Tag Archives: rescue cats

Washington County Pet Expo

November may be a novel writing month for lots of aspiring and professional writers out there, but for me it is promote-my-book month…okay, and maybe some writing in there too. That’s not to say that I have anything against the NANOWRIMO trend, but with the holidays and fall book events November is not a great time for focusing specifically on writing 50,000 words for most authors I know. There is also a JANOWRIMO group. That sounds much more realistic!

I will be putting in my own mini-writing push the week of November 16th. Since I have a booth at the Arkansas Reading Association Literacy Conference in Little Rock on November 20th – 21st, I am taking that week to hide out in a time-share condo and finish my first draft of “Max’s Wild Night.” Some of those days are full of conference work and prep, but I should be able to put in at least four days of 6,000 – 7,000 word counts. That should get me at least close to that goal if not crossing the first draft finish line. Doing something like this last year was how I finished up “Vacation Hiro,” and that kind of isolation and writing seems to work best for me.

For this post it also seems appropriate to comment on the Veteran’s Day Holiday at least a bit. My family has a long and proud history of serving our country’s military, all the way back to the American Revolution. Yes, I qualify for DAR status and have family members who have devoted huge chunks of their time to supporting that group’s goals. Maybe I’ll get more involved someday since there is an active group here in Eureka Springs. My grandfather served in WWI, my father in WWII, and both of my nephews are currently on active duty and have served several tours overseas in nasty conflict areas. They have earned having their feet on American soil this year.

Patrick Errett Welch, WWII

Patrick Errett Welch, WWII

If you know of a soldier who is struggling with PTSD, be sure to check out the work of my author friend Pamela Foster. What she has learned through caring for her husband can help families working their way through the same issues. Some of her books are hilarious, but others are serious and face the issue head-on. Highly recommend.

On Saturday, November 8, we took part in the Washington Country Pet Expo to support low cost vaccinations, micro-chipping, spay/neuter options, and pet adoptions from the local animal shelter.

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“Leia” helped me man the booth, but she mostly wanted to see the cute animals that were everywhere.

We quickly realized that this event was a terrible fit for selling books. First, all of the cats and their people were brought in a side door and scooted back out that way. Great for the cats to avoid the crazy room full of anxious dogs, but terrible for us hoping to share our alien rescue cat books with them. Second, every “vendor” there was basically giving away services. The crowd did not come to buy. We had some lovely chats with the people there and had a great time dog watching, but that’s about it. Wrong choices like that happen when you are exploring new territory, so we just enjoyed the adventure. Consider the table fee a worthwhile donation to a great event, the day a fun time spent visiting with family, and move along with the month.

Rescue Family Photo

I created this especially for this event, and it certainly led to many conversations about the joys of rescuing animals from shelters and from the streets.

Our "granddoggie" came to be micro-chipped. Dottie is a rescue from Oklahoma and is beyond sweet.

Our “granddoggie” came to be micro-chipped. Dottie is a rescue from Oklahoma and is beyond sweet.

This little doxie was ready to run the show for the book the city set up. Woof, Woof!

This little doxie was ready to run the show for the booth the city set up. Woof, Woof!

Ziggy kept us entertained all afternoon at the book for XXXXX. He even got a puppy tattoo!

Ziggy kept us entertained all afternoon at the booth for the Canine Design Studio. He even got a puppy tattoo! He was especially talented at sneaking out from under their table cloth to sniff passing puppy bottoms and then slinking back unseen. Silly Ziggy.

In the next two days, I will be putting together my quarterly newsletter so I can send it out before my trip to Little Rock. If you don’t subscribe to it, you should! I only put out four a year with maybe one or two extra quick ones if there is something extra special going on. You can subscribe in the sidebar here at my website. Easy peasy!

On the reading front, I am LOVING “A Snicker of Magic” by Natalie Lloyd. It is just purely delightful, and I highly recommend it. I’ll post more later once I have finished and done an amazon.com review. Readers who love a book should ALWAYS share that love on amazon.com!

