Mountain Views News, Pasadena Edition [Sierra Madre] Saturday, June 23, 2018

7

BEST FRIENDS & MORE 

Mountain Views-News Saturday, June 23, 2018 

BEST FRIEND


Happy Tails

by Chris Leclerc

Precious is a lovely 4-year-old 
all-sable German Shepherd girl 
with soulful brown eyes and 
perky long ears that seem to go 
on for miles. Weighing about 
66 pounds, this gorgeous girl 
arrived at the shelter when she 
was surrendered by previous 
owners. It was quickly noticed 
that Precious is a smart girl who 
had learned basic commands 
such as “come” “sit” “stop” for 
treats . While she is great on 
the leash and on walks, she 
does not know anything about 
toys and is shy when meeting 
people for the first time. She 
is great with kids and leashed 
trained. .During her time at the 
shelter and with much-needed 
TLC, Precious is slowly coming out of her shell 
making the most out of her walks and baths that 
make her shiny black coat shine much brighter. 
Typical of her breed, Precious is a very intelligent 
girl who needs a family who can keep her engaged 
and learning new things. More 
importantly, Precious deserves 
her own forever loving home 
who will treat her as another 
family member and show her all 
the joys of living inside a home, 
playing with toys and going on 
adventures. If you’re that forever 
loving family, please stop by to 
meet Precious! Her adoption 
fee is $145 and includes spay 
surgery, vaccinations, microchip 
and a free wellness exam at a 
participating veterinarian. Feel 
free to call us at (626) 286-
1159 for more information. 
She currently resides at the San 
Gabriel Valley Humane Society 
located at 851 E. Grand Avenue 
in San Gabriel which is located 
off San Gabriel Blvd, north of Mission and south 
of Las Tunas Drive. To arrange a ‘Meet and Greet’, 
please stop by any time from 10:30am to 4:30pm 
Tuesday through Sunday.

 Website: www.sgvhumane.org.


ANIMALS IN OUR 

OWN WORDS

If you happen to cross my path on any given day, 
and if we happen to strike up a conversation along 
the way, you can be sure the topic of our talk will 
be, in some way, related to animals.

 There is a reason why, after years of working 
in an office or on a construction site, I chose to 
occupy my time with the fine furry felines and 
kind canines in my community. If you ask me, 
there is nothing more rewarding, nor is there a 
more prestigious position than that of simply 
being beside a beloved pet.

 I share my feelings about the importance 
of animals in this column every week and I 
imagine there are some readers who think I am 
quite a character (or perhaps a few other choice 
adjectives), for the way I refer to them as God’s 
gift to mankind. That’s okay with me. I will always 
stand strong on my conviction that God created 
all animals for an express purpose far and away 
beyond what we simple humans can fully fathom.

 I once heard someone say the reason why 
dogs live such short lives compared to humans 
is because when God created all beings, he 
determined that each would be allowed into 
heaven when he or she learned to live by the 
principle of unconditional love, and it seems that 
dogs ‘get it’ a lot sooner than humans do!

 This week I thought I’d share a list of quotes 
from some of my fellow animal lovers, including 
a few words inspired by the Creator Himself. I 
often subscribe to such sayings in my daily life 
and I am pleased that there have been numerous 
folks throughout history who’ve had experiences 
similar to my own when it comes to understanding 
and appreciating what the animals have to offer.

 Some of these quotes are rather whimsical in 
nature while others are more austere, but they 
all make a point that I hope will not be lost in 
interpretation; That the animals have made their 
mark in a very special way, both in our hearts 
and on this earth. Try to be the steward that God 
intended you to be. Respect them, care for them, 
and love them.

 “Animals are my friends…and I don’t eat my 
friends.” ~ George Bernard Shaw

 “The godly care for their animals, but the 
wicked are always cruel.” ~ 
Proverbs 12:10 (NIV)

 “The greatness of a nation 
and its moral progress can be 
judged by the way its animals are 
treated.” ~ Mahatma Gandhi

 “Some people talk to animals. 
Not many listen though. That’s 
the problem.” ~ A.A. Milne, 
Winnie-the-Pooh

 “People speak sometimes 
about the ‘bestial’ cruelty of 
man, but that is terribly unjust 
and offensive to beasts, no 
animal could ever be so cruel as a man, so artfully, 
so artistically cruel.” ~ Fyodor Dostoyevsky

“I am fond of pigs. Dogs look up to us. Cats look 
down on us. Pigs treat us as equals.” ~ Winston S. 
Churchill

 “I ask people why they have deer heads on their 
walls. They always say because it’s such a beautiful 
animal. There you go. I think my mother is 
attractive, but I have photographs of her.” ~ Ellen 
DeGeneres

 “A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you 
more than he loves himself.” ~ Josh Billings

 “Heaven goes by favor. If it went by merit, you 
would stay out and your dog would go in.” ~ Mark 
Twain

