Is It Okay to Wear a Cross? A Little Child’s Prayers Matters to God. Update.

 

For “Scripture Sunday”:

Is It Okay to Wear a Cross? Why or Why Not?

“Why don’t we use the image of a cross—symbolizing the crucifixion of Christ—as a symbol of our faith? Should you use a cross as the symbol of yours?

The symbol of the cross is used around the world to represent Jesus Christ and Christianity. Yet, if you visit a congregation of the Church of God, a Worldwide Association (which sponsors this website), and meet our members, you may notice that they are not wearing or displaying the cross to demonstrate their faith. You may also notice that the cross is not displayed on our website or any of our publications—even though we are Christians. We believe in the divinity of Jesus Christ and recognize Him as our Lord, Savior and the Head of our Church (Colossians 1:18).

So why don’t we use the image of the cross—typically symbolizing the crucifixion of Jesus Christ—as a symbol of our faith? Should you use the cross as the symbol of your faith?

The Bible and history help provide answers to this question.

The cross predates Christianity

A study of ancient history reveals that the cross was used as a religious symbol long before the first century A.D.—when Jesus Christ walked the earth, was crucified and resurrected. The Bible does not record the use of the cross as a physical religious symbol in either the Old or New Testaments. But historical records of other civilizations do make record of the cross as a symbol.

The Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th edition, records: “From its simplicity of form, the cross has been used both as a religious symbol and as an ornament, from the dawn of man’s civilization. Various objects, dating from periods long anterior [preceding] to the Christian era, have been found, marked with crosses of different designs, in almost every part of the old world” (Vol. 7, p. 506).

George Willard Benson, in his book The Cross: Its History and Symbolism, writes: “Centuries before the Christian era ancient crosses were in use as pagan emblems. They have been found carved in stone dating back to remote ages” (p. 16).

It is a historical fact that the cross has been used as a symbol of pagan religions going back to antiquity. Further study reveals that the cross can be found in the ancient religions of Babylon, India, Syria, Egypt, Rome and other ancient pagan cultures.

The Bible is clear that God forbids the practice of syncretism—mixing elements of pagan beliefs and practice with the worship of the true God.

Deuteronomy 12:29-32 plainly states that worshippers of the true God are to be extremely careful not to try to worship and honor God in the way that pagan nations worshipped and honored their gods. It is very clear, based on history, that the cross was used to represent and worship the false gods of many cultures and religions.

Cross adopted after the Bible

The cross as a physical symbol is also absent from the writings of the New Testament. The Bible does not say anything about the apostles or early Christians representing their faith by displaying crosses. History records that the cross wasn’t adopted as the institutional symbol of Christianity until about 300 years after the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Encyclopaedia Britannica records: “It was not until the time of Constantine that the cross was publicly used as the symbol of the Christian religion. … Under Constantine it became the acknowledged symbol of Christianity” (11th edition, Vol. 7, p. 506). Constantine the Great ruled the Roman Empire more than 250 years after the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Not necessarily a cross

Many are surprised to learn that the Bible does not actually specify that Jesus was crucified on a cross. Though the word “cross” is used in most English translations of the New Testament, it is important to remember that the New Testament was originally written in the Greek language.

The word commonly translated “cross” in English is the Greek word stauros. According to Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words, the word stauros means “an upright pale or stake.” This classic reference on biblical words also states: “Both the noun and the verb stauroo, to fasten to a stake or pale, are originally to be distinguished from the ecclesiastical form of the two beamed cross” (p. 248). Theologian E.W. Bullinger also noted this distinction in Appendix 162 of The Companion Bible: “Our English word ‘cross’ is the translation of the Latin crux (kruks); but the Greek stauros no more means a crux than the word ‘stick’ means a ‘crutch.’”

Even though it’s probable that Christ was crucified on a single piece of wood without a cross beam, we can’t be absolutely certain what the shape of the device was. Romans used crucifixion devices of all shapes—sometimes they were upright stakes, sometimes they had crossbeams and sometimes they merely crucified criminals on trees. The shape of the stauros is not important. What is important is the meaning and significance of Christ’s death to pay the penalty for the sins of all mankind (1 Peter 2:24).

Worship in spirit and truth

The Bible forbids the use of physical icons to worship and represent the true God. The Second Commandment plainly states: “You shall not make for yourself any carved image” (Exodus 20:4). God did not intend for His people to use physical icons, pictures or images to represent Him. Jesus Christ teaches us that, “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth” (John 4:24).

Based on the above reasons, members of the Church of God, a Worldwide Association, do not use the physical image of a cross as an object of worship or as a symbol of our faith. We believe that we are to worship God “in spirit and truth”—focusing on the spiritual truths of His Word and not trying to represent Him through the use of any physical objects. We focus on the magnitude of the incredible truth behind the crucifixion of Jesus Christ—that because of Christ’s suffering and death we can be forgiven of our sins and be reconciled to God (Romans 5:8-11).”  From: https://lifehopeandtruth.com/bible/10-commandments/idolatry-second-commandment/is-it-okay-to-wear-a-cross/

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A Little Child’s Prayers Matters to God 

“God wants a relationship with your child, so teach them to pray.

Teach your children to pray, because they matter to God!

I recently bought a doll for my little granddaughter, Stella Rose. Someone made the comment that it reminded them of the Cabbage Patch Kids dolls. That comment brought back some awesome memories.

Years ago, when my daughter Michelle was 4 years old, Cabbage Patch Kids dolls were so popular. All of her friends had one, but we could not afford to buy her one. They were $45 at the time, and we could barely put food on the table, so we certainly did not have that kind of money to buy a doll. I told my daughter to pray about it, and she did.

The very next weekend, my daughter had not one but two Cabbage Patch Kids dolls given to her! One doll was given to her at church by her friend’s mom, and the next day she received one from her grandmother; both brand new and different from each other. Now, 36 years later, my daughter still has those dolls. Those dolls symbolize how much God cared about her and her sweet little request when she was a child. I consider those dolls a gift from God.

God values our children so greatly that He demonstrated it: “He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. And he said: ‘Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me’ ” (Matthew 18:1-5, New International Version throughout).

When people brought little children to Jesus for him to place His hands on them and pray for them, His disciples rebuked them and sent them away. But Jesus corrected them: “ ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.’ When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there” (Matthew 19:13-14).

He went on to command His disciples: “See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven” (Matthew 18:10). God wants a relationship with your child, so teach them to pray.

Here are just a few examples of how to teach them:

1. Start with giving them examples in the Bible of how valuable they are to God.

2. Tell them to talk to God just like they do to mommy and daddy.

3. Teach them through example by praying with them.

4. Encourage them to pray for their friends and family.

5. Teach them to thank God for all the things they have.

6. Share with your child the times that God answered your prayers.

7. Teach them that they can talk with God all day long and that He is always there for them.

8. Remind them to always ask God for protection for themselves and their family throughout the day, and for God to protect their minds.