I hope everyone across the country has warm coats ready to go. Here’s to hoping that you avoid the early snow and stay warm and cozy while the arctic blast whooshes its way through.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Silver Mom’s Choice Awards for Cats in the Mirror Series

So exciting! We just got the news that both “Why Kimba Saved The World” and “Vacation Hiro” have been honored with Silver Mom’s Choice Awards in the category of Juvenile Books, Ages 9-12, Series.

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The Mom’s Choice Awards pride themselves in being a respected source for “excellence in family-friendly media, products and services.” I have heard traditionally published children’s authors express great pride at being honored with one of these awards, so it makes me extra-special-over-the-moon happy to have earned one as a self-published author. It’s just the kind of pat on the back that every author needs while they are working on the next book in the series!

And you can still get both books about these alien rescue cats for only .99 cents at amazon.com! I have not taken down the Valentine’s Weekend Sale because I want the Goodreads fans to have a full chance to hear about it and pick up a copy. In celebration of this Mom’s Choice Award, I’ll leave the prices at .99 cents until Feb. 28th. Click here to share a copy with someone you love today!

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Guest Blogger Cat McMahon: Abby’s Secret Identity

Friends, here’s a special treat for you to enjoy this week: A guest blog from Cat McMahon at Cat’s Stories!! If you enjoy it, please be sure to visit her blog and follow her too.

Abby’s Secret Identity 

Abby's Secret Identity CatsStoriesDotCom 1

“You must attack me unexpectedly,” Dodger commanded Abby.  “I must keep my hunting skills and vigilance sharp!”

“Yes, sir!  Inspector Catso, sir!”  Abby (aka Cato Fong, feline manservant extraordinaire) snapped to attention, stifling a snicker.

Dodger thought he was king over all, but he wasn’t the boss of her!  She reigned as queen of the castle and was only too happy to exert her influence as he requested.

Finished giving directives, she watched him retreat with pomp into the brushy hedgerow.

Abby's Secret Identity CatsStoriesDotCom 2That he was a great king Abby gave no dispute as she had no interest in becoming street smart and outdoor savvy.  Whereas Dodger was inclined to believe in relationships of vertical alignment with her as second in command, Abby made it her duty to alter his “reality”. 

She was his equal.

He could think how he wanted.  It didn’t matter to her if he needed to take credit for things and to think of himself as his highness.  She knew how things really stood, despite the elevated view he had of himself.

Precocious?

Perhaps.

After all, she did have her purrfect pride to protect!

Abby trotted back into the house to plot and plan.  She’d spent much time cuddled up to the man of the house, studying marital arts movies with him.  What no one knew was she’d been secretly practicing the moves she’d learned and was eager to exhibit her mastery, feline style.

Abby's Secret Identity CatsStoriesDotCom 3Now, she had Dodger’s permission to put into action what she’d been dreaming of doing for ages.  Little did he know that he had been her intended target all the while. 

Pondering further, she decided to apply some tactics from one of her favorite cats, the Pink Panther.  That flushed feline might look good in comics, but . . . Abby’s sassiness was the real thing!

A Cheshire grin spread across her face as the vision coalesced in her mind.

Cattish delight thrilled her fur tips, and she pushed against it as if receiving a pet from the woman of the house.

With her plan in place, Abby went to work setting up her traps and hiding her tricks.  When the hour of opportunity arrived she’d be ready.

Abby's Secret Identity CatsStoriesDotCom 4The woman of the house started dinner at 5:00 p.m. every evening.  Like clockwork, Dodger scratched at the door to be let inside and ran to his dinner plate.

Situating herself; she laid in wait. . .

. . . 5:00 p.m., Dodger at his dinner plate.

Abby pounced Dodger as he supped and disappeared to watch him from the shadows.

Wild instinct kicked in, and true to his nature Dodger escaped the threat by dodging off into hiding.

Abby chuckled to herself.  She was the queen of “hide and seek”, her favorite game, and she always won!  That she was competitive by nature was a well-known fact; that she hated losing . . . well, there’s a reason for cats to have laid back ears and lashing tails.

