There are three types of people on this planet: people who don't like dogs, people who like the "idea" of dogs, then there are dog people. The second category seems to be the largest, but fortunately the mindless fanaticism of those of us in the third more than compensates for the other two. We dogs are simply descendants of wolves, and as such, we thrive on the interaction with the rest of the pack. The…

It's an unseasonably cool spring morning at the Casa, even the Great Khan of the Hummingbirds has deigned it too chilly to send scouts south to determine the status of our sugar stores. Dad has been making some noises about getting out of bed, but if he thinks I'm ready to give up my spot, well, he must be smoking some of what Bull Taco was smuggling across the Rio Grande. The blessing and the…

John Steinbeck called it "vacilando", the Australians go "walkabout", now I find out that 18th century French had an urban version of the same called a "flanuer". Originally the term is coined by Charles Baudelaire (1821-1867) and refers to somebody who observes the city or theirs surroundings, and experiences an actual physical stroll but also is a way of philosophical thinking and a way of seeing/feeling things. Walking for walking sake and not in a…

Dad was raised in church, but has always cautioned me to keep religion out of my posts. A: there are other places for that, and B: more times than not, the "religious" approach is either so heavy handed that it unneccesarily offends or so saccharine that it sickens. On our last trip out west, dad met a self-proclaimed agnostic follower of my scribblings in Moab, UT who said, " I have to ask; are you…

Did you hear about the passenger that was forcibly removed from the United flight? Or the Madonna attempted to adopt another child? Or that Bruce Jenner.... I give up; I don't even want to go there. At the Casa, we dropped cable long ago, and while that is not an euphemism for what I do in the back yard, the results are the same. Dad has been traveling on business a little more than usual,…

Dad here; It sounds like there is a new inmate at the Casa del Whackos; wait, wait, before everyone gets their knickers in a twist, let me explain. Yesterday morning, Charlie was doing what Charlie does best, which is whatever Charlie wants to do at the particular instant. This time she was sprawled out on the bed, demanding that I, her indentured servant, scratch her brisket. She must have been a tad more relaxed than…

Dad and I were out in the bike last night and saw this message placed haphazardly on the back of a car. You would think that if you truly believed in the cause or political candidate you are passively supporting by sporting a bumper sticker, you would at least take the time to place it correctly, but, hey, what do I know? Anyway, when I saw this particular message, it occurred to me: "aren't we…