Cina and Elle’s Beginning
By Cina Canada
Feb 22, 2010
One afternoon I was in my upstairs loft on Commercial St. I heard a loud yelping noise that was so piercing I though something had been hit on the street outside. I ran down to see what had happened. It was a little black pup, about 3 months old, trying to resist as she was being pulled by a chain wrapped around her neck. Her paws were out front desperately trying to stop. But the woman dragging her was in a drunken stumble and unwilling to stop. I quickly made my way to her and asked her if I could pet her puppy. She wobbled a bit and then stopped and said, "Yeah, I guess. Life's a bitch, though. I had to learn and she'll have to learn some time too." She stopped.
The lady looked very worn and vacant; tired. I imagined she was treating the puppy much like she had been treated in her life. I bent down to pet the puppy and when I did the puppy immediately came to me and tried to hide under my legs as I was crouched on the sidewalk. The fear in her eyes, the strained, furrowed brow made my whole body tense and ready to rescue. Then, my heart really began to pound as I noticed the chain was not a leash, connected to a collar, but rather a hook latched to a link on the chain. There was no give and it was tight around her neck, chocking her as she was being pulled.
In short, after some negotiation, a trip to the ATM and will to “make a run for it with the pup if things didn’t go well,” the woman finally staggered off with, conceding to a $27 trade. I watched the woman go, with the puppy in my arms. She was pressed into me as if to say, “please don’t let me go.” So, I didn’t. We walked to the curb and sat down. After about 10 minutes I said, “Well, guess it’s you and me, now,” and we were off to the vet!
Ella ended up having some health concerns but eventually grew to be a happy, healthy, loving, snuggler. Some years later I found where she had come from. Most of her litter had died of Parvo. While walking Ella one day, I even ran into the woman I had rescued her from. She was sober and asked if I was the girl who bought a black puppy from her. I said yes and she responded, “I wasn’t in much of a position to take care of her at the time. I’m glad to know she went to a good home.”
Dr. Birdie
by Faith Ringgold
3/31/09
One afternoon Birdie came home from work. He lived in a big 14th floor apartment with his wife, Faith and their two daughters. When Birdie walked in the door Faith asked him to take care of their bird, Dinah. Dinah, a parakeet had been recently diagnosed with a cold. The doctor prescribed a very complex regiment of medications. The treatment included pills to crush, drops to be put in Dinah’s water and drops to be administered directly to the sick little bird. Birdie said, Faith, I’m tired can I just sit down for a minute?” So he took off his coat, walked over to look at the patient, opened her cage door, opened the window and sat down to rest. Freedom called Dinah so she made a break for it and flew out the open window.
Baby’s Goldfish
Faith Ringgold
3/31/09
Baby Faith had a little goldfish that lived in a glass fishbowl. It was Saturday morning and time to clean the bowl so Faith took the fishbowl into the bathroom to take care of her fish. Faith’s big brother Andrew was there to help, her scooped up the goldfish to move it to a little cup while they cleaned it’s bowl. When Andrew dropped the little fish into the cup she jumped out and flipped and slithered around on the slippery tile floor until she was under the claw-foot tub. Andrew thought the whole thing was very funny but baby Faith screamed and cried because the little fish was out of reach.
Mr. Smilie goes to camp
Faith Ringgold
3/31/09
Revised drawing below new hair styles no lamp.
Barbara and Michele were old enough to pack their own suitcases for summer camp. They brought swimsuits, shorts, sneakers, sun hats and their frog, Mr. Smilie. The girls rode on a big bus to camp. The camp was on a lake and in the woods. The sisters shared a cabin with other girls. All the campers were kept very busy with hiking, boating, swimming, games, crafts, singing and more. It was a fun place for kids to be during the summer. On parent’s visitation day the campers showed off the camp. Barbara and Michele took their mom, Faith to see the camp’s lake, the lodge and the cabin where they slept. Faith looked all around the cabin. It was filled with bunk beds, a few chairs and shelves for the camper’s clothes, books and essentials. Faith asked the girls, where is Mr. Smilie? Then on a high shelf Faith spotted the box the girls had brought Mr. Smilie to camp in. Mr. Smilie was in his box but it was as dried up and dead as dead can be.
