Cat in the Hat

I am sitting here this morning wondering what to write after the loss of our beloved Pomeranian Mittsy. I don’t want to continue writing blog after blog about the past and the torment of grief for our departed dogs. The world is full of misery and grief, and the less said about it the better. It’s hard to be up when you are down, but I don’t like down much – so I am going to write an up blog if it kills me. Damn, there I go being down again!

Here is an interesting secret no one has read on my blog before. We have two storage sheds on our little homestead, and one of them is the home of stray cats we take in. The whole thing started when my wife, Sandy, put a small dog house outside the back door for mother and son cats that migrated from the house across the street after the humans moved out and left the area; the act of leaving pets behind when people move disgusts both of us. It was winter, cold and dreary, and even though we had four dogs and a parrot at the time, what could I say? If I said no, there was a good possibility I would be joining the cats.

Well, the mother cat found her way into one of the storage sheds and had a litter of four beautiful kittens. We have found homes for two and the other two call "their" shed home. We did manage to catch mommy and son and took them to the vet where they were fixed…no more little kittens. Oh, did I mention that the cats are basically feral? We love them anyway....

I thought I might share some pictures – enjoy.

Write on,

Mittster

Goodbye, Sweet Mittsy

Mittsy was always a showoff with her long, luxurious redish blond hair, beautiful dark eyes and winning smile. In fact, I never saw her not smiling. She was also a big-time flirt. Sometimes I would even call her a floozy because she would go off with anyone who would show her the slightest bit of attention in a heartbeat.

Mittsy was a Pomeranian show dog that came to live with us when she was two years old because her owner and trainer passed away from a car accident. We signed a contract that we would never show her professionally and that Mittsy had to be spade within a short period of time. We fulfilled our part of the bargain and the only showing Mittsy ever did was to show her little heart out to anyone, anytime and anyplace. She won the best award offered to any show dog, and that was instant love from all the people she met during her short fourteen and a half years on Earth.

Mittsy gave new meaning to a lap dog. She was content to sit on anyone’s lap for the duration and the duration could mean forever. She was not always the center of attention because she had to compete with three other small dogs in the household and a Meyer’s parrot who, by the way, has always known it is all about him and not the pitiful dogs that live in his house. Mittsy stood her own ground though and was the center of attention when someone visited, even if it was a stranger.

We have had two of our beloved dogs pass within one month. I must say the heartbreak is overwhelming. My wife and I are still blessed with two Chihuahuas and Pickles the parrot. While we know that Pickles will probably outlive us, we dread the day when we have to say goodbye to our two other friends and companions. We are determined to not replace Annie and Mittsy, even though we know there are many dogs that need good homes. As we grow older, feeding and caring for two dogs and one parrot plus maintaining their health is enough for us to handle.

We will always have a dog or two because we love animals and rescuing a creature of any kind from cruelty, abuse or homelessness is part of the glue that keeps our family together. I truly pray that when we pass, our loving pets will be waiting for us with wagging tails, smiles and kisses galore.

Write on,

Mittster

Visions

I had a dream last night that mankind and the earth were not destroyed in 2012. Instead, as a people, we had to work out our problems and be responsible for saving the earth ourselves if we wanted a place to live. In fact, many scholars have been working on the problems for decades, but we are too busy working, playing or worrying to know or care about their efforts.

My dream also included a simple truth. When mankind can no longer see the stars because of pollution, our demise will be eminent. Some nights, even in northern Arizona, I can barely make them out. I know there are places on earth where the stars still shine brightly, but even there, changes are evident.

The dream was not a nightmare, but instead, just a gentle warning given to me personally for some reason. Maybe it is because I care deeply about our planet and all of its creatures – big and small. I think of all the innocent newborn babies on planet earth dying because human adults can’t get along with each other enough to stop polluting the very spaceship on which we live and depend on for survival.

Every early morning when the skies are clear, I stand on the front porch and look toward the heavens. I am saddened that I can no longer see stars down to the horizon, but at the same time, I am thankful that I can still see the Milky Way galaxy and praise the Great Spirit and all his majesty before me. I have a wonderful painting that shows Native American dancers celebrating their heritage by dancing at night with the heavens showing brightly down to the horizon. I look at that painting every morning and say a prayer for the earth.

I’m just saying,

Mittster

Evil into a Movie?

Making the murder mystery Evil in the Mirror into a movie is a great idea, but I have a problem with the casting director. She wants two unknown actors to play the evil twins from Tucson, Arizona. As the author and screenwriter, I suggested that my twin and I play the parts. After all, I wrote the book and he was part of the process. The casting director reminded me that our ages alone, not counting the fact that we can’t act, would keep us out of the movie. Swell, go ahead and cast two unknown, young, handsome and virile guys, see if I care.

Then we got down to who would play lead detective, Jon Mull. I recommended Al Pacino, but again, I was shot down because of the age factor. What the hell is going on here? This casting director is practicing age and gender discrimination! All the Hollywood women look thirty while in their fifties. Why can’t the makeup artists do the same for the men?

Then the question of who would play young Detective Matt Wilson came up, I thought I would suggest Dennis Hopper and see if she even knew he had died, but I thought better of it. I stayed silent as she named actors I had never even heard of, while the other executives at the casting meeting nodded their heads up and down and back and forth like Hawaiian car dolls in a police chase.

I could see where this meeting was going. I was the newbie author with only Evil in the Mirror and Day Stalker to my credit. Well, guess again, folks – I hold all the movie rights to both books and I want some say so in the movie. I knew better than to say anything like that to the casting director though. I was informed early on in the process that if I caused any trouble, the production company would simple abandon the project. Bunch of butt heads if you ask me. By the way, I had always heard that when Hollywood came knocking they would fly you to southern California, put you up in a fancy hotel, and wine and dine you 24/7. What the hell am I doing staying in a Motel Six in Tustin and riding in a cab to Burbank? Bunch of cheap butt heads if you ask me.

Oh, well, at least I am being paid some good bucks to write the screenplay. Oh, crap, the casting director is saying something to me and I was daydreaming. “I’m sorry, what did you say?” “Mitt, wake up, it’s time to finish spreading the rocks in the yard before it gets any hotter,” my wife said as I climber off the couch were I had fallen asleep while watching television. As I walked toward the back door, I was thinking, Just as well, I didn’t like the casting director much anyway!

Write on,

Mittster

Biker Babe Palin

Did I see Sarah Palin riding bitch with another woman on a Harley? I am sure I did and the question is why? Can’t she ride her own bike and if not, why not have a guy driving the bagger? It would certainly have made a better impression on me had she been handling her own big bike. If she wants to run the country, she should be able to ride a Harley on her own. Oh, wait a minute – I don’t think any president has ever ridden a Harley by their lonesome. I did Google the question and came up with zilch. As far as I can find out, no president of the U.S.A. has ever ridden a Harley-Davidson.

Here is the challenge; show me one presidential candidate riding (alone) on a bagger Harley and they have my vote. Lord knows we don’t need another politician as president; let’s try a biker for once. At lest we will know that they can handle something big and bad. In fact, I will vote for Palin if she can straddle a Road King and ride it hard!

I’m just saying,

Mittster