House training my last one, Artie, was a nightmare! I would get on FB and cry out to my friends. I'd sob on the phone to other dog people.  What the hell had I gotten myself  IN TO?  What was I thinking?  I'm too old for this.

I've had cattledogs since 1993, you think I'd have some kind of handle on it.

Oh, no!

He wasn't my first dog or cattledog either and I always seem to win the Dog Pooping Lottery because I never get to do that part in summer or fall.  Oh, no. Dead of winter.

Artie was a horrible, horrible puppy.

AND he got car sick!  What cattledog gets CARSICK??  He didn't get carsick with his foster mom. I was so stressed about that I almost got carsick.  I'd sit in the car on the way to dog classes, shaking, my heart hammering in my chest, my ears tuned to that "rrrrap-bleech-gack" sound.

His one saving grace: he was (and is) a social butterfly. He's whip-smart, funny and has a real zest for life.  He loves to swim.  He has a lovely combination of ON and OFF. He's the best hiking dog I've had in years. I adore him.

I had another one (Dru) for 6 months in 1999 I was working with (6-12 months old), he was the worst chewer I ever had.  I had him tethered to me, right by my leg, and he silently almost chewed the table leg right by me in half.  I never heard it, never felt it. He tore up and annihilated linoleum floor tiles etc. When I got him, his former owner had allowed him to poop and pee in the crate, dirtiest dog I've ever known.  Yes, Virginia, you CAN stuff a 50 pound ACD into a pretty damn small crate. He got through the horrible house-training thing but that was 3 weeks, (almost 24/7) of utter hell.

His one saving grace: he was a social butterfly, used to run with 5 Greyhounds and a Borzoi. Coolest thing you ever saw: a cowdog herding sight hounds!

Elke, our "found pupp" was another horrible chewer and dis-embowler of All Things With Stuffing.  And she had the extra bonus of being completely disinterested in playing fetch or any game for that matter.  Oh, and for an extra-extra bonus, she was (and still is to a great extent) 40 pounds of pull-you-off-your-feet.  My slightly deformed hand is thanks to Elke's pulling me off my feet and dislocating 3 fingers.  But wait, there's more.  She tends to be dog fear-aggressive too!  Which can be anything from a low growl to going after another dog to shrieking, whining and spinning!  Wheeeee, fun for the entire family!

Her saving grace is her complete and utter mesmeric ability to suck you in to her lair of sweetness.  Her coat is like velvet.  You pet her and your heart rate begins to lower.  Her eyes are limpid, brown pools; her kisses are softer and sweeter than a summer garden. People come to meet Artie; they stay for Elke.

The one thing I thank my lucky stars for is I have never had a dog in the last 20 years that wasn't ok in the crate.  I personally can't cope with that, separation anxiety or severe aggression.

I know they say you don't always get the dog you WANT but you get the dog you NEED many times.  Really?  Somewhere in the Great Cosmic Book of Life, it was written: "Mia needs the puppy from hell.  Not once, not twice, but we're going to give her that canine gift that keeps on giving."

Artie was the first all positive trained dog I've ever owned. Interesting process for all of us and continues to be.  But he really has turned into such an awesome dog in so many ways.  It must be like child birth I guess.  You know there was pain but it seems slightly dimmed.

God help me, I'm thinking about adding a third at some point.....the Gods will lead us in the right directions.  I'm a big believer in Fate.  And that they have a really sick sense of humor at times.

Puppies.  Simply Adorable!  There are not enough adjective or superlatives for puppies.

Teenaged dogs?  A new dimension of the depths of hell....Dante couldn't make up this stuff. If he did, there would be an Eighth Dimension of hell.

