best in show

The Westminster Kennel Club has officially crowned "best in show" for 2012.

Internet - meet "Ch Palacegarden Malachy" a.k.a. "Malachy,":

Just look at that gorgeous fur. This little guy is proof that good things come in small packages (ok, I'm biased since I myself come in a small package, but that doesn't make it any less true).

I really don't know anything about dog breeding or dog shows. Heck, I don't really know much about dogs period (I'm really more of a cat person *gasp* -don't tell-). But I love this dog show!

Why? It is silly and pompous in a delightful way. I mean, that dog's name! It is just so long and weird it's hilarious. What is he - half Chinese, half Irish?! And how are you supposed to fit a name that long on a dog tag? It sounds like he should be a character in the movie Clue.

(Obviously kooky names are the norm for this show though - one of the other top dogs was a German Shepherd named Captain Crunch. I can't even explain to you how awesome that is).

And it's not only the names, but these dogs are more groomed and primped than the contestants on Toddlers and Tiaras.

Whaaaaaaat? I always knew Snooki was a dog (oh snap). That is one wicked pouf. Can dogs use Elnett?

How many times a night do you think the owner of lil' Malachy brushes his/her*fur? I am guessing they (and it) are about as vain about that mane as Marsha Brady. I mean, seriously, that is some glossy fur (I want to reach out and touch it, is that creepy?). These doggies prance around with their perfect hair and their noses in the air like an animal version of Miss America (if only the bikini-barbies on MA also didn't talk-that spectacle might actually be tolerable to watch).

I also love this show for the things it has taught me - for example, did you know that the "Toy" category (where Malachy competed) is the most competitive? Makes sense, I guess, those little dogs are always the most scrappy.

Know what else is cool? The head judge of this year's competition sits on the Board of Trustees for Take the Lead, which is a foundation that "provides direct services, support and care for people in the sport of purebred dogs who suffer the devastation of life-threatening or terminal illness."

What a cool organization! And I would have never known it existed had I not decided to write/research this blog post.

So, thank you WKC and Malachy for providing me so much amusement via your slight ridiculousness and pomposity, and most of all through your enduring love and respect for dogs of all shapes and sizes.

Dolla dolla bills, y'all

 *the WKC website lists the gender as "Dog". Very helpful, WKC, very helpful
**Oh, by the way, the WKC is on Twitter! You KNOW you wanna follow them)

Hidden Gems: tommy mcculloch

This post is part of my Hidden Gems series. To read up on what this is all about, check out this post.

For this week's HG, I wanted to highlight a cute little place that I walk by every morning on my way into the office. For those of you that don't know, I work at a large University in my home city and in order to get to my office in the administration building, I have to cut through the Life Sciences Centre.

Tucked into a connector section between the two buildings, enclosed in a glass "box" is the Thomas McCulloch Museum. I never realized this place was here until I started commuting to my current job and I barely noticed its presence during the first few weeks. Well, I did notice it but in kind of a subconscious way. Mainly I just saw the glass display cases holding lots of bizarre things like taxidermy, mushrooms, bones and shells and thought "hm, why is all this stuff here? Weird". Then kept walking. 

One day I decided I needed to learn more about this odd and nondescript place - it seemed so wrong to walk by it every day and not know anything about it (you know in Love Actually when Hugh Grant tells Natalie that he wants her to tell him about herself because working alongside her every day and knowing so little about her feels elitist and wrong? Anyone? Bueller?...just me? Ok, moving on...)

From the Museum website:

Thomas McCulloch was a Scots Presbyterian minister, an educator and a political reformer. He came to Pictou, Nova Scotia in 1803 from Scotland at the age of twenty-seven. His controversial views and opposition of the establishment left a lasting impact on Nova Scotia and eventually on Canada.

-          He arrived in Pictou when the colony was growing and in need of education and change.

-          He became a missionary and a minister of the First Presbyterian Church.

-          The founder and principal of Pictou Academy.

-          He was ordained in the Secessionist Church.

-          The first principal of Dalhousie College in Halifax in 1838.

-          He created the Audubon mounted bird collection in the McCulloch Museum.

-          McCulloch sent a collection of Nova Scotian insects to the University of Glasgow who in recognition of the gift awarded him the degree of Doctor of Divinity in 1822.

