Red Riding Hoods

Barbara: Yesterday, Deb and I fell in love. He’s a sexy beast, tall, rugged, soulful eyes. But he’s not afraid to show his soft side too: he loves to give warm kisses and lay his head on your shoulder. We won’t even mention here that his kisses are tinged with green and he sometimes shakes his head in a particularly goofy way when he gets nervous, gums all flapping and nostrils flaring (that only happened when he first met us, before he understood on a visceral level that we were meant to be the best of friends).

Our new boy-crush is none other than the tall, dark, and handsome Red.

Red!

We had the great privilege of meeting and communing with Red thanks to the lovely, kind, and sincerely sweet Mary-Jo—who you’ll know from our comments section here. Jo lives not far from us and invited us on a very special excursion to meet her new horse. She picked us up at Deb’s house, then drove us the half-hour or so to the stables where Red lives and where she visits him on a daily basis.

Mary-Jo!

The stables? Okay, more elegant and certainly cleaner than my house!! Yeah, they are that good. Jo explained to us that she met her own personal “horse whisperer” many years ago and now follows her to whichever stable she is at. I think Jo has the best of all worlds at this place. And Red too.

The stables!

He is loved here and gently guided and nurtured. For some reason, he won’t budge for many riders. But he and Jo clicked at first sight back in December of this year. You’ll see in these videos how literally “unmoved” he was with Deb and I. In fact, if you look closely, you’ll see his eyes going all soft and sleepy—like he’s enjoying a good nap while we beg and coax.

Jo was a bit embarrassed by her horse’s, um, lack of performance, but she needn’t have worried. We were in his thrall. He impressed us with his light feet and agile gait while Jo took him around the paddock. His hair is glossy, his features fine and elegant. The fact that he only wanted to nuzzle us and look deep into our eyes was icing on the cake.

Afterward, Jo took us to this adorable little café in the woods where we ate a truly delicious meal and enjoyed the clean air. While Red may have been the star in our little get-together, make no mistake, we fell in love with Jo too. As dear and sincere in real life as she is here in our virtual neighbourhood, we were thrilled to get to know her better, share stories, and relax in her lovely, loving presence.

Lunch!

Friends!

Deb: Red is my new boyfriend. I love him and I think he knows it. Wow you guys, what a lovely day we had. He is such a soulful beast and Jo is the most engaging and laidback gal. I had known her previously in a few social settings so it was lovely to see the very core of her on this day. It was one of those days that you know you are going to do again. It really made me wish I had continued my early 10-year-old horseback riding lessons. I had a really traumatic experience and it frightened me from riding. Not from horses, but from riding. But Red, sensing my need to—if you will excuse me for this—get back on the horse ... made me want to. 

Sloths And Such

Barbara: After yesterday’s fracas over “get moving” versus “don’t panic”, I thought it would be apropos to post something I’ve wanted to post since we received our Costa Rica Gift of Happiness (woot!!!): a Costa Rican sloth video!

A while back, I saw the famous youtube video where the sloth crosses the road in, well, in a slothfully slow way (its name hasn’t been adjectived for nothin’).  But I couldn’t embed it here. So I explored the ‘net and found dozens of similar videos—damn, those sloths like to cross roads! Either I couldn’t embed them or they were pretty bad quality. I finally found this one. You get a really nice look at the fascinating creature. 

Then I thought I’d look for Howler monkey videos because when we went to Costa Rica with the family, we were all gobsmacked by the sound they make. Video doesn’t quite do it justice—it’s more like a crazed demon from a bad horror film—but here’s a nice taste of their song (and you truly can hear them everywhere).

And last but not least, I saw this yesterday on Facebook—it’s not Costa Rica, but it just slayed me. A gorilla was returned to the wild in Africa and then, after five years, reunited with his trainer. The bond between them should erase any doubts you might have about animals and souls.  

You can still enter to go to Costa Rica too. And us—we’re counting the days!!!

Unleash Your Compassion

Internationally renowned Steven Page headlines evening of Music and Laughter with an All-Canadian Line-up to support Animal Welfare Comedian Colin Mochrie and Actress Debra McGrath Host

 

“Live and Unleashed featuring Steven Page and Friends” to support Ontario SPCA

Lights, camera...woof!  The Ontario SPCA invites animal enthusiasts, music lovers and theatre buffs to spend a night of laughter, music and entertainment at the “Live and Unleashed featuring Steven Page and Friends” onMonday, November 28 at 8:00 p.m. at Roy Thomson Hall.  Tickets are limited and available at www.liveandunleashed.ca.

Hosted by hilarious husband and wife team, comedianColin Mochrie and talented actress/comedian Debra McGrath, the evening will include performances by Canadian funk sensation Planet Earth and award-winning saxophonist Matthew James — all in the name of helping animals and directly supporting the lifesaving work of the Ontario SPCA.