Our First Cat Show

We went to our first cat show today. Very interesting! If dogs were left in cages be handled by the judge, oh, my what a crazy thing THAT would be! The owners put the cats in these judging cages and go away, although they watch, of course. The judge then takes the cat out. So your cat has to be OK with being handled by a stranger.
Saw lots of interesting cats and I was very impressed with how gentle the judges were. Trust me, they REALLY handle those cats! They pick them up, stretch them out, look at their faces, wave wand toys at them.
I also liked that lot of the judges explained what they were looking at and what they liked about that particular cat TO the audience. One judge even answered questions from the audience about what makes a good Persian. All I knew about Persians you could fit into a thimble. Now I know more!
A purebred (with papers) altered cat can go for its championship AND they have a household cat (i.e. mutt cat) division as well!
Talked to a lady who shows Tonkinese and she was very informative!
Hey, AKC and UKC, wouldn't that be cool, having people show mixed breeds or altered for their conformation championship.....? it would put put some extra coin in your pockets too!??
I saw a panda-marked persian named Jack and this spectacular silver tabby Domestic Short-hair. I got to pet a Sphinx (hairless) cat which is a trip. You think they'd be sooooooooo ugly (by their photos) but they're not. They are so soft and WARM!
The cat owners were almost always very nice and informative. There were even folks around with Ask Me buttons on!
Very interesting experience and one I'd highly recommend if you love cats.

Altered Persian bi-colored male, 7 months old named Jack. His owner just loves him! I think he has his championship already. I wish I would have gotten a really good picture of his panda face! 

Stunning silver tabby male American Shorthair. He has ALL the classic tabby markings. I didn't know there were so many....targets, bracelets, anklets, necklaces.... If you look on his forehead his markings look like an Egyptian Scarab beetle, which apparently is a really prized marking. He was a lovely cat, very sweet and totally laid back. "Yeah, I'm gorgeous. Whatever..."

Choosing A Puppy: What's My Motivation?

Before people get all inflammatory and weird and slam me for "not getting a rescue" and "contributing to pet-over-population," just stop right there. Halt.  Cease,  Desist.

Almost all of my dogs have come from pure-bred rescue, a shelter or were "found-puppies."  I've had 3 re-homes from reputable breeders and therefore I had a lot of information, good or ill, from those breeders. I had a bit of an inside track.

I was talking to a friend who has a handsome, rescue dog who has such extreme issues that he may never, ever live a normal life.  But she's committed to helping him live the best life he can. But even she, a drinker from the Rescue-Rehab Fountain admits she's looking into getting a good, sound, correctly raised puppy from a great breeder.  Rescuing a dog or cat is one of the noblest things you can do.  But it seriously is the luck of the draw.  I've been pretty lucky with my rescues.  But a lot of them have had Huge Issues too.

My friend would like to start it "right" and do it right without a bunch of unknown crap coming up.  She's looking at a couple of different breeds too.

We hoisted a mental glass of wine because I know whereof she comes from!

For me, and this is just for me because I'm starting to think about a puppy in the fairly near future......I'm researching breeders.  I've got my short list.  But I need to ask myself the hard questions.  I know the breeders will ask me the hard questions.

One of my questions is one of Motive.  We don't often think of Motive as a reason for getting or adding a dog to our home and life.  But it's huge!  Do I want unconditional love, companionship? Do I want ribbons? Do I want accolades, recognition?  There is very little that is "wrong" with Motive.  Unless you're some sicko, of course.

I think anyone who is adding a dog to their life needs to honestly look at their motivation for making this step!

Of course there is the obvious:
Health concerns?
Have both parents been tested?
Can I meet both parents? (Sometimes Dad is just frozen semen).
Do I want a male or a female?
Intact?  Or Altered?  Am I willing to take a lifetime of responsibility for an intact dog?

I'm up in the air on the sex but that's just for me. I know, if I (we) put my mind, ability (and money) into it, I (we) could finish a female!  I have no worries about that but I'm also a "if I'm going do this damn show thing again, I'M doing it my damn self again!" kind of person.  Any professional handler can finish a decent dog. I'd rather do it my damn self!  As much as I enjoyed that part of our lives, I might not want to do it again.  Not in Conformation. And I really don't think I want to raise a litter either!

When it comes to Motive, I guess you have to ask yourself: what is my goal for this purebred dog?  Do I want a happy, balanced, in-my-house dog or can I go higher maintenance?  Do I want him to win Westminster?  Am I willing to do a life-time of crate shuffling to have that dog in my house because s/he's that exceptional but doesn't get along with everyone?  Or do I want everyone lounging on the sofas and hanging out in the car, on a trail?

