Mollie Hunt's Blog, page 57

WHAT I’M WATCHING: MURDOCH MYSTERIES

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MURDOCH MYSTERIES

Crime, Drama, Mystery | TV Series (2008– ) 

In the 1890s, William Murdoch uses radical forensic techniques for the time, including fingerprinting and trace evidence, to solve some of the city’s most gruesome murders. —IMBd

 

Murdoch is filled with endearing characters. Toronto Detective William Murdoch (Yannick Bisson) is a straight-laced but charming young Catholic man who, through his forward thinking and novel use of 19th century forensics, solves strange and convoluted crimes. His love interest (or not), Dr. Julia Ogden (Helene Joy), contrasts Murdoch’s primness as a female pathologist who leans undoubtedly to the feminist side. Inspector Thomas Brackenreid (Thomas Craig) as the red-haired blusterous head of the precinct fills many roles between brave savior and drunken stooge. Constable George Crabtree (Jonny Harris) is smart, energetic, sweet, and lovable. I think I like him best of all.

One of the most enjoyable things about this long-running Canadian television drama is Murdoch’s fondness of nifty inventions. Sometimes they get a little too nifty, but it’s fun to speculate what he will think up next, and with the help of noted pros such as Nikola Tesla and Harry Houdini, anything can happen. His list of notable friends and acquaintances doesn’t stop there: Murdoch also runs into Buffalo Bill Cody, Annie Oakley, H G Wells Jack London, Arthur Conan Doyle, Henry Ford, and more as he solves his murder cases.

The Victorian era costumes are lovely and well-executed though they seem a little more Music Man than Outlander. Some of the jewelry is almost blatantly a modern imitation of the Victorian style, but now I’m being picky.

Though Murdoch Mysteries is definitely a cozy series, scenes of wounds and autopsies, though not particularly lifelike, can be a little gruesome.

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STAR TREK CONVENTION T-1

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There are two goals to achieve on the day before the con begins: registration and buying things in the vendors’ room that we’ll need for tomorrow. My list includes 8×10 photos to be autographed throughout the show and a coffee cup so I can make hot drinks in my room. My list is simple compared to some.

The vendors’ room holds many treasures for the affluent fan. Even though I only collect autographs that I have signed in person, it’s fun to look around.

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Everything is for sale, including this full-size replica of Spock.

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Infinite diversity in infinite combinations.

 

 

 

 

MINI-BLOG: THE STAR TREK CONVENTION

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Have you ever wondered what a Star Trek convention is like? Have you ever in your sci-fi closet mind wished you could go to one? I’ve decided to take you along with me to Creation Entertainment’s annual con in Las Vegas. This is my 14th year!

It starts slow, meeting old friends, getting situated in my hotel room, going through the massive schedule of events so I don’t miss anything.

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Later today I will register and receive my package of swag for buying the expensive gold level ticket. My seat is in the second row from the stage and I look forward to sending you some great pictures. Here are some from last year I’ll be getting autographed this time.

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Sir Patrick Stewart and (most of) the Next Generation gang will be here to celebrate their 30th anniversary. Bill Shatner and Kate Mulgrew, of course. A special treat will be astronaut Dr Mae Jemison appearing with her mentor Nichelle Nichols. Last count there were to be 112 guest stars.

I’m writing this on my phone, a new experience for me but so far so good. So join me in the coming week to celebrate the diversity that is Star Trek.

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Live long and prosper.

Lynley Cannon’s FRIDAY FELINE FACTS & FANCIES, Introductions

 

Lynley Cannon, star of the Crazy Cat Lady cozy mystery series, is often referred to as a crazy cat lady herself, but when it comes to the feline species, she knows her stuff. Check here each Friday for instructive and intriguing information on our favorite subject: cats. 

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Photo courtesy of Best Friends Animal Sanctuary

 Introduce a new cat slowly into your household. Start him in a small area, away from any others, then expand his horizons over the next several days. Exchange blankets or towels that each cat has slept on to get them used to each other’s scent. ~Cats’ Eyes, chapter 21

 

Check out more of Lynley’s kitty tips, tricks, and facts preceding each chapter in Cats’ Eyes, Copy Cats, and Cat’s Paw.

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TYLER’S & LITTLE’S PRODUCT REVIEW – Clean Healthy Pet Products Bowls and Boxes

 

At BlogPaws2017, I was introduced to a new side of blogging, that of the honest product review. Soon after, I was approached by Madeline Talt of Clean Healthy Pet Products and asked to give such a review of her company’s line of biodegradable compostable pet bowls and litter boxes. I looked up their website and was intrigued by their products as well as attracted to their earth-friendly small business. I asked Little and Tyler if they wanted to test them out, and they both agreed, “go for it!”

Little and Tyler are accustomed to a clean bowl at every meal, and I have a dishwasher so I was not sure where the disposable bowls might fit into our routine. Then I counted it up: 4 to 6 bowls a day, 7 days a week, turns out to be 28 to 42 dirty bowls! That’s a dishwasher-load in itself. Dishwashers use water and electricity to heat it which costs $$. On the other hand, disposing of the used CHP bowls would be a simple matter of dumping them in the green recycle bin along with food scraps and yard cuttings, to be turned into mulch.

