How do I know that winter is waning? My walks with Shiloh take longer as I stop to chat with neighbors emerging from their cocoons. The comradery of a community that survived another season warms my soul as much as the sun.
I wouldn’t know these neighbors well nor would I be as inclined to talk if it weren’t for the ever-present dog at my side. Prior to rescuing my first pup, I would wave warmly to neighbors while I walked or jogged. My forward motion, however, conveyed “I’m busy.” Once dog fostering and dog walking became a permanent component of my daily routine, I began to engage with people. Like the weather, my dogs were a safe on-ramp to conversation.
I know in my heart my connection to humans has been enriched because of my connection to animals. I was curious to know if this was true for others. Below are the stories of three Substack writers I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know. Perhaps you’ll see yourself in their experience. Please share your comments below.
Pamela Cummins, once known as Cat Woman, isn’t shy about calling herself a “crazy cat lady.” Her five felines fight for her affection. She honors their relationship through stories she shares in her Attitude of Cattitude Substack newsletter, copious photos and videos in Substack Notes (If you’re a cat lover, you can easily lose track of time scrolling her Notes!), and her wearables shop, Pamela’s Purrfect Creations.
“My first thought on how cats help improve my relationships with people is honestly I purrfer to be around my kitties than most people. Why? Because they accept me for who I am, my strengths and flaws. I can be my weird, freaky self around them, and they still love and accept me. More importantly, is the kitties are who they are. They are loving, hissy, playful, sleepy, and all their other unique personalities. They express to others how they feel, make boundaries, then all is well.
This has helped me put people who aren’t themselves, don’t accept me for me, and who are just wanting to take from me, out of my life or at a distance. I’ll help folks when I can, yet it doesn’t mean they’re in my inner circle. Instead, the inner circle of my kind of people is small. My relationships are so much better when we are ourselves and helps the love for each other deepen.”
Darin Gabbert is a busy guy on Substack. I met him first at Your Best Horse Relationship where I was drawn to his photos of horses and philosophy of prioritizing one’s relationship with them. Then I learned about Darin’s Substack where he displays his work as a studio photographer. I spent many years in photo studios “pushing peas” as a food stylist, making products and recipes look appetizing. I never learned a darned thing about operating a camera, but I do appreciate a well-lit photograph. I suggest you indulge in his photos of antiques, art, and jewelry but not until you find out why he’s known as @Tallhorselover.
“I know many people who are not comfortable around horses, or at least they know that they won't like horses if they ever got close to one. They will protest their distaste for horses, up to the point where they put their hands on the horse. That touch can change your whole outlook.
Winston Churchill has a famous observation regarding the outside of a horse, being good for the inside of a man. There is a calming influence, being around the horse. Horsepeople have known about this effect for centuries, science is only now beginning to understand the how's and why's. My bad days are made better by spending quiet time with my horse.”
One of the most endearing qualities of Substack writers is that they engage in their craft from all corners of the world and with every topic imaginable. Bill Adler is an American writer who lives in Japan and writes four newsletters of varying content – Sign Spotting, which is as you guessed, a quicky post about unique signs; A Better Wrist about watches and watch collecting; short stories and flash fiction under the newsletter name Fiction by Bill Adler (Did you know Bill is an author who has sold more than a million copies – holy grail!), and Stray Cats of Japan which is how I learned about Bill.
“Ten years ago, *Kinmo lived as a stray in a park near my apartment building. My girlfriend and I sat with her, warming her with our laps in the winter and holding an umbrella up on days it rained. Other neighborhood residents and workers visited Kinmo, too. Some fed her; one made sure she was free of fleas; another gave her clean water. But none of us knew each other until a year later when my girlfriend created a chat group for us. Fast forward several months and a typhoon was about to strike Tokyo. We conferred online and decided to meet in the park, capture Kinmo and bring her to my apartment—just for the storm’s duration, after which we’d return her to her natural environment. It turned out that Kinmo’s temporary shelter became permanent; she liked the warm floor and soft bed more than cold benches and soggy soil.
Our group of ten still keeps in touch and we sometimes have Kinmo parties at my apartment. Two of our group who met because of Kinmo got married last year; Kinmo is also a matchmaker."
*Kinmo is short for kinmokusei, a fragrant flower that blooms in Japan in October, and sweetened the air in the park where she lived.






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I write about horses and only horses, from my 50+ years of experience breeding them, but I love all animals. I have a wonderful mini dachshund who is personality plus.