-          McCulloch had a profound belief that education should be liberal and available to everyone. Therefore he felt his greatest work was the creation of Pictou Academy which manifested these beliefs. He was met with a lot of opposition from the officials of the time.

 Cool, huh? McCulloch came to Dalhousie in 1883 and taught Logic, Rhetoric and Philosophy for five years. He also developed a series of scientific lectures which he took on tour throughout the Maritime provinces, which supposedly greatly piqued the public's interest in and knowledge of biology.

The highlight of the museum is McCulloch's preserved bird collection - 22 cases altogether! All Nova Scotia birds mounted in natural settings (according to the Audubon style). The museum also includes a mushroom collection, coral and shell collection, and butterfly and insect collections - all contributed to by life science professors at Dalhousie.

You can visit the museum for free daily between 8:30am and 4:30pm and classes are often held here. 

Ok, I know some of you are thinking "This place is just a bunch of dead/stuffed things in cases...how boring is that?". But I think it's fascinating that this man took the time to amass so many specimens and that there is a free space just steps from my office that I can peruse anytime I like and learn about species I have never even heard of. The natural world is so fascinating and complex; there is so much to learn about it and I feel the only way to really have full respect for this world is to educate ourselves as much as we can. That is why I think this museum is cool. 

Plus, it's sort of quirky and a little weird, and I always love things like that. And it's always nice to learn a bit more history about the storied institution where I work (I think it makes me appreciate it more). 

And to think most people just walk right by this museum with barely a second glance. I'm glad I took the time to learn more about this hidden gem. 

Do you know of a person, place or thing that you think is really cool but is not very well-known? Are there little pieces of paradise in your city/province or in cities that you have visited that are off-the-beaten-path, but you think everyone should know about them? Well, I want to post about them on Gathers No Moss! Email me, tweet @KimHumes or leave a comment and I'll share it in an upcoming post! Here's to celebrating the little things! And exploring off-the-path to find them!

Special Delivery

This past weekend, the boy and I took a little trip to Bide Awhile animal shelter. No, we didn't go to pick out a new pet (although I would love to adopt every cat in the place - alas, I can only handle one cat at this stage in my life), but to make a special delivery.

I decided, since there really isn't anything I need or want (and I don't like my friends and family feeling pressure to find something I will like/need), instead of birthday gifts I would accept donations of pet stuff this year. I got a few things from generous friends and bought a few things myself, and we took it all over to the shelter on Saturday.

A bag of cat litter, a litter pan, some toys and food may not seem like a lot but this kind of stuff is really valuable to a shelter like Bide Awhile - they depend so much not only on monetary donations, but on donations of supplies. They not only need to feed the cats and dogs and provide beds for them, they also need supplies to keep the office running, to clean and disinfect cages, and distribute much-needed medications. Most people wouldn't think of packages of paper, bleach and facecloths as important items for an animal shelter, but they are often needed just as much as the usual staples.

After we made our delivery, we stopped into the 'cat room' to get/give some cuddles and play with the kitties up for adoption. The Director of the shelter was there talking to another visitor, and pointed out something really fascinating about one of the cats - it was born a hermaphrodite! i.e. with both male and female reproductive parts! He said in 25 years it was only the 2nd he had ever seen. I thought that was so interesting, and an important lesson considering the cat looked like any other in the room, yet had its own special (hidden) characteristics. Of course, it is sort of a moot point now since he/she is both spayed and neutered, but interesting just the same!

The aforementioned little guy...erm, girl...erm, cat

It's a cliche, but it really does feel good to help out those in need at this time of year...well, at all times of the year actually. I have decided to take a donation to the shelter twice a year if I can. I figure it's the least I can do.

Is there a particular group, charity or cause in your community that you really care about? Consider make a special delivery to them sometime. You never know - you may just make someone's day...and learn something fascinating!

Short Week for a Short Chick

Well, it's a short week here in Canada since it's a holiday tomorrow (Happy Birthday to my lovely country!). So, even though today is Thursday, it's technically my Friday.

Take a minute to let that sink in. I know, it's a mind-twister.

The best thing about this long weekend is that they are predicting SUN ALL WEEKEND! Trust me, we are lucky to get that here in Halifax, especially lately when the heavens have apparently deemed us to be experiencing a drought and decided to drop the entire Nile River on top of us. Thanks for nothing, Gods; you would think we would deserve better treatment for worshipping you all day long...
...

