jon katz

It’s a Red Letter Day!

Posted by Barbara Techel

It's a Red Letter Day!

Perhaps you’ve heard of a red letter day?  I’d not heard of it until I started reading author Susan Branch’s books.

A red letter day is… a day that is pleasantly noteworthy or memorable.

I don’t know what makes for a red letter day for you, but this is what has made it a red letter day for me so far  today:

  • The sun is shining after about six days of cloudy and rainy weather. Yay!
  • Going for a walk on my lunch hour with Gidget we saw a mama and papa duck crossing the road with five yellow little ones waddling behind. Yay!
  • Passing the veterinarian in town a black lab and border collie were playing ball on their lunch hour. Yay!
  • The church bells were ringing. Yay!
  • Arriving home I found in my mailbox Jon Katz’ new book, Talking to Animals – How we can understand animals and they can understand you. Yay!
  • It was warm enough to eat my lunch outside on my deck. Yay!
  • Tonight date night at a restaurant on a lake that was closed for a little over a year, which we were so disappointed about – but it is now open again. Yay!

It really is the simple pleasures of life that make it a red letter day for me. And I hope wherever you are you are having a red letter day, too!

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On Knowing When It’s the Right Dog for You

Posted by Barbara Techel

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I’ve been watching with great interest as my favorite author, Jon Katz and his dear artist wife, Maria of Bedlam Farm have been searching for a new dog to bring into their lives.

The breeder they hoped to get a pup from was taking longer than usual, the dog not going into heat when they’d hoped. They considered adopting, but had a bad experience visiting a shelter over the weekend.

But then something prompted Jon to reach out to the woman who had given him his border collie, Red. As fate would have it and the stars aligned, they knew when they saw the pup with one blue eye that she was the one.

And get this….her name is Fate. I think they need no other clearer signs than this. It was meant to be.

It brought up the times this has happened to me. How it is when you just know. While at times I’ve been anxious for a new dog after one has passed, I believe that it has to feel right—that there is this connection that is undeniable.

At least this is how it works for me. It made me think again about Gidget and how I found her. Or perhaps I should say she found me? But likely once again everything aligned and we were supposed to be together.

When I saw her face and those telling eyes, after looking at hundreds of dachshunds, I felt that familiar tingle in my heart. She was the one.

While I had passed over many sweet and adorable, and most likely great dogs, I couldn’t stop looking at Gidget and found myself getting lost in her eyes. She drew me into her being. I couldn’t stop thinking about her.

It just brings me back to how connection is so important—for both you and your new dog.

Each day our love for each other deepens. I learn new things because of Gidget. I’m learning to step into and own more of my belief’s.

She is the one. And while I don’t know what the future holds, I take one day at a time, soaking in all the love that she is. And I thank all the stars in the universe for lining up in just the right way that brought her to me.

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Jon’s post about what happened during a shelter visit in Vermont is worth reading. I was saddened to learn that some animal shelters are now using a process for adopting pets out that seems cold and impersonal for both the person and the dog.

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Tribute to Simon the Donkey

Posted by Barbara Techel

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I fell in love with donkey’s because of author Jon Katz and reading about them through his blog. I especially had a soft and big heart for Simon, the donkey he rescued from an abusive situation, and who was paralyzed for a time being. But that all changed when Jon and his wife, Maria took Simon in five years ago. He not only survived, but thrived.

The photo above was taken just a few days ago of Simon when he was protecting himself from the cold wind, standing in the skid barn. It cracked me up when I saw it and I laughed out loud reading what Jon said,  “I was grateful he didn’t drop a ton of manure in there, he looked peaceful, even cozy, for a donkey.”

He has thousands of adoring fans. Most recently a classroom of children heard about his story because of the book Jon wrote about him, Saving Simon: How a Rescue Donkey Taught Me the Meaning of Compassion. The children had sent Simon Christmas cards and New Years wishes.

He died today, unexpectedly. They think he had a stroke. My heart broke reading the news. I cried and have shed a few more tears as Jon continues to share the experience on his blog today.

But if you’ve read the book about Simon, you will understand when I say that all of a sudden through my tears, it occurred to me that Simon had a purpose and how he found his way to Jon — and that purpose was now fulfilled.

Not only did he change the way Jon understood compassion, but his story is helping others see compassion in a new way, too. I smiled for this profound and powerful message from Simon that will live on.

I recall reading the book and seeing myself in the story and the lessons of compassion I’ve learned also because of my dachshund Frankie who had IVDD, was paralyzed and in a wheelchair.  Because of her and then adopting another paralyzed, wheelchair doxie Joie,I came to understand the meaning of compassion in a whole new way too.

This is what animals are all about – they have such amazing lessons to teach us if we can get out of our own way and be open to their life altering teachings. Simon did that for me, just like my dogs have done, and continue to do too.

While I am so sad for the loss of Simon and will miss seeing photos of him and hearing his bray and his stories, I am so grateful to have known him through Jon’s sharing in his writing and photos.

Simon will live on in the hearts of so many and I actually consider him a hero because of the wisdom he brought to so many.

Rest in peace, sweet, dear, donkey, Simon. You will never be forgotten.