boomer!

these two will return to stay with us this saturday thru thursday, and will be privy to our weekly meditation. beth and i started a sit/potluck every sunday at the behest of many recommendations. if you'd like to host, let us know! just some time to sit and behave, that's all- and we get plenty of that when BOBBY (underbite, "little lion" as he's been dubbed around here) and BOOMER (toy aussie) are around. most anyone who gets the chance to meet these little friends fall immediately in love-

hope you are enjoying the day as the clock literally resets (read: all ones) and we get a chance to clean our plates and look ahead to the positivity of warming our hearts by the fire. we are also available as caregivers to housesit your cabin up north, your getaway in Florida, your farm in Hawai'i...we've done it all and have references to back it up- peaceful journey...lots of love from us- your paws!

bobby!

Jo & Soph

this is JoJo and Sophie, two of our house mascots. we see them a whole lot and have gotten to know their ways. it seems they are old pals, cuz when they reunite there's always ESP, the staredown, and a mystery bag of mischief. we love you two!

still in our heart's heart.

this is ELLIE. she passed a few years back. and with more joining the ranks, with more of our favorite living beings passing, it's only fitting to tribute. Ellie was in her teens when we saw her last. our honeymoon took us to HI, and we had only found out the following year of her passage to the next dimension. she was always careful with her steps, and happy to see you, as we'd meander down the hall to the elevator (no stairwell, thank you) and down around the favorite loop. much love to Julie for allowing us to connect with this sweet gal.

Forbes & Co.

we've recently wrapped up ten days with Forbes & Co., our favorite young man hailing from the woods of NW Commerce twp...and he's proven to have just as much pep in his step as the last time we were here. Along with him is Casey, and Scotchy, and a handful of phish! lucky to be surrounded by this crew, the rewards are in the company, the requests, the little moments that let us know us humans are not the only ones who wanna feel pleasure and avoid pain! extra special thanks to H & N for their continued support, gift-giving, and compassion in general. we appreciate you all- see you next time-

fore! fore!

what a funny thing to shout as your drive heads for another golfer. yes, folks, it's golf season.. and not only that, but "national dogwalking month". okay, it's really not that (every month is), but we got a little hidden prize here: spring. slow to come in MI, but certain. and doing nothing, spring comes, and the grass grows itself. the mating season! this is why your friends are extra active (and crazy). so be certain to exercise utmost loving kindness to your pet.

surfing craigslist's "pets" section, it's obvious how many animals out there really need attention. this is of the utmost importance (well..along with eating animals, and killing them, and overpopulation, and serious distraction) to us, as humans, to lead this resurgence in awareness. it seems we are at the point when we can make that fatal move, to give up or to give all! all one or none!! all-one!!! (thanks Bronners)

music reviews belong in petblogs, right? Mike Gordon whales away, 16nov2011, somewhere in the midwest. a quality complimentary download. hints of 70s funk. country pick'n and grinnin'. chunky cowbell, creepy keys. spoonfuls of sandanista psychedelia. his solo project is beautiful- not to mention his 20 some (infinite) years in a band of gypsies. he met some dudes in college. many laughs later, a solo project. sounds like they're having fun- 2 hours and not a beat skipped.

but anyway. what separates us from animals? how can we not see these same complex emotions, anxiety, and confusion, and neglect? perhaps all emotions are complex...and all it takes is heart to simplify them. so what we're lookin' for here is some earth, heart, hear, earth ear, hear art. starting to notice the daylight hanging on. the caged bird sings, the dogs run, the cats hunt.

new moon fever.

my sisters' newest venture, and if you're reading this before the end of March, that means there's still time! they are trying to raise $12,000 in pledges in a few weeks' time via Kickstarter. their project aims to bring raw juice back to Detroit, at Eastern Market of all places, a beautiful place in the heart of a chronically misunderstood city.



if you've never been on a saturday morning, please try to make it. human-watching alone is worth it! not to mention...sometimes there are mounted policeman. i mean horsies. anywho, if you can pledge any support, please do so. halfway to the goal, over $7K has been pledged by various pop stars, energy workers, office clerks and everyday people (like us! like you!) who believe the tiniest bit helps. if you ARE interested in offering to pledge (which will only be summoned after the goal is met), please visit:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/drought/drought-five-sisters-bring-raw-juice-to-detroit

every little bit helps. your dollar, or benjamin, or just your optimistic spirt.