What is my goal for what I WANT TO GET from this dog? (Performance, Westminster, perfect hiking companion, herding, therapy?).  I think many people never face this, ever.

If you know it, you can say it out loud.

Face it, dogs love us.  They need love, food, proper care, a safe home, training so they're not complete jerk-offs, etc. The titles, ribbons, accolades...they are cool. I won't deny it.  But in the end, for me personally, they need to be our dog, our buddy. I really love the idea of a dog that does something cool and/or useful, and it can be performance, work, service, therapy.

My dream dog could help kids and adults learn about proper dog care and safety and bite prevention  He and I could educate together!!  I confess, I love the interaction and applause!

How much am I willing to put in? (time, money, training etc)  Is he going to be "my" show (performance) dog or is someone else going to do it?  In my case, Hell-NO.

What kind of personality can I live with and what can't I live with?

As I get older, and less "able," do I need an easier-going yet less "showy/driven" dog?

Can this puppy get along with Artie AND Elke??  Could he be OK with the cat?

Do I need to research other breeds?

What's my lifestyle like?  It's pretty busy, crazy with huge moments of "chill-out-sofa-time".  My neighbors shoot off firecrackers in the summer.  Kids come in our house. We ride bikes and take hikes in the woods.  Kids play softball in the street.  I live in suburbia!

What will my lifestyle be like in 2, 5, 10 years.  Etc. etc.

To me, if the puppies are all pretty nice-looking, I really have to trust the Mommy Dog owner because she's with those puppies day in, day out. But kennel-blindness can come into play.

I surely would get another opinion from someone, (even if they "do" another breed) on the litter because correct structure is structure!  I"m lucky that I could call in some cards and get someone from another breed to look at the litter. Most people that I've seen make a successful match do seek another opinion from outside that particular breed.

I need to see them interact with their siblings, other dogs, people. other animals if possible.  I'd drag along a dog person (like a trainer or behaviorist)  I trust to look at the litter because maybe the one that appeals to me most might not be the right dog for me, for us, for all of us!

I will definitively take the breeder's advice; she should know that litter inside and out.

But I'll also send it up to the Gods, and ask that the right puppy come into my life and be a blessing for its whole lifetime.

©2013 Mia Hess

A Note To All Northern Ohio Rescues

I think ALL the shelters in Northeast Ohio, all the dog clubs (training and showing, purebred and performance), trainers, educators and all the rescues, every stinkin' one of you, need to get together and figure out ways to help animals.

Here's what needs to happen:
We all need to educate people esp., kids in the schools, about proper pet ownership, responsibility, compassion, bite prevention and breed education. We need to educate them as to where to get a dog or cat when the time is right.  A shelter, a legitimate rescue, a responsible breeder.  We need to educate people to think with their heads, to research it all out.  We need to shock the hell out of 4th graders through middle school age kids, which is when their compassion level seems to sink and their need to fit into a group and be "cool" rises. That's where dog fighters find their recruits and it goes all across all demographics.

 We need to find ways, funds, donations to provide more low cost or no cost spay/neuters and med clinics etc.This is what (IMO) is what is needed.  Look to organizations like C.H.A.I.N.E.D. in Detroit and "Break The Chain" in New York who help individuals with proper fencing, housing, educating and low cost or no cost "speutering."  Northeast Ohio, as of this writing, has no organization doing their kind of work.  Everyone seems to sit in their nice, middle-class homes and bitch about all those ghetto or redneck types with their dogs on 20 pound 6 foot long chains. They post pictures and post their outrage on Facebook. It IS outrageous and disheartening!  People on social media are honestly sick to death of seeing it.  They are sick of seeing dead dogs. Come up with a solution that's not a knee-jerk one.  "Get rid of all the breeders!" Yeah, that one won't work.

Put on your brave face, your big girl/boy pants and see how you can help, person to person.  Half of you won't even go into inner city schools and do educational programs and answer questions.  Any kind of crazy question and I've gotten a lot of them.

There is a desperate need for fosters.  So why are people turned down all the time?  Good people.  Why aren't there local seminars sponsored by many rescue groups with a vet and a good trainer about how to foster successfully! Especially helping potential fosters figure out the logistics of adding another dog into their own home. Crates?  Temporary fencing?  Introduction training?  Why isn't that in place and offered often?

