My Mom and I were supposed to be packing up all the items we are donating for the Variety Sale being held as a fundraiser for Friends of Homeless Animals early in May, but it was too sunny and too warm ~ and so we drove out to the beautiful facility FOHA runs (near Middleburg). Ostensibly, the visit (which I suggested) was to show my Mom the dozens of wooded acres they have and how nice everyone is. The location is well-guarded, but I have been there before as a volunteer.
They have many wonderful kitties who are looking for homes. You can see videos of some of these kitties here. They also have scores of lovely dogs. Videos here. An almost complete list of the available dogs and cats is here.
I say "almost" because they took in two new friends just yesterday ~ two beautiful, well-mannered, sweet and loving German shepherd dogs. A 20-minute visit turned into two hours, and included nice walks in the woods with both of the German shepherds. The hard part -- the hardest part -- was saying goodbye.
We are both hoping it won’t be for very long.
It’s been just over a year since my adored Madison the German shepherd went across the Rainbow Bridge.
Tonight, I wanted to memorialize some other community friends who have made the journey since then.
As high uintas wrote in my diary on April 3, 2008 about the death of Madison:
People are fickle creatures with short memories compared to our fur friends. How many times have you read of a dog who refused to leave his master's grave, or gave up and died because of the loss of their beloved human?
People don't do that. That's not to make light of our losses. I still cry for every pet I've lost, but I move on.
When an animal gives it's heart it will suffer anything for the touch of your hand. Will wait forever for you to return, refuse food and water, waiting.
It's a gift to the creatures that they leave before us, it's the only way that they can abandon us.
high uintas
Amen.
Tonight, we remember and honor:
Grady,beloved companion of RenaRF.
Tessa, beloved companion of sj.
Kobe, beloved companion of leftover.
Alsaan’s Raffon, beloved companion of BOHICA.
Bessie, beloved companion of Asinus Asinum Fricat.
Midas, beloved companion of kktlaw.
Jake the Wonder Dog, beloved companion of juslikagrzly.
Jake, beloved companion of Sally Lambert.
Sallah, beloved companion of JD SoOR.
Ajax, beloved companion of MKS.
The Hoondt, beloved companion of BirderWitch.
Mobley, beloved companion of Redstateresident.
Nemo, beloved companion of frsbdg.
Zinah, beloved companion of BARAKABETH.
Max, beloved companion of browneyes, who also recently lost Tiger.
SpaceDawg, beloved companion of SmartAleq.
Mattie, beloved companion of benny05.
Ludwig, beloved companion of Light Emitting Pickle.
Quentin, beloved companion of Floja Roja.
Maggie, beloved companion of Casperr.
Cain, beloved companion of lvv.
Mickey, beloved companion of Ekaterin.
Inca, beloved companion of mlharges.
Maggie, beloved companion of joyful.
Little Guy, beloved companion of exmearden.
Gypsy, beloved companion of lcork.
Gertie, beloved companion of tgypsy.
And, of course, my beloved Madison the German shepherd:
Please consider adopting a shelter dog or cat. And please support your local shelters. Every bag of food, every towel, every dollar means so much to a precious friend, yearning for a forever home.
Thank you so very much.
______________________________________________________________________
Tonight’s Top Comments!
First, a few that came in past the 9:30 EST deadline last night:
From nailbender
From David Waldman’s Front Page post about the smugly stupid question of Joe Barton (R-Idiot) to Nobel winner Secretary Chu, that revealed the depth and profundity of Barton's ignorance, MKSinSA manages to slay Barton, Bush and the Texas educational system in one swell foop
From dabug
skippythebox reminds us what we need to do to maintain our humanity in DemMarineVet’s excellent diary about the WWII interrogators‘ take on the current torture "debate."
And from today!
From NWTerriD
This great comment from MadScientist pointing out the flaw in the progressive insistence that torture was not necessary
From millwood
I found comment from ben masel funny.
From sboucher
blue aardvark’s correction to his prize horse in buhdydharma’s Ask a Kossack.
