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How to Make Your Backyard the Perfect Play Area for Your Pup
A great dog-friendly backyard is not just a patch of grass. It is a space that keeps your pup safe, encourages healthy movement, and makes playtime easier for you to manage day after day. The best setups balance comfort, durability, and simple routines, so the yard stays usable in every season.
Why Training and Boundaries Matter for Dog Owners
Bringing a dog into your life is exciting, heartwarming, and sometimes a little overwhelming. One minute you are enjoying cuddles on the couch, and the next you are chasing muddy paw prints across the floor. Training and boundaries might not sound glamorous, but they play a huge role in shaping a happy home for both you and your dog. When expectations are clear, dogs feel more secure, and owners feel more confident. Think of it less like strict rules and more like giving your dog a roadmap. With the right guidance, everyday moments become calmer, safer, and way more enjoyable.
What Makes Customers Click? A Guide for E-Commerce Businesses in 2026
Online shopping has never been more crowded—or more competitive—than it is heading into 2026. Customers scroll fast, compare faster, and abandon carts without a second thought. A click today does not come from flashy tactics alone. It comes from trust, clarity, and relevance delivered at the right moment. Shoppers want brands that understand them, respect their time, and offer real value instead of noise. Small details now carry more weight than ever, from how a product page reads to how confident a customer feels before hitting “buy.”
Staff Favorite Books Of 2025
Sarah Erwin, Tracy Condie, & Lorie Lewis Ham
It’s once again time to look back at the books we reviewed here at KRL, and KRL News and Reviews, over the past year and share with you some of our favorites! We reviewed a LOT of wonderful books last year, as we do every year, and even those who didn’t make the list were definitely worth reading so we hope you check them all out! Most of our main reviewers share in this post their top 5-10ish favorite books they reviewed in 2025. We have many wonderful reviewers who only review a small handful of books during the year, so it would be hard for them to come up with a favorite books lists.
Jackie Dale-TheCatMother/Cat Trapper Speed Trapping/So Many Kittens/Updates
When I last left off in November, I was in the midst of fast and furious trapping. By the time I finished up the TNR project at the apartment complex, I had trapped and fixed 16 cats! That required numerous trips, 30 minutes each way. However, the satisfaction of completing this project made it well worth it.
Poison and Prejudice By Daphne Silver: Review/Giveaway/Interview
Poison and Prejudice is book three in Daphne Silver’s Rare Books Cozy Mystery series and is a treat for readers who enjoy librarian sleuths.
Rare books librarian Juniper Blume is settling in nicely at her sister’s Wildflower Inn in the cozy Chesapeake Bay town of Rose Mallow, Maryland.
Historical Mystery Trio
This week we have reviews of a trio of historical mysteries-The Mysterious Death of Junetta Plum by Valerie Wilson Wesley, Murder at Cottonwood Creek: Stella and Lyndy Mystery Book Seven by Clara McKenna, and The Queen Who Came in From the Cold: Her Majesty the Queen Investigates, Book Five by S.J. Bennett.
A Look Back at Valley Theatre in 2025
& Lorie Lewis Ham
“Out in Reedley, the River City Theatre Company filled the Opera House with the music of Irving Berlin with a lively production of Irving Berlin’s White Christmas, complete with snow blowing over the audience. In Fresno’s venerable Warnor’s Theater, the Chanticleer Shakespeare Co. brought Richard III, their first production as a professional theatre troupe, blending local talent with professionals.
Best of Great Food Search 2025
2025 is gone, but, for The Great Food Search, the memories remain of good food, good places, and good people. Here are a few of the restaurants that came to the top during our visits last year. You might like to try some of them.
Queer Mystery Coming Attractions: February 2026
Greg Herren is one of the most dynamic and influential voices in contemporary crime fiction, particularly within the LGBTQ+ literary landscape. Over the span of almost three decades, Herren has crafted a remarkable body of work that mixes sharp plotting, richly drawn characters, and incisive cultural insight. From his beloved series protagonists to his powerful standalone novels, Herren’s writing has consistently delivered compelling mysteries infused with heart, humor, and a profound understanding of queer life.
