High Coo – Oct 22 – National Make a Dog’s Day

Four years ago, automaker Subaru and the ASPCA teamed up to establish National Make a Dog’s Day. As the promotors explain:

“Dogs are now an integral part of our lives for most of us. They are among the most popular, misused, and underappreciated pets worldwide. A dog is intelligent, can follow instructions, and will stay loyal until the end. National Make a Dog’s Day is about spending time with our dogs and encouraging people to provide better conditions for all dogs. We must make sure that every dog has a forever home.” https://nationaltoday.com/national-make-a-dogs-day/

“How can you tell if a dog is happy? A high and waggy tail, floppy ears, relaxed body, playfulness, etc., are a few signs that the dog is happy.” Check out https://nationaltoday.com/national-make-a-dogs-day/

Here’s today’s haiku: Make a Dog’s Day

if you have a dog

you already know – if not,

foster one today

High Coo – Oct 21 – National Pets for Veterans Day

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https://spiritoftheholidays.org/cause-holidays/national-pets-for-veterans-day/

Today’s holiday emphasizes the mental health benefits pets can provide to all, especially veterans.

As noted on the Pets for Vets website (https://www.petsforvets.com/)

“He’s more than just a friend. He’s my battle buddy. He’s my left hand. We’re connected by a leash, but it’s really our umbilical cord. He’s sometimes more tuned into me than I’m tuned into me. He knows more about me than I do sometimes. He lets me know what’s going on.”
– Adam

Animals improve their (human companions’) lives in countless, remarkable ways.

Strengthen Social Connections
Increase Mental Well-Being
Enhance Emotional Health
Encourage Physical Fitness
Ease Loneliness
Improve Relationships
Overcome Trauma
Boost Confidence
Raise Self-Esteem
Gain a New Perspective

Today’s haiku: National Pets for Veterans Day

we all need a friend

find a friend at the shelter

and let them love you

https://www.petsforvets.com/about-clarissa-black

High Coo – Oct 20 – National Day On Writing

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For eleven years now, the National Council of Teachers of English has celebrated a National Day On Writing. In a 2018 position paper, the group updated their definitions of writing, writers and the principles and purposes for writing. For example:

Principle 3.2: Writers grow when they broaden their repertoire, and when they refine their judgment in making choices with their repertoire.

Writers need models and strategies—to find topics, issues, and questions to write about, to revise, to contextualize and connect their piece with others, to give and receive feedback. However, collecting those strategies is not enough; writers need practice not only in choosing a strategy to fit a particular purpose and context, but they also need practice in explaining why they made the choices they did.

See https://ncte.org/statement/teachingcomposition/.

I enjoy the challenge of seventeen-syllable haiku because the structure requires brevity. Someday I will attempt the Six-Word Story format. 🙂

Today’s haiku: On Writing

words, words and more words

often dilute our message –

simply, less is more

Learn more about this holiday at https://nationaltoday.com/national-day-on-writing/

High Coo – Oct 19 – Walking Dogs

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Each Wednesday morning, I walk dogs at Stray Rescue STL in downtown St. Louis, MO. The facility is full and the staff appreciate any volunteer help they receive to provide the dogs exercise, fresh air and TLC while their individual “apartments” are being cleaned.

Here are the five dogs I walked last Wednesday:

The Supreme – a 5-year-old female Terrier mix.

Coco – a 7-year-old male Retriever/Labrador mix

Wendy – a 9-year-old female Shepherd mix

Each were a delight to spend time with and would be a wonderful companion dog for a “furever” family.

As I head into the facility this morning, I’m hopeful that one or more may have been adopted in the past week but I know the odds are not in their favor. As much as I’d like to bring them home, we have already adopted four animals and anymore would be too much at this time.

Fortunately, Stray Rescue STL is a no-kill facility so they will continue to receive food, shelter and daily exercise until, someday, a very lucky human will recognize the canine companion that waits for them.

Please consider adopting or fostering a dog from your local shelter.