The evening is themed around a young dog named Rocky who is a shining example of the lifesaving work the Ontario SPCA performs every day.  Severely abused, neglected and close to death, Rocky was rescued by Ontario SPCA investigators and captured the hearts of hundreds in the GTA.  Thanks to love, nurturing and medical care, Rocky is now on the road to recovery and has been given a chance for a new life and a home.  And in an inspiring announcement live at the event — Guests will meet Rocky’s new family for the first time! 

“I’m so excited to be participating in this fun yet important event!” says Steven Page.  “As a dog lover and owner (if that’s the right word!), I am grateful for the work of the Ontario SPCA.  Live & Unleashed is going to be a great evening of music and entertainment and guests will truly make a difference supporting all of the animals in need across Ontario.”

Event Listings/Interview Opportunities                         What:             Live and Unleashed featuring Steven Page and Friends Hosted by comedian Colin Mochrie and Debra McGrath             When:            Monday, November 28 at 8:00 p.m. Where:           Roy Thomson Hall                                 Why:              To support lifesaving work of the Ontario SPCA  Who:              Steven Page (Formerly of the Barenaked Ladies) with opening acts PlanetEarth and Matthew James

Deb and Barbara: On a related note: we really want to draw your attention to the Save Stich sitch. Our friend and fellow blogger, Hollye Dexter, has an unbelievable story about how her adopted dog has become tangled in a legal nightmare. Read her story/history here and sign the petition!  If you can, buy the really good stuff on the fundraiser to support Stitch's plight. 

Our Little Boy, Frisker

Deb: Frisker, our dog, is sick. He is 12 years old. He is a Cairn terrier. He is a soulful creature not given to frivolous things. He exposes his belly for a scratch to anyone who comes through the door. He lives for the sweet touch of the human, the scratchy love of an adoring creature. But he is a serious pup who seems more concerned with our investments than our attention to him. He is not like his sister, nor is he like any other pup I have known. He loves to frolic with our daily game of “gimme it”, but then he wants to settle down to a good think about our fiscal responsibility and his place in it. In essence, Frisker cannot be defined. He is still blessedly, thankfully, with us, and hanging in for all he’s worth. 

So I have decided to grant him a living funeral in this blog. It worked for Tom Sawyer and it will work for Frisker Mochrie. And even though he can’t read, I will know that I have done it and I will be able to look into his liquid, hot chocolate eyes and he will be able to see that respects have been paid. For that is what he would want. The proper speeches, protocol being adhered to, and all the trimmings that accompany it. 

He is a traditional pup, respectful of his position, but with a love that knows no bounds. Despite his accountant demeanor, Frisker is a people pup. I am sure many of you have them or have seen them. I know that Barb has a people pup in her Chaplin whom I love so very much. But this is for our Frisker, our boy’s first pup, a pup who turned our boy into a dog lover. As our boy was leaving for camp this summer, he said his goodbyes to Frisker, spending so much time with him, not knowing if he would see his dog again. And neither did we. We still don’t. 

But what I need to tell you is that our Frisker is kind and relenting, smart and wily, gentle and giving. He is a toddler of a dog one second and then all at once serious and wry. Our girl pup, Fanny, whom we equally adore for her own traits is a dog of ancient instinct who will walk the walk before she eats, circle and circle before she lays down, and grab one of her stuffed squirrels in her mouth and, with a snap of her head, break its neck. Frisker on the other hand treats the stuffies like his babies. He carries them around and protects them with his paw. Anyone who comes to our door is treated to a stuffed animal delivered personally by our Frisker. He will run to the basket and push his way through it until he finds just the right gift for the particular person at the door. We have laughed watching him push toy after toy out of his way until he finds just the right one. 

We love them both so much because they are them and because they are different. But this blog is for Frisker, fighting for his life as we fight with him. We are so filled with the whole of Frisker right now. Every breath is special and every move is the first and last move. Someone said to me yesterday, “That is why I cannot have another pet, I just can’t take the loss”. I understand that, totally. However my point of view is that I would not trade one second of pain for the many, many years of joy that we have had with our Frisky-boy. So please, pray for him or think of him because he is our boy. Our boy’s first boy. He sleeps in our bed. He is our family and we are losing him. 

Barbara: Weeping as I read this, Deb. How many times would Frisker come to me with one of his specially chosen stuffies, make his serious business known, pet my leg with his paw, and lay down at our feet while we worked in your kitchen? He is truly a beloved soul. 

It is partly thanks to Deb and her pups that we even have our Chaplin. I was never a dog person––or didn’t think I was—and Deb introduced me to the sweet pleasure of that unique relationship. I wish we didn’t have to lose them, but I wouldn’t trade one moment with these little loves either. 

You know Frisker is in my thoughts, Deb. But so are you.