Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween from my all time favorite vampire.

One of the few modern women to make Paladin's Girl Friday

http://thereluctantpaladin.blogspot.com/2009/10/girl-friday-10022009.html

The Ancient Celtic Festival of Samhain

One the Eve of Samhain, the 31st October, ancient Celtic peoples believed that the veil between this world and other more mysterious realms was at its thinnest. This was a time at which creatures of the other world were at large. Witches would fly on their broomsticks, or ride on tabby cats transformed into black horses, around the countryside. Fairies and hobgoblins would also roam the earth, adding an extra air of glamour, and fear to the peasant population.

At this dark time of the year there was much divination to shed light on what the New Year would bring. Bright fires were lit local high points across the Scottish Highlands, and communities could become quite competitive over the size of their bonfires, competing with the neighbouring communities whose fires would be visible for miles around. Whoever threw a stone into the embers of the fire would learn whether they were “fey”, or destined for great misfortune in the year to come. If the stone lay broken, or was missing, in the morning then there was much to fear in the year ahead, whereas an intact stone was a promising sign.

Your Animal Control Officer

Work has been crappy and just in a mood. This was sent in to Dear Abby years ago but still holds true today.

I am your Animal Control Officer. I am not the dreaded "dog catcher" or the "murderer" you call me.

I'm not the one who allows your pets to breed, then dumps the unwanted puppies and kittens on roadsides and in shelters. I'm the one who must find the tiny animals before they die of starvation, exposure or disease and, as an act of mercy, exterminate them. It hurts me to be forced to kill hundreds of thousands of animals each year, but because of your irresponsibility, I have no choice.

I'm not the one who abandons unwanted animals on the farm roads, telling myself some friendly farmer will surely take them in and give them a good home. But I am the one who picks up the frightened animal who waits in vain for its beloved master, wondering why it has been abandoned. I am the one who must help that friendly farmer trap, tranquilize or kill that animal because it has begun to roam in packs with other abandoned hungry animals, killing livestock, fowl and game.


I am not the one who breeds and fights dogs in the name of "sport." But I'm the one who fights the breeders and participants, and must pick up the dead and dying animals that have been left behind.

So, remember the next time a stray dog bites your
child, your trash is dumped and scattered, your pet is
lost, stolen, poisoned or hit by a car, and it is the
Animal Control Officer you call not the "dog catcher."


The next time your pet is picked up, or you are cited for neglecting or abusing it, remember that I am only trying to get you to fulfill your responsibility to your pet, your neighbor and yourself.

Do not scorn me. Respect me, for I am the product of your irresponsibility. I love animals, and I care.

Birthday Cake for Joey

My little buddy Joey just turned 9 this weekend. (Happy Birthday once again Joey!) He had one of the most unique cakes I have ever seen. It is topped with all lego Starwars Stormtroopers.

6 more days till Halloween

I would never do this to my dog. However, some of the costumes you can find for animals crack me up.

For Theresa Foss

My prayers go out to the whole Foss family. To any of my friends in blog land, please add a prayer,thought, or just a place in your heart for this family. I did not know her , but often fear that some day this will be me or someone I am close to.

Animal Control Officer funeral services
Story by: Tina Detelj

Funeral services were held Tuesday for a Plainfield Animal Control Officer who fell and hit her head while responding to a call. Those who knew Theresa Foss remembered her as a selfless person who gave everything to helping animals.
Foss was really active in the community. She was a mother of three, a public servant, and a cheerleading coach.
People, from across the state, came to give a salute to a 17-year veteran.
"It shows that we are one big family. We support each other any way we can and we're there for each other," said Mark Ring of Waterbury Animal Control.
Among the pall bearers was Karen Stone who worked side-by-side with Foss.
The Plainfield animal control officer was hospitalized for a head injury September 29th after she fell responding to a call of an aggressive pit bull. She died last Thursday.
"It was shock pretty much at first hard to believe that one of our own could go down so easily," said Stone.
Foss is believed to be the first animal control officer to die in the line of duty. During the service, Foss was remembered by the police chief in Plainfield and by the cheerleaders she coached. One of her colleagues recalled something she always used to say; "save the drama for your mama."
"And I could just see Terri saying that to the girls. So it was touching," said Donna Duso of Groton Animal Control.
Fond memories filled the Lighthouse Church of God but in the shadow of sadness for the loss of this mother of three and public servant.
"We all tend to be like New Englanders our own little towns and Terri was the one who tried to pull us all together and I think that's what I"m gonna miss the most from her," said Duso.
A loss serving as a reminder of how dangerous their job can be.
"You never think getting knocked to the ground by a dog is gonna be the last thing you ever do it's just tough out there it really is and to see this happen is very sad," said Ring.
Foss was 47-years-old when she died.

