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Two New Drinking Water Purification Solutions. One’s a Game-Changer.

/ Nature / By / Leave a Comment

Because I like to go on walkabouts from time to time, which often means an unplanned, unresearched trip that could land me anywhere in the world, one of the top, always-pack items I take is some kind of water filtration gadget. My go-to for a long time has been the LifeStraw 22 oz, BPA-free filtration bottle. I love it. Easy to use and works great.

But I’m always keeping my eye out for what’s coming down the pike with water … Read More

Should I Get a Mini Australian Shepherd or a Regular Standard Australian Shepherd? What Are the Differences?

/ Cait and Me, Dogs in General / By / 44 Comments

Mini Australian ShepherdI cannot tell a lie. I’m wavering. I’d initially wanted to wait at least a year before bringing another dog into my life. I’m blaming it all on my daughter, Cait.

She’s been having me look at Aussies in Rescue and Shelters for her. She’s thinking she wants a Mini Aussie with a tail. Specifically a Mini Aussie Blue Merle. This is the girl she has her heart set on. She’s also thinking smaller is better for apartment living.

Looking … Read More

How to Disable and Remove Important Labels in Gmail

/ Tech Tips & Product Reviews / By / 24 Comments

Depending on the email client you use, you may see every and I do mean ev-er-y single email marked with a bright yellow IMPORTANT  label. It’s maddening to keep unchecking them to only have the next email reappear as important. Again.

Here’s the only fix that works to stop Gmail from marking all emails as important.

If you don’t want emails getting marked as important, go to mail settings > inbox  – disable Importance markers, and then set up a … Read More

A Conundrum

/ Nature / By / Leave a Comment

Cheeky little fellow. Without dogs or cats to scare him away, he’s happy to hang out on our front porch and take in the sights.

chipmunk on porch

Our front and back yard are now overflowing with chipmunks who’ve moved in. Which presents a conundrum. Do I take a live-and-let-live policy (as has been my policy with all outdoor animals) and leave them alone? Or do I find a way to actively move them along? I don’t need more burrowing or house-entering critters.… Read More

Wonder How Long…

/ My Dogs and Me / By / Leave a Comment

…it will take before seeing an open gate will no longer trigger a reflexive heart-clutching moment?

open gate

It’s been 3 months since Wink joined the rest of our animal family on the other side.

When they were all here, if I’d come upon a gate left open like this, I’d have somebody’s head for being so unconscious. That’s after I’d have spent the next few hours chasing dogs down the street while screaming at cars to slow down, and running through … Read More

How to Tell if Pavement is Too Hot for Your Dog’s Paws

/ Dogs in General / By / Leave a Comment

When Are Sidewalks and Roads Too Hot for Your Dog’s Paws?

The Seven-Second Test

There’s a simple seven-second test to check whether the pavement is too hot for your pet’s paws. Just touch the pavement with the back of your hand for seven seconds.

temperature sign

If you can’t hold your hand there for the full seven seconds, then it’s also too hot for your dog’s paws. Same difference, if you walk barefoot and can’t tolerate the pavement heat, neither can your … Read More

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