Monday Miscellany

Thank God for the animals in our lives.  I wonder if there could be a study focusing on animals/pets in the lives of people who commit mass murders.  

My first assumption would be that many of them may have missed out on the joy of loving, caring for and just plain enjoying a dog, a kitty, a horse or even a pet snake. 

Yes, I saw someone on Facebook last week grieving the loss of the snake that had been an important part of their lives for several years. 

It was because of cute little kitties that I learned of the horrific, senseless killings in Orlando yesterday.  A friend commented that seeing the adorable little kitten on my blog helped her forget the awful events in Florida.

That's when I checked the news headlines and read the awful details of yet another massacre of innocents by an angry, disturbed and probably evil mind. 

Like so many who are once again stunned by the magnitude of yesterday's crime, my heart goes out to the victims, their families and to all others who feel the sense of deep loss, not only for someone they may have known but also for yet another segment of our human family who have been targeted because they don't fit precisely within the boundaries of the rigid expectations of other humans. 

So, it's back to the pets.  Do murderers leave pets behind when they go on their evil missions? I'm betting not. 

For owning, loving and caring for pets can provide us with so much joy and responsibility that we don't have time to plot evil deeds against others of our own kind. 

Just my thoughts, and since I don't think any studies on the topic have been published, I'll stick with them and keep on loving my dogs, our cat and our horses, just as other family members were doing this weekend. 

My brother brought his new horse over to my sisters' house----same place all those kittens are romping around and entertaining visitors in the hay mow.  Lucky is gonna stay there for a while to enhance his training both on the ground and under saddle. 

After absorbing too much television news about Orlando yesterday, Bill and I went over to Colburn to meet Lucky, the kittens and to visit with family. 

Much of our visit revolved around horses, dogs and kittens.  So, we spent a lot of time smiling and chuckling and just plain enjoying ourselves. 

When we came home, out came Liam and Foster from the dog run----more enjoyment. Later, after receiving another dose of the sadness in Florida via CBS News, I decided I needed another animal fix. 

So, I saddled up Lily, and we went for our first ride on her new shoes.  First, we went down the road, then the woods, which to Lily was a bit spooky.  Of course, Lefty screaming in the barnyard cuz his friend was gone enhanced her slight anxiety. 

Later, though, she settled down, Lefty shut up and we enjoyed the rest of the ride.  And, when I had put Lily back in the pen, the dogs came out.  So, a session of Chuck-it ensued. 

When Lovestead dogs play Chuck-it, only one is left with his tongue hanging out at the end, and that would be Liam.  Kiwi and Foster have grown into the role of participants with balls in their mouths. 

So, three balls are needed.  Once Kiwi and Foster have firm grips on theirs, Liam does all the running after the third. Oh, Foster occasionally trots around the flower bed like he's really working hard, but for the most part, the participants go back into the house relatively rested while Liam slurps up half a bucket of water and then collapses to the floor with tongue hanging out and panting for the next 20 minutes. 

Yup, beloved pets do keep our lives fulfilled---not only with love and entertainment but also with responsibility.  Their interaction also teaches us many basic lessons about life and how to live it----teamwork, sharing, unconditional love, and how to really enJOY!

Maybe we need to refocus our approach to the heinous crimes we keep seeing in our world by arming every member of our younger generation with a baby kitten or a cuddly puppy to care for and to love. 

I have a feeling that this strategy could eventually cut a wide swath in the violence that so pervades our world. 

Happy Monday.  Hug your pets.  They'll reciprocate in so many ways.