Animal expert and author, Diana L. Guerrero shares her experiences during the recent cold snap in the mountains of southern California.
The weather is crip and cool. When I head out on my morning jaunt I usually just wear a t-shirt, but recently the crisp 30 degree weather has keep me in leggings and a sweatshirt.
The streams are still flowing and the snow is beginning to disappear even on the highest slopes. The joke around town is to ask if this is the end of the last winter or beginning of the next season.
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I can always tell when I've been working too much. One thing about emerging into public after a writing spell--I get jabber jaws! My poor neighbors...
Even so, the lock up has been good since I've managed to get some great quotes and am having fun coming up with some new titles for the chapters of my next book. Although I missed BEA in New York this year, I at least have something to show for it here.
It makes more sense for me to go next year instead. In the meantime, I found out a pal won the IPPY Award and that some of my favorite people were busy networking and meeting other movers and shakers. *sigh* I've been attending over the past three years and need to quit sulking.
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My bird still wants to nest. She can get quite crazy this time of year. The plants ARE crazy, too. My walks get earlier and earlier since waiting any later means that I get to see all the bushes and trees throwing out their pollen and seeds. My sinuses don't like that one bit.
The pine trees now have small buds that will turn into pinecones in the near future. The flowers are blooming on the hillside and the baby birds are making tons of noise when their parents arrive with the birdie snacks.
Speaking of arrival noises: My pal Otis, a big St. Bernard down the street, whines if I don't stop and greet him in the morning. One of the local papers wrote a nice story about my animal adventures. I really do know more animals across town than humans! It is great that they seek out my company even though I am am often covered with dog slobber or dirt by the time I get home.
Yesterday I got to be Auntie Diana to a new bookstore kitten. I went in for a visit and instead found myself working and playing with the young feline. Babies are always so cute but he is another victim of irresponsible pet ownership...a lucky guy since he was adopted by a loving human. Not all spring kittens luck out.
Speaking of cats: I got a crazy call over the weekend from someone needing to place his nine tigers and one lioness. Wild cats are a BIG responsibility even for professionals. Although this guy claimed to be a professional, I soon found out he had numerous USDA violations and was up for a court appearance on charges related to his animals.
If that wasn't bad enough, the animals were in substandard conditions, he owed thousands of dollars to a fencing company AND had three bite incidents (when an animal bites a human) just in the last year!
So how did he find me? He called because a colleague gave him my number...which was unfortunate because the guy called excessively and then he didn't tell me the truth--I found out by researching the situation.
ANYWAY, the word is that the animals are going to be placed elsewhere and he will not get them back. Sounds like a good thing to me!
