I never thought I'd like a little dog, but several years ago I happened to run into a former neighbor who rescues small dogs and she had with her a sweet little pooch who quickly stole my heart. I'd lost my dog Rasta, also known as Shoe, some time back (I'd featured him in Hermit's Peak) and never thought I find another animal friend to replace him.  But along came this small fellow we named Obi, and he has in many ways made me a better person. With that said, I know you want to see a photograph of this celebrity dog, so "Here's Obi." At seventeen pounds, he's quite buff and the toughest dog in the neighborhood until he forgets and gives you a kiss.

This month, we continue to feature my two August events, my Full Moon talk at White Sands National Monument on August 5, and my appearance at the SouthWest Writers Conference on August 15. Not hard to tell that it has been a slow news month here at the McGarrity hacienda, is it?

On a political note, I'm a proud veteran member of the Santa Fe Joan Duffy Chapter of Veterans for Peace, and we recently sent a letter to President Obama asking him to dump the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy about gays in the military and allow them to openly serve their country. Doing so will move our nation one step closer to full equality and I'm for it. Don't listen to the military brass who say it won't work. Outside of Turkey, the USA is the only country in the western alliance still acting stupid in this regard.

Happy July 4th!