9. Tell them it is okay to ask God for personal blessing, like my daughter did with the Cabbage Patch Kids doll.

10. Teach them to ask for wisdom. Read them the story about Solomon, and how he desired wisdom above any material things, and God blessed him with both.

11. Most of all, teach them how special they are to God and that He wants them to talk to Him.

12. Teach them that sometimes God answers our prayers in ways we do not think or understand, but He always knows what is best for us.

Romans 8:28 states, “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.”

My daughter Michelle is a praying woman to this day! She knows that God answers prayers. Sometimes not as quickly as with her dolls–her prayers for a child weren’t answered for eight years. But she prayed with conviction knowing that God knew what was best for her.

So teach your children to pray, because they matter to God!”

From: https://www.ucg.org/beyond-today/blogs/a-little-childs-prayers-matters-to-god

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Update:

On Monday, we worked on more light fixtures in the mini-house (guest house),  and on Tuesday we did a bit more down at Roni’s place, now mine, maybe!  Because Roni availed herself of several “free” services like food stamps, and Medicaid, the State of TX now wants their pound of flesh.  But they may decide that the run down property is not worth fooling with, as it is valued at less than $10,000. 

The 16 ft. maple tree that was in front of my house has gone. It had grown into my sewer and it blocked the view of my front door, a security risk.  The couple came with a front end loader, some shovels and after about an hour they hauled it off on the trailer with the front-end loader.  Seems bare without it.

On Wednesday, I took my helper to the VA Hospital in Houston, and sat there all day while he had a balloon put in his esophagus for his really bad acid reflux.  Maybe he will be able to eat and keep food down now.  He is as skinny as a rail.  Thursday, he wasn’t feeling too chipper, but still arrived to work, so we did the kick boards on the cabinets that I bought at a yard sale.  We had the cabinets on their tops, and I pried the fiberboard kickboards off the bottom and he screwed real wood ones on. 

The next day, Friday, he was feeling better, so we moved some stuff out of the new workshop to make room for the cabinets.  It took two handtrucks to move the big 5 foot cabinet, and I was at the top of the three little steps yanking on that hand truck for all I was worth, (no, I shouldn’t say that, as I am not worth much), anyway, I pulled on it as hard as I could, and we got it up there.  The smaller, 3 ft. one was easier. Then in the afternoon, as it was ‘preparation day’,  I was cooking, washing my hair, and setting out my clothes to be ready for church the next day.  Then at 5.30pm every Friday everything stops while I watch “Creation in the 21st” on TBN.  This week it was about the formation of the Grand Canyon.

Saturday was the Sabbath, so I had already made some Parsley Butter Mashed Potatoes for one crockpot and some Beef Stew for the other.  Gary at church had given dozens of eggs from his free-range chickens to anyone who wanted them, so I had hard boiled a dozen.  My helper and I had egg salad for lunch and still had plenty left over. So I made some chopped up hardboiled eggs in a sauce, like Eggs Goldenrod, but I wasn’t too crazy about it, so I didn’t take it to the potluck.  I will titivate it a bit to make it more tasty, and have it for my supper tonight.

Also, on Saturday, I became a ‘grand’ again, I have a new grand-dog! 

Since their great big German Shepherd died, their little Australian Sheepdog has become lonely.  So my daughter and son-in-law have adopted a 6 month old white German Shepherd/mix puppy from a shelter.  He has blue eyes!  They can’t pick him up until next week as he hasn’t been fixed yet.  My daughter asked me what I thought he was mixed with, and I took one look at those ears and said “A donkey”!

The Bible readings were Lev. 14:1-15:33, 2 Kings 7:3-7:20 and Matt. 8:1-17, and the Teaching was “New Life in Messiah”. 

We are a small congregation, and we all are close.  We have a lot of laughs and fun together so the Sabbath is always a great day,

Aluminum and Alzheimer's. The Universe. Big Pharma. Medical Errors. Trans Fats Unsafe. Old Photos. Grand Canyon. Smoking.

 

For "Summary Saturday" or News, some new, some old:

Alzheimer's & Aluminum Toxicity

Reducing Your Risk of Alzheimer's Disease

"There is a strong connection between aluminum and Alzheimer's disease. Research clearly demonstrates abnormally high accumulations of aluminum within the brains of Alzheimer's victims.

Aluminum alloy cookware and containers - Cooking utensils and aluminum beverage cans contribute substantially to our load of aluminum. Beer has more aluminum when it is packaged in aluminum cans. It is best to use stainless steel cooking containers or glass or iron cookware. The older your aluminum cookware is the more rapidly it corrodes. Acid-forming foods dissolve aluminum more rapidly. The amount of aluminum ingested from cookware, however is far exceeded by the amounts ingested from food additives.

Food - Sodium aluminum phosphate is an additive in most baking powders, cake mixes and self-rising flower.. If this form of aluminum combines with maltol, a sugar-like flavoring agent, the resulting aluminum compound is able to get through the blood-brain barrier 90 times as well.
Potassium alum is used to whiten bleached flour.
Aluminum compounds are widely used as additives to prepared foods. They lighten food texture, adjust acidity and keep chunks of processed vegetables and fruits firmer.
Aluminum is even used in infant formulas and beer.
Sodium aluminosilicate or aluminum calcium silicate are added to table salt to absorb moisture and keep it from caking.
Sodium aluminum phosphate is used as an emulsifier in processed cheese.

OTC and prescription drugs - Aluminum is found in many over-the-counter painkillers, anti-inflammatory drugs and douche preparations. For instance, aspirin is commonly buffered with aluminum hydroxide or aluminum glycinate. If you wash down your aspirin with orange juice, the buffering powder becomes aluminum citrate which is able to get through the blood-brain barrier five times as well."  More at: http://www.angelfire.com/az/sthurston/alzheimers_and_aluminum_toxicity.html

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A giant step in space measurement: Scale of the universe is measured to ONE per cent accuracy

• "This compares to 20 years ago when data differed by up to 50 per cent
• Scientists mapped over 1.2 million galaxies up to 6bn light years away
• Equations revealed details about expansion, and as a result, dark energy
• They suggest a model of universe that extends into space and time infinitely

There aren’t many things in our everyday lives that we know to one per cent accuracy.

But now scientists claim to have measured parts of the universe to this gold standard using galaxies more than six billion light years away.

The impressive measurements were taken by the Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey (BOSS) using the Sloan Foundation Telescope in New Mexico.

‘I now know the size of the universe better than I know the size of my house,’ said Professor David Schlegel BOSS principal investigator." Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2536386/A-giant-step-space-measurement-Scale-universe-measured-ONE-cent-accuracy.html

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Bill Maher on Big Pharma: “We Are Being Poisoned” with David Letterman.

"Please be warned about Big Pharma."

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7 Tips on Surviving The Medical Industrial Complex.

