Thursday, October 31, 2013

Halloween at Work!

Thursdays are normally telework days for me (Rob) but Halloween is my FAVORITE holiday (well, it's a holiday to me). What else would be for a guy who goes ghost hunting (and can talk to them)?
 - SO, I suited up and flew into work by 1pm in time for the costume event.  Here are some great pics of the innovative costumes.
the whole crew!

Shamara in Pajamas and Rob as Superman

A bird and a Panda

Superman and Trusilla
Karl as Abe Lincoln

The Minister of Truth, an Angry Bird, Abe Lincoln

Exorcist girl - possessed!

Panda Bear, Abe, Exorcist Girl, bearded woman

Karen Fox (far right): "What the Fox Says" - video hit

Halloween Radio Interview w/Rob Gutro End of Days Radio - Episode 6

If you want to hear about ghosts for Halloween, you can tune into my recent radio interview on "End of Days Radio" - the hosts were great and asked great questions. I was surprised that they took me the entire 1 1/2 hours, but there was a lot to talk about. (The first 20 mins. is their intro and start of the show). 
End of Days Radio - Episode 6 - Halloween Episode with  Rob Gutro 
by ninjashoes Published on 10-19-2013 10:51 PM 
LISTEN: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4J2ld9K5E04
https://itunes.apple.com/bm/podcast/...io/id639932193
follow https://twitter.com/ninjashoes, https://twitter.com/GhostMediumBook
Download Direct Here, Right Click Save as This Link
Ep:06 We interview Expert Ghost Medium Rob Gutro
We are joined by Rob Gutro who is a famous ghost medium and guest on Coast to Coast. Resin and Ninja talk a little smack then the interview with Rob begins. He takes us on a journey into the world of spirits and mediumship. Rob expains the science behind talking to ghosts.
 

Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Canine Guest! Mopar Returns

Mopar using Franklin (under the blankets) as a pillow
Franklin and Mopar at playtime
Mopar is a great dog who belongs to our friends Nathan and Stacey. When they were both out of town or on 24 hour shift, they asked if we could have Mopar camp out with our kids for a couple of days, which we did gladly. Mopar is one of those low-maintenance dogs, who has a great personality, is quiet and reserved and loves affection. So, he fit right in. Here are a couple of cute pics of Mopar with our kids, Dolly, Franklin and Tyler.
Dolly, Tyler and Franklin seek SUN!
 SUN DOGS - 
  Fortunately, I teleworked the two days he stayed, so I was here for all the "kids." While working upstairs one afternoon, sunlight streamed in though the skylights and the dogs always went right to it. In fact, Dolly, Tyler and Franklin first laid on the bed I put under the sun. Once Dolly got up, Mopar took her place and snuggled with Tyler and Franklin.

Puppy play time!





Mopar, Tyler and Franklin seek SUN!

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Dog Rescue Weekend: Part 2: Saving Reds

Llittle Reds is about 10 pounds
Jackie Meyers of Peaceful Passings Senior Animal Rescue contacted Katie at Coast-to-Coast Dachshund Rescue and asked if we could take Reds, a long-haired, senior Chihuahua out of the local shelter here. So, on Oct. 26, after doing a home inspection for the rescue for another reason, we went to the shelter and picked up Reds. 
  Poor little Reds started showing signs of kennel cough on Thursday, 10/24 and was started on Doxycycline.  He was given fluids before we picked him up because he seemed weak/lethargic. Being in a kennel is enough to stress any dog and weaken their immune systems. 
Reds, Tom and Rob leaving the shelter!
  - We got his paperwork and brought him to our house for a couple of hours until Katie could meet us. (Reds fell asleep in Tom's arms on the way home) We had to keep little Reds wrapped in blankets (after he went outside) to keep him warm. We also had to keep him separated from our dogs, so they wouldn't get kennel cough.

