Northern Bobwhite. Whooping Cranes. Wilderness Society. Bought Formica. "Patches". Formica Started.

Northern Bobwhite


Working with partners such as The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Northern Bobwhite Conservation Initiative, and Central Hardwoods Joint Venture, ABC is drawing attention to the plight of this species and working to turn trends around.
However, millions of acres of early successional habitat need to be restored in order for this species to flourish once more."
To learn more and help support ABC's efforts to protect the Northern Bobwhite, click here.
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Whooping Cranes.
"Despite being one of the most popular game species in the East, with a long history of intensive management attention, Northern Bobwhite populations are still experiencing long-term, precipitous declines due to the loss of native grasslands.

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Yesterday:
Jay and went south of Conroe to Camperland (www.camperland.net/)  and bought the parts we need for the cargo trailer.  The three generations of this company have always been good to me, so the family and employees, who have known me for 30 odd years, gave me a great welcome.

Then on south to the Garden Oaks area off N. Shepherd in Houston.  We went to the Wilsonart and Formica distributors, were quoted anywhere from $82-95 for the size of Formica that we need.  Then we drove 1 block to "Laminate Countertops" on N. Shepherd, and they had the color and size for $32 in their bargain bin!
  
By then we were hungry, so we had buffet at a Chinese restaurant at Tidwell and I-45.   I used to live in that area back in the 70's, so I really wanted to go to Aunt Bea's Family Restaurant, but we settled on Chinese instead.

We were tied up in a loonng traffic jam due to an accident several miles north, (no injuries) and wished we had remembered to get on the HOV (High Occupancy Vehicle) lane.  It would be so nice if everyone would just put their automatic cars in "creep", but no, they have to stop and start.
 
After a quick stop at Walmart to get a few things, as I don't like to get my groceries there, we finally arrived home around 4.00PM.   My two doggies had been good, as usual, but were glad to go outside.

Then I got a phone call which really made tears of joy!   
Patches new "Mom" said that they really love her to pieces, and that she is a keeper!  
Patches had given her new Mom her 'slitty eyes look' , which says "I love you". 
This is such a relief, as she is such a scaredy cat.  So, one adopted, two to go.
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Today:


Jay and spent about an hour doing some cleaning up, and putting away in the area between the storeroom and the Puddle Jumper, in one of the car ports.
It had bred more 'stuff', like stuff does!  Stuff needs to be spayed and neutered, too.

We cut the strips of Formica to go on the sides of the cargo trailer countertop.  Then the contact cement was applied.  We waited the required  20-30 minutes for the contact cement to dry before sticking them in place, and router-ed them. 
I put the contact cement brush in some Xylene, to keep it good.  Tomorrow, we can install the Formica on the top of the countertop.


If it hadn't been past lunchtime, (quitting time), it would have been great to have done it today.

Do You Want Eggs With That? Highway 1 Closed. Dryer Working! "Prime".

 Ask the FDA to Revise the Egg Safety Rule.

"Through an undercover investigation, the HSUS has collected video footage and photographs documenting the systematic abuse of animals at Cal-Maine Foods, Inc., the nation’s largest egg producer.
Our findings during this five week investigation at Cal-Maine include the following:

• Birds producing eggs for human consumption confined in overcrowded cages with the rotting corpses of other birds.
• Dead hens, trapped under their cages, had died with their heads on the egg conveyor belts exposing passing eggs to the decaying bird.
• Birds trapped by their wings, necks and legs in the thin, rusty wires of the battery cages.
• Birds with severely injured legs, unable to reach food or water.
• Birds suffering from severe, bloody uterine prolapses enduring the pain of other hens in the overcrowded cages stepping on them.
• Eggs covered in feces and blood. "

TAKE ACTION
Please send Dr. Margaret Hamburg of the FDA a message that the cage confinement systems used by the majority of egg producers are a problem that affects the health of the laying hens and increases the risks of Salmonella infection.
Please send a message to the FDA asking them to revise the Egg Safety Rule to protect human health and stop the terrible abuse of these animals -
HERE:   https://secure.humanesociety.org/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=4749
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Conventional Eggs = Factory Farmed Eggs.- No label on the carton. 
Hens are crammed into cages not giving them even enough room to spread their wings.
Imagine a chicken on a piece of 8-1/2" x 11" piece of paper.
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Meanwhile, McDonald's Europe is Going 100% Cage-Free
The battery cage photo above is described this way:
"95% of egg laying hens in the United States spend their entire lives in a battery cage like this one. 6-8 birds are confined to a cage this size; each bird having less room than a standard sheet of notebook paper to live her entire life. In these crowded conditions, they are unable even to spread their wings."
This is the type of living conditions that McDonald's board of directors seems to think is appropriate for the chickens that produce the eggs used to make its meals in the U.S.