 “The assumption that animals are without 
rights and the illusion that our treatment of 
them has no moral significance is a positively 
outrageous example of Western crudity and 
barbarity. Universal compassion is the only 
guarantee of morality.” ~ Arthur Schopenhauer, 
The Basis of Morality

 “Such short little lives our pets have to spend 
with us, and they spend most of it waiting for us 
to come home each day. It is amazing how much 
love and laughter they bring into our lives and 
even how much closer we become with each other 
because of them.” ~ John Grogan, Marley and Me: 
Life and Love With the World’s Worst Dog

 “Petting, scratching, and cuddling a dog could 
be as soothing to the mind and heart as deep 
meditation and almost as good for the soul as 
prayer.” ~ Dean Koontz, False Memory

 “I have from an early age abjured the use of 
meat, and the time will come when men such as 
I will look upon the murder of animals as they 
now look upon the murder of men.” ~ Leonardo 
da Vinci

 “If a dog will not come to you after having 
looked you in the face, you should go home and 
examine your conscience.” ~ Woodrow Wilson

 “Until one has loved an animal, a part of one’s 
soul remains unawakened.” ~ Anatole France

“Love and let live.” ~ Chris Leclerc

UNBELIEVABLY PRECIOUS!


Meet our 
youngest: 
KRISSY, age 3 
mos. She’s an 
adorable dilute 
calico, and is 
going to grow up 
to be gorgeous! 
Longhaired, 
fluffy little girl! 
Sweet as all get 
out, too! Scoop 
her up now. She’ll make a loving companion and 
has been fostered with other cats and dogs. Don’t 
miss her video, at https://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=jmsphfjQcMM Krissy will come spayed, 
current on vaccines, and microchipped. Call 626-
355-7672 or email us at info@lifelineforpets.org for 
more information. See more pictures of Krissy at 
http://www.lifelineforpets.org/young-cats.html. 


THE WORLD AROUND US


OUT TO PASTOR 

A Weekly Religion Column by Rev. James Snyder

CHRISTOPHER Nyerges

WHY I WROTE MY BOOKS 

“TUNNEL 16” [part one of the Tunnel series]

THE PARSONAGE KITCHEN 

SHUTDOWN THREAT

 [Nyerges is the author of 
many, including “Tunnel 
16,” “Sinkhole 102,” “Enter 
the Forest,” “Extreme 
Simplicity,” and others. He 
has also been teaching 
ethnobotany for many years, in the field and 
classroom. Information about his books and classes 
is available from www.SchoolofSelf-Reliance.com. 

 I’ve always wanted to try writing a novel. I’ve 
even tried a few times, but I either didn’t have the 
patience to take it all the way to the end, or I didn’t 
have the imagination for a cogent story. Then one 
night I had a dream. I was visiting a friend of 
mine up at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) 
complex in the foothills of Altadena. Something 
was happening, and we were being chased 
by some unseen threatening entities. We ran 
through what seemed to be underground parking 
structures, and after a while, the tunnels opened 
up into a green wilderness area where there were 
grassy plains and lots of trees. In the dream, I 
knew I could run there and be safe. As I exited the 
JPL tunnel, I looked up and saw the number “16” 
embossed on the cement wall. I don’t recall what 
happened next in the dream. Later that day, I called 
my friend who works at JPL and asked, “Is there a 
tunnel 16 at your work site?” “Hmmm?” my friend 
responded. “I don’t think so.” Eventually, I was taken 
on a tour of JPL, and got to look at the Mars yard, 
and the entrances to various corridors and tunnels, 
but nothing like I saw in my dream. Regardless, 
little by little, I created a young character, Rick, and 
told the tale of how Rick accidentally discovered the 
hidden and secretive tunnels of Altadena. I used my 
knowledge of the physical terrain of Pasadena and 
Altadena to tell the story, so most of the locations 
actually exist. Rick falls into the tunnel and the 
youth-focused science fiction story begins. I 
attempted to incorporate nearly every myth and 
mystery of Pasadena that I’d ever heard into the 
novel. 

 In the tunnel, Rick encounters the holographic 
image of Jack Parsons in a side cave, and Parsons 
gives Rick instructions for helping to resolve a civil 
war among an invisible race who live in the tunnel 
system. Jack Parsons figures large as part of local 
lore -- he was one of the early developers of JPL, who 
had a dark side. As a follower of Aleister Crowley, 
Parsons was known to hold satanic rituals in his 
South Orange Grove home. Additionally, Parson’s 
most famous roommate was one L.Ron Hubbard, 
who ran away with Parson’s girlfriend, and 
eventually founded Scientology. Other local lore 
includes the Angeles Forest as the so-called “forest of 
disappearing children,” and the shaman’s cave found 
by Dorothy Poole in Descanso Gardens. Rick begins 
to interact with a JPL security worker, Frank Landry, 
partly based on a real person, and Landry tries to 
unravel the mystery of the tunnel before having to 
report it to his superiors. Actual names and places 
are used throughout the book, which local residents 
will recognize. 

