O I Have Been Bad About Blogging!

I thought that I would be a bad blogger!  And it turns out that it’s true….

Well, what can I say…my life is just not that exciting.  I do not believe that anyone on this Earth wants or cares to know about { as they said on Seinfeld } “the excrutiating minutae of my everyday life”.

The big news is that Holiday Cards are ready! And for the first time, you will be able to purchase them directly off the website. Orders may be placed starting November 1st.

And a big thank you to everyone who signed up for the  mailing list…Watch your mail-box for information about the upcoming ACA Holiday Party.  As always, there will be discounts on art and gifts for anyone who attends the gallery that evening…

Christmas Decorations Already???…..

Christmas decorations already?!?!

Actually…no.

It is not quite time to trim the tree just yet.., but it IS time for me to get to work on a holiday card design.., so I have pulled out a photograph of downtown Aiken all decorated for the holiday season as inspiration for my work.

I just love beautiful old historic structures like The Aiken Hotel (the large white building on the right)….and I intend to create a romantic city scene to feature on this year’s Christmas Cards. The cards are released every year in the fall.

Last year, of course, my cross-country move caused a delay…and new card designs were not available until after Halloween (YIKES! I know….), but I hope that I can be forgiven for just that one time. This year, barring any major catastrophes, the Horseworks Holiday Cards will be released right on time.

Otherwise, stay tuned here for updates!

A New Dog and a Happy Beginning…..

So here they are….my two little dogs snuggling with their toys at the end of a busy day of play.

It feels like a happy ending…but really it is only the beginning…..

The stray we adopted must never have been a house dog…ever.  She was not housetrained…and didn’t seem to know even the most rudimentary of commands.  Come…Sit…Stay.  All foreign to her. Squeaky toys were a novel surprise.  And, she had apparantly never even seen a rawhide chewy bone….because she hadn’t the vaguest idea what to do with one!  When she saw the older dog chewing his….she was absolutely fascinated…and was determined to figure it out. (Of course, once she realized it was tasty, she couldn’t get enough!).

As might be expected with a stray dog…she was terribly underweight…her body composed of sharp angles and deep hollows.  Her attitude towards food has clearly been shaped by long periods of hunger.  She tastes everything on the chance that it might be edible, or contain some remnant of nourishment….fabrics, paper, plastic wrappers.  She scavenges for food constantly. I have also discovered that she is quite adept at snatching insects right out of the air and devouring them….I was admiring a passing butterfly when before I knew it she had turned it into a snack!

It is also clear that she is accustomed to seeking shelter in hidden places….she prefers to curl up under the bed, beneath the chair, behind the couch…. The other night I opened the front door to let in some rain-cooled air….and when she heard the rain begin to fall she lowered her ears and dropped her head as though she expected to get soaked…As the rain pounded down and yet she continued to stay warm and dry she just seemed amazed…checking the door and looking at the ceiling over her head.

Yet for all her hardships…she has no fear of people.  Mostly, it seems as though she just desparately wants to belong somewhere…and be part of a family. She is very intelligent…and so eager to please…if only someone would let her be a member of their group.

How lucky am I, that I get to invite her into mine?

 

 

Dog Adoption happens in Mysterious Ways…..

As you know….a few weeks ago I made up my mind to adopt a second dog.  For reasons unknown…I ran into obstacles at every turn.  And so….I wrote an advertisement and posted it on several sites online… I said to the Universe “If there’s a dog in need…please send her my way….”.  And I waited to hear the response.

To my surprise….I heard nothing. No needy dogs. Not one.

I read in the paper that a rescue group was having an adoption event at a nearby pet store.  They even advertised that they had several female sheltie/mixed breeds looking for good homes.  When I arrived, however, not one of the sheltie mixes had been brought to the event. For various reasons…their ‘foster parents’ had not been able to make it. Weird.

“Well,” I supposed, “That must be it…I am not meant to find another dog.” And I tried to resign myself to that reality.

The Universe…it turns out…had another plan.

At the very same time that I had written my ad and placed it into the hands of Fate….animal control officers picked up a little stray sheltie mix only about a mile from my home.  She was taken to the animal shelter and held there for someone to claim her. But no one ever did.