More at: http://www.treehugger.com/files/2010/04/mcdonalds-rejects-5-percent-cage-free-eggs-proposal-usa.php
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 "I eat free range eggs. Isn’t that better for the animals, my health and the environment?”
"That couldn’t be further from the truth and Eggland’s Best isn’t going to run a TV commercial showing you the horrid conditions of 99% of all factory farmed animals.  Most people are still confused by package labels."
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"Are you going to trust labels that imply humane treatment when The Times quotes Mitch Head of the United Egg Producers as stating that most cage-free and free-range eggs come from the same farms that produce battery-cage eggs? The industry is delighted that the number of consumers who are willing to pay higher prices for cage-free and free-range eggs is growing." More at: http://prime.peta.org/2010/09/cage-free-doesnt-mean-cruelty-free
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Cage-Free vs. Battery-Cage Eggs

"Cage-free hens are spared several severe cruelties that are inherent to battery cage systems. But it would nevertheless be a mistake to consider cage-free facilities to necessarily be "cruelty-free." Here are some of the more typical sources of animal suffering associated with both types of egg production:

• Both systems typically buy their hens from hatcheries that kill the male chicks upon hatching—more than 200 million each year in the United States alone.
• Both cage and cage-free hens have part of their beaks burned off, a painful mutilation.
• Both cage and cage-free hens are typically slaughtered at less than two years old, far less than half their normal lifespan. They are often transported long distances to slaughter plants with no food or water.
• While the vast majority of the battery and cage-free egg industry no longer uses starvation to force molt the birds, there are battery and cage-free producers alike who still use this practice."
• More at: http://www.humanesociety.org/issues/confinement_farm/facts/cage-free_vs_battery-cage.html

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Wouldn't you rather eat something that lived like this:













"It is truly a shame that instead of mimicking nature, humans try to pervert it for their own gain.
Instead of holding the animals in reverence and respect, humans basically put a bar code on them.
It is a shame that the use of words like local don’t necessarily mean clean and humane.
The words free range and cage free don’t necessarily mean the animals are happy and healthy. The words all natural simply don’t mean what we think they should."
More and many comparisons to factory farming at: http://www.downingfamilyfarm.com/sustainability.html
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If you cannot find a farmer to sell you eggs directly, then organic eggs from the store would be your next best option. Refrigeration does allow them to last longer but they lose some of their nutritional value this way.
Also conventional eggs from the store may have taken several weeks or more to get there, and they may have sat around for some time before they were even packed. The “packed-on” date doesn't necessarily mean they were laid that day.

You can look for local sources of humanely raised chicken on any of the following sites:
http://www.rodaleinstitute.org/farm_locator
http://www.eatwild.com/
http://www.apppa.org/  
Where to find cruelty free food near you: http://www.apppa.org/producers.htm
http://www.localharvest.org/
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Part of Highway 1 near Big Sur crumbles into the sea; road closed indefinitely

By DONALD MURPHY - Monterey County Herald     Posted: 03/16/2011 10:12:58 PM PDT
Click photo to enlarge

The southbound lane of Highway 1 about 2 miles south of... (Orville Myers/ Special to the Sentinel)
BIG SUR - Highway 1 was closed to traffic about 12 miles south of Carmel on Wednesday after a stretch of the scenic roadway tumbled toward the Pacific Ocean far below.
About 40-feet of the two-lane highway washed out just after 5 p.m. on a curve south of the Rocky Creek Bridge where the highway hugs the Santa Lucia Mountains. All of the southbound lane was gone as was a chunk of the northbound lane. Soil under the northbound lane was reported sliding as late as 6:30 p.m.
The California Highway Patrol closed the southbound lane of the highway at Palo Colorado Road and drivers going north were stopped at the Bixby Creek Bridge.
No one was injured, a CHP dispatcher said. "Nobody went down. No people got hurt," she said.