And since we're on a bit of a rant....I'm really sick and tired of all the damn pit bull rescues fighting and spatting with each other like a bunch of wet cats in a barrel.  As if the poor "breed" (if you can call it that since it's a mix of bully types) doesn't have about a thousand strikes against it, you all are beating your swords against your shields  "Our way or NO Way!". Get off the damn bitch-mobile and start working together.  Get the best of your best out into the public eye and show a uniform front.

There are WAY too many women involved in rescue in NE Ohio ---- there is too much bitchy estrogen running around. We need to find a way to get more men involved.  Grill some steaks and hire a stripper...I don't care. Whatever it takes.  Hit up athletes, business types, men, men, men...we need men!  We need more male spokesmen. Men love animals too and their way of helping may surprise you! Having a guy tell another guy why he needs to be man and get Buster's nuts removed seems to work better!

I'm sick to death of rescue people bashing folks in purebred dogs, flinging all that "You're BAD, evil, You are the sole contributing factor to the over-population problem!!" with their one litter a year.  First of all most the hash-flingers don't even know anyone seriously involved with purebred dogs. I've asked. Many rescue folks have never taken their dog to any kind of class, hired a trainer or tried to compete in any venue with your mixed breed!  The snobbery of He's Just My Pet.  Not that this isn't the most noble gift dogs give us but they are capable of much more.

You WANT people in purebred dogs on your "side."  Are you crazy not to get to know them?  Even court them a bit?  No, they will not support your total breeding moratorium and for wiser reasons than the average rescuer could possibly comprehend and it has NOTHING to do with The Almighty Dollar. Here's a new flash, kids.  The serious "hobby" breeder is not what is causing your pet over-population problem. He or she is the least offensive and will be the first to be punished by your breeding moratorium.  They plan a breeding better than you probably planned who were you going to marry and have kids with!

They have connections most rescues only dream about it.  Don't think for one nano-second they don't know about the pet over-population problem and aren't distressed and sickened by it.  Throughout the country, most of the time, someone who shows purebred dogs is one the first on site of any given puppy mill or hoarder bust.  No one, and I mean, NO ONE is more incensed about Puppy Mills or Hoarding than the folks in Purebred Dogs. I've noticed in the rescue community a ton of sun-burnt nostrils on self-righteous up-turned noses when the subject of someone who "shows dogs" comes up. Since so many of you know very little about that world of showing, obedience, agility, or other dog sports or haven't been immersed in it as a trainer, handler, assistant, judge, groomer you are bashing a group of animal lovers en masse without a great deal of personal knowledge.

One must only look at the Puppy Mill Case of over a hundred Rottweilers in Texas to understand what Rottie fans, owners, breeders did to pitch in and really help these dogs in need. Click here for an article about it.

Seriously, if the bottom line is that dream of a no-kill shelter or the banishment of Puppy Mills do not count out people in the Fancy of Showing Dogs.  Your little rescue is not on national TV being watched by millions of people worldwide but Westminister Kennel Club is!  You honestly think that the WKC winner couldn't use his time on "Good Morning America" to tell folks to spay and neuter  to get a dog from a shelter, or a breed rescue.

People who show dogs are not the enemy!  They would never condone a puppy mill or a hoarder. So get off your high horse and stop slamming them.  They love dogs too!

Kelly Ripa and Pit Bulls?

To Kelly Ripa and all fans of her show. 

(And yes, I posted this on the LIVE Facebook page but no doubt it'll get yanked.)

Ms. Ripa: You should not make blanket comments about pit bulls (or even that type of dog). It shows a blatant ignorance and an assumption on your part of biased, quasi-education. 

Should we say the same thing about blondes, your appearance or your intelligence, you'd be rather angry, hurt, disappointed, wouldn't you? Perhaps not, as by your comments, it's highly doubtful as to whether you possess any of the virtues of basic intellect but rather an alarmist, punt-kick attitude towards dog related things of which you could not possibly have any reasonable knowledge.

In other words, Ms. Ripa, you be needin' some educatin'!

