Whether your means are big or small, you CAN make a difference in the life of an animal. Won’t you consider volunteering?
Ways You Can Contribute
- Jump right in: Walking dogs, folding laundry, cleaning cages, and grooming animals are just a few of the many ways you can help our animal friends in need. Only occasionally have time to spare? Volunteer a couple of hours for an adoption event; make flyers, set up tables or get an animal to/from the shelter.
- Animal (and human) Enrichment: Getting your hands into fur is therapy for most of us, and spending a few minutes simply snuggled up to a purring kitty, or throwing a ball for a dog to chase will do wonders to relieve the boredom and anxiety all shelter animals face. Have training skills, or want to develop some? Bring a sack of treats and pick out a shelter dog or cat to work with. It’s amazing what a treat and a little patience can do to help a unmannered animal learn a trick or two.
- Going My Way? Headed to a nearby city, across the state or country? Call your local shelter with as little as a days notice and you may be able to transport an animal to a new foster/adoptive home, or meet up with another volunteer to help an animal on one leg of a longer journey.
- Exercise Partner: Do you run or walk and want a bit of companionship? Consider incorporating the shelter into part of your exercise routine. Shelter life is stressful at best for all of the animals housed there. There is always a dog there who would be suitable for teaming up with you, no matter your fitness level. Stop by, grab a leash and you will help to enrich the life of a canine in need!
- Temporary House Guest: Not ready to be a forever home, but still want an occasional animal to love? Foster a grateful dog or cat while it waits for his/her forever home.
- Break Open the Piggy Bank: If you are short on time, but have a few dollars to spare, there are always dogs and cats that require medical attention or training most animal shelters cannot afford. Improve the quality of life for a sick, injured or behavior challenged animal and increase its chances for being adopted. Donate money earmarked for vaccinations, spay/neuter or training; or donate funds to a volunteer run organization like Idaho ACTS (Idaho Animals in Crisis Transport and Support). They transport animals facing euthanasia due to overcrowded conditions to the safety of foster homes and rescues across the United States.
- Join an Organization: Besides the shelter, there are many animal rescue groups you can work with on a local and national level. Like certain breeds of dogs? Consider joining a local rescue organization. For every breed there is a rescue, and a volunteer happy to help you find just the right place for you to get involved.
Resources
The Four R’s: Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Jan. 2011 Trying to use less, want less, waste less… Today I created an account with DMAchoice.org to reduce the HUGE amount of paper mail I receive.
“DMAchoice™ is an online tool developed by the Direct Marketing Association to help you manage your mail. This site is part of a larger program designed to respond to consumers’ concerns over the amount of mail they receive, and it is the evolution of the DMA’s Mail Preference Service created in 1971.
For the purposes of this site, direct mail is divided into four categories: Credit Offers, Catalogs, Magazine Offers and Other Mail Offers. You can request to start or stop receiving mail from individual companies within each category—or from an entire category at once.”
I discovered a useful blog- The Zero Waste Home This family is light years ahead of most of us on reducing waste. Bea and her family were the subject of a lovely Sunset Magazine (West Jan 2011) “The zero-waste home“
Among other feats, Bea’s closet is as close to perfect as I could dream. She keeps 7 tops, 7 pants, 2 skirts and 7 pairs of shoes. Same idea goes for her husband and two sons. Each has 7 casual tops, 1 dress shirt, 4 bottoms, 3 pairs of shoes, & 1 pair of pajamas per season). My goal this year is to develop a mindset that will allow my closet to more closely resemble hers by year end.
Thanks for the inspiration!
Do You Know Where Your Eggs Have Been?
Even though I live in suburbia lot, I want to grow my own food. If I have to supplement with ‘store bought’, I buy from local, family owned, organic sources who I trust to not contaminate my food with hormones, pesticides, etc.
Recently, our city changed an ordinance allowing residents to care for up to six laying hens. Tending my own hens gives me control over a high quality source of protein for my family.
We have been too far removed from knowing about the food we eat.
To a small-scale gardener like myself, chickens are “pets with benefits”. I give them my kitchen scraps, and free range access to grass and bugs. In return, they give my family fresh eggs, weed and pest control, fertilizer for the lawn and garden, and loads of entertainment.
Hens are also GREAT intruder detectors! They are notoriously territorial so strange person or animal can go skulking through our backyard undetected.
I already mentioned the entertainment factor, right? Who needs tv or even a trip to a movie theater with hens around?! Nothin’ beats watching a flock of chickens livin’ large in the backyard. There’s comedy, drama and action ‘o plenty amongst a flock hens. Just pull up a chair and don’t forget the treats!
These days, keeping chickens makes me part of the ‘in’ crowd. People no longer think I am weird for having hens. Some even keep them as inside pets! There is a multimillion dollar industry that has sprung up around urban homesteading and keeping backyard hens; and in these hard economic times, that is a blessing on many levels.
Fancy chicken coops, chicken tractors, chicken diapers… just listen to this NPR story Backyard Coops Make Chicks Chic for more!
Don’t stop reading now!. Google information about your food, you may be surprised about what you learn.
I am grateful for the opportunity to reconnect with nature and provide healthier food for my family. Hope you are motivated to move in a similar direction!
The Soldier
I am watching fireworks on the 4th of July
when I think of you,
soldier.
We met once in an airport.
I, headed home to family
and a BBQ at a neighbor’s house.
You,
were going off to war.
The pictures you showed me of your
family were beautiful.
You lingered tenderly over each dog-eared photo
as you replaced them in your wallet;
and your face
spoke of your sadness in leaving them.
