***OLD ANIMALS***
With winter rapidly approaching, it’s important for animals
to have a nice warm place to call home so that they don’t freeze their little
tootsies off. Pet shelters always have a large influx of animals coming in that
have either been surrendered by a previous owner or living on the streets.
Everyone needs a furry friend to give them comfort and love during these chilly
times. When you eventually do adopt an animal (adopt, don’t shop), please
consider taking in an elderly critter that has probably been at the shelter for
a long time.
I know the most common argument against adopting an older
animal is that they don’t live long and the new owner’s heart will break easily
when the little guy passes. But that’s precisely why these animals need a new
place to live: their final years on earth should be happy ones instead of
lonely ones. Lots of pettings, lots of naps, and lots of love: that’s what
elderly animals need, not loneliness.
Another common argument against adopting senior animals is that
they could potentially be hard to take care of due to medical problems or messy
behavior. That couldn’t be further from the truth. Most elderly animals just
want to lie around and rest their aching bones, so you don’t have to worry
about them playing with things they shouldn’t be playing with. As far as
medical bills go, that’s a constant no matter what age the animal is. Younger
cats have to be fixed so that they don’t reproduce easily. Some of them are so
young that they’re not housetrained yet. Housetraining can be a long and
arduous process, but you don’t have to worry about that with an experienced cat
or dog.
That’s not to say that young animals don’t deserve love,
because they certainly do. Animals of all age groups need a warm home to call
their own. The point of this blog entry is to not turn away older animals so
easily because of the stigmas against them. A furry friend is a furry friend no
matter how far into their twilight years they are.
What some of those old doggies would do for a puppiccino
right now. A puppiccino is basically just a Starbucks cup filled with whipped
cream and nothing more. Dogs loved whipped cream! You know what else they love?
Plain double cheeseburgers from McDonald’s without the bun. I once read a
nonfiction book about a library cat named Dewey who used to eat Arby’s cheddar
roasts during his senior years. These are just small examples of what an
elderly animal’s final years could look like if they lived in a happy home.
Knowing you gave happy moments to an old animal will ease some of the pain of
loss when their time eventually comes. It will still hurt like hell, but love
conquers all in the end. So do fond memories.
To use an example from my own life, I currently have an
elderly brown kitty named Smokey who spends most of her time napping on my bed.
She’s the laziest animal we have, but also the most relaxed and peaceful. Cats
don’t get to be nineteen years old by being stressed out all the time. It’s
hard for Smokey to feel stressed when she’s getting pettings, love, and
Temptations kitty treats on a daily basis. I love the sound of her purring in
my ear when I lay next to her. She’s a sweet and dear kitty who brings me
happiness every day that she’s alive. When her time comes to cross the Rainbow Bridge, I’ll miss her dearly, but I’ll
also be grateful for every memory she’s given me.
Elderly animals need love just as much as their young
counterparts. They’re every bit as sweet and snuggly, every bit as cute and
cuddly, and a proud and loyal member of your family. Adopting a senior kitty or
puppy will be a decision you’ll never regret. You could have your very own
Smokey-Pokey for the price of an adoption fee. We’ve got ears, say cheers!
***THE CAT WHO ROBBED A BANK***
Speaking of sweet and cuddly animals, the next book I’m
going to read and review is another classic from Lilian Jackson Braun’s “Cat
Who” series. If I can be honest for a moment, before I started working with
Marie Krepps, I’ve been blind to the fact that Ms. Braun does more telling than
showing in her novels. There have been times when I considered giving one of
her books a mixed grade (three stars). But then the grade improves when I
realize how relaxing and laidback reading her books can be, especially on a
rainy day like today. According to Good Reads’ math, I’m 20% finished with the
book and it’s a light read, so I’ll probably be done with it sooner rather than
later.
***POISON TONGUE TALES 2: THE RIGHT TO REMAIN PSYCHOTIC***
I’ll tell you what’s not sweet and cuddly: hardcore violence
with a dark fantasy backdrop. That’s what you’re going to get with the second
to last story to be written for this series: “King of Elves and Trees”. It goes
like this:
CHARACTERS:
1. Saito
Kabaka, Elf Samurai
2. Tifa
Croft, Elf Assassin
3. Rudiger
Seran, Giant Lumberjack
PROMPT CONFORMITY: To be
announced.
SYNOPSIS: Rudiger and his team of
lumberjacks have been independently contracted to cut down trees in The Black
Forest. To protect their forest home, Saito and Tifa slaughter lumberjacks left
and right, but meet their biggest challenge when the eight-foot tall Rudiger
swings his oversized axe like a madman. The battle becomes even fiercer when
Rudiger’s axe ignites into magical fire.
FUN FACT: The title of this story
is a lyric from the Within Temptation song “In Perfect Harmony”, though the
story itself is nowhere near as peaceful as the song.
***DARK FANTASY WARRIORS***
Because there’s a new story on the horizon, there are going
to be some new drawings as well. There won’t be one of Rudiger Seran, because I
already drew a picture of him back in 2014 when he was originally a character
from my now defunct first draft novel “Fireball Nightmare”. He’s the one who
looks like the Big Show from WWE with a chain mail singlet and a big ass
battleaxe. He’s also one of the grayscale characters I drew before I purchased
colored pencils from Amazon in February 2016. With Rudiger stricken from the
list, that just leaves Tifa Croft (guess how I got that name) and Saito Kabaka.
I believe I’ll draw Saito first and then Tifa. Sound good?
***WRESTLING DIALOGUE OF THE DAY***
JOHN CENA: You came out
here with your fly unzipped.
ROMAN REIGNS: I busted
it open. I’m the Big Dog.
JOHN CENA: Actually, I
was looking to see where your balls were, but you don’t have any.
ROMAN REIGNS: Yeah, you
would look for those.
