Today, Dec. 23rd would have been Sprite’s Birthday!

Our 16 1/2 year old dachshund was born on December 23, 1996 and passed away on July 8, 2013. Sprite was a funny little guy, who liked to keep to himself and didn't play with toys. Today's Blog is about ways we've honored him - from sharing his story, to putting him on a book cover, and giving him a special Christmas tree.

• He’s Featured on the Cover of “Pets and the Afterlife 2: Stories of signs from pets that passed” (top right corner)
• Sprite has a Chapter in Pets and the Afterlife 1 about his Butterfly sign!

Sprite came to us from a rescue on December 4, 2010 just shy of his 14th birthday. We picked up Sprite in Frederick, Md from a rescue transporter on December 10th, 2010, who drove him from Ohio. He came from a home where one parent passed, and the other went into assisted living. While fostering him, Sprite needed several surgeries and had 22 rotted teeth removed. We adopted Sprite in April 2011 when we learned of his heart murmur.

Sprite loved our Weimaraner, Dolly, and Dachshunds, Franklin and Tyler (also now in spirit with him).

To honor Sprite, back in 2013 we bought a small counter-top-Sprite-Sized tree and decorations. We topped the tree with a butterfly because after Sprite passed we saw yellow and black butterflies following us and our other dogs around. Even friends who read about Sprite's story were followed around or visited by yellow and black butterflies - so that's his sign.

You can read Sprite's Butterfly story in "Pets and the Afterlife (1)" by Rob Gutro.

Baking Homemade Gingerbread Cookies with a Pastry Chef

 Our friend Jeff is a pastry chef and over the weekend of December 6-7, he and his dog Myrtle visited and we had a holiday baking adventure. Today's blog is about the baking experience and includes the recipe so you can try it, too! 

A CHEF IS ALWAYS PREPARED - Jeff sent me a list of ingredients needed, and I told him I had the flour, cinnamon, vanilla and brown sugar, but he still brought all the fixins to make homemade Gingerbread men. He's a pastry chef in his career, so he always ensures he has the ingredients! 

WHY A GINGERBREAD MAN?  There's nothing like adding a sweet man to your life. :)  

(Photo: Jeff preparing the dough) 

PART 1: PREPARATION -  On Saturday, we prepared the gingerbread dough. It took about a hour to put it together. Jeff worked on one part of the ingredients and I worked on the other. Then they were mixed to make the dough. We doubled the recipe, so if you do that, just know you need a HUGE mixing bowl!  Jeff made three mounds of dough  and wrapped them in saran wrap. The dough needed to be refrigerated a couple of hours, but we let it sit overnight. 

(Photo: Rob was assigned to decorating them)

PART 2: MAKING THE COOKIES - We spent the entire morning on Sunday baking what seems like 200 or so Gingerbread men cookies. Jeff cleaned the surface of the counter and covered it with flour. He rolled out each round of dough into a rectangle and cut out the gingerbread men.  We lined the cookie sheets with parchment paper (which I thought would have burned, but I learned it doesn't). Each batch took exactly 11 minutes. 

 (Photo: Gingerbread men cut outs before they went into the oven. All spread out on parchment paper in a cookie sheet.) 

FROSTING AND FINALIZING - After the bake, lift the parchment paper up with the cookies and place it on a counter to decorate. So easy!  ** Jeff created the frosting mixture with 4 cups of powdered sugar and other ingredients I can't remember!!  Of course he brought his own frosting bags and decorating nozzles. I did the decorating though, so some of the Gingerbread men look like they're wearing sunglasses, or have weird eyes.  When you have arthritis in your hands, as I do, it gets difficult after the first 50 cookies... so I had to take a break. - They dried for an hour and then went into the freezer to harden. 

It was a fun collaboration and will likely be one of my favorite memories from this Christmastime. So if you get a chance, bake with a friend! 

Eliot, Maine Xmas Festival!~

 Every year,  York Woods and Tree Products on Route 236 in Elliot, Maine hosts a Christmas festival complete with trees, wreaths, photos with Santa, and lots of local vendors and artisans. This year, we took our friend Jeff with us to enjoy the festivities.  

HUGE TREE LOT!  - There had to be hundreds of trees when we visited the weekend of November 29th. By December 8th, York Woods reported "Our tree lot is looking mighty merry… and mighty EMPTY! We’re down to just under 50 Christmas trees — WOW! A huge thank-you to everyone who shopped early and supported local this season."

