Writing Distractions

It was so warm and sunny yesterday I kept the patio door open while I wrote. Mid morning, Fudge lured me outside onto the decking to play with him. The sun was warm, the air was fresh and the world was still. I felt so relaxed and peaceful. Playing with Fudge made me happy. Some say heaven is a perfect moment captured for eternity. If that is true, then moments like these will make up my heaven. For about ten minutes I was at peace, relaxed and without a care in the world as I enjoyed a simple game surrounded by nature. It is hard to focus on writing when I have distractions this good to tempt me.

Sunday...

Hi folks. Sorry, no Sunday Toon this week. I had the flu and wasn't able to get one done, so I thought I would post these pictures of Docpot's cavalier king charles spaniel Honey modelling her brand new jumper instead. Hope you had a good weekend.

And now for a cuteness interlude...

I know this has nothing to do with writing, but my cat Fudge looked so cute that I had to take some photos and post them. I hope they add a bit of sweetness to your day.

Lions and Tigers and Bears - oh my!

My education has been very remiss. Apparently tigers and lions riding horses is de rigueur. In fact, any large predatory animal riding horses seems to be a regular form of entertainment in other parts of the world, most notably China, where it is a main attraction of many zoos/circuses. Bears are also made to ride motorcycles, monkeys ride dogs and on it goes, any animal combination you can think of. Hoofpot first alerted me to this fact after seeing a picture in a magazine of a lion riding a horse. I was intrigued by this. Regrettably my first reaction was 'Cool!'. I can understand how you can get a predator not to kill a prey animal (having had cats and a dwarf rabbit who coexisted happily together, to the fact they used to groom each other) but I find it harder to imagine how you can train a horse not to be afraid of a lion when your average equid is afraid of a paper bag in a bush. Then again, if you can get a horse to accept a human on its back, why not a lion or a tiger or a bear? (especially when the bear is chained to the horse's back by his nose)Saying that, I don't know what methods these places use to force their animals into such arrangements. I would love to think it was through kindness and positive reinforcement training, but I very much doubt it. However, I still thought it was pretty cool and was looking forward to blogging about it when I found another video on youtube. It was a man being attacked (for real) by a lion in a circus. I found the video shocking because I have seen the same look in domesticated animals as the lion had when they get a bone or favoured treat and they are not going to give it up for anything, and it was horrible to see that look when the bone was replaced by a man. It is also horrifying to see how frail we really are, and it was disturbing to see the lion killed. The lion was eventually shot and the man, badly mauled and even more badly shocked, received medical attention. What exactly happened or if the man lived, I don't know. The video was not in English. Now, what really upset me about this clip were the comments posted by other youtubers. Many thought it was fake, because of the way the lion died (they had obviously never seen an animal die before). Others thought a dog who was in the clip was a lion cub and thought it was sad that it should see its father die in front of it (well, when you can't tell a lion cub from a dog, it isn't surprising that you have such sentiments) but what really got to me was that over 90% of the comments were in sympathy for the lion and thought the man should have been shot and allowed to be eaten. What did he expect, messing with nature? Now, I don't approve of animals being treated cruelly and you have to respect all animals, especially ones like lions who can kill you so easily and it was unpleasant to see the lion killed but my sympathy was with THE MAN! I don't know how anyone can watch someone suffering so much, no matter what circumstances led into the attack, and think he deserved it and should be left to be eaten. And then what? Allow the lion free to kill and eat any other people it met? The sad fact is, that lion could not be returned to the wild (even if they had wanted to) and could never be trusted around people again. What option was left but death? It saddens me that we have come to a stage where the death of a lion who was chomping down on a human being is seen as more tragic than the (possibly fatal) attack of a member of our own species. If I ever meet the people who commented on this video, and they happen to be attacked by a lion, I know how they will like to be treated - just leave the lion to his meal and walk away while they are chewed up.

Monkey waiters - FOR REAL!!!

Do dog breeders actually LIKE dogs?

