And So It Begins....

Born and raised on the coast of Maine, my childhood was spent frolicking in the great outdoors. Skiing, sledding, and snowshoeing in the winters, catching lobster and having clambakes on the beach of our family’s lake house in the summers, life may have been quiet in the small towns of New England, but it was never dull. The economy took a turn for the worse just before I turned 13 though, and my parents moved us to southwest Florida.

One of my many favorite beaches in Southwest Florida

After years of vacationing in the Sunshine State, everything about it won us over and we turned a bad situation into a positive one. Florida was (is) so different from Maine—palm trees, turquoise water, sand soft as sugar and year-round sunshine—but I loved it with a passion. We literally spent life on the water when we weren’t working, whether at the beach or on the boat. Growing up I moved to Tallahassee for college, then to Orlando, then to Jacksonville. No matter where I went, living on the water was my priority, and I spent every waking minute I could in the sun.  I worked hard, but I played harder, and gained friends and experiences along the way. Life was good, but apparently something was missing, because 16 years later, in 2006, I got the bug to try something different. My Dad was living in Reno, and I decided to take some time off and visit with him for a few months, then move on to southern California. I knew it was similar enough to the Florida lifestyle I’d become accustomed, and was still thriving in real estate, my career at the time. Reno was a huge change for me, and although I consider the East Coast home, I will never regret my move to the Silver State. I was lucky enough to find and fall in love with the man of my dreams and I discovered an intense passion for a new career—saving the lives of homeless pets. Reno is still growing on me, but I am thankful for my new family out west, along with a job that makes a true difference in the world. I know I want to end up back home, as I still call it, but until we are ready to make that adventure a reality, Reno it is. I’ve got my loves (two & four legged), an amazing job, and my entire future ahead of me. I know wherever we go I will have Brandon, and a desire to speak for those who don’t have a voice—animals.  That is why I chose to begin this blog… not to speak about me, or us, but about the animals. In two short years of employment, and three years of volunteer work, I have it in me to share my stories, good and bad, with the world. I hope you will follow and share my journey, and maybe even become inclined to make a difference yourself, and help us create a world where there will be No More Homeless Pets (my credit to Best Friends Animal Society for that worldwide known slogan and mission) because that, in my opinion, is what they deserve.

I begin Arwyn’s Tail, Barley’s Paw  with my simple background, but the animal stories will follow. I may dance around when it comes to a timeline, so don’t expect these to be in any kind of order. Those stories I share first are probably those that have the biggest impact on me. My tone will vary, as do my emotions. Animals are so very delicate, but even those that bring tears to your eyes have a meaning and a mission as to why they are brought to you—to me. I can think of so many off the top of my head, some recent, some not, so please, read, share, and decide to make a difference wherever you are, because that is what is important. I may be saving lives in Reno, but I am only one person, and it isn’t unless I gain the support of many, many others that we can make that dream come true that Best Friends Animal Society has already set in motion. I understand there are so many causes across the globe, but I choose animals because they do not have a voice, and because I have learned to speak for them.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you for reading, sharing, and learning.