On December 4th, they posted "This past weekend’s 5th Annual Tree Festival left our corner of Eliot sparkling, and these aerial photos capture the joy, twinkle lights, and holiday cheer that filled every inch of York Woods Tree. To everyone who bundled up, shopped small, sipped something warm, or simply shared a smile—thank you. You helped create a weekend full of Christmas magic we won’t soon forget.

It's located at 300 Harold L Dow Highway, Eliot, ME 

There were also Christmas donkeys and alpacas at the festival! 

A paranormal investigation at the SK Pierce Mansion!

 Last night I took part in a paranormal investigation at the SK Pierce Mansion in Gardner, Mass with Monique Toosoon, Lexi and the Paraclauses. It was 6 1/2 hours and a lot of ghosts

(Photo: The Paraclauses: Candace and Derick Fedders, Rob Gutro, Lexi Moriarty, Monique Toosoon)

Last night I took part in a paranormal investigation at the SK Pierce Mansion in Gardner, Mass with Monique Toosoon, Lexi Moriarity and the Paraclauses.

It was 6 1/2 hours with about 30 members of the public and a lot of ghosts. The ghosts we connected with included women, children, men and a cat. I was overwhelming and emotionally exhausting! But everyone had amazing experiences.

Lexi and Candace are also both gifted mediums. Monique is sensitive and a technology wizard, and Derick is also a tech whiz!

You can read about our previous adventures in "Haunting of Emery Estate" by Rob Gutro and Monique Toosoon, and the NEW BOOK publishing JAN 1, 2026, "Haunting of Hunt Memorial Library."

Next time Monique lists a paranormal investigation ticketed for the public, you need to experience it. Go to moniquetoosoon.com for event details.

Idiot of the Week: Alleged 120 mph DUI driver in New Hampshire chase on Interstate 95

This week's idiot is another young, drunk driver who decided to go 55 miles per hour OVER the speed limit. This is why New Hampshire should not have state liquor stores on the highway (they make a lot of money from them, which is why they're there). Here's the idiot's story.

Alleged 120 mph DUI driver in I-95 chase arrested in Portsmouth 

 Portsmouth Herald, Nov. 28, 2025

PORTSMOUTH — A 22-year-old Boxford, Massachusetts man was arrested Nov. 27 on multiple charges following a pursuit ending in Portsmouth, NH, according to New Hampshire State Police.

Trooper Cameron Vetter attempted about 10:21 p.m. to stop the driver of a 2016 BMW X3, allegedly driving more than 120 mph, leading to the pursuit, police said. The vehicle's exterior lights were off and the man was driving erratically, according to police.

The driver took Exit 5, toward the Portsmouth, NH traffic circle, and went south on Route 1, according to police. The pursuit ended for safety reasons, police said.

Trooper Patrick Vetter located the BMW behind a business off Lafayette Road, where the suspect was arrested. He was charged with a felony count of reckless conduct and misdemeanor counts of aggravated driving under the influence of liquor and disobeying an officer.

The suspect was held in preventive detention and transported to the Rockingham County Jail, where he was being held pending an appearance scheduled in Portsmouth District Court on Nov. 28.

Heroes of the Week: My friends the "Paraclauses" - Santa and Mrs. Claus

This week's Heroes are my friends the "Paraclauses" - Santa and Mrs. Claus who spread love, cheer and happiness all year round to children and adults and who investigate haunted places known to have children ghosts! They are featured in my book "Haunting of Emery Estate" and the upcoming book "Haunting of Hunt Memorial Library" (out Jan 1, 2026) and known in their civilian identities as Candace and Derick Fedders.

Tonight, Dec. 20th at the SK Pierce Mansion in Gardner, Mass. I will be joining them and Monique Toosoon for an investigation! Today's Blog is about some of the amazing ways they've spread cheer just this year, but they've been doing it for about a decade!  

You can find Mrs. Candy Claus' facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064418272355 

Santa & Mrs. Claus Spread Cheer all Season and Help Others in New England

by Rob Gutro, Dec. 5, 2025

 A New Hampshire couple has a packed schedule and is on a big mission each holiday season to spread Christmas cheer. "Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus" are instrumental in making the holiday season special to everyone! 

On Oct. 7, they appeared at the Milford Lions Club. The club invited everyone to meet Santa and Mrs. Claus on the Oval. There was cookies, candy canes and hot cocoa waiting for kids to give their letters to Santa.