"first there is a mountain, then there is no mountain...then there is." -Donovan

first full moon.

with the first full moon of the new year having passed, focus remains on "staying grounded" and no better teacher to guide than K9s. just seeing JO (our husky) is a reminder that ALL living beings desire to be pleased and not injured.

how are we so different from other animals?

"patience" is another word that comes to mind...a story to share:
ordering takeout at OM is a favorite among us Ferndealers, and so naturally i conceded to a delightful order of NORI rolls and nachos. welp, 45 minutes later, the nachos were cold (and without any veggies or beans) and patience was running thin.

(please note: this is some of the best VGN food in metro detroit, but they are only open one day a week, and chronically under-staffed, so naturally, they were slammed, and empathy is there for'm, but anyhow..)

stepping out into 13degree weather and starting the 10-block commute home, the thoughts continued: "why didn't they just.." and "how come they just can't.." into a state of madness, such insanity! turning the corner to find a planet-sized moon (it really is that big) on the eastern horizon was a huge relief...

it's as if the moon was saying, "there are bigger things than this!" lesson learned. from now on, following the K9 way, sitting, doing nothing, the takeout comes, spring comes, and the grass grows itself.

Avery and Oberon.

hey all, just here with the sweetest two a K9lvr could possibly ask for. He (o) is a white boxer, hard of hearing, with a tail like a whip (not docked! yay!) and a breath like a yoga master...she (a) is an older rhodesian gal, who's not afraid to wrestle and wrangle for the sake of still having a bit of fun...

had the pleasure of being with these two earlier last spring, with the 7-mile entrance to rotary park available (secret Livonian passage) and blazing hot, humid sun the whole week- and now for the yin counterpart, 20 degree days and dry, dumped a good 10 inches of snow...this didn't stop these two!

we tramped on through the drifts and found a neat loop just north of 10mile, just west of Middlebelt, a perfect oval called "creekside" or "brookside" or along side of some soon-to-be-ousted natural beauty. it's wild how they name the street after the original plot of land, but then it becomes the opposite? hmmph.

after 30 minutes or so of brisk hike, the body adjusts. there is an ice-shield of moustache beneath the nose, there are no sidewalks sometimes, but there are still slow drivers out there (thank jah) and occasionally the crazy neighbor who just wants to talk about K9s. there's always that one.

true story: dogs pull man on longboard. at top speed (maybe 20mph), man looks back to see a pair of Goldens following in hot pursuit. obviously these two had breached the invisible "fence". beware the invisible fence...on the way back, these horses (dogs, but they seemed like untamed mustangs) grazed and whinnied at us as we passed back by. they could care less. they're free! love to all K9s everywhere.

the days are getting longer.

hey friends- it's been some time. sitting here with AVE and OBE, our old pals, after returning for an hour loop. lots of k9s in this sub...most of whom are booted outside in the cold! if you know of a neighbor or family member who does this, say something...no animal (or human, eh?) deserves to be bone-chilling numb!

carry an extra pair of gloves in the car, or take some warm soup up to the homeless man. every li'l bit helps. we have an old friend from PDX in, "E", and it is apparent how undeniably lucky we are to be able to have warm meals, warm showers, yes, even the worldwidewebs seems to be pushing us towards this ever-growing convenience. it may not be worth it to bundle up and get out there, but you might just change someone's day...

parallel to this ongoing need for sustainability, for peace, and enough water and juice for everyone is a group of gals who wanna bring freshness back to Detroit. and New York. and wherever you happen to be, really. ALOHA and a happy, healthy new year.

(droughtjuice.com)