Auntiemwrites Crime-Mystery Author M K Graff

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Eco Lassie knows that your pet is part of your Eco Family and you want to take the same careful care of them that you do the rest of your loved ones.   As you make your summer vacation plans, what will you do with your pet?  Will you get a house sitter for Fido, or kennel Fifi when you leave on your jaunt?

Maybe you’d like to take your pet with you for their fun and your companionship, or your pet sitter just bowed out.

If you’re not certain if your pet has the temperament to travel, ask your vet.  Evaluate how your pet travels on their trips to the vet.  Does she get car sick or become highly anxious?  Or does he revel in the new scenery?

Some pets eventually settle down to sleep and enjoy sniffing new and strange lands.

Your mode of travel with your pet must be carefully considered.  Let’s see the challenges.

BY AIR: Smaller airlines such as Southwest and Frontier only accept assistance pets, but larger airlines such as American, Northwest, Delta and United all have pet policies on a broader range.  Most airlines adhere to a day-of- travel temperature restriction if your pet is to travel as cargo: It can’t be above 85 degrees or below 45 deg. on the day of travel, and for snub-nosed dogs/cats (such as Bull dogs/Persians) that may be adjusted to 75 deg.  Most will not allow any pet in the cargo hold if the outside temp is below 20 degrees.  Check with your individual airline for their policy, and if a vet statement will waive this restriction if it’s close.

Fees range between $100-$150 one way for a container pet in cargo.  Most holds are loud, poorly ventilated, and the temp inside can range between 50-70 degrees.  No collapsible kennels are allowed, and there are size restrictions.

Inside the cabin, pets usually must be less than 20 lbs and the cost ranges between $50-100 depending on the airline.

Don’t sedate your pet: this affects your animals balancing ability and equilibrium.  Also, the high altitudes may cause cardiac or respiratory problems in sedated pets.

Most airlines do not charge or assistance pets, however proof of current rabies over 12 mos is needed for any pet. These are guidelines only for travel within the US.  You must research your airline for their particular policy.

BY CAR: By far the most common method of travel with pets is by car.  Cats travel better in a carrier, which should be restrained for sudden stops.  You can also crate dogs, but most like to travel looking out the window, although you should NEVER allow your pet to hang his head outside the window on a major roadway, and he or she should wear a safety harness and ride in the back seat.

REALLY.  Remember those sudden stops?  The poor driver who swerves into your lane?

Allow frequent stops at rest areas to allow your pet to exercise, have a drink and do his business. Carry a collapsible water container and a jug of water in case your stoppping point does not have a fountain.  Pets usually travel with just water and don’t need to be fed.  Bring a few treats if your day will be long but don’t worry about food until you stop for the night.  Most dogs can even fast for a day with no ill affects, as they do this in nature.  It’s water that’s key.

If you’re camping, keep your pet in your tent to avoid other pets in the campground and wild creatures such as raccoons, squirrels and insect bites.  Most pets take well to camping.

If your trip means hotel or motel stops, searching for Pet Friendly accommodations has never been easier.

http://www.tripswithpets.com lists over 20,000 pet friendly motels, B&B’s, inns, resorts, and rentals.

http://www.petsonthego.com boasts 30,000 listings.     You should crate your pet if you leave him or her in your room to hit the pool or go out to eat.  Put out the Do Not Disturb sign, and let the maid know if possible, or your chocolates may be gone.

BY SHIP: Most shipping lines only allow assistance dogs in staterooms, but there are a few that have pet kennels where you can go down and visit your pet daily.  Consult with your line.  There are more charter boats that will allow pets.  Many boat owners report that their cats and dogs make great sailing companions.

BY BUS/TRAIN: Only assistance pets except for some small local train lines.  Many European trains do allow pets, but I’m talking within the US.

Last but not least at all, don’t forget a small First Aid kit when you travel with your pet.

Carry bandages, antibiotic ointment, gauze and antidiarrheal and antinausea meds.  Add an index card with the phone numbers of your vet, poison control hotline, and where you will be traveling and staying for handy access.