"Dr. Benjamin Rush a Founding Father of America and a signer of the Declaration of Independence was right. America's Medical Industrial Complex has organized itself into an undercover dictatorship and is now "controlling the shots", in every sense of that expression. And they are more deadly that all of the shots fired in all of the wars that America has ever been involved in." 

"Medical errors kill enough people to fill four jumbo jets a week." says The Wall Street Journal

"200,000 to 400,000 deaths per year from preventable harm in hospitals" reports "A New, Evidence-based Estimate of Patient Harms Associated with Hospital Care" published in the Journal of Patient Safety September 2013.

"It seems that every time researchers estimate how often a medical mistake contributes to a hospital patient's death, the numbers come out worse." laments Scientific American"

From: Click here: Medical Errors Kill Enough People to Fill 4 Jumbo Jets a Week. - 7

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FDA Rules Trans Fats Unsafe in Food

"For over 60 years, saturated fats have been wrongfully accused of causing heart disease, despite mounting evidence showing that saturated fat is actually critical for optimal health while trans fat is the dietary fat causing heart disease.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced it is now considering removing partially hydrogenated oils—the primary source of trans fats—from the list of "generally recognized as safe" (GRAS) ingredients.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration ruled for the first time that trans fats aren't considered safe in food, a sharp policy shift that could lead to banning trans fats in baked goods and other foods. Peter Landers reports in this Wall Street Journal video: http://on.wsj.com/1gugKcB

Making trans fat non-GRAS is the first step toward getting trans fats out of the American diet altogether. The FDA’s decision comes right on the heels of a lawsuit filed against the agency by a heart disease researcher.

FDA is still holding fast to its ignorant view on saturated fats, urging you to “choose products that have the lowest combined amount of saturated fat, cholesterol and trans fat.” This advice causes far more harm than good.

Saturated fats from animal and vegetable sources provide a number of important health benefits, and your body requires them for the proper function. Science has firmly debunked the myth that saturated fat promotes heart disease."

More at: http://healthimpactnews.com/2013/fda-sued-forced-to-remove-safety-status-on-trans-fats/

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If you just love old photos.

"If you are over 60 (or you just love old photos) and you do not take a few minutes look over these photos, you have missed a chance to relive your childhood and go back in time to the truly wonderful 1950's.  Enjoy the journey back!

Put your mouse over the photo (do not click) and it tells you who and what it is.  http://www.flickr.com/photos/blast_of_the_past/ "

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On This Day:

Grand Canyon National Monument is created, Jan 11, 1908:

"In January 1908, Roosevelt exercised this right to make more than 800,000 acres of the Grand Canyon area into a national monument. "Let this great wonder of nature remain as it now is," he declared. "You cannot improve on it. But what you can do is keep it for your children, your children’s children, and all who come after you, as the one great sight which every American should see."

Declaring that "The ages had been at work on it, and man can only mar it," President Theodore Roosevelt designates the mighty Grand Canyon a national monument.

Home to Native Americans for centuries, the first European to see the vast brightly colored spectacle of the Grand Canyon was Don Garcia Lopez de Cardenas, who traveled through northern Arizona in 1540 with the Spanish explorer Coronado. Subsequent explorers also marveled at the amazing view from the rim, but few dared to attempt the treacherous descent into the 5,000-foot-deep canyon and explore the miles of maze-like twists and turns.

Even as late as the 1860s, the Grand Canyon remained terra incognita to most non-natives. In 1869, though, the geologist John Wesley Powell made his first daring journey through the canyon via the Colorado River. Powell and nine men floated down Wyoming's Green River in small wooden boats to its confluence with the Colorado River (now in Canyonlands National Park), and then into the "Great Unknown" of the Grand Canyon.

Astonishingly, Powell and his men managed to guide their fragile wooden boats through a punishing series of rapids, whirlpools, and rocks. They emerged humbled but alive at the end of the canyon in late August. No one died on the river, though Indians killed three men who had abandoned the expedition and attempted to walk back to civilization, convinced their chances were better in the desert than on the treacherous Colorado.

Visitors today see a vista little changed from the one Lopez de Cardenas saw nearly 500 years ago."

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50 years since smoking became bad

"On January 11th, 1964, the US Surgeon General issued the first government report linking smoking to disease and death. It ushered in an era of regulation that fifty years later has helped to cut the smoking rate for American adults by more than half."

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Yesterday:

It was a lot warmer and the two cats could go out on the screen porch, but they still keep away from each other.  Maybe, one day they will be friends.

Ray came over and shampooed the carpets, while I washed Misty's beds and blankies in the washing machine.  I'll put the two small beds back under the coffee table and under my bed, where they have always been, as the cats like to curl up in them.  The big bed will probably be stored in the attic.  

It seems strange without Misty, and even though I miss her, I know she is in a better place. She couldn't go on like that.  Nala seems to be looking for Misty, but Ava appears to be more at ease, I think she is scared of dogs.  Both cats nap on opposite ends of the living room and still ignore each other.

A Heat-and-Air man came to look at both houses, and will give me an estimate for mini-splits in the next new days.

Big Bird, Greater Rhea. Parrot Rescue Closing. Where's Marty? Calliope Hummingbird. Dedicated Duck. Cockatoo. BirdNote: What Is the Jynx Bird? Elvis Presley. Gabrielle Giffords. Cold Again.

 

For "Winged Wednesday":

Big Bird: South America's Greater Rhea

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"At up to six feet tall and 60 pounds, the Greater Rhea is the largest bird in the Americas. A member of the group commonly known as ratites (large, flightless birds), their size, long legs, and lack of ability to fly makes them unmistakable.

Although they don’t take flight, Greater Rheas have long wings; the birds use them to maintain balance on tight turns as they run at speeds up to 40 miles per hour, and also during courtship displays. A real athlete, this bird can even swim.

Although the Greater Rhea resembles an ostrich—in fact, Charles Darwin first described it as a “South American ostrich”—the two species are not closely related. Greater Rheas are social, living in mixed flocks of up to 30 or more for most of the year. They often forage with Pampas deer, guanacos (wild llamas), and domestic animals, a behavior that allows them to find food more readily and gives an element of protection from predators.

The recent expansion of the Barba Azul Nature Reserve in Bolivia is excellent news for this species. Other birds that will benefit are the resident Blue-throated Macaw, Cock-tailed Tyrant, and Orinoco Goose, as well as the migratory Buff-breasted Sandpiper and Bobolink.

Learn more, including the unusual role of male Greater Rheas in rearing young>> The males rear the young without assistance from the female, taking care of them for up to four months."

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Parrot Orphanage Closing Its Doors

"Lazicki’s Bird House and Rescue in Rhode Island is being forced from its home after 17 years. As of early November, there were 80 parrots living at the rescue. The story of this bird orphanage highlights the plight of abused and abandoned parrots across the U.S.

The Bird House and Rescue receives about 10 calls every week from bird owners who want to abandon their pets. Perhaps the bird is too loud… too demanding… or it’s living longer than the owner expected.

