Letters from the Editor and Publisher

Dog Days

FROM THE EDITOR

August heralds our annual dog issue; our excuse to send a little extra love to our furry companions. In light of that, I’ll share about my two dogs, Afa and Rhino.

Afa is an almost 9 year old German Shepard/Husky mix. My partner has had her since she was a puppy. She’s nearly 90 pounds of white fluff who prefers to lounge on a cool tile or hardwood floor for as long as you’ll let her – she’s been affectionately nick-named “the rug.” A simple dog, she enjoys breakfast, dinner, any and all snacks you’ll give her in-between (so long as she doesn’t have to work too hard for them), and her daily walk.

A little over a year ago, we adopted a second dog, Rhino. If you could imagine the opposite of Afa as I’ve described her above, you’ve got the right idea of Rhino. He’s 18 pounds of anxious chaos who can’t stop, won’t stop. At only 18-ish months, some left-over puppy energy is to be expected, but we weren’t quite prepared for the punch this little guy packs. We found out through a DNA test that he’s mostly chihuahua and cattle dog (which explains much of his behavior), mixed up with a bunch of other smallish breeds. He is darn cute and hilarious to boot.

The two of them make quite the pair. Rhino is one of the few dogs I’ve seen that can coax Afa up off the floor for some play time. To him, she’s big sis – the protector. To her, he’s an annoying yet beloved little brother. To us, they’re family, both humbling and loving. When we have a bad day, they’re always there, happy to see us. When the news of the world is a little bleak, they’re there to make us smile. So, give a little extra appreciation to your pet family, furry or otherwise, for all they do for you. And if you have any tips on taming a Rhino, I’m all ears.

—Genevieve

Summertime Blues

FROM THE PUBLISHER

When I was a kid, I would get a sinking feeling in my stomach when the calendar changed to August. I knew that school was just around the corner. School now starts so much earlier than back in the day, mid August just seems so soon. There’s no need to fret though. There’s plenty of sun and fun left to be had. We are blessed with summer weather well into October. Still time to get outdoors and enjoy nature and all those summer sports that we have in abundance in Benicia: hiking, biking, kayaking, swimming and for the more adventurous, what about the Outriggers club, or maybe windsurfing? Whatever your interest, there’s plenty of time and the weather is fine.

We’re coming up on the 2nd annual Dog Festival. This year it will be on October 15th. Last year the event attracted people and their dogs from far and wide. There were rave reviews on the doggie fashion show, the obstacle course and the many other events that happened throughout the day. This year the festival will include part of First Street and will include food and beverages and music. The beach will be open for pets to run off leash if they wish. This event is a fundraiser for animals who are injured or displaced due to natural disasters, such as wildfire.

It's true that there are many very unpleasant things happening in our world and it’s difficult to keep positive and even more difficult to be unaffected by the daily onslaught and the grim roll out of the news. It wears on you. Summertime blues is very real and unfortunately not exclusive to summer. Try to balance each day by doing something kind for yourself, your neighbor, and your world.

PEACE OUT.

—Mary