Anyhoo, suffice to say I am excited about the long weekend. Here are some other things I am excited about right now:

> The Canada Post strike is over, which means I am FINALLY receiving things in the mail I have been waiting on for at least a month. I got my heart necklace from Heart of Haiti, that I received for my participation in this blog promotion. It is really cute (see!) and I can see myself wearing it all summer with many different ensembles. I am still waiting on a book I ordered on Amazon, and a fun gift bag I won through a blog giveaway. It also means I won't have to go a half hour out of my way on the way home to pick up my paycheques anymore (usually they are mailed to me, but obviously with the postal strike - no mail, so I had to go to the office in person which is an annoying chore when you don't have a car and your city's bus system sucks balls).

That's right, the temp agency I work for does not have direct deposit. Apparently they are living in 1911 and not 2011. Though can't complain too much, because without them I'd pretty much be living in a box at the Dockyards.

> My boyfriend and I are planning on visiting Thomas Raddall Park down the south shore of Nova Scotia tomorrow to pick up the 3rd geocache in a series I wrote about here (post may not be up yet because they have a backlog). I'm looking forward to a little road trip and getting some fresh air and exercise. Friday night is bringing a free concert back in the city for Canada Day, featuring The Trews and The Stanfields (which are awesome local bands that have made it pretty big, at least in Canada)*. And, of course, fireworks. It wouldn't be Canada's birthday without fireworks.

> On Saturday we are hoping to go on a bike ride. My boyfriend bought a bike recently and really wants to get back into biking regularly. I have not been on a bike in, oh, 10 years I would say and even when I was skinny and fit enough to ride one I didn't do it that often. It will be interesting to see how this goes. Looking forward to it though, despite what you might think. Not looking forward to the wiping out part, but maybe that won't happen. More than twice.

> On Sunday, I will be getting a new roomie! She's part ginger, has a great personality and is apparently really funny and entertaining. Here she is:

Isn't she cute?? via Twin Bridges Photography

Meet Bella! She is actually my friend's mom's cat. Her poor mom has to find a home for the cat because she has a new little grandchild running around plus another on the way, and the cat does not get along well with the kids. She needs to be in a home with no kids and no other pets, and it just so happens that I have been really wanting to get another kitty (I have been so missing have a pet since I had to put my Nutty down last Fall) and have a quiet home with no other pets or kids (just me!). I'm taking her in for a trial for a few weeks starting Sunday. We will see how we click and if we are living well together than I will keep her! I'm really excited to get to know her. I will be back with an update in a few weeks, I'm sure. (side thought - wouldn't it be cool if you could do "trial runs" with people roomies? If after 2 weeks, they are not picking up their dirty clothes or washing their dishes, you can boot them out the door! Sweet, huh? I think I'm onto something...)

Other places I have been this week:
* Check out my first True Blood mini-recap on You Know You Love Fashion!
* I posted a couple reviews on Yelp this week - one for a local Irish pub, and one for a new favourite cafe in my neighbourhood that serves amazing gelato
* I went to see Bad Teacher on Tuesday and it was really funny. I have to say, even though Cameron Diaz's character is a jerk, it's refreshing to see female characters in movies that have sass, independence and a little bit of crude. Women need to see characters beyond the scope of the sickly sweet rom-com heroines that are constantly shoved down our throats (IMHO) *endrant*

What are you excited about this week? What are your weekend plans?

*ok, all the bands I really like seem to start with "The" - what is that about? I'm sure there is a Freudian theory of some kind to explain such things...

Manic Monday: Adaptation

This video I saw on the news this morning blew my mind! The amazing thing is not the cute tricks the dolphins are performing but the nature of those tricks. One of the dolphins used to be in a water attraction where it was trained to perform like this and it's believed that he/she has taught the other dolphins to perform the same way. How amazing is that?!

I know it's so nerdy but I just love animals; they fascinate and amaze me sometimes!

They are a hell of a lot smarter than many humans. Also, on another note, it was nice to see a happy, positive story on the news for a change.