It was not immediately known how long the coast road would be closed.
"It could be cleaned up in a couple of days, who knows," the dispatcher said.
Caltrans workers posted signs near Rio Road to the north and near Ragged Point and Cambria to the south warning drivers that the highway was closed.
The road was not completely impassible.
Emergency vehicles would be allowed through "at their own risk," the CHP dispatcher said.
For a while after the closure, people were allowed cross the area on foot, but authorities stopped that as soil continued to erode under the roadway. More at: http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/news/ci_17630392
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Yesterday:

Jim, the mechanic down the street, (our savior when we are above our capabilities), came here and ran a new wire to the dryer from the breaker box.  To do that, Ray and I had to move several rolls of carpet, and other stuff, stored in that area of the storeroom attic, and unscrew that area of the floor, to expose the ceiling joists of the guest house below. 
Jim was going to go into town to buy the new wire, until I flipped open a trunk up in that attic where I have plenty of 12, 10 and 8 gauge Romax.  We ran the new wire through the ceiling joists, and down into Ray's utility room.  Jim hooked it all up, and voilà, the dryer had heat!  Jim also made it so that the 110v. outlet for the washing machine worked, too.
Ray and I were both pretty beat after doing all that.
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Today:


Prime was still looking for Patches, the adopted foster cat, and as I don't want to run the AC in the grooming room for one cat when I am not grooming, it is time she stayed in the house most of the time.
So I let Prime stay in the house with us last night.  She got up on my bed, and wriggled around wanting me to pet her.  I knew that if I ignored her she would eventually hold still, and she did.  She gets plenty of attention and petting other times, so she must learn that wriggling, pawing and wanting to be petted when on the bed, is a No-No.  Cats can be trained.
I still feed her canned dinner high up in the grooming room or porch, so the dogs won't eat it, and I left the grooming room door open so she could use her box.  That door will have to be closed when we turn the house AC on, so she will have to share Bobcat's box, in my bathroom, then. We will see how Bobcat likes that!

I haven't had a call from Patches' folks, so I assume that she is doing alright, but I still worry about that sensitive little cat.

Lots of interruptions today. 
When Ray's water heater didn't work, Jim came back and hooked up some more wires in the outside breaker box. Now the water heater works!

Then, Roni came by for me to bathe her dog, Big Girl, just as Ray and I were trying to do 'Time'. (Money earned off his rent). So I fed her a sandwich and coffee, while she waited. 

At the same time, the lady that used to have Paco came by, and he wouldn't have anything to do with her!!
She couldn't believe how much weight he has put on.  Little did she know that he is an eating machine, and I really have to make him push his paws away from the table!

She couldn't open the hood to her truck, and neither Ray nor I could, either. She had wrecked the front, so the handle wouldn't pop it open, and we couldn't find the lever underneath either!


Finally, I bathed Big Girl, she thoroughly enjoyed that, and she didn't want to leave here. 
Roni has her on dog food with cornmeal in it, and wonders why Big Girl's skin has got bad again!  She looked so great after I fed her my good dog food when she stayed here.

If you can't afford to buy the right food for a pet, or give it the vet care it needs, you shouldn't have an animal. But Roni manages to smoke three packs of fags a day! (Fag, a British colloquialism for cigarette.)

The weather is lovely, so while we are working, running in and out, and opening and closing doors, Prime and Bobcat are on the porch today.

St. Paddy's Day. RV Tips. Help People and Animals in Japan. "Patches".

ST. PATRICK'S DAY   The Real St. Patrick

"Tis the season for parades, green beer, shamrocks, and articles talking about why St. Patrick's day isn't all about parades, green beer, and shamrocks.

First, a few misconceptions about Patrick:

Patrick isn't really a Saint with a capital S, having never been officially canonized by Rome. And Patrick couldn't have driven the snakes out of Ireland because there were never any snakes there to begin with. He wasn't even the first evangelist to Ireland (Palladius had been sent in 431,about five years before Patrick went). Patrick isn't even Irish. He's from what's now Dumbarton, Scotland (just northwest of Glasgow).

Patrick was 16 years old in about the year 405, when he was captured in a raid and became a slave in what was still radically pagan Ireland. Far from home, he clung to the religion he had ignored as a teenager. Even though his grandfather had been a priest, and his father a town councilor, Patrick "knew not the true God." But forced to tend his master's sheep in Ireland, he spent his six years of bondage mainly in prayer. He escaped at the suggestion of a dream and returned home.

Patrick was in his mid-40s when he returned to Ireland.Palladius had not been very successful in his mission, and the returning former slave replaced him. Intimately familiar with the Irish clan system (his former master, Milchu, had been a chieftain), Patrick's strategy was to convert chiefs first, who would then convert their clans through their influence. Reportedly, Milchu was one of his earliest converts.