A Note To Animal Activists & Advocates

In recent days, we've seen the investigation of the Ohio SPCA into yet another Puppy Mill run by (no surprises) by the Amish. People who care about animals are lauding this as a good thing and it is.  Again, it has thrust the ugly reality of Puppy Mills into the limelight where it belongs.

"Another horrible Puppy Mill!!  We need to get those breeders and shut them down!" cry the animals activists and advocates!

All right, enough. You are all pissing me off.

Stop calling them BREEDERS. 

I'm going to publicly bitch-slap the next person who calls these heathens "breeders."

"Breeding is bad!  Breeders are bad!  Breeders need to regulated!  We need to stop Breeders! There are X millions of animals in shelter because of Breeders!"

By using the term "Breeder", you are being small-minded, defamatory, insulting and plain ignorant. How dare you? Those people are not BREEDERS and every one of you needs to stop using that term.  Call it what it is: Milling. They are Milling (or if you can't seem to use that term....) at the very least it's "farming" companion animals.  Not appealing but there it is.

I'll even coin a new term so you can stop using the word Breeder and eradicate it from your Advocacy Vocabulary.

It is Animal Profiteering. Say it with me, folks.

Animal Profiteering!

Very good! It's a lot more harsh sounding than "breeding", isn't it?

Whether it's Mr. Yoder the puppy miller or Joe Schlabottnik down this street who's looking for a quick buck on his Rottweiler bitch, it's Profiteering. I'll lump them with Mrs. Whitebread who thinks Junior should witness "the miracle of birth." It's not about raising animals for consumption, which technically is Animal Husbandry.

It's all about the pay-off, plain and simple.  It's Profiteering.

Animal Activists think the answer to the appalling over-population of companion animals in shelters all across the country is to Ban Breeding. Great idea in THEORY. We've seen how well that worked with Gun Control and the War On Drugs. It's an extremist knee-jerk reaction that punishes legitimate, caring individuals who truly care about animals, especially pet animals.

Before you go off on your high horse and vilify and abolish all Breeders, think about what you are saying and who exactly you are defaming. Most the Activists and Advocates that I know have no clue.  Many of them are animals lovers, period.  All they can see is that "too many litters of animals, even more animals, the suffering of animal due to overpopulation" is a Bad Thing.  It is. There are too many unwanted animals dying every day. Lest you forget, I too, am an Animal Advocate.

Breeders are not the Activists' or Advocates' problem.

Read that again.

Breeders are not the Activists' or Advocates' problem. They aren't even close to being the cause. I don't care how far down you filter that. "Well, we wouldn't have this problem if Hanice Smith hadn't decided to breed a Bull Terrier litter in 1953." Or 2003. They are not the Enemy! Ninety-nine percent of the time, they are your allies.  The other one percent are neutral.

A Breeder plans their first (or next) litter more carefully than most people plan a pregnancy.  Humans seem to reproduce without careful thought. The Breeder considers health, type, temperament, quality, cost, vet care, the timing and expense of pre- and post-natal care, raising of the babies and whether or not they have more than enough good owners lined up for each and every little one who will be born.  The owner of the stud or female are very fussy about the potential mate. They pick potential owners with the thorough thought that this is a long term relationship. Animal to Owner and Breeder to Owner.  Many breeders turn down potential Owners because they don't want to associate with that person for the next 10-20 years. They are with the new owner throughout that puppy/kitten/foal's lifetime and grieve for each one of their "grandchildren" through ill-health, old age and death. I still hear from the husband of a dog I owned and his wife (the Breeder) is deceased.

Breeders have an overwhelming tendency to police themselves and each other.  I have been advised who to NOT get a dog from on several occasions.

Breeders (often silently) help unwanted animals by fostering, housing, volunteering, transporting, educating and training animals in need. They donate their money, time, expertise and needed items.  They advocate for humane treatment and lobby against breed banning. For example, a Canadian dog Breeder I know campaigns heavily against horse slaughter. More Breeders than I care to mention have raised mix-breed or orphaned babies, giving them to the same love, care and socialization as they would the litter they planned for years.  Breeders often foster and rehabilitate rescued animals, an area of animal advocacy crying daily for more help.

Messers Yoder, Schlabottnik and Mrs. Whitebread don't give two shits about any of that.

