Best Dog Hikes Alabama: Making Peanut Butter Dog Biscuits

Here's a great recipe that I included in my forthcoming book, "Best Dog Hikes Alabama" - Peanut Butter Dog Biscuits. The recipe is quick, easy, and your dog will love them! Thanks to my Granddaughter, Cora, for doing some of the filming and lending a hand in the kitchen.

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Tis the Season – the cold winds of winter are barreling down from Canada. Snow is piling up across the country. Christmas is just around the corner (a public service announcement for those of you who haven’t even THOUGHT about starting your Christmas shopping).

With that in mind, it’s time once again for my annual, albeit humble, Holiday Giveaway! It’s just my way of saying thank you for your support through the year by buying my books, following my articles and blog, and listening and viewing my podcasts and videos.

Once again you’ll be able to download eBook, PDF, and MP3 audio versions of some of my classic Christmas short stories. And this year, there will be a brand new Christmas short story podcast to listen to or download and a new eBook – “Joe’s Shorts!” Think about that one.

You can also register to win autographed copies of my book, Hiking Alabama-4^th Edition!

My Holiday Giveaway 2018 page will be posted VERY SOON! Be on the lookout for the announcement here on the Blog, on my Facebook pages, and on my website in the next few days.

Thanks again for all of your support this past year and a VERY Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you and yours!

Everyone's Gone to the Moon

The research for the book Everyone’s Gone to the Moon has really been fascinating. The book will revolve around the first lunar landing in July 1969. It will touch on the landing but focus more on the events and pop-culture that was happening at the same time, an overview of July 1969.

So far, the tidbits of history I’m gleaning are truly fascinating. For instance, it was on the first week of July, 1969, that Charles Phillip Arthur George officially became the Prince of Wales during an investiture ceremony that was nearly derailed by bombs that were detonated near the rail line that would carry the royal family to the ceremony.

And I’ve learned that history really does repeat itself. For example, in 2018, we hear of alleged attempts by White House staff to establish secret back channel communications with Russia in an effort to skirt the nation’s intelligence agencies. In July 1969, Soviet diplomat Anatoly Dobrynin attempted to do the same thing, working with President Nixon’s staff to create a secret communications link.

But this little bit doesn’t even skim the surface of the history I’m pulling out from the murky mists of time for this book – remarkable space news that was going on at the time we first walked on the moon, the world of pop-culture, and the stories of everyday people and what life was like in July 1969.

Stick around. There are some amazing stories to tell!

Goin' to the Dogs

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! Hope you and yours have a wonderful holiday.

For me, it will be a busy weekend at the old keyboard. I’ll be hammering out a couple of chapters for the book, Everyone’s Gone to the Moon, prepping publicity for the release of Best Dog Hikes Alabama, and finishing up three videos that will be posted next week that I think you’ll enjoy.

On the subject of my latest Falcon guide, Best Dog Hikes Alabama, you may (or may not) remember not too long ago that I asked for a little help planning some fund raisers to coincide with the release of the book in March. Still needing a little help.

I would like to host at least 5 pet adoptions in conjunction with local animal rescues across Alabama – Mobile, Montgomery, Birmingham, Huntsville, and Talladega. The events will give the rescues another chance to bring their animals out and have them adopted, have a few presentations about you and your dog including vet and training tips, and allow you to take a rescue for a short hike (and hopefully fall in love with them). I will be selling copies of the books and t-shirts with proceeds going to help the rescues.

I need a little help in locating a good venue to hold such an event and contacts for reputable animal shelters in those areas to get the ball rolling. SO, if you know of a good location and who I should contact, or have contact information for some rescues, I would LOVE to hear from you!

You can either Message me through Messenger or go to my contact page on my website, www.joe-cuhaj.com/contact.html and drop me a line.

Thanks in advance for your help – and helping rescues!

Say Hey! The Willie Mays Song and Mobile (Alabama) History

As I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, two out of my three new book proposals have been approved. There is a “slight” hiccup on the Everyone’s Gone to the Moon contract, but that’s being ironed out.

As for the second title, the research is already beginning. Now, I know that my friends and followers from outside of Alabama and the Mobile area will probably say “ho-hum” with this title, but believe me, it’s a fascinating look at the 300+ year history of the Port City – Mobile – and it’s little known, hidden history. Hence the title, Hidden History of Mobile.

There is so much to the city’s history that has rarely, if ever, been told but I'll be combing the dusty city archives and the bowels of the Mobile Library to pull them out and bring them back to life. I think it will be a title you will all enjoy.

One aspect of the city’s history I will focus on is its musical side. Yes, we’ve had some notable musicians and singers from the Alabama Gulf Coast, everyone from Metropolitan Opera star Linda Zoghby to big band trumpeter Cootie Williams to Jimmy Buffet. There is one group from Mobile, however, that doesn’t get much recognition – the Treniers, or as they were originally billed, the “Rockin’ Rollin’ Treniers”.