We chatted
about the weather and such,
and just before boarding our respective planes,
we shook hands.
You asked me to not forget you.
Your gaze caught mine for only a moment,
but in your calm steady eyes
I saw every soldier
who had gone to war before you.
I knew with certainty
that I would not
ever
forget.
The affect our meeting has had on my life
will stay with me always.
Mere words cannot express the gratitude I feel
for your service to our country.
So every day I am mindful
of the liberties I enjoy.
I exercise my freedoms and rights
knowing somewhere
there is a young mother
forging ahead in raising a soldier’s child
while he risks life and limb for his country.
I pray often for you and yours.
Whenever I vote,
or disagree publically, whatever
the topic of discussion.
When I express my personality
by wearing some daring fashion,
or even when I get the idea
that I NEED ice cream
in the middle of the night.
I picture you, and give thanks
that I am free to be and to do-
anything my heart desires.
I think it would be nice if you were my neighbor.
We could share a scoop of rocky road
and talk about the weather, or our kids.
Instead,
you are a thousand miles away
and in harm’s way.
I pray you return to your home soon,
and find satisfaction, peace and happiness
that our country is as you left it.
I want you to know
that no matter the politics,
no matter what war,
I support you soldier.
I will strive always
to show, in thought and deed
that I haven’t forgotten
what freedom means.
Fostering Einstein: A Success Story
April 2010
Before being surrendered at an Idaho shelter, this young American Bulldog lived his life confined to a crate. Urine scald and feces covered his body. He was malnourished and had not been socialized. The neglectful owner said “The dog is too stupid to learn anything.”
Although shelter staff found the young male to be friendly and playful, his breed and lack of socialization made it unlikely he would be adopted. As a longtime animal rescue volunteer and lover of the “bully breeds”, I fell for his big personality and took him home. Little did I know that this dog would be my greatest challenge.
Dogs end up in shelters for a variety of reasons. Some are sick and need medical care. Others are perfectly happy and healthy, but lose their homes due to death of an owner, or an owner may lose a job and the means to care for a beloved pet. Other dogs have behavior issues from abuse and/or neglect. Mostly, animals end up in shelters because they were poorly matched to the energy level and lifestyle of a former owner.
The majority of these animals simply crave what all living creatures need…love, a warm bed, proper nutrition, regular exercise, consistent training and discipline, and the gift of time. Some dogs take a short time to adjust. Others, need the investment of a great deal of time, love, effort and money to be able to go on to live a good life. Einstein was a dog who fit in the later category.
When Einstein began showing aggression towards other dogs while on leash, he lived with an experienced trainer learning calm submissive behavior for several weeks before finally finding his forever home.
July 2010
Einstein, a wonderful family companion
Einstein was an extraordinary dog. For all the suffering and abuse he experienced, he remained loving, intelligent and eager to learn. He transformed from an unruly dog on the edge, to a well-mannered, disciplined family pet.
Einstein and his foster family
Resources
forthcoming upon final edit
Children balance joys and sorrows of volunteering at animal shelter
I have always been an animal lover. One of my earliest memories is of laying in the grass of a neighbor’s yard, while a litter of puppies covered me with puppy breath, tiny tongues, and soft fur. I have had many pets throughout my life, but with the current state of pet overpopulation in our country, I have begun to wonder about the ethics of “owning” another living creature. Mahatma Gandhi said “The greatness of a nation and it’s moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated…I hold that, the more helpless a creature, the more entitled it is to protection by people from the cruelty of human kind.”
My boys, ages 9 and 11, love animals as much as I do. In order to give my children quality ‘fur time’ and experience the joys of living amongst animals, while trying to make sense of the sorrows associated with unwanted pets, we have been volunteering at our local animal shelter. My hope is that by spending time with animals in such an environment, they will learn lessons that will make them better stewards of animals than previous generations.
Like most public shelters ours is underfunded, understaffed, overcrowded and desperately in need of upgrades. Because of the conditions that persist there, despite a dedicated staff, there are days when we are so busy, the boys don’t get to sit and cuddle a puppy or kitten (the ultimate reward) before we have to leave; and though it has been a year since we started, they continue to want to go back. 
We clean cages, feed animals, do laundry, sterilize equipment, groom animals, walk dogs, vacuum carpets, pick up poop (yea, not my favorite task,) basically anything we see that needs to get done, we jump in and do.
When the work is done, the boys can groom a puppy or cuddle with a kitten
I do not sugarcoat the experience. The work we do is dirty, stinky, physically demanding, and has elicited tears. Yet, the boys find reward in the adoring gaze of the animals, in the wagging of tails that beat and swish when they walk by, and in soft, warm fur they sink their hands into on occasion.
Of course, their favorite part of being at the shelter is interacting with the animals, even the ones who aren’t ”pet shop pretty.” The boys have been exposed to every kind of dog imaginable while there. Some are old or sick, abandoned by their owners. There are those who have been, obviously, physically abused or have been neglected and starved; and some who may not show physical signs 
of abuse or trauma, but are just plain broken.
Hard truths about the failings and weaknesses of humans have become apparent to my young children in witnessing the sadness that persists at the shelter; and we have many long discussions about how and why animals end up at there. My children understand that there are legitimate circumstances such as when people lose their jobs and are no longer able to care for a pet; or when the owner of an animal dies. Harder for all of us, is to see a dog, so abused and distrusting of humans, it lashes out at us for merely appearing before it’s cage. We have seen the wounds inflicted on a “bait” dog, so they know that there are people who intentionally harm animals. Many tears were shed by all of us on that day. My children also know that people just lose interest in pets and they see the sadness and stress the animals suffer as a result.