Mary Poppins On Stage At Roger Rocka’s
“Spoonful of Sugar,” “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious,” “Chim-Chim Cheree,” “Step in Time,” “Feed the Birds,” “Let’s Go Fly a Kite.”
Sounds like the world’s favorite fictional nanny has landed in the Valley. Disney & Cameron Mackintosh’s Mary Poppins is now playing at Roger Rocka’s Dinner Theater in a Good Company Players production through March 22.
Indigenous Solo Art Show With Aileen Rodriguez Imperatrice
Artist Aileen Rodriguez Imperatrice will premiere the complete new series Indigenous in her solo show beginning February 2 through February 27, 2026, at Fresno Pacific University Warkentine Culture and Arts Center Ewert Art Gallery, 4840 E. Butler Ave, Fresno, CA 93727 - with the ArtHop Reception February 5th, 5 to 8 p.m. Gallery hours: M-F 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free.
How to Create a Wedding Photobook That Melts Hearts
Craft a wedding photobook that captures your love story in stunning detail. Discover tips and creative ideas to make memories last a lifetime!
How a New Paint Job Can Define Your Home’s Aesthetic
A fresh paint job can change the way your home feels before anyone notices the furniture or finishes. Color influences mood, shapes first impressions, and helps rooms look more intentional. When you choose shades that suit your lighting and layout, paint becomes the thread that ties everything together, from the front door to the back hallway.
How to Make Your Backyard the Perfect Play Area for Your Pup
A great dog-friendly backyard is not just a patch of grass. It is a space that keeps your pup safe, encourages healthy movement, and makes playtime easier for you to manage day after day. The best setups balance comfort, durability, and simple routines, so the yard stays usable in every season.
Why Training and Boundaries Matter for Dog Owners
Bringing a dog into your life is exciting, heartwarming, and sometimes a little overwhelming. One minute you are enjoying cuddles on the couch, and the next you are chasing muddy paw prints across the floor. Training and boundaries might not sound glamorous, but they play a huge role in shaping a happy home for both you and your dog. When expectations are clear, dogs feel more secure, and owners feel more confident. Think of it less like strict rules and more like giving your dog a roadmap. With the right guidance, everyday moments become calmer, safer, and way more enjoyable.
What Makes Customers Click? A Guide for E-Commerce Businesses in 2026
Online shopping has never been more crowded—or more competitive—than it is heading into 2026. Customers scroll fast, compare faster, and abandon carts without a second thought. A click today does not come from flashy tactics alone. It comes from trust, clarity, and relevance delivered at the right moment. Shoppers want brands that understand them, respect their time, and offer real value instead of noise. Small details now carry more weight than ever, from how a product page reads to how confident a customer feels before hitting “buy.”
Staff Favorite Books Of 2025
Sarah Erwin, Tracy Condie, & Lorie Lewis Ham
It’s once again time to look back at the books we reviewed here at KRL, and KRL News and Reviews, over the past year and share with you some of our favorites! We reviewed a LOT of wonderful books last year, as we do every year, and even those who didn’t make the list were definitely worth reading so we hope you check them all out! Most of our main reviewers share in this post their top 5-10ish favorite books they reviewed in 2025. We have many wonderful reviewers who only review a small handful of books during the year, so it would be hard for them to come up with a favorite books lists.
Jackie Dale-TheCatMother/Cat Trapper Speed Trapping/So Many Kittens/Updates
When I last left off in November, I was in the midst of fast and furious trapping. By the time I finished up the TNR project at the apartment complex, I had trapped and fixed 16 cats! That required numerous trips, 30 minutes each way. However, the satisfaction of completing this project made it well worth it.
- Books & Tales
- Mysteryrat's Maze
- Coming Attractions!
- Every Other Book
- Fantasy & Fangs
- Terrific Tales
Staff Favorite Books Of 2025
It’s once again time to look back at the books we reviewed here at KRL, and KRL News and Reviews, over the past year and share with you some of our favorites! We reviewed a LOT of wonderful books last year, as we do every year, and even those who didn’t make the list were definitely worth reading so we hope you check them all out! Most of our main reviewers share in this post their top 5-10ish favorite books they reviewed in 2025. We have many wonderful reviewers who only review a small handful of books during the year, so it would be hard for them to come up with a favorite books lists.
