Mountain Views News, Sierra Madre Edition [Pasadena] Saturday, December 30, 2017

JUST FOR BEST FRIENDS Mountain Views-News Saturday, December 30, 2017 
8JUST FOR BEST FRIENDS Mountain Views-News Saturday, December 30, 2017 
8
WALKING 
MISS DAISY 


It is 7:30 AM when my neighbor’s cell phone comesto life, breaking the serene silence of dawn andrudely awaking all who sleep. The custom, voice-
recorded ring tone resounds loudly with a chimeof “Chris, dog walker….Chris, dog walker…Chris,
dog walker”! Immediately, Daisy snaps to attention,
plants herself at the foot of the bed, and places onepaw on top bed sheet with her fluffy white ears andtail fully engaged.

Next, Daisy begins her usual routine of pacingback and forth from the bedroom to the leash that 
hangs on the hook by the front door, whining softlyas she paces, as if to say, “Hurry, Chris will be hereany minute”. Soon she is greeted on the front porchby her beloved walker (that’s me!) who gives her ahug and an affectionate verbal greeting, telling herhow special she is and how happy I am to see her,
and off we go.

Daisy is absolutely elated to be leashed and lead outon yet another exploratory pilgrimage through thelocal neighborhood and hillsides. Within moments,
we are well on our way, ascending briskly up thesteep hill that takes us to the upper canyon andultimate apex of our vigorous hour-long hike. Thesun has just made it’s way over the eastern horizon,
and has begun it’s typical daily task of steaming thepavement and warming the windows of the housesas we pass by.

Suddenly, Daisy stops in her tracks; her bodystiffens and she stares ahead, fully focused on thehill that runs adjacent to us. Her ears are perkedto a point, her tail is bent forward and the hair onher back begins to rise up like a porcupine. I followher gaze, hoping to see what may have caughther eye and caused such a sudden change in hercountenance, but I see nothing out of the ordinaryamong the massive, meandering oak trees and low-
growing fauna covering the open area between thehouses on the hill. 

Seconds pass and Daisy relaxes enough for us toresume our steep upward climb. I begin wonderingto myself what could have caused her momentarychange in behavior. It crosses my mind that shemight have nervous tendencies, perhaps due to atraumatic experience that occurred when she wasa puppy, before she was rescued and adopted. As Iponder the possibilities, we make our way furtherup and around the curve toward the fire road, wherethe pavement ends abruptly at the trail head.

It is then that I look up to see a smallpack of coyotes standing in the middle ofthe trail just a few yards ahead, lookingdirectly at us! I am surprised to see somany standing so close, but having seencoyotes in the neighborhoods and canyonsnumerous times before, I know enough totake a different route, leave them alone, 
and avoid confrontation. 

As we head back down the hill, it 
occurs to me that Daisy’s sudden changein demeanor on our way up the hill hadnothing to do with neurosis, nor was it 

HAPPY MEW YEAR! 



My name is 
CHELSEA, age


4. I am a prettycalico kitty. I was 
a young mommyto my 5 babies! Iraised them well, 
and they all havetheir own forever 
homes. It took 
me a little while 
to come out of 
my shell but I am doing really well now. I get lotsof pets from my human friends, and in return I loveto purr and give them affectionate rubs. I’d like to 
have my own home and I am ready to continue thegood progress I’ve made. I hope the new year will bea good one for me, at last.

Adoption fee is $100, which includes spay,
microchip, exam & vaccines. A great savings! Our 
cats are negative FELV/FIV unless otherwise 

Happy Tails 
by Chris Leclerc 

prompted by something she saw in the distantwoods. Daisy’s brief behavioral interlude had clearlybeen a natural response to her inherently keen senseof smell. 

I had recently read an article that mentioned adog’s sense of smell is said to be 1,000 times (+/) 
stronger than that of a human being, mainlyattributable to a vomeronasal organ that is housedin the dog’s olfactory chamber. This specializedanatomical feature, unique to the canine, was nodoubt what allowed Daisy to sense the presence ofthe coyotes from so far away, and exhibit a physicalresponse long before they came into her field ofvision. 

We finished our hike, and I delivered Daisy back tothe safety of her home with lots of hugs and praise.
Later that day, I was reflecting on our walk and Irealized that my initial assumptions about whatcould have caused Daisy’s unexpected behavior hadbeen a prime example of how the domestic dog isoften misunderstood by the human being.

Daisy’s response to the scent of the coyotes thatmorning reinforced my appreciation for the dog’ssense of smell, but more importantly it taught methat, if acknowledged from the proper perspective,
a dog’s sensual abilities and responsive behaviorcan act as a very important tell-tale for the human’ssafety, in the neighborhood and in the wilderness aswell. 

Finally, I was reminded yet again to avoid trying toanthropomorphize the dog. To expect a dog to thinkand behave the way a human thinks and behaves isto foolishly discount the remarkable unique qualitiesof the dog that can be of great value and benefit to ushumans. 

In retrospect, my experience that morning taughtme two very valuable lessons; to respect the dog andhis inherent sensual capabilities, and to allow myselfa healthy helping of humility as a human being inthe presence of a four-legged friend. Who knew asimple morning walk with a dog could offer lessonsof such value and importance? 

Try to allow yourself to be humble and learn fromthe animals. They are willing teachers - whetherthey know it or not - and they never judge us forlacking the wisdom we often credit ourselves withpossessing. Enjoy the coming new year with yourbeloved pets. And above all, love, learn and let live! 


indicated. 

See more pictures, videos, adoption info &
application on our website, www.lifelineforpets.
org. Call 626-676-9505 for a Meet & Greet. Can’tadopt? Visit our website for our easy Sponsor A Kittycampaign.