Many novice bird owners don’t realize that parrots often require a greater commitment of time and energy than a dog or cat. These birds are as smart as human toddlers and require significant mental and social stimulation. They’re also loud, messy, and sometimes aggressive.

If you’re thinking about adding a bird to the family, please carefully consider whether you’re willing to make a long-term commitment to meet your pet’s housing, nutritional and socialization needs."  Complete article at: http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2014/01/01/parrot-ownership.aspx

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Where's Marty?

This sprightly fellow is a Marsh Wren.   Based on an original photo by BirdNote science advisor Idie Ulsh, “Marty the Marsh Wren” has been BirdNote’s mascot since the very beginning.

"Some bird-lovers have tagged the Marsh Wren the “Heinz-57 variety bird,” because scientists have recorded 57 different variations of its song. Marsh Wrens usually forage out of view, hopping up only for brief moments. They can be hard to see.

We asked listeners to take an image of Marty with them on their trips from Tulsa to Timbuktu. And Marty has shown up in some pretty unlikely places! People have taken pictures of him in China with the terracotta soldiers, at the bottom of the Grand Canyon, and on family picnics. 

We hope you’ll take Marty along on your next trip.  It's easy: download and print Marty, cut him out, and tuck his picture in your suitcase. When you return from your trip, post your photos in the Marty Gallery on Facebook.   Happy travels!" 

View pics from Marty's travels abroad on Facebook!

From me: Another variation of Judy and Emma's Flat Joey! http://travels-with-emma.blogspot.com/2013/04/finally-got-flat-joey-letter-done.html

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Pacific Flyway Stand-out Species: Calliope Hummingbird

Calliope Hummingbird by oldbilluk

"Last week, we brought you the tallest bird in North America, the Whooping Crane of the Central Flyway. This week, we are highlighting the smallest bird north of the U.S.-Mexico border, the Calliope Hummingbird! This species occurs entirely within the Pacific Flyway, breeding as far north as British Columbia and migrating south to winter in Mexico.

Put a penny in your hand, just a single penny. That's how much a Calliope Hummingbird weighs: two and a half grams!
Now, consider that this species migrates up to 5,500 miles - more than double the distance between Los Angeles and New York - every year. Such epic migrations require energy reserves usually found in much larger species.

In fact, the Calliope Hummingbird is the smallest "long-distance migrant" in the world.
Further cementing its status as a "stand-out" species in the Pacific Flyway, the Calliope breeds in mountainous habitats, up to three thousand feet above sea level. These cooler temperatures can be difficult for smaller animals, but Calliope Hummingbirds ingest a lot of nectar - up to several times their body weight every day - to keep their metabolism, and their body temperature, high."

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A Love That Will Not Let You Go

An Amazing Fact: "After her six little ducklings were swept into a storm drain in the United Kingdom, a mother mallard waddled two miles tracking her baby’s chirps from manhole to manhole.

Trapped in a dark tunnel in the city’s underground sewer system and floating at the mercy of the current, the tiny ducklings’ only hope was in their mother. Hearing their distressed chirps emanating from somewhere under the ground, the dedicated mother followed their cries. Her heroic journey led her across a busy intersection, countless roads, a metro train line, a housing estate, and two school playing fields. When her chicks suddenly came to a halt in a housing development, she waddled to a stop over a manhole cover. And there, for the next four hours, the faithful mother remained.

Peter Elliott first noticed the little duck at 6:00 AM when he left his home to go for a run. Surprised that she had not moved when he returned, he went over to see if she was injured. Seeing nothing wrong, he went to breakfast, only to see her still sitting there when he finished. It was only later, when his daughter took his two-year-old grandson to see the mallard, that they heard the ducklings’ little voices beneath the manhole cover.
Mr. Elliot quickly gathered some tools and, along with a neighbor, managed to remove the heavy cover. Peering down they saw six little ducklings paddling around in the drain. With a small fishing net, they lifted each little duck to safety and then released the reunited family in a nearby lake.

Just like that faithful mother duck, our heavenly Father will never forsake us. Though we might stray, His heart of love goes after us still. He is always there, seeking for every opportunity to be reunited with us. Even when His chosen people had broken His heart by their wayward course, He pleaded, “Turn now from your evil ways and your evil deeds” (Zechariah 1:4). The sad record is that “they did not hear nor heed.”"

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This cockatoo obviously believes the way to a dog’s heart is through his stomach!

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BirdNote: What Is the Jynx Bird?

 

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Eurasian Wryneck FRIDAY Jynx! by Bob Sundstrom  LISTEN NOW ►

Bohemian Waxwings SATURDAY Bohemian Waxwings Wander South by Bob Sundstrom LISTEN NOW ►

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On This Day:

Elvis Presley receives his first guitar, Jan 8, 1946:

"In competing versions of the story, what Elvis Presley really wanted for his birthday was a rifle or a bicycle—both fairly typical choices for a boy his age growing up on the outskirts of Tupelo, Mississippi. Instead, Elvis's highly protective mother, Gladys—"She never let me out of her sight," Elvis would later say—took him to the Tupelo Hardware Store and bought a gift that would change the course of history: a $6.95 guitar. It was January 8, 1946, and Elvis Aaron Presley was 11 years old.

The historical significance of putting a guitar into the hands of a young man who would later help define rock and roll is obvious. For Elvis himself, however, getting that guitar was just one more step in a thorough yet totally unplanned program of childhood musical development that prepared him perfectly to ignite a revolution 10 years later."

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Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords injured in shooting rampage, Jan 8, 2011:

"On this day in 2011, Gabrielle Giffords, a U.S. congresswoman from Arizona, is critically injured when a man goes on a shooting spree during a constituents meeting held by the congresswoman outside a Tucson-area supermarket. Six people died in the attack and another 13, including Giffords, were wounded. The gunman, 22-year-old Jared Lee Loughner, was taken into custody at the scene.

Loughner, an Arizona resident, approached the 40-year-old Giffords and shot her at point-blank range in the head with a 9 mm semiautomatic pistol.

On January 12, 2011, President Barack Obama spoke at a large public memorial service in Tucson for the victims of the shooting spree. Among the dead were a 9-year-old girl, a 63-year-old federal judge and a 30-year-old member of Giffords' staff. Later that month, Giffords was transferred to a rehabilitation hospital in Houston, Texas, where she would relearn how to walk and talk.

That May, Giffords traveled from the hospital in Houston to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida to watch the launch of the final flight of space shuttle Endeavour, commanded by her husband, astronaut Mark Kelley. The following month, the congresswoman was released from the rehab hospital and began outpatient treatment. On August 1, she made a surprise return to the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives for the first time since she was shot, in order to vote in favor of passing a deal to raise the nation's debt ceiling.

On January 25, 2012, Giffords resigned from Congress in order to concentrate on her continuing recovery.  On November 8, 2012, Loughner was sentenced to life in prison without parole."

From me:  So now we have to support him for the rest of his life.