Staff Favorite Books Of 2025
It’s once again time to look back at the books we reviewed here at KRL, and KRL News and Reviews, over the past year and share with you some of our favorites! We reviewed a LOT of wonderful books last year, as we do every year, and even those who didn’t make the list were definitely worth reading so we hope you check them all out! Most of our main reviewers share in this post their top 5-10ish favorite books they reviewed in 2025. We have many wonderful reviewers who only review a small handful of books during the year, so it would be hard for them to come up with a favorite books lists.
Queer Mystery Coming Attractions: February 2026
Greg Herren is one of the most dynamic and influential voices in contemporary crime fiction, particularly within the LGBTQ+ literary landscape. Over the span of almost three decades, Herren has crafted a remarkable body of work that mixes sharp plotting, richly drawn characters, and incisive cultural insight. From his beloved series protagonists to his powerful standalone novels, Herren’s writing has consistently delivered compelling mysteries infused with heart, humor, and a profound understanding of queer life.
How I Failed My Way into Writing Books
March 24, 2021. My family and I were enjoying dinner after a show. I was working two jobs at the time, plus making my first feature film. After years of planning, I had shot most of it with the best cast anyone could have asked for, and magic had been made. I had brought my laptop and hard drive with me, hoping I could get some more editing done in the three-and-a-half-hour drive both to and from the show, but we were all in the moment and enjoying each other's company, so no editing had been done thus far on the trip.
Blood Mothers: Vamps Before the Birth of Dracula Part 3
by Sarah Peterson-Camacho
The literally bone-chilling tale of a country lawyer seeking refuge from a frontier snowstorm in a seemingly empty old house, Edward T. Stewart’s The Death Vampire resurrected the soul-sucking she-demon of ancient myth—and eerily echoed a young Bakersfield girl’s terrifying supernatural encounter more than two decades previous.
Mystery Short Story: Moist
![](https://kingsriverlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/pexels-mdsnmdsnmdsn-2894962-102x144.jpg"")
Someone is watering my plants. I first noticed this with the peace lily. I had watered it mid-week. (I remember because book club meets on Wednesday, and it was my turn to host. A wilted lily would have been a greater topic of conversation than Where the Crawdads Sing.)
- Arts & Entertainment
- Theatre
- Movies
- Music
- Podcasts
- Rogue Festival
- Web Series & Vlogs
A Look Back at Valley Theatre in 2025
“Out in Reedley, the River City Theatre Company filled the Opera House with the music of Irving Berlin with a lively production of Irving Berlin’s White Christmas, complete with snow blowing over the audience. In Fresno’s venerable Warnor’s Theater, the Chanticleer Shakespeare Co. brought Richard III, their first production as a professional theatre troupe, blending local talent with professionals.
A Look Back at Valley Theatre in 2025
“Out in Reedley, the River City Theatre Company filled the Opera House with the music of Irving Berlin with a lively production of Irving Berlin’s White Christmas, complete with snow blowing over the audience. In Fresno’s venerable Warnor’s Theater, the Chanticleer Shakespeare Co. brought Richard III, their first production as a professional theatre troupe, blending local talent with professionals.
Spooky October Movies—No Screaming Necessary
October is a time when all the spooky comes out—decorations, costumes, and movies. I have compiled a small list of some of my favorite spooky. They may be thought of as horror movies, but they aren’t blood-and-guts fests. These are films I have seen, which leaves out some popular films like Monster Squad and Hocus Pocus. Most of these are pretty old, and not too violent. (I have a problem with slasher-monster-jump scare films.)
Holiday Fun In the Valley!
Another holiday season is upon us and as always the Valley has so much to offer for all ages! Here is just a small sampling of what's out there to enjoy, and some of it is even free! If you have another event you would like to tell people about, feel free to add in the comments below!
A Pair of Christmas Mysteries On Mysteryrat’s Maze Podcast
Here is your monthly reminder that there are also new articles up on our other website KRL News & Reviews! Every week there will be book reviews and giveaways, plus sometimes pet articles, theatre articles, and more! And listen to our new podcast!
