• Better Know A Wildomar Business: Barks and Rec Pet Care

Meet Morgan Dulak, she is the owner operator of Barks and Rec Pet Care. 

Posing for a pic at Halloween. 

 She's been in Wildomar for more than twenty-two years, having gone to Wildomar Elementary, David A Brown Middle School and then graduating from Elsinore High School. 

Interesting side note, during the conversation I found out that she had come to Wildomar by way of San Clemente like my family did... she arrived about three years sooner.

She started pet sitting about fifteen years ago. She had a good reputation among her friends and acquaintances when it came to her love of animals, and it started when one of them asked if she could keep an eye on their dogs while they were out of town.

Morgan treats me like I'm a superstar!

What started out as favors for friends grew into a real business that culminated in a fully licensed and insured business that serves Wildomar and parts of the surrounding cities of Lake Elsinore, Murrieta, Menifee, Canyon Lake and the local county areas.

Deal's a deal. I shook, now give me a treat. ☺

Here are the key services that Morgan offers: 
    • In home pet sitting
    • Dog walking
    • In home nail trimming (where she goes to customers' homes to trim nails of cats, dogs, guinea pigs and the like).
    • Homemade dog treats (see image at bottom of blog for pricing)
    • Pooper Scooper services

Morgan is trained in pet First Aid and CPR. 

Proud moment.

Morgan meets with all prospective clients as she does a meet and greet, learns the needs and disposition of the animals she'll be working with.

She doesn't do boarding yet, but she's aiming to offer that service by the end of the year, and she mentioned dog training as a service that will be coming online shortly too. 

Cats don't shake, but still expect treats. ☺

I asked if she'd run into situations where she had to decline a job. She let me know that, other than distance, she hasn't had to turn away a client. 

She added, "I'm very good with canine behavior. I have quite a few clients that no other person can really go into their house. I'm the only pet sitter for them because they got turned away by other people."

We keep hearing about these "treats" and we're ready to shake if you are! ☺

She's worked in shelter environments and has a lot of experience with fear aggressive dogs. She was telling me about an aggressive dog she works with that won't let other people walk into the house, but when he sees her he turns back into a puppy wanting to crawl up into her lap and give her kisses. She told me that she enjoys a good challenge. 

Animals love Morgan almost as much as she loves them.

Being in Wildomar I asked if she pet sits for larger animals and she sat up a little straighter, flashed a smile and replied, "Oh yeah, I have experience with all pet [types]. We had a half acre property so I grew up with horses, donkeys, sheep, goats, pigs, chickens. I've actually done pet sitting for raccoons... that was really awesome. 

Slow And Steady Wins The Race.

I asked if there were any other pets that hadn't been mentioned that she watches, "I've watched birds... pretty much any pet that you can think of: tortoises, snakes. I can't really think of a pet that I haven't watched before."

I asked about pricing and as you can imagine, in a unique business like this one, there can't be a set menu of prices. It depends on each individuals needs. 

Contact info: 951-514-7345

Best way to get a hold of Morgan is through text

barksandrecpetcare@gmail.com

Facebook Page
Instagram

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“Dogs love their friends and bite their enemies, quite unlike people, who are incapable of pure love and always have to mix love and hate.”

– Sigmund Freud

Blogs like Wildomar Rap are very doglike in this regard. 

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• Better Know A Local Business: Furry Tail Dog Training

Holly and Mark Stephens.

I love sharing local businesses with the community. Today I'm sharing Furry Tail Dog Training operated by Holly Stephens.

She and her husband Mark have been in Wildomar for about six years now. 

She's always wanted to work with animals and earlier in her life she worked at Seaworld for many years. 

She's worked in the animal care and husbandry departments at aquariums and at the zoo, but really wanted to help people with their pets as she became more familiar with the statistics of dogs being put down due to lack of training.

Gaining the trust of one of her student pups.

A lot of her clients are concerned with chewing, jumping up, digging, barking, house training and "counter surfing" among other bad habits that need deprogramming. Her classes also cover basic obedience that all dogs need.