Shelter life for animals is stressful at best. Imagine being locked in a concrete cage with 30 other stressed and barking (often nonstop) dogs. You smell the fear of all of the animals there; the sickness, and death. The animals sleep, eat and defecate in that small space. Scores of humans pass by the cages each day, poking, cooing and talking, but always leaving. And still, the animals (the majority of them) want to be close to us.
We are constantly amazed by the spirit of shelter animals. Most of them, no matter how horribly they have been abused, still trust that humans are good, and kind and caring. There are days when I wish I had that same undying faith and loyalty in mankind, but 30 minutes at the shelter on any given day reminds me that some humans are not worthy of such faith.
Fortunately, my boys are not so cynical. They simply want to spend time with animals. They find satisfaction in seeing a family consider a dog they have suggested, and joy in watching a cat, they spent time grooming, being adopted by a family. More often, they are fortified, as am I, simply by the feel of a puppy’s soft tongue on their hand, and the purr of a cat as it arches it’s back into their hand.
For my children, I hope the boys take away from their experiences at the shelter a better sense of how to care for creatures dependant on us humans. It’s a start to changing a bigger ideal, and that is enough, for now.
Animals are great teachers. Volunteering at the animal shelter helps my boys learn to balance the joy of caring for another living thing with the sorrow of life at the animal shelter. Hopefully, as they grow up, they will be kind and responsible stewards of all creatures.
Shari’s Restaurant Holds Pie Eating Contest – Local News Story – KIFI Idaho Falls
As part of his summer fun, Jacob entered a pie eating contest at Shari’s restaurant.
Assessing the task at hand- cramming a pie in your face......faster than all the other kids!
looking neither right nor left, he set upon devouring that pie
with absolute concentration. He made sure every bite was eaten...
and was declared THE WINNER!
- He was awarded a $100 gift card to Toys R Us and made the local news
Assessing the task at hand- cramming a pie in your face......faster than all the other kids!
looking neither right nor left, he set upon devouring that pie
with absolute concentration. He made sure every bite was eaten...
and was declared THE WINNER!
We are so proud. Have decided to liquidate Jacob’s college fund to finance a career in competitive eating.
If you wish to see the local news story, click here.
When I Die I Become a Tree
When I die I become part of the tree that is planted over my grave. My body goes into the wood and into the fruit. I become part of the bluebird that eats fruit from that tree; and on it goes. We are part of that which came before, and so shall we be part of life again.
-susan scherr 2009
part of that which is to come.
Parvo And The Shelter Dog
While volunteering at the Idaho Falls Animal Shelter this winter, I became aware of a number of dogs who were infected with the highly contagious and deadly parvo virus, which attacks the intestinal tract of dogs. The incubation period is short, and symptoms usually occur within 3 to 7 days of exposure. Symptoms include loss of appetite, lethargy, dehydration, and vomiting. Accompanying these symptoms are diarrhea, and once the virus is established in the intestinal lining, blood in the stool. Dogs that contract parvo suffer mightily. The virus quickly ravages a dog’s body, and many die within 48-72 hours of exhibiting symptoms.
The disease is difficult to kill and easily transmitted by anything it comes in contact with for up to a year; such as a dog’s paw, or human hand, clothing, and shoes. While the shelter itself is likely to draw criticism for the spread of the virus through its canine population, make no mistake; parvo virus is a community problem which brings itself to the shelter.
The best prevention for this disease is vaccination. Owners who do not vaccinate their dogs against parvo risk exposing other dogs they come in contact with at pet stores, parks-anywhere they take their dog. Owners of unwanted dogs routinely dump, abandon or surrender their unvaccinated canines, which end up in the shelter, exposing the rest of the shelter population through fomites, environmental contamination, and direct animal contact. The dedicated staff at our local shelter fights this highly contagious and deadly virus with limited resources and a multitude of complicating factors.
Please vaccinate your puppy/dog and make sure they receive their booster shots to protect them from this highly contagious and deadly virus.
Further reading
Here are a number of reliable resources for more detailed information about parvo and how you can prevent the spread of this deadly virus.
The Virus That Never Dies? Parvovirus is a persistent microscopic beast that can endure in the environment for months or even years. But there are ways to stop it in its tracks and keep it from infecting your shelter population.
BY KATE HURLEY, D.V.M., M.P.V.M.
Controlling Parvo: Real Life Scenarios In this issue, Dr. Hurley shares real cases sent to her by shelters and rescue groups—and provides potential solutions for controlling the spread of this often deadly disease. By Kate F. Hurley, D.V.M., M.P.V.M.
Impacts of Shelter & Housing Design on Shelter Animal Health The aim of this document is to provide information about aspects of shelter design and animal housing that are thought to have a significant impact on the physical and behavioral health of shelter animals. This information is based on scientific data, expert opinion, and/or the collective clinical impression of shelter veterinarians, especially shelter medicine specialists. Unfortunately, scientific data regarding factors that impact disease levels in shelters are very sparse. The lack of information is due to several factors including, limited available funding and staff to conduct investigations, and the complexities involved in conducting investigations given the variability that exists within and between sheltering organizations.
Battling Parvovirus Parvovirus is a highly contagious disease that can sweep through your shelter’s dog kennels and wreak havoc in your community. Controlling it requires education, planning and more than a little elbow grease.
Animal Sheltering.org If you’re an animal care professional or volunteer, The Humane Society of the United States has a wealth of resources designed to help you in your work for animals!
UC Davis Koret Shelter Medicine This website has been designed as a resource for all those involved with homeless animal care.
