In hindsight, this modest remembrance might be the very best thing that could have happened. This small makeshift pile of mementos off to the side of a narrow trail is now part of the trail, part of the hill, part of the rolling terrain. Dirt bikers, dog walkers, hikers, know there's a 'memorial' out there somewhere. The ashes of Kobe Bryant and his daughter are out there somewhere. Whirling helicopter blades and the force of the crash blew them in every direction. Somewhere in the area of the marker. Isn't that all we need to know?
I'm one of those who believe that when our time comes our spirit moves to the Astral Plane, we become
​part of everything. Kobe and Gigi are part of everything now.

Being random and off at a little distance, it's not an over-touristed destination. It's not Instagram famous, yet. Thank God. My heart sank when I saw what happened to a favorite trail thanks to Insta, litter scattered and rocks covered with spray painted tags. A fragile trail in the hills, still quiet. Mr. Bryant and his daughter have been given the chance to Rest In Peace.

​#bball #mamba #lakers #nbafinals #hoops #kobebryant #lakernation

​I’m a dog person.
​But then, along came Tofu.

He Had A Home - YAY. Maria and Sam lived just a couple houses down on the other side of our block. So, when Tofu got out again and came for a visit, I knew who to call. He even came inside to explore the living room and consider several cat toys. Maria was here pronto but Tofu was more interested in the sardines I put out and hiding under green bushes was more fun than going home. So she left thinking he would come home that night. And he did.  ​

​To this day Hello Kitty the pop culture phenomenon delights and fascinates millions.
​My Hello Kitty was a totally surprising July surprise, full of delight and fascinating.

Friday September 15 was the kickoff of a coast to coast road trip to raise awareness for the need to find solutions that can save animal lives and reconnect natural habitat. 3,500 miles of promoting and learning. Beth Pratt +4 will advance the cause of P-22's legacy: wildlife crossings. 

The speeches were over, the filming was done, and I headed up a narrow trail that lead to the top of Murder Mountain. The team of 5 left the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing construction site and headed for the Mojave desert. I headed for an uphill hike, daunting for someone who's hasn't even been doing daily dog walks since April. Off they went to the Mojave Desert, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana and Florida. Off I went to an upgrade that wouldn't quit. ​

What is the story? It's a story of hope.
There's no reason to hope but we hope anyway.
A story of despite.
​With no glimmer of change for the better on the horizon,
we fight the odds, the hurdles, the likelihood of a cruel status quo.
https://youtu.be/SiUG-T5hKIs

Los Angeles city shelters have surpassed crisis levels, they've reached the breaking point. Dogs sit in small cages, in their own feces, in hallways where no one can see them, not accessible to volunteers or the public. They get 5 minute potty breaks and are deprived of basic comfort and exercise. Living in inhumane conditions for weeks and months at a time, 23hours-55minutes a day. 
​
Mayor Bass, you appointed Staycee Dains as the new General Manager for Los Angeles Animal Services (LAAS). The interview process was set up in her favor with a “confidential panel” comprised of her associates from Human Animal Support Services (HASS). HASS is run by the former disgraced GM of LAAS Brenda Barnette, and their policies are destroying shelters across the country. Ms. Dains couldn’t handle the Long Beach shelter, so why would you give her six that are in a state of emergency? GM Staycee Dains’
Two Month Accomplishments:
1.) Added more color-coded KILL LISTS to FAST-TRACK pet KILLING
2.) Sold Breeder Licenses to unhoused people
3.) Handed out metal dog crates on Skid Row - but didn't enforce spay/neuter nor provide free spay and neuter.  

Where's compassion? Where are innovative strategies or new ideas? Mayor Bass call a state of emergency and craft a plan to stop this crisis. 
PRIORITIES

• Get the animal population under control
• Enforce spay/neuter laws and provide FREE spay/neuter
• Stop allowing animals to leave the shelter unfixed
• Stop selling breeder licenses with zero oversight, especially to unhoused individuals on Skid Row where the pet population has exploded
• Crack down on backyard breeders
• Market and promote adoptions
• Investigate the volunteer program (30 volunteers fired/suspended, only 14% of applications accepted)

The LA Times, KCAL 9, CBS, FOX 11 and several other news orgs exposed inhumane and illegal shelter conditions, including dogs not being walked for weeks or months. The first walk for some was to the euthanasia room. The systemic sick, toxic LAAS culture MUST change.