Behavior Corrections:

Pulling on Leash, Not Coming When Called, Jumping, Chewing/Destructions, Excessive Barking, Stealing and Scavenging, Nipping and Mouthing, Begging, Digging and Bolting.

Holly, in action, during a lesson.

Though she lives in Wildomar, classes and consultations are held at ​Canyon Hills Community Park in Lake Elsinore. That's where she's permitted and insured. (Off topic, I know she'd like to bring her services to Wildomar, but the permitting process has been a big obstacle so far)

Obedience Cues:

​Focus, Sit, Down, Stay, Come, Drop-it, Leave-it, Take-it, Heel, Kennel up, Wait, Stand, Loose Leash Walking and Crate Training.

A previous graduate of Furry Tail Dog Training.

The group classes last an hour per session and there are six sessions per class. The groups can be up to ten dogs at a time (per her city permit), though they are usually not half that size. Like other reputable dog handlers, she only works with dogs that are up on their vaccinations.

High fives for a job well done.

A little bit of training for your dog, especially if you get them while they're still puppies, will go a long way in having an obedient and well trained dog. 

Eager for more training.

Let's be real for a sec, for as awesome as dogs are as pets, friends and even family members, poorly trained dogs can cause a lot of unnecessary grief to the owners.

Holly is a caring person that is there to help get your dog on the right path, contact her and see about the various lessons she offers.

Certificates Holly Has Earned

• ABC Certified Dog Trainer

• Pet First Aid and CPR Certified

• Certificate in Pet Sitting and Dog Walking

• Certificate in Feline Management and Training

• Certificate in The Art of Selling and Teaching Private Lessons

Visit Holly's website for more information.

She also has a facebook page to visit.

Link to Furry Tail Dog Training website

Link to Facebook page

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"Money can buy you a fine dog, but only love can make him wag his tail."
– Kinky Friedman 

Wildomar Rap's vestigial tail hasn't wagged in years.

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• Better Know A Local Business: Video Adventures

Meet Ken Bennett of Video Adventures Video Productions, his wife Maria didn't attend the interview but is the key production assistant in the business. 

Filmmaker Ken Bennett.

Ken and Maria are longtime Wildomar residents (since 1988). Ken has been in film and video production for 35 years. He's seen a lot of changes over the years as the medium has gotten more refined with digital cameras and editing.

The Bennetts are currently working on a special project called Surviving B-17's. It is a documentary series covering the fifty-one remaining B-17 Flying Fortresses that are still in existence. 

An in-action shot of Ken Bennett on the set of Surviving B-17's.

They are also interviewing WWII Veterans that served on, or worked on, these planes; preserving their stories along with the stories of the planes for future generations. 

He was telling me about two local guys that have been interviewed for the series. Archie Aitcheson is from Temecula and he's 97 years old. Earl Williams lives in Menifee and is going to turn 100 in March of 2019. 

Taking time out of shooting to pose for a photo.

The film crew is trying to help Earl get his Purple Heart, he was in the first US plane that was shot down in the war and was wounded... that was at Pearl Harbor. It was at the start of the war and the records were incomplete, so he was never awarded the medal. 

They've gotten Gary Sinise on the job, some ranking officers and some electeds too. Hopefully the medal can be awarded before his 100th birthday.

Two of the DVDs from the series.

The Surviving B-17's series is a direct to DVD and Blu Ray. They had been in talks with Discovery and History Channel but they wanted to make too many changes to the pilot episode so they didn't go that route.

(follow the link above for more information and photos)

Ken's business card from the series.

I asked Ken what his favorite type of video work is, and though he's shot music videos, weddings & events, seminars, marketing & promotional videos his answer was family biographies. 

"What if you had a video of your great grandfather? You never met him, he's long gone, and here's a video of him talking to you and your family about his life. Preserving people's stories is a passion of mine."

- Ken Bennett

Photo montages are another type of video they produce.

