A friend of mine, Kevin Molony, got a Golden Retriever a year ago. He named him “Latti” after superstar running back Marcus Lattimore. After all, this dog ran everywhere he went, whether outdoors or in.
They are still and silent. They watch from twig-tossed nests cradled in the gnarly arms of live oak trees. Every year they gather together in rookeries in the parks along the water at Charleston’s Battery on the southernmost tip of the peninsula. The...
Before 1970, 20 million companion pets were euthanized annually in shelters across the United States. Today, that number is less than 6 million. A mindset shift is largely responsible. When pet owners are proactive about preventing births, far fewer...
My friend Shannon started an ambitious diet and exercise program a few months ago. She has been talking to me about her progress, and I thought that her experience making would be helpful to others making similar behavior changes.
Last year, 1,682 cats died at the Aiken County Shelter, and it is “kitten season” again, which means that there are babies everywhere, nearly all unwanted. A very few will be lucky and find good homes, but most of them will die; some...
One of the mysteries surrounding this beautiful native species involves a common name by which it sometimes goes, “Horsefly weed.” I don’t have a clue where this name comes from. If you know, please tell me; it’s probably a great...
We’re exploring one of life’s most important subjects – the topic of forgiveness. Yesterday we read Jesus’ injunction: if we bring a “gift at the altar” and remember that “your brother has something against...
Q: My husband and I walk in a public park in central Alabama where there are lots of gray squirrels. According to what I have read about eastern gray squirrels, it’s not uncommon for them to have “an occasional red tinge.”...
For many years, I have vacationed in the North Carolina mountains. A stay in the southern Appalachians is a wonderful way to beat some of the summer heat – last weekend, for example, the temperature there was nearly 20 degrees below what it was in...
Hosted by Retired Naval Captain George and Mrs. Barbara Zirps, six great friends went to Stoplight Deli on May 30, enjoying tall tales of iron men and wooden ships, among other topics. It was like old home week, with Clay Killian, James Crain, Tracy Smith and...
