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Drop on by

Drop on by

We live on the first ridge of the Watchung Mountains. Of course the Watchungs are New Jersey versions of mountains, which means, really, nothing more than large pointy hills. And one would think, if you live on the top of a mountain (or a large, pointy New Jersey hill), that one wouldn’t have problems with […]

By October 27, 2011 Read More →
Hum along with me

Hum along with me

They are tiny, irredescent acrobats. Their smallness inspires the casual observer to think “adorable” and “delicate.” But they are bellicose warriors of the sky, extremely territorial, and capable of putting on an aeronautic display to rival the dogfights of World War II pilots. A juvenile hummingbird flies past a butterfly bush. Hummingbirds are incredible creatures, […]

By October 19, 2011 Read More →
It’s Not All Butterflies and Rainbows

It’s Not All Butterflies and Rainbows

A few weeks back, my post featured butterflies, those soaring flowers of the sky. Gorgeous creatures, all. But I have many other visitors to my yard and garden, who might not have the glitz and glory of those pretty insects. Below are some other garden guests, including some butterflies who were late arrivals this summer, […]

By September 28, 2011 Read More →
Twinkle: the Devilish Dog of My Childhood

Twinkle: the Devilish Dog of My Childhood

Twinkle The first dog I shared my life with was a beagle poodle mix, back before there were such things as designer mutts. Her fur was mostly black, with single white hairs stippled throughout. Kind of a salt-and-pepper look, though mostly pepper. She had a beagle-shaped body, with wavy not-quite curly poodle fur, and a […]

By September 20, 2011 Read More →
It’s Not A Pack; it’s a Family

It’s Not A Pack; it’s a Family

The human-dog bond is universal. This is my dad, about 80 years ago, with his best friend Ruby, an Airedale. Tucker sleeps all night in a crate at the foot of our bed. When I open the crate door in the morning, it would seem obvious that he would come charging out, ready to face […]

By August 16, 2011 Read More →
Found and Lost

Found and Lost

All of my dogs are good Finders.For example, every one of them can find a microscopic speck of food on the floor. Jasper, in particular, excels at this. He could be running at full speed through the kitchen and pull up short as his big nose catches the scent of Something Good. In my mind, […]

By July 29, 2011 Read More →
Places Everyone Part II

Places Everyone Part II

In my previous post, I began by introducing Pasha lying awkwardly at the bottom of our basement stairs. Like Pasha, our Lilah also likes to sleep at the bottom of the stairs, though in her case, we’re talking about our carpeted center staircase in our current home, with her head resting ever so gently on […]

By June 16, 2011 Read More →
Places, Everyone, Part I

Places, Everyone, Part I

Years ago, when I lived in my previous house, my Keeshond mix Pasha liked to lie at the bottom of the basement stairs, sprawling in the tiny four foot by four foot space. With his legs sticking out and his head tilted back, he did a pretty fair impression of a dog with a broken […]

A Gardener’s Tail

A Gardener’s Tail

Scenes from my yard Scene 1: Setting: a garden. Human digs hole. Human gently plants a deep purple petunia in hole. Dog digs hole, unearths petunia. (Hint: it’s the same hole.) Dog runs around the yard with petunia. Roots exposed. Dirt flying. Ears flapping. Happy dog. Dead petunia. (Though said human will try to replant […]

Two’s company, three’s a pack

Two’s company, three’s a pack

When Jasper and Lilah first came to live with us, they were nearly the same size, though Lilah was a month and a half older than her “brother.” Those additional weeks–and the maturity that came along with them–allowed her to outwit and outmaneuver Jasper, and enabled her to show her alpha side. As they got […]

By March 29, 2011 Read More →