World Semi-Colon Day 2026
A week ago Wednesday I was on a private art tour in the hills above Santa Barbara where the landscape was studded with art including a few choice pieces of punctuation including a very large, 6′ tall semi-colon. “The semi-colon is dead,” Read more…
Taxed Out on Tax Day… and A Poem
Author Talks: I Hope You Know How F*n Cool You Are
Tony Fletcher’s books
Fletcher’s Dear Boys
Tony has spoken to students at Ventura College several times in person (and once via ZOOM) during Earth Day one year and during the Diversity in Culture Festival other years.
vote for Gwendolyn Alley
Once again I’m honored to be nominated for a Wine Travel Award as a Wine and Food Influencer in “The Brightest Journey” category— and I’m asking for your vote! Five finalists advance to judging — and how I get there is by your votes! It’s easy! All you have to do is click this link and vote for me.
Why vote for me? I started Art Predator as a print journalist, moved it to WordPress and now —
Practice
Love at dawn at Burning Man in 2014 phot by Gwendolyn Alley
In advance of Valentine’s Day, we did some fun writing activities in my college composition classes at Ventura College, and I shared some of my writing and my writing process as well. Since the students this week were writing about the writing process and writing practice, it was particularly appropriate. Below is one of the poems I shared from a class publication of many years ago which I hope will inspire them for the class publication we will do at the end of the semester. Here’s a link to my poem “kisses” also; I had students close their eyes and I put a chocolate kiss in their hands! They then used their sense to explore this “kiss” and later I shared my poem which you can also find below.
Celebrate the 100th Anniversary of Black History Month: Watch Michelle Obama’s “Becoming” + toast with Black Girl Magic
Becoming Michelle Obama
It’s the 100th anniversary of Black History Month this year!
While there’s hundreds of ways to celebrate, watching Becoming, the documentary about Michelle Obama’s life based on her autobiography, is a great way to celebrate the 100th Anniversary of Black History Month. In 1926, 100 years ago, Black History Month began as “Negro History Week” and 50 years later, became Black History Month in 1976. February was chosen in part because of Douglass Day, held on Feb. 14 to honor the chosen birthday of Frederick Douglass. Read more here.
“If we can open up a little bit more to each other, and share our stories, that’s what breaks down barriers,” Ms Obama says in the documentary; watch the trailer here.
Black History Month
Happy Thanksgiving! Happy Nova-ember!
Nova pneumonia
Happy Thanksgiving! I have lots to be grateful for, including Nova’s pneumonia recovery! It’s slow, but steady, and she’s strong girl with a sweet soul. It was great to get her back home again and out of the hospital! Read more…
Nova Has Pneumonia: can you help?
Nova
Nova –my recent rescue — was to be killed in San Bernardino, basically because she had mange, a non-contagious treatable stress related illness. All For Love Animal Rescue saved her, but as she had been exposed to pneumonia from a dog that died, I was asked to foster Nova (read more here). Once AFLAR volunteer Nick gave her a bath to remove the crusty mange, and treated her with hemp oil, she smelled sweet, and she was so much more comfortable. She is such a snuggler! Such a loving sweet soul and a great girl!
Nova
We went out for brief walks between rainstorms, and when the weather cleared up on Friday, we hiked at the Ventura Botanical Gardens. Saturday she had a big adventure, and she was full of life.
Sadly, Sunday we woke to find a very sick dog.
This is Nova!
Nova
Nova is a rescue. She was listed to be killed a few days ago in San Bernardino, along with another dog Prince, but a Ventura County organization called All For Love Animal Rescue picked them up and brought them back to a shelter in Santa Paula where they were checked and treated by a vet. Nova has mange which is treatable and not contagious but makes her very itchy. Prince had an eye injury caused by another dog in San Bernardino.
Nova in her cozy crate
However, soon after the vet check, Prince came down with pneumonia and succumbed to it yesterday. Nova went to the vet to make sure was not also sick, was given meds just in case, but was not allowed back to the shelter in case she was contagious.
Nova recently had pups, and her ribs are showing too
That’s where I came in. I’ve rescued and helped with several emergencies with their dogs, so they called me and of course I said yes. So that is how Nova came into my life.
Nova exploring her new neighborhood
I was notified in the afternoons, and so had some time to prepare the house for our new guest: crate, pillows, food, toys. Nova arrived at dinner time, and we soon learned that while very smelly, she’s a sweet soul, gentle on the leash, no interest in chasing the cat, hungry for food and affection, only 50#. Her stress related skin condition will heal with care and attention. Amazing that she was going to be killed at the San Bernadino shelter just a few days ago which is so heartbreaking because she is such a dear dog, so young but recently had puppies. No idea what her backstory is but she’s said to be good with other dogs.
Here’s to Nova finding her forever family!
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO ART PREDATOR!
Art Predator aka Gwendolyn Alley at the Buenaventura Art Gallery
Happy Anniversary with WordPress.com!
You registered on WordPress.com 18 years ago.
Thanks for flying with us. Keep up the good blogging.
WordPress 18!
And I’m another year older today! Finally legal to vote too! On this Election Day!
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