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Monday, March 21, 2016

A Midnight Kiss and Tell






As feathery soft and wet as a gentle wave; she’s kissed me again, at midnight. I do believe the dog suffers incontinence. Or severe anxiety. I fumble around for my left slipper, knowing she will have already absconded with the right one; which I’ll find in her bed, downstairs.  On the other hand, her tranquil sister couldn’t be persuaded to leave her bed with a side of beef, until breakfast. 

But we love our pets, don’t we? The positive effects of pet ownership on humans are seemingly endless and extremely well documented, even as they romp merrily into your home and settle into your heart before you can say you’re not a pet person. Has that ever happened to you?
 
Of the dozens of dogs and cats (and a tortoise) we’ve had over the years, the most difficult pets have been a parakeet who didn’t like his new roommate (yours truly) any more than I did, a peacock who wouldn’t come down from the telephone pole (just about anything scared him up there) and 21 head of cattle who could hide in plain sight or wreak havoc on an impromptu picnic when one gets his horns stuck in an old tire; alarming the herd into an all-out stampede. But calves are as sweet as any baby and my Herbie was no different in that respect :-)
Have you ever had a difficult pet?



And now for the Tell; the big reveal, I’m announcing my theme for the 7th annual Blogging A-Z Challenge as “Friends of the Famous”.  You may have guessed it involves animals, but time will tell who’s who ;-)

Surf on over to Tossing it Out for a complete list of participants, and sign up if you care to join in the fun of daily blogging for the month of April!

19 comments:

  1. Hi, dear Diedre!

    You selected a wonderful A to Z theme, one that will surely be of interest to animal lovers like me. All through childhood I begged my parents for a dog, but my mother wouldn't allow it. She believed that dogs make too much of a mess in the house. She assumed incorrectly that ANY type of animal would satisfy my craving for a pet, and so she bought me one that SHE wanted me to have, one she thought would not get her house dirty. It was a parrot, a large bird with a mean disposition that bit people, squawked incessantly, flapped his wings and scattered seed and down feathers in a ten foot radius around his cage. Unlike a dog, the parrot offered no love and affection. Owning that bird was more than a disappointment. It was a disaster.

    I love cows and enjoyed seeing the picture of young Diedre with her beloved Herbie. Did you ever see the picture of young Shady feeding an apple to a steer on my aunt's farm?

    http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_RMyazzic5MY/SX2uoWvR9XI/AAAAAAAAAD8/d33VcJUH2mI/s1600/scan0010.jpg

    Thank you, dear friend Diedre, and have a very happy week!

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  2. Good Morning, Shady!
    Thanks, I've enjoyed just getting posts ready so I hope my theme will be of interest to at least a few;-)
    I have to admit it could be due in part to Alfred Hitchcock, but I'm not real comfortable with birds(hehe) And you're right, you don't see many affectionate ones.
    I've often regretted selling Herbie for a car to get to work 50 miles away, but you just don't think too far ahead in your twenties;-) I'll have to hop over and see the picture of you feeding a steer! The most I ever did was to drag a (half) bale of hay to where I knew the cows would come!

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  3. I don't know what I would've done without my pets growing up. Or my pets now...4 cats. Your A to Z Posts sound like they'll be fun and fascinating. :)

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  4. I don't know what I would've done without my pets growing up. Or my pets now...4 cats. Your A to Z Posts sound like they'll be fun and fascinating. :)

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    1. Helping children learn about love and loss and loyalty is just one of the many things pets are good for, Chrys:-) I grew up with them (cats) too, and the few times I've been petless have seemed pretty desolate. Hope you'll have time in all your busyness to stop by in April!

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  5. Hhumm....now I'm curious about just what this theme involves! About animals, I know they will always create havoc at the most inopportune time.

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    1. Hi Barbara!
      Yessum, the theme is Friends of the Famous, what will differ from time to time is which is which;-)
      I do hope you'll enjoy!

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  6. Ha! I love this theme! I had a very precocious Beagle named Sebastian who drank from any and all unattended glasses of water. He was a hoot! Great theme, Diedre. I know you'll have fun with this!

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    1. Thanks, Quanie!
      Aw, Sebastian sounds precious as well as precocious;-) I had a cat once who stole the bows off of every package beneath the tree and hid them under grandma's chair. We found them in January:-)

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  7. This is a theme to enjoy, for sure! :) Life without pets would be so empty. Since my dog passed away, I content myself with clients' dogs and that's almost as fulfilling. They're a bit like kids - sometimes they get sick or misbehave, but we love them anyway. Cute Lab! ☺ That photo of you and Herbie is adorable too. Looking forward to your posts.

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    1. Hi Debbie!
      I know what you mean, the place is just plain empty without wagging tails and plaintive cries for snacks, or missing socks and pencils;-)Combined with the immeasurable pleasure of companionship, pets make a home complete.
      I do hope you'll enjoy the posts I've planned for April and I'm looking forward to yours!

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  8. I didn't have pets until my 20s, when I got my first dog. Now I can't imagine life without one! Can't wait to read your posts. It's going to be a fun month.

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    1. Hi Stephanie!
      Isn't that the truth? Oddly enough, pets are just as aware of us as we are of them and my girls will surely feel my excitement as I read your April challenge posts:-)

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  9. Friends of the Famous, what a great theme. I'm looking forward to reading and learning about the faithful companions.
    Thanks for stopping by my blog.
    Mary at Play off the Page

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    1. You're welcome, Mary :-)
      I enjoy your reviews and hope you enjoy the posts I've planned. See you soon!

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  10. Interesting theme yours.
    Good to visit your site as a part of my A to Z visits. My theme Blog Promotion
    Welcome to A to Z April Blogging Challenge 2016 - Co-Participant - Nrao
    NRao Blogs - 2016 A to Z Challenge Blog Posts
    Management Theory Review

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    1. Hi Nrao!
      Your theme sounds interesting:-) Thanks for stopping by!

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  11. I'm not really a pet person, but I've had some stray dog friends back when I was living with my parents and strays seemed to be common in our neighborhood at the time. Those dogs trusted me and tolerated my presence.

    It will be interesting to see who will be some of the friends you will discuss.

    Have a great April.

    Arlee Bird
    A to Z Challenge Co-host
    Tossing It Out

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    1. Hi Arlee!
      Tolerated your presence - ha! Of course they did :-)
      Compiling fun facts for my theme has been both amusing and amazing, I hope you think so too;-)
      Enjoy the month, my friend, I know you've got a busy one planned. I look forward to your posts on a most intriguing theme!

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Any thoughts? Join the conversation, comments welcome here!