A Harsh Reminder

The southern New Mexico village of Ruidoso -- all 8,000 inhabitants -- has been evacuated due to two wildfires nearby.

People were given just 3 minutes to grab what they could and get out. 

Firefighters still struggle to contain the two blazes. 

The sight of the area in flames, and the stories of lost homes and businesses, are heartbreaking.

But despite the painful losses (including the loss of two local residents), there are signs of hope. People from throughout New Mexico and west Texas are stepping up to help. People with horse trailers and fenced land have offered to bring horses to their property for safekeeping, offering hay and water to the frightened animals.

Two humane organizations have driven to the burn area to remove animals from the local humane society. Members of the Mescalero Apache tribe have opened a shelter to those currently without a place to live. Drives are ongoing in the Albuquerque area to collect non-perishable food and snacks, bottled water, hygiene supplies, pillows, blankets and towels. Someone offered an apartment to people needing a place to stay. The Albuquerque police department accepted donations at all of its substations. A local television station set up a donation drive at some local Albertson's grocery stores for the benefit of those impacted by the fires and for firefighters.

Now the area is facing threats of flash floods as the burned areas are unable to soak up the much-needed rain.

And then there's this: the FBI is offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the person or persons responsible for setting the fires. 

It's hard to accept that there are people so evil that they take pleasure in setting fires in a bone dry area, fires that have destroyed lives, killed people, and incinerated homes and businesses.

I hope those responsible are caught and severely punished. There is no excuse for such acts of cruelty.

Dogs Enrich Our Lives

I don't understand how learning of the death of a dog I have followed on Facebook can make me so sad that my eyes fill with tears.

Spike Taylor. Anabelle. Ricochet the surfing dog. Juno of Juno's Place.  And now Zoe the therapy dog.

I have never met any of these dogs, and I know that their pages are authored by their human moms. But their personalities shined through in words and photographs, and losing these dogs feels like losing a friend.

I have loved and lost 13 dogs during my adult life, so I understand too well the pain and overwhelming grief of losing a beloved dog. I looked forward to reading these dogs' posts every day. They were bright spots filled with love and kindness in a world sorely lacking in both.

Zoe was more than 15 years old, and she had heart problems. Exactly what happened has not yet been disclosed as the pain is too new and too raw for her human mom to talk about it. 

For everyone blessed to share your lives with dogs, please remember to cherish them every day. Your dogs may not be Facebook famous, they may not be therapy dogs or have ribbons or awards. But each dog is special and precious.

Dogs' lives are so much shorter than ours. We have outside friends and activities. For most dogs, their human families are their entire world.

Give your pups a hug and tell them you love them.

D-Day Eighty Years Later

Eighty years ago today, members of the American military, along with Allied troops, took place in an action that literally changed the world.

On June 6, 1944, the invasion of Normandy, on the coast of France, began. It was a bloody battle with numerous Allied casualties. I’m not one who has studied World War II very much, but D-Day is special. 

Among the nearly 133,000 troops from the United States, the British Commonwealth and other allies that landed on the beaches of Normandy that day was my father.  Casualties reached some 10,300.

My father, who was just 19 years old, was a gunner's mate on a destroyer off the coast of Normandy. The USS Corry, the lead destroyer of the Normandy invasion task force, had been given the assignment of drawing fire from the German gun emplacements high on the cliffs above the beach. The goal was to get a better idea of where the guns were located. The Corry did its job well. It was sunk, and 24 sailors were killed, with 60 others injured. My father spent a couple of hours in the 54 degree waters of the Atlantic Ocean until he and his surviving crewmates were picked up and rescued by British warships.

He never spoke about his D-Day experiences, but when he died, a Navy honor guard attended his burial.

I visited Utah Beach, off the coast where the Corry was sunk. Like my father, many of the Allied forces were young men. He had lied about his age in order to enlist and serve his country.

The most moving part of the trip was a visit to Omaha Beach, where Allied forces won a hard-fought battle against German guns, land mines and machine guns. The D-Day invasion changed the course of the war. It marked the beginning of the end of Nazi Germany.

At either end of Omaha Beach are 300-foot-high cliffs of rock. Due to a series of errors by the Allies, the first troops to reach the beach were mowed down by German machine gun fire. Bombs had missed their targets. Tanks sank in the ocean. Engineers tasked with clearing the beach of land mines were unable to complete their mission. Soldiers deployed in deep water found themselves sinking under the weight of their 80-pound packs. Guns got wet. Reports were that it was impossible to walk on the beach without stepping on bodies. But by the end of the day, the Allies were able to gain two tenuous footholds on the beach. 

Our French guide (my visit was part of a hiking trip in France) did a great job of explaining what happened on that beach. A German gun emplacement was visible nearby, as was a fortified machine gun nest. Because the tide was out, we could see remnants of a temporary harbor. The brainchild of Winston Churchill, the harbor is considered one of the greatest engineering feats ever. Two temporary harbors were built, one on Omaha Beach for American forces and one on Gold Beach for British and Canadian troops. This harbor allowed 220,000 men, 50,000 vehicles and 600,000 tons of supplies to be landed on the French beaches.