Oh hai, lesser lifeform, I mean person

Manic Monday: Cat People

This is one of the funniest, truest articles I've read in a long time. And I really relate to it because I'm definitely a "crazy cat lady", I'm (almost) ashamed to admit. This is one of my favourite passages:


"Are there people who are completely insane about their dogs? Hordes. But cat people may as well have whiskers and tails themselves. That’s because their pets’ lack of social need taps straight into our worst fears as the human inhabitants of New York. Cats, after all, don’t have other cat friends. You can’t take them to the cat run. Cats and their owners are on a private, exclusive loop of affection. Thus cats have become symbolic of a community eschewed and a hyper-engagement with oneself. They represent the profound danger of growing so independent in New York that it’s not merely that you don’t need anyone — it’s that you don’t know how to need anyone.....
The upside to cat ownership is proximity to a sense of dignity, intelligence and lack of garish behavior. The downside is that a cat is something hidden, a secret that needs confessing as the doorknob turns. By the way, I’ve been to the doctor and it turns out … I have a cat."


Ahahah hilarious. Sloane Crosley is now one of my new favourite writers. You can check out her website to learn more about her and her writings or follow her on Twitter @askanyone

Cats are just the greatest, am I right?! Anyone?

Ball of Confusion

I've been taking a little break from the blog and other social media (aside from a couple of facebook and twitter updates) because I've had a lot going on in my personal life and, to be honest, was not feeling very inspired or motivated to write.

On top of adjusting to this new temp job, while also continuing to look for permanent work and dealing with being completely broke, my cat became sick this past weekend. She's been having "litter box" issues for a few months now, but I had her urine tested (and no infection found) and the incidences have been very sporadic and her other habits have remained normal so I didn't think anything of it.

Until last Saturday. I won't go into every detail as it's a long story but suffice to say I had to take her to the vet, and long story short the xray and blood tests they did discovered a "mass" (most likely a tumour) in her belly, as well as an infection in her bowel. To treat this tumour and get her healthy again would require major surgery, with no guarantee it would even work. Not to mention it would be traumatizing to her mind and body, especially considering she's somewhere between 15 and 17 years old. To put her through this would be cruel, not to mention exhorbinantly expensive at a time when I can barely afford a bus pass.

So, considering what the future most likely held, the medical opinions I received and discussions I had with family members, I decided that the best thing to do would be to put her down. I was very upset and tense over the weekend, but I knew it had to be done. I feel lucky that she was well enough to bring home for a few days so that I could spend time with her, and that's just what I did from Sunday to Thursday when the deed was actually done. Being in the room and holding her while they injected her and even leaving her in the room when it was all over was extremely painful, but in the end I felt relief; relief that she was no longer going to suffer and that we caught her illness in time that she was able to go in a quiet, comfortable, unrushed way.

I couldn't help but think if I had gone out of town last Saturday morning as I originally planned, or I hadn't been home when she showed the signs of serious illness that appeared that day, that I might have continued on oblivious to her condition for what could have been weeks or months while she slowly deteriorated inside only to come home one day to find her half dead (or fully dead) on the floor and have to put her down very abruptly without having time to come to terms with it. That is such a blessing. And it was also a huge blessing that my mom was around and happened to have the money to pay for her tests last weekend, otherwise I would have had to walk out of that clinic without finding anything out about her condition.

Life is funny sometimes. It's also strange because only the day before (last Friday), I had lunch with a friend and we had a chat about how we'd both love to take off and move somewhere but have all these reasons why we can't. The main reason I discussed was...well, the cat. When it came right down to it she presented various complicated obstacles to my mobility and freedom, as crass as it sounds. I would OF COURSE never wish for something like this to happen as I loved that cat with all my heart and will miss her terribly, but I can't help but think "hmmmm...interesting". The timing is amazingly coincidental since I'm currently in a kind of "limbo" where I'm thinking alot about my future and re-evaluating what direction I want to go in next. Going away to work and school has been one of the ideas at the forefront of my mind (well, has been for a while now) and I can't help but think the combination of trouble finding work in my field, and the unfortunate loss of Nutty is somehow a sign that this is the time for me to make a change. Maybe not now, maybe not tomorrow, but sometime in the near future.

I don't know, I'm sort of rambling here - I'm a reflective person by nature, but this time in my life has forced me to be even more reflective than usual - but I guess all I'm trying to get at is that this is all for the best and everything happens for a reason. I truly believe that about life.