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Yesterday:

Once again, a windy day that started out in the 20's, and didn't get much above freezing. At least the power stayed on, and we didn't have rain or snow.  So many are suffering throughout the nation, so we are grateful.   The cat's water on the screen porch stayed frozen.  Nala, my foster cat, wanted to go out there, but soon turned around and came back in again.

During the day, Ava, my 'new' old cat, usually sleeps on a chair by me, and Nala either sleeps on her kitty condo, or the couch.  They just stay away from each other.  Misty seems to be feeling a bit better, and even played with me for a little while.  Ava is still hissing at them both.  I still can't leave Ava and Misty alone in a room, as Ava doesn't realize that Misty is blind and toothless, and might lash out at her when she walks by.

Ray came over and helped me refill my bird feeder, and put a new light bulb on my front porch. Both too tall for me.  But other than trying to keep the covers on my aloe plants, doing chores, and catching up on emails and blogs, it was a lazy computer day.

Milk. MRSA in Milk. Raw Milk Is Safer. Think Fat-Free Milk is Healthy? Grand Canyon. Anne Frank’s Miep Gies.

 

For “Foodie Friday”:

MILK 

“Milk is one of nature’s most perfect foods. Most of our milk comes from a sacred animal, the cow. Today, however, in the industrial system, we imprison cows indoors for their entire lives; we give them inappropriate feed such as soy, bakery waste, citrus peel cake and the swill from ethanol production, foods that cows are not designed to eat. The confinement environment and the inappropriate feed make these cows sick, so they need antibiotics and other drugs. We breed them to give huge amounts of milk, and give them hormones to increase milk production as well. These cows produce large quantities of watery milk with only half the amount of fat compared to milk produced by old-fashioned cows eating green grass. Then this milk is shipped to factories for processing.

Inside the plants, the milk is completely remade. As described by Emily Green in the Los Angeles Times(http://articles.latimes.com/2000/aug/02/food/fo-62752 ) centrifuges separate the milk into fat, protein and various other solids and liquids. Once segregated, these are recombined at specific levels set for whole, lowfat and no-fat milks. Of the reconstituted milks, whole milk will most closely approximate original cow’s milk. What is left over will go into butter, cream, cheese, dried milk, and a host of other milk products. The dairy industry promotes lowfat milk and skim milk because they can make more money on the butterfat when used in ice cream. When they remove the fat to make reduced-fat milks, they replace it with powdered milk concentrate, which is formed by high temperature spray drying.

 
Then the milk is sent by tanker trucks (which are not refrigerated) to bottling plants. The milk is pasteurized at 161^oF for fifteen seconds by rushing it past superheated stainless steel plates. If the temperature is 230^oF (over the boiling point), the milk is considered ultrapasteurized. This ultrapasteurized milk will have a distinct cooked milk taste, but it is sterile and shelf stable.  It may be sold in the refrigerated section of the supermarket so the consumer will think it is fresh, but it does not need to be. The milk is also homogenized by a pressure treatment that breaks down the fat globules so the milk won’t separate. Once processed, the milk will last for weeks, not just days.
Processing makes the milk difficult to digest and renders the proteins allergenic. Animals fed pasteurized milk exclusively develop nutrient deficiencies and become infertile after several generations.

Fortunately, Real Milk from pasture-fed cows, milk that is not pasteurized, processed or homogenized, is becoming more widely available. In fact, demand for Real Milk is growing rapidly. To find Real Milk in your area, visit http://www.realmilk.com/real-milk-finder/

In order to make powdered milk, fluid is forced through a tiny hole at high pressure and then blown out into the air. This causes a lot of nitrates to form, and the cholesterol in the milk becomes oxidized. Contrary to popular opinion, cholesterol is not a demon but your best friend; you don’t have to worry about consuming foods containing cholesterol, except that you do not want to consume oxidized cholesterol. Evidence indicates that oxidized cholesterol can initiate the process of atherosclerosis.
Powdered milk is added to reduced-fat milks and milk products to give them body. So, when you consume reduced-fat milk or yoghurt, thinking that it will help you avoid heart disease, you are actually consuming oxidized cholesterol, which can initiate the process of heart disease.”  

From: http://www.westonaprice.org/modern-foods/dirty-secrets-of-the-food-processing-industry

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MRSA Found in Conventional Milk Shows Why Raw Milk Is Safer

“Pasteurization is nothing more than a showy bandage covering a festering wound created by Agribusiness. But the truth can be seen in news that MRSA is found in vats of milk, but don’t worry, it’s gonna be pasteurized. Raw milk doesn’t produce MRSA.

Short-horned Cow, by CameliaTW  by Heidi Stevenson

Currently, raw milk is legal in England. It’s the cleanest and healthiest milk you can buy. MRSA-infested milk from standard cruel tightly-packed operations—milk that must be pasteurized to be rendered anything close to safe—has been found in bulk milk.

If you drink milk from almost any source other than directly from a caring farmer who provides raw, unpasteurized milk, then you should worry. The plan is not to dump this contaminated milk. No, the plan is to pasteurize it and declare it “safe”.

Of course, pasteurization does nothing to remove the products of the disease, such as toxins produced by the bacteria or pus that the cows produce in an attempt to heal themselves. So, any time you purchase standard commercial milk, you should assume that you’re getting something beyond the milk itself—but don’t expect to find it on the label.

The pressure is on conventional milk producers to get every last ounce they can from their poor miserable cows. They milk them when they’re sick. They milk them when they have mastitis. They dose them with strong antibiotics, and when they still get sick, they give them ever more—and they keep milking them through it all. Surely it’s obvious that healthy milk cannot possibly come from such a source.

On the other hand, raw milk is delivered by healthy cows. On the rare occasions when a raw milk producer becomes sick or gets mastitis, that cow is temporarily retired from producing milk for sale. She may be given antibiotics to help her heal, though some farmers treat with homeopathy, but she is not returned to milking until she’s again healthy and needs no further treatment.

Conventional cows are usually raised in concentrated feed lots and forced to eat unnatural foods, like grains and even ground-up animal parts. Healthy cows that live a more natural life in fields and eat a natural diet of grass produce raw milk.

Conventional cows deliver considerably more with their milk. They deliver antibiotics and any other drugs they’ve been given. Since they’re often sick, they deliver pathogens and their toxins, and pus. You can be fairly sure that you’ll get at least some of these items any time you buy conventional milk because the milk is collected in mass storage vats, so you’re getting the milk from many cows of many feed lots.

Healthy raw milk cows deliver nothing but healthy milk. Since it’s purchased directly from the farmer, you know precisely what farm your milk came from.

Nutritional Differences in Raw and Pasteurized Milk

Pasteurization changes milk. It is much more able to grow bacterial pathogens. Raw milk inhibits bacterial growth.

Scurvy is much more common in children who drink pasteurized milk. Granted, that’s not a major issue today, but it is indicative of the destruction of vitamin C by pasteurization.

Teeth are less likely to decay on raw milk than on pasteurized.

