Mountain Views News, Combined Edition Saturday, September 3, 2022

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Mountain Views-News Saturday, September 3, 2022


Happy Tails

by Chris Leclerc


FORREST & VIVIAN

WANTED! For stealing 
hearts and getting along 
with dogs! Age 4 mos., 
they're as cute and sweet as 
they look! Forrest and Vivian 
are 2 of 4 siblings (You 
met Henry & Violet last 
week).

VIVIAN She's black & 
white with "bangs" over one 
eye, makes her look like a pirate! Grr--meow, matey! Always 
up for adventure, tall scratching post, cat tower in the sun. 
Tells you exactly when it's petting time or feeding time or 
"zooming around o'clock." She is the alpha of her pride which 
means she is very brave. 

FORREST is a major cuddler!! Mr. Handsome has the dark "tear marks" on each side 
of his nose, like a little cheetah! He loves prowling and exploring. Verbally tells you how 
much he wants you to pet his head, neck and throat, while looking at you with total love 
and sweetest eyes. Total love when he bonds with you. This regal face of a jungle cat melts 
hearts whenever he meets new people, but no roar here, just the sweetest little "meow."

They are healthy and in a great foster home where there are also two nurturing doggies 
to help take care of them and play with them! C'mon! You know you want one (or two)! 

Find the adoption application on our website where you'll also find more adorable pix on 
our Very Young Cats page. www.lifelineforpets.org.


Note to Readers:

I was inspired to re-submit this previously-printed article, 
after hearing about a hiker rescued on Mount Wilson 
last week. In an interview, the hiker admitted the 
mishap was his own fault. He’d let his bulldog puppy tag 
along with him on the trail, without a leash! Not at all 
surprisingly, the pup wandered a few feet away and fell 
off the trail, so he scrambled after the dog, lost his footing 
and ended up on a ledge, thereby becoming yet another 
lucky beneficiary of the hard work and honed skills of 
search & rescue responders. Here’s the article. I hope the people who need it, read it.

LOVE ‘EM & LEASH ‘EM

Growing up in the deep south, I was fortunate to have had lots of animals in my life throughout my childhood. 
I remember enjoying the luxury of letting our dogs roam free, confident that they’d have fun wandering in the 
woods behind our house and visiting the neighbor‘s dogs, then eventually return home in time for supper. It was 
quite a privilege to have had such freedom back in those days, and I imagine there are lots of people my age who 
have similar childhood memories. With oodles of undeveloped land, ample space between homes, and a heck of a 
lot less traffic passing through the neighborhoods, the risks were minimal for a kid or a pet who wanted to explore 
the great outdoors. It just seemed natural then, right?

Well, it’s 2022 now folks, and the open acres, natural spaces and lush land gaps that existed in the 1960’s and ’70’s 
have shrunk dramatically in most parts of America. Few and far between are the moments of silence without 
swiftly passing vehicles on the boulevards and streets where we live. And ever-so-rare (rarer by the day) do we 
find undeveloped fields, or ample spaces between. Let’s face it, free-range pet ownership in our “neck-of-the-
woods” is far-and-away long-gone. Not only is it too risky to allow a domestic dog to run around off-leash, it is 
also against the law in LA County. Even pet owners in our “village” should know better.

I learned my own lesson about the importance of using a leash several years ago, while living in Hermosa Beach 
with my dog, “Lady”. She was such a friendly pup, I was never concerned that she might get into a doggie tussle, or 
hurt anyone. I loved to let Lady play on the sand and follow along while I rode my bike on the strand, particularly 
during the off-season months when there was less traffic and fewer tourists in town.

One day I let Lady saunter along when I went to get coffee at the local breakfast nook and a cop cited me for having 
her off-leash. The leash law was new to me, so I was more than surprised when I was told I had to take a day 
off work to appear in court and pay a hefty fine. That was the last time I allowed my dog to roam off-leash outside 
the perimeters of a fenced-in space. Though I admit it seemed ridiculous at the time, I’ve since learned to respect 
the leash law, and I’ve become somewhat of a compliance advocate, for the sake and safety of the animals. To me, 
it’s just simple common sense.

While we would all love to assume that our own dog is smarter than the others, it is not a safe assumption. First 
of all, you never know what the “other guy” might do. And secondly, it only takes a matter of seconds, for a tragic 
accident to happen. Ultimately, allowing your dog to roam off leash where we live, here in the foothills, whether 
on the street or on a trail, amounts to nothing less than pure negligence.