Anyway, I am still not feeling the most motivated and inspired, but I do feel better than I did. For the most part, I'm done with moping around and worrying and wishing. I'm going to start being proactive! I have various projects on the brain that I want to research and explore, and I feel this is the perfect time to do this. I know if I just stay positive and make a plan for myself and just GO FOR IT instead of worrying that I'll be fine. I'll get my inspiration and motivation back. This time is a test for me - a test of my resolve and how resourceful and perserverant I can be. This is another thing I truly believe about life - that we get bad things thrown at us as a kind of "test" of our character, and that we don't get anything thrown at us that we can't, deep-down inside, handle.

I can't say when I'll get back to my regular blogging, social media, writing schedule but I know it will be soon. You haven't seen the end of me yet! Au contrare, it's only the beginning!

As some smart gal I know always says, I just gotta keep on rollin'.

The Dog Days Are Over

As I mentioned here, I decided to participate in the Dog Days of Summer challenge, put on by Be the Change for Pets. Well I've completed the challenge so the next step is to share my experience!

When I first heard about this challenge, I was so excited and inspired by it, that I sent a notice out to some friends and family to see if I could get some extra support. My mom and sister, as well as two friends donated a whole load of supplies which increased my donation three-fold! I was blown away by how much they contributed, I really wasn't expecting it!

Check out how much I ended up with!

How awesome is that?! I realize this challenge was technically focused on food donations, but Bide Awhile is lucky in that their food is provided by Royal Canin. However, they are obviously in need of many supplies aside from food, so I still wanted to participate for that reason. We used the Wish List on the Bide Awhile website for reference. Honestly I didn't think to take "inventory" of everything before delivering it but our donation included the following supplies: cleaning products (bleach, sprays, dish soap, hand sanitizer, paper towel), food/water bowls, collars with leashes/harnesses, cat and dog toys, tennis balls, doggie doo bags, a cat condo/scratching post (thanks Maike!), garbage bags (various sizes), gloves (latex and rubber), pieces of fleece for blankets, etc. I was excited to do the donation regardless, but thanks to the help from a few people I was able to donate so much more, and I was even more excited to drop it off.

I had a little visit with the kitties (duh!) while I was there. I wanted to take like 5 of them home! This is a dangerous place for me to visit - so many beautiful kitties. Observe:

Black Spot kitty

Contortionist kitty

Contemplative kitty

Halloween kitty

Couch-hog kitty

Ballet kitty

I mean, really. How could you not want to smuggle each one into your handbag?!

This special guy is Trio:

Trio is the resident cat at Bide Awhile - he only has 3 legs (hence the name) and he just turned 22! Clearly he's made of some tough stuff (either that or they just treat him like a king).  

It was so much fun to walk around and check each one out, pet them and hear info about each of their characters. When I was bent over petting the Contortionist kitty (pictured above) a grey fluffy beauty jumped right onto my back from the floor! Dug the claws right in! It caught me off guard, but ultimately I thought it was funny; she LOVES people so much, she kept trying to climb me and the girl showing me around. (Didn't get a photo though unfortunately because, well it's a bit awkward to take a photo of something on your back, plus I was sort of distracted by the claws in my flesh.)

There are two dogs there currently, but I couldn't be taken down to visit them because they are recovering and one is quite jumpy around people. Just served to highlight the important work that shelters such as Bide Awhile do every day.

Anyway, it was a great experience. I think I may put together another donation in a few months and drop it off again, perhaps for Christmas. Good excuse to drop in and pet the animals! I will be involved with their Board in the Fall though so I'm sure this isn't the last I'll see of the kitty-cats.

Thank you again to friends Maike and Beth, plus my mom and sister for contributing such awesome supplies to this donation! Nice to know there are folks you can count on to help you out whenever you need it (Maike is also watching my cat, Nutty, when I'm on vacation next week so she's extra generous).

To learn more about Bide Awhile visit http://www.bideawhile.org/ and to learn more about Be the Change for Pets visit their Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/bethechangeforpets

I am the change; and so are you.

Blog the Change for Animals

I'm not a pet blogger - I blog about many different things that I am interested in and inspired by, and animals/animal issues is just ONE of those things. Nor do I consider myself an "activist" in the traditional sense. However, there is a movement happening all over social media that I feel I have to be a part of and spread the word about: it's called 'Be the Change for Pets', and it was started by the amazing folks at BlogPaws, a pet/animal blogging network.

