Adventures: Northern State Hospital in Skagit County, WA
Tucked away in northwest Washington is the Northern State Hospital. This 700-acre property was once home to Washington’s third mental institution but once it was shut down in the early 1970s, many of the buildings were abandoned and are now in various states of...
What I’ve learned from animals
Over the past few years, I’ve learned so much from taking care of animals. I’ve learned the importance of wearing great shoes, what the essentials for any great walk are (water, treats, and a great attitude!), and to always be aware of what’s going on around me. But...
Animals of the Salish Sea
The Salish Sea is just one of the many natural wonders of the Pacific Northwest and is located in southwest British Columbia and northwest Washington state. This sea is made up of a few more commonly known aquatic areas like the Puget Sound, the Strait of Georgia, and...
Kedi (review)
During the winter, the days are short and the nights are long and cold; while this time of the year can be tough, this is a great time to watch movies. If you’re still with family during this time, one great movie to watch together is Kedi. This film follows the lives...
Making that tough decision
Easily one of the worst parts that comes with caring for animals is having to say goodbye. I wish I could say that I’ve gotten better at saying goodbye to the animals who’ve died over the years but in reality, every single time I have to say goodbye is just as hard as...
National Bird Day.
Today is National Bird Day! Taking care of and living in tandem with birds is an amazing part of living in the Pacific Northwest, as there are numerous native bird species that call this place home and plenty of backyard chickens (like my own) that are cared for...
The Chicken Retirement Plan
Some of the many animals I care for on a regular basis are chickens and it’s become such a wonderful part of my every day life. My family shares custody and responsibility of the chickens with our neighbor and over the years, we’ve had a few flocks. We mostly keep...
Rooster’s 6th Adoptiversary!
Today (roughly) marks the day that Rooster has been with my family for 6 years! My mom met Rooster at a family friend's New Year's Eve party celebrating the end of 2011 and I distinctly remember her coming home from the party and running over to me to tell me about...
Celebrating the New Year with pets.
It's almost 2018 and I'm sure there are many who are planning their New Year's Eve plans and celebrations. Celebrating and coming together with family and friends can be a wonderful way to bring in the new year, especially during the cold, short days we've been having...
Favorites from 2017.
2017 had its highs and lows. There were devastating wildfires and massive hurricanes. Two different earthquakes hit different parts of Mexico. There were mass gun shootings, war, displaced refugees, and so much more. But in the midst of all that, there were people who...
Happy Holidays!
Many of the animals here and I are celebrating Christmas today and hope that everyone who is also celebrating is having a wonderful time with friends, family, and pets. And I hope all those celebrating other holidays this time of year are having (or had in some cases)...
Holidays with the pets
This time of year is filled with different holidays and celebrations and with the short, cold days in the northern hemisphere, it’s nice to have a few reasons to be with loved ones. For all those who celebrated Hanukkah, I hope you had a wonderful time with family and...
Jane (2017).
Every so often, I'll be reviewing different films, books, and other forms of media about animals. Some will be about animals here in the Pacific Northwest while others will be about animals around the world. For the first review, I saw the new documentary about Dr....
Breed Specific Legislation
There have been times, unfortunately, that dogs have been aggressive towards people and/or other dogs. Sometimes, these situations are accidental; other times, the dogs feel backed into a corner; and unfortunately, there are more than a few times in which dogs have...
The California Wildfires.
There have been several wildfires in southern California recently and with a blend of factors (it’s dry, hot, and record high Santa Ana winds), these fires have destroyed buildings, burned down forests, and caused immense damage. People have been evacuated from...
Wild Rabbits
During the spring time, it’s particularly difficult for me to go a day without seeing a wild rabbit and on more than one occasion, Rooster has tried to catch a rabbit that ran by (he’s luckily had no success in catching anything but still tries every single time!)....
Is your indoor/outdoor cat bringing you birds and other small animals?
**Disclaimer: I’m not an animal behaviorist or veterinarian and cannot guarantee that these things will stop your cat from catching things like birds, mice, and more. There’s really nothing that will stop your indoor/outdoor cat from hunting other animals other than...
Scoop the Poop!
One of my least favorite things about caring for dogs and cats is picking up poop and cleaning out litter boxes. It’s always stinky, a bit gross, and an annoying chore. But doing so is a vital part of having a pet, as leaving poop or improperly disposing of used...
#GivingTuesday
During this time of the year, there are so many days and reasons to shop. Black Friday deals, supporting local businesses on Small Business Saturday, online shopping on Cyber Monday. By far, my favorite one of these days though is Giving Tuesday, which is the Tuesday...
Feeding Wildlife.
When I was a child, my mom would occasionally take my sister and I to a local park that hosted numerous barnyard animals during the summer. We’d often bring stale bread and other treats with us and would often buy the grain sold onsite to feed the different animals....
Thanksgiving and Pet Safety.