On the morning of Oct. 5, 2025 when it was a frosty 6 degrees Fahrenheit outside, Mrs. Claus posted a picture from their "sleigh." She said, "It's dark, it's cold, and Santa and I are on our way to the WMUR-TV studios for the Big Toys for Tots drop off day! We will be there til 4pm! Swing on by, donate a Toy! It's a drive thru parking lot event so you don't even have to get out of your car!"

On Nov. 30th of this year, they were at the Leominster Veterans Hall, in Leominster, Mass. They wrote, "Come see Santa and I! Cookies and Cocoa and pictures with Santa! Collecting new or gently used Children’s books!" Link: https://facebook.com/events/s/4th-annual-cookies-cocoa-with-/1896064227993318/

On Nov 29th thy joined the toy drive with the New Ipswich Firefighters Association, who wrote on their facebook page, "We had an incredible turnout, and we’re so grateful for the families, friends, and community members who stopped by to say hello, take photos, and support us. Your generosity directly benefits the New Ipswich Firefighters Association and helps us continue supporting our firefighters and the community we serve.

A huge thank-you to Santa and Mrs. Candy Claus for joining us again this year—your presence truly makes this event magical! And thank you to Buddy the Elf (Eric Fellows) for taking such amazing photos.

One highlight we all look forward to—besides Santa and Mrs. Claus—is Deputy’s Donuts! A big thank-you to Deputy Chief Somero for making his incredible homemade donuts that everyone raves about!"

 
 (Photo: Candace and Derick in their "civilian clothes) 

The day before on Nov. 28th, they made an appearance at Dino Furs, 1 Main St, 2nd Flooor, Andover MA on Friday 11/28 from 3 - 5pm 🎁. It was an opportunity to Visit Santa & Mrs Claus!! 🎅🎄🤶and Get the perfect holiday photo, while donating food and hats for those in need. . ❤️🎁❤️🎁❤️🎁❤️🎁❤️🎁❤️ *********
 

On Nov. 16, they were at the Stove Barn in Concord, NH with a call out for toy donations to kick off the holidays. The Stove Barn wrote, "We are now an official drop site for Toys For Tots! Stop by any time with an unopened toy to drop in the box. Let's see if we can get them overflowing for the next big announcement....

SANTA and MRS CLAUS will be here Sunday, November 16th at noon for pictures! Bring your child by to snap a photo in front of the fire with the jolly couple."

On Nov. 15th, they made an appearance at the Salem Paranormal Conference. I know because I was there and got to take a picture with them!  They are very special friends and TRUE HEROES.

Book of the Week: Graphic Novel: Wesley Dodds, the Sandman

If you've read any of the comics from the 1940s to now, you're likely aware that before Neil Gaiman's "Sandman" from the Netflix TV series, there was another Sandman created in the 1940s. His name was Wesley Dodd, and he used sleeping gas to combat criminals. A new DC Comics Graphic novel about the 1940s character is a great read. That's the topic of today's blog. 

The original Sandman, Wesley Dodds, wore an overcoat, fedora style hat and gas mask. He carried a gun that dispersed sleeping gas. He was also a member of the Justice Society in the 1940s... Recently the character was resurrected for a series of 6 comics made into a graphic novel. It was Outstanding.

The DC Comics' graphic novel "Wesley Dodds, the Sandman" depicts the character in the 1940s, during World War 2. The story is excellent. He was a chemist and concocted different sleep-gases, but shelved the deadly ones and locked the formulas up so they would never be used. However, someone has stolen his formulas for other sleep-like gases that had fatal consequences. The story is how he fought to get them back! It's an excellent story, 5 of 5 stars.- I wish DC Comics would bring the character back in the Justice Society comic.

ABOUT THE BOOK: Wesley Dodd’s dream of a better world is now a nightmare, as DC’s original Sandman returns in a gripping new noir mystery!

No one escapes the Sandman's dark dreams, not even Wesley Dodds himself. After years of testing and experimentation, Wesley perfected his sleep gas as the optimal weapon to fight crime without causing undue harm. But when his journal detailing all his failed and far more deadly formulas is stolen, the Sandman must hunt down the thief and the people in the shadows pulling the strings!

Can Wesley solve the mystery of who broke into his home before these noxious weapons are unleashed on the world, or is Sandman fated to fade away into the mists?

Wesley Dodds: The Sandman is written by comics superstar Robert Venditti (Superman ’78) and vividly drawn by fan-favorite artist Riley Rossmo (Harley Quinn). A bold and thoroughly modern exploration of one of comics’ most classic characters, Wesley Dodds: The Sandman is part of DC’s The New Golden Age initiative, along with Jay Garrick: The Flash and Alan Scott: The Green Lantern.