I've been around pedigree dogs for nineteen years and I've been to my fair share of dog shows and I have to ask - do dog breeders actually like dogs? Every pedigree dog we have owned has suffered from in breeding. They have been crippled by arthritis, hyper sensitivity, ulcers, weak stomachs, poor immune systems, dislocating patellas, prone to infection and died young. Our non pure bred dogs have been marked by their good health in comparison. I love pedigree dogs. I've lived under the illusion that the Kennel Club works to improve the health of breeds throughout the country, but looking at pure bred dog breeds today you have to wonder. I know from my experience of showing that the dogs were, on the whole, wheeled into the show venue in crates, taken out only to be groomed within an inch of their lives and taken into the show ring. Many of them were shy, frightened individuals that may have looked pretty but were a far cry from the working dog they were originally bred for. How many champion pooches today would be able to hold up if they were taken out into the field they were originally intended for? Would Bulldogs be able to bull bait and Basset Hounds be able to hunt? I don't think so.

Take the German Shepherd Dog for example. One of my favourite breeds. The first photograph is an example of the type of dog seen in the show ring. Note the deeply sloping back and the elongated weak looking hind legs. The second picture is slightly more robust, with more balanced front and hind quarters and is an example of the so called 'working GSD' that many breeders are trying to produce to save the breed from crippling extinction. I have a GSD so I know first hand what problems these dogs can suffer from - hip dysplasia, early onset arthritis, skin problems, ear problems, self mutilation, stomach problems, twisted bowel... the list goes on and on. I can understand the desire to produce dogs with large shoulders and tiny hips - it gives them an attractive silhouette - but the increasingly narrow hips and wobbly legs that are winning rosettes in the show ring are ruining what should be a robust, intelligent, sensitive, loving dog. When is function over appearance going to be applauded? When will dogs that are dogs - strong, healthy and good tempered - be rewarded over the in bred?

Then there is the Basset Hound. The top picture shows the Basset Hound of today - its heavily folded skin and long ears highly prized by judges. How different this once active hunting dog is from his ancestors of 60 years ago, pictured below getting ready for a hare hunt. Modern Basset Hounds often trip over their own ears and are plagued by skin infections due to their many folds. Who first thought that this type of dog was attractive? I much prefer the lean, muscular healthy lines of the former model to the modern version. Not that I think this dog is ugly, he is a cute creature, but when I look at dogs like the Basset, the Daschund or the Peke I can't help but wonder have people gone too far? When a dog has been bred to such a state that it impairs its ability to be a dog, then things have gone too far. Take the English Bulldog for example. Apparently it can no longer mate without human assistance nor give birth naturally. It makes you wonder.

The Pug is undeniably cute, and has been around for a very long time, but apparently in the quest for an even flatter face modern Pugs are suffering the consequences. Breathing problems as well as difficulties with their eyes, dislocating patellas and a host of other problems bring them close to equalling the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel - arguably the unhealthiest dog breed in existence - in the list of genetic faults they can suffer from. Despite - or because - of being so popular, the Cavalier is beset with one congenital disease after another. They are a beautiful dog, both in appearance and temperament, but are so unhealthy that practically all of them will be victim to one genetic disease or another. It is a horrible thing to hold a puppy in your arms and know what is going to kill it.

With adherence to human whims dominating over an animal's health and happiness, and the very body which is supposed to protect the breeds encouraging deformity and in breeding, it is hard to see how there is a way out of this mess. Personally I think breeds like the Cavalier have no hope unless new blood is introduced to them, crossing them back to the spaniels and pugs they originated from. Whether this will happen or not, I don't know. Perhaps cloning of champion stud dogs will become common practice to further lessen pedigree dogs chance of survival.

Farewell Woozer

28th March 1993 - 9th April 2008

Review of Week 24th - 29th March

HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY TO Hoofpot and

Valpot



HAPPY BIRTHDAY THIS WEEK TO



Woozer, who reached the grand old age of 15! Way to go Woozer, I thought you wouldn't make it but you proved me wrong. You can't knock the rockie spirit.

and

Mal... er, I mean Nathan Fillion. Hope you had a good one Nathan.

WRITING

Writing was ok this week. I wrote about 3000 words, 3 short stories and submitted to one competitions.

GOALS

Tomorrow I am climbing the Sugar Loaf (a big hill in Dublin) with Valpot and Pinky. It is my goal for March (remember the fun new things I was going to do every month? January it was Badminton and February it was Bowling?) so I hope the weather stays fine and we have a good time.