Mad and her dad, Mark Talt, sent me free samples of both the bowls and the boxes to try in my home. We tried the bowls first.

Little inspects the arrival of pet bowls.

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Little: But they’re empty.

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Tyler: Whaaaaa?

Me: Hold on, guys. It’s coming, I promise.

Little takes medications that I grind up and mix with a tablespoon of her food. She lapped it right up out of the CHP bowl. The bowl surface is smooth and pleasing.

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Big Tyler pushes his food bowl around as he eats so I used the CHP bowl as an insert. It fit nicely into a standard ceramic bowl, giving more weight. I can continue to use the ceramic bowl for many days without needing to wash it.

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Tyler: This is more like it.

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Little: I might like Tyler’s better.

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There are many reasons to use a disposable bowl, either as a liner or on its own.

Bacteria: If you’ve ever seen a cat with chin acne, it was likely from a dirty food bowl. Though most of us cat people are servants to our cats, washing an endless line of little dishes so each meal is served on a freshly clean bowl, this is not something everyone does. And even the best cat moms and dads don’t always have time or ability to stick to such a strict cleaning regimen.


Travel: I have no trouble keeping things clean at home, but we take our cats on monthly visits to the beach. Especially if you’re staying in a hotel, these bowls are a lifesaver. Both you and your adventure cat will love the convenience of these inexpensive and biodegradable bowls.


Multiple cats, fostering, and shelters: It’s one thing to wash out food bowls for one or two cats, but when you get up into the multiples, whether a personal clowder or a shelter situation, a disposable bowl in indispensable. If sick cats are involved, such as a fostering situation, using a disposable bowl each feeding reduces the chance of infection or re-infection. Many shelters already use paper trays, but CHP bowls are a superior product by far.

Personal favorite: Using these bowls makes me feel like a princess. It’s easy, luxurious,  affordable, and guilt-free all at the same time.

Little and Tyler love them too. There is no danger of whisker fatigue from these wide, spacious bowls. Both Tyler and Little do a better job of finishing their wet food than with the ceramic bowl, though they haven’t told me why.

Here is a product I needed without ever knowing it. Thanks, Mad and Mark, for introducing me.

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I asked Mad about Clean Healthy Pet Products:

The business is run by my father, Mark Talt. The company came about because with all of the animals my family has had, my mom mentioned one day there should be a ‘coffee filter’ like pet bowl so she didn’t spend so much time scrubbing dirty disgusting pet bowls! After a little research, it was apparent that … these bowls were needed for more reasons than just convenience.

We are a very new company (in the last 2 years) and have just started to see an impact. The bowls are really made for cat and small dogs at the moment and we are hoping to expand into bigger bowls for dogs. …My roommate has a cat, Rhino, who only eats out of Clean Healthy Bowls. I also have an incredibly picky pittie, Chilli, who will not eat his food if either the bowl is slightly dirty or his wet food and dry food are touching (and I rescued him from a shelter, so clearly it was my parenting that convinced him!) So I use two Clean Healthy Bowls nightly, one for his dry food and one for his wet food and I no longer worry about his not eating.

I asked owner Mark Talt about Clean Healthy Pet Products:

We started our company after a few conversations with the Pasadena Humane Society. We tested our product through them and Best Friends and then began slowly rolling them out to the public a little over a year ago. We manufacture our product through World Centric (in China), a leader in compostable goods for human use… We are located in Pasadena, CA…

(Our bowls & litter boxes) are 100% made from natural products, most often from wheat after the chaff is extracted. The product is 100% compostable and is very environmentally clean! And we have two cats who eat and drink from our bowls daily. The bowls can be used a few times and can hold water for up to seven days. The litter boxes last until the owner feels it is time to dump the box and add a new one!

Mad and Mark are generously offering my readers a 10% discount on their products from their Amazon Store. Use promocode Mollie10 at checkout.

Next time I’ll tell you about my experience with the Clean Healthy Pet disposable litter boxes. I can’t wait to try out them out. This product sounds incredibly useful. It’s not just that I dislike cleaning litter boxes; it has again to do with bacteria that builds up in the pan itself, and unless you have an industrial dishwasher to  wash your litter pans in, it’s hard to get them truly clean.

Disclosure: I received a free box of Clean Healthy Pet Bowls to try out in order to make this honest review.

 

 

The Litter-Ary Cat introducing Mollie Hunt

 

 

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When I was at BlogPaws/ CWA in May, I was approached by a fellow CWA member for a donation of one of my Crazy Cat Lady cozy mysteries for an auction benefiting the Panhandle Animal Shelter in Idaho. I just received the nicest thank you from Alberto, feline writer for Feline Opines Blogsite.

Check it out here:

Source: The Litter-Ary Cat introducing Mollie Hunt

Thanks, Alberto, I was glad to help.

 

Lynley Cannon’s FRIDAY FELINE FACTS & FANCIES, playing with cats

 

Lynley Cannon, star of the Crazy Cat Lady cozy mystery series, is often referred to as a crazy cat lady herself, but when it comes to the feline species, she knows her stuff. Check here each Friday for instructive and intriguing information on our favorite subject: cats. 