For all those celebrate, happy Thanksgiving! I know that Thanksgiving is tomorrow but this year, I’m incredibly grateful for all the animals in my life and that I get to spend so much time with them. The animals I care for have taught me a whole lot about life and...
Interacting with wildlife.
Over the past couple of years, I’ve read too many stories of folks interacting with wildlife and began to wonder if humans as a whole are too disconnected from nature. There are several stories of people endangering an animal’s life or their own life for a selfie,...
Losing a pet.
A few weeks ago, I shared that we had lost three of our young chickens because of a predator (a weasel most likely but that’s not terribly relevant) and more recently, Tommy the cat crossed the rainbow bridge after a long, wonderful life. This wasn’t the first time...
Animals in the wintertime
Wintertime can be so much fun but there are some things you can do to make sure that your pets are safe.
Hiking with Dogs.
Honestly, one of my favorite things about taking care of dogs is going on hikes and walks with them. Some days, it’s hard to get the motivation to go outside but once I’m out there with a dog, it’s so amazing. Even on the rainiest days, hiking and walking with dogs is...
Stories of animals helping people.
Over the past few months, there have been numerous natural disasters that have ravaged different parts of the world. Weeks after Hurricane Maria made landfall, Puerto Rico is still dealing with the aftermath. It’ll take years for places like Puerto Rico and Houston to...
Halloween and Pets.
Halloween is fast approaching and with it comes a large amount of chocolate, other candy, and costumes. One of the more terrifying things about all the candy that will appear around this time is the potential for dogs to consume some of the sugary treats. And for the...
Homemade applesauce, according to Milo and Rooster.
Yesterday, there was a huge wind and rain storm, making it an uncomfortable thing to be outside. So I decided to make applesauce with the help of Milo and Rooster! And I thought I’d share how to make this tasty treat with two dogs. **This recipe will ultimately make...
Dog Etiquette (Or: Things I Wish People Would Do Around Dogs)
Walking dogs has been one of the best parts of my life the last few years. There are some ups and downs involved but once I really get to know a dog, walks can be so much fun! I’ve learned so much from doing this work, including a list of things that I’d love others...
Friday the 13th and Animal Superstitions
Today is Friday the 13th (the second one of 2017!) and in many countries and cultures around the world, this day is considered unlucky. Not everyone in the world thinks today is unlucky, as there are countries and cultures that are superstitious of other numbers. But...
Pet First Aid Classes.
Pet first aid classes can be great resources for pet owners!
Service and Therapy Animals.
There are days in which the animals I care for the only reason I make it out of bed. Having depression and anxiety make it difficult to do even the most basic things at times but I know that I’m able to do a whole lot more each day because I have all these animals...
Rooster’s Birthday!
On Monday, October 9th, Rooster will be 13 years old (probably… maybe?) and I’ll officially be 26 (as far as I’ve been told) then. As he’s a rescue, we don’t know for sure when Rooster’s birthday is or how old he is exactly. But many estimate that he’s about 13 now...
The Western Pond Turtle
On a sunny day a few months ago, I was walking with a dog around Bellingham’s Lake Padden. That park is a great place to take dogs and I’ve so often I grew up swimming during the summer breaks between the school years, even swan across the lake a couple of times....
Senior Dogs.
When we originally got Rooster, the vets and foster organization guessed that he was about seven years old. He was on the verge of becoming a senior dog, as bigger dogs are often considered seniors around 6-8 years old, but he still had all the spunk of a young dog....
Caring for backyard chickens
During my second year of college, my parents and neighbor decided to get chickens together. It was a perfect arrangement – the coop ended up on her land right next to ours, allowing easy access for both households to share care for these animals. Through some trial...
Adopting other animals.
Last week, I wrote about the things to consider when adopting a dog but dogs aren’t the only animals with a long-term commitment. Cats, bunnies, chickens, fish, and so many other pets are as well and it’s vital that we stop treating these animals as disposable....
Adopting a dog.
When I was just a young one, I was obsessed with getting a dog. There was nothing I really wanted more and after years of talking about it with my parents, my mom agreed to take my sister and I to the local humane society to “just look” one day. Not too long after we...
Clear the Shelters and Rooster’s Story
Today, a nationwide pet adoption drive called “Clear the Shelters” is happening all across the United States! Several television stations have teamed up with many different shelters and humane societies to help dogs, cats, and other animals find their forever homes....
Taking care of a llama and two sheep
Taking care of a llama and two sheep was, as weird as it sounds, something that I just fell into. My neighbor has had llamas and various other animals for decades now and I grew up with different llamas in the periphery of my life for the last two decades. Growing up,...
The Dog Days of Summer: keeping cool during hot weather.
Make sure to take care of your animals during the summer heat!
The Beginning.
My name is Andrea Merrill and I live in the upper left of the United States. I’ve called the Pacific Northwest my home for most of my life and I have a deep love for this place. Over the past few years, I’ve been taking care of an assortment of animals and started...