And so it happened that she was looking for a home when I went to check the shelter….which was, coincidentally, the first day she was offered for adoption. 

And, as things so often go, after I filled out all of the paperwork, and waited for veterinary clearance and scheduled her spay….I began to receive responses to my online advertisements. And I found myself suddenly having to turn dogs away. So to everyone who responded to my ad–thank you very much! I am sorry that I cannot save them all….

I guess that the Universe felt I was the right person to save just this one.

 

For dogs, a good person can be hard to find….

  It was never my intention to change the world when I decided to adopt a second dog….my only motivation was to make a difference in the life of one.  Perhaps sharing this story will inspire a few others to do the same?

During these past few weeks….I have encountered far more sad stories than I thought possible.  I was amazed at the number of pets simply being dropped off at the shelters by owners that no longer wanted them.  I saw one dog dragged out of a car with a quick pat on the head and a “Don’t worry…they’ll find you a new home.”

I saw dogs and cats being kept two, three, and four to a kennel.  But what’s the alternative?  There is no more room for all of these unwanted animals.  Shelters are doing their best…but there simply isn’t room for them all….and so these animals are being kept in crowded conditions in the hopes of eventually placing them in loving homes.

Equally sad….I met good people that were willing to adopt dogs themselves, but (similar to my recent experience) had been turned down by rescue groups as “unsuitable dog owners”. I heard the story of a gentleman that had been rejected because he had put his dog on an overhead line after discovering it was able to climb his fence. This was considered “cruel” and “inhumane treatment” by the rescue agency. I also learned about a rescue that actually went so far as to call other shelters in order to block certain adopters. (Where were these people when Michael Vick was acquiring dogs?)

Just as bad….I encountered situations where an agency “fudged” the breed of the dog a little to make it more adoptable. Shepherd mix…instead of Rottweiler.  Terrier mix instead of Pit Bull. I realize that this may be the result of honest mistakes….or it might be an attempt to let prospective owners give the animal a chance rather than dismissing it based on the breed alone. Either way….this kind of false advertising can’t be good for the dog or the prospective owner who may not realize what he’s getting into.

There seems to be a new trend toward “politically correct” dog ownership. Chains, tie-outs, overhead lines and letting a dog sleep outside are beginning to be considered abusive and cruel.  I do think it’s great that people want to see animals treated better…but some of this goes too far.  I worry that some of these new ideas are the reason that many folks are being turned away as pet owners. 

The fence issue, for example, is one that particularly bothers me.  It is rare to find a person that will install a dog-proof fence around the entire perimeter of their property.  (This is probably due to the simple fact that it is irritating to open and close a gate each time you drive your car in or out) And so a decision is usually made to convert one part of the yard into the “dog area” so as not to interfere with the parts of the yard that are used for sitting out, the swimming pool, the vegetable garden, etc. etc. etc. 

No matter how great the intentions at the beginning, the “dog area” eventually becomes less pleasant than the rest of the yard.  (Let’s face it: nobody ever hires landscapers to design the “dog area”.) Due to digging, running around, shedding, marking and doing it’s “business” the grass dies and the ground becomes patchy, unkempt and full of dog smells. And so now the dog is confined to an area that it’s people really don’t want to enter…and so visiting is now done throught the fence…when the family is not busy doing something else.

Is this really the best way to treat a dog?

It is my hope that more folks that are concerned about dogs will exert some common sense on these issues…and thus encourage more people to add a dog or cat to their family.  Now some do, of course…BUT…Not every dog needs a fence….Not every dog prefers to sleep indoors….Not every dog likes to ride in a stroller. A good dog owner needs to have love, compassion, patience, and common sense.  If you have these qualities and are willing to share your home with a dog….then I hope you will consider adopting a pet that needs a good home…no matter what a particular rescue agency may tell you.

Not every dog, or breed of dog will be right for your family.  But chances are….one will. 

And you can make a difference in the life of that one. 

And for that one…you will change the world.

    

    

Some links to check out:

www.petfinder.com

http://www.pedigree.com/03Adoption/

 Thanks!

 

Thank God I’m Protected!!….

