As the ceremonies were winding down, I went to find Mary. She was talking to Melenie just outside the front door. As I approached her, Mary seemed confused. She was telling Melenie she didn’t remember singing any songs. Seeing me next to her, M

Mocha 2.0: FOF PC50

Jun 23rd, 2021 12m 30s

Two years later, we found we weren't using the horses anymore. I think our hearts were too broken. So, I gave both Mocha Too and Lucy to my sister Jackie. She and Steve came on a weekend and took the horses to Fresno. The next week they returne

What Next? FOF PC52

Jun 23rd, 2021 12m 1s

Life shouldn't be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand and wine in the other, screaming "Woo-hoo, what a ride!"

Mocha's Accident: FOF PC49

Jun 2nd, 2021 14m 16s

"I was standing in my front room by the window at approximately 7:00 PM. All of the windows and doors were opening my house. I heard a tremendous crash then a thunk. There were no screeches of brakes before or after these disturbing sounds. --

The Horse Collector: FOF PC 48

May 29th, 2021 13m 2s

Although I no longer enjoyed any breeding contracts at the large horse ranches, I continued to see horses for other clients. Many of these folks were becoming tired of their horses. Some were older animals left over from the days when the kids

Mocha Is Born: FOF PC 47

May 9th, 2021 17m 59s

Tuesday morning when I went out to feed her, Candybar had a foal suckling her. Mary and I immediately checked it out. As with any first newborn child, we bought books to help us rear an offspring, one who would be confident with people from the

Reconciliation: FOF PC 46

May 1st, 2021 19m 44s

Women can forgive physical cheating, but not an emotional one. On the contrary, men can forgive emotional cheating, but not a physical one." Rishi Bharadwaj

DUI: FOF PC 45

Apr 29th, 2021 14m 14s

"People are always capable of falling in love again." Rishi Bharadwaj

Creston Divorce: FOF PC 44

Apr 23rd, 2021 17m 26s

--"You should get your heart broken once or more. You will get to know who you are and what do you want in a life partner." Rishi Bharadwaj --Because of my consistent philandering and neglect, Mary finally tired of my escapades, informing me i

Gathering Cattle: FOF PC 43

Apr 17th, 2021 12m 11s

The gathering starts right after daybreak. A group of cowboys on horses set out and methodically sweep from one side of the ranch to the other, keeping the startled cows and calves in front of them and pushing them toward the barn area. As more

Cowboys Ride the Iron Horse: FOF PC42

Apr 5th, 2021 25m 4s

Cowboys Ride the Iron Horse is a roller-coaster chapter taking place on a snowbound train trying to get to Reno, Nevada.

Knowledge Is Not The Same As Wisdom: FOF PC41

Mar 21st, 2021 17m 33s

Although intelligent enough to graduate veterinary school a month after my 27th birthday, it would take me many more years before I found my true self.

Tampa Bay: PC 40

Mar 16th, 2021 18m 46s

In the late spring of 1996, I received a notice from the AAAV they were looking for more material for the ostrich part of their annual convention at Tampa Bay Aug 28-30. I submitted a paper on Adverse Effects of High Environmental Temperatures

Philadelphia: FOF PC39

Mar 5th, 2021 24m 19s

“When do you plan on becoming married?” the woman asked. Susan and I looked at each other. We had been maintaining a distance and were not holding hands, surprised, but not really that others could see through the sham, our feelings for each o

Santa Barbara Botanical Gardens: FOF PC 38

Feb 26th, 2021 24m 1s

Deciding to create a plant paradise at Shadowmere Farms, I enrolled in classes at Santa Barbara Botanical Gardens to figure out how to grow those plants that could thrive in our climate zone. And I encouraged my extra-marital affair by meeting

Dallas, Texas: PC 37

Feb 18th, 2021 21m 3s

My second ostrich speaking engagement happened at the American Ostrich Association’s yearly meeting in Dallas, Texas. I was one of four well-known ostrich vets invited to speak to AOA members regarding health and veterinary issues for their mil

A New Sideline: PC 36

Feb 13th, 2021 19m 28s

I was smitten by this new woman in my life. Besides being pretty, Susan was keenly interested in my veterinary lifestyle. Her magnetism pulled me into an unthinking blissful bubble. My insecurities heightened her appeal. Susan became my new s

My Own Greek Tragedy: FOF PC 35

Feb 4th, 2021 29m 45s

A few years into our marriage my ADHD insecurities partnered with my immature mindset to lead me down a rabbit hole of temptation, betrayal, disloyalty, and sadness.

Ostrich Quarantine Station: FOF PC 34

Jan 23rd, 2021 17m 9s

When notice spread I was an ostrich veterinarian, calls asking for my help arrived regularly, many of them out of our area code. One call came from a fellow with a family fleeing South Africa, eager to set up an ostrich egg importation/quaranti

The Circle of Knowledge: FOF PC 33

Jan 3rd, 2021 27m 52s

My confidence in my veterinary learning had developed to the point where I was ready to teach others what I had learned. I call this the circle of knowledge. First one must learn and understand the technique. Next comes using what you’ve learne

My Family Grows:PC 32

Dec 28th, 2020 22m 37s

I needed some vacation time. When Mary suggested we visit her aging parents in Minneapolis, Minnesota I jumped at the idea. We could write the trip off on our taxes if we went to Minnesota for veterinary stuff, so I coordinated the trip to coi

Ostrich Veterinarian: PC 31

Dec 17th, 2020 34m 23s

My career took another challenging turn when I decided to offer my veterinary services to ostrich owners. Once again I pushed myself into a steep learning curve to become proficient at doctoring this new and unfamiliar seven-foot-tall bird.

Chiquita: FOF Podcast 30

Nov 20th, 2020 18m 53s

Alan from the Atascadero Zoo called me. Chiquita, one of their spider monkeys had stopped eating and developed diarrhea. She looked horrible when I examined her, appearing weak and listless, about to check out.The zoo had no facilities to trea

Australians on Holiday: FOF Podcast 29

Nov 19th, 2020 22m 40s

On the flight back from lunch at Harris Ranch, I thanked Larry and Lorraine for their hospitality and invited the Australian woman and her brother over to my house for an evening in the hot tub. We could finish off the day drinking wine and soa

Zoo Veterinarian: FOF 28

Nov 14th, 2020 25m 43s

In the fall of 1986, I received a call from Alan Metzler, director of our local zoo. He was looking for a new veterinarian to help with the medical well-being of the zoo’s animals. Bringing him from the San Diego Zoo, the City of Atascadero hir