Stevie Ray Vaughan

This month my all time favorite musician would have been 55. As luck would have it, most of Texas is under a flood watch. If you have never heard this it is amazing. Happy Birthday Stevie you are missed here in Texas.

Marry had A Little Lamb

In 1991, Texas governor Ann Richards proclaimed October 3, Vaughan's birthday, to be "Stevie Ray Vaughan Day

9 Words

Learning a foreign language can be tricky.
Here is a list of nine words that have a different meaning between men and women. Has not helped me yet but maybe it will help out a poor soul.

(1) Fine: This is the word women use to end an argument when they are right and you need to shut up.
(2) Five Minutes: If she is getting dressed, this means a half an hour. Five minutes is only five minutes if you have just been given five more minutes to watch the game before helping around the house.
(3) Nothing: This is the calm before the storm. This means something, and you should be on your toes. Arguments that begin with nothing usually end in fine.
(4) Go Ahead: This is a dare, not permission. Don't Do It!
(5) Loud Sigh: This is not actually a word, but is a non-verbal statement often misunderstood by men. A loud sigh means she thinks you are an idiot and wonders why she is wasting her time standing here and arguing with you about nothing. (Refer back to # 3 for the meaning of nothing.)
(6) That's Okay: This is one of the most dangerous statements a women can make to a man. That's okay means she wants to think long and hard before deciding how and when you will pay for your mistake.0A
(7) Thanks: A woman is thanking you, do no t question, or faint. Just say you're welcome. (I want to add in a clause here - This is true, unless she says 'Thanks a lot' - that is PURE sarcasm and she is not thanking you at all. DO NOT say 'you're welcome’, that will bring on a 'whatever').
(8) Whatever: Is a woman's way of saying F-- YOU!
(9) Don't worry about it, I got it: Another dangerous statement, meaning this is something that a woman has told a man to do several times, but is now doing it herself. This will result in a man asking 'What's wrong?' For the woman's response refer to # 3.

What was the First Movie to Scare You?

As you know from my last post I am looking froward to the release of the DVD Trick or Treat. This picture alone makes me want to see the movie. I am not positive where my fascination with horror films comes from but I think it may come from mom. She does not like all the gory films of today but she never missed an episode of the Gothic Soap Opera Dark Shadows. Now I was an infant when this show was almost over but it must have sunk in.

Today I remembered the first movie to ever scare me. Believe it or not I was 4 years old and it was a low budget, made for TV movie called Gargoyles.

So now I know Why I like this guys movies so much.

Bruce Campbell

In Gargoyles the voice alone scared the socks off of me as a kid. I have now learned the movie won an Emmy for award winning monster costumes. Below is a taste of the movie from YouTube. Yes it is cheesy, but by making this discovery today look at all the money I saved on therapy.

Would love to get comments as to what was the first movie to ever scare you???

Trick or Treat

Not to be mixed up with the 1986 title, Trick or Treat may finally be a recent horror movie worth seeing. About a year ago I saw a trailer for this and forgot all about it until my brother mentioned it was coming out next week. It is suppose to surpass all recent Horror films and not focus on a gore fest. The first time I looked at this trailer I found it creepy. In getting ready for the spirit of Halloween I hope it does the same to all of you.

http://trickrtreat-movie.warnerbros.com/

"Trick 'r Treat is a collection of creepy stories that mixes fun with fear, candy with poison, and laughter with screams.In the tradition of Creepshow and Tales From the Crypt comes four interwoven tales set on Halloween night: a high-school principal who moonlights as a vicious serial killer, a young virgin whose quest for that special someone takes a gruesome turn, a group of teens who carries out a cruel prank with disastrous consequences, and a cantankerous old man who battles a mischievous trick-or-treating demon."