Go Tara!

Hero Cat -- the feline who fought off a ferocious dog to protect a child -- is gettin' called up to the minors ... and will THROW OUT the first pitch at a minor league baseball game next week ...

The Bakersfield Blaze -- the Class A affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds -- has reached out to the cat's people hoping to get Tara (that's her name) to make the ceremonial first pitch at a game next week.

Gotta love cats!

Smelled like victory

Bern Pedit

I miss being surrounded by large canvas and jars of acrylic paint, the smells and feels, the "identity" of a painter of wiping paint all over your clothes and thinking nothing of it.

• Joe Pedit I love the smell of acrylic paints in the morning. You know, one time I had a canvas painted for 12 hours. When it was all over, I inspected it. I didn't find one of 'em, not one stinkin' unpainted spot. The smell, you know that acrylic paint smell, the whole canvas. Smelled like victory.