Claws often come out when we all have to turn back time this weekend. It’s exceptionally difficult for our Nancy Turner who faces a feline uprising every fall. Perhaps their yowls, however, led her into this meditation and greater good.

Earlier this month, Tom Peterson posted what the Walldogs are up to now. It’s titled “Little Art City Strikes Again with Umatilla House Restoration.” Simultaneously I was organizing a dozen friends to do a walking tour of murals in the east end of The Dalles. A moment of synchronicity.

The plan was for the rescue dog I’d chosen to be crammed in a crate and driven by van from Texas to The Dalles. The first text message I received from the Mutts and Meows Rescue in Missouri City, Texas, said they were departing from Texas on Sunday, then it was changed to Monday morning, then to late Monday afternoon. After a flurry of text messages, they reported the van left on Monday evening.

It pains me to read about people starving in countries in Africa and in Gaza. News is overwhelming. Besides human suffering, many pets are devastated. Local posts on Facebook and other social media do a noble job of alerting us to lost pets or those needing new homes.

I recently came across my notes from a ceremony I attended more than twenty years ago. I’ll share my recollections with you. Remembering this couple and how they lived through a time of intolerance to a time when they could openly celebrate their union, gives me hope.

The opposite of this concern for others is indifference. If you find yourself thinking, “Oh, that’s just the way it is and there’s nothing I can do about it,” you’ll feel worse. Don’t let yourself go down that rabbit hole. It’s time for a change.

When the temperature dropped from 105 to 85 degrees the other day, I did a little gardening. I got tired and really sweaty. It's too hot to do anything outside. We should be resting, not working. My best models of how to rest are cats. They lounge around, confident we are working to provide their shelter and food. They don't even read a book or watch Netflix

Think about what freedoms you cherish and which ones we don't care about. Maybe, in the future, instead of lighting fireworks we'll get a bang out of dinner parties and street dances. Rather than the sounds of a war zone, we'll hear music. Let's start with 'Give Peace  A Chance.'

Need a mouser? Spring brings a new litter. The good news is that Trap-Neuter-Return, (TNR) is a proven method to manage overpopulation of feral cats. We can alleviate suffering by assisting Sally’s Cat Fund. And these felines could really use a barn.

Along with working to get her body back to normal, Peggy works on getting our earth back to normal. In the Gorge, we live in farm country. The use of pesticides is prolific.

There is no quit in Hood River legend Peggy Lalor. The Gorge Games founder has fought her way back from a near-death experience when she was hit by a car while riding her bike in Calgary in 2010. The physical challenges of recovery seem to have made her even more steadfast as she pushes forward on her goal of improving the planet.

I reluctantly woke up and marveled that such a peaceful image had come to me. My inner dream maker had given me a gift that transcended rational thought or words. I spontaneously started humming the Beatles’ song, “When in times of trouble, Mother Mary comes to me, speaking words of wisdom: Let it be. Let it be.”

On Toby’s twenty-first birthday, his surgeon removed his diseased colon and pulled his upper intestine down to form what was called a “W” pouch, a make-do replacement for the colon. From the hospital bed, Toby, with his rye sense of humor, cracked, “Shouldn’t I be out cruising the bars?” 

Years ago, as fall menaced the skies with rain in Portland, I interrupted my dinner preparations to answer the phone. It was my twenty-year-old son, Toby, calling from Eugene.  In my habitual good cheer, I asked, “How you doing?” Silence drained the line. With the weakness of a starving kitten, he said, “Not so good.” 

“My god, it’s raining cats and dogs! What do you think? Shall we go?” I asked the trio poised silently beside me. Four-year-old Elena quipped, “I don’t see any cats and dogs… I whispered, “We need to be quiet, everybody. No talking. Got that, Angela? Toby, you hold her hand. I'll take Elena. Ready? When we get to the end of the dock, we’ll light the candles and put the rafts in the river.”

Whenever we consider a change in our lives, even a positive one, we encounter the paradox of transformation. On one hand, we are on familiar ground. It may not be the best, but it’s what we’re used to. When we think of making a change, we run the risk of losing our stable ground. We tend to settle for what is familiar. Why rock the boat?

Bob and Evelyn look like ordinary folks. Don’t be fooled.  Sure, they raised two daughters. The Brockman’s house and yard are well kept and the neighbors never complain about them. You’d never suspect they have a secret obsessive interest, mostly hidden from the public eye. 

Watching chickens go about their daily business of strutting, tilting their heads just so, to one side, then the other, and earnestly pecking at a particular spot, entertained me to no end. I could stand, leaning against the fence railing, and watch for long stretches of time. It was impossible for me to feel bad about myself around chickens.

For thirty years Steve Hinatsu- a 1972 Wahtonka High Grad - was a coach, referee, and volunteer in other sports besides football here in The Dalles. He likes the friendliness of The Dalles. And, it is a town that has shown that providing a good school environment helps raise educated, caring, responsible adults.

Gabriel Prado has made a career of serving others both in his service in the Marine Corps and now as a nurse. The lifelong learner spent his seminal years in The Dalles Schools and graduated from TDHS in 2000. It was from this foundation he developed compassion for others and decided The Dalles was a great place to call home.