 Even famous skeptic Michael Shermer appears 
in this book, and also appears in the “Sinkhole 102” 
sequel. I enjoyed writing the book, and I was partly 
inspired by the fast-moving Hardy Boys novels, 
which I always enjoyed. “Tunnel 16” is currently 
available from Amazon’s Kindle, for far less than 
you’d leave for a tip at a restaurant. Downloads and 
hard copies will be available from www.SchoolofSelf-
Reliance.com.

A certain situation has been building in the Parsonage 
for the last several months. At first, I did not think 
it too serious but alas, we have reached a terrible 
impasse.

 It started a few months ago when I came home, 
walked into the house and was hit in the face so hard 
I almost passed out. At the time, I was hoping I would 
pass out, but no such luck.

 I think everybody knows what it is like to be hit 
unexpectedly by something you do not actually 
expect. I guess that is why it is called unexpectedly. It 
happened to me and I am not sure I am over it yet.

 Even though I have been married 46 years, of which 
most of it has been happily, I did not see this one 
coming. Just when you think you have your spouse 
figured out, they do something off the radar. Every 
husband knows exactly what I am talking about.

 This makes it hard to buy Christmas and birthday 
presents. What they liked last year is not what they 
like this year. I remember buying my wife a watch one 
year for Christmas of which she was so delighted that 
for the next four years after I bought her a watch for 
Christmas. How was I supposed to know she only 
wanted one watch!

 I think we hit one of those impasses.

 Walking into the house, I was hit with the horrific 
smell of broccoli cooking on the stove. I do not know 
if you ever smelt such a smell as that but if you are not 
prepared for it and even if you are prepared for it, it 
can smack you in the face like you have never been 
smacked in the face before.

 When I came to myself and gathered what little 
composure I could find, I queried the Gracious 
Mistress of the Parsonage who was in the kitchen.

 “What is that awful smell?”

 “I don’t know, have you taken a shower yet?”

 After being married for 46 years, I know when 
to respond to a question and when not to. I knew 
if I responded to this question the way I wanted to 
respond to this question, the smell of broccoli would 
be the least of my worries at the time.

 “No,” I said gathering a little bit of manliness about 
me, “Something in this house smells dreadful. I 
smelled it as soon as I walked in the door.”

 Then she chuckled. I hate it when she chuckles.

 “Oh, that must be the wonderful aroma of broccoli 
cooking on the stove. Isn’t it marvelous?”

 Adhering to my rules about questions, I tossed that 
one aside and opted for another one.

 “You’re not cooking broccoli for supper tonight, are 
you?”

 I was hoping she would catch my attitude of disdain 
and disgust in this question. Obviously, for whatever 
reason, she did not catch the drift.

 “Yes,” she said as chipper as I have ever heard her 
chip, “I thought I would surprise you with a wonderful 
dish of broccoli for supper tonight, to go along with 
our pork chops.”

 Can you live with a person for so long and not know 
what they like or do not like? Nobody has to be around 
me for five minutes before they will understand that 
broccoli and I have had a feud that has been going on 
since before the Hatfield’s and McCoy’s.

 “But I thought you knew I do not like broccoli?”

 “Oh, that,” she said with another chuckle, “I just 
thought you were joking.”

 Nobody jokes about broccoli, especially me.

 Then a brilliant idea reverberated between my ears. 
I thought I could take advantage of this situation and 
sneak in something forbidden in our kitchen and 
house for that matter, a rare delicacy.

 “I will then run to the store and get some fresh 
Apple Fritters for our dessert.”

 I figured if she wants to put in front of me broccoli 
the least she can do is allow me an Apple Fritter or 
two.

 In a moment, all the chipper drained from her 
person and she looked at me and said, “Apple Fritters 
are not allowed in this house.”

 “Let’s negotiate,” I said as calmly as I have ever been 
in my life. “I will allow you to eat broccoli tonight if 
you allow me an Apple Fritter for my dessert.”

 I wonder if there is a husband living today, that has 
ever successfully negotiated with his wife.

 “This is how we will negotiate, we will have broccoli 
tonight without any Apple Fritter. I am only thinking 
of your health.”

 The way she glared at me I knew negotiations were 
off the table at this time and in its place was some 
steaming broccoli.

 What I am going to do is sneak behind her back and 
eat two, not one but two, Apple Fritters and I will savor 
every bite.

 If only we could act like grownups, come together, 
voice our differences and strike a compromise. After 
all, our government works that way.

 I thought about this and came to a certain 
conclusion. The Christian life is not really negotiating 
your preference but rather honoring Christ. Jesus said, 
“For where two or three are gathered together in my 
name, there am I in the midst of them” (Matthew 
18:20 KJV).

 When self is at the center of my negotiations, Christ 
is never honored.

 The Rev. James L. Snyder is pastor of the Family of 
God Fellowship, 1471 Pine Road, Ocala, FL 34472. 
He lives with the Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage, 
in Silver Springs Shores. Call him at 352-687-4240 or 
e-mail jamessnyder2@att.net. The church web site is 
www.whatafellowship.com.


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