Heaven help the ones who fly away

I’ll take it year by year Watching the dust go clear We’re all afraid to fear Or to remember How we remember Heaven help the ones who fly away Heaven help the ones who have t... Read More

The Adventures of Skylar Grey

Of wirehaired vizlas, TPLOs, and that certain je ne sais quoi

By Susan Dyer Reynolds

je ne sais quoi noun, French. An indefinable, elusive quality, especially a pleasing one: She has a certain je ne sais quoi that charms everybody. Just weeks before k... Read More

The Adventures of Skylar Grey

Chapter 33: My dear old friend

By Susan Dyer Reynolds

How the birds sang in the morning, how the dog barked in the yard, I guess that’s nothing much, but everything to us, and that’s what seems so hard How will we smile ev... Read More

The Adventures of Skylar Grey

Chapter 32: Simple as this

By Susan Dyer Reynolds

Traveled to each oceans end Saw all seven wonders, trying to make some sense Memorized the mantra Confucius said But it only let me down Tried absolution of the mind and soul It on... Read More

The Adventures of Skylar Grey

Chapter 31: Back to where I’m from

By Susan Dyer Reynolds

You’re on the side of the road You don’t know which way is down Your head is spinning out of control Since you left that little town You told them all you’d be fi... Read More

The Adventures of Skylar Grey

The night before Jazzy passed away, she was with Steve, Blue, and me in our usual motel room after another treatment at UC Davis, part of a fibrosarcoma research project with the American Cancer Society. When she was diagnosed, the head of the oncology department gave her two months to live. "This is an incredibly aggressive tumor," he explained.... Read More

The Adventures of Skylar Grey

Chapter 29: Fifty shades of Skylar Grey

By Susan Dyer Reynolds

I don’t want to say that Skylar Grey is kinky, but when it comes to romance, she definitely has her quirks. At the tender age of 6 months, I noticed that she had a thing for ... Read More

The Adventures of Skylar Grey

Chapter 28: Kickin’ at the Ritz

By Susan Dyer Reynolds

In 2009, I wrote a cover story for Northside San Francisco titled, “Where to shop, stay, play, and dine with your dog.” The premise was that the higher end the hotel, t... Read More

The Adventures of Skylar Grey

Chapter 27: Mended

By Susan Dyer Reynolds

Safety pin me to your chest so I can stay put Please don’t leave me in this mess, Cause I am this close to unraveling. Don’t give up on me now this can all be mended, W... Read More

The Adventures of Skylar Grey

Chapter 26: What the dog knows

By Susan Dyer Reynolds

Not only was swim therapy helping Skylar’s elbow dysplasia, she absolutely loved it. Whenever I got out her water collar and red rubber chicken (reserved for swimming only), ... Read More

The Adventures of Skylar Grey

Chapter 25: There’s a mer-pit in the pool

By Susan Dyer Reynolds

When I adopted Jazzy, I intended to buy pet insurance, but I kept putting it off. Then she needed TPLO surgery on her back left leg. It was $3,000. I decided there was no point in ... Read More

The Adventures of Skylar Grey

Chapter 24: You can go home again

By Susan Dyer Reynolds

Hold on to me as we go As we roll down this unfamiliar road And although this wave is stringing us along Just know you’re not alone Cause I’m going to make this place y... Read More

The Adventures of Skylar Grey

Chapter 23: Loving Alexii (or, how a persistent pit bull warmed up a cool cat)

By Susan Dyer Reynolds

Steve is my dog sitter, so it was important that Skylar meet the real ruler of his abode right away: a 15-year-old, 8-pound, rescued Himalayan cat named Alexii. When Steve adopted ... Read More

The Adventures of Skylar Grey

Chapter 22: Moving day and mixed emotions

By Susan Dyer Reynolds

As a writer, I am a natural procrastinator. That’s why my best friend Steve comes in handy any time I need to finish a project — and when it comes to moving, calling it a p... Read More

The Adventures of Skylar Grey

Chapter 21: The neighbors who stole Thanksgiving (and Christmas and New Year’s Eve)

By Susan Dyer Reynolds

Part 3 of a 3-part series Over the six years I lived below Mr. and Mrs. Fix-It, a lot happened in my personal life besides their relentless efforts to force me into unnecessary rem... Read More

The Adventures of Skylar Grey