Last week, I got to thinking about happiness, and what does happiness look like for me? My top of the list response was waking up in my bed and having my human companion under me.
When I was at the Solano Animal Shelter and then the seven months at FAAS, I had plenty of food, water, and got some walks by those great volunteers that took me out of the kennel.
What I missed the most was the constant presence of a human companion. Sure, other dogs are fine to interact with, but they can’t provide the connection us canines feel when we get a human to scratch our ears, tell us we are “good dogs” (but never best dogs), and greeting them when they come home from work.
With this in mind, I wondered about all the animals and fish that were companions to the Ukrainian people. With so much devastation and loss being reported, I was feeling pretty sad with no way to help out.
While I realize there wasn’t much I could do being so far away, I did hear about a way to help out shelter animals here in Alameda.
FAAS is in need of cat and dog food. If you could find the time to drop off cat and dog food to their Fortman Street address, it would really help out some of my buds that are still waiting to find their forever human companion. Please consider picking up a bag of kibble or a few cans of wet food the next time you shop.
The folks on NPR always talk about the urban wildlife interface, and I don’t think most Alamedans think that our little island as having wildlife other than the occasional raccoon or opossum sighting. I am excluding squirrels as wildlife, because I find them to be varmints whose only function in life is to torment me.
I want to recognize the turkeys of Alameda as official members of the animals that make up the urban wildlife interface. Check out the roost for this solo bird.
The term “hooptie” is a slang word to describe a vehicle someone owns that is well past its best days. It is usually older, beat up, but till being driven, sometimes on a daily basis.
I am embarrassed to say that my human companion has a hooptie Datsun 240 Z that is well past its best days, is 51 years old with every fender dented, has 955,000 miles on it, and up until last week was only driven from one side of the street to the other for street sweeping.
I keep giving him poop about how he needs to start restoring it or sell it off for parts, because it had no good use and was driving down property values.
Well, last week, I had to eat humble mini-chunks. We got a new very heavy commercial stove for the kitchen, and Jeff decided to borrow from the Egyptians who build the pyramids and build a ramp to roll the unit up the front steps without having to lift it.
With lumber the price it is (a sheet of plywood is now over $50), he didn’t want to spend any money on a delivery. So, he fired up the useless hooptie Z and went off to Home Depot. OMG. I did not believe my eyes when I saw him pull up with his purchase. The old beater Z finally came in handy for something.
Turning to other sightings around town, the copper caps on this fence along Grand Street caught my eye as the afternoon sun reflected off the metal. These guys were pretty bright, which leads me to believe that the owner may be polishing these caps occasionally.
On one of my night walks on San Antonio I think, I would a bit of Christmas vibe in the colored balls that adorned the tree in the front yard. How many days till December 25? I don’t even want to think about it.
I need to apologize to Linda Holler for the extended time it took me to get over to the west end of Alameda and get the picture of her family home. If you would like me to walk by your Alameda house on one of my many excursions around this beautiful island and get a picture, please get me your address.
One of my first finds on the street was a struggling plant in a heavy clay pot. After a year of watering, giving it the right amount of light, and adding some fertilizer to the soil, I have a really nice Split Leaf Philodendron ready to find its forever home. If you are interested, please email my human companion Jeff at [email protected] .
And just a heads up, I am working on the first ever canine kennel sale. With all the garage sales going on, I want to take advance of this declutter opportunity and raise some money for FAAS.
Until next report, this is Mouf asking the question, why was there a guy carrying a tuba on Alameda Avenue last Sunday?
Mouf, Roving Reporter Bear’s-Eye View of Alameda
Mouf and his human companion can be reached via [email protected] . Their stories are collected at AlamedaPost.com/Jeff-Cambra/. All photos by Jeff Cambra.
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