I am a dog person, but I may have to change that.

[Burning Petard]

I have had five dogs as an adult. All were hunting breeds, three were used as actual gun dogs in hunting birds. One died of heart worm when I was completely ignorant of such a thing. The others died of chronic disease/old age. I did have a cat that was attributed as 'my' cat, when I was middle school age. But my mother did the housebreaking; it preferred to curl up in my father's lap over other laps in the family. It would come occasionally when I called. The cat was put out when we went to bed. That was part of the ritual in shutting down the household at night. When it was about five years old an unidentified serial-killer-in training in the neighborhood tied a string around its neck and it was hanged on a cyclone fence until dead. It never visited a vet for any medical treatment or anything else. It voluntarily participated as a member of the family.

But I prefer dogs. I did have a dog when I was much younger, but that is an even sadder story. As a newly married man, my wife gave me a Brittany Spaniel pup for my birthday. That was the beginning of 40 years of family dogs. I would like to have a dog now, but my definition of a proper dog's life does not include living in an apartment.

I have an arrangement with Amazon, get everything by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller as soon as it is published. Today I recieved their book called 'Double Vision.' It is a reprint collection of short stories published in paperback back in 2009. Many of the stories are by only one of this team (the particular author is identified for each). Some of them first appeared in a magazine more than 40 years ago. Many are not connected to their Laiden saga,(perhaps some are--I am only a quarter of the way into it) or even science fiction. The first is not even fiction.

But the first five are CAT stories.
They tend to strongly convince me that I could have a cat living with me in this apartment, with benefits as important as the things I seek from a dog, but very different. I never recommend anyone buy a book. They are expensive. They have horrible depreciation. They quickly become a burden that can overwhelm a living space. Most communities have a tax-supported library system (a library card is the best credit card in the world) But 'Double Vision' may be worth a look. I am intrigued by the sub-agenda of the possibility of being able to distinguish a different 'voice' for each of these authors. I have never tried with the many "Laiden Universe" books I have read.

I wish you happy reading and hope you can curl up with a dog, or a cat, as you find appropriate.

snailgate.

[Joe Guy]

Dogs and cats are each special in their own way. Cats are lower maintenance than dogs and they can adapt to living indoors. But if I had a choice between a cat and a dog....

I'd take both: