Saturday I spent a couple hours at the mall hawking for the annual Belk Charity Sale. (“Would you like to donate $5 to save homeless animals?) I had the pleasure of meeting Sebrina Gibson, a very nice lady who also happens to be an army mom. Her son, Jovita Holliday, is currently serving in Afghanistan. Thank you, Sgt. Holliday, for your service to our country.

A reader recently e-mailed me asking for pictures of fall leaves. With the rain and my work schedule, I have a pitiful amount of such pictures! Above is my best right now. (Is it just me or are the leaves not as pronounced as in years past?) Many thanks for reading — and I will continue to be on the alert for good fall leaves for good autumn photos.

Is this cutie not the best? I LOVE her alert on-the-go attitude — in spite of being dressed like a pampered fairy. When she and her handler walked across the “stage” in the costume contest, this angel sported a matching halo.

This friendly pirate — from the costume contest at the DogGone Festival last Saturday — had it all: hat, parrot, cross bones. She even had an elegant limp — and didn’t seem to miss a wooden leg at all!

Who appeared at our old metal porch doorway last night? Adorable Ashlyn! Her brothers came too and were equally adorable — but unfortunately, I didn’t get a good “doorway” pic of them. Ashlyn, Zachery, and Corbin were great trick or treaters. I think I enjoy this Halloween tradition more as an adult than I did as a kid.

For other “Doorways” around the world, Click here to view thumbnails for all participants.

One of my clever neighbors has this delight on her front patio. Couldn’t resist a pic. Happy Halloween!

My first thought (and maybe yours): What an adorable puppy! I love her grey color, her sweet face, and the cute costume that her mom made for her. (She’s a bowl of spaghetti! ) I’m one of those annoying folks who ignore good advice and put my face right up against the pup’s so she can lick me. And she did. Very sweet. But WAIT. Zena is over a year old. What?  Her mom says that Zena’s mom is a pit bull / mastiff mix and all her brothers and sisters are “normal” pittie size. Only Zena has stayed sweet arm-candy. The vet says she may be a “dwarf.” Regardless…she’s so cute. I wish I hadn’t cut off her head! Sorry, Zena. You did a great job strutting your stuff at the costume contest.

Meet Thunder and Mr. Dogster (just kidding about the name), who I met at the Dog Gone festival on Saturday. Jim Durrance, of JimD-Dogster.com, was quite patient as I peppered him with questions about draft pulling, Bernese Mountain Dogs, and his canine training experience. I enjoyed hearing about Thunder — whose beautiful head was ENORMOUS (you can see a closer pic here) — and Jim’s expertise with training service dogs. If you need a dog trained…well, you know who to contact.

This past Saturday Chris Taylor Park hosted the Dog Gone Art Festival, sponsored by various charities, including the Anderson Humane Society and Diamond in the Ruff, Inc. The festival sported crafts, information booths, and my favorite — a Halloween costume contest — all centered around furry creatures. The weather was cool and breezy, and the people and pups were friendly. Mina, my little feist-mix, sniffed as many hinneys as she could.

Another view from the membership show at the Anderson Arts Center. It was fun!