Shaking off the annoying “losing” thoughts, she trotted off to roust Dodger from his secret place.

Some secret.

She knew all his hush-hush spots; he just didn’t know she did!

The scent of him stopped her cold at the woman of the house’s bedroom door.  Like radar, Abby tuned all her senses, zooming in on his location.

There!

Dodger lay behind the bed, his most secure of indoor retreats.

Abby's Secret Identity CatsStoriesDotCom 5She crept silently across the carpet to the under-bed tunnel she’d dug through the storage boxes over the last few weeks.  Until now, the tunnel had served as her escape, one of her better hiding places when playing games with her human pets.

She slunk into the darkness, pulling her whiskers close, silencing every breath and waited.

Time passed painstakingly.

Her joints stiffened.  The long wait made her ear twitch.  Her eyes never left his face.

Finally, Dodger’s eyes drooped.  His head nodded languidly.

Abby waited for the tiny, telltale, old-man cat snore.  A few more minutes and he heaved a ragged sigh before the wheezing snore set in.

Easing back out her tunnel she weightlessly sprung onto the bed landing near the edge, where she took up a vulture-like pose, perching over her sleeping prey below.

It was a harsh thing she was about to execute, but she had orders to obey.

He wanted actual battle.

Like Tigger, Abby wound up her internal spring and let go, pirouetting in mid-air to achieve the best bounce.

Landing with a hard thud, she slipped off Dodger’s back end as he shot out from under her with a terrible “yeeeeooooow!”

Her head slapped the wall.  She slid to the floor in a tangle of tail and paws, her fur in uncomfortable disarray.

Victory had not escaped her.  She’d flushed him out, but good!

Slithering from the mess, Abby regrouped and gave pursuit.  She leaped over Dodger as he sped down the hall and hit the slippery dining room floor.  Spinning out until she gained traction, she darted into the living room and dove under the sofa, her chameleon fur instantly taking on camouflage.

Burrowing through the dust motes to the nearest exit, she dashed across open ground and under the man’s chair.  Laying low and peeking below the skirt, she made sure the way was clear.

On nimble paws she crept under the coffee table and took refuge under the woman’s chair.

From the dining room Dodger voiced his humiliation at her surprise attack.

Grabbing the chance, Abby quickly belly-crawled to the wall, flattened her body against it, and edged along to the end corner.

Abby's Secret Identity CatsStoriesDotCom 6She quivered with delicious anticipation.

He was in her sights, still caterwauling.

Sitting duck.

Assuming her secret identity, Abby became Cato Fong.

Her inner spring wound up again, tighter than ever before.  Feeling her eyes widen, she switched her tail like a whip cracking through charged air.

Dodger rose from his sitting position and strolled toward her, unaware of he was being observed.

Abby’s eyes narrowed to slits.

What luck!  Split-second timing was everything.

Wait . . .

Wait . . .

Her eyes widened into dark pools of abyss.

Now!

She launched herself at him!

Abby's Secret Identity CatsStoriesDotCom 7He feigned.

Duped, she hesitated for a split second.

His sucker punch came out of nowhere.

Almost before the ambush had begun . . . it was over.

Battered and beaten, and looking like a mangy alley cat, Dodger limped away, triumphant.

 

About the Guest Author 

CatMcMahon

Cat McMahon is a wordsmith who enjoys outdoor discovery, culinary exploration, her cats and making memories with her family.  Her cat, Dodger, is the inspiration for CatsStories.com.  When Cat’s not in the kitchen cooking up mouthwatering gluten-free recipes for her website, GlutenFreeHomemade.com, she’s on the road photographing nature’s amazing wonders for her newest website, RoadTripExplore.com. Her most recent accomplishments include books presenting stunning scenery from locations both on and off road.

Road Trip Weekend, Oregon Central Coast is the first in a series of photo adventures featuring delightful photos, art, and commentary highlighting spectacular sights, tantalizing tastes and cozy getaways from Lincoln City to Yachats, Oregon U.S.A.