      We met Katie at night and gave her Reds. She gave us Duncan, the dachshund (formerly known as Doc). We brought Doc to Tom's parents for fostering (see yesterday's blog). Katie took Reds to Virginia to the Peaceful Passings rescue in Virginia. So, another dog rescued from a shelter!! 


Reds and Tom

Reds fell asleep in Tom's arms on the way home


 


Monday, October 28, 2013

Dog Rescue Weekend! Duncan Goes to a New Foster Home

Duncan
Remember "Doc" the light colored dachshund that we took out of the local county shelter when we were furloughed? Well, he stayed with Katie, one of the Coast to Coast Dachshund rescue coordinators for about 2 weeks and Katie renamed him "Duncan."   Duncan is a light-colored, tan, Dachshund.   As it turns out, Katie worked wonders with him.
Mom and Bob are Fostering Duncan!
Duncan was very shy with our kids and very skittish. He seemed afraid of people. We only had him for one night, so it wasn't easy to see all of his behaviors. Anyway, he wouldn't play with our kids.  Because we got Duncan when it was raining (for 2 days) he didn't like the rain, so he only went in the backyard. Katie found that he was good walking on a leash, and he finally started playing with her dachshund!  She sent us a short video below.
   On Saturday, Oct. 26, Duncan went to an adoption event with Katie, and Katie had to take in another foster, so Duncan had to go somewhere else. Fortunately, Tom's parents agreed to foster a dachshund (because they've known our kids so long), so we brought Duncan to them!
  Tom's mom and stepdad reported a good first night, where Duncan slept through the night, and had no accidents. His folks are the perfect foster parents. They walk three times a day, give love, treats and attention.
KATIE'S VIDEO OF DUNCAN


Sunday, October 27, 2013

Some Spooky Halloween Words for You!

Happy Halloween! Ghosts  just don't come around on Halloween- they're always around in whatever place they choose to dwell. Spirits (who crossed over), however, come back whenever they have a message. 
 - So, if you're telling any ghost stories and want to impress your friends with words they may not have heard before, here are a couple of words you can use - courtesy of Dictionary.com. 
Haunted Pumpkin patch

nyctophobia \nik-tuh-FOH-bee-uh\, noun:
An abnormal fear of night or darkness.
sepulchral \suh-PUHL-kruhl\, adjective:
1. Proper to or suggestive of a tomb; funereal or dismal.
2. Of or pertaining to burial.
3. Of, pertaining to, or serving as a tomb.
4. Hollow and deep: sepulchral tones.
thanatopsis \than-uh-TOP-sis\, noun:
1. A view or contemplation of death.
2. A poem (1817) by William Cullen Bryant.

Saturday, October 26, 2013

We're BIG Fans of Ben Cohen, UK Rugby Star/Anti-bullying Organization Founder

We're both HUGE fans of former UK Rugby star Ben Cohen. Why? Because he started an anti-bullying foundation. Often throughout the year he does talks, travels all over the world, and campaigns against bullying. He also makes a calendar and this year there was a short behind-the-scenes look at how it came together. (Thanks to Mike Wagner for sending the video).

WHO IS BEN COHEN? Benjamin Christopher "Ben" Cohen, MBE (born 14 September 1978) is a former England rugby union player and activist. He began his professional career with Northampton Saints in 1996; in 2007 he moved to France to represent Brive before returning to England two years later to join Sale Sharks. In May 2011, Cohen retired from professional rugby, and will focus on The Ben Cohen StandUp Foundation he created to combat homophobia and bullying.

Ben Cohen
WHAT IS THE BEN COHEN STANDUP FOUNDATION ABOUT?   In 2011, Cohen founded The Ben Cohen StandUp Foundation, Inc., which is, according to its website, "the world’s first foundation dedicated to raising awareness of the long-term, damaging effects of bullying, and funding those doing real-world work to stop it."  Following his retirement he announced plans to focus on the Foundation  WEBSITE: http://www.standupfoundation.com/


BOO ON ATLANTA- Two weeks ago, Ben went to the Atlanta Braves Stadium to promote anti-bullying and equality for gay and lesbian people, and the fans Booed him out!  Way to go, my former home, Atlanta: Nice show of dumb, intolerant rednecks.