Canine Parvo Prevention and Management by Sandra Newbury, DVM
National Shelter Medicine Extension Veterinarian
Koret Shelter Medicine Program
Center for Companion Animal Health
U C Davis School of Veterinary Medicine
Saving Lives Through Sanitation by Kate F. Hurley, DVM, MPVM
Shelter Medicine Program Director
Center for Companion Animal Health
University of California, Davis
Seasons
Fall has lingered here. Like squirrels busily storing food, we are frenetic with energy. Busy, warm, sunny afternoons and rushing from one activity to another on crisp, clear evenings. Yet I miss the solitude the chill air brings. I want winter to wrap my home in a thick, soft blanket of snow, while I sit by the fire, linger over a book and a steaming mug of tea. I am ready for a moment; a season, of stillness.
The Conductor: A humorous, and musical education
I love music. I also enjoy a good laugh. Recently, the opportunity to enjoy both presented itself to me via the comedy of Rowan Atkinson, aka Mr. Bean.
I watched one of his skits called The Conductor and decided to learn a bit more. What is the conductor actually doing with that baton on stage? Turns out the performance itself is the culmination of LOTS of hard work.
The conductor’s work is both creative and practical. He is the “face of the orchestra”, an ambassador of music.
The conductor must be familiar with every instrument used in a selected work. He must know every note played by every instrument. Just as an air traffic controller directs planes safely through busy airspace , the conductor guides each musician skillfully through an orchestral arrangement of music.
He knows precisely when each musician should enter the piece and keeps time, tempo and other subtle elements of music with the movements of his arms.
Watch Mr. Bean “conduct” in these two skits-
Then read this article to learn more about conductors behind the music.
Now for the real deal.
Here is a wonderful example of conductor as a passionate teacher. “Roni Porat conducting and presenting the Rite of Spring in a unique way with the Israel Phiharmonic”
Here is a young and talented group. A “third grader, as guest conductor of Kris Yenney’s Preparatory Orchestra (part of Ben Simon’s Palo Alto Chamber Orchestra, PACO) for Handel’s “Entrance of the Queen of Sheba” (from “Solomon” HWV 67) at a public performance in the Cubberley Little Theater (Palo Alto, CA) on February 6, 2009.”
Maybe those of you who know more about music would be a harsher judge, but my ears thought that was a lovely performance.
Here’s one more- Metallica & San Francisco Symphony Orchestra-Master Of Puppets
Enjoy!
Random Crazy Things My Kids Say
From Berringer- He loves words and he is very experimental. You never know what he might say!
From pretty early on after Berringer started learning to talk, he would get in trouble for using ‘bad words’ when frustrated or mad so he started making up his own… a favorite was “poopy wizard” as in “you poopy wizard!”
While playing some ‘bang yer dead’ game with his brother one evening he was heard to say “Jacob, when you die, can I wear your skin?”
Berr told me he was still ‘starving’ after we had just eaten one morning. I reached down to squeeze his skinny little knee and jokingly asked him where all of the food was going that we were feeding him. Not skipping a beat he replied, deadpan, “The toilet.”
2007 Just before Berringer’s 7th B’day he was having a conversation with his dad, when out of the blue he said “You know dad if I died on my b’day, you wouldn’t be coming to my b’day, you’d be coming to my death day.”
When he was 4 he was having a bad day and he told his brother, “I’d rather be dead, I’m going to lay in the street.”
“I only did it on purpose.”
“Nevah!”
“Yur killin’ me!”
206 In rresponse to my “Could you be any grosser?” (which was meant to be a rhetorical question) Berringer said “Yeh, if I wwouldn’t get in trouble for pullin’ down my pats.”
!
Sept. 20th 2008- Berringer’s first grade teacher hadn’t given him any homewor fin a few days. When I asked him about this his reply was “I don’t know what’s wrong with my girl. I’ll have to have a talk with her about my education mom.”
2008 Berr is 7. Lately, he LOVES to be a helper to mom. Every time we go out in the car on an errand he makes a grsat show teacher ha my door and bowing to me, and often calls out, “For you my Queen!” or some other flowery praise.
Nov. 2008 I had major surgery recently and was not supposed to lift anything over 5lbs for 6 weeks. I took the boysES tpping for clothes, and upon receiving our bag at the counter from the salesperson, Berringer shreiked “Lady NO! Don’t you know my mom is fragile?! Give ME that bag!”
2009 Berringer “Mom can you kiss this hurt spot?” Me “Yes- where is it?” B- “Here…and here…there’s one here, & there’s another, & here too. O shoot mom I just need kissin’ all over, but don’t worry I’ll keep my pants on.” LOL OMG! The things kids sa! Don’t
ou know in the car one day Berr said, “Mom, I think I want to be a girl. Why washis hurt boy?” I said “Well why do you think you want to be a girl?” Berr- “Because they are so pretty and smell good mom, and I just like them so much!” I had to pullorry Ion the side of the rode. Tears pouring down my face, I opened Berr’s car door, unbuckled him and hugged him as hard to e would let me. “What’s wrong mom?” I told him- “You just gave me and every girl in the world the most beautiful complimty apossible. Thank you!”
Sept. 2009 on a recent road trip Berr was heard to tell his brother- “I’ve been wearin the same underwear for like 20 days &it doesn’t and hutink!” Jacob asked “what’s your record?” Berr replied “I dunno maybe 50 days?!” A talk about personal hygeine promptly followed.