Today’s haiku: Dog Walking

people come and go

but a dog prefers to stay

with you forever

High Coo – Oct 18 – Happy Birthday Peter Boyle

High Coo – Oct 17 – Black Poetry Day

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Gorman in 2021 at the inauguration of Joe Biden delivering “The Hill We Climb“

Since 1985, October 17 has been celebrated as Black Poetry Day “to honor all the talented African American poets, both past and present. If you’re a literature enthusiast, poet, or writer — no matter your race — you’ll absolutely love Black Poetry Day where you can celebrate black heritage and history. Black Poetry Day is celebrated in commemoration of the birth of the man popularly referred to as the father of African American literature, Jupiter Hammon, the first published black poet in the United States of America.” See https://nationaltoday.com/black-poetry-day/

Famous black poets include Langston Hughes, Alice Walker, Maya Angelou and more recently Amanda Gorman, pictured above. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amanda_Gorman

Today’s humble haiku: Black Poetry Day

different voices

reveal a loving spectrum

for all to adore

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jupiter_Hammon#/media/File:An_Evening_Thought_-*Jupiter_Hammon*-_1761.jpg

High Coo – Oct 16 – Global Cat Day

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October 16 is Global Cat Day. Formerly known as National Feral Cat Day, the founding organization Alley Cat Allies (https://www.alleycat.org/) established the day in 2001 to promote awareness for saving community cat lives, preventing their harm and encouraging nonlethal neutering of cats before returning them to their chosen freedom. (See https://www.alleycat.org/global-cat-day-is-october-16-take-the-pledge-to-fight-cruelty/)

The picture above is the cat that adopted us one day and accepted food, water and a safe place to sleep in our barn on cold nights. We followed the TNR (Trap – Neuter – Return) protocol with our veterinarian. Otherwise, Buddy would travel the countryside as he pleased.

Today’s haiku is dedicated to Buddy: Global Cat Day

one day you arrived

we enjoyed your company

until you moved on

We’re not sure what happened to Buddy, but we know for a short while we were graced with his presence.

For more information on how you can help feral cats, check out https://www.alleycat.org/about/frequently-asked-questions-faq/

High Coo – Oct 15 – BRIDGE DAY?

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“Bridge Day isn’t a day to celebrate the architectural beauty of bridges all around the world. Bridge Day is a festival held in Fayetteville, West Virginia in the United States where thousands of adventure lovers either watch or take part in various extreme sports that largely involve jumping off the New River Gorge Bridge….

The bridge was the world’s longest single-span arch bridge for 26 years and is now the fifth-longest. Because of the bridge’s whopping 876 feet height, it was a natural attraction for daredevils around the world. The initial person to jump off the bridge was Cowen’s Burton Ervin, a coal-mine foreman who jumped off the bridge on August 1, 1979, using a conventional parachute….

Why we love Bridge Day – it breaks the monotony of life. Let’s face it — life can get boring. Bridge Day reminds us to get out of the monotony of our regular lives at least once a year and reminds us that life can be exciting.” See https://nationaltoday.com/bridge-day/

When I think of a bridge, three pictures come to mind:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Gate_Bridge

Mackinac Bridge – static.thousandwonders.net

All three immediately above have been very significant in my life. The first two for pleasure and the last is a haunting memory.

Here is today’s haiku: Bridge Day

You threatened to jump

into oncoming traffic –

I miss you brother

High Coo – Oct 14 – Tim Minchin’s 9 Life Lessons

High Coo – Oct 13 – Celebrate Failure

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The second Thursday in October is now known as the International Day for Failure. In 2010 a group of Finnish university students celebrated failure in hopes of encouraging more small business start-ups. The idea spread. Read more about it here: https://nationaltoday.com/international-day-for-failure/

“Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you’re right.” ~Henry Ford

Failure is often a part of the process to success. Sometimes it’s the best motivator to try something new and become someone new. See this excellent post from the Wanderlust Worker, Robert Kanaat: https://www.wanderlustworker.com/if-you-think-you-can-or-you-cant-youre-right/ and https://www.wanderlustworker.com/about-this-blog/

Here’s today’s haiku: CELEBRATE FAILURE

try, try, try again

to learn how best to succeed –

repetition helps

Bottom line: if you want to be successful, never give up.

And, finally, if you’re fed up with both success and failure, well …. read this excellent post from Nate Muller: https://theapeiron.co.uk/the-myth-of-sisyphus-how-to-find-meaning-in-a-meaningless-world-a2ed98f11e20

“The struggle itself toward the heights is enough to fill a man’s heart.” Camus

Life Matters

CHOOSE LOVE

High Coo – Oct 22 – National Make a Dog’s Day

High Coo – Oct 21 – National Pets for Veterans Day

High Coo – Oct 20 – National Day On Writing

Principle 3.2: Writers grow when they broaden their repertoire, and when they refine their judgment in making choices with their repertoire.

High Coo – Oct 19 – Walking Dogs

High Coo – Oct 18 – Happy Birthday Peter Boyle

High Coo – Oct 17 – Black Poetry Day

High Coo – Oct 16 – Global Cat Day

High Coo – Oct 15 – BRIDGE DAY?

High Coo – Oct 14 – Tim Minchin’s 9 Life Lessons

High Coo – Oct 13 – Celebrate Failure