March Madness

March is going by pretty fast. My talk at the garden club went very well and I even sold some greeting cards afterward. I am also working on several story ideas. One of these projects led me to the National Aviary the other day where I received a fascinating tour of the animal hospital. I hope that my proposal will be accepted because it would combine my passions of birds, photography, and writing. The gift shop manager was out sick so I don't know yet whether I can sell my photos at the gift shop. Next week, I will participate in the Ladies' Night Out at Soergels Orchards in Wexford.
I am also planning on attending the first Festival of the Birds at Presque Isle in May. My goal is, of course, to write a story about it; but I also want to learn where to find certain birds so I can return later and photograph them without so many people around. I have no idea how many birders will attend the festival but it sure was difficult to find a room in Erie.
We are still experiencing family problems and are therefore, once again, dog-sitters to a very energetic (= high-strung) Jack Russell Terrier. Did I mention she is high-strung? Last night, my husband took her outside and she encountered our neighbor's Labrador. She took off after the Lab like a shotgun and pulled the leash out of my husband's hands. Had it been me, I could have injured myself since she would have likely knocked me on the ground. Brandi is having a good time in our backyard with all its mole tunnels and other critters. Our cats are taking the dog's presence easier than the first time. I, however, am not used to having an animal follow me around wherever I go. The cats' reaction is more like, "So you're home, big deal!" Oh well, this too shall pass. Happy Easter!

Adventures of Dog Sitting

Today is Valentine's Day, but we don't feel very romantic. The hair ball that our cat spat out this morning was pretty much the highlight of our week.
For reasons I cannot divulge here, we have become sudden and somewhat reluctant dog sitters. The dog is a high-strung Jack Russell Terrier named Brandi. This wouldn't be so bad if we were a no pet family. But we have two middle-aged cats who don't take too well to intruders, particularly the "in-your-face" kind. Brandi wants to be friendly and is met with hisses. The first week was particularly bad since the weather was windy and rainy and we learned that Brandi gets scared when it rains. We didn't get much sleep therefore--and then the phone rang at 2 o'clock Friday night. I would have paid real money for a good night's sleep.
Things have calmed down now and we let Brandi loose in the house more often. In fact, I think I've been adopted. She follows me everywhere. The best part is that she now sleeps through the night. This morning I caught her growling at our washing machine. I guess she has never seen a frontloader before. Oh well, this too shall pass.