Giddy up I say, then giddy up some more. I can feel when Raudi’s energy level is going up, and I then take advantage of this, and ask her to move more quickly.

My own energy level is on the wane, particularly in the evenings. I do take advantage of early morning energy and get done what I can get done.

This morning I went to the Mat Su Borough Animal Shelter, beforehand feeling some trepidation. The event was sponsored by the Friends of the Palmer Public Library. I saw the listing on the Palmer Library website and just decided to go. I did ask a FOTPPL member if it was okay if I went, and she contacted the board president who said there might not be enough room – I guess for a table. So I decided to go anyways.

I was, upon entering the door of the animal shelter, really glad that I did go. An animal shelter volunteer greeted me, and when I said that I was with the Bright Lights Book Project said that I could have a table. I spread one bin of books on this table, and she then pulled forth a second table. She then showed me the shelter bookcase, which needed books.

Ryder

Approximately two dozen people, children and parents, trickled in as we talked, and sat in the provided chairs. The children were quite young. I’d wished that I’d brought more board books. An animal shelter volunteer read the children two books, and then the other volunteer talked about animal care. She did this interesting exercise – she put out piles of paper Mache poopy and had the kids, using bags, go around and pick them up.

The grand finale was this – the volunteer had the children get in a circle, then she brought two puppies into the room. The husky and the black lab had been in the puppy room. The dogs ran around and every so often licked the faces of the kids.

It was then that I had a major revelation. This was that this animal shelter is a cut above the rest. Yes, I suspect that they do euthanize dogs and cats. The cost of keeping these animals around would otherwise be staggering. But they obviously do so much more here. The staff is into educating community members in the hope that the number of animals that end up in the shelter goes down.

And what a great means of education – having story times for children and parents, in hopes that they become responsible pet owners.

Not surprisingly, by the end of my visit to the shelter, both puppies had been adopted. It was evident that those acquiring these dogs were getting animals that had been well cared for and were socialized.

Now if, say, the volunteer had brought out a very young female border collie or an Australian shepherd I would have brought it home. And if I had the time, I would have volunteered to work at this shelter.

Giddy up I say. It ain’t over yet.

Next: 68. 3/9/25: All is well on the Squalor Holler Front