Chelsea’s video: https://www.youtube.com/ 
watch?v=nsBAOsTf1w8 

GOOD NEWS: Aurora has a pending adoption! 

BEST FRIEND 

Cleocattra is a very calm and 


forever home. Please come meet 
petite 2 . year-old tabby who 

Cleocattra to see if your home 
was rescued from a life on 

will give her the adoration she 
the streets. When she first 

is seeking and deserves. Her 
arrived at the shelter, Cleocattra 

adoption fee is $99 and includes 
preferred watching the activity 

spay surgery, vaccinations, 
around her from the safety of a 

microchip and a free wellness 
cardboard box. She still is shy, 

exam at a participating 
but no longer needs to hide in 

veterinarian. She currently 
a box. Cleocattra likes people 

resides at the San Gabriel Valley 
to approach her slowly and 

Humane Society located at 
she clearly relaxes into a hand 

851 E. Grand Avenue in San 
stroking her head and ears. She 

Gabriel which is located off San 
is becoming more interested in 

Gabriel Blvd, north of Mission 
playing as she comes forward 

and south of Las Tunas Drive. 
to investigate toys and is alert 

To arrange a ‘Meet and Greet’, 
following flying feathers with 

please stop by any time from 
her eyes. These are signs her 

10:30am to 4:30pm Tuesday 
next step will be pursuing the through Sunday.Website:www.
toy. She has made steady progress adjusting sgvhumane.org. Feel free to call us at (626) 286to 
shelter life. Cleocattra needs a companion 1159 for more information 
or family that will be patient with her and give 
her the opportunity to be the Queen of her new 

Yogic Wisdom for 
Everyday Life 
TAKING STOCK 
HEALTHY LIFESTYLES 
There’s a saying...

if nothing changes,

nothing changes. In

preparing for the year
ahead, it’s helpful to reflect on the year’s past and discoverwhat the lessons were. There are likely many credits andmany debits. In our own lives, there are many things withinour control but there are local and global influences whichare out of our control and currently looming large.

Effort should be spent on what is within our control anddiscovering what behavior or pattern we don’t want to repeat.
After all, what good are the very best New Year’s intentionsif we don’t discover what’s holding us back? A good placeto begin is to identify areas in which we feel stagnant. Thepossibility of freedom exists, but we do need steam in theengine. Clarity is needed as well.

Here are a few practices to get you moving in the rightdirection: 

1. Journal about what your individual lessons were. ( i.e. 
THE MISSING PAGE 
Real Life Tips from LIfe's Instruction Manual 
Reflect, Learn, AspireIt’s the last week of the year anda natural time of reflection. As a coach, my primary lifemanagement tool is having and practicing gratitude foreverything. Some things in life are easy to appreciate; otherthings are more of a challenge. I help my clients to live lifeon their own terms with grace, guts, and gratitude. That 
requires us to be fully present and awake within our livesand to work to avoid life becoming routine, with each dayblending and blurring into the next day without distinction.
When we decide to take our time and appreciate what ishappening now; our lives can be fruitful. When we take 
responsibility for our lives and choices, we are on the pathof truly living, rather than merely existing.

Henry David Thoreau said, “I went to the woodsbecause I wished to live deliberately, to front only theessential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had 
to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had 
not lived.” Thoreau was a minimalist. I visited his simplecabin where he conducted his experiment for living life. He 
lived a modest and brief life in the 1800’s, but I still find his 
words helpful and enlighting. What would it mean for you 
to live deliberately?

Asking provocative questions can be helpful. 
My reflection questions for you:
What did you accomplish in 2017? Did you make any

new friends or deepen your relationships? Remember to 

what’s working and what’s not working anymore)

2. Get moving. The physical practice of yoga (asana) helpscreate the free flow of energy and clarity in the mind. Thebody is our vessel in which we experience the world.
3. Find a spiritual connection. Excellent choices includeMeditation, Yoga Nidra, or time in nature. They all havespecific benefits, but each aid in refreshing the mind,
bringing clarity, and shifting perspective.
Try these practices and see what you can uncover. Theentire effort here should be wrapped in a blanket of gratitudefor what insights and knowledge were gained. Gratitudeis the magic elixir to self-pity, regret, and negativity. Allexperiences help us to know ourselves better and--- in ourbest selves—to have compassion for those around us. Pleasecontact me to learn more about yoga, meditation, and self-
care in the new year, keely@keelytotten.com. 

Namaste and Love, 
Keely Totten, E-RYT 500, Yoga Teacher, Mentor, Writer 


celebrate your wins; it’s rocket fuelfor progress.

What are you leaving behind in2017? If you had some negativeexperiences this year, what did youlearn? Are there some relationships


Lori A. Harris 

that you’re releasing next year? 

When we can glean a lessonfrom every life occurrence, even the negative ones, welearn, and nothing is wasted.

What are you hoping to create next year?

What will you accomplish in 2018?

What are you hoping to add to your life in 2018?

What would you love?

If you make annual resolutions, these questions can be aguide to areas for you to explore.

What are your intentions for next year? Who do you 
want to be? If you can train yourself to be deliberate in youractions, you will see your life expand.

Have a happy and safe conclusion to this holiday season.
If you want to share your reflections, write to me at Lori@
Loriaharris.com, I’d love to hear from you, and I respond to 
every email.

Lori A. Harris is a lawyer and a coach. Download her appthe Gratitude Train or visit her website LoriAHarris.com to 
learn more. 

 
Walter Cailleteau, DVM Free Exam! 
927 N. Michillinda Ave. For New Clients 
Pasadena, CA 91107 Bring this coupon to save! 
(626) 351-8863 


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