Standing in front of the Hemingway House before we enter for the tour

As you know, I was on vacation recently with my family and one of the places we went to visit was the Hemingway House in Key West. Clearly, being the cat lover I am, this was really no surprise. But, what can one say about the Hemingway House or Hemingway that hasn’t already been said? After all, he’s been dead since 1961 and is  firmly entrenched in the pages of history. The house remains a beloved tourist attraction in the Keys and the Hemingway cats are legendary. Nobel Prize writing author (Old Man and the Sea), cat lover, notorious drinker, and fisherman are all images that come to mind when I think of this literary talent. Now, upon further inspection, I have come to the conclusion that Ernie and I are long lost relatives. The evidence seems all but indisputable, but I will let you be the judge… Read more

Left to Right - Crystal, myself, and Jackie enjoying a summer cruise on the Gulf of Mexico in Key West as we wait for the beautiful sunset to come.

My lazy days of wide brimmed straw hats with pretty bows, billowy sun dresses in carefree floral prints, sipping frozen margarita’s, and drifting down the Gulf of Mexico in a cruise boat as I watch the sun setting to a glorious canvas of hues too magnificent to describe are over. Read more

Scotty and Cher – two of the twenty plus cats in the Riverfront Cat Community that Christine feeds each day

Despite working several jobs just to pay her own bills and to feed and care for her Riverfront colony of 20 plus cats, despite the overwhelming task to educate a community on the epidemic of cat overpopulation, and despite all the tragedy and heartache Christine Michaels often has to bear, this incredible Cat Crusader and Guardian Angel to the feline species would not have it any other way, as the love returned and possibility for a better day far outweighs the pain and effort. She is completely devoted to the well-being of these creatures and is relentless in her pursuit to make the world a better place for them. And that is why, in a nutshell, she is my chosen benefactor (via the Cat Network of South Florida where she volunteers) of the $1000 prize if I win the Petties 2011 Awards in the category of “Best Designed Blog.” Read more

Ingrid King

One of the many joys of Zee & Zoey’s Chronicle Connection for me has to be all of the wonderful people and animals I am meeting along the way.  I never in my wildest dreams thought my life would be so rich a tapestry, filled with so many people that share my love and passion for animals. One of these wonderful people is former veterinary manager, turned writer, Ingrid King. While Ingrid and I have only just begun to strike up a friendship, she is one of those kind souls that I somehow feel I have already known my whole life. I am very drawn to who she is as a person and we share a lot in common,  in particular, our love, respect and devotion to cats. It was this common bond that caused our paths to cross and how I came to fall in love with Buckley, a sweet, joyful, and wise beyond her years little cat that was sharing her forever home with Ingrid and the inspiration for the book Ingrid wrote, Buckley’s Story. Read more