MAKING BEN'S CALENDAR:   Here are Highlights from the photo shoot at UCLA for the 2014 StandUp Calendar available NOW for sale and shipment at http://www.worldrugbyshop.com/standup.

Friday, October 25, 2013

Did anyone see "R.I.P.D" at the Movies?

I really want to see this movie- and it's coming out on Oct. 29 on DVD.... Did you see it??
Jeff Bridges and Ryan Reynolds headline the 3D supernatural action-adventure R.I.P.D. as two cops dispatched by the otherworldly Rest In Peace Department to protect and serve the living from an increasingly destructive array of souls who refuse to move peacefully to the other side.
TRAILER:


Director: Robert Schwentke
Release: 7/19/2013
Studio: Universal Pictures
Starring: Jeff Bridges, Ryan Reynolds, Kevin Bacon, Mary-Louise Parker, Stephanie Szostak, Robert Knepper, James Hong, Marisa Miller, Mike O'Malley, Devin Ratray
Website: http://www.RIPD.com

Thursday, October 24, 2013

Neuroscientist Proves Dogs Experience Emotions


Dog feelings: Canines have emotions just like humans, shows new research


Months of research: Gregory Berns, a professor at neuroeconomics at Emory University, Atlanta, has discovered that dogs have emotion
Gregory Berns, neuroeconomics professor


 All pet owners have known dogs have emotion, but now science has proven it for any of the naysayers.

  • Gregory Berns, a professor of neuroeconomics at Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, says dogs use the same area of the brain as humans do to feel
  • Berns' research is the result of months of MRI scans on dogs who are not sedated but trained to sit perfectly still in the machine
  • The results show that dogs use the caudate nucleus part of the brain when responding to humans they know
  • It is the same part of the brain humans use in the anticipation of things we enjoy, like food, love and money
  • Berns says this shows that dogs have a level of sentience comparable to that of a human child
  • He says this should change the way we perceive dogs and how we treat them
Dog feelings: Canines have emotions just like humans, shows new research By Marie-louise Olson

A professor of neuroeconomics at a university in Georgia has discovered that dogs have emotion, just like humans.
Not pleasant: Most humans do not like MRI scans as they are noisy and you are required to lie completely stillGregory Berns, a professor of neuroeconomics at Emory University, Atlanta, who has been testing the results of MRI scans on his dog’s brain, has discovered that our canine friends use the same part of the brain as humans to ‘feel’.
His initial goal was to determine how dogs’ brains work and what they think of humans, according to the New York Times.




By looking directly at their brains and bypassing the constraints of behaviourism, MRIs can tell humans about dogs’ internal states.
People usually do not enjoy MRI scans and you have to hold completely still during the procedure.
In conventional veterinary practice, animals are put under anaesthetic so they don’t move during a scan.
'But that means they can’t study their brain functions, at least, not anything interesting like perception or emotion,' says Berns.
He started training his own dog, Callie, a skinny black terrier mix from the southern Appalachians, to go into the MRI simulator he had built in his living room.
With the help of his friend, Mark Spivak, a dog trainer, the dog learned to place her head in a custom-fitted chin rest and hold rock-still for up to 30 seconds.