Bowing and scraping in the direction of brillig, who provided Tonight’s Top Mojo! (With an assist from html emperor sardonyx!) You both rock!
Top 30 (plus ties) Comments excluding search-identifiable tip jars and first
comments:
1) and the truth will send a lot by sara seattle — 109
2) Torture was necessary by MadScientist — 107
3) deending on whether by Turkana — 96
4) I never thought I'd say this, but by FrostyKotex — 91
5) Yes, the cat is finally out of the bag. by HoundDog — 74
6) Bybee is evil rot as a judge. But the impact by chrississippi — 69
7) What He's Refering to By Mentioning Banality by Dana Houle — 69
8) Bill Maher explains it beautifully... by Jimdotz — 68
9) When some folks ask where the Palesintian Ghandi by capelza — 66
10) Standard procedure: by haruki — 64
11) Thanks for the call by Dallasdoc — 63
12) I know people who were personal friends of Bassem by Tom J — 61
13) Thanks for lifting up Palestinian nonviolence by Robert Naiman — 60
14) Yeah, asshole by Otteray Scribe — 60
15) NIce diary and remembrance by DelicateMonster — 57
16) I guess that's what it all boils down to. by mcjoan — 55
17) Exactly that teacherken by truong son traveler — 54
18) Both should be on the rec list. by AmbroseBurnside — 52
19) This is gonna be key in the end by ratmach — 52
20) Howdy, PWB Diary peoples.... by triciawyse — 52
21) Shouldn't they be in a "free speech zone" by rhetoricus — 52
22) this is one reason bloggers against torture by Patriot Daily News Clearinghouse — 51
23) don't forget about our own David Kay... by ImpeachKingBushII — 50
24) very sad by FireCrow — 50
25) and why was it built in this village? by Tom J — 49
26) You honored her well by Sandy on Signal — 49
27) I so admire Hans Blix by Leap Year — 47
28) Thank you! by Colorado is the Shiznit — 46
29) Cory helping me work by mlharges — 46
30) There is nothing in this story by ramara — 45
31) Blessed are the peacemakers for they will by MagisterLudi — 45
32) Consumers have helped drive the recovery by blue jersey mom — 45
33) I recognize Chu's expression by dmsilev — 45
34) Call me the eternal optimist, however I truly by funluvn1 — 45
Top 30 comments with no exclusions:
1) Tips for a Special Prosecutor, by Colorado is the Shiznit — 686
2) I will hold the CIA to the motto at Langley by teacherken — 417
3) Tipz for the humanz. by One Pissed Off Liberal — 279
4) tips by dday — 279
5) Tips for the Peace Train... by Tom J — 264
6) tips by thereisnospoon — 264
7) Sneeze here by MrMichaelMT — 255
8) Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! by juliewolf — 172
9) Tips by Trix — 164
10) Tip Jar by Jerome a Paris — 147
11) and the truth will send a lot by sara seattle — 109
12) Torture was necessary by MadScientist — 107
13) hey Ill tip and rec by Lady Libertine — 102
14) Coleman by indepenocrat — 100
15) Tip Jar by dmsilev — 99
16) deending on whether by Turkana — 96
17) I never thought I'd say this, but by FrostyKotex — 91
18) Tip jar by devtob — 87
19) Tip jar by Christian Dem in NC — 78
20) Tips for Dan, by Chacounne — 76
21) Yes, the cat is finally out of the bag. by HoundDog — 74
22) Come on people -- we are doing it fucking live! by Scout Finch — 70
23) Bybee is evil rot as a judge. But the impact by chrississippi — 69
24) What He's Refering to By Mentioning Banality by Dana Houle — 69
25) Bill Maher explains it beautifully... by Jimdotz — 68
26) When some folks ask where the Palesintian Ghandi by capelza — 66
27) Standard procedure: by haruki — 64
28) Tip jar... by G2geek — 64
29) Thanks for the call by Dallasdoc — 63
30) Kibbles/Quibbles by FlCarat — 63
Got a top comment? Send it in! Forward it (along with your screen name) to top comments at gmail dot com before 9:30 p.m. EST. Thanks!