It's the most wonderful time of the year... Yeah, right. It's actually a time of the year where we are biologically hardwired to slow down and relax, and to conserve our physical and spiritual resources. If not a season of emotional hibernation with it's short days and long nights, at least a time of reflection on the real reason for the season. But instead of a natural time of reduced activity, it has instead became…

Twas the night before Christmas and I was already in bed With Charlie's black butt against the side of my head Marco curled tween my legs where he is known to head to Making three roasting chestnuts where there should have been two MacDuff and Big Titus making the rest of the crew The inmates of the Casa seemed to be much less few. With Mom in her jammies and I in my drawers It…

Stop the doomscrolling Dad here; a major thunderstorm is currently pummeling the Casa with a metric ton of rain, thunder, and high winds. A loud crash just came from the back porch, where one of the metal panels was ripped free and tossed onto the roof for me to deal with in the morning, but do you think for a minute that the dogs are worried? Not on your life; the only thing that concerns…

Happy Charlie Bravo Day! I have been asked how finding Charlie has changed my life, and it's caused me to think long and hard on how to describe the impact. Apart from the obvious, adopting not just a dog but a force of nature that is as focused and intense as anything I've ever seen, she gave me a voice. Some would say just the opposite, the I gave her a voice, but they would…

Here's to all of us who are homesick for a place that no longer exists. For the first few years of our relationship, Charlie and I spent a lot of time poking around in some pretty desolate areas out west. It was awesome, sometimes days where human interaction was available only when initiated; it was available, but we had to search for it. But in 2019, Covid and ATV vehicles changed all that. When vacation…

Psst! Titus! Whassup, Charlie? Don't look up, but Dad just put on "the pants"... How do you know that those are "the pants"? They look just like any other pair of pants to me... Well, Titus, part of the reason that I'm the Queen of this here outfit is my attention to detail; it's not so much the pants, but how he's wearing them. You know, kind of furtively. "Furtively"? Does that mean that he's…

Howdy, folks; I'm Mac o' the Duff! Although it feels like I have been at the Casa forever, it will only be a year this coming Wednesday that Dad found me down by the Arkansas River. As I don't have any idea as to my actual birthday, I henceforth declare that the fifth of October, my "gotcha" day, will be the official date of celebration. As it seems to be the thing on the Book…