Blog business first:

Oy. What a pain in the tush this has been! Last week I noticed something had been added to my blog and, at first, I thought I’d been hacked. A call to my host determined that I hadn’t been hacked but that the host had added a plugin to my site. A caching plugin. Plugins are the method in which a WordPress blog/site can be enhanced and adapted by the owner – just as widgets are for Blogger. Caching is the way in which static files can be created that ultimately enable a faster load time.

But they are not without their problems. I don’t like caching plugins and, early on, eliminated them on my blog. They don’t work so well when you post frequently, as I do. In addition, I was ticked off because something had been added to my site without my permission. I am the owner of my blogs and I determine what goes on the blog and what doesn’t. And it turns out that my host did this to all the sites under their umbrella. I called my host a couple of times last week, including on Christmas Eve, to get to the bottom of this and thought it had been resolved. Some of you, or many of you, would visit my blog on your browser and it would look as if I hadn’t updated the blog in several days, even though I had.

I can’t have that. So, last night, after receiving another email from a concerned reader who wondered why I hadn’t posted lately, I called them again. And the plugins are now powerless. It may take a day or two for all the caching complications to stop, but soon everything should be back to normal. I will keep an eye on things, of course. Sorry about that – but it was done without my knowledge and there has been a lot of blowback about it from other site owners, as well. This was not  a good idea!

Okay. Business over. Fingers crossed. If you have any trouble, just reload the blog on your browser, but that shouldn’t be an issue for much longer.

• Something arrived in my mailbox while I was in Hartford.

Number eleven in my collection. Another great cover illustration by Russell H. Tandy. It’s amazing to me that the colors remain so vivid many years later. Between my Nancy Drews and Don’s Hardy Boys, rearranging the bookshelves is fast becoming a priority.

• I want to share four links with you concerning the two local horses, Ashley and Pliers, that were rescued by the Catskill Animal Sanctuary. I just discovered some videos done by the Sanctuary about their rehabilitation and the good news is that they’ve been moved from their temporary quarters on a farm to the Sanctuary itself. If you watch the videos, you’ll understand why they needed to be worked with before that could happen.

Intro to Ashley & Pliers

Ashley & Pliers, Day One

Ashley & Pliers, Setting Boundaries

Ashley & Pliers, Home at Last

We were so concerned about them, as were other local residents, and seeing how well they are doing fills me with gratitude – gratitude for the Sanctuary and for our friend who gave them a temporary home and initially contacted the Sanctuary, hoping they would take them. They will live out their days in peace and when Ashley leaves us, Pliers will be much better prepared for life without her.

What a blessing.

Happy Thursday.