Karen and Paul were kind enough ...

[Willow Oak]

... to suggest that I use the general forum to keep everyone informed as to the status of the upcoming fund raiser to benefit the Corinth Alcorn County Humane Society animal shelter.

The local book stores have agreed to sell my new book, Critter Chronicles, in their stores and to join me in donating all or part of their proceeds to benefit the shelter. As for now we are in the planning stage, but I hope to pull things off within a couple of months.

The CACHS was once upon a time a shelter to be envied. They adopted animals all over the country, and did a very fine job of looking after all the wasted and wanton waifs of our area. Unfortunately there was a turnover of directorship, and ..., well the "ship" suffered what could yet turn out to be a mortal blow.

I shall share one incident. Someone whom I know personally happened by the shelter one day, and in wandering around the place just happened to venture into a section of the shelter normally off limits to the public. I shall be blunt with you -- the room was already full of black bags, with several more yet to be filled. Thirty-one dogs were euthanized that day, according to my source.

But honestly, I don't know what else the shelter can do. They are already overrun with dogs and cats and continue to take in more daily. This time of year especially, cats with their litters are brought in. It is a very sad and heartbreaking scene.

The leadership is at a loss as to what to do, so the president of the board called me and asked for my help. So I shall do what I can. I hope to raise enough money to at least get them back on track, but to be honest I have no idea how things will turn out.

I shall keep you informed. I realize that the situation that exists at my local shelter is a situation that is repeated all over the country. I hope to sell a few books locally. The local media appears so far to be amenable to offering us sufficient coverage of the book and the event. Bookstores will sell the book until the event, and hopefully we can sell the book on the day of the event. We shall have an "entry fee" to attend the event: such entry fee to be in the form of a monetary donation, or a couple bottles of bleach, or some paper towels, or kitty food -- any donation to the shelter gains one entry.

I have other ideas -- perhaps an auction, the winner to receive the following prize: The winner of the auction and I shall get together, and I shall write a story about the winner's favorite pet -- such story to appear in the print edition of our local paper. I am not a famous author, but people around here are aware of my online column, so maybe for them it would be a big deal.

I don't know -- maybe it will work; perhaps not so much. There are many worthy charitable projects about, and the competition for charitable donations is stiff. But we shall do what we can.

Thanks.

[Scooter's Mom]

I know I would love to have a story about my pets in the paper! That is a great idea.

Good luck and keep us posted.

[Willow Oak]

To Whom it May Concern. I have had to suspend production of the book for one week. As it turns out I mispelled my hometown. Well, not really. Wenasoga, Mississippi, is a very small, nearly deserted, and mostly dilapidated but venerable little community within two miles of where I live. Alas, in the book I spelled it as "Winesoga," which to the local folk would be more than a minor faux paux. The word only appears in the book three times, but it must be corrected. I have retrieved the books I distributed to the stores.

For those of you who have sent money and the check has not yet arrived, I can either send you one of the books I have, with the incorrect spelling, or if you don't mind waiting about two weeks, the revised book will be ready then.

For those of you to whom I have already sent a book, I shall make good.

Thanks for your understanding.

[pomtzu]

To Whom it May Concern. I have had to suspend production of the book for one week. As it turns out I mispelled my hometown. Well, not really. Wenasoga, Mississippi, is a very small, nearly deserted, and mostly dilapidated but venerable little community within two miles of where I live. Alas, in the book I spelled it as "Winesoga," which to the local folk would be more than a minor faux paux. The word only appears in the book three times, but it must be corrected. I have retrieved the books I distributed to the stores.

For those of you who have sent money and the check has not yet arrived, I can either send you one of the books I have, with the incorrect spelling, or if you don't mind waiting about two weeks, the revised book will be ready then.

For those of you to whom I have already sent a book, I shall make good.

Thanks for your understanding.

I don't mind that you spelled it wrong - just send it on to me. Besides that, it might become a rare collectible that way - like a mis-minted coin!

[Willow Oak]

Some of you may recall this picture:


I found Grace with her puppies as I drove through the dilapidated town of Wenasoga, a mere two miles from my home. I made inquiries that afternoon, and it was conceded by the two people I talked to that she was a stray and had been being fed table scraps by the locals there. Eventually I delivered the pups to the shelter (after two weeks of sleepless nights), and I ultimately decided to give Grace a home at Willow Oak.

Even then, Grace was a very graceful and beautiful girl:


Her teats were still gorged with milk in that picture, but that would be a good thing as you will see when you read her story in the book.

Of course, nowadays I find Grace to be one of the most irresistable girls I have ever been around. How can you deny a face like that?

[Willow Oak]

I have managed to expedite matters so that book production has resumed. I have already had some online orders, so I guess that is good.