My vet has a little plastic bag at the counter with something scrawled in pen on it. The pen hadn’t adhered well to the plastic, and I didn’t pay it much attention – until I saw something squirm. My eye shot to decipher the writing. “Tick from cat.” Oh great. It was not even Easter yet. With the mild winter we have had, unlike last year where the ice just kept coming, the ticks and the mosquitoes are starting to buzz around, albeit not all the time. They just start to get moving again, and then we have another cold night. They seem to be all congregating in the woods, from what I can tell. “Everything season” has just began and it looks like its going to be a bumper crop.
“I know this might be disturbing,” the receptionist said, “But it seems to be an effective way to warn people. People don’t always read signs, but bugs make them jump.” The Ziplock had the little creepy crawly well contained with plenty of air. Even so, a tick “in captivity” is just not endearing in any way. In fact, there was a duo. One bag was at each end of the counter just to ensure no one missed the point.
If you are worried about your dog or cat right now, you at least have some control keeping them in the house and out of the woods – in a perfect world.
When a dog or cat is in the shelter, they are a sitting target for everything that came in on everyone else that walks through the door. If you have an extra few spare dollars and didn’t want to write a check, you can find deals at petsmart right now on some preventatives online. If you give to a licensed non profit, you can actually write the donation off as well. (Disclaimer: I am not an accountant, but “in kind” merchandise donations often qualify.)
Sentry spray for your home, at upper right, is $15.99, down from $19.99. It has natural ingredients, such as peppermint oil if you prefer a more natural approach. If you prefer Frontline, the feline variety is $20.00 off – $84.99 versus $104.99 for a 6 pack. It can be divided up to protect 6 shelter cats for 30 days. If the flea and tick population is at bay in the shelter, the more positive the experience for a potential adopter coming to view the animals. Reaction to flea allergies and also tick diseases can be uncomfortable and even deadly.
Don’t let the cool damp air at night fool you. They’re BAAAAAAAAACKKKK
On the 1800Flowers website, type in CHRMAS15 for 15% off holiday flowers and gifts, or XMASTEN for $10 a Christmas or holiday purchase of $59.99 or more. FTD currently is offering 25% a fall rose bouquet in a pumpkin planter, and up to 25% off select arrangement in honor of their 75th anniversary. No code is needed, but you’ll have to order by the end of the day on the Thanksgiving to take advantage of the offer. Many items are not shipped, but rather delivered by the recipient’s local florist.
Sometimes, you can get discounts for items that you use everyday, or at least periodically, in the unlikeliest of places. When I think of pet products, Drugstore.com is the last site on my mind. Upon investigation, they carry Pet-ease tablets and even some orthopedic beds. I don’t use them very often, but I have given my dogs Pet-ease tablets during stressful transitions. They contain amino acids rather than medications and they seem to work. Your dog is not looped out in the least. Right now, on Drugstore.com its 3.99, on sale from the usual $5.99.
A few years ago, I was introduced to Lush cosmetics through a friend who had Lush products on her Secret Santa Christmas list. When I ordered, I couldn’t help but take a whiff of the bath bombs. They practically smell like something you’d eat or put out for potpourri—but not smelly and overly flowery, just something that you would want to have out. There is just no comparison when it comes to comparing them to perusing the plastic containers of bath goods at the drug store. What’s more, is that Lush doesn’t perform any animal testing. Rather, they use all human volunteers to test their products to see if they like the smell, the lather and if it irritates them. They fill out a thorough survey and return it, where doctors, among others, review and recommend the product for reformulation, introduction to the market, or cancellation. It’s not a radical philosophy. For folks who think that animal testing is a “so what,” Lush says:
Dad is easy and impossible to buy for at the same time when it comes to his birthday of Father’s Day. His socks are really popped off by a few golf balls or a small tub of chocolate coated popcorn, but sometimes it just doesn’t fee like enough. Maybe it is, but I just feel so outdone by my siblings all the time who sometimes go in on something big. Since F.D. is kind of a “Hallmark Holiday,” I usually don’t go too crazy. It got me thinking about how I lived far away from my dad for more or less ten years. Sure the cards were okay, and I thought that was fine, but I didn’t realize the thing he would have really liked and that was to have me around. It didn’t mean I had to move back in with mom and dad, or even see him on the exact day, but at least knowing I was in the area or could see him once in awhile would mean more than an expensive knick knack.
THE CONCLUSION:
For the past two weeks, I have been in dire need of an ink cartridge. I am never buying an inkjet printer again. My next will be a Laser, as I could have purchased one three or four times over with the periodic restocking of ink. While I explored the idea of a refurbished, refilled cartridge, a leftover balance on a gift card enticed me to check out a certain retailer’s website (I will reveal it later later.)
I live in a town now where there is a Leader Dogs organization. Every so once in awhile, you can see little fluffy “Leader Dogs in Training” walking around town in their bandannas. There are many people in the area who open their homes as puppy raisers, and donate monetarily as well. The organization is heavily support by the Lions club, who also have other vision related charitable programs. They always collect eyeglasses to send around the world to those it would make a difference too. Some people, including children, have severe vision limitations that do not cause them to be blind, but limit their ability to be successful at work and at school.