Herd Dog, Prairie
Feb 20, 2009 at 6:55am
I used to have a dog named Prairie who would herd the neighbors' ducks to our house when they got out of their yard. Quite a sight.
Close Relationship
by Anna Stoa
Missy scarf
by Jacquie Bossert
Gertrude and the Kittens
Gail Dershem-Whitehead
February 9, 2009
by Anna Stoa
Feb 20, 2009
Lita, the lovely Doxie sweetie of my life likes to run into the bathroom when I go, begs me to pick her up so she can sit on my lap while I go to the bathroom. Its a close relationship.
Ferocious Yorkie
by Anna Stoa
by Anna Stoa
Feb 20, 2009
I had Thelma, a Yorkie for 13 years. She was especially ferocious while riding in the car, barking at other dogs she saw in other cars or just walking with their owners out and about. Her paws scratched up and down on the inside of the car window; it must have looked like she was waving to others as we passed by.I especially enjoyed her barking at the statues of lambs in the front of a church. Guess they looked like dogs out and about to her. It always made me laugh.
Incredible Journey
by Trish Maunder
by Trish Maunder
Feb 20, 2009
I have three cats: black, old and sultry Mr. Darcy, elegant and sophisticated Abyssinian, Chloe, and rough and tumble little Calico, Lily. And then I have Alfie, my perky little Yorkie. Life with these four is like the "Incredible Journey," when I take Alfie out for a walk, the others all come too.. down the street, into the woods, over to the field. Sometimes they run behind and other times next to us, it is quite a sight! Passers by always stop to watch this unusual furry procession.
Missy scarf
by Jacquie Bossert
Feb 2, 2009
"Missy, our current kitty has decided that she likes to ride on my shoulders.
She gets up and drapes herself from one shoulder to the other and purrs and
drools with happiness! This is OK when she first gets her Soft Paws on all her
claws - but as they wear off it's not much fun for me. I never put up w/any of
this "stuff" w/my kids - so why do I let a pet do it????"
Gertrude and the Kittens
Gail Dershem-Whitehead
February 9, 2009
When we lived on the farm, we had an amazingly dedicated mother cat who'd often take over nursing kittens for other cats who'd been killed (usually by coyotes). This cat's name was Gertrude. Ironic name if you know the plot of Hamlet, huh? When I was about a year old, my mom came up to my room to check on me during nap time and
Gertrude had delivered a litter of kittens in my crib. Mom says she took the damaged sheets and blanket, put them in a box, along with Gertrude and the kittens, and put the box in a warm corner of barn. Later that afternoon, Mom spied Gertrude bringing the kittens, one by one, down the chimney, up the stairs, and back to my crib. I guess that explains why I still have fleas!
Cow Story
JC Dershem
JC Dershem
at 1:53pm February 7, 2009
Okay, here is one of the famous JC and Cow story. I was two and one of the cows from a neighboring farm wondered onto our farm. I was playing in the mud, this was my favorite past time, and a cow walked up behind me, mooed and I crapped my diaper. The family thinks this is very funny, I think it is a normal reaction from a two year old.
The Cat Came Back
Jonathan and Joelle's
January 23, 2010
January 23, 2010
Joelle found a yellow tabby cat wandering around out on the streets of Encinitas. She could tell he was homeless so she took him in. With two cats at home already Joelle’s husband, Jonathan, thought they had enough cats and that a two cat limit was a very good limit. So Joelle found a nice home for the stray tabby. But the cat came back. Joelle found another home for the stray kitty but the cat came back again. Joelle made a third attempt to send the cat now called Damian to live with a sweet old couple but the cat came back the very next day. The cat came back they thought he was gone but he kept coming back. Damian was meant to be with Jonathan and Joelle and it would be no other way.
Now Damian lives to be sweet to Joelle and torment Jonathan. Damian opens cabinets and doors. He opens Jonathans bedroom door at night, climbs up on a dresser then jumps onto Jonathan’s chest. Jonathan used to like to work at his computer late at night wearing only his bathrobe until Damian took a swat at his dangly bits. Joelle said she’s never heard a scream like that one ever before.
