How does it happen that an innocent picture sparks a firestorm of sorts? All I did was post a picture of a deer on my Facebook page, and Wham! It's knockout time! The picture was a little out of focus because it had been taken through the window of my living room. A young buck was standing in my front yard, head up, as if he had posed just for me. He was facing another young buck out on the road, although that one is not visible in the picture. Before I could get a picture of the other buck, they both turned and left. No conflict, no disagreement, not even any posturing or pawing the ground. A total contrast to what happened when my friends saw the picture.

At any rate, when I uploaded the picture to my computer, I thought it was just different enough that some of my FB friends would enjoy it; so I posted it. Big mistake. That a picture of a deer can provoke political name calling, hate mongering, and cursing is beyond my understanding, but that is what happened.

My friends are not, and never have been, limited to one particular group, be it political, religious, relatives, or neighbors. I like them all; some I love, and I never use that word lightly. I enjoy the different points of view that my friends offer, even if I don't always agree. But I do not stop liking someone just because we disagree in our politics. Sometimes, I even listen to the "other side." Although most of my friends would call me a liberal, I try to choose what's right. That's right as in correct, not right as in politically on the right.

Maybe that's why it's so hard to understand what has happened. I guess I should be thankful that not much of the invective was aimed directly at me. And thank you to those whose comments focused on the picture itself.

Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving to anyone who may read this post. I hope your day was wonderful, filled with friends and family and good food.

We spent the day at my nephew's house; he and his wife put on quite a dinner. Turkey, ham (Dan's secret recipe), stuffing, mashed potatoes, candied sweet potatoes, corn, rolls, and appetizers, too. Then came coffee and dessert for those who could still manage a bite or two. But the best part was spending the day with people we don't get to see as often as we would like. It's a time to catch up, to talk about our kids, grandkids, and great-grandkids; to find out what's new in their world.

After clearing off the table, the younger, more energetic family members spread out several newspapers on the smooth surface and plan their attack on Black Friday. We older family members, just shake our heads, get another piece of pie, and continue our catching up. We are much too worldly-wise to go out to the stores on Black Friday. Or maybe we're just getting too old.

Friends, and Other Ruminations about Dogs

It has been quite a while since my last blog. There has been too much to do, too many commitments, and never enough time. Today, I have taken a different outlook. There is still too much to do, but I expect the time to expand to accommodate everything that needs to be done. This also means I can't lollygag around, but need to keep doing.

Because I have been having a hard time coming up with something to write about, I thought I would write about one of my favorite subjects -- dogs. Recently, I happened to catch the tail end of an interview with a Ph.D. who specialized in dog behavior, and it made me start to really think about these wonderful creatures.

Those who know me, know that I have always been a dog person. I like cats, too, and most, if not all, other animals, but dogs will always hold the top spot in my heart. It is amazing what dogs can do: they love us unconditionally, live in the moment, and never tire of seeing us, or being around us. There is so much we don't know about them; while they seem to know everything about us. I believe we have only scratched the surface with our knowledge and understanding of dogs and their abilities. Dogs help people to see, to hear and to get around. They protect us, herd our cattle and sheep, guard our livestock, teach us to read, sniff out drugs and cancer, predict seizures, pull our sleds and save us from drowning. They will be our constant companions, listen patiently to all our complaints and woes and even learn stupid pet tricks if we ask them.

Of course, along with all the benefits of dogs comes the responsibilities. This is where we have let these wonderful creatures down. A lot of us refuse to teach dogs manners so that they are good company. Some humans train them to kill, whether it be other dogs or even humans. Other people turn a dog out when they no longer want it or can care for it. They need to know that there are groups willing to help them with these unwanted or unmanageable dogs. Other dog owners will relieve their frustrations by beating their dog.

Then there are the people who run puppy mills. This is the worst kind of abuse a human can inflict on a dog. If we would stop buying that cute little puppy in the pet store window, we could cut down on the cruelty of puppy mills. We need to look to reputable breeders for our puppies, or to rescue organizations like Best Friends' Dogtown. I think I read that over 3 million dogs are intentionally destroyed each year. Puppy mills are a big cause of this horrible statistic. And don't get me started on designer dogs -- we could be here all night. A so-called designer dog is just a mixed breed that costs a lot of money, as opposed to getting a mixed breed from a rescue organization.

By now, you are probably convinced that I am a dog person. But if you aren't, and happen to see me out and about, you may be lucky enough to meet Tater. He will surely convince you.