This was my letter to David Karp at the St. Pete Times (813) 226-3352

You asked what was still being done to find Don and probably the most notable, I didn’t even mention because I see it every day. The poster of Don and Nyla (leopard) that we distributed for months following his disappearance was also circulated in Costa Rica and is still in the windows of my car, our house keeper’s car, my daughter’s car and many of our volunteers. After you left, I looked around the parking lot at all of the signs and couldn’t believe I didn’t think to mention them.

It has been a year ago today that Don’ disappeared without a trace. Not a single clue has surfaced that can even answer the question “Is he dead or alive?” I believe if he could be home, he would be here. Were he homeless or in a facility, we would have found him by now. He wouldn’t be sitting idly by and letting attorneys eat up everything he worked for, so he can’t be hiding. I miss him so much.

Radar compiled a list of my phone messages and one was from Richard Martin. Could this be THE Richard? I was breathless. All the message said was that he was returning my call. That could be anybody about any thing. Was it him? The message had come almost a week ago and not given to me until today. Would he think I was rude, or worse yet, fickle? I couldn’t wait to call him and yet was nearly paralyzed with fear. I cleared my office, locked the door, took a few deep breaths and dialed.

Talking to Richard was like talking to an old friend. I liked everything about him. He reminded me of me. Not only his interests and experiences, but his attitudes and beliefs mirrored my own. I wanted to meet him because I wanted to talk to him, face to face. It didn’t matter what he looked like although he assured me that he had his own teeth and hair, as if it mattered. I didn’t ask him how old he was because I liked him so much that it didn’t matter. I have never liked being around young men, but even if he had been a young person, I don’t think I would’ve cared. He could’ve had two heads, but by the time I actually met him, I liked him so much I figured I could get used to it. He suggested we meet on Thursday, August 20.

On Thursday he called and suggested we meet at Dagwood’s but I misunderstood and drove to Dog Water’s. I went in and waited, but he didn’t show. Fifteen minutes went by and I had asked every man in the bar if his name was Richard and all of them said they wished it were, or they’d change it if that’s what I wanted. When the page came through, I couldn’t find a phone. My cell phone was dead, the one down the block had been ripped out of the wall and I finally asked to borrow the merchant’s phone. We retraced our steps to see how we could have been mistaken and finally agreed to meet at Skipper’s Smokehouse. When I drove up I saw a man standing out front, but immediately dismissed this as possibly being Richard, because I was expecting the two headed guy that was going to make this attraction such a challenge for me. As I walked up I could tell by the way he looked at me that it was him. This was too good to be true!

It was late and we virtually had the place to ourselves. The more I learned about him, the more I liked him. Being somewhat compulsive by nature and not too shy, I struggled with the overpowering desire to kiss him on the lips and ask where he had been all my life. We asked all of the “get to know you questions” and I learned that he is the older of two children. He described his sister as “beautiful”. He said his father died too soon at 51 and that his mother was still alive and living in St. Pete.

He said that he had been a Councilman for St. Pete for two consecutive terms, but that he was usually the one who was against the politicians and for the people when it came time to vote. His vote was not for sale to the wining and dining upper crust, which made him pretty unpopular among the political crowd, but wildly popular with the people who elected him. He told me that he had been a bachelor until he was 40 or so before he married but that after ten years he caught her in bed with his friend and divorced her. He said that even though their marriage lacked “TLC” that he had never strayed and that he would’ve worked things out with her, had she tried, but she was in love with his friend and love was something that they had never really shared. He said the sex was good, but that there just wasn’t any tenderness. No kissing or stroking, none of the important stuff.

Everything inside me wanted to say “I will give you the tender loving kindness that you need!” “I would be everything your heart desires, to have a man who was faithful to me!” “I would never let you down or run around on you!”, but I kept my mouth shut. One of the things I hate most about men is how within moments of meeting me they are telling me this sort of stuff and trying to get me in bed. I couldn’t say the things that were racing through my mind without making him wonder what kind of desperate nut case I am. Besides, I am not free to say such things. I am still a married woman and could be for at least another four years.