Pasteurization causes calcium to be more tightly bound to milk. As a result, pasteurized milk is a poor source of calcium, but raw milk is an excellent source.

Pasteurization destroys as much as 80% of vitamins A & E. It can destroy anywhere from 38-80% of B vitamins and 25-50%, often more, of vitamin C. Raw milk, obviously, provides the full complement of these nutrients.

Vitamin B is produced by lactic acid bacteria, which are killed by pasteurization. Probacteria keep raw milk from putrefaction, that is, decaying or rotting. It turns sour and is still nutritious and usable as yogurt, cheese, and other cultured forms of milk. On the other hand, by killing off the beneficial bacteria, pasteurization causes an increase in the growth of harmful, disease-producing bacteria. Therefore, pasteurized milk is far more likely to contain disease-producing organisms than raw milk.

Protein is destroyed by pasteurization. Many minerals are lost by volatilization (evaporation).

Pasteurization is heating. Heating milk destroys enzymes. Enzymes are required to release nutrients in the foods we eat. Phosphatase is an enzyme destroyed by pasteurization. It’s necessary for the release of calcium. Therefore, though the industry and governments tout the high calcium level in milk, it’s largely inaccessible once it’s been pasteurized. Of course, raw milk is still an excellent source of calcium.

Benefits of Pasteurization

Clearly, human health doesn’t benefit from pasteurization. There is, though, one beneficiary: Agribusiness. Farmers of milk bound for pasteurization have little motivation to keep their facilities clean, so most don’t. The cows live in degrading and degraded environments. Their lives are shortened dramatically.

Their suffering and the destroyed health benefits of milk are the price paid for profits to a smaller and smaller number of people, those who are at the helm of Agribusiness.

That’s all. They’re the only beneficiaries of pasteurized milk. The animals lose. The land and environment lose. And the people lose.

Promotion of Pasteurized Milk

So why is it becoming all but impossible to obtain raw milk? Agribusiness is all about money, and uses it to suppress and delegitimize anything but what they produce. Therefore, they’ve virtually taken over governmental agencies that are supposed to be protecting us. So, instead of protecting us and the environment against the depredations of Agribusiness, they protect Agribusiness from genuine choice of the people.

People not only still want raw milk, more and more are making the decision to buy it. Propaganda campaigns haven’t been enough to completely squelch it. Now, governmental agencies, at the behest of their corporate masters, are making the final moves to completely ban it, to make sales and purchase of raw milk illegal.

In the US, the FDA has done full SWAT operations against raw milk producers and stores that sell it. In the UK, the FSA is now moving to ban it completely. In their Microbiological Safety of Raw Drinking Milk, they state that pasteurization of all milk should be a “critical control measure and is the most effective means of protecting public health”. In recognition of the fact that many people do drink raw milk, they suggest that “a clear, consistent and appropriate regulatory framework to control the public health risk, particularly in the light of developments in the marketing of these products”.

In other words, they want to place more and more restrictions on raw milk to make it harder to produce and purchase. They hope to do this in the face of the admission that “the available data indicates that there have been no reported outbreaks of illness associated with raw drinking milk or cream in England and Wales since 2002.” They discuss historical situations in which people did die from drinking raw milk, mostly from tuberculosis. What they don’t note, though, is that these deaths occurred during the earliest stages of modern milk production, with its concentrated feed lots and mistreatment of animals.

The Raw Truth

What should be abundantly clear is that raw milk is far healthier than pasteurized. The bulk of milk’s health-producing factors are destroyed when it’s pasteurized. Safety is provided by raising healthy cows in life-affirming environments. It doesn’t come from filthy crowded environments and sick animals. It isn’t provided by the destruction of health-producing elements, and it doesn’t come from treating food of any sort as nothing but a commodity that exists for only one purpose, profits.

The truth is that reducing the nature of food to the most efficient and profit-producing materials possible is counterproductive. Health doesn’t come from sick animals and pasteurization is nothing more than a showy bandage covering a festering wound.

As Dr. William Campbell titled his book, The Milk of Human Kindness is Not Pasteurized.

From: http://gaia-health.com/gaia-blog/2012-12-30/mrsa-found-in-filthy-milk-but-warnings-given-for-innocent-raw-milk/

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Think Fat-Free Milk is Healthy? 6 Secrets You Don’t Know About Skim

“Fat-free skim milk is the quintessential staple of any health-conscious home in America. You’re supposed to drink skim because whole milk has too much fat, too many calories, and cholesterol that can give you heart disease. Right?

In case you’ve been led to believe these lies, I’ve got a few things I’d like you to know about the darling of the dairy industry, skim milk.

1. It was designed to profit off of you, not make you healthy.

People haven’t always bought into the idea that fat is unhealthy. It all started with a flawed theory by a really bad scientist who said that saturated fat and cholesterol cause heart disease. Which is pretty weird, considering no one had heart attacks around the turn of the century when everyone was still eating pounds of butter and cream every week.

Somehow, by the time World War II rolled around, we were all convinced that fat was the enemy, anyway. Butter was replaced with cheap margarine made from toxic industrial oils, and creamy, full-fat milk was dumped in favor of skim.

Dairy manufacturers were thrilled with this new trend, however, because what was once an industrial waste product had quickly become a highly-desirable “health food.” When cream was skimmed from milk, the remaining fat-free milk used to be considered a nearly useless byproduct of obtaining the cream. But, market that wasteful skim milk as being a healthful choice for consumers, and suddenly, you’ve got a serious money-maker on your hands! Now, the agribusiness giants running the dairy industry are able to profit off of both products, and don’t intend on stopping anytime soon.

2. It’s got a mystery ingredient they’re not telling you about.

Before processing, skim milk has a very unappetizing blueish color, a chalky taste, and watery texture that doesn’t resemble natural milk at all. So, to whiten, thicken, and make it taste a little more normal, powdered milk solids are often mixed into the milk.

What’s so bad about powdered milk? Well, in the manufacturing process, liquid milk is forced through tiny holes at very high pressure, which causes the cholesterol in the milk to oxidize, and toxic nitrates to form. Oxidized cholesterol contributes to the buildup of plaque in the arteries, while unoxidized cholesterol from unprocessed foods is actually an antioxidant to help fight inflammation in the body. The proteins found in powdered milk are so denatured that they are unrecognizable by the body and contribute to inflammation.

Shockingly, dairy manufacturers are not required by the FDA to label the powdered milk as a separate ingredient, because it’s still technically just “milk,” the single ingredient found on the list. So, there’s no way to be sure that it is or isn’t in your fat-free or low-fat dairy products.

3. It contains antibiotics, nasty bodily fluids, and GMOs

Water downstream of a factory farm in Idaho, where animals are generally knee-deep in their own waste.

The skim milk you’ll find in most grocery stores is a mass-produced product from animals in concentrated animal feeding operations, or factory farms, where the cows are kept in confinement and fed a diet that is completely inappropriate for their species. Because cows are designed to eat grass, when they are fed a diet consisting primarily of corn, as they are in factory farms, they get sick.