Sept. 2009 Got an email from Berringer’s teacher today. She let me know that Berr had a rough afternooner- had cried when two classmates teased him ake 20 is shortened name, ‘Berr’. The kids told Berringer that his name was all wrong because it was not says?ed the same as the animal. “Who was teasing you hon?” I t. 2009im in an attempt to open up the conversation. I had tt me know ty grin and giggle when Berr replied “T criel and Teegan”.
I will continue to add to this list as I remember things. I will do a sepat he list for Jacob.
ong becau”http://drgnflyz.files.wordpress.com/2008/11/3037182625_0268c554f8_m.jpg”>
Jacob ‘Ace’- Our more serious child. He actually thinks before he speaks.
I used to say ‘holy shmoly’ until this comment. “Mom, you’re never gonna be as holy as the Big Man, no matter how many times you say that. Why don’t you just give it up? I have never used that phrase agaeight=”240″ />
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2006- 'Foo-Foo' is his answer to anything he doesn't get his way to. 2009-"Snap" is now the word of choice when he doesn't like an answer.
Jacob, ever ging very compassionate, said to his dad, "So what was that one called; the ‘Go Away And Cry Form‘?”
We are all adventurous eaters, except for Jacob. I had just polished off some snails at a restaurant and there was one longish stringy piece left (an antenna, maybe?) Jacob asked what I would give him if he ate it. I reached in my pockets and offered up a peso and a nickel. He chewed and swallowed, then thought for a moment, I suppose about what he just ate and said “Mom, did I just eat a snail penis?”
Jacob, 9, had Daron and myself rolling toa>The boys were s to make sure that we knew that Nov. 11 was
VETERINARIANS DAY.
Practicing cursive writing one day, Jacob’s hand hurt, and he said “Mom I know why they call it CURSE-ive!”
2009- Jacob googled his name and pulled up the profile of a successful adult in D.C. with the same name. He was so excited, then he got quiet and thoughtful. He looked up at me and said “Mom, this is some other guy. This isn’t like my future self, right?”
Sept. 2009- Jacob came in from school on Tuesday “Mom, I lost a tooth today!” “Okay,” says I “did you save it?” “Yep…Mom, can you just cut out the middle guy and give me my gold dollar now? I know YOU are the Tooth Fairy!!” “WHAT?! are you talking about” I say, feigning indignance at the accusation. “MOM, I saw those gold dollars in your car, and you told me you help the Tooth Fairy. You are the Tooth Fairy mom, I know it!” “Well,” I say, ” If you don’t believe in the Tooth Fairy, you don’t get the gold dollar!” He paused for a few moments, hops off the kitchen stool, and says “Okay, it’s a pretty good deal, I believe.”
Misheard Lyrics
No reason to reinvent the wheel, this is a great link- an extensive reporting by readers of misheard lyrics. This is probably my favorite video on the very same subject.
The World Without Us…
“In The World Without Us, Alan Weisman offers an utterly original approach to questions of humanity’s impact on the planet: he asks us to envision our Earth, without us.
In this far-reaching narrative, Weisman explains how our massive infrastructure would collapse and finally vanish without human presence; what of our everyday stuff may become immortalized as fossils; how copper pipes and wiring would be crushed into mere seams of reddish rock; why some of our earliest buildings might be the last architecture left; and how plastic, bronze sculpture, radio waves, and some man-made molecules may be our most lasting gifts to the universe.”
Also from the web site see
Your House Without You
Visit www.worldwithoutus.com
Watching Dragonflies in Yellowstone National Park
While on a family trip through West Yellowstone, we were fortunate to witness dragonfly nymphs emerging from their skins and taking their adult forms. 
The discarded skin or “exuvia” of a dragonfly nymph
Having just shed his skin, this adult dragonfly still resembles his nymph self. But not for long. With each breath his body lengthens and hardens, and wings begin to unfurl…
This newly emerged adult dragonfly rests on blades of grass near the river, waiting for his wings to fully unfurl and his body to dry.
The emergence process from nymph to adult dragonfly can take upwards of 4-6 hours. Click here to see more about the life cycle of the dragonfly, or google ‘Odonata’.
The Omnivore’s Hundred
Here’s what I want you to do:
1) Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.
2) Bold all the items you’ve eaten.
3) Cross out any items that you would never consider eating.
4) Optional extra: Post a comment here at www.verygoodtaste.co.uk linking to your results.
5) If you are not familiar with items on the list Google it.
The VGT Omnivore’s Hundred:
1. Venison
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros
4. Steak tartare
5. Crocodile (Alligator count?)
6. Black pudding
7. Cheese fondue
8. Carp
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Calamari
12. Pho
13. PB&J sandwich
14. Aloo gobi
15. Hot dog from a street cart
16. Epoisses
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes
19. Steamed pork buns (obviously)
20. Pistachio ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Foie gras
24. Rice and beans
25. Brawn, or head cheese
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper
27. Dulce de leche
28. Oysters
29. Baklava
30. Bagna cauda
31. Wasabi peas
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl
33. Salted lassi
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float
36. Cognac with a fat cigar
37. Clotted cream tea
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O
39. Gumbo
40. Oxtail
41. Curried goat
42. Whole insects
43. Phaal
44. Goat’s milk
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more (pre conversion)
46. Fugu
47. Chicken tikka masala
48. Eel
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut
50. Sea urchin
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi
53. Abalone
54. Paneer
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal
56. Spaetzle
57. Dirty gin martini
58. Beer above 8% ABV
59. Poutine
60. Carob chips
61. S’mores
62. Sweetbreads
63. Kaolin *WTF? besides as a filler in products I find no other reference to this as a food source. Are you talking about what people in the south refer to as ‘white dirt?’ It is sold in grocery stores in small chunks in the produce section.
