Everybody who knows me even a little understands my love affair with animals, and most lately with dogs. My facebook page always shows dogs or grandkids, depending on who's being the cutest. I have also written a lot about cats. And most recently vultures.It depends on who shows up at my doorstep. Animals are always key characters in my stories.
The chapter in The Last Skipjack that describes the Irish setter found by Celie and Frank is a true story from my own past. You don't often find a gorgeous, abandoned Irish Setter when you're a kid. For Celie, it begins her desire to pursue a career as a helper. For me, it was just one incident in a long series of animal rescues that has continued throughout my life.
Ask my kids, all of who have been blessed with a rescue animal of mine at one time or another. Fortunately, hubby is even a worse sucker than I am. Latest text from him: "did you buy meat for Gimpy?" That's the injured vulture who, by the way, appears again in my side yard, sometimes days apart, still hopping, still hissing at Lola for trying to eat his food. And yes, Owl Moon keeps trying to capture him.