Thank Our Troops. Give Wildlife a “Brake”. If You Have Lost Your Pet. "War To End All Wars". Tomb of the Unknowns.

 

For "Mammal Monday", and Veterans Day:

Thank Our Troops

"Start using the sign.   This is pretty neat.....

Have you ever seen one of our military walking past you and wanted to convey to them your thanks, but weren't sure how or it felt awkward?

A gentleman from Seattle created a gesture which could be used and has started a movement to get the word out.

Please everybody take just a moment to watch.... The Gratitude Campaign;  .......and then forward it to your friends! THEN START USING THE SIGN. "

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Drive Safely: Give Wildlife a “Brake”

"Slow down! Plus six more ways to lower your risk of hitting an animal (and what to do if a collision occurs)

October through December is mating season for deer, who may cross roads often. Kathy Milani/The HSUS

Animals are forced to cross roads and highways in search of food, water, cover, and mates—placing them squarely in the path of our speeding vehicles.

So what can you do? First and foremost, slow down! Keeping your speed in check gives you a better chance of stopping in time if an animal darts into the road.

Read and share our life-saving tips, especially with younger drivers you know. (Reports suggest that young adults ages 15-24 have the highest injury rate of any age group from car accidents involving large animals.)

• Follow speed limits. Many animals are hit simply because people drive too fast to avoid them. Taking it slow makes the roads safer for other drivers and pedestrians, too.
• Watch for wildlife in and near the road at dawn, dusk, and in the first few hours after darkness. Keep in mind that where there is one animal, there are probably others—young animals following their mother or male animals pursuing a female.
• Be especially cautious on two-lane roads bordered by woods or fields, or where streams cross under roads. Most animal/vehicle collisions occur on these roads. Slow down to 45 mph or less.
• Scan the road as you drive, watching the edges for wildlife about to cross. This will also make you more aware of other hazards such as bicyclists, children at play, and slow-moving vehicles. 
• Don’t throw trash out car windows. Discarded food pollutes the environment and creates a hazard by attracting wildlife to the roads. 
• Use your high beams whenever possible.
• Lower your dashboard lights slightly. You'll be more likely to see your headlights reflected in the eyes of animals in time to brake.

How to help injured animals

Sometimes collisions are unavoidable, no matter how careful we are. Here's what to do if you hit an animal or come across an injured one.

Do not put your own safety at risk. Unless you can move the animal from the road in absolute safety, do not attempt to do so. Use your hazard lights or emergency road flares to warn oncoming traffic of the injured animal. Never attempt to handle a large animal, like a deer, or one that could give a serious bite, like a raccoon.

Best way to prevent a crash: Slow down!

Call someone with the proper training and equipment.When you need assistance, call the non-emergency number of the local police department (program the phone number into your cell phone right now so you have it when you need it) and describe the animal's location. Emphasize that the injured animal is a traffic hazard to help ensure that someone will come quickly. Stay in the area until help arrives.

Use heavy gloves to protect yourself or avoid direct handling if you try to rescue a small animal yourself. Remember that the animal doesn't know you are trying to help and may bite or scratch in self-defense. An old towel is helpful if you need to move an injured animal.

Gently coax or place the animal into a cardboard box and transport him/her to an animal shelter, wildlife rehabilitator, or a receptive veterinarian. If there is a delay, keep the animal in a dark, warm, quiet place to minimize fear and stress.

If you accidentally kill an animal, try to move the animal off the road—but only if you can do so in complete safety. Otherwise, report the location of the animal's body to the local police department, and it will arrange for removal. This will prevent scavengers from being attracted onto the road and eliminate a potential traffic hazard."  From The Humane Society of the United States.

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20 TIPS TO FIND A LOST PET

"If you have lost your cat or dog, the first thing to remember is that the odds are in favor of finding her. The other first thing to remember is that the faster you move, the better those odds get. Here are some ideas to get your search started." 