After months of training and some trial-and-error at the real MRI scanner, they were rewarded with the first maps of brain activity and managed to determine which parts of her brain distinguished the scents of familiar and unfamiliar dogs and humans.
He found there was a striking similarity between dogs and humans in both the structure and function of a key brain region: the caudate nucleus.
The caudate sits between the brainstem and the cortex and is rich in dopamine receptors.
In humans, the caudate plays a key role in the anticipation of things we enjoy, like food, love and money, according to Berns.
In dogs, the research found that activity in the caudate increased in response to hand signals indicating food.
The caudate also activated to the smells of familiar humans. And in preliminary tests, it activated to the return of an owner who had momentarily stepped out of view.
'Do these findings prove that dogs love us? Not quite. But many of the same things that activate the human caudate, which are associated with positive emotions, also activate the dog caudate,' said Berns.
Neuroscientists call this a functional homology, and it may be an indication of canine emotions.
The ability to experience positive emotions, like love and attachment, would mean that dogs have a level of sentience comparable to that of a human child.


Studio Shot Of A Basset Hound Sitting On White Background --- Image by © Sherry Lemcke/First Light/Corbis


Berns believes this begs a change in the way humans think about dogs, which have long been considered property.
Though the Animal Welfare Act of 1966 raised the bar for the treatment of animals, they solidified the view that animals are things — objects that can be disposed of as long as reasonable care is taken to minimise their suffering.
He suggest the idea that, since the Supreme Court has already included neuroscientific findings in some cases showing brain imaging to determine whether someone is mature in adolescence, then ‘perhaps someday we may see a case arguing for a dog’s rights based on brain-imaging findings’.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2447991/Dogs-FEELINGS-Neuroscientist-reveals-research-canine-friends-emotions-just-like-us.html#ixzz2iS7YDmKy
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Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Celebrate the Book Festival: Part 2 - A Mom's message

On October 19, I gave a talk and did book signings at the "Celebrate the Book Festival" in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. In the days before I attended, I emailed Lynn, the coordinator of the conference. She emailed me back and at the end of her reply email she half-jokingly said "let me know if there are any messages from my (late) mother."
  As I read the email, I got a headache in the back left side of my head. That indicates that there's an energy entity around- either Earth-bound ghost or spirit. It was a spirit.
   Interestingly, whenever I get emails, sometimes a spirit related to the person, or somehow associated with the person- comes through. It's happened MANY times, and I've published entire email exchanges in both of my books "Lessons Learned from Talking to the Dead" and "Ghosts and Spirits: Insights from a Medium."
    Sure enough, a mother figure came through. She said that there was a white dress with blue flowers that was her favorite and special to her. She had a very dry and sarcastic wit. She said "tell my daughter that I'm very proud of her." She also mentioned that when she passed a clock stopped. That was another confirmation to her identity.
  I wrote all of these things to Lynn, who couldn't make sense of them. However, the next day she wrote me back and told me that her best friend said that ALL of those things pertain to HER late mother!  It was Lynn's best friend's mother who came through, knowing I would share the message with Lynn, who would tell her best friend (to whom the message belonged). THAT'S how spirits work!  They know that the message will get to the right person.

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Celebrate the Book Festival: Part 1: A Long Adventurous Day!

Rob and Jane with the ghost in the middle
Me and the "I'm with Ghost" ghost
On October 19, I gave a talk and did book signings at the "Celebrate the Book Festival" in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.  I learned about the festival from my new friend Jane Wakely, a paranormal romance writer that I met earlier this year at the Frederick Book Festival.
  Jane and I applied to the book festival and got a table side-by-side again (as we wound up at the previous book festival, which is how we met). She has such a great sense of humor, and I admired all the post cards of her e-book romance novels (because they were filled with hot, muscular guys).
Jane selling her paranormal romances!
Jill (author of historical romances) and Jane
  Although the book festival wasn't too busy (I sold just 5 books, sadly, which didn't pay a fraction of the cost it took to get there and register), it was a good time. I didn't get any messages during the event, but I did before I got there. 

You'll read about that really cool mother's message tomorrow.

