THE WITCH AND THE TEA PARTY (A Rachael Penzra Mystery) Read Online Free Page A

treat barely constitutes two bites for him. He inhales them.
    I rushed back out. The puppy was delighted to see me, but didn’t seem to have suffered from my absence. I hoped that meant she was going to have an easy-going temperament. I was rather spoiled by George, and wasn’t terribly worried about his adjustment to a new dog. It was Alexander I apprehensive about. Could a cat actually kill a dog? She wasn’t very big, and not even close to his weight. Fortunately, the monster cat generally didn’t like to exert himself and would probably be satisfied with giving out a hiss or two. That should be enough to discourage the puppy’s advancements, and only a fool wouldn’t learn quickly that Alexander wasn’t to be messed with.

     
    Water witching is something many people can do. It is a form of divining and can be used to find not only water, but lost objects and various ores. Traditionally it is done with a forked stick, usually ash or willow. There are two schools of thought about whether or not to use fresh, living wood or a seasoned piece. The newly cut is best for the beginner. The “Y” shape is then held by the shorter legs, with the longer piece sticking out ahead as a guide. Hold the stick firmly, but not overly tightly, with the long end pointing upward slightly. Walk slowly forward. When the wand finds water, it will bend down to reach it. Your grip moves with it. Try this over a known water source until you are sure of its power. It’s an amazing sensation and often startling to unbelievers. Witching can be fine-tuned through practice to a degree by anybody, but some people seem to have a natural affinity. Good handlers can tell the depth needed to reach the water source, as well as how strong it is. An easier tool in modern times is made by taking a metal coat hanger and cutting the long bottom in half. Then snip off shorter ‘legs’ from the upper hook part. You should have two two-sided pieces. Straighten the sides so you have an ‘L’ shape. Hold the short ends firmly, but not tightly, in your hands. Point the long ends straight in front of you. They’ll cross over each other when they find water. Practice will teach you which grip is best for you and how to refine your skills.
     
    Chapter Two
     
    Nobody gave me a hard time about burdening myself with a puppy. Both Aunt Myrtle and Patsy were thrilled with her. George was beside himself with delight, sniffing and lifting the poor little thing’s hindquarters off the floor while doing so. She promptly fell over, not completely an expert at standing on three legs. It didn’t seem to bother her.
    “Oh oh,” said Patsy, pointing to the spreading puddle on the kitchen floor. “We’ll have to get her trained.”
    “Poor little thing,” Aunt Myrtle sighed. “She probably never had a chance to even get outside to go potty. Those puppy mills are terrible. They just lock the dogs up in cages all their lives. No wonder she doesn’t understand what to do.”
    We all took her outside to give her a chance to sniff around and hopefully get the idea that dogs peed outside the house. She sniffed happily, but mostly she followed George around, bumping into his hind leg in her excitement. Her clumsiness was endearing. She was so obviously happy.
    My heart swelled and I felt tearful. How wonderful that she’d caught my eye like that in the shelter. Surely it was meant to be. We had a wonderful new addition to our family. A little work and she’d soon be trained.
    Ha ha ha! Joke’s on me as usual. Why do I always get things wrong? Trained? Patsy and I spent many hours on the internet reading different approaches to potty training a puppy. I bought a scented stone and urine spray to place around the yard to encourage her. Sometimes she did her chores outside, but rarely near the tempting spots. Sometimes she peed and pooped inside. We tried pads, we tried newspapers. Finally we resorted to locking her in the bathroom, using a gate, and covering the floor