More at: http://www.pawnation.com/2013/02/24/20-tips-to-find-a-lost-pet/

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On This Day:

World War I ends, Nov 11, 1918:

"At the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918, the Great War ends. At 5 a.m. that morning, Germany, bereft of manpower and supplies and faced with imminent invasion, signed an armistice agreement with the Allies in a railroad car outside Compiégne, France. The First World War left nine million soldiers dead and 21 million wounded, with Germany, Russia, Austria-Hungary, France, and Great Britain each losing nearly a million or more lives. In addition, at least five million civilians died from disease, starvation, or exposure.

World War I was known as the "war to end all wars" because of the great slaughter and destruction it caused. Unfortunately, the peace treaty that officially ended the conflict—the Treaty of Versailles of 1919—forced punitive terms on Germany that destabilized Europe and laid the groundwork for World War II."

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Dedication of the Tomb of the Unknowns, Nov 11, 1921:

"Exactly three years after the end of World War I, the Tomb of the Unknowns is dedicated at Arlington Cemetery in Virginia during an Armistice Day ceremony presided over by President Warren G. Harding.

Two days before, an unknown American soldier, who had fallen somewhere on a World War I battlefield, arrived at the nation's capital from a military cemetery in France. On Armistice Day, in the presence of President Harding and other government, military, and international dignitaries, the unknown soldier was buried with highest honors beside the Memorial Amphitheater. As the soldier was lowered to his final resting place, a two-inch layer of soil brought from France was placed below his coffin so that he might rest forever atop the earth on which he died.

The Tomb of the Unknowns is considered the most hallowed grave at Arlington Cemetery, America's most sacred military cemetery. The tombstone itself, designed by sculptor Thomas Hudson Jones, was not completed until 1932, when it was unveiled bearing the description "Here Rests in Honored Glory an American Soldier Known but to God." The World War I unknown was later joined by the unidentified remains of soldiers from America's other major 20th century wars and the tomb was put under permanent guard by special military sentinels.

In 1998, a Vietnam War unknown, who was buried at the tomb for 14 years, was disinterred from the Tomb after DNA testing indicated his identity. Air Force Lieutenant Michael Blassie was returned to his hometown of St. Louis, Missouri, and was buried with military honors, including an F-15 jet "missing man" flyover and a lone bugler sounding taps."

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Yesterday:

Ray came over, but still didn't want to fool with the plumbing leak, as it was chilly and windy on the north side.  So the back-up plan was to shampoo my carpets.  We got the carpet steam cleaner down from the attic and I moved the small furniture out of the way, and spot-sprayed any spots.  Ray ran the cleaner, with the only thing that I put in the cleaner, a little 20 Mule Team Borax.  I don't like to use any soap as it leaves a residue, so you have to go over it with plain water again.  http://www.howtocleanthings.com/floors/how-to-clean-carpet.htm

Ray showed me the way he cleans his steam cleaner, and it was very different from Jay's way.  Ray had read the directions, which said to remove three screws to take off the front, and clean it like that.  It was easy, and I could see how clean it got the innards.  Jay puts a small amount of water in the utility sink, puts the steamer in it, turns it on and lets it suck up and drain the water.  Different strokes…..

By some fluke, I happened to come across the website of the same rescue where I had got my late beloved  orange cat, Terry.  At the beginning of the year, when I was taking Terry back and forth to their vet, there was a sweet elderly black cat in a cage, and I was so sorry for her.  "Ava" looked moth-eaten, skinny and scared, but I knew I couldn't get another cat as long as Terry was infectious.  I would go talk to Ava, and she would perk up and 'talk' to me, but I couldn't touch her, because of Terry's URI. I hated to leave her there, as we seemed to connect.  The last time that I went to talk to her, she was gone, so I assumed that she had been PTS.

Yesterday, lo and behold, there is this same old cat still up for adoption.  She had been placed in a foster home, put on a different diet and flea preventative, as they found out she had a flea and corn allergy, and was doing well.  I spent most of the afternoon emailing back and forth, and talking to her foster mom on the phone.

I am so excited, as Ava is coming here on Wednesday.