Rogue Festival Reviews: The Barn Identity & 90 Lies an Hour
“How many times have I told this story?” Erika MacDonald asks this question repeatedly in her Rogue Festival show The Barn Identity. Each time she tells it, another tiny piece of the story falls into place. Is it about swirling leaves? Barns falling down? Going to a movie? An old woman in a bed? Losing identity? Architecture? Poetry?
Missing Persons: A Ghost Short Story
I handed my friend Graham a print out of the portrait I’d just taken of him and he burst into tears. He was sitting in the tapestry chair with his elbows resting on the wooden, carved lions head armrests, gazing into the near distance, exactly as I’d asked him to pose.
- Pets
- Animal Rescue Adventures
- Feral Paws Rescue
- Rodent Ramblings
Jackie Dale-TheCatMother/Cat Trapper Speed Trapping/So Many Kittens/Updates
When I last left off in November, I was in the midst of fast and furious trapping. By the time I finished up the TNR project at the apartment complex, I had trapped and fixed 16 cats! That required numerous trips, 30 minutes each way. However, the satisfaction of completing this project made it well worth it.
Jackie Dale-TheCatMother/Cat Trapper Speed Trapping/So Many Kittens/Updates
When I last left off in November, I was in the midst of fast and furious trapping. By the time I finished up the TNR project at the apartment complex, I had trapped and fixed 16 cats! That required numerous trips, 30 minutes each way. However, the satisfaction of completing this project made it well worth it.
Feral Paws Rescue: Piggy-Wiggly
Here at Feral Paws Rescue we are known for saving cats from high kill shelters, and our stories are always focused on them. But we also have many other rescued animals. Our story this month is about Piggy-Wiggly, a mini pig. When she came to our rescue, we made her a large area with a house and an area to play in the water like pigs love to do.
Rattie Ratz: Maple, Willow, and Fern
Sarah and her family adopted three female ratties—Mocha, Latte, and Cinnamon—from Rattie Ratz last November. The girls have since been renamed Maple, Willow, and Fern, and Sarah and her daughters were happy to provide an update to the rescue on how the rats have settled into their new forever home.
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Food
The Great Food Search, Food Fun
LatestBest of Great Food Search 2025
2025 is gone, but, for The Great Food Search, the memories remain of good food, good places, and good people. Here are a few of the restaurants that came to the top during our visits last year. You might like to try some of them.
Education
Education
LatestLocal Writer and Professor Steven Church
![](https://kingsriverlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/church-book-91x144.jpeg""){kind=spacer}
Local writer Steven Church’s story begins in Lawrence, Kansas. His life’s journey has carried him from this Midwest city, between the Wakarusa and Kansas rivers, to Fort Collins, Colorado; Bristol, Rhode Island; and Fresno, California. Along the way, Steven established an eclectic resume that includes such illustrious occupations as newspaper delivery boy, house painter, grocery store clerk, tour guide twice (he must have really excelled at it), maintenance man, and conflict mediator. Somehow, in the midst of what sounds like chaos, he obtained a BA degree in philosophy as well as an MFA in creative writing.
Going Green
Going Green
LatestUCCE Master Gardeners of Fresno County Spring Garden Tour 2025
What do you do when the news of the world is getting you down? Go to a movie? Log into social media and vent your frustrations? Eat ice cream by the pint? Well, movies can be expensive (especially when you add popcorn), ranting online isn’t going to do much for your blood pressure, and consuming large quantities of sweets ... we’re not even going to go there. It’s time to put down your phone, close the refrigerator door, and get outside for some fresh air and sunshine.
Reedley News
Reedley News
LatestA Look Back at Valley Theatre in 2025
“Out in Reedley, the River City Theatre Company filled the Opera House with the music of Irving Berlin with a lively production of Irving Berlin’s White Christmas, complete with snow blowing over the audience. In Fresno’s venerable Warnor’s Theater, the Chanticleer Shakespeare Co. brought Richard III, their first production as a professional theatre troupe, blending local talent with professionals.
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