The Vampire Package I won
  It took about 3 hours to get there and 2 1/2 hours to drive back, so it made for a very long day. 
I did put in for a couple of raffles and won a "Vampire" basket which contained the novels "Dracula" and Anne Rice's
Hello Pennsylvania!
Rob and Jill side-by-side
Rob's booth at the book fair
    Vampire novel "Interview with a Vampire," as well as (blood-red) red wine, which I knew Tom would appreciate. - I was thinking of our friend Isabella when I put in tickets for that raffle, too, because she writes great novels about vampires (and other supernatural entities) in adult fiction novels. 
   Here are some pictures from the event.

Passed by Gettysburg on the way home


Monday, October 21, 2013

Home Project Completed!

Tom working on the wall
Tom is always looking for ways to improve and upgrade the house and while we were furloughed he worked in the bedroom enhancing the walls by adding trim behind each night table.
   Dolly and Tyler insisted on supervising while Tom worked, and at one point, Tyler even helped out with his laser-beam eyes.
Tyler helps Tom's project with his laser eyes


 The trim provides a really nice highlight to the room, breaking off the color of the wall and adding symmetry. Wow, I almost sound like an interior decorator or architect.  It sounds like Tom wrote this!
Tyler &Dolly take a break after tearing a toy apart!
the finished product!


Sunday, October 20, 2013

Make-A-Wish Foundation Makes a Boy Batman's "Robin" for the Day

Alex becomes Robin for a day: Cr; Make a Wish Foundation
This is the kind of story I really love, being a big superhero fan. It's things like this that really make me enjoy dressing up as the Green Lantern during Comic-con - giving kids a big thrill. This story is from California, where the Make-A-Wish Foundation gave a little boy with Leukemia a chance to be a superhero in a big way! - Rob

Inquistor and  KTLA-TV News:
A 7-year-old boy battling leukemia got a very special gift from the Make a Wish Foundation and the Anaheim, CA police department earlier this week.

On Monday, the Make-A-Wish foundation turned young Alex Lelenoa into a superhero for a day. Alex was diagnosed with Leukemia three years ago and his big wish was to become Robin, Batman’s sidekick.

To help make his dream a reality an Anaheim police officer showed up at the young boys door dressed as Batman. The officer then asked Alex to help him fight crime. The crime-fighting duo then loaded up in the original Batmobile and drove to Buena Park, CA, where a cast of characters dressed as pirates were waiting for a fight.

Alex and the officer fought the bad guys and then went on their way after a fun and swift victory.

Source: The Inquisitr 




Saturday, October 19, 2013

A MUST SEE short video for Superhero fans: Wonder Woman // by Rainfall Films

As a huge superhero fan, I  received an email from my friend Charles with a link to this amazing short film on Wonder Woman. I love the character and loved Lynda Carter's TV version. This producer, writer, videographer team really captures Wonder Woman's character and ties to Greek mythology. Hopefully, this will inspire DC Comics to get a Wonder Woman film in the works. - Rob


NOTES ABOUT THE FILM FROM THE PRODUCER/PRODUCTION COMPANY:
Firstly, thanks for watching. Whether you like, or dislike, our live action interpretation of Diana of Themyscira, Wonder Woman, born of clay, I think (quite a few of) you will agree she is a character just as vital and crucial to our understanding of humanity as any other superhero... if not more so.
   We spent the majority of 2013 working on this -- the look, the feel, the aspects we most wanted to portray. It's a scant two and half minutes, but in the end, it's one hundred and fifty seconds of pure fantasy, where I get to consider the two sides of my favorite warrior: a crusader in man's world, and a paragon of virtue told through Greek mythology.  It's a fun world to hang out in. I hope you enjoy it.
- Sam
Visit us at: http://rainfall.tv // @rainfallfilms // http://facebook.com/rainfall.tv
Sound design, music & mastering by http://runsilent.org
****************
Starring: Rileah Vanderbilt
Clare Grant   Alicia Marie   America Young   Kimi Hughes   Christy Hauptman
Director of Photography: Andrew Finch
Key Grip: Duy Nguyen   1st AC: Nick Roney   Gaffer: Ryan Walton
Stunt Coordinator: Surawit Sae Kang
Stunt Team: Surawit Sae Kang Joe Perez Billy Bussey Jason Brillantes Kerry Wong
Costume Designer: Heather Greene   Costumer: Sarah Skinner   Consultant: GoldenLasso.net
Hair & Makeup: Anissa Salazar   Assistant: Yulitzin Alvarez
Music & Sound Design: Jeff Dodson   Vocalist: Raya Yarbrough   Sound Mastered at: Runsilent
Editor: Jesse Soff
Visual Effects Supervisor: Sam Balcomb   Compositors: Jason Schaefer & Nick Viola
Producer: Jesse Soff  /Directed by: Sam Balcomb