These videos can come in a variety of edits 

They can be basic slideshows, live video, a mixture of current video, old family movies and photos. The idea of preserving a family's legacy through video is something that future generations will be thankful to have after their loved ones have passed on. 

Drop the Bennetts an email to see about having grandma Sally or uncle Henry tell some stories in front of their camera... while they're still healthy and full of life.

The best way to contact Ken is through his website, but his phone works too (951) 678-3867. ☺

Video-Adventures website

I've enjoyed all the conversations I've had with people that let me blog about their businesses, but getting a chance to talk to an award winning filmmaker was a highlight for me.

Nuggets to remember:
When you want a video done, the first question you need to answer is what's your message, what do you want to say?

To make a quality video (and when you hire a filmmaker that's the aim) you need to have a basic script or an outline. You don't just show up with a camera and hit record. 

Ken's day to day business card.

Another thing to keep in mind is that a quality video production costs money. They don't have to break the bank, but they aren't gratis. The more time your production requires (such as special graphics/edits) the more that the final video will cost. 

There is a lot of expensive equipment involved, and even more important than that is the know how, the skill, the years of experience necessary to pull it off. 

The backside of their trifold brochure.

Ken and Maria Bennett are very personable and easy to talk with. Don't be shy about asking them some questions about the video project you have in mind... that's the first step to a terrific production.

Wildomar Rap confession time

Some of you know that I'm a video guy too, but to give you a comparison between Ken and me, Ken is to Los Reyes as I am to Los Jilbertos (it helps if you've eaten Mexican food in Wildomar to decipher that one). 

If that's too far out there, let's go with he's prime rib and I'm hamburger (lol). We both do kind of the same work, but in actuality, it's very different... plus I'm more of an animator/editor and suck at camera work. ☺

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There are no rules in filmmaking. Only sins. And the cardinal sin is dullness.
– Frank Capra

Hey Mr. Capra, you had Wildomar Rap at "there are no rules in filmmaking."

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• Better Know a Local Business: Lujan Family Childcare

Some "Better Know" blogs are about well known business, like DeJong's Dairy, and others are about smaller, mom and pop type operations like in today's blog.

Meet Michelle Lujan 

Michelle and Alex Lujan.

She and her family have lived in Wildomar for 23 years, and across the street from me for the last 15. She provides before and after school care to local families under the name of Lujan Family Childcare.

I asked her when she decided to be a childcare provider and she told be that she made that decision back when she was pregnant with her son. She didn't want to leave him with anyone else so she opened up a daycare; that was twenty-two years ago.

Dillon, Alex and Brandon Lujan.

She is licensed to take care of fourteen kids, but if she goes over eight at any one time, she has to have a helper. At this time her son helps her when she goes above that number.

It's not like it was in the last generation where kids would be entrusted with any available neighbor, Michelle is licensed, has been background checked and fingerprinted, as have all the members of her household.

In the backyard.

She looks after children of all ages; she currently is caring for a six month old. I was told that usually once kids have hit middle school age they stop needing formal child care.

Getting creative with the back fence.

I asked Michelle what her "hours of operation" are, and she responded, "It's 7:00am to 5:00pm, but I work with parents. If they have to be [at work] at 7:00am... I have one that comes at 6:45am. If they get off at 5:00pm I work with them, and they may not pick them up until 5:30pm."

Activities, both outside and inside.

I wondered what happens when a parent gets stuck in traffic at the end of the day, and she responded with a smile, "I just take care of the child. A couple of years ago there was a big accident on Ortega and two of the parents were stuck in it. I had the kids until 7:30pm. I just fed them dinner, then turned on a movie and we hung out. I didn't charge extra, things like that happen."

 The kitchen table can be for meals, homework or celebrations. ☺

I wondered what the kids do while under her care, she told me that they have breakfast, the younger ones do preschool curriculum activities, the kindergartners start at 10:00am and when they are done in the afternoon they do homework right away.

Around the holidays.

She sits with each one and helps them do their homework, then they have a snack. From there they will play games. The day I spoke with her they had just finished up a math game; she wants it to be fun, but they are learning at the same time.