Yesterday, I posted on Facebook that I plan to participate in their July Challenge 'Dog Days of Summer' and document it with photos and posts on Blogger, Facebook and Twitter (as well as linking back to the rest of the participants so that they can track participation). I can't wait to tackle this!

This all fits together with Blog the Change for Animals (if you check my sidebar, you'll see I added their badge to let people know I'm taking part) and this blog posting and my participation in the BTC Challenge is my official contribution to the umbrella movement.

Through this blog, Facebook and Twitter I'm hereby inviting others in the Halifax area to join me in this challenge. My plan is to visit a chosen local shelter sometime between July 19th and 31st to donate a box of supplies and food for the animals housed there. I will be going shopping (with help from this list) sometime in the next week to pick up a few items for the box, and anyone who wishes to contribute a few more items to the box, or even a couple of bucks to put towards an item or two, please contact me through the above links, or by email at khumes186@hotmail.com. You can feel free to come with me when I go shopping, as well as to drop off the items to the shelter, or if you're strapped for time I can arrange to pick up items from you and add them to the box myself.

I would love to go on a spree and fill a gigantic truck full of supplies, but alas I'm on a tight budget and cannot afford to contribute as much as I would like. I also don't have as much time to give as I would like. However, with your help I can "flesh out" the donation a bit more, and at least spread a bit of word about this shelter and cause.

To give you all extra motivation to help me out - here is some information about the shelter I am supporting:

Bide Awhile is a No-Kill shelter, which means it is committed (as much as resources will allow) to finding homes and help for the animals it takes in while avoiding euthanasia at all costs.

Mission Statement
Rescuing and caring for unwanted and abandoned animals. Placing all our animals in suitable and caring homes. Providing an environment free from the threat of unwarranted euthanasia. Cultivating awareness, respect and appreciation for the animals whose world we share. Vigorously promoting spaying and neutering. Managing all our resources and contributions in a responsible manner.
 
Here are some of the other ways you can Help them out. I'm not one to get on a soap-box or to use this blog as a political forum, but animals and all of their issues are very close to my heart and since they don't have a voice of their own, it's up to animal-lovers like us to speak on their behalf. Please help me make my voice louder.
 

I mean, who could resist that face anyway?!

I should mention as an aside that my family has always adopted cats from this shelter, and we have had nothing but the best pets as a result! My mom's current cat, Lily, was a rescue from BA.

Meet Your Match

As a follow up to my rather angry blog post of Monday, in which I rant about OkCupid's online matching system, I felt I should share this more light-hearted yet related tidbit:

I'm a huge animal lover, and I follow animal issues online and try to support them in my community, so I already knew that June is Adopt a Shelter Cat Month (as designated by the ASPCA). But I only learned about their Meet Your Match program today. Here is their description of what this program is all about:

You could be gazing at the animal of your dreams, but you just can’t tell what she’s thinking behind that furry face. What if you knew a little something about her personality and habits before you moved in together? The ASPCA’s Meet Your Match program wouldn’t let you go home without knowing who’s in that carrier or on that leash. MYM is the only method in existence today that evaluates an animal’s behavior and interests and matches them to an adopter’s preferences so that you take home a pet you can really click with.

How cute! And what a smart idea, on another note. Basically, each animal is tested on various behavioural elements, then placed in one of 9 colour-coded categories referred to as "Canine-ality" or "Feline-ality", and adopters are also given a colour based on personality and lifestyle. Then adopters and animals are matched up according to their corresponding colours!

This may seem silly on the one hand, but I feel it's a great idea - not only for the pet-owner, but also for the pet. This process could ensure that owners not only end up with pets suited to them, but pets end up with owners who are more likely to appreciate their personality and unique traits. Perhaps on some level this could help alleviate the issue of mean pet owners adopting innocent animals only to abuse them (though this would only really happen in a perfect world, ultimately). And another neat thing is that you don't need to stick with only your colour-coded match pets - it's simply a guideline.

Could this little beauty be your perfect match?

You never know! Anyway, I just thought it was lovely to see some positive matching practices going on out there for a change. If only they could develop a system like this for humans! Though if I can be totally honest, I'd take a cat over a man any day (in fact, I have one right now, and she's the best companion and roommate anyone could ask for!)