Sunday, April 21, 2013

Jumping Chollas Dog Agility

Jumping Chollas* Dog Agility Club 

April Show in Cottonwood, AZ

A-Frame  - Top of the mountain!
Tunnel - Great exercise for dog and trainer


T-Shirt of the Day "Your Dog Doesn't Know Sit"
Dog getting his chicken after a great performance.    


  


The Dog Agility trial was fun to watch, but the owners and dogs seemed to be having more fun than the spectators. 

For the average dog owner seeing dogs of all sizes and breeds off leash knowing which jumps, tunnels, or obstacles to take, in what order, by watching their owners would have seemed amazing. But these ordinary dogs, some rescue dogs, where having a ball.

 Even when a dog didn't perform a perfect run the owner praised their buddy. 

When a dog did exceptionally well, everyone yelled, "Chicken Run!" indicating that that dog would get special treats.

The enthusiasm was infectious. This competition that was about doing well not winning.

*If you don't know what chollas are:


They're pretty, but get too close and you'll be jumping.

Thursday, April 11, 2013

Doggy Fashion Show

Doggy Fashion Show on April 6th
with pet parents glitzed in finery from Sugar's on Main.








Rescue Therapy Dog has logged 1.800 miles on a motorcycle.

   

Nadia Caillou, Golden Bone co-owner with her rescue Bichon,
Nadia has over 30 years experience helping distressed animals and pet owners, shelters and pounds overcome problem behavior in animals. 


The lovey Emma was accompanied by
Ronni Ann Hall, aka the Designing Fairy, 
dog, bird, and tortoise mom, 
intuitive empath and storyteller/artist. 


 The show ended with cake and a visit from Claymore, 
the town's new
police officer in training.

Saturday, April 6, 2013

New Map for My Fantasy Town - Shipsfeather, Ohio

New Map


When I began writing The Shapeshifters’ Library series I realized that like any fantasy universe, my world I needed maps and drawings to keep my imaginary town consistent.

I could visualize the library and the town, but as characters moved around  Shipsfeather, Ohio readers might also want a map. And I needed to keep my descriptions consistent.


I drew sketches of the town and then began to make the library more real, So much of both Released and Retrieved take place in the former shapeshifter academy turned into public library. The lovely old domed building is remodeled into a high tech modern library without losing the charm of the original building.


In Retrieved, as my dog-shifters and werewolves spread out in a wider area over the town, a new map was needed as they excavate a ancient mound, endure a Survival test, and run and swim a Quadrathlon. And then, there's the location of the werewolves bookburning ceremonies.
 
 My talented friend Beth Bass, who loves fantasy, offered to turn my sketches into real drawings, forcing me to be even more specific about the town.
 
In Released, the town library burns and instead of rebuilding, the town buys a cursed academy on the river considered haunted by the local residents. As Liberty Cutter explores the building, she meets Chronus an Old English Sheepdog who begins to talk to her. As he tells her about the dog-shifters she learns hundreds of dog-shifters still live and work in levels below the library, unable to leave due to a curse by book burning werewolves. She accepts his stories of shifter magic reluctantly as she is brought into their world.

What isn’t included is the deeper levels. Below the library are more levels where the shifters live.They have a research library, gyms, spas, cafeterias, medical facilities, living quarters, and everyone’s favorite – the Starbarks cafĂ©. The details of these levels I’ve left to the readers’ imaginations.


Hope you all enjoy visiting Shipsfeather.
Thanks again to Beth for the wonderful drawings.

See the other maps and floorplans.