Add a tag to your pets collar indicating where you are staying on your travel route or your cell phone # in case you are separated.

With some forethought and preparation, Fido or Fifi will be happily enjoying your company poolside!

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Auntie M was watching some inane show one night with Doc when an ad came on, showing an attractive woman in a classy restaurant, eating dinner with the worst kind of date.  He arrived late, spoke on the cell phone, only talked to her to raise an eyebrow at her fattening dessert, and left her alone at the table with a quick kiss on the cheek and the parting words: “Happy Anniversary.”

That’s when it sinks in that this jerk is her husband.  She catches the eye of a VERY attractive man in the restaurant, who smiles at her, and then the voice over tells us: “Ashley Madison.com–for when you can’t get a divorce.”

I thought at first it was a joke.  Then we saw the ad a week later on a different channel.  So in the interests of keeping you all up to date on what is out there, I went to it, hoping it was not pornographic.  It wasn’t.

What it was, is a site where people who are tired of their spouses but have no intention of getting divorced can arrange mutually satisfactory affairs.  I was stunned.  There is actually someone out there making money on this idea.  And people are signing up for it in droves.

What a sad commentary about the state of marriage in our society.  Yes, I totally understand there are times when someone MUST stay married to someone they wish they hadn’t–been there, done that–but only for a few years until I made sure I could support myself and my son.  So I have tremendous empathy for women and men out there in lonely marriages, stuck with unsympathetic spouses, who don’t see a way out of their situations.

I guess what I’m ranting about is an organization taking advantage of their emotional low to make money on their heartache.  Or are they simply providing a much needed but not talked about service?  Am I being too sensitive?

Readers, what’s your take on this????

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When Annie Lennox wrote ( and sang) that song, she knew that love was at the heart of what drive us as humans.

A recent article in “Real Simple” magazine had answers for their monthly question: “What is the best thing money can’t buy?”

Here are some of the answers from across the nation:

“A husband who truly listens.”

“When my teen son walked across a room just to give me a loving hug.”

“An unexpected apology from an old friend.”

“The unconditional love of our dogs.”

“Solitude.”

“Being born to parents who really loved their children”

The winner was Jennifer Lewis Meyer: “The kind of gut-busting, tears-streaming-down-your-face, bordering-on-hysteria laughter that still makes you giggle when you think of it days later.

Auntie M could identify with Meyer.  I’m getting ready to leave for Utah next week for my yearly meeting with the four other women who keep me writing and keep me sane, the Screw Iowa Writers Group.  I expect there will be long discussions about the nature of our book and our website, hours of editing and advising each other on our manuscripts, great food, a bit of wine, and most importantly, that kind of stress-releasing laughter. That’s us on the back left of the desk in the photo below.

When you read this, I will be in Utah that these women whose friendship I savor and depend on.

The article made me think of those special moments that we capture in our hearts: the days our children were born, proposals, loving moments from partner, etc.  We would all rate those high.  And the love of a good pet, too!  And then there are the unexpected moments that catch us off guard, but that we treasure and revisit in our memories, like snapshots.

Here’s one of mine:  Auntie M’s granddaughter, Rachel Elizabeth, at 6 years old, getting ready to go upstairs to bed at our house after a wonderful Christmas.  She stopped at the bottom of the stairs with her dad, turned her beaming smile on me and pronounced, “Nana, you’re the BEST!”

OK readers:  We know who you love, but what’s one outstanding memory money couldn’t buy?

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I’ve been Depped.  RUN to the nearest store that carries Vanity Fair mag and splurge on the current issue.

‘

Depp must be the winner of “most mag covers” but it was the interior shots and article itself which attracted Auntie M.

Shots of Depp in Cuba, prepping for his next movie role as a youthful Hunter S. Thompson, stretch across several pages.  Big sigh.  Story of Depp and a few friends relaxing for a week before on his boat and at his private Bahamian Island.

Who knew the various beaches on his small cay are named for his children and partner?

