Reflections Galore

Well we got 'Chip' off the hauler and into a muzzle, leash and collar...only to lose her attention to the first shiny fender and her every so lovely reflection!

For this dog it was love at first sight and she is mesmerized by mirrors and reflections of any quality (dishwasher, glasses, windows, etc).
She spent most of the first evening greeting herself in a full length mirror, then peeking behind it to find the gorgeous hound that MUST be hiding on the other side. She even jumped onto our bathroom counter when she noticed a shiny surface up there too.

Of course that didn't last long and she had a less than graceful landing when there wasn't enough room for all of her feet...but we shan't say more about that.

The point is, she's young and beautiful and dreams of saying those magical words:
"mirror, mirror on the wall,
Who's the fairest of them all?"

Naturally, the answer is Chip!

More greyhound discoveries coming soon!

June News!

This month I've decided to post a series about the adventures of fostering Greyhounds. As a family, we've fostered dogs for several years now and it brings us great joy, a few bruises, and lots of life lessons - mostly in how to keep those long, clever noses away from people food.

To bring you up to speed: Most of our retired dogs come from a track in Florida by way of a driving team that takes the dogs from the track to adoption groups all along the east coast. It's an amazing service and takes tremendous dedication since it has to be a straight drive from Florida to New York, stopping only to drop dogs with the designated groups.

Usually, someone from the group brings whoever we'll foster to our house, but on Friday, we decided to go see the hauler and drop-off process first hand. We met at a truck stop just off the main highway. There's a target time, but since lots of things can cause delays, there's some quality socializing that usually goes on with the greyhound owners while we wait.

Then the hauler arrived - and it was SO cool! Think pop-up camper, but with doors in the side and stubby vents on top. There are two dogs in each compartment and seven or eight compartments per side (I think that's right - I was too excited to do a proper count). Anyway, we get the right dog out of the hauler (there's a detailed color coded system) and get the muzzle and leash on and then we try to maintain some appearance of control (in case innocent bystanders are watching). The dogs are so happy to get out and see each other they often tug and spin and do the obligatory sniffing thing.

The little girl we have this time isn't so little. About 65 pounds, very strong, very young, and very spotted. I'll call her Chip for the purpose of this series. She's a sweetie, and more than a little pushy - but only because she's never seen anything beyond track life before. She enjoyed the drive home with her head between the front seats, looking out at the night.

Tune in tomorrow for more about Chip's first encounter with a HOME.

Regan


PS: the pic above is Dizzy when our girl Boo finally gave in and let her share the couch.

She's Baaaack!

Thank you followers who've stuck in here with me during my lapse. I've been traipsing about the country for various personal reasons. Though I bought a laptop with the sole purpose of staying connected, I was surprised to find very little Internet access -my own fault - but there's time for that later.

Have no fear! This blog will be resuming it's vague impression of a regular schedule in the days to come.

In the meantime, it's been confirmed that I'm a 'smaller-town-east-of-the-Mississippi' type of person. Don't get me wrong - I love visiting California and Washington and all the amazing offerings of the West coast. I also commend all those drivers in the LA County and Seattle areas for their dedication to the cause - and their careers. And cheers to all those motorcyclists who successfully navigate the space between lanes of stopped cars - you've apparently found the secret (and mastered spacial concepts!)

So until next time, know that I'm not stuck on the freeway, merely getting settled at my desk, coffee by my side, parakeet at my back, and dogs and cat wandering through for intermittent lovies.

Regan
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Write Stuff Wednesday

Stan Lee is this Wednesday's author with the Write Stuff! There's a lengthy wiki page full of details of his career, but what sets him apart - and earns my love and affection as writer and reader is that he created superheroes with human flaws and day to day concerns.

Comic books (graphic novels) before Stan Lee were geared toward preteens with bigger than life, perfectly moral archetypes. Readers everywhere should be thankful for Lee's creative genius in this medium. He wrote graphic novels in every genre from western to romance to sci-fi and would eventually co-create the most popular Marvel character, Spiderman.

He changed the industry, no question. Marvel comics under Stan Lee's guidance are visual studies of characterization and vibrant storytelling. And by changing graphic novels, he impacted countless writers and artists in other areas - including me!

Of course, you only have to read my Monday post to know I'm forever grateful for the Marvel - and marvelous - creation of the best tortured hero ever: Wolverine, of Xmen.

Do you have a favorite comic book hero? Or villain? Leave a comment and I'll enter you in a drawing for:



Happy reading of all the Write Stuff!
Regan
author of Justice Incarnate and other books available from Echelon Press.
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(photo courtesy of the Stan Lee page on Wikipedia)

X-Men Origins Movie

Okay, so I'm a bit of an X-men freak. I've been reading the comic books since waiting for my piano lessons when I was only knee high to Professor X and I've followed the various cartoon and live action treatments of Marvel's great characters ever since.

But this latest movie is truly an adventure in both life (thanks Hugh Jackman) and screen writing. Here's a movie trailer to enjoy:




I was equally amazed and pleased that they put such care and cleverness into this prequel, though honestly, I didn't expect anything less than the best from Stan Lee.

As a writer, I know continuity is important, but it's also a challenge. As a fan, Wolverine has always been my favorite in the group for his wit, angst and inherently good instincts. And he's the sexy bad boy, so as a woman, I've always been thankful they cast Hugh Jackman, he's done a great job with the role and - whoa baby - that's some fabulous eye candy.

Happy Monday!
Regan

author of Pixie Chicks and the Shadows of Justice series - available from Kindle as well as Echelon Press. Just search Regan Black