This volume collects Wesley Dodds: The Sandman #1-6.

Randy Rainbow's Brilliant Parody of “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas”

Today's Video blog is a well-done, funny  holiday parody about the state of things today by the talented Randy Rainbow. Randy created political parodies during the 2016 election cycle and continues to score fun, entertaining and truthful videos to make us laugh as the country crashes. So, enjoy the latest and don't look at your credit card.

Parody of “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas” by Meredith Willson, and “White Christmas” (intro) by Irving Berlin

VIDEO LINK: https://youtu.be/yTNJQb2fV8I?si=oKZOMUfkHHz_7SBH

Production Notes: 

Parody Lyrics by Randy Rainbow Song Produced, Orchestrated, Mixed, Mastered by: Michael J Moritz Jr @michaeljmoritz Vocal Arrangement by Brett Boles @thebrettboles All Vocals: Randy Rainbow Piano, Synths -Michael J Moritz Jr Reeds/Winds - Andrew Snapp Drums - Tom Jorgensen 

 Order my bestselling Children’s Book “Randy Rainbow and the Marvelously Magical Pink Glasses”: https://bit.ly/randyrainbowpicturebook 

 Order my NEW adult book “Low-Hanging Fruit: Sparkling Whines, Champagne Problems, and Pressing Issues from My Gay Agenda” (Out October 8th!): https://static.macmillan.com/static/s... 

 Get my NY Times Bestselling MEMOIR "Playing with Myself" (now in paperback): https://tinyurl.com/5n8fxume 

Book Randy Rainbow on CAMEO: https://www.cameo.com/randyrainbow Support Randy's Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=4881287 

 LIKE Randy on Facebook for more: / randyrainbow. . Follow @RandyRainbow on TWITTER: / randyrainbow Follow @RandyRainbow on INSTAGRAM: / randyrainbow Randy on TikTok! @randyrainbowofficial

Discovery! 18,000 dinosaur tracks discovered along ancient Bolivian coastline!

 Wow! 18,000 dinosaur footprints were discovered in Bolivia recently! Think of how long it took to count them, then analyze them!

(image: With the discovery, Carreras Pampa in Bolivia has become one of the premier dinosaur track sites in the world. (Image credit: Raúl Esperante)

18,000 dinosaur tracks discovered along ancient Bolivian coastline — and they set a new record 

 By Sascha Pare, Science News, Dec. 4, 2025

Researchers have counted 16,600 fossilized dinosaur footprints and 1,378 swim tracks at a site in Bolivia that showcase a variety of behaviors and different theropods from the Cretaceous period.

The tracksite sits along what was once an ancient coastline, with ripple marks extending alongside the footprints and other imprints in a northwest-southeast direction, according to a new study. Most of the tracks belong to bipedal, three-toed dinosaurs known as theropods that lived at the end of the Cretaceous period (145 million to 66 million years ago), but many bird tracks are also preserved, the scientists noted in the paper, which was published Wednesday (Dec. 3) in the journal PLOS One.

"This is the highest number of dinosaur footprints ever found for a single tracksite thus far," study co-author Jeremy McLarty, a paleontologist and associate professor at the Southwestern Adventist University in Texas, told Live Science in an email. "In addition to preserving the most dinosaur tracks worldwide, it also preserves the highest number of swim trackways in the world."

In total, McLarty and his colleagues counted 16,600 theropod footprints and 1,378 swim tracks. These were found in Bolivia's Carreras Pampa tracksite, which was already known but hadn't been properly studied or documented.

Carreras Pampa extends across 80,570 square feet (7,485 square meters) in Torotoro National Park. The initial work involved sweeping debris off the dinosaur imprints with brooms, clearing the tracksite of rocks and removing sediment in places where additional tracks were likely to be found.

(Image credit: Total Dino.com) 

The team discovered a huge variety of footprint shapes and sizes, indicating that many types of theropod dinosaurs roamed along the ancient coastline. Several tracks had footprints shorter than 4 inches (10 centimeters), which is rare in the fossil record, according to the study. It's unclear if these footprints were made by small theropod species such as Coelophysis or by juveniles of larger species, the researchers wrote.

What is Coelophysis? Coelophysis was a primitive theropod dinosaur. Usually growing to length of about 2 metres (6.6 feet), it was very light, weighing only about 18–23 kg (40–50 pounds), and had a long, slender neck, tail, and hind legs. The head was long and narrow, and the jaws were equipped with many sharp teeth.

