Saying Goodbye…Again In early May, Beth Schroeder will say farewell to Gable (the handsome fellow on the right). Over the course of 25-years, this brave lady has endured countless goodbyes. Beth is a puppy raiser for Canine Companions for Independence, a nonprofit organization that provides assistance dogs free of charge to individuals with disabilities. […]
The wind howls. It stings and reddens my ears, which I occasionally cover with my hands. Rain spits sideways. It strikes my face like a million tiny pins. Much different than the 68 degrees near the base of this mountain range. I turn and look at my husband. “This is awesome!” he shouts over the […]
Third generation farm family raises crops and serves them in their restaurant Dan Schultz © 2018 Brian Powers Photography How did TCBC start? Bill Schultz traveled to Europe in 2010 and 2012 and discovered a thriving hard cider business. He came home, did some homework and found a promising market. Bill proposed an idea to […]
Third generation farm family raises crops and serves them in their restaurant © 2018 Brian Powers Photography At Schultz Fruitridge Farms and Texas Corners Brewing Company (TCBC), every family member plays a key part in making it a success. Another component: communication. The family interacts everyday, discussing anything from new ideas for restaurant operations to […]
© 2018 Encore Publications/Brian Powers As a writer, I get to meet so many interesting people. Kalamazoo area artist, Renae Baumgart of Renae’s Rip Studio, is one of those people – with an unusual medium: wall paper. She rips it into bits to create amazing portraits. Of animals. Of the moon and stars. Of childhood […]
Miss Skitters’ Vet Chart A red “dangerous animal” warning label adorned my cat’s vet chart. My sister’s cat, Rascal, boasted this same badge of honor on his chart. Which got me to thinking …which feline was the worst patient? This thought warrants a story, but until then, here are some highlights of their escapades: […]
On a Mission The above mugshot: Miss Skitters Her lifelong mission: find food and devour. Onions? Garlic? Carrots? Pizza? She never encountered a food she didn’t eat. Ever hear of a cat that pilfered food from the garbage can and hid it underneath a bed? How about a cat that closed a closet door […]
That’s What I said… when my husband suggested, “Let’s get a Komondor.” We sat in Barnes & Noble at the time, reading about dog breeds. He slid a book across the table opened to the Komondor section. (To see a Komondor in full cords check out Beck’s Odelay cover.) I thought he was joking. “Yeah right,” […]
Fourth of July with Marley This is one of my favorite pictures of Marley: the first photo we ever snapped. Shortly after we’d wrangled this 6-month old, 60-pound Komondor puppy into our house on the Fourth of July (a story in and of itself), we grabbed the camera. Over the years, this character’s shananigans made […]
Our Canine Tactician: Marley When our 60-pound Komondor puppy arrived one Fourth of July, Marley turned our lives upside down – and provided plenty of writing material. An additional 109 pounds (For a total of 169!) and many stories later, his adventures continue to grace the pages of a variety of publications. Check out the […]
Lisa Mackinder 