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Cat behaviorists suggest we play with our cats for at least ten minutes a day. A little one-on-one time with a string or a toy can keep kitty happy and healthy, to say nothing of our furniture, our breakables and our plants. ~Copy Cats, chapter 13 

 

Check out more of Lynley’s kitty tips, tricks, and facts preceding each chapter in Cats’ Eyes, Copy Cats, and Cat’s Paw.

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Cat photo credit: Catster

 

ADOPTING A SENIOR CAT

 

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~Tyler~

As a shelter volunteer, I hear many reasons why people don’t want to adopt a senior* cat. Expensive medical bills are a valid concern, as is knowing the pain of loss will come sooner with an older cat, but when someone tells me “kittens are cuter”,  I have to disagree. Senior cats have their own special beauty, and when they run and play, it fills the heart with joy.

Tyler has been with me for eight weeks now. If you’ve been following his story on my Facebook page, you know I adopted him June 1st from the Oregon Humane Society. I chose him because he was 18, and I just couldn’t leave an 18-year-old cat in the shelter.

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I was concerned about Tyler getting along with Little, my senior female who has ruled the house for nine years. Another objection I hear about adopting a senior cat is that they are stuck in their ways. So when I brought big old Tyler home, I did everything I could to make his introduction peaceful. As it turned out, I needn’t have worried. Tyler respects Little’s space and lets her taunt him mercilessly. They play together and ignore each other the rest of the time. It’s perfect!

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Tyler at the vet.

Soon after I adopted Tyler came the requisite first vet visit. It’s especially important with a senior to have an ongoing relationship with a vet, and we love ours. Though Tyler is shy of new situations, our doctor made him feel welcome and safe. She did a thyroid test because Tyler gets extremely hyper, racing around more like a kitten than a geriatric old man, but the results were fine. He was otherwise in good health as well. Yay!

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Tyler’s shelter photo.

I have to wonder how Tyler lived before he came to OHS, what sort of home he had for those eighteen years. OHS received no information as to where he came from, just that he arrived at the shelter sick and with every sort of parasite imaginable. If I were a cat psychic, I could divine what had happened for him to come to such a state. Then again maybe I don’t want to know.

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Tyler has made himself at home. He sits with me on the couch, and even jumps up there when I’m walking by as if to say, “I’m waiting…”. He is a basic cat: play, eat, sleep, love, all of which he does with true gusto. He is an absolute joy and I treasure every minute we spend together.

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Yes, he will have vet bills and I will need to meet them on a limited budget.

Yes, he will cross the Rainbow Bridge someday, and I will cry and crochet a memorial blanket.

No, he wasn’t set in his ways. Just the opposite- he fits in like he’s been with us forever

No, (in my biased opinion) there isn’t a kitten around who is cuter than my big tabby boy.

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Do you have a senior cat, and if so, did you adopt him that way? I love to hear stories about these often forgotten matriarchs and patriarchs of the feline world.

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*”Senior” is usually defined as 10 years and above.

 

 

 

Lynley Cannon’s FRIDAY FELINE FACTS & FANCIES, Ailuromania

 

Lynley Cannon, star of the Crazy Cat Lady cozy mystery series, is often referred to as a crazy cat lady herself, but when it comes to the feline species, she knows her stuff. Check here each Friday for instructive and intriguing information on our favorite subject: cats.

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Depending on what sources you reference, Ailuromania is defined as: a passion for cats; an abnormal love of cats; an addiction to cats; an unhealthy obsession with cats; a desire to have many cats, even when conditions are not suitable for health. ~Copy Cats, chapter 26 

Check out more of Lynley’s kitty tips, tricks, and facts preceding each chapter in Cats’ Eyes, Copy Cats, and Cat’s Paw.

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FLASH TEST, a Short Trip into Flash Fiction

 

I’ve recently been trying my hand at writing something shorter than a book – Flash Fiction. It’s fun, sort of like writing a want add with heart. These first attempts tend to include cats, of course.

 

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FERAL (44 words) 

She watches her kittens. Within their circle, a mouse darts, trapped by tiny paws. Sometimes the mouse breaks through; then she retrieves it, returns it. 

“Again, little ones.” 

She flicks a tipped ear, marking her kits’ improvement, unaware that these will be her last.

 

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CHANGES (103 words) 

The old cat bites the box, spits cardboard onto the Persian rug. His ragged ears are tuned for danger but there is none. That in itself is frightening. 

This new place, so divergent from cold alleyways and traffic. There is always food here— good food, too, not scrap and rot. The quiet is unnerving to one unaccustomed to it.

The human enters, running her hand down the dark-furred back. The cat flinches, then leans into the gentle touch. 

“I love you,” says the human, blinking a slow cat smile. 

The cat blinks back, then resumes his anxious gnawing, old fears not yet put aside.

 

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Can’t leave the house. Introvert imprisonment. 

Anxiety. Short of breath. Not again! 

Sign reads “lost cat”. Heartbreak. Hope. 

Six words? Give me a break!

 

Do you write 6-word-stories? Post them in the comment line for us to read.