I'm back...

in Ireland, and it feels like I've never been away. My adventures in New Zealand are like a wonderful, beautiful dream. I can't believe that robins danced at my feet, dolphins swarmed around me and I tickled a tiger behind the ears. I also can't believe how cold it is in Blackrock. Is winter always like this? I haven't been warm since I got off the plane in Heathrow. Getting used to driving has been weird as well. I still think the indicators are on the right side of the wheel, and my car feels so heavy after Yari. Blackrock is like a metropolis after the South Island. People on the street sound like they are putting on heavy brogues. Still, it is good to be home again, to see my family and friends. Janna and the cats haven't forgotten me. I got a great welcome from Janna, Fudge practically mugged me and Blueberry has been equally affectionate. It has been good to get back to writing as well. I've missed my trusty laptop. It is a pity I didn't bring it to NZ with me, there was Internet access in all the motels we stayed in. I've been reading some of the stuff I started before I went away. It is good, but I can't remember where it was heading, will have to look up my notes. I can't believe Christmas is almost upon us. I am still confused why it isn't summer. What a year 2007 has been for me. 2008 will have to work hard to top it.

Mad Dog

I am so angry with Janna. I got up early this morning to write. She wanted to go out to the toilet, so I took her out and she got a drink as well, and then I took her back to my room. She usually curls up on her bed, but this morning she was really restless and was pacing up and down. She came over to me and jumped up on me. She knows she is not allowed to do that, and I told her to get down. She seemed to settle down, so I took my laptop on my knee and continued writing. Then Janna came over again, jumped up and raked her massive paws across the laptop key board. Two of the buttons went pop and flew off. I was so cross. I found the buttons, but I can't fit them back onto the keyboard and now my laptop looks like some junk yard reject, plus B is really hard to type. I am so annoyed with Janna. I don't know why she did that. I hope I can get my laptop fixed. Argh.

More paintings

My most recent workFemale Harris Hawk,35 x 45 cms, acrylic on canvas

Rags, 40 x 50cms, acrylic on canvas

Book Pledge: 66/150

Submission Pledge: 8/30

Baby Animals

I went to the zoo recently with Pamela to see the baby elephant. The new enclosure is lovely and the elephants seem much happier with their sand and swimming pool than they did with the plain concrete they used to have (of course, these are probably a new set of elephants!). I was cooing over one of the elephants for ages, thinking it was the baby, but it turned out it was a teenager and the difference was apparent when the real baby elephant shuffled out onto the scene. The older elephants were very protective of her as she stumbled around, pretending to be like the adults and trying to get a handle on how to use her trunk.

Asha the baby elephant

Talking of baby animals, I visited my niece Lily a couple of weeks ago. She had grown a lot since I last saw her, at nearly a day old. She was suffering from colic, so most of the time she was screaming and her face was red and scrunched up, but for a little while she unscrunched her face and looked really pretty. She has very long fingers and looks a lot like her dad. I was wearing a bright blue top and she kept on staring at me, I think because she could make out the colour.

Lily at 3 weeks old

My Painting

Because I have been doing so much painting recently, I thought I would post some pictures of the works I am particularly proud of.

This is a picture of Cori rearing (his welcome to Humphries). 30 x 40 cms, acrylic on canvas

This is a portrait of J.B, 20 x 25 cms, acrylic on canvas

A portrait of Janna. I call it Her Master's Voice, because I see it as her looking up at me, but other people think she looks really sad. 30 x 40 cms, acrylic on canvasGerry the goat, 18 x 24 cms, acrylic on canvas

Portrait of Cori, 25 x 35 cms, acrylic on canvas

All the original pictures are for sale and I also have a range of note cards and limited edition prints. I am available for commissions, so contact me for any further information on the above.

Happy Anniversary Janna!

One year with me today

Happy Birthday Angel

Today would have been dear Angel's 18th birthday, were she still with us. I hope she is running joyfully through the fields of heaven, with Muffin, Cino, Sheba and dozens of cats in tow.

Happy Birthday Blueberry

9 years old today.

Christmas cat

This is my cat Fudge making a part for himself in the crib at Christmas.

Book pledge: 6/150

Horses up date

Here is my lovely horse, Cori, looking very noble (and very mucky) when he came up to the field gate to greet us on Christmas day.

Here are Cori and JB munching on their Christmas treats (some feed and plenty of carrots) with Rags scavenging the feed bowl for any left over crumbs on Christmas day.

Weapons of mice distruction

I heard on the radio this morning that a man carrying 100 mice in his bag caused havoc when the mice escaped from the bag and ran around the airplane he was travelling in, even falling on to the heads of other passengers. An investigation is looking into how the man got the mice onto the plane in the first place.

If mice can be smuggled onto a plane, maybe it isn't too far fetched to think snakes can be too!