I first visited Ricketts Glen State Park over a decade ago, although I can’t recall the exact year. Pictures exist somewhere. Maybe. I lost a couple of years’ worth of digital photos at some point when my hard drive had a meltdown, and these pictures might be among them. My first visit was in August… Continue reading Favorite places

I hear it said a lot to research your chosen pet before you bring it home. I wonder if that’s more common (and very good) advice these days than it was when I was a kid. Growing up, we had a lot of different kinds of pets. I’m pretty sure a lot of them were… Continue reading Learning along the way

In the past couple of weeks, I’ve been busy- first traveling and then settling back into life. I often say after a vacation that I need a vacation from vacation before I can really get back into my normal, day-to-day routine. There is so much to catch up on and do when you return. Thankfully,… Continue reading Back to the Regularly Scheduled Program

Life is weird right now. The pandemic is not over, but it seems more controlled, at least from where I’m standing. Restrictions are being lifted, more or less so, depending on where you are. As Justin says every time we venture into public, “I don’t know what the rules are!” I can’t say that I… Continue reading What exactly is “normal” life these days?

My Rookie Cookie turned 7 yesterday (to the best of my knowledge- I don’t know if the rescue knew his exact birthday, but it’s close enough since we adopted him at ~4 months old). In the vet world, 7 is the somewhat arbitrary designation for a “senior” pet if you have a dog or a… Continue reading The (unnecessary) worry caused by birthdays

Confession: sometimes, I feel highly inadequate as a dog owner. It’s nice to hear other people, other dog people, admit the same. As I write this, I’m listening to an episode of the podcast “Sexier Than a Squirrel,” and Lauren just stated that she has felt the same at times in her past. This is… Continue reading Unfair comparisons

I’ve done this a few times now. Three times, to be exact. When I go to bring home an animal, I take the last one. Not once have I regretted this decision, as each of these animals has filled my life with love, laughter and joy. (OK, in the case of one of them, some… Continue reading The last one

When I was 4 or 5 years old, my dad’s sister lived with my family for a little while. Because I was only 4 or 5, I don’t really remember the details of how we ended up at a pet store together. I’m sure she must have asked permission to get me a pet, but… Continue reading My namesake turtle

*This post has nothing at all to do with animals, so if that’s what you’re here for, you’ll be disappointed. If however, you like happy travel anecdotes, this is probably for you. I did say the blog was *mostly* about animals, after all. We have a trip coming up, and I am so excited to… Continue reading Perfection in blue skies and quiet

Sienna (fka Noelia- how stupid is that name? Seriously.) was my 3rd year spay dog. We met in the junior surgery kennel area in December 2011. I walked in an excited but nervous student, as I was about to assess my first ever patient for surgery. She was already waiting, a boisterous, approximately 45 lb… Continue reading Sienna Bean