Farewell February. I wrote a lot this month!

Here's where you can read what I wrote, if that sounds like fun.

Hello friends and friends’ dogs (and cats and snakes and other creature companions). Haley here with my monthly blog recap—Scout is in the chair next to me as I type. This email is where I round up everything I’ve shared in one place instead of sending individual messages for each post.

As always, let me know if you have questions! And in case you missed it, I asked for your feedback a couple weeks ago. It’s looking like I’ll stick with a monthly cadence for these—but please make your voice heard. It means a lot that you’re here.

New cute Scout photo as a thank you ↓

I think this might be her “I am over your nonsense” face. 😂

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✏️ What I’ve published lately

On the Paws and Reflect blog

I have been writing “for myself” a lot in the last weeks. This might be because 1) I am properly leaning into Substack sharing over Instagram, which means 2) I’m less worried about essays here needing to meet a specific length or format, and also 3) we spent a lot of time in inspiring nature. Many links below!

• The best things I’ve bought lately (personal essay, lifestyle-ish)
  I think I’m developing a motto that goes something like “don’t buy much, but what you do buy, make sure you deeply enjoy”.

• Nomad Haley and Wisconsin Haley (personal, family)
  Reflections on feeling like I sometimes live two lives: carefree(ish) traveler and always-worried daughter/sister/aunt.

• Some things I believe (personal list)
  I felt inspired to profess some opinions.

• Ways we’ve gone increasingly feral (van life)
  Cliché: We moved into a van... and Sean started making his own granola.

• A brief record of parking lot peace (van life)
  Freedom from “will anyone bother us?” concerns and from “we are in the most gorgeous natural environment imaginable and it would basically be the eighth deadly sin if we didn’t explore it to our maximum capacity” pressure.

• Thank you for not treating her like a retriever (dog training and reactivity)
  Expressions of gratitude after meeting up with loved ones.

• Carpe noctem: Notes on The Darkness Manifesto by Johan Eklöf (book reflection)
  “Henceforth if you want me after sunset you will find me only by candlelight.”

• One of the realest things to stir my chest (nature, inspiration)
  On getting to know the night sky.

• Judging without judging (relationships)
  On the messiness of making—and talking—about different choices.

• I miss Scout, and Sean, and me (nostalgia, grief)
  There are so many moments I'd forgotten. There are so many more I'll never remember.

• Good morning to everyone, especially? (social media)
  A little update on how I hope to mostly use Instagram versus this blog moving forward.

• Things that make Scout an excellent campground dog (dog training, van life)
  And that I hope writing down will help me stop taking for granted!

• Notes on my recent internet searches (personal tidbits)
  Experimenting a little with how online history captures (and misses) life's little moments.

• Brief notes on Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert (book reflection)
  Copied directly from my personal Google Doc and shared here, because—in the spirit of the book—it’s okay to just toss stuff out there sometimes!

• What’s the value of a fox-kit moon? (nature, van life, book reflection)
  One of my favorite pieces this month! About sacrifices and joys.

• The pile on of pets where they’re prohibited (responsible dog handling)
  I can’t stop caring about this. I don’t want to stop caring about this.

• There is no finish line (personal essay)
  I want to be done so I can be loved. Maybe the ultimate checklist task is separating the two.

• Well-behaved and composed and good (dog training)
  Because Scout is fulfilled and trusted and understood.

• Vignettes from the Florida keys (personal narratives)
  Moments I just want to remember, as is, instead of shaping into some larger whole.

• I meet my younger self for coffee (poetry)
  Inspired by the trend based on Jennae Cecelia’s original poem.

• On post-vacation overwhelm (personal emotions)
  And emotional complexity and internet authenticity and etc etc etc.

• I’m always on vacation; I’m never on vacation (van life)
  Reflections on living, working, and relaxing in a converted van and our recent holiday in the Florida keys.

• You know, hedging my communication can be, well, prosocial? (book reflection)
  On talking more assertively, leaving room for nuance, and deeply enjoying Wordslut by Amanda Montell.

• What I get out of Instagram (social media)
  And ways I might find these things elsewhere.

Featured elsewhere

• Should You Include Your Dog in Your Wedding? for Kinship
  A big thank you to the dog and wedding professionals who gave me some of their time for this piece. And to the Kinship editors for welcoming me back to write again!

• Busting enrichment myths, part two for Juniper
  Do puzzle toys make it harder for modern dogs to relax? I’d written about this here on my own blog before (multiple years ago) but cleaned up my thoughts for a wider pet parent audience.

• The 3/3/3 Rule in Rescuing a Dog for Wilderdog
  This final piece is quite different from my initial pitch. One reason I love publishing things on my own blog is that I have full control over every word that goes out (and hell, I can come back to them whenever I want to make tweaks)—but I enjoy the chance to practice my editing abilities/comfort in other contexts!

Plus a podcast!

• If you were around last fall, you might remember that I had the privilege of interviewing journalist Carol Mithers about her newest book: Rethinking Rescue: Dog Lady and The Story of America’s Forgotten People and Pets. This week our conversation went live for the world to hear! I am thrilled and excited and proud and really, really hope you’re able to give it a listen.

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📚 What I read last month

I decided to break this section out into its own post for more space. Take a gander here: four quick fiction books plus nonfiction reads about light pollution, therapy, endangered animals, creativity, and internet scams.