In the days after, hummingbirds seemed to sprout in the backyard. Pairs and groups appeared like I've never seen. Messengers? Spirits of those gone before Jimmie? Feathery visitations, healing and uplifting.
​
In the week after letting Pilot go, two hummingbirds hovered within inches of my eyes, one for each eye, so near, the moment so fast, I was stunned. I was resting in my mourning on the chaise lounge, eyes closed. I felt them before I saw them. I didn't and couldn't move. I'll never ever forget it. A friend had a simple explanation, one was Pilot and one was my mother. Could that be? Of course. Why not? Since that day, 
                        I choose to believe that hummingbirds are mystical and as magical as dogs
                                    and Jimmie's presence came to me on tiny-tiny-tiny wings.

               Angel wings carried you away Jimmie, but your glow wraps around me now, and always.
         Even remembering you through tears you force a smile out of me. Smiles, that was your mission.
                   Here's to you my gleeful, happy-go-lucky, beaming boy and best friend, my Jimmie.

Today is National Pet Day ! 
 He makes me laugh every day.
One way or another, if Jimmie is around there are smiles ahead.  
​Adopt a dog or cat and your days are guaranteed to include laughter too.
Get that 'Lion' Jimmie get him!​
https://youtu.be/__Z9nVNgpIM

​#adoptdontshop
#adoptashelterdog
#pitbullsofinstagram
#pitsofinstagram
#pitbulllife
#pitbullmom

https://www.instagram.com/p/Cq67pyVttfs/

In her young years, my Mom sketched. Dad fiddled with a harmonica, tapped the steering wheel to music on the radio and went to dances for decades. Brother Tim has drawn cartoon-style since he was a kid, to this day he puts in time drawing, his heavily illustrated entries winning countless enter-by-mail contests. I had the acting bug in me from high school on and segued into graphic design late in life. I could have been a Catherine but noooo, 'K' won the day. Whether it's in the genes or the 'K', no denying a gift when it's in you to the bone. 

And then there's inspiration and skill that's trained, honed and goes professional. That's Kathy Zielinski. She is at the top of her craft, character concept design and feature film animator supervisor; hired straight out of Cal Arts by Disney and later recruited for Dreamworks by Jeffrey Katzenberg. She may focus on designing monsters and villains, but in the world of dark themes, she shines bright. As you can see from these samples of her work at a recent Animation Guild gallery show, https://animationguild.org/gallery839/

p.s. Kathy's husband is Kevin Kutchaver. His art is animation, visual and special effects. Being a double 'K', he had little choice but that his imagination-powered talent will out.

​Once the passageway's built the animals will indeed come. And the difficulty of being wild in this world will be less for them, thanks to P-22. As I've walked along it's trail-like dirt road I’ve thought about how he never knew this beautiful spot, never got the chance to roam through these valleys, over creeks, to the other side of the Simi Hills and beyond. But - was that his spirit I felt? Does he know what he’s done? Can he wander wherever he wants now?

My little ‘field of dreams’ bleeds into where the Annenberg Wildlife Crossing will be. It’s not a vast sea of cornstalks or wide open farm fields. My ‘field’ is a carpet of green unrolling between gentle hills and bordered by the 101 freeway at the entrance end. It will host the obvious legacy of P-22; concrete proof, literally, that P-22 will be remembered and celebrated for years beyond counting.

My hope is that the bridge will blend gently into my valley-'field' and it will be covered in the same soft, velvety green it is now, turning to yellows and dry grasses as summer comes.

It can't stay this way forever, undiscovered and green. 

It Is Happening! The Wildlife Crossing is Happening. History is happening in Liberty Canyon.

Since 2014 I've cheered on this largest wildlife corridor in the world. 
mystorytails.com/true-tails/p-22s-cougar-crossing
​mystorytails.com/true-tails/p-22s-101-wildlife-crossing-is-happening
mystorytails.com/true-tails/p-22-power-to-the-puma

Reaching back as I move forward. Memories see me through. 

I was fortunate growing up in a nice town, Portland Oregon, with a loving family. For all my frustrations (how come we weren't rich? why didn't we live in a big important city?), childhood is my rock. So many were raised in the eye of the storm or left to their own survival devices, I was lucky. We can't choose our family, it's up to the fates and some benevolent spirit graced me with a close, caring, stable home. Health, not much wealth, but my parents were hard working, responsible people and that mattered all down the road and into adult life. I can't imagine facing life's struggles or trusting your judgement if no one led by example or loved you in those early years. I could tell how proud my mom was of me, I could feel it. That feeling doesn't go away, nor the confidence it builds.