Mountain Views News, Combined Edition Saturday, August 24, 2019

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Mountain Views-News Saturday, August 24, 2019 


The shortened days and lengthening shadows portend the transition from summer into all things 
autumnal. Before the pumpkins are carved, the leaves are raked and the masquerade begins, crows 
begin to descend on our fair village and reside on low-hanging branches, on top of walls, and along 
fences in places high and low. A scourge to some, at Creative Arts Group we prefer to pay homage to 
these raucous ebony-winged messengers, inviting all Sierra Madreans to join in the festivities by creating 
scarecrows to be vigilant gate-keepers and take their place along the streets and alleys, in front of homes, 
businesses, schools, churches and shops. To that end Creative Arts Group is pleased to present the 8th 
Annual Sierra Madre Scarecrow Festival. Pertinent dates are as follows:

Important Dates

Please find important dates for this year’s festival. For more information, to register and see past years 
scarecrow’s please visit www.creativeartsgroup.org/scarecrow-festival.

 

September 3 – Sierra Madre Kiwanis and Local Business Workshop (1:00 – 3:00)

Call 626-355-8350 or email scarecrow@creativeartsgroup.org to register.

September 7 – Free Scarecrow Workshop (10:00, 11:30, 1:00 & 2:30)

Register online creativeartsgroup.org/scarecrow-festival/workshop/

September 16 – Enter the Contest (be sure to have name & backstory ready)

Register online creativeartsgroup.org/scarecrow-festival/contest/


October 1 – Voting begins. Online and printed Map/Ballots will be available


October 4 – Kickoff Party at Creative Arts Group! (7 to 9pm)




Join us to celebrate with refreshments, treats for kids & more

October 15 – Voting ends at noon 

October 19 – Awards announced in Mt. Views News, www.CreativeArtsGroup.org & facebook.com/creativeartsgroup.sierramadre

For more information call (626) 355-8350 or come by Creative Arts Group at 108 N. Baldwin Ave.

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WALKING SIERRA MADRE - The Social Side by Deanne Davis

“You can’t change a dog’s past, but you could rewrite his future!” shakepaws.
com

“The best dog is a rescue dog.”

“People who say that money can’t buy happiness have never paid an adoption 
fee.”

“I am rescued. You didn’t care how I looked or that I wasn’t a pedigree. You 
showed me that I am not disposable and that I am loved. You brought back 
the sparkle in my eye and the shine of my coat. You restored my spirit so 
my tail can wag again. You took a chance on 
me to see what I can become. You gave me 
a place to call home and a family to call my 
own.” 

 Don’t you love this picture? This is my 
granddaughter, Nicole Simon, and her 
rescue dog, Pigeon, or “Pidge.” Let me tell 
you Pidge’s story, as shared with me by 
Nicole:

 “This poor little girl, who is half Australian 
Cattle Dog and half lab (the shelter folks 
think) has had a rough life. She’s only 
eleven months old and has spent at least 
ten of those months in shelters. She started 
at one as either a hoarding seizure (if you 
haven’t watched “Hoarders” on TV, you 
can’t imagine what life as an animal in 
one of these nightmare houses is like) or a 
stray. She was transferred to another shelter, 
went to a foster home for a while but they 
returned her to the shelter (talk about 
rejection!). When we walked into the shelter 
and asked about her, the shelter folks kind of 
deep sighed, took us back and told us they’d 
already had three families in that day to look at her and they all said “no.” 
This was, apparently, a common thing that had happened the whole time 
she’d been there; again, ten months. They said she is super scared of people. 
At any ‘meet and greet’ they tried to do, she would just cower and hide, tail 
tucked, ears back. Any time someone got close or tried to touch her, she’d 
growl a little and show her teeth. Even their behavioral team hadn’t been 
able to make much progress with her. But she seemed to like other dogs. 
When we walked in with Wyatt (Nicole’s other dog) her tail was tucked 
up under her body and she was clearly very anxious. However, Pidge was 
very interested in Wyatt and followed him around, sniffing him. We spent 
an hour there and these two played, ran around and she loved to chase the 
ball, too. She even came up to us, sniffing and let me touch her a couple of 
times with no growling! The shelter staff were taking photos and videos and 
commenting on how they had never ever seen her act like that before. “A 
whole new Pidgeon,” was the comment they kept making. 

 Since then she’s been adjusting. I know it’s going to be a long road but I 
see so much potential in her and progress already. As you can see from 
the photo, this girl just needed someone to sit and love on her without any 
expectations that she be engaged. I really feel in my heart that this is going 
to be the best and Wyatt is going to be so good for her and she for him.