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Road Trip Weekend, Oregon, Molalla River Corridor & Table Rock Wilderness contains beautiful photos, rustic clip art and commentary highlighting spectacular sights, rugged venues and breathtaking vistas.

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Vicarious travelers will enjoy an armchair tour of some of the most scenic areas in the world through the eyes of Cat and her family. As travel guides, explorers can use Cat’s books as jumping off points to create their own weekend adventures to wild and remote places.

The projected publish date for her third book in the series is Fall of 2014.

Cat and her family live in the craggy wilderness off the slopes of the Cascade Range in the Pacific Northwest, USA.  You can find Cat on Twitter, Pinterest, Facebook, YouTube, Google +, LinkedIn and Goodreads.

 

 

 

 

Turpentine Creek Volunteer Day: Putting My Actions Where My Mouth Is

I have done several posts about my love for Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge and the good work they do. Just recently I even posted an award-winning story I wrote about a tiger getting the chance to run and move freely in a larger habitat area. Today I had the chance to prove how important those habitats are by helping to build some of them.

Rescue Ridge expansion work. I'm in the purple coat, securing fence for the welders with some wire. My husband is in the blue, digging trenching for the fences with a pick ax.

Rescue Ridge expansion work. I’m in the purple coat, securing fence for the welders with some wire. My husband is in the blue, digging trenching for the fences with a pick ax.

Glad I didn't have to climb up there! Volunteers securing fencing at the top of the new yard area. Glad the tiger living there was locked up tight.

Glad I didn’t have to climb up there! Volunteers securing fencing at the top of the new yard area. The tiger living there was locked up in his house. Whew.

When the work on Rescue Ridge first began, my family and I went right away to help build. I think today was our third trip to that section of the refuge. As part of a Volunteer Day, we helped to hang fencing to allow more tigers the chance to run and move and lie in the grass. Each enclosure already has a small yard area, but these larger sections are about 10x the size. The cats in Rescue Ridge are mostly from one very large rescue event, but we learned today that this section is also helping the older cats who cannot manage the hilly areas where most of the other large yards are located. Rescue Ridge is serving as a place for the rescued cats who don’t care for humans to be separate from the tour groups and loudness of the main sections, but it is also a retirement area for the older cats who need some flat ground, as well as peace and quiet. 

My husband and daughter, tying off a section of fencing for the welders.

My husband and daughter, tying off a section of fencing for the welders.

It’s important to stand behind the causes we support. If you are going to shout about pet adoption, you’d better be ready to volunteer at a shelter or foster some of those displaced pets yourself. We have four rescue cats and a rescued dog, so I’m safe on that one. I’m grateful that I often get the chance to volunteer at Turpentine Creek. So when I say I think it is vital for those rescued tigers to have habitats with open spaces and grass and nature available to them, I can stand behind those words because I have hacked at the earth and carried fencing and spray painted and picked up rocks (and donated money when I can) and done whatever else is necessary to give those tigers that space. It may be years, if ever, that I get to personally see those exact tigers roam in that exact space. Rescue ridge is not open to the public. But I still know it is there and it is happening. That’s enough for me. As we walked back to the trucks, it made my heart so happy to see tiger after tiger, lounging in the sun in the already completed yard areas. One was belly up, feeling safe and comfy regardless of the people and machinery all around him. He was home.

Willy was just released into a large yard area after many months in a small concrete enclosure. He is so amazing! We could hear him caroling from Rescue Ridge today.

Willy was just released into a large yard area after many months in a small concrete enclosure. He is so amazing! We could hear him caroling from Rescue Ridge today.

Ivy, the volunteer coordinator we have worked with many times, mentioned that they may soon be ready to demolish all of the small concrete enclosures at the front of the refuge. Every tiger and lion and cougar there now will have a real habitat. You can be sure I will show up for that demolition day, and I’ll bring my own sledgehammer.

What causes makes your heart happy? How can you put your actions where your mouth is today?