64. Currywurst
65. Durian
66. Frogs’ legs
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake
68. Haggis
69. Fried plantain
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar and blini
73. Louche absinthe (Sebor)
74. Gjetost, or brunost
75. Roadkill
76. Baijiu
77. Hostess Fruit Pie (Note: Not halal)
78. Snail
79. Lapsang souchong
80. Bellini
81. Tom yum
82. Eggs Benedict
83. Pocky
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant.
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare
87. Goulash
88. Flowers
89. Horse
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam
92. Soft shell crab
93. Rose harissa
94. Catfish
95. Mole poblano
96. Bagel and lox
97. Lobster Thermidor
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Snake
A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY…a work in progress
Dated entries will appear on this page-random shit that I find amusing.
December 4, 2008 Last night, while watching my children’s Taekwondo class, I was introduced to a dad who was also there for his kids. Jason was obviously blind. We chatted for a bit. My husband, who was already acquainted with this parent, mentioned that Jason is a massage therapist (MT).
I used to get a weekly massage until recently, when my MT moved away. I asked Jason if he had a card handy. Handing me the card, he said “The office is brand new and there is no sign hanging yet.”
I scanned the card quickly, then dissolved in laughter. (Why, you ask?, Inappropriate! You may be thinking?!) The name of the man’s business is OUT OF SIGHT MASSAGE THERAPY. (I mentioned Jason is blind, right?!)
A couple of things about me. I refuse to go through life with a shitty attitude. I am a bit of a smart ass, and have a dark sense of humor. I appreciate meeting others who don’t take life too seriously.
I think I just made a new friend.
To Be Of Use
The people I love the best
jump into work head first
without dallying in the shallows
and swim off with sure strokes
almost out of sight.
They seem to become natives of that element
the black sleek heads of seals
bouncing like half-submerged balls.
I love people who harness themselves,
an ox to a heavy cart,
who pull like water buffalo,
with massive patience,
who strain in the mud and muck
to move things forward,
as to be done, again and again.
I want to be with people
who submerge in the task,
who go into the fields to harvest
and work in a row and pass
the bags along, who are not
parlor generals and field deserters but
move in a common rhythm
when the food must come in
or the fire be put out.
The work of the world
is common as mud.
Botched, it smears the hands,
crumbles to dust.
But the thing
worth doing well done
has a shape that satisfies,
clean and evident.
Greek amphoras for wine or oil,
Hopi vases that held corn
are put in museums,
but you know they were
made to be used.
The pitcher cries for water
to carry and a person for
work that is real.
From “Circles on the Water” by Marge Piercy
Copyright 1982, Marge Piercy
Gone batty: My close encounter with a Hoary Bat
My son was playing with a friend in our backyard one afternoon, when I heard quite a commotion. He came running inside screaming. He had found a bat on a tree. Did I mention it was broad daylight, and that my son was (at the time) 5 years old? Jacob took me to the tree where I got my first up close and personal look at a (live) tiny dark brown bat. 
He was clinging to the trunk of a pine, about 3ft off the ground. Wow. Of course the first thing I thought was…rabies. He wasn’t behaving strangely (except that he was out during the daytime, hanging out on the base of a tree.) He appeared to be calm, no frothing at the mouth (as we all have heard rabid animals do,) or aggressive behavior. I do not recommend that anyone handle an injured wild animal. Especially one that is found under such unusual conditions as this. Bats are nocturnal. They generally are not found in the open, so close to the ground.
I have a bit of experience in the area of wildlife rehabilitation, so we left the little bat hanging where he was while I googled information and called a few contacts. After a bit of research I decided the most likely case was this. Hoary Bats generally cling 10-15 feet off the ground in trees by day. This little guy was probably a juvenile or young adult who, after being exhausted from flying, had fallen to the ground from where he had been hanging higher up in the tree. He had climbed up on to the trunk where we found him clinging.
I made a small habitat for him using an aquarium and a potted ivy plant (for him to hang on.) I helped him move onto my heavy duty gloves, and he just hung on. He never tried to bite me. He was quite calm and curious. We spend the better part of the afternoon watching him hang on the ivy plant, and explore his surroundings. I had put a towel at the bottom of the aquarium so that he wouldn’t slide around on the glass. Bats are pretty agile. After watching him move I saw there was a defect (possible injury) near the tip of one of his wings.
We went to the pet store and got a bunch of crickets for him to eat. I soon found out that he was quite picky. He would only eat if I fed him by hand. He also loved drinking water from an eye dropper. While he seemed to LOVE the crickets, he ate about 60 a day, he would not eat the heads.
I hate to stop a story before I am done, but must continue this later.
What’s wrong with this picture? A work in progress
This is a work in progress. As I go through our photographs, I notice the odd, weird and just plain crazy. On occasion I see stuff that is just wrong! (I never have claimed to be perfect.) I also notice trends in our pictures. For instance, we seem to have lots of pics with peoples tongues sticking out. go figure. Check back from time to time and see what new and bizarre things we are up to!
You know how products always come with stupid warning labels? Well this might be an example of why that is. “Hey ya’ll, watch this!”
Create custom animated gifs at gifninja.com!
Product not intended for use as roller coaster or rocket ship
Everyone loves to take pictures of their children. I am no different. When Berringer was a baby I noticed he could go from happy to pitching a fit in about 10 seconds. Here is one example.
Missing the point
In 2006, we allowed Jacob to get one of those gameboy thingies, and he was so focused on trying to learn how to use it that the beauty of summer in Alaska was lost on him.
- Missing the point
Can Men Breastfeed?