Douglas Brinkley, a Thompson compatriot and author, reveals the Depp we really want to see: relaxed, without paparazzi, shirtless (another BIG SIGH–sorry, a wait while I wipe that bit of drool).  Who knew music was so important to Depp that he uses it as a kind of choreography, to keep a mood or to inspire one?  The story of the Keith Richards covers he listens to at one point is worth reading the article for alone.

Yes, most of us who enjoy Depp for his many attributes probably know he is a world class guitarist.  And yes, we probably knew of his deep and total devotion to his roles and his ability to inhabit his characters.  That’s one of the reasons we love him.  So we want to hear it all from the perspective of a man who is heavily involved in this next movie, the man who carried out Thompson’s wishes to be cremated and shot into space (!).

We all have our favorite Depp roles, those that amuse us, make our hearts beat faster, or show us the depth and range of this amazingly talented (and deliciously sexy) man.

Who can resist?

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Not being able to have our usual garden this year, Eco Lassie has been following the garden exploits of the rest of you with great interest.  And that led to  remembering the time we had keeping our pets out of ours in previous years.

There’s no question we love our pets and also no question that even the cutest of cats and dogs can trample, dig, crush, tear and leave their little presents in our nice rows of fresh veggies and flowers.  What to do that doesn’t mean using the very kind of commercial repellent we’ve been trying to avoid?

* Try soaking cotton balls in citrus (or mint or menthol) essential oils and place around the garden perimeter.  Many pets are repelled by these scents.  You may have to change the balls weekly or after a heavy rain until your pet figures out the garden is a no-go area.

*Use rose prunings, if you have them, around the base of larger established plants.  Paws, especially those sensitive cat pads, will not relish these thorny clippings and quickly find a new pathway.

*The visual image of a barrier works wonders for cats and dogs.  Try using floating row covers, which some of you may already by using to prevent insects and birds from feasting on those tasty shoots of budding plants and flowers.  Planet Natural has the most reasonable I could find, at $10.50 for 5′ X 25′–and you can water and fertilize right through this light, breathable barrier without removing it.

Of course, there ARE some benefits to having our pets near our gardens.   Cats will reduce the amount of mice, voles and moles if they are in your area; dogs scent and barking will keep deer and groundhogs at bay, or at the very least, in your neighbor’s yard!

Happy Gardening~

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One of Auntie M’s favorite spring things is the birds that live here.  I enjoy watching birds in nature, although I would never want one in a cage in my house, but love to see them flying and feeding their babies.  I filled the hummingbird feeders two days ago and saw they were already empty today.

Right now we have blue birds nesting along with the chatty purple martins in their apartment houses, pilated woodpeckers with their unusual crest pecking away at a high pine tree, and jaunty red-winged blackbirds eating out of our feeder.   The cardinals are here and there, and the quail, too.

But the ducks, Fred and Ethel, ,who live on our pond and frequent our walkway along the river are the bane of our Spinone Radar’s existence.   A true bird hound, he lives to point and skulk up to them, then burst upon them, scaring them into the river.  He will dart into the river and swim them far away from our dock.  NO duck poop allowed here, says the balloon over his head.

On occasion a second male we call Desi will join them, the trio waddling along the concrete cap on our bulkheading, Fred squawking whenever Desi gets too close to Ethel.   This was the original menage a  trois.

Today Radar was slumbering peacefully on our porch when the high alert came on.  I was folding wash and watching him as he picked up his head, his large nose and flews going in and out as the duck scent reached him.  He wheeled his head around and stood at attention, which quickly became a point.  But today he, well, he moaned. Which quickly became a low hound howl.

I went onto the porch to see the cause of his distress.  There in all her glory was Ethel, proudly waddling along the bulkheading with Fred, along with–not just Desi, but three MORE new males, all lined up and following her placidly.  She honked repeatedly, cussing them out she looked over her shoulder and their line faltered.

How she attracted these males–all widowers?– is a mystery.  Of course, Radar slunk down the stairs and interrupted their promenade, sending all six ducks into the river, and followed that up by swimming them down to a neighbor’s dock.  Where she is probably sunning herself now, surrounded by the glory of all of that male attention.

Guess I’ll have to come up with three more male names.

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