Animal Update

Alli is recovering well from her procedure Tuesday and is pretty much back to herself again. If anything, the most difficult part of it is keeping her still. She is a very active dog who loves to chase a ball or her Kong Flyer frisbee and to romp around the house with Beebee, Terry’s black kitten. Beebee has gotten a lot bigger since we brought her home and she loves to tease Alli and start a chase, which she always manages to win by climbing someplace Alli can’t go or hiding under something where Alli can’t reach her.

While I had Alli at the vet’s to get spayed, we also had them insert a microchip in her in case she ever gets lost. When we first inquired about the chip, the veterinarian’s office said they don’t stock them but that we could order one from Amazon, and they would implant it while she was out for the procedure. When we got home Tuesday and Terry tried to register it, she found the company, called Back Home, wanted $20 a year. That’s after paying for the microchip itself. In doing some inquiring I found out that the $20 is for their “enhanced service,” but that either way, the microchip is still registered. I also learned that there are other places to register the microchip at no cost.

Mai Lin, the new kitty that we brought home Tuesday, seems to be settling in well. BeeBee is still not 100% sold on her, but they are starting to rub noses and notice each other without as much hissing or BeeBee’s hair standing on end. She sure is a cute little critter.

As for Alli, she loves everybody. Here she is, giving Mai Lin a sniff and a lick. She is such a tiny little thing that we will still be watching her around Alli. Not because she would hurt her on purpose, but just because she is so big that she could do it unintentionally.

It’s Thursday, so it’s time for a new Free Drawing. This week’s prize is an audiobook of my friend Suzie O’Connell’s Mountain Angel, the first book in her Northstar Angel’s series. It’s a contemporary Western romance about a woman who returns to her roots  desperate for the tranquility of the secluded valley and plagued by memories of her dead boyfriend and the advances of an obsessive former friend. When her over-protective uncle sends Patrick O’Neil “on vacation” to keep an eye on her she is annoyed, but finds herself irresistibly drawn to the haunted man with a kind smile and sad eyes. He may just be the best thing to ever happen to her…if she can convince him to stay.

To enter, click on this Free Drawing link or the tab at the top of this page and enter your name (first and last) in the comments section at the bottom of that page (not this one). Only one entry per person per drawing please, and you must enter with your real name. To prevent spam or multiple entries, the names of cartoon or movie characters are not allowed. The winner will be drawn Sunday evening. Note: Due to the high shipping cost of printed books and Amazon restrictions on e-books and audiobooks to foreign countries, only entries with US addresses and e-mail addresses are allowed.

And finally, here’s a chuckle to start your day from the collection of funny signs we see in our travels and that our readers share with us.

Thought For The Day – So what if I don’t know the meaning of Apocalypse? It’s not like it’s the end of the world.