Friday, October 18, 2013

Part 2: Dogs Rescued: Assessing Doc / Go to Dachtoberfest this Sunday!

Tom and I work with both the Coast-to-Coast Dachshund Rescue  and the Washington DC Weimaraner Rescues and check out dogs turned into the county shelter for adoption through each rescue. Often shelters will get mixed breeds, but the rescue prefers more of a Dachshund or Weimaraner in the mix because we know the temperament.
ASSESSING SHELTER DOGS FOR A RESCUE -   When we met "Doc" and his brother "Abu" last week at the county shelter we checked them for physical characteristics and behaviors to see if they were adoptable.  Both of these dachshund mixes were mostly Dachshund. The main difference was that the coat color was blonde and black instead of brindle, red, or black. Both had the dachshund body, and splayed front feet (for digging);  black "cape" of fur on their back, brown eyes and long tail. They are built like a dachshund, too, just a slightly shorter snout.
UPDATE: On Oct. 18, "Doc" has been renamed "Duncan" and has broken out of his shell at his foster home with Katie in Virginia. So, Duncan will be going to the "DACHTOBERFEST" this Sunday in PA:
***THIS SUNDAY- Bring your dog to Dachtoberfest!!! 
WHERE/WHEN:   11:00am-3:00pm , Greenlin Kennel Pet Resort , 600 Schoolhouse Rd , Middletown, PA 17057
 DETAILS:  http://ccdrmidatlantic.webs.com/dachtoberfest

   WHAT CAN YOU LEARN ABOUT A DOG IN 24 HOURS? -  There's a lot you can learn from a dog in having them one night. Of course, that doesn't mean you can learn everything. Because it was raining out we didn't take him for a walk (most Dachshunds hate rain), and on a leash in the backyard he was awkward. While Doc's brother "Abu" went directly to a foster home the night we "freed" them from the shelter life, Doc spent one night with us before moving to his foster home.
Doc in the shelter the day we met him

   Here are some habits and behaviors that I've observed with Doc by just having him one night.
1) His name "Doc" - it was a temporary name that the shelter gave him and he doesn't respond to it, so it can be easily changed.
2) He's good with other dogs,  (he walked around all morning with our 2 Dachshunds and 1 Weimaraner in the kitchen and didn't and he didn't really interact with them except for sniffing.
3) He's shy and submissive
4) He knows the command "come" just say it in an excited tone and he came in from the backyard (BEFORE our doxies)
5) He's somewhat afraid of a new environment and people- but that can be easily changed
6) TREATS- I tried many. He only likes Pupperoni
7) Gave him 1/2 cup dry Rachel Ray Kibble. with some Rachel Ray wet food mixed in. Loved the wet food, left some dry kibble
8) Walking: Doesn't know how to walk on a leash? We couldn't try- it was raining out and he doesn't like rain.
Doc compared to our purebred Franklin- not much difference except coloration!
9) No Aggression:  Not food aggressive at all, and no aggressive behavior
10) Sadly, seems like he's never been loved before.
11) Mostly housebroken- Just watch when he goes to the door. He knows "go outside" and "come"
12) Sleeping: I recommend 1 benadryl the first night or two, to calm him until he gets comfy that he's in a good place. We put him in a small cage in the hallway, with a bed and blanket inside. He didn't like being in the kitchen alone, but as long as he heard us or knew we were around, he was fine. He slept through the night!! No clawing, no whining, nothing.   He should be a pleasure to have around. he just needs socialization.