So I was priming another batch of canvasses today…..and when I cracked open the cap on a new container of gesso, I discovered a safety seal.  It was stamped ’Sealed for your protection.’

“Gosh that’s nice of them…” I thought.  “I wonder what I’ve been protected from?”

I don’t like to brag about my age….but I am old enough to remember the Extra-Strength Tylenol scare that prompted all of these safety seals in the first place.  For those of you that don’t recall….someone had cracked open capsules of the pain medication, filled them with poison, put them back together, re-closed the package, and put the contaminated Tylenol out onto the shelves for sale. (And speaking of poisoned pain-killers, is anyone else concerned that the good folks at Bayer Aspirin have recently introduced a new line of Household Insecticides?….No?….Just me?)

After the Tylenol incident, manufacturers began putting the safety seals on medications and other items to prevent product tampering. These days, of course, all of our poisoned and contaminated items arrive directly from the (overseas) factory….no tampering necessary. Seems like there have been a lot of headlines about contaminated products lately… 

 I can understand companies wanting to protect themselves and their customers…but I think that common sense goes out the window when it comes to packaging. After all, I can buy bread sealed with just a twist-tie. I can purchase donuts and rolls right off the bakery shelf. Grocery markets display barrels of bulk cookies, nuts, oatmeal, and candies.  If I were a terrorist, why would I bother to trouble with something behind plastic-wrap when, if I really wanted to, I could simply add something unpleasant to the bulk foods, or the salad bar, or the fresh produce?

Does no one think about reality when planning their packaging or the shopping display?

Why does my gesso need a Safety-Seal?  Has then been a rash of gesso tampering lately?  Has some nefarious person been up to no good at the art supply store? And with all of the Xacto Knives and Super Glues…has the gesso really been the target of their trouble-making?

The answer is NO!…due, apparently, to the Safety Seal!

WHEW!  Thank goodness….

No Fences….No Dogs!!…

It has been a rough few weeks for me….In addition to being very sick with the Martian-Death version of the head-cold, my doggie adoption did not go as I’d hoped. My new little guy, though adorable and sweet, turned out to have an aggressive streak that was not a good fit for my family…and so he was returned to the SPCA in hopes of finding a more suitable home.

Clearly, though, my other dog had enjoyed the companionship (while it lasted)…and so I applied to several dog rescues in the area in the hopes of finding a more suitable playmate for him.  I have learned to my dismay, that the mark of a good dog owner these days seems to be having a big fence.  I do NOT have a big fence….and so I have been turned away as a prospective dog owner for these rescued animals. (Although one place did assure me that they would keep me in mind in the event that they found a dog that was already trained to stay within my yard’s boundaries).

What gives???

I have seen many dog owners that keep their animal within a fence…and give them no more regard than a lawn ornament!  Aren’t there any other considerations for responsible and caring dog ownership? Is a fence really the ultimate measure of the quality of a prospective new home for a dog? I was not asked, for example, how often I take my dog for a walk…or to the park….or for a ride in the car.  There were no questions regarding grooming…how often is my dog brushed and bathed.  No one inquired whether I would attend obedience classes or be willing to work with an animal that needed extra training. No one wondered if I’d even had any kind of experience with rescued dogs before. Nope…None of this mattered…as long as there was a fence on my property….

So here it is, my personal ad for another dog….

WANTED: young female sheltie or sheltie mix:  We offer a benefits package that includes a home with large yard, lots of play time (squeaky toys available), regular grooming and exercise programs, plus frequent outtings to parks and recreation areas. Must love kids, other dogs, and rides in the car.  Must be team player willing to (among other duties) bark at strangers, meet children at the bus-stop, greet father at the door, accompany family on trips and vacations, spend the evenings snuggling in front of the television and otherwise submit to any and all manner of affection as situations arise. Medical and dental care provided….including heartworm and flea and tick prevention. Special needs and requests will be considered. All meals included….cookies, goodies and other treat bonuses offered for good behavior and looking cute. Training available for qualified applicants. Equal Opportunity Owner.  Sorry…NO FENCE! Dogs looking to be stuck in the yard all day need not apply….

Know a good dog looking for a place?  Please let me know….