THE DOG BLOG
For
Animal Lovers
and
Lovers of Travel
~~~Costa Rica~~~
Because of a unique arrangement with the co-publisher of Cairo Cats, I'm able to sell copies via my own website for a larger profit than through Amazon or other sources.
As the author,
I thank you so much for ordering
Cairo Cats!
Dear Readers,
As always, if you no longer wish to receive these occasional notices - or if you received this one in error - please reply with "Remove" in the subject line. Or, pass this website along to people you feel may benefit. You can read this notice on my website with pictures included. www.OnaMissionFromDog.com .
April for me is a month of gratitude and appreciation. Somehow, I'm fortunate to know five authors who have just come out with books. And two have used my portraits of them on their dust jackets!
Pedro E. Guerrero: A Photographer's Journey
I met Pedro by a fluke. Three years ago while I was traveling around Arizona I needed some mail sent to me. I looked at the map and because it was near BLM land where I could easily camp, I chose Florence. While waiting for the post office to open, I wandered the quaint downtown area and began talking to two characters sitting outside the laundromat. The older man and myself found we had photography in common. Hhe asked if I wanted to see pictures he'd taken of Frank Lloyd Wright. I said sure. I had some time to kill. Those photos are now part of a wonderful book entitled, 'Pedro E. Guerrero: A Photographer's Journey'.
A friendship between the two of us, and his partner Dixie developed and we met up in Mexico for 2006 New Year's celebrations. I've just finished reading the book which is a brilliant read and a testament to Pedro's life, much of which I did not know, who's had a brilliant career photographing Julia Child, John Huston, Alexander Calder, Wright and many others, and working for magazines such as Vogue and Harper's Bazaar. It's truly an honor knowing this vivacious 89 year old man.
Dreaming of Jupiter
Ted Simon is a name every motorcyclist and most travelers know. In the 1970's, he was the first person to ride around the world on a motorcycle which resulted in his epic, Jupiter's Travels. At 70 years old, he made the trip again. The resulting book is entitled Dreaming of Jupiter. At the Ethiopia/Kenya border he broke his leg, and recuperated for the next three weeks at my house. It's quite possible that if I'm mentioned, he's written horrible things about my less than wonderful hostessing. If so, it's all probably true. Some people are meant for this roleŅI'm not. I predict 'Dreaming of Jupiter' will also become a classic.
Moods of Future Joys
I met Alastair Humphreys when I lived in Kenya when he was less than six months into his heroic four year trek around the world on a bicycle. Geographical magazine said, "this book is a literary match to his physical achievement." You can order on Amazon or http://www.alastairhumphreys.com/page9/page5/page5.html.
Egyptian Compass
Pauline Kaldas came out with 'Egyptian Compass', an exquisite book of poems. I met Pauline because of a story I was photographing for Saudi Aramco World on Arab-American authors which took me all over the US. She was my first subject in the series and we were both quite nervous. Somehow, we came up with some beautiful portraits and one is now on the back cover.
Remember Me to Lebanon: Stories of Lebanese Women in America
Here is a collection of telling, often luminous stories, about the lives of Lebanese women in America by another Arab-American author, Evelyn Shakir who I took photos of in her lovely Cape Cod cabin for Saudi Aramco World!
Looking for Love in Faraway Places: Gay Men's Romance Overseas
Michael Luongo is the newest friend who I met at the writer's convention in Chile last year. He has a new book called 'Looking for Love in Faraway Places: Gay Men's Romance Overseas', published in the Haworth Press LGBT travel book series Out in the World. The book is an anthology with true stories by men from all over the world, many of which touch on the timely topics of gay marriage and U.S. barriers to gay partner immigration post 9-11. More on the book is at www.haworthpress.com or www.lookingforloveinfarawayplaces.com.
If you wish to contact any of these amazing people for talks or book signings, drop me a line and I'll give you their address.
On an animal related topic, I'd like to tell you about the monkey situation where I currently reside in Costa Rica. When it comes to wild animals, the situation is not so different than it used to be in the US before there were more wildlife laws. Turtle eggs are still gathered from clutches buried in the sand to be sold or consumed to supplement a families food despite laws against it. And boys and men throw rocks at monkey's for fun. I see this happen occasionally next door. I think it's less since I yelled. And in truth the monkey's don't have to go over that way. They know they're very safe on my stretch of property.
What's more difficult to stomach and forgive, is the electrocution which happens when Howler monkey's become victim of cables in the American Project a mile from me. Expensive houses in this huge development are being built all the time. There is an effort amongst some residents to try and get the owners to pitch in funds so the cables and transformers can be buried beneath ground. These requests thus far have been largely ignored. So the wonderful sounds which Gringo's have flown over six countries to be close to, are cherished on one hand, and unprotected in practice.
The injury you see to this juvenile howler are from a mild case of electrocution. The monkey fell after being burnt and was brought into a sanctuary maintained by the owner of Harbor Reef Hotel, and cared for by workers. The monkey will not be able to be reunited with it's mother, as the rest of the troop will not accept it after so much time apart. It has since had to have a few of it's fingers amputated. One of my friends, Vicky Coan, is creating a large monkey sanctuary she and her husband are developing. Sibu will only have 8 homes built on it and the rest will remain jungle. People buying the lots to build their own homes understand they are buying into an area where the animals come first and underground cables are a part of attempting to make the area as hospitable to wildlife as possible. Please see www.Sibu.com for more information.
Lastly, but personally most important to me, is the recovery of my dog Bruiser after he was missing for four days. With Easter approaching, the second busiest time of year on my beach, I was determined to camp far away from the crowds. After one night away, I reluctantly went into the next town to get money from the bank and buy gas. While I was in the bank, huge firework explosions went off in the middle of the afternoon and when I came out, Bruiser was gone. I had no idea if he'd stick around the town which he didn't know very well, go back to camp which was about three miles away, or return home which was about 18. I searched all three places, but focused on the town the most as this was where he could get food, though I never felt he was there. But I wasn't getting anywhere and felt I needed more information.
Bruiser had once been lost in Kenya and I had contacted a psychic with the help of a friend Suzanne who I'd known in Egypt. Amazingly, just three hours after getting information from animal psychic Ronni Ann Hall, Bruiser and I found each other, an hour's trek downstream from where we'd camped, and slightly injured just as Ronnie had said. For the sceptics I won't try and convince you otherwise, but my best analogy is I don't understand how fax machines work, but they do. There's so many things I don't understand in this universe. But this is the third time I've lost an animal and they've been found with this kind of help. If you'd like to contact Ronnie, check out her website: www.RonniAnnHall.com
Thank you for reading!
best wishes,
Lorraine
| 
