Shelter Pets

I visited the Story County Shelter today and though the cat room was closed due to illness I did get some photos of some dogs and a couple of rabbits that I’d like to share with you today.

This tri-colored, wirehaired terrier type dog is a friendly but very active dog. I could imagine him making a good family dog with children who have a lot of time to walk him and play with him. Perhaps he’d be a good fly-ball competitor :)

This beautiful girl is lab-sized and friendly but a little laid back. She seemed to be camera shy too. Every time I pointed the camera at her she turned her face away. While the other dogs barked away she simply wagged her tail and smiled in a doggy way. I think she’d be a nice quiet dog to sleep on the couch with you.

 

Then there’s this big happy fella. He may look like a Beagle but he’s nearly 6 foot tall when he stands on his back legs. He was just so happy, happy, happy. He must have a little Lab in him.

 

I tried to get some photos of this unusually colored Cocker Spaniel but he was wary of me and wouldn’t hold still. When I lowered myself to his height he calmed a little and licked my hand. I think he would be best in a home with responsible, understanding adults. He’ll also need some socialization so he isn’t so afraid of people. His color though is so cool. It’s somewhere between buff and liver. Not exactly sure what to call it.

And finally I caught this adorable black and tan Dachsund in the front room just coming in from his walk by the lake. He’s just so darn friendly I couldn’t get a very good picture of him. He just wanted to lick me and be petted rather than have his photo taken!

Then I just couldn’t resist capturing shots of these two bunnies. I don’t know much about bunny breeds so I can’t tell you what they are but the lighter colored one is a neutered male and seems pretty friendly but he didn’t want to face the camera. The darker bunny is a female and just about the most lovable furball I’ve seen. I could just hug her for hours. And those adorable cheek tufts…..what more can I say. I didn’t ask but from the looks of their cages they seemed to be litter-trained

 

Okay, so if you live in central Iowa stop by the Story County Animal Shelter and adopt one of these loving pets. In a week or so the cat room should be open again and there’ll be plenty of cats and kittens vying for your attention. Fortunately there are about 6 kittens in the front room that are available although I didn’t take any photos of them.

Change

It’s spring!

I’m so excited

I wet my plants

I saw that on a sign in Des Moines a couple of weeks ago and just had to share it.

 

Spring in Iowa

Ah, change, ain’t it wonderful? Just because it is inevitable doesn’t mean I have to like it. Things around here have been changing. Typical Iowa weather had us experiencing temps near 80 degrees on Saturday, thunderstorms Saturday night, Four inches of rain on Sunday and at least 2” of snow on Monday. College basketball season is over, ending one of the most exciting seasons my Cyclones have ever served us, and spring football is already in progress.

Personally, I’m still working through the grief that hangs over my household after losing those three precious beings last year. Ironically, while trying my best to help my Cyclones win that last NCAA Sweet 16 game by jumping up and down, cheering and doing all kinds of things in the privacy of my own home I managed to break my foot! So I’m hobbling around in a huge boot while yearning to get out and work in my yard.

And in the family, things have also been changing. That happens when a member of the family dies, or when several family members die, and especially when three of the dominant members die. Leaderships change, dominances get rearranged and loyalties fly out the window. I’ve seen “enemies” sleeping together, sisters and brothers fighting and even attacking their own mother. I’ve even observed some personalities developing, blossoming.

Mulberry Spot and Miss Misty Meadow, enemies?

I’m restarting my blog today as a way of recognizing a couple of very important birthdays and an anniversary of my own. Thirty years ago on April 16^th I began my job at Iowa State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine. Nineteen years ago Lady Butterfly was (probably) born. She came to me when she was nearly 9 months old so I guessed at her true birthdate. Then 17 years ago on April 17^th Mewdy Blue and his brothers and sister were born in my house. We’ve never really celebrated birthdays in my family because to cats every day is special. But this year I had to do this much.

So, along with this blog, I’m rededicating myself to my writing. I’ve written two children’s books already and need to concentrate on getting them published. I’ve also begun work on two new books. You will probably see little changes to this blog every now and then. Oh, I’ll still write about animals, including companion animals, livestock and wildlife but I’ll also touch on the writing life once in awhile and maybe even life in general.

I hope you’ll join me in my new adventure and see just where it takes us. And please, let me know from time to time what changes you’ve seen in your life. Let’s all try to embrace the changes in our lives. Only through change can we grow.