Now's a good time for a little resurrection (and Easter dogs!)

Hola, friends! I've missed talking with you!

This morning's ride to coffee was too beautiful not to share:

Sunrise on my street and full moonset

(at the church where I married the love of my life!)

Yes, dogs!

Every day when I get home from work, our two wanderups caninus drag me to the backyard for a 20 minute round of frisbee and fetch. After eight hours behind a computer in an office with no windows, it is a joyful time for all.

If you are in a place where you can responsibly share your life with a pet, the world is a better place each time we choose not to irresposibly destroy a healthy dog's or cat's life.

dusty, happy, out of focus

(and they make our home a much happier place)

May you save a life and appreciate a resurrection this Easter!

Giving Tuesday Meets Carbon Reduction - Expand your reach!

Black Friday. Small Business Saturday.

Thank God It's Sunday.

Cyber Monday. Giving Tuesday.

The Story of Stuff. (Annie and Free Range, you are always in  my head.)

I lay in bed a few mornings ago with all of this stuff swirling in my head. I had to get up. I was getting nervous.

How do we make the world a better place? It's going to take a lot more than just parking our gas-powered cars and changing our light bulbs. (But those are a start.)

For me, everything goes back to slowing and stopping climate change. Yes, there are lots of other incredibly important causes to support; however, as it gets harder to live and breathe, all of those other problems get worse. As we see species quickly disappearing and cultures being wiped out, the term Pro Life takes on a much bigger meaning.

How do you slow climate change? You limit carbon release. (Yes, we've always had carbon release, but we humans have become experts at it and our ingenuity and creativity in that department is killing us all.) And we, the Americans, are doing more than our fair share of the damage. Look around you, do you see people near you working to limit carbon release? Do you see people near you working actively to increase carbon release? Answer the same questions about your immediate family.

Around me, most people want cheaper gas, a bigger car, a larger house, and more stuff.

Since today is Giving Tuesday, I thought I'd throw out a few of my favorite organizations that are working hard to slow climate change:

Citizen's Climate Lobby

Watch the Intro Video

I support the CCL because I am a cynic and the CCL offers me a different type of hope. The CCL is a multi-partisan approach to helping us reduce our carbon while supporting the economy and offering (financial) hope to all citizens. Their approach is not one that expects altruism to save our environment. They are offering a sensible approach that is based on a carbon tax and dividend (while making life better for all).

The Sierra Club

Watch the Intro Video on this page

The Sierra Club has been around more than 120 years. The original vision of the SC was to protect wild and natural places. Here in the 21st century that vision has not changed. but it has expanded to protecting the entire planet and all life on it - including us humans. The part of their mission that truly draws me in is their drive to Move Beyond Fossil Fuels. As times get more desperate, the Sierra Club keeps stepping up their game. (You can find the Texas chapter here.)

GreenPeace

Pardon me on this one, but all my life I've known Greenpeace to be a bunch of non-violent badasses who go after whaling ships in little rubber boats. That's how they got started back in 1971 and they haven't backed down yet, but they've definitely broadened their scope.

Learn more here

350.ORG

Check out the 350.ORG intro video here

(Yes, I had to throw in the bicycle screenshot)

Okay, so those are the biggies for me when it comes to saving the planet, but they are definitely not the only ones. So, if these don't fit your approach, do a little research and find those that do. Let this be one way your voice can be heard.

May your actions match your beliefs!

Bonus: 3 More Organizations near and dear to me:

The Haven - a Local, Non-Profit, NO-Kill animal shelter

People for Bikes

League of American Bicyclists

Lubbock Christmas Gift Idea Numero Dos - Date with a Dog (The Haven)

Ok, it's not really a date with a dog - it's a calendar that features adorable animals from a really great non-profit, no-kill shelter just outside of Lubbock. The calendars are only $10 and the proceeds go to  helping the Haven do what it does - care for and find new homes for our local homeless pet population. You can purchase them through Paypal or you can swing by to get yours. At $10, you can afford one for almost everyone on your list.

The Haven

For those of you who have no wall space but plenty of closet space, you can also pick up your Haven T-Shirts for $10 each.

You know there's someone on your list that needs this shirt!

 

May your shopping make a difference for pets in need.

 

 

Lubbock Mini-Post: Giving Tuesday 2014

As I mentioned in a post last week, tomorrow (December 2) is Giving Tuesday. Just in case you find yourself with a large (or small) pile of money to give or you have time and/or skills to devote to others, here are a few local organizations for your consideration:

 

Carpenter's Church

 

 

Link Ministries

The Hope Lodge - American Cancer Society

 

South Plains Wildlife Rehab Center

 

The Haven Animal Care Shelter

 

May you be blessed with neighbors who choose to give.