The largest footprints were more than 12 inches (30 cm) long, and the team thinks these may have been made by mid-size theropod dinosaurs such as Dilophosaurus or Allosaurus. Large theropods such as Tyrannosaurus rex and Giganotosaurus typically leave 16-inch-long (40 cm) footprints, the researchers noted.

LESSON: A man's muscles looked strangely deformed. Doctors found they were leaking calcium into his blood.

As someone who likes to be fitness conscious, I've never injected anything into my body to build muscle. I'm glad I didn't as today's blog is about one man who did, and it caught up to him at 60 in a very bad way. 

(Photo: CT scans of the man's chest revealed calcified regions in his pectoral muscles where he'd previously injected muscle-enhancing oils. (Image credit: Markowska et al. BMC Nephrol 26, 476 (2025). (CC 4.0)))

Diagnostic dilemma: A man's muscles looked strangely deformed. Doctors found they were leaking calcium into his blood.

By Anirban Mukhopadhyay, Live Science  November 26, 2025 

A man showed up to the hospital with vomiting, weakness, failing kidneys and sky-high calcium. The culprit was a muscle-enhancing oil he injected into his chest and arms years ago.

The patient: A 60-year-old man in Warsaw, Poland

The symptoms: The man went to a hospital after experiencing vomiting for two days. Additionally, over the year prior, he had developed weakness and lost 40 pounds (18 kilograms) without trying to do so.

What happened next: Blood tests revealed that the man had elevated creatine and urea levels, indicating his kidneys were failing. His blood calcium levels were also dangerously high. CT scans then showed calcium deposits in his kidneys, pancreas and stomach, as well as scar-like areas in the back and lower parts of his lungs. These scans also showed unusual changes in his chest muscles; they appeared densely calcified.

Doctors treated the patient with a diuretic to help remove excess calcium, as well as intravenous fluids, a steroid, and a calcium-lowering drug. His calcium levels briefly dropped, and he was discharged with a couple prescriptions. However, three weeks later during a follow-up, doctors found his blood-calcium levels had risen again, and he was admitted to a nephrology ward.

The man was generally stable, but a physical exam showed noticeable changes in his upper-arm and chest muscles, matching the irregularities seen on the scans. The doctors then revisited the patient's medical history, and he shared a crucial detail: starting about 30 years earlier, he had started receiving "unknown intramuscular injections (probably containing testosterone)" into his chest and upper-arm muscles to enlarge them, according to a report of his case.

"He stressed that the last dose of these injections was received 2 years ago," the report authors noted. The exact frequency at which he'd historically gotten the injections is unclear.

Blood tests showed that the man's calcium-controlling parathyroid hormone was markedly low, ruling out a common hormonal cause of high calcium. The man also had no signs of hidden cancers in his digestive tract, no abnormalities on a urology evaluation, and no signs of an autoimmune condition. With other causes excluded, the medical team biopsied one of the abnormal muscle regions.

The diagnosis: Under the microscope, the muscle was filled with a silicone-like, oil-based substance and surrounded by dense calcium deposits. The team deduced that the man's past muscular injections probably contained synthol, a substance made primarily of oil that visually "plumps" up muscles, essentially inflating them like water balloons.

In this case, the synthol had triggered a persistent foreign-body reaction — the body essentially responding to material it could not break down. Over time, this reaction produced scarring and calcification, storing large amounts of calcium inside the muscle. And eventually, that calcium made its way into his bloodstream.

The treatment: A couple earlier reports of similar cases suggested that surgically removing the calcified muscle would be the only reliable long-term treatment for the man's persistently high calcium. In one previous patient, calcium levels returned to normal three months after the tissue was removed. However, in the man's case, the authors did not state whether the patient ultimately underwent surgery, nor did they describe his long-term outcome.

What makes the case unique: Synthol injections typically contain 85% medium-chain triglycerides, 7.5% of a local anesthetic like lidocaine, and 7.5% alcohol, purportedly for sterility. The oils act as the muscle-bulking agent, as the body does not easily process them, and the effects of these injections can linger for years. Even though it comes with serious risks, such as muscle deformity, chronic wounds and scarring, synthol is relatively easy to buy.

Only two other cases of high blood calcium linked to synthol injections had been reported, the case report authors noted, and both were from Lebanon. The underlying mechanism driving the effect remains unclear. Synthol's better-known complications usually appear soon after an injection, but in this patient, the effects apparently emerged years later, which made the cause unusually difficult to identify.

According to the authors, this case adds further evidence that "synthol intramuscular injections are among the causes of elevated serum calcium levels," despite its rarity.