The group was started by twins Clifton and Claude Trenier. After stints with Jimmy Lunceford's big band in the 40s, the twins struck out on their own and made a mark in the early history of Rock ‘n Roll influencing others like Bill Haley, England’s The Shadows, and more. They appeared in several early rock movies like Alan Freed’s Don’t Knock the Rock and The Girl Can’t Help It.

The Treniers in Don’t Knock the Rock

One recording by the Treniers brought my understanding of Mobile’s musical history and its baseball legacy (as seen in my book Baseball in Mobile) full circle. It was in 1955 when they recorded a classic song celebrating Alabama’s own Willie Mays – the song was Say Hey (the Willie Mays Song). What’s interesting is that the 45-rpm single that was released credits the tune to Willie Mays with the Treniers, although Willie only says 10 words in the song.

The Treniers: Say Hey (the Willie Mays Song)

Just some of the fun, sometimes tragic, but always remarkable history I’ll be uncovering and bringing back to life within the pages of Hidden History of Mobile.

The adventure is just beginning.

Planning for Best Dog Hike Events Begins

Perseverance (and a bit of whining) does pay off. Three of my new book proposals are now in the laps and hands of publishers – one is approved (I’ll talk about that in an upcoming blog), the other two are just inches away. Keep fingers crossed!

But that’s not why I’m adding an entry to the blog today. IF you read my blog entry from September 20^th (and if not – why not? J) I mentioned that my new book, “Best Dog Hikes Alabama” is on the fast track to completion with the final copy coming my way for approval shortly.

With the completion of the book, I’m ready to move ahead with plans I had early on to help some of the many no-kill animal shelters in the state raise awareness about rescue dogs, raise a little money to help them and their mission, and to maybe help some of their rescues find Forever Homes.

BUT, I need a little help – from YOU! – to make this happen.

Here’s what I would like to do. Remember, this will all begin around March 2019:

• Hold rescue events on the Gulf Coast (Mobile/Baldwin County), Montgomery, Birmingham, and Huntsville to start. After that, we’ll see how it goes to move it to other cities
• Each event will be a single day event with:Tents where local shelters can set up and accept donations and (hopefully) adopt a few rescues.
• I would like the event to be in an area where potential new puppy parents can “test walk” the dog they plan to adopt – a short hiking trail at the site is perfect
• Presentations to help you with your new friend on training and bringing them home by local trainers, info on medical care by local vets
• A shop where you can buy t-shirts and copies of the new book with proceeds going to the shelters
• Booths by local pet shops with a portion of the proceeds to benefit the shelters
• Food Trucks

 Whew! That should do it (what can I say? I think big.)

Here’s what I need help with. If you live in any of the areas mentioned, I am in need of contacts for any of the above – local animal shelters that need help, a couple of local vets and trainers who may be able to do a presentation or two, and a good venue in the area where this can be held and (since I’m out of area) a suggestion on who to contact to set up the venue.

I would really appreciate any suggestions! Please send me an email at joecuhajauthor @ gmail.com (take out the spaces), drop me a line on Messenger, or use my online Contact Form at www.joe-cuhaj.com/contact.html.

Of course, I will keep you posted as events are set up.

I can’t thank you enough for helping make these events happen! Until next time….

Best Dog Hikes Alabama - The End is Near

Just when you thought it was safe to go back to writing something else, here comes second round of edits for Best Dog Hikes Alabama.

I just received it yesterday and all I can say is, wow! The layout department at Falcon Guides did an amazing job on it! I think you’re going to like the colors and format of this one. The editors took my suggestions to heart, corrected me on some issues, and it reads well. Like my old high school Creative Writing teacher, Mr. George Sterling, used to say, “It made me feel like I was really there.”

So, I’m doing my last proof read to make sure we haven’t glossed over any glaring errors, like leading you and your dog off a cliff (just kidding!!!) and will have it back to the publisher in a week. Then the final read comes soon after WITH the new cover (my favorite part - to see which of my photos they have selected).

The bottom line is that we are on target for a March 2019 release! Can’t wait.

Now, as I announced a few months ago, after finishing researching and writing Best Dog Hikes Alabama, I decided that I really wanted to help some of the rescue organizations that do a wonderful job finding forever homes for these pets. What I am trying to do is set up a events on the Gulf Coast (Mobile / Baldwin County), Montgomery, Birmingham, and Huntsville. There will be possibly be others but right now I’m shooting for the big four cities.

My “dream” is to have these events in a location where we can have several dog rescue groups from those cities gather with some of their pups, where you can “test drive” one on a short hike, then adopt them. We would have copies of the book and other merchandise for sale and food with a good portion of the proceeds going to these non-profits. I’d like to have trainers, vets, and outfitters do a few presentations…what can I say? I think big!

If you live in or near one of these cities, I’m looking for suggestions on a good venue to hold the event that fit the bill (for example, Remy’s Dog Park at Red Mountain..hint, hint) and a few names of the rescue organizations in those cities I can contact to get the ball rolling.

If you have any suggestions, I’d love to hear from you. You can send me a message on Facebook or drop me a line at Joe Cuhaj Author @ gmail.com (take out the spaces). I look forward to hearing from you.

‘Til next time…