My name is Bitzy. I didn’t get the name when I was made. I only got it once I came into the home where I live with my best friend, Boomer. He’s a Golden Retriever and we are inseparable. Yes, I’m a dog toy named Bitzy. It was tough for me to wrap my stuffed head around at first, too. I was made to be a dog’s best friend, but in the factory and then in the store, I had heard a lot of awful stories about how many dog toys don’t make it or don’t last. They maybe get…
So, listen. We have an event coming up that you are not going to want to miss. Our Cabin Fever Music Fest will be held on Saturday, February 24, at the Orchards Restaurant in Chambersburg and it is so much fun. I am always amazed and thrilled at the talent we have in this community. Local musicians agree to put on a concert for our animals and they are the best. The sounds and harmonies they are able to produce soothe my tired soul. I mean it. I could listen to these folks forever. The event is sponsored by the…
It happens so fast it, it momentarily stuns her. Titus had lived inside the house for the last fourteen years and he never – never – got outside. Until tonight. It was like a lightning flash, that’s how quickly he darted out the open patio door. She didn’t think the cat could move that fast anymore. One minute, Titus had been eyeing something outside in the yard and the next minute, his black tail with the white tip on top disappeared between the bushes. Fear like she’d never known before chokes her and she’s frozen in panic at the still…
I didn’t expect the house to be so quiet. I knew it would be a little strange, but this is almost cacophonous in its silence. When I helped Lilly move into her dorm room last weekend – the younger of my two girls – I knew my life was going to change. Anna went off to school two years ago and she’s doing so well, I couldn’t be prouder. I knew Lilly will flourish just like her sister did. Being a single mom was so tough. There were some days I really didn’t think I was going to make it,…
I see you. Yes, you. The person who puts the food out for me every night. The person who somehow, through human wizardry, makes that water dish never freeze, even when the temperature gets cold. It still amazes me what those of you who walk on two legs are capable of doing. It almost makes me believe in magic. Almost. As a cat who’s been roaming the neighborhood since I was a kitten, it’s kind of tough to believe in anything, but you make me wonder. I know you’re the one who trapped me a year ago and took me…
You gave up on him. Turned him away like he was nothing. They tell me he was covered in urine and fleas when you did it. You drove up in the middle of the night and put him in that outside kennel. You apparently didn’t care how cold it was that night. I have a feeling you didn’t even look back. The people at the animal shelter told me his hair was matted and they had to groom him and clean him up. He was a mess when you left him. He was also so scared. He’s just a little…
For people who tell their dogs about their problems because the canines are often better listeners than humans, they might be a lot closer to the truth than any of us ever thought. I’ve talked to a lot of people recently who wholeheartedly believe their dog understands what they’re saying. My mom has always claimed that the dogs she had knew what certain words meant. She claimed they understood “go outside” and “go for a ride.” Mom also claimed they knew when she told them that I was coming to visit. She said they would look to the front door…
Some of the Christmas commercials this year are really getting me. Have you seen the one for Macy’s with the little boy and his father wandering around the store? Oh, this one is just so dear. We see a little guy wandering around the store, clearly looking for something. He checks out cologne, but doesn’t like it. His father is trailing behind him and the scene flashes to a woman waiting in a line and text message comes across the screen saying where are you? The father texts back “he’s still looking.” The little boy sees some kitchen stuff, but…
Yes, there is a Santa Claus. I know this because I have witnessed it, time and time again. The Cumberland Valley Animal Shelter had our Christmas Open House last weekend and it was there that I saw Santa Claus. He was in the shelter, taking pictures with Moms and Dads and children and animals. I saw him in the faces of the adopted pets who returned to get their photos taken for the holidays. The joy on their faces. We had two pitbulls who were adopted together, Bruno and Sunshine, stop by. The minute they walked through the door, those…
The bar is made of warm pine. The tables and booths have a country atmosphere that’s incredibly inviting. Along the walls are photos of famous commanders in the American Civil War. The menu includes mouthwatering cream of crab soup that is made fresh and available only as long as supplies last, as well as fresh smoked beef brisket. Burgers are named after the same commanders who line the walls. Enjoying a meal at the Monterey Pass Pub and Eatery is an experience a person can’t find just anywhere and the holidays are the perfect time to give the restaurant a…