As we walked along the beach, the four members of our group became quiet as we learned details of the battle and reflected on the bravery and sacrifices of the young men who fought there. Nearby, I could see a bit of Utah Beach. 

That afternoon, we walked along part of the path that US troops had used on their way inland. We then had a couple of hours on our own to explore the US military cemetery at Colleville, high on a bluff overlooking Omaha Beach. 

The cemetery, on land donated by the French government in perpetuity, contains some 9,387 headstones -- either white marble crosses or Stars of David -- each inscribed with the name, military branch and dates of a service man who died during the invasion or ensuing military operations. Many of the graves are merely symbolic. Some of the deceased were repatriated to the US, while others were never found. Some headstones honor a soldier whose remains were never identified.

The cemetery is a place of sadness, knowing how many young lives were lost. And it is a place of beauty, with manicured lawns and a view of the beach where so many died. I was very moved as I walked among the headstones and through the visitor center. Although none of my family members perished in the war (both my father and uncles served), I nonetheless felt a great sense of sadness, as well as a sense of gratitude for their sacrifices. Our guide noted that during a previous tour of Omaha Beach, a veteran who had fought there commented that "I wasn't killed here, but I died here."

We have lost most of the D-Day survivors during the more 80 years since this history-making battle. The few living survivors are now in the 90s or 100s. In a few years, there will be no one left who took part in the horrendous battles on the beaches of France. The people of France have not forgotten the men and their sacrifices that liberated their country.

I hope the passage of time will never erase the memory of the sacrifices of those men from several countries whose bravery marked the beginning of the end of Nazi Germany. 

Please, take a moment on this sad anniversary to remember those who went to war and never came home.

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Not Fit To Be President

He isn't your savior.

He is not the self-proclaimed 'chosen one.'

He is not going to "make America great again."

He isn't going to rid the country of liberals.

He isn't even Christian, much less a good Christian.

He does plan to assume the powers of a dictator, which he has admitted.

He does plan to turn the country into a dictatorship.

He does plan to continue to turn the country into a Christian nation.

He does plan to rain havoc and retribution upon anyone who disagrees with his rantings.

He will once again make America the laughing stock of the world.

He will turn the country into an isolated pariah.

He will again suck up to his favorite dictators such as Putin, Orban and Kim.

He will destroy our environment to gain the favor of big business.

He is a traitor who will do anything to gain and hold onto power.

He is a compulsive liar.

He is a convicted sexual abuser and a repeated misogynist.

He is a racist.

He worships nobody but himself.

He lusts after his eldest daughter.

He insults our military, calling them "suckers and losers."

He mocks the handicapped.

He insults women.

He cares only about himself, the super wealthy and anybody he can con.

He is functionally illiterate and inarticulate.

He wants to slash Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security.

He routinely insults leaders of our long-time allies.

Many people believe he is mentally ill and delusional, 

He isn't fit to be president.

He cannot be trusted to not share our nation's secrets with our enemies.

On so many levels, he is the person most unfit to hold the highest elected position in the land. And without reading his name, nearly everyone will know to whom this post refers.

A Message to American Airlines

Congratulations, American Airlines, for totally ruining my trip ... Any my birthday.

Yes, I know there was a big, bad storm in the Dallas area. Did weather forecasting fail? Did radar not tip you off that a big storm was on the way? Did it sneak up on you? Did it not occur to you to prepare for the storm and how to respond to your customers?

I expected disruptions to American's flight operations. What I did not expect was the total show of incompetence by the airline's management and its complete disregard for its passengers.

From flight delays being announced every 30 minutes until the flights were finally canceled, to keeping gate agents in the dark, with no information, to jerking around passengers who had been at the airport for hours, American can write the book about how not to handle a disaster.

Here's an example: I was booked on a 5:09 p.m. departure. Then that flight was canceled and I was rebooked on a 3 p.m. departure. Then i was put back on the 5:09 p.m. flight. I rushed to the airport for the 3 p.m. flight, sat around then waiting on the 5 p.m. flight -- without anything to eat or drink -- and finally I was told, sometime after 9 p.m., that the flight was canceled. I then was rebooked on a 9 a.m. flight. 

In the meantime, my travel agent was working to get me back on the original 5 p.m. flight. The same scene was repeated the following day after my travel agent spent several hours rebooking my flights. This was not a simple process, as American had taken control of the ticket, which included flights on another, foreign airline. She managed to get me booked on the original flights, but 24 hours later. Both of us were ecstatic.

As I was on the way to the airport in yet another ride with Lyft, I received a text message notifying me that the departure time had been delayed by an hour. That wasn't an issue, as I had a 3-hour layover in Dallas. The next text came as I was in line at the airport to get new boarding passes. It was then that I realized my flight would eventually be canceled. The announcement of cancellation came as I waited in the gate area.