Hands on activities.

In the summertime they enjoy going on field trips. Places such as the waterpad, to movies or the park.
The Lujans live in Windsong Valley and the school they're near is Donald Graham Elementary. 

This sign is on the side of the SUV that transports the kids to and from school.

If you're interested in seeing if Michelle has any openings, give her a call. The number is (951) 294-0395. Their license number is 334814575.

Crafts the kids have made.

Wildomar Rap memory lane time

The Lujans have been great neighbors of ours and have always been quite friendly. They've been very gracious over the years when I've offered them a bagsful of kumquats. (an acquired taste indeed) ☺

Here's one of many examples of the kind of quality people they are. 

A long time ago, when their adult son was somewhere between 13 and 15 (I don't remember which son it was), their dog made a visit to my yard. I was amused to see the dog decide to leave me a present. 

The pooch was hardly finished with his mission before the young Mr. Lujan came over, cleaned it up, and even apologized for it. (dogs will be dogs, I get that) 

That happened without his parents instructing him to do so. Well, I'm guessing that years worth of good parenting is why his quick actions happened without further prompting. 

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The secret of genius is to carry the spirit of the child into old age, which means never losing your enthusiasm. 
– Aldous Huxley

If Wildomar Rap could just capture the physicality of youth to go along with the spirit, but alas.

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• Better Know a Wildomar Place: Wat Ratanapanya

This type of blog is usually about businesses or a local person, but today it's about a spiritual place called Wat Ratanapanya which is on Orange Street. It's not a word that rolls off the English speaking tongue too easily, but with some practice you can get it. ☺

Wat Ratanapanya, 34559 Orange St, Wildomar.

I've driven past it for years and have always been curious as to what was beyond the gates, but too timid to drive in... until now! 

There are two roosters at the head of a path that leads to many different garden spots.
A person has to respect the very prominent position that the American flag has here.

Once parked, my wife Grace and I found one of the monks that live on the grounds. His name is Thomas and he was originally from Thailand. He graciously showed us around the place and told us a bit about it.

Inspirational signs such as this one were seen throughout the grounds.

This temple serves more than 300 people. They come from as far as Los Angeles, Santa Ana, San Diego and sometimes Las Vegas. It has been in Wildomar for more than ten years. 

The signs above the door of the temple.

If you'd like to visit, just drive (or walk) in. Look for one of the monks in an orange robe and they will assist you. If you don't see any monks, go up to the doors at the main building (above) and someone will meet you there.

Such a good admonition... and often easier said than done.

You don't have to be Buddhist to visit the meditation center. I was told that many people from Wildomar come to the center to meditate. 

Especially on Sundays, this circle can have quite a few number of people meditating here.

I asked if they have weddings on the grounds, and they do. One is coming up in October.

So true... in any language.

There were several tranquil sitting areas throughout the grounds. Not pictured is a koi pond just to the left of the image below.

One of the many serene settings to be found at the Orange St location.

Each day around noon people come and bring food for the monks. Though Thomas did have an iPhone, they basically don't have possessions. They rely upon the generosity of the visitors to the center for their sustenance.

After the brief tour, we had a nice conversation with Thomas, and he shared the basic origin of Buddhism, and some of his views on the state of the world today... but this blog isn't about any particular beliefs, so I'll just leave it at that. 

He said that if people are interested in Buddhist beliefs, they can find plenty of info on the internet. Or you can visit Wat Ratanapanya and talk to him yourself. 

Photo of Thomas, courtesy of the Wat Ratanapanya facebook page.

We found him to be an engaging person, with a good sense of humor, though not always easy to understand. He'd be the first to admit that he can have difficulties in English, he's not a pretentious man. ☺

As we were about to drive off, Thomas reappeared with two bottles of water for us to take on our car ride home.

For more photos of the grounds, visit their facebook page.

Link to Meditation Center's Facebook page

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If we’re facing in the right direction, all we have to do is keep on walking.
— Joseph Goldstein

Wildomar Rap has been walking since the age of 11 months.

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