Dog-Loving Author & Canine Grieve Grr-eat Loss

By The Writing Gourmet,

Cal Orey

A Tribute to Seth, 
our beloved Brittany with a fun-loving spirit that 
Simon and I miss dearly and 

will always cherish

I hold it true, whate'er befall;

I feel it, when I sorrow most;

'Tis better to have loved and lost

Than never to have loved at all.

--Alfred Lord Tennyson's

Author-Intuitive's Seismically Sensitive Dog Dies

Author-Intuitive's Seismically Sensitive Dog Enters Heaven

By Cal Orey

It happened like a quake out of nowhere. It hit today. My dog Seth, 6, had a terrible relapse. It was so graphic that I'll have nightmares forever. He was diagnosed with neuropathy (brain) issues. Really bad. Balance GONE. Personality GONE.

Ironically, on my birthday he sensed something was wrong. He was very, very clingy. I predicted a quake but he was sensing his own demise. 

I am so hurt, so sad...but I know I did the right thing. Images of dog scenes in Marley & Me and I Am Legend haunt me.  I acted humanely for my best friend. The prognosis was grave. 

This loss is going to be a huge challenge for me. I'd rather be in a great quake (me) than deal with this void in my life. 

Never give a dog your heart. I will always love Seth. (Another weird coincidence. While on a book tour in Los Angeles, I named him after the fallen angel in City of Angels and we all know how that love story ended.) 

I am devastated. I am shocked. I am hurting. I miss my boy Seth. We had an incredible human-canine bond. Six years is not long enough.  I am entering a life without my beloved dog whom joined me at 6 weeks old. And the tears won't stop, nor will the ache in my heart. 

P.S. I LOVE YOU. Dear Sethie, I miss you baby boy. Please forgive me. I helped you to go to the other side to avoid any more suffering. I tried to be strong, as you did. I am so sorry, puppy. I will never forget the night you placed your paw on my arm. We tried to be strong together. But the monsters won. I know they scared you. Good boy. You are such a good dog. You did a good job. You did your best. I will always love you. I miss you and your gentle paws so much...as do Simon and Zen. You gave us balance.  I hope there are dogs and birds for you puppy in dog heaven.

Woman's Sweetest Friend...A Bittersweet Tail

By Cal Orey,
The Writing Gourmet

A Bittersweet Tail

Today's tale about a woman who stole a dog at a supermarket hit a nerve...
I faced sweet and spicy experiences on my road travels, like a honey bee in flight; I was stricken by untimely challenges. One afternoon in Las Vegas, Tiger (a bold and amazingly loyal angelic white Llaso Apso) and I were in front of Lady Luck Casino. It was my idea to leave my well-trained long-haired partner in the shade with water the doorstep of the entryway while I tried to hitch a safe ride back home to California. As I was walking inside, an older man called out to me, "Nice dog!" I got an uneasy vibe but tuned it out.
Fifteen minutes later, I left the casino. My best friend was MIA. Shocked and disoriented like a beekeeper with stolen bee colonies, I stood outside in the hot sun. I tried to fight back the tears. After a long search there was no rescue. My canine buddy was gone. I cried all night long.
At dawn, at cafe I ordered a cinnamon roll, tea, and honey. I was like a devoted beekeeper without his bees. I was alone. It was one of the worst experiences I endured on the road. And flashbacks of our travels from coast to coast haunted me then but now are cherished memories of a dog and a girl--an amazing human-animal bond. I left a photo of me, the hippie girl with her dog in Ontario, on the bulletin board at the local animal shelter. Through all the pain and loss, I moved on.
[Excerpt from The Healing Powers of Honey]

West Coast Quake Contest: Coffee/Honey Book

The Writing Gourmet, 

By Cal Orey

Earthquake Predictors' Contest: Win 2 Books by Using Your Skill as a Quake Sensitive

Now-Dec. 31 (End Date)

Strongest Quake for West Coast

(AK, Offshore BC/OR/NorCal to SoCal--no South of Border)

Name Region, Epicenter, Mag, Date

The predictor who is the closest with all above, is the top predictor.

PRIZE: Two Books: The Healing Powers of Coffee and Honey (value $30).