So get off your morally high horse and stop calling these profiteers Breeders.  They're not and if you knew just one Breeder of cats, dogs, ferrets, horses (whatever) you would never, ever lump them with Millers or Profiteers.

By the way, I have never (to date) bred a litter.  Nor do I have any intention to do so, as of this date. The only litter I have ever had was a stray cat who showed up pregnant and starving on my doorstep.  Should I ever decide to breed a litter, I will give it far more thought than some human deciding to hatch, believe me.

The Messenger

I thought I'd lost it....my first (paid) published story! Here it is....

THE MESSENGER

Monday was the day from hell. Nothing seemed to be going right. Delays, stupidity, forgetfulness, frustration. An all-over feeling of blah. And it was cold. When my ride to dog training class fell through, I decided to take my cattledog, Dru, for a nice walk. Maybe the day could be redeemed. Maybe we'd meet a canine playmate at the park.

As I was walking down West Boulevard, two people hailed me. "Hey, do you live around here?" There was desperation in their voices.

"Sure do."

"Can you help us?" I approached and I could see that the man was holding something in his hands. Being rather near-sighted, I couldn't see what it was. What stuck in my mind were his painted-black fingernails. As I drew closer, I could now see that he held a big black crow. "He's really hurt," the woman said, "we don't know what to do! I think he got hit by a car." I whipped out my trusty cell phone, called my friend, Alana, who works for a vet. "I have an injured crow. Can you come pick me up?" (I don't drive.) Of course, she said she would. I gingerly took the squawking, twitching bird. His head was thrown back, his eyes flickering madly. I placed him inside my coat and asked the fellow to zip me up. I tied Dru's leash around my waist and back home we went, the crow struggling and caw-cawing, Dru dancing excitedly around me.

After I arrived home, and put Dru in his crate, I decided to wait on my side steps for Alana to come. I spoke softly to the crow, "Shhhh, it's OK, it's OK" and gently settled him in a more comfortable position. His cries had taken on that burbling, harsh sound that usually means blood is in the lungs. Not good. I reached inside my coat and stroked his breast with my thumb. I cooed quietly, "There, there, Thunder" (for I'd named the crow that) "you'll be OK. Poor baby!" I had visions in my head of seeing Thunder nursed back to health and eventually seeing him set free. I'd help as much as I could. The thought thrilled me.

Thunder started to settle under my caress. "This is good," I thought, "He'll get well." The cawing and burbling had stopped; he was just breathing now. I kept up the tender talk, hoping I was soothing him. He WAS calmer. This was such a good sign. I felt so good, so helpful. I want to say it was sudden but I guess it really wasn't. One moment, it seemed, I could feel his breathing and heartbeat under my thumb; the next moment I couldn't feel anything. I cautiously opened my jacket just a bit, and laid my hand on him. I held my breath, hoping against hope, but he was gone. I bent over him and wept.

I kept him inside my jacket, next to my heart, until his body's warmth was gone. I held him next to my heart until Alana came and took him out of my hands. Tears glistened on his feathers. Tears for an animal I did not even know. Alana took him to the park and laid him to rest underneath a tree and covered him with leaves.

It was the first time I had felt the last vestiges of a beating heart. I had arrived too late to witness my father's last moments. To say goodbye and let him go. I had not been able to cope with my mother's removal from life support. No, my brother was there for her last sigh as the machines stopped breathing for her. But, here on my side steps, on a cold November evening, perhaps this had been my chance to help a soul make its transition from life into death and beyond. Maybe Thunder the Crow came into my life for that very reason. He needed my help and love. I don't know. I am sure that someday I will understand the significance of Thunder's brief interlude in my life. That I will understand what it all meant. For all that happens to us and around us is part of the tapestry of our lives -- the color, pattern and weave of who we are becoming every moment. Right now, I don't know.

I have heard it said that Crow is a messenger, that he represents magic and luck. I don't know. But I do know that when I pass on, I will meet all my animals at the Rainbow Bridge. There will be an assortment of wonderful dogs and cats, and my pony, Pooh. And one other to greet me. A crow named Thunder.

©Mia Knerly 1999

Ahhhh!

Can you sat Totally Relaxed? Nobody seems to do it quite like a cat.

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