Chow Down

I didn't feel like cooking last night--making brownies doesn't count--so I had tomato soup, a mini baguette, and about half an ounce of goat cheese from Pug's Leap Farm. I bought it at the Beverly Hills Cheese Store--who could resist the packaging with the silhouette of a Pug leaping over a fence? Not me. All I lacked was a glass of Mutt Lynch Canis Major zinfandel.

Pug's Leap Farm in Healdsburg, California, is home to 24 goats (and, one presumes, a Pug). Mutt Lynch, a winery in Sonoma County's Dry Creek Valley that's owned by Brenda and Chris Lynch, makes some very fine zins, as well as merlot, syrah, cabs, and chardonnay. (I'm sure they're very fine, too, but I've only had the zin, which I love.) Their motto? Apply dog logic to life: eat well, be loved, get petted, sleep a lot, dream of a leash-free world. Works for me.

It's been a busy time for me. Last month, I went to the Cat Writers Association annual conference, where I got face time with friends that I usually "see" only online and moderated the editor panel. While I was there, I also took a quickie tour of the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. Icing was winning three awards: the Purina ONE award for an article on treating urinary tract infections in cats, a Muse medallion for an article on Katrina pet rescue efforts, and a Muse medallion for an article on treating diabetes, which appeared in Catnip. The girls and Jerry went, too; they are all honorary members of CWA despite their handicaps of--in Bella and Twyla's case--being dogs and in Jerry's case, not being a writer. Unfortunately, the girls had diarrhea while they were there and were too stinky to be seen much in public, so they weren't able to meet with their adoring legions of fans.