And because they get sick, they’re often given antibiotics to keep them alive so they can continue to produce. But because they’re still fighting off infections, things like blood and pus from open sores frequently make their way into the finished product — the milk we see on store shelves. The FDA allows up to 750 million pus cells per liter of milk, to be sold legally.

Also legal, are the injections of recombinant bovine growth hormones, or rBGH, a known carcinogen banned in virtually every industrialized nation in the world, except the United States. The “recombinant” part of the growth hormone means that it was genetically modified from the cow’s natural growth hormones to stimulate increased milk production.” 

More at: http://butterbeliever.com/fat-free-dairy-skim-milk-secrets/

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Science Shows Full-Fat Dairy is Good for You

“Unfortunately, fats in general are considered the dietary villains by many people, even though natural fats, like the kind found in full-fat raw dairy, are very good for you.”  Article at: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/05/21/why-you-need-to-avoid-low-fat-milk-and-cheese.aspx

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Theodore Roosevelt makes Grand Canyon a national monument, Jan 11, 1908:

“On January 11, 1908, U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt declares the massive Grand Canyon in northwestern Arizona a national monument.

Though Native Americans lived in the area as early as the 13th century, the first European sighting of the canyon wasn't until 1540, by members of an expedition headed by the Spanish explorer Francisco Vasquez de Coronado. Because of its remote and inaccessible location, several centuries passed before North American settlers really explored the canyon. In 1869, geologist John Wesley Powell led a group of 10 men in the first difficult journey down the rapids of the Colorado River and along the length of the 277-mile gorge in four rowboats.

In January 1908, Roosevelt exercised this right to make more than 800,000 acres of the Grand Canyon area into a national monument. "Let this great wonder of nature remain as it now is," he declared. "You cannot improve on it. But what you can do is keep it for your children, your children’s children, and all who come after you, as the one great sight which every American should see."

Today, more than 5 million people visit the canyon each year. The canyon floor is accessible by foot, mule or boat, and whitewater rafting.  Hiking and running in the area are especially popular. Many choose to conserve their energies and simply take in the breathtaking view from the canyon's South Rim--some 7,000 feet above sea level--and marvel at a vista virtually unchanged for over 400 years.”

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Miep Gies, who hid Anne Frank, dies at 100, Jan 11, 2010:

“On this day in 2010, Miep Gies, the last survivor of a small group of people who helped hide a Jewish girl, Anne Frank, and her family from the Nazis during World War II, dies at age 100 in the Netherlands. After the Franks were discovered in 1944 and sent to concentration camps, Gies rescued the notebooks that Anne Frank left behind describing her two years in hiding. These writings were later published as “Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl,” which became one of the most widely read accounts of the Holocaust.”

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Yesterday:

What a difference a day makes! 

It was sunshine, sunglasses, T-shirts, shorts, with windows and doors open.  A nice Winter day in TX.

Misty and I went to get Jay in the van.  The gas can that we use to put gas in the Puddle Jumper needed filling.  So Misty had to wear her safety harness that clips to a seat belt because we were leaving the subdivision.  I think she was a little disappointed that we only went around the corner to the store.

Jay put the new battery in the motor home, and it would run for a while, and then quit.  Oh, No! I was thinking fuel pump again.  Jay and I had our pencil and paper for making a plan for what can be built where part of the RVport was.  But first I really wanted to mark along the lot line, and the MH was in the way.   Jay must have dug around for an hour, and I was raking the dirt out of the way, but we couldn’t find the survey stake.

When I called Jim the mechanic down the street about the MH, I asked him if he would bring his metal detector.  He hitched his truck to the MH, and we pulled it out into the front yard.  He tried to get the MH to run, and came to the conclusion that it was fuel related.  He took the ‘doghouse’ off the engine, found a leaking fuel hose, took it off and went back home to get some fuel line.

I was using Jim’s metal detector trying to find the metal stake, and it kept on indicating that there was something down there, so I would dig, and dig, and there would be nothing.  Jay and I found that stake a few months ago, and hammered a piece of white PVC pipe down into the ground around it, so we could find it again!!  As it is right where the car is driven, it has gone down into the dirt all the way to China, I suppose.  Defeated, I took Jay home.  I haven’t had much to do with metal detectors for many a year, but I don’t think that one was adequate for the job.  The ones I used to use in England would find buried ancient coins, and a metal stake would have been steak to them!

Jim came back and installed the new piece of fuel line, and the MH will start and stay running now.  That classic MH has never had to have an expensive repair, runs like a Swiss watch, and rides like a Caddy.  I have bought several newer MH’s, and then sold them, as I liked it better.

So the now MH is running, but the stake is still in hiding, and it was a beautiful day.

Joplin, MO. Petfinder Vote. Old San Francisco. Isle Royale Park, MI. Gulf Coast. CO River Basin. Cargo Trailer.

Our hearts and prayers go out to all the people devastated by these recent weather events around the country.  
Now there is another one:
"Joplin, named for the founder of the area's first Methodist congregation, is the hometown of poet Langston Hughes and "Gunsmoke" actor Dennis Weaver.
It flourished though World War II because of its rich lead and zinc mines. It also gained fame as a stop along Route 66, the storied highway stretching from Chicago to Santa Monica, Calif., before freeways diminished its importance."

"Triage centers and shelters around Joplin rapidly filled to capacity. At a Lowe's home-improvement store, wooden planks served as cots."

"You see pictures of World War II, the devastation and all that with the bombing, that's really what it looks like."

"Joplin-area historical tornado activity is above Missouri state average. It is 161% greater than the overall U.S. average."
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Voting ends at midnight on Wednesday, May 25.      Please Vote.

"Dear Petfinder.com members,
I need your vote!  The Petfinder.com Foundation is only 200 votes behind 1st place for the $500,000 (Facebook) Chase Community Giving program.  We are so close.  As you know, the Foundation provides grants for Hide, Perch and Go boxes for your adoptable cats, vaccinations for homeless pets, and disaster relief.  In the last year, we have given over $7 million dollars to support Petfinder.  This could help us do even more (plus if we win, the press for homeless pets will be fantastic). 
Here is how to vote for us:
1. Go to:     facebook.com/chasecommunitygiving and LIKE that page
2. Go to:      http://bit.ly/jBwkql and vote for the Petfinder.com Foundation
3. LIKE the Petfinder.com Foundation charity page to post it on your wall
Also, please pass this along to your adopters, supporters, staff, volunteers and friends. Thanks!"
 Betsy Banks Saul   Co-Founder, Petfinder.com      Chairman of the Board, Petfinder.com Foundation
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Now let's get on with Travel Tuesday:

How about a visit to San Francisco…. 100 years ago!   BEFORE The Quake of 1906.
"Scenes from a video shot from a streetcar traveling down Market Street in San Francisco in 1905, before the earthquake/fire of 1906 destroyed the area.       Remarkable footage of the turn of the century lifestyles"

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Isle Royale National Park, Michigan


"Accessible only by ferry, personal boat, or float-plane service, Isle Royale National Park--perched in the northwest corner of Lake Superior--is worth the extra effort to get there. Fewer than 20,000 people a year visit the park, but the island has a loyal following.