I breastfed both of my sons. I loved every minute that time. Not only was I able to provide them with the best nourishment possible, but we were able to bond on a soulful level. Breastfeeding is both challenging and rewarding. I never once wished to feed my children any other way. There were moments, however, when I was sad that my husband could not enjoy those quiet moments. Well, guys, if you are in touch with your maternal side, heres the evidence that, you too can join Le Leche League!
This article was written by Shea Serrano and originally appeared in the September-October issue of mental_floss magazine. mentalfloss
Q: Can Men Breastfeed?
Odd as it seems, men can lactate. In their 1896 book, Anomalies and Curiosities of Medicine, Dr. George Gould and Dr. Walter Pyle recount several occurrences of men breastfeeding their young. The stories include a sailor who put his son to his breast to quiet him and started producing milk; a South American peasant who sustained his child with his own breast milk during his wife’s illness; and a Chippewa man who put his infant to his breast following the death of his wife and produced enough milk to rear the child.
The phenomenon hasn’t stopped. In 2002, a Sri Lankan man named B. Wijeratne lost his wife and was left to care for their 18-month-old daughter. When the child refused powdered milk, Wijeratne tried something different. “Unable to see her cry, I offered my breast,” Wijeratne told a Sri Lankan newspaper. “That’s when I discovered I could breastfeed.”
Wijeratne isn’t alone. All men can breastfeed, because they possess the two most vital components for lactating—mammary glands and pituitary glands. Mammary glands, which produce milk, are present in all mammals. In fact, they’re one of our defining characteristics. In some cases, such as with mice, the mammary glands of the males are too underdeveloped to function. In humans, however, they’re fully formed in both sexes, complete with breastfeeding ducts and nipples.
Of course, for a human to actually breastfeed, those mammary glands have to be activated somehow. In women, this usually happens during pregnancy, when the brain’s pituitary gland starts releasing large amounts of a hormone called prolactin, which prepares the breasts to produce milk.
All men produce small amounts of prolactin during their lifetimes. It’s released after orgasms, for example, and may be responsible for the associated feelings of satisfaction and relaxation. But typically, it’s never present in large enough quantities for men to breastfeed. Under the appropriate psychological circumstances, however, the mind can demand that the body produce more of the hormone. This often happens to mothers who adopt children and suddenly find they can nurse. And as Dr. Gould and Dr. Pyle have documented, there’s a long history of it happening in men, too.
The Power of a Kiss
Fast forward. I turned 42 last month. It is bedtime for my two young sons. My 5 year old climbs up onto my bed for a story and our nightly hugs and kisses. Every night I “plant” kisses and wishes on each boy. In turn they do the same for me. This is a sweet and special moment in our day. My blonde boy looks me over, then plants kisses on all of his ritual spots- cheeks, eyes, chin, lips; saving one kiss for the very last. He always asks “Which ear is the hurt ear mommy?” so he doesn’t mix it up and waste his most special kiss. He gives my right ear a calm steady smack and mushes my face just so between his hands.
My heart stills every time my son remembers to do this for me. I have been OK for a very long time, my life has been been blessed; it continues to be. And every time I get a kiss on that ‘bum’ ear, I swear I think I can hear… just the tiniest bit.
read more at http://survivingviolentcrime.blogspot.com
Dangerously Fun
mental_floss Blog » The LOL Cat of Death
reprinted from Mental_Floss web site. Sept. 2007
The internet is composed of about 75% cat pictures and 20% unbelievable stories to amaze your friends.* So it’s no wonder Oscar, the cat who predicts death, captured the imagination of cyberpace last week. Oscar lives in a nursing home, and only curls up with patients who die within the next few hours. You can read the entire report in the
New England Journal of Medicine, or the shorter Associated Press story we linked here.
There are many theories about how Oscar knows who is going to die, and some (mostly joking) remarks about how he may be causing the deaths. Those who work with him consider him a hospice hero. But that’s not what I’m posting about. This is about the immediate and predictable flood of art and humor inspired by Oscar’s story.
More “death cat” images after the jump.
Fark forum members raced to post LOLcats of death, some of them previously produced,
and some are pictures of Oscar, including the first one in this article.
My brother put together and sent me this one, unsolicited, as soon as he read about Oscar.
Apelad posted the kitteh of death from his Laugh Out Loud Cats collection.
Oscar is an attractive cat. With LOLcat Buildr and some captions that were posted in the comments on Neatorama, these were easy to produce.
Joey did this one.
I Can Has Cheezburger? had one.
The Flicker Can Has Cheezburger pool has several, like Poor Oscar from dominocat.
Oscar has a plaque at the nursing home that commends him “for his compassionate quality end-of-life care.” Now he is also enshrined in LOLcat history.
*Leaving 5% useful information, found in other mental_floss posts.
The threads that bind a woman to her life: My obsession with knitting, fibers and yarn
First thing. The projects shown here are inspirations FOR me and are NOT my own. I have provided credits and links for all of the incredibly groovy projects on this page. I have purchased projects from all of these women and have so much respect for their art. If there are problems with the links or other errors they are my own, as I am still new to this computer layout jazz. Please let me know of any issues so that I can tend to them right away. Peace
What is it about knitting that nourishes so many parts of my whole being? Before we even get to the sticks and yarns, there’s the reading. I love to read and learn about everything. When I get interested in something, like knitting, I want to read EVERYTHING about it. The history, the science of it, the art of it is astonishing.
One thing I am not so stellar at when it comes to more complicated knitting patterns is math- I suck at math. Even the basic stuff. So I’ve had to brush up on some skills alright? There, got that out of the way right up front.