A domestic dog is still a creature driven more by instinct than allegiance to it’s master, regardless of how much 
training is involved. In fact, the human’s delusion of owning the perfectly obedient dog is an excellent example 
of how, in some ways, the dog is far smarter than the human. Sadly, though, a dog’s intelligence is typically not 
aligned in a way that will protect him from human ignorance.

I mean no offense to those responsible owners who’ve taken the time to properly train their pets. In fact, I want 
to encourage you responsible pet owners to keep up the good work! It’s just that in a moment of urgency, a canine 
will most likely do what comes naturally to itself, and much of the time that canine instinct is not in tune with 
what a human might or might not do, particularly when an oblivious human is behind the wheel of a fast-moving 
vehicle.

Even a well-trained, aware and obedient domestic dog will have a tendency to default to nature. Meaning, he or 
she may chase a squirrel scrambling up a tree, a bird taking flight or a cat meandering on the opposite side of the 
road. And when that happens, the dog’s instincts are likely to override any obedience training it may have had, 
prompting it to take chase after whatever caught it’s attention.

It only takes once for a car to come flying by at the wrong place and wrong time, to end the life of a precious pet. 
So I say, please set your “smart pet pride” aside, and take proper precautions. The risks are never worth it and it 
would be you, not your dog, to blame if such a tragedy should happen. The ‘I’m so sorry’ afterwards won’t fix it. 
A loving, caring pet owner will always protect their pet from harm, and that kind of unconditional love includes 
educating oneself and forfeiting some of the freedoms we used to enjoy , such as roaming off leash, like in the 
good old days. If you love them, you will leash them!

Pet of the Week

 
Two-year-old Nerissa is ready to meet you! This lovely 
lady is extremely affectionate- she immediately rubs her 
head into your hands for pets and scratches. While she 
may be an adult cat, Nerissa definitely remains a kitten at 
heart. She enjoys playing with toys and playing “gotcha” 
from her hiding place in her kennel. This sweetheart will 
fill her forever home with endless fun and games!

 All cat adoptions include spay or neuter, microchip, 
and age-appropriate vaccines.

 New adopters will receive a complimentary health-
and-wellness exam from VCA Animal Hospitals and a 
goody bag filled with information about how to care for 
your pet.

 View photos of adoptable pets at pasadenahumane.org. 

 Pets may not be available for adoption and cannot be 
held for potential adopters by phone calls or email. 


FAMILY MATTERS

 By Marc Garlett

CHRISTOPHER Nyerges

UNUSUAL EXPERIENCES WITH SOUND


www.SchoolofSelf-Reliance.com

Though I’ve marginally studied meteorology, as well as simple physics, I don’t claim 
any expertise in the characteristics of sound, something all hearing people deal with 
every day and take for granted.

I’ve observed that higher pitches travel longer than lower pitches, which I think is 
fairly well accepted, especially as it pertains to whistles.

I’ve also observed that sound seems to travel horizontally. I know that doesn’t sound right, but various 
experiences have demonstrated to me the horizontalness of sound. When I lived in Highland Park, the 
neighborhood street ran east to west through the low spot in the hills, and the houses were set back 
on both sides. I lived on the south side of the valley, and to get up to my home, I had to walk 51 steps. 

One early Sunday about 7 a.m., I had planned to visit my neighbor, who lived across the street, about 
level with my house. You walked up a driveway 1/10 of a mile, uphill, to get to his place. I was outside 
my home before I departed, and though everything was very quiet, I noticed some people talking. Probably 
two people. I paused and listened. Who could that be, and from where? Amazingly, I was listening 
to the two people I was going to visit across the street, and they were apparently on their own back 
porch. Our homes were about 1/5 of a mile apart, and I then realized that both our back porches were 
on the same horizontal level. I listened. I could distinctly make out their words! I don’t recall ever hearing 
anyone with such clarity that far apart. In fact, I don’t ever recall hearing with clarity people who 
were just down on the street from me, much closer. I did “cheat” a bit, and I cupped my hand around 
my ear in the direction of the sound, something I learned years earlier. I could hear their conversation 
with much greater clarity.

When I walked down my 51 steps, and then up the 1/10 of a mile driveway, my two neighbors were 
there still talking when I arrived. I told them what I heard them saying some 15 minutes earlier. They 
looked at me in disbelief, as if I was making it all up. “That’s impossible,” Prudence told me. “You were 
hiding back there behind the bushes, right?”

