Precious and Rufus have never met, but I’m sure they would get along.
So ….. Zed went into battle last night.
The telltale sound of the fireguard falling over tells me that a possum has squeezed through the mesh guarding the top of the chimney.
Before I was out of my chair, Zed was in hot pursuit.
The possum did a couple of circuits of the house with Zed inches behind.
The usual routine (yes, this happens about once or twice per decade) is to open some doors and windows and shepherd the terrified creature out.
It works, but there is usually a lot of squealing (Scotty, not me) and a move I like to call possum hockey.
This is the closest Zed has even gotten to his mortal enemy, so he was pumped.
It took a while for him (and us) to calm down. He was proud that he had defended the pack, and he received a treat and lots of praise.
No dogs, humans or possums were harmed in the making of this adventure.
Last seen, the possum was legging it out our front door and across the front verandah.
Categories
Sleepy
Honey, one of our two dogs died a couple of weeks ago and we are all very sad.
We are sad for us, not for her — she is happy and pain-free, just the way she should be.
She brought so much happiness into our lives and we were there to let her go.
I’m not ashamed to say that I cried for a long time.
Zed misses her very much and he searches for her whenever we come back from a walk.
Life goes on but it will never be the same.
I now do not have to look behind my chair when I have been writing in case I push the chair over her because she is no longer there — but she will always be in my/our hearts.
The photo above shows the famous day she stole a doughnut when we were not looking, but couldn’t get all of it into her mouth so she sat on the bed until we found her.
After many late nights and a mountain of sound editing, RUFUS has joined my stable of AUDIOBOOKS — five in the collection now (Keeper Of Secrets, Trust, Slightly Spooky Stories, Dot Dot Dot… , and Rufus).
It’s true that it is a painful process, but it is also true that it is a lot of fun. I sometimes wish I had kept all the outtakes, just for the fun of it.
I record at night when it is quiet and my dogs think it is unusual that I get out of bed and go to the other side of the house into a room that does not get a lot of use. Naturally, they tag along to see what is happening. If you know dogs you will know that there is a bit of preening that goes on before they settle, so my recording has to wait while they scratch and lick and drink water. An added difficulty can be Zed’s perceived job, that of frightening away stray possums that walk across the deck. Needless to say, there are a few swear words mixed into the outtakes.
The whole process takes several weeks and there is a huge sigh of relief when the files are uploaded and approved for distribution.
RUFUS has now joined the recorded word family and I’m pleased that he is there.
That’s right. RUFUS is now available as a paperback from Amazon’s US store (and their UK store and a bunch of others, but not the Australian store as yet).
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1521770069
Categories
Here To Help
The best thing about small humans — sticky fingers.
Sure, they are likely to poke you in the eye or pull on an ear, but it is a small price to pay.
Little humans think it’s funny. The big humans try to stop them, “Don’t let that dog lick your hand, it’s dirty.”
The cheek! My tongue is very clean and I am performing a service because little humans with sticky fingers get yelled at, “Why is this child allowed to wander around with sticky hands?” A good question and I have the solution — let me lick them.
I’m here to help — they just don’t seem to understand.
“I know what dead people look like. I worked for a summer at our local hospital. I told my mother that I was gaining experience for my future career as a writer. I’m not sure if she believed me, but she let me go. To be honest, my goal was spending money, boys and parties; and I succeeded on all fronts. Along the way, there were several dead bodies.
A dead body is a dead body, but some dead bodies cause more problems than others.”
Excerpt From: Terry R Barca. “Rufus.” iBooks.
“Sir William met me at the front door and I’m not sure how he knew I had arrived, but I wasn’t thinking about it at the time. He suggested that I might want to freshen up before tea and I wasn’t sure if he was alluding to my appearance or just being polite.
He should try belting through the countryside in an open top Lagonda and see how fresh he looks.”
Excerpt From: Terry R Barca. “Rufus.” iBooks.
Categories
Excellent Cafe Dog
Understanding Your Dog 