 One more thing, she was a candidate for euthanasia because of her 
“behavior problems.” An 11 month old puppy. This is why adopting dogs 
matters.”

 Pidge is adjusting to her new home with Nicole, 
Wyatt, and Nicole’s two roommates. All of these young 
women work at the Wildlife World Zoo, Aquarium 
and Safari Park in Arizona as sea lion trainers so Pidge 
is home alone a little more than she needs to be at this 
stage of her life. There’s been a little destruction, not 
too terribly much, but with plenty of exercise and trips 
to the dog park to play ball, Pidge is going to settle 
down and become an ideal pet. Besides, we all know 
that with a puppy you need to plan on one full year of 
destruction!

 I was so delighted to see the upcoming event, the 
“Pooch Parade and Pet Adoption” on Saturday, 
September 21st from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Memorial 
Park right here in Sierra Madre. There’s even a pancake 
breakfast for just $6! You’ll be seeing the ad right here 
in the Mountain Views News every week from now till 
then, I’m sure. If you’ve been thinking about acquiring 
a pet, wait till September 21st and go see who steals 
your heart.

 Looking for a good book? Try “Family Tree” by Susan 
Wiggs. An excellent read about a woman who is the 
producer of a popular television cooking show. She 
loves her handsome husband, who is the chef on the 
show, but in an instant her life is shattered and she finds herself waking up 
from a coma a year later wondering what on earth happened. Great family 
story involving the maple syrup industry in Vermont and, yes, a great love 
story, too!

 Stay cool, dear friends and neighbors and hydrate, hydrate, hydrate! 
Looking forward to fall, pumpkins and cooler weather.

“Sunrises & Sunflowers Speak Hope” 

is a great gift for yourself or someone you love! 

Look for it on my book page: Amazon.com: Deanne Davis 

Star of Wonder the CD is now on TuneCore! Take a look!

Blog: www.authordeanne.com

Follow me on Twitter, too! https://twitter.com/@playwrightdd

 “A Tablespoon of Love, A Tablespoon of Laughter”

is also available on my Amazon book page.


KATIE Tse....This and That

LIVING ON THE EDGE


Another prime week for recycling an old 
article. But I rose to the occasion and came 
up with something new for you. I almost 
even drew you a picture. I had a great idea 
for one. The rabbit was going to be a rooster 
inside someone’s head who was sleeping. 
After you read the article that will all make 
sense. It would’ve been great, but as you can 
see, it didn’t come to fruition. But you can 
use your imagination.

I’ve only been back to work for about three 
weeks now, but it feels like so much longer. At the beginning I 
told myself I’d develop better sleep habits so that I wouldn’t be the 
walking dead stumbling into work in the morning, but my good 
intentions fizzled after a few days, or nights, I should say.

Thank goodness I’ve never actually been late to school. I used to 
have this great carpool buddy, we’ll call her Beryl, but she retired. 
Gosh, I miss riding with her! She’s such a riot. Really made the 
drive to work memorable. I still get together with her every now 
and then. 

This last time she mentioned how she always feared she’d sleep in 
and be late to school, but that luckily she always woke up in time, 
though some mornings it was close.

“Did you just sleep through the alarm?” I asked.

“What alarm?”

And that was how it came out that in all her years teaching, Beryl 
never used an alarm clock.

“Oh, that’s alright,” I replied to this unexpected revelation. “I guess 
your husband woke you up when his alarm clock went off.”

“He never used one, either.”

What!? How do you go through an entire teaching career without 
the reliability of an alarm clock?

“Do you mean other teachers use them?” Beryl asked me.

I told her I was nearly one hundred percent sure all of our coworkers 
went to sleep every night resting in the certainty that a familiar 
ringing would greet them in the morning.

If you knew Beryl, you’d appreciate what a truly Beryl-eque thing 
this was, just trusting you’d get up in time based on your body’s 
circadian rhythm. When I relayed this to my dad he said it sounded 
perfectly reasonable, because your subconscious programs itself to 
wake up at the same time each day, etc.

That may be all well and good, but I don’t have that kind of faith in 
my subconscious. Sure, life needs a little excitement to keep things 
interesting. But I’m not ready to live on the edge just like that yet.

*Speaking of school! Check out my novel, “A Year at Apex,” in 
paperback and ebook on Amazon and Barnes & Noble! A classic 
love story between a school teacher and a one-handed plumber, 
Apex has it all --humor, romance, the human condition, and public 
education. Perfect for you and the educator in your life!


Mountain Views News 80 W Sierra Madre Blvd. No. 327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.609.3285 Email: editor@mtnviewsnews.com Website: www.mtnviewsnews.com