Thursday, October 17, 2013

My Look at the Last Year (on my bday)

with Hil and Richard
Our 4 kids (Sprite RIP 7-8-13)
Rob here- Maybe it's my optimism, eating light, getting lots of dog walking exercising, or just a lot of coffee... but at 51 I still feel like I'm in my 30s and have been doing a lot  this year. I love my job, weather, working with dog rescues (Coast-to-Coast Dachshund Rescue and DC Weimaraner Rescue), taking great trips (like England), reading comic books, dressing up like the superhero Green Lantern at the Baltimore Comic-Con, spending time in the backyard with Tom and the dogs, investigating and helping rid houses of hauntings, spending time with family and friends and helping others.
At Jake's graduation

Family time!
 Several friends on Inspired Ghost Tracking group have become like family to us and investigating is always an adventure. I will say that we've met a lot of families dealing with hauntings and helped them out.


Met the Beekman Boys!

 I was fortunate to meet Beth Kaufman this year at a book fair, and became her volunteer editor on her first book that I assisted her in getting published called: "Make Mine a Double Mastectomy that is!" Knowing Beth has been a gift to both Tom and I and she makes us laugh a lot! We were fortunate to meet and befriend Isabella and Darby after meeting Isabella in Sept. 2012 at the Baltimore Book Festival. She's an amazing Adult Fantasy author of the "Bound" trilogy and "Legion" series.
Rob as Green Lantern at ComicCon
Dog rescue Huck to Jon and Erin!
At Baltimore Book Festival
 We have GREAT neighbors who are also friends. You get what you put out, though. We enjoy talking with everyone and getting to know each other. That's a lost art in many neighborhoods. 
Made the cover of a local mag
This year we've had a couple of neighborhood dinner gatherings and a lot of fun.
  - From our UK Travels, we've befriended Anne Marie at ATPvacations (great agent!), Paul and Sonja Fogg who have great B&B we've stayed at twice, and recently met James, who is a pilot at 19! 
Tom and I in the UK

Tom and a rescue dog
fun with friends Darb and Isabella
Our friend Beth and her book!
Gardening in the backyard
I've done a LOT of book-related appearances and Internet radio interviews (on ghosts and spirits), and appeared on the front of the city's first issue of the local magazine. I've also been able to pass along several messages from loved ones who passed (including dogs and cats) that have helped comfort people - things that I couldn't possibly know about. I love opening for my friend Barb Mallon's medium sessions, too. She's fun and amazing. I assisted my friend and medium Ruthie Larkin a little with her website and am amazed by her abilities.

Said goodbye to Sprite
Inspired Ghost Tracking Team
This year we've also said goodbye to our senior dog, Sprite, but he came back with amazing messages to 3 different mediums who all said the same thing (and don't know each other). We also adopted little Tyler the black and tan dachshund who makes us laugh and is super whacky.


In short, life is what you make it. Despite the health issues that may get in the way, and we all have some, especially over 50, try to look past them and enjoy life and laugh every day.  I hope you've enjoyed some of the pictures from the last year.  TO EVERYONE: if you're in  my life, you are a gift to me!

Who I am

I'm a simple guy who enjoys the simple things in life, especially our dogs. I volunteer for dog rescues, enjoy exercising, blogging, politics, helping friends and neighbors, participating in ghost investigations, coffee, weather, superheroes, comic books, mystery novels, traveling, 70s and 80s music, classic country music,writing books on ghosts and spirits, cooking simply and keeping in shape. You'll find tidbits of all of these things on this blog and more. EMAIL me at Rgutro@gmail.com - Rob

A Classic Country Music Station to Enjoy