When one knits, one must shop for stuff. I can’t lie and say i HATE it altogether because big Glenn, my accountant and friend, might read this and make me rue the day… so yeah, I love shopping. There are books about stitching. We have established my obsession with books. Then there are the yarns. I certainly love the yarns. And the sticks. Gots to have lots of sticks. And a few extras…just in case…
Shopping for yarns is a sensuous experience. A feast for the eyes. There are rich tones of jewels. Bright colors that take you to spring time. Deep harmonious colors of earth. Touching the yarns. There are silky soft yarns, scratchy nubbly textures. Touching everything in a knit shop is a must.
Listening to goings on in a stitching shop… the clacking of needles, swishing of fabric as arms move and bodies sway. You see women, and sometimes men, leaning into each other speaking in a vernacular that has a rhythm to it. I love that there is always laughter associated with stitching and circles of women.
So there. Just an inkling of my fascination with knitting. Come and join me, won’t you?
http://www.knitty.com/issuefall04/PATThallowig.html
by Meagan Reardon
Who Cares If A Soldier Dies?
Soldiers in the U.S. military ARE true heroes, even when the politics suck. If you are part of our armed forces, thank you.
-Author Unknown
Take a man and put him alone,
Put him twelve thousand miles from home.
Empty his heart of all but blood,
Make him live in sand, in mud.
This is the life I have to live,
This the soul to God I give.
You have your parties and drink your beer,
While young men are dying over here.
Plant your signs on the White House lawn;”Lets get out of Iraq”
Use your signs and have your fun,
Then refuse to use a gun.
There’s nothing else for you to do,
Then I’m supposed to die for you?
There is one thing that you should know;
And that’s where I think you should go!
I’m already here and it’s too late.
I’ve traded all my love for all this hate.
I’ll hate you till the day I die.
You made me hear my buddy cry.
I saw his leg and his blood shed,
Then I heard them say, “This one’s dead”.
It was a large price for him to pay,
To let you live another day.
He had the guts to fight and die,
To keep the freedom you live by.
By his dying, your life he buys,
But who cares if a Soldier dies!
Untouched
For one moment
Out of time
In a place
Where we could
Be untouched
No words are necessary
But for
The sound of your breath
And your lips to mine
Moving in a common rhythm
Skin to skin
All heat and desire
Released from the world
One unto another
And upon our descent
From that heaven
We leave it
Untouched by the rest of time
Ties that bind
Bound
by the beauty of
those dark eyes
Which
peer into my soul
Searching for what lies hidden
Lingering
upon what you discover
I am at once exposed
and freed
I cannot look away from you
For you have discovered this truth
I had secreted
even from myself
O but for the ties that bind me
I would be your willing prisoner
Family Life. The Good, The Bad, The Ugly-and Back Again
For better or worse, nothing can replace family. As social creatures, they are an essential part of our lives. I spent much of my youth trying to save a dysfunctional family; then years running from them. Eventually I set out to create my own version of what I think family ‘ought’ to be.
I am now 42. My husband and I have been married for almost 14 years. I adore him. From the day we met, that was it- he was the guy. (If you do the math, you’ll see I had plenty of practice, so I knew.)
We were married for 5 years before we had kids. We came from similar homes, so making the decision to create new life (and potentially fuck it up) was huge. People often do not escape the ties that bind them to their history.
Our boys are now 6 and 8. It is both exhilarating and terrifying to be a parent. I would have failed miserably in this venture had I been younger and started a family. Through my experiences, I became convinced that my own family could be better.
Here’s the thing. I worked to free myself of the ‘baggage’ that goes along with dysfunctional families- I remember the shit I endured. I was raised to be a caretaker; a mender of people and things that, ultimately, could not be repaired. I have learned, instead, to use that energy to nurture my little ones. Being a mother is the best, and hardest, thing I do each day.
In spite of my dysfunctional upbringing, and maybe even BECAUSE of the way I was raised; I love them, teach them- and most importantly, set them free into this world.
I love every second I have with them. I regret every mistake I make. I try to make sure we laugh. A lot. We dance and sing; look for the unexpected. We think outside of the box.
Life is not to be endured. LIFE IS TO BE EMBRACED.
What can happen when you open your heart and home to strangers you meet on the internet
I have reconnected with childhood friends and college buddies through the Internet. I have used the Internet as a tool for getting to know several acquaintances better. I have even made good friends with people I met from, yes, you guessed it- the Internet. What started out as a google search for information about rocks turned into getting to know a family who, I hope, will be life long friends.
Last fall I was searching for information on geology for my son’s class. They were doing a segment on earth sciences, learning about different kinds of rocks and minerals etc… Well among the hits was Courter Resource Group. I noticed they offered an education program. So I emailed for information about a specific thing. The person wrote back saying the lesson I was interested in wasn’t available yet, but she would keep my email and let me know when it was ready for distribution. She gave me a few other links that were really helpful.
Some months go by. I get an email from Courter Resource Group. The lady says, “Remember the lessons you were interested in? Well I am taking a trip across the west this summer with my kids doing the final prep to finish that lesson up. We may be in your area. From Susan Courter”
Cool. I email back to Susan that we love visitors, and if they are in the area to give us a buzz.
And so it goes…we start corresponding regularly. Sending pictures of family members, talking about the journey they are planning; and in July the Courters arrive at our place for a visit. We had a blast. They will be lifelong friends. We talk on the phone every couple of weeks now. Email back and forth. Our children, though disparate in ages, love each other.
These people were meant to be our friends. It is as though we have known each other for a very long time. And it all began with a google search.