The average visit to Isle Royale is four days, compared to a few hours at the Grand Canyon. Though closed in the winter months, summer at the park is warm and fall foliage provides a colorful backdrop for potential sightings of rutting moose.
Not for the faint of heart, park visitors should prepare for rugged canoe portages and primitive-backcountry hiking and camping.
If you go,  free backcountry permits are required for the island's 36 campgrounds."
Read more about Isle Royale in National Parks > >           View the slideshow > >

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Gulf Coast Parks One Year after the Spill


"A year after the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico, national park staff are still working hard to help ensure that the plants, animals, and landscapes that anchor our communities and draw people outdoors are restored for future generations. Park scientists and researchers at both Gulf Islands and Padre Island National Seashores are paying special attention to this year's nesting seasons for both shorebirds and sea turtles; nesting can run from March through the summer months.


Given the unknown impacts of the oil remaining in the Gulf, this season could be a significant indicator of what the future holds. Still, researchers and park staff warn that much like the long road back seen after the Exxon Valdez spill in Alaska, only time will tell the full impact of last year's disastrous spill."       Read More > >
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National Parks of the Colorado River Basin


"OUR LATEST REPORT:   The Colorado River and its tributaries are a major water source for western states with increasing water demands, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming. Dams along these waterways are used to generate hydropower and regulate usage.

National Parks of the Colorado River Basin: Water Management, Resource Threats, and Economics identifies the effects that these large dams have on natural and cultural resources in Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, Canyonlands National Park, Dinosaur National Monument, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, and Grand Canyon National Park.

The report considers the economic value of our national parks, as well as the economic value of hydropower generated by large dams along the route."     Read More > >
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 Yesterday:

Jay and I have just about finished the dinette benches in the cargo trailer.  First, we had to install a junction box for the GFI outlet wires which will also feed the outlet on the outside of the trailer.  That inside GFI outlet will go on the side of the dinette next to the front door.
 
There is just enough sturdy plywood left to make the bases for the bed in the rear.  We have both bench seat tops and sides cut, but didn't get it all screwed together yet, as it was already past lunch time.

We were ready to quit on such a humid, warm day.

ATVs Illegal Here. America's Great Outdoors. Travel Games. US Public Campgrounds.

For 'Travel Tuesday', let's look at some of America's Great Outdoors.  We Need to Cherish Them.

 

Our victory for Idaho’s Salmon-Challis National Forest. By Brad Brooks

"Earlier in February, a magistrate judge in Idaho issued an important decision on a lawsuit filed by The Wilderness Society and our partners over destructive off-road vehicle use on the Salmon-Challis National Forest in Idaho.  The judge agreed with us that the Forest Service had violated environmental laws in developing its plan to designate where motor vehicles were allowed to travel. This decision was the culmination of several years of work on behalf of TWS and our partners to halt unauthorized and inappropriate motorized recreation.

For me, this case was personal.  I have hunted elk, climbed peaks, scaled limestone walls and spent many days recreating on the Salmon-Challis.  It is a Forest rich with recreational opportunities no matter how you prefer to enjoy public lands."

The Salmon-Challis National Forest encompasses 4.3 million acres of land, and includes large portions of the iconic Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness.  This is a very wild forest, with over 70% of the Forest classified as Roadless or Wilderness.  Despite the wild and remote nature of the Salmon-Challis, motorized recreation has slowly crept onto the land and eroded the unique values that define this wild Idaho landscape.

In our challenge, The Wilderness Society and our partners documented widespread abuse from motor vehicle use, including torn-up riparian areas, deep tire ruts, and evidence of ATV use in areas where it is currently illegal to ride.  

While this decision is a big win for conservationists and public lands advocates in Idaho, it could have widespread implications for how land managers deal with off-road vehicles west-wide.  The judge made it clear in his decision that the Forest Service has a duty to protect public lands where off-road vehicles are damaging natural resources that belong to all Americans.

Because of the judge’s decision, the Forest Service will have to go back and develop a new travel plan that designates motorized roads and trails.  The Wilderness Society and our partners will continue to work with the Forest Service to develop a plan that protects special places while providing recreational opportunities for all.  This time, we hope the Forest Service gets it right."

More at: http://wilderness.org/content/our-victory-idaho-salmon-challis-national-forest

 

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"In the beginning of the 20th century, Theodore Roosevelt responded to the threats facing America’s wild areas with a revolutionary agenda that has transformed the American landscape. America’s Great Outdoors advances this legacy, ensuring that America’s wild places and cultural icons will continue to provide economic, ecological and spiritual benefits to future generations of Americans.

Through America’s Great Outdoors, federal agencies will partner with communities to allocate resources according to local needs. Programs will reconnect youth to the land and will ensure that children are among those who gain the most."

 

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America's Great Outdoors Initiative.

The Wilderness Society's Emily Diamond-Falk made an appearance on ABC News' Now You Know segment to talk about America's Great Outdoors. Watch the video below:

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Learning Travel Games for the children:

State Outline Map Printouts
State Label Me! Printouts
EnchantedLearning.com
US States
Facts, map and state symbols for the 50 states.

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Symbols of the USA
A page on some of the many symbols that represent the United States of America.

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National Park Quizzes

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  National Parks Trivia

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  Grand Canyon

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  Death Valley

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  Crater Lake

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  Glacier

• 

  Yellowstone

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  Yosemite

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  Zion

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  Mount Rainier

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  Great Smoky Mountains

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  Weird and Wild Animals

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• All great places to visit. Looking for a public campground?

• Welcome to the largest database of public campgrounds you'll find anywhere.  It contains locations and other data on over 13,850 public campgrounds in the Continental US.  It includes federal (COE, NP, BLM, USFS, USBR, TVA), state, county, municipal and utility -operated CG's. Each type is identified by an icon; click on the icon to see more information.     http://www.wxtoad.com/uscampgrounds/

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Yesterday:

Neither Jay nor Ray worked yesterday.  

Jay's mother had called me, and I knew he wouldn't be here, he had tied one on the night before, and she had thrown him out of her house….again.     He has no phone at his house, but he can't stay there as he is letting someone rent it right now, supposedly to get funds amassed for his upcoming dental work.  Then once he has had a few beers he spends too much money on undesirable things, with undesirable people, so I don't think he will have enough saved up for his appointment next month.

But I didn't know that Ray wasn't coming, so I had dressed in work clothes.  I really needed to go into town to pay the water bill, but I never got around to it, just didn't seem to have the time.    So I will have to go today. 

 

Surely you have had days when you didn't seem to accomplish anything noteworthy, but was busy all day?