He was in a hurry to meet his new housekeeper who was going to be up at the lake house. I thought about Don’s interviews. I felt jealous. A live in housekeeper would have the benefit of being around him all the time. She would be someone who could give him what he needed. She would be easily accessible and very enamored by this wonderful man. With all my money and obligations, I couldn’t request the position. He walked me around back to my truck, but stopped short. He wasn’t going to try and kiss me? Now I really liked him! As I drove away, I wondered, “Is he being respectful of me as a person, or did he not want to kiss me?” He seemed to like me well enough, but he had such an easy temperament that maybe he was just being nice. I wondered if he would ever call again.

The next day, Friday Aug. 21 he did and asked if I’d like to meet him at Bleachers to hear a comedian. When I got there I walked past a gold Mercedes convertible coup and thought to myself that I wished I could bring myself to spend money on such a cute little “toy”. I work so hard, but can’t bring myself to splurge on luxury. We listened to the comedian and were painfully observant of each other. He was concerned that the comedian was too crude and I was concerned that he would think I wasn’t enjoying myself because I don’t get hysterical. We were supposed to meet some friends of his that night, but I was glad to have the time alone with him. I just couldn’t learn enough about him. After the show he asked if I’d like to go hear some jazz. Lucky guess that it’s my favourite sort of music? He walked me out to that cute little Mercedes and I was just beside myself over the fact that it was his. Cars don’t’ impress me much, but it was the idea "I have worked hard and I’m going to enjoy the fruits of my labours”. The very attitude that I would like to embrace but have been too frugal to accept. When he later walked me to my car, he kissed me. It was a tender, friendly, almost timid kiss that said to me, “I like you and want to let you know, but I don’t expect anything more”.

Saturday and Sunday I was tied up all day with Dateline NBC filming a piece about the Bed and Breakfast we offer with the cats. Sunday the St. Pete Times ran a story on Don’s one year anniversary of his disappearance. Aug. 25, Tuesday Richard asked me to come eat at The Brown Dog in the building next to his. It was so late by the time I got there that we had Sushi instead. I was determined to never put raw fish in my mouth, but he made me want to try it. I liked it actually. I had a generator in the back of my pick up to deliver to my Dad the following day for his birthday, so Richard asked his tenant at the Save A Step convenience store to keep an eye on it. When we came back for my truck he asked if I’d like to go see his condo, and before I could answer, he retracted and said, “Never mind. It’s late and you need to go.” It was late and I did need to go, but I didn’t want to. I wanted to be welcomed into his home but I also feared that he would ask more of me than was mine to give and I feared worse that I wouldn’t be able to resist him.

This full page ad is run gratis by Fred Timby, owner of the Hillsborough County Hot Sheet and the Pasco County Hotsheet, twice a month in both of his publications. These publications go out to a lot of investors and people who know Don and with whom Don would likely be in contact.

If you go to our web site the first page you will see is a family portrait of Don, Jamie and I, along with Perfection (ocelot) and Sundari (leopard) and a notice about Don’s disappearance and a plea for information. Thank you for taking the time to try and help us find him. I remember think gin during the investigation that if the police had been as thorough as you were in following up leads we should have found him. For the Animals, Carole Lewis

I've been writing my story since I was able to write, but when the media goes to share it, they only choose the parts that fit their idea of what will generate views. If I'm going to share my story, it should be the whole story. The titles are the dates things happened. If you have any interest in who I really am please start at the beginning of this playlist: http://savethecats.org/

I know there will be people who take things out of context and try to use them to validate their own misconception, but you have access to the whole story. My hope is that others will recognize themselves in my words and have the strength to do what is right for themselves and our shared planet.

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Music (if any) from Epidemic Sound (http://www.epidemicsound.com) This video is for entertainment purposes only.