Don’t Eat the Dog Food

Our second-youngest child, Daniel, has always been pleasant and easy-going, even as a baby. His eyes are still twinkling and a slight smile graces his face. Most troubles seem to just roll off his back, and his small smile often changes into a mischievous grin as he sits back on the fringes of our family……

My Dog Is Brilliant Enough To Act Dumb

If we could only outsmart our intelligent chocolate lab, all would be well.

Worth Revisiting: The True Story of the Sly Fox

Remember those fables you were told as a child about the sly fox and the dumb chicken or goose? Well, they are based on fact, hard, cold facts. No word better described our intelligent, resident fox. Red consistently fooled our dumb guard dog by laying his foxy scent in pointless circles. He knew  Shadow, our dog,……

Worth Revisiting: Our Dog is BRILLANT Enough to Act Dumb

Our supposedly untrained chocolate lab is brilliant enough to act dumb when it suits him. We adopted Duke (Marmaduke) when he was nine months and he stubbornly clings to several bad habits  that are just too much fun for him but a pain in the neck for us. For example,  he constantly leaps up literally in my face, to……

It Really is Time for a Laugh

Animals images are the perfect foil for cryptic or funny satire because the combination softens the ironic punch by making us laugh but will still get the point. Other times putting human insights on animal photos simply makes us laugh because they are probably true! So no more prattle, simply enjoy and laugh or at……

The Dangers of Techno Pacifiers

For most modern families living in apartments, townhouses, or even the suburbs, it takes a conscious effort to ensure little ones connect with nature and animals and, as a result, connect with God. Nature is suffused with the Presence of the Creator because God sustains and controls nature. It seems to me children need to……

Canadian Backwood’s Butchers

When I asked this burly, backwood’s family of butchers if they would like a cup of tea, I was greeted with a roar of laughter as they toasted me with their morning coffee laced with whiskey. Our poultry live happy, free-range lives until B Day This tale of the chickens’ demise started out innocently enough.……

Oopsy Daisy

Life at the Juneau’s farmhouse was often overwhelming with eleven personalities living, working and playing together. Luckily, Melanie had a wicked sense of humour and just enough grace to remain serene in the eye of the hurricane, the CEO of a chaotic domain. She has written hundreds of short stories, insights and articles which only……

Winter Will be Fun They Said….

After 25 cm of snow dumped overnight, followed frigid temperatures, it is time to laugh in the face of winter.

“Don’t Let the Dog In and Don’t Let Daniel Out!!”

Life was especially chaotic after the birth of our eighth and ninth children because everyone was still fourteen and under. It was difficult to keep a sharp eye out for my new bundle of energy.  Daniel was a real handful as a baby and a little kid. With his little eyebrows lifted up in surprise, his…

A Loveable, Annoying Pet

Shadow was the most quirky, amusing and utterly annoying pet we have ever owned. A drooling, big black lab mix with overgrown feet and an overgrown personality, Shadow was an integral part of my children’s lives for 13 years. This dog grew up with cats.They could cuddle up beside him or lay on top of him and……

Even Pets Can Have Chores

No able-bodied human or animal would live in my house without contributing in some way to our household Our pet guinea pig pushed his luck one day when I discovered why Guinea pigs are called PIGS. It is because they eat just like real pigs that's why. I was losing patience with ours; every time…

Need a Smile?

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Not a Fairytale: The Sly Fox

  Remember those fables you were told as a child about the sly fox and the dumb chicken or goose? Well they are based on fact, hard cold facts. No word better describes our intelligent, resident fox. Red consistently fooled our dumb guard dog by laying his foxy scent in pointless circles. He knew that Shadow, our……

Our House and Cats

God loves kids and animals; animals and kids sense immediately when a home is permeated with Love and the Spirit of God. Our House Lyrics by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. From My Girl 2 Our house is a very, very fine house With two cats in the yard Life used to be so hard Now everything is……

Dogs With Personality Disorders?

Were we crazy to keep theses canine misfits? Definitely. Perhaps only a family with nine kids, pets, farm animals and wild pests could cope.  We often took in animals, usually dogs, who were suffering in the city. There was overweightt, depressed Buster, a Springer Spaniel, languishing in a garage during the day and crated during……

Milo the Bunny

Wordless Wednesday: Introducing our new pet, Milo, the intelligent bunny. I will let Milo speak for himself as he hops right into your heart. He will be the model for my kid's book about a Brave Bunny.

Operation Chicken

Every spring, once the chicks were old enough to lose their down  and get their feathers it was time to introduce them to life outdoors.  This was not an easy task because chickens are, well chicken! We were forced to literally pick up every single little chicken and throw them out the small door into…

Do All Dogs Go to Heaven?

People often wonder if animals have souls; if 'all dogs really go to heaven' . I don't know all the answers to these mysteries but I do know that our animals responded to prayer and to love, especially divine love. Local farmers were always amazed and delighted by the personality and affection our pets and…

A Cautionary Tale For All Cat Lovers

Inspire Me Monday Are you are an animal lover like me, especially when it comes to strays? Be forewarned! Just one piteous glance from a stray cat sends me scurrying for food, water and a comfy blanket, even if that stray is a mangy, flea-bitten, runny eyed, wild, tom cat. Well I think that after this…