Lubbock Giving: Operation Wishbone - The Haven and Second Chance Dog Rescue

Here is the flyer

 I stopped by Mr. Aquarium yesterday - 34th Street is blessed with a lot of great businesses - Jenny came right over with a flyer and asked me to spread the word. She knows that my wife and I are dedicated to the idea of supporting no-kill shelters in their quest to make life better for the thousands of cast-aside pets our town sees every year.

From this 2013 Avalanche-Journal Article about local adoption and kill rates

We killed almost 24,000 from 2010-2012

In this season of cold and hunger, please set aside a little to help these shelters care for Lubbock's homeless pets. 

Our Condo in his dino pjs

Link to the Haven

Second Chance Dog Rescue (Snyder, TX) can be found on Facebook.

May your life be richer for what you give away.

Lubbock Pets: An Apology, A Great Event, and two horrific incidents

This is Brian and Puddy. (Brian is the tall one)

First, the apology: My friend Brian is a guy who is passionate about improving conditions for unwanted pets. He volunteers for the Haven here in Lubbock, a no-kill animal shelter that does a great job of housing and re-homing unwanted pets. This weekend the Haven held its annual Strut for the Mutts event to raise funds for this valuable and noble cause. The apology is to you, to Brian, and to the Haven for not getting the word out earlier about the event. I want this blog to be a place that supports local people who are working for good, and I am very sorry for overlooking this event.

So, please know that the Haven is a great place that does a great job in the face of overwhelming odds. And they could use help. Volunteers, cash donations, food and pet supply donations, and adoptions - these are all gladly accepted.

Here is a page from their website that lets you know ways you can help: http://www.havenacs.org/main.asp?id=44   Please consider doing something to help the Haven and other no-kill shelters to accomplish great things for these unfortunate outcasts from our careless consumer society.

Changing gears, there is a really great young man in our neighborhood who likes to take our Sasha running a few times per week. They go for a two-mile run in the evening and both have a wonderful time. A few weeks ago, they were running near our house and had something horrible happen. As they were running past an alley, a pair of large strays came running out at them just as a pickup came driving by. The truck hit one of the dogs and killed it instantly. The other dog ran away. The young man driving the pickup stopped, but there was little to be done. Animal control was called and came by to pick the poor thing up.

Yesterday, I had almost the same thing happen. I was going for my daily bike ride. A chihuahua, a family pet, came running out into the road to bark at me just as a red Pontiac came flying by. The dog was killed almost instantly. The Pontiac came to a stop a few feet away, honked the horn, and then sped off. The family came out. We were all horrified.

It's easy to look the other way, but we have an epidemic of animals roaming our streets, Please spay or neuter your pets, please stop supporting dog and cat breeders who contribute to the overpopulation, and please make sure that you are equipped and committed to care for a pet before bringing one home.

May the pets around you have long and wonderful lives.

For Lubbock Animal Lovers: Support Your Local No-Kill Shelters

Kylie

Mattie

These two cuties are Kylie Minogue and Matilda Dundee. They wandered up to my mother's house a few weeks ago. These two young sisters are inseparable and they are great fun to have around. We figure they are 3-4 months old. Both are smart and are learning quickly. Kylie loves being held like a baby. Mattie likes to he held, but would rather play fetch.

So, what are they doing on Mesquite Hugger? Like millions of other dogs and cats in Texas, these two were strays who would have ended up being put to death merely for existing. We brought them home so that we can find them a better life.

Strays are not a small problem. They are an epidemic worldwide. And the reason I bring this up today, is to show support for some of the people in our area who are working diligently to find homes for strays.

This post showed up on Reddit recently: Hello fellow Lubbockites! The Haven Animal shelter needs your help! If you have the means, please consider this very worthy cause, please spay or neuter your pets, and if you are looking for a new family member, adopt an animal in need.

Here's a link to an earlier MH post on the same subject: Sashadoption

May you and yours find love in all the right places!

The Haven - A No-Kill, Non-Profit Animal Shelter

This handsome guy (the one in his beloved dino pj's) is Condo. His racing name was El Conde, but his sleeping-on-the-couch name and thrilled-to-have-a-cookie name is Condo. And he is very much a blessing in our home. He is our good dog. He, of course, is a rescue.

 

If you are looking for a Condo, Fido, Fluffy, Princess, Quiz, Newman, Sinka, Jenna, Pharaoh, or any other blessing for your family this holiday season, well, here is a great opportunity for you - the Haven is having an open house on Saturday.

The Haven Website

 

May your home be blessed with a tail that wags at the sound of your voice!