“No!” I told her. But I am pretty sure they never believed me.

Whatever I experienced could have been an anomaly, but ever since I have taken note of the horizontality 
of sound waves, keeping in mind that other factors – such as the landscape and wind – can also 
affect sound.

On another occasion, I was walking in a long narrow canyon where a small stream flowed. The canyon 
meandered north to south, and there were tall stony walls to the canyon. The stream trickled over 
rocks that clinked back and forth as the water flowed along. While pausing to eat an apple, I heard it. 
It sounded like three or four people chattering away, just around the next bend upstream. I got up and 
curiously walked upstream to see who was there. I listened carefully to the conversation, trying to make 
out the words. The people must have been walking upstream, since when I got around the next bend, 
no one was there but I still heard them.

It was not English, I thought. Not Spanish. I listened carefully as I walked. Maybe Mandarin? Maybe 
not.

Bend after bend, I saw no one. Then I decided to start looking at the footprints and to my amazement, 
I saw none! I ran briefly, trying to catch up with the elusive hikers. But no one was there. I was baffled! 
What was I hearing?

After sharing this experience with others, I was led to Craig Childs’ book, “The Secret Knowledge of 
Water.” Childs describes a nearly identical experience in a slot canyon in the desert Southwest where he 
hears voices of people talking where there was only water trickling through a narrow canyon. Were we 
each hearing what we wanted to hear? Was it a unique fluke of nature?

I never heard a precise explanation for this phenomenon but it’s something I never forgot – phantom 
voices springing from the canyon streams.

3 ESTATE PLANNING CONCERNS 
FOR MARRIED, SAME-GENDER 
COUPLES

Now that same-gender couples can legally marry in all 50 states, more Americans 
than ever before are enjoying the rights and benefits that come with marriage. 
Estate planning is one arena where these new rights and benefits are readily 
apparent.

While the planning vehicles available to same-gender and opposite-gender married 
couples are generally the same, there are a few unique considerations those in 
same-gender marriages should be aware of. Here are three of the most important 
things to keep in mind.

Relying solely on a will is risky: For several reasons, putting a trust in place—rather 
than relying solely on will—is a good planning strategy for nearly everyone. Upon 
the death of one spouse, a will is required to go through the often long, costly, and 
conflict-ridden court process known as probate. However, assets passed through a 
trust go directly to the named beneficiaries without the need for probate.

What’s more, a trust works in cases of both your death and incapacity, while a will 
only goes into effect upon death. Given this, it’s usually best for those in any marriage 
to create trust based plans.

Don’t neglect to plan for incapacity: Estate planning is not just about planning for 
your death; it’s also about planning for your potential incapacity. Should you be 
incapacitated by illness or injury, it’s not guaranteed that your spouse would have 
the ultimate legal authority to make key decisions about your medical treatment 
and finances.

Absent a plan for incapacity, it’s left to the court to appoint the person who will 
make these decisions for you. Though spouses are typically given priority, this isn’t 
always the case, especially if unsupportive family members challenge the issue in 
court. To ensure your spouse has the authority to make decisions for you, you 
must grant him or her medical power of attorney and financial power of attorney. 

Medical power of attorney gives your spouse the authority to make health-care 
decisions for you if you’re incapacitated and unable to do so yourself. By the same 
token, financial power of attorney gives your spouse the authority to manage 
your financial affairs. And be sure to also create a living will, so that your spouse 
will know exactly how you want your medical care managed in the event of your 
incapacity.

Ensure parental rights are protected: While the biological parent of a child in a 
same-gender marriage is of course automatically granted parental rights, the non-
biological spouse/parent still faces a number of legal complications. Because the 
Supreme Court has yet to rule on the parental rights of non-biological spouses/
parents in a same-gender marriage, there is a tangled, often-contradictory, web of 
state laws governing such rights.

To ensure the full rights of a non-biological parent, you may want to consider 
second-parent adoption. But, by using a variety of unique planning strategies, 
your Personal Family Lawyer can provide non-biological, same-gender parents 
with nearly all parental rights without going through adoption. Using our Kids 
Protection Plan®, couples can name the non-biological parent as the child’s legal 
guardian, both for the short-term and the long-term, while confidentially excluding 
anyone the biological parent thinks may challenge their wishes. 

Dedicated to empowering your family, building your wealth and defining your 
legacy,

Marc Garlett, Esq.

Cali Law Family Legacy 
Matters

www.caliLaw.com

626.355.4000


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