We were advised to call an 800 number for rebooking. But that number was overwhelmed with calls, and I was told someone would call me in 4+ and 5+ hours. And because Dallas was expecting more storms, I figured I would face still more cancellations. 

I was a professional communications person for a non-profit organization for 8 years, and for NASA for 20 years. I know something about how to communicate bad news.

American Airlines did absolutely everything wrong. Passengers were left hanging, with no information. The public faces of the airline -- the  front-line airport workers -- were left in the dark about what was happening. Senior management, as far as I can tell, were absent. I have yet to receive an apology, or an offer to try to make things right. I paid more than $5,500 for my tickets for a trip I an now unable to take. In addition, I paid close to $200 for four rides with Lyft to/from the airport, another $200 for a hotel in Johannesburg on arrival day, that I couldn't use, money for a flight from Johannesburg to my final destination in South Africa, and $150  to board my dogs for a trip I wasn't able to take.

But I'm sure management did everything in its power to protect itself and the company's shareholders. And that's the most important thing, right?

I will never fly on American Airlines again, a comment I heard from others who were tired of being jerked around. Clearly this business doesn't care about its passengers, so it seems only fitting that the customers have the attitude.

Memorial Day

Here's a reminder for the uninformed: Please do not wish anybody a happy Memorial Day. 

That is akin to wishing someone a happy death anniversary. There is nothing happy about this day designated in 1868 to honor the soldiers killed in the Union Army during the Civil War. Two world wars expanded the holiday to include all men and women who gave their lives in service to our country. I can think of nothing more insulting than using the word ‘happy’ in the same sentence with Memorial Day.

Far too many Americans either are unaware of or choose to ignore the true meaning behind this day. It should not be just another excuse for a three-day weekend. It isn’t all about barbecues and baseball and the unofficial start of summer. And worst of all are the Memorial Day sales that are screamed about in endless television commercials.

This is the day to honor those who died defending our country and our freedoms. It is not the same as Veterans Day, which happens every year on November 11. Veterans Day is the appropriate day on which to recognize the service of all who are serving and who have served in our armed forces.

This simple distinction clearly is too difficult for most Americans to comprehend. The days are not the same. So please, this Memorial Day weekend, enjoy your barbeques and your parties. But please don't forget to honor the sacrifices of these men and women. 

Several years ago during a trip to France, my group visited and spent some time in private reflection at the American military cemetery in Normandy, This cemetery, whose land was given to the United States in gratitude for the liberation of France, is the final resting place of 9,387 American military who sacrificed their lives in the liberation of France on and following the June 6,1944, D-Day landing. 

More than 80 years later, visiting this hallowed site was an extremely touching experience. So many of the war dead were very young, their lives cut short in pursuit of a greater cause.

As an American, I find it discouraging and embarrassing that so much of our population is totally clueless about which holiday is which. If you have forgotten your civics lessons from high school, please spend five minutes doing some research so you can understand the difference.

So on this Memorial Day weekend, enjoy your parties and your barbeques. But please don't forget those who made the ultimate sacrifice, often thousands of miles from home. They deserve more on this holiday weekend than yet another 'sales event' or a barbeque.

National Rescue Dog Day

The worst feeling in the world is that  no one wants you.

What a sad yet profound statement. This statement is especially appropriate today, which is National Rescue Dog Day. 

I have been fortunate to have adopted 15 rescue dogs during my adult life. Some were from humane societies. Some were from rescue groups. One was a direct adoption. And one was found, pregnant and abandoned.

Seven of these dogs were purebred. Six were golden retrievers, and one was an English springer spaniel. The others were a variety of mixes, from an 11 pound terrier (my first adoption) to a Labrador retriever/beagle, to a pair of papillon sisters to my current mix of unknown parentage. Two were puppies when I adopted them; most were middle aged. Some were very difficult dogs; others settled into the family immediately.

All were loving, sweet dogs. Some were very challenging. All have enriched my life immeasurably.

It's hard to admit, but there were some I loved more than others. My first dog, Patches, survived distemper and finally lost her battle with cancer. My next dog, Sam(antha), was a beagle/dachshund and as stubborn as any dog ever born. Casey, my first golden retriever, went to work with me every day and was a wonderful therapy dog who loved to visit people. Toby, my next golden, was a dear, sweet dog more attuned to me and my emotions than any dog I have ever known. Mila, a stubborn Labrador retriever/beagle mix, was so very loving yet exasperating at the same time.

And then there was Benny, my true heart dog, a golden retriever/corgi. Benny helped me get through the isolation and worry of the covid pandemic. 

There are so many dogs in need of help. Rescuing these dogs and loving them until illness or infirmity forced us to part makes me incredibly proud. 

Save a life. Adopt a rescue dog!

PS I know there are many people, especially children, who also feel unwanted. But today is a day set aside for rescue dogs. 

I adopted my daughter, who was abused and ignored by her birth parents, from Russia 20 years ago. She now knows that she is wanted and loved. And like her mom, she loves animals. She currently has a golden retriever and an adopted cat.