Though he was not solely responsible for converting the island, Patrick was quite successful. He made missionary journeys all over Ireland, and it soon became known as one of Europe's Christian centers. This, of course, was very important to fifth-century Christians, for whom Ireland was one of the "ends of the earth.""

From:  http://www.christianitytoday.com/ch/news/2004/stpatricks.html

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RV Laundry: Washing and Drying Clothes While RVing

"RV laundry. Dirty clothes accumulate while RVing just like they do any other time. If you are on a camping trip. Here are the laundry options for RVers:

~~ Take your dirty laundry to the Laundromat. This option works best for most full-time RVers. It doesn’t require special equipment. It doesn’t require permanent, non-flexible storage space. There’s no big up front cost. It’s pretty simple and straightforward. You let your laundry accumulate for a while, then gather it all up, and haul it to the laundry facility.

You use as many machines as you need to wash it all at one time. Likewise, you can dry it all at once. You fold, haul it back to the RV, and put it away. You spend a few hours, $10 - $20, and you are done for another week or so. While you are waiting at the Laundromat, you read, visit, make phone calls, or plan the next leg of your trip, so you really don’t waste much time just waiting.

~~ Laundry facilities at truck stops, travel plazas, and campgrounds are similar to public Laundromats. The biggest difference is that they have fewer machines. You may need to do your loads consecutively, instead of all at once. If you are spending the night at one of these places anyway, it can be convenient. You are there – the facility is there.

These laundries are most useful for doing only a load or two of laundry. They are particularly helpful if you want to stretch the time between doing your full laundry. They are also good if you have a washer and dryer in your RV and need to do a load of bigger or heavier items.

~~ Yes, some RVs do have washers and dryer. However, the washer and dryer you find in an RV is seldom the same as what you have in a traditional home. These RV appliances use 110-volt electricity. They have a small load capacity. It takes a long time for clothes to dry in an RV clothes dryer. The biggest disadvantage is that they take up a great deal of room – the equivalent of an entire closet.

If you spend much of your RVing time in a campground with water, sewer, and electrical hookups, you may love these appliances. You do a load or two of laundry every day. You don’t need to wash your things in a machine someone else uses.

~~ There is another type of machine or device marketed for doing laundry. The apparatus is a small keg type container. It has a crank handle you turn to agitate the clothes. I’ve heard trying to do laundry in them is a sure way to make a mess. I’ve also heard these hand machines don’t get clothes any cleaner than simply soaking the clothes.

~~ If you want to do your laundry by hand, there are several methods.

Some RVers put water, detergent, and clothes into a five-gallon bucker, put the lid on the bucket, and drive. The motion is supposed to be akin to an agitating machine. Most likely, the long soaking does the most cleaning.

Others use their bathtub as a large laundry sink. I’ve also heard of RVers carrying along a child’s inflatable wading pool to use for doing laundry.

Some soak, swish, and rinse. Some agitate the clothes with a toilet plunger. Others, I’m told, use old-fashioned washboards.

All of these hand methods wash only. You need to twist the clothes by hand to get out some of the water. Then, you haul them to a laundry facility to dry, hang them outside, or hang them around in your RV. Depending on the temperature and humidity, heavy laundry that has not gone through a fast spin cycle may have to hang in the RV for literally days for to dry.

If you are going to be somewhere for an entire season, consider a regular clothes washer and dryer. We’ve done this several times during extended stays where we had both the utilities and the space to use them. Sometimes, we had just a washer and hung the clothes to dry on outdoor clotheslines. We bought inexpensive used machines. The money saved from the weekly Laundromat trips quickly paid for them. "

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RV Tips:

Before heading out to do your Laundromat, pour your liquid detergent onto a towel or other item in the laundry. That way, you don't need to carry the jug of detergent there and back.

 

Some businesses also have an arm bar across the entrance to keep taller vehicles out. Put an antenna on the cab that is the height of the camper. As long as the antenna clears, you know the camper will too.

 

Use a small magazine rack or file folder wall pocket for local information. Use it as a central place to store tourist attraction brochures, the campground sitemap and rules, coupons for local restaurants, a local map, area travel guides, etc.

 

Collect tote bags and use them in your RV for… storing extra shoes, trips to the shower house, as a beach bag, collecting dirty laundry, portable file boxes, tool bags, carrying your groceries, shopping at flea markets and farmers markets, keeping your table settings together that you take to pot-lucks, and corralling magazines and books.

 

Hang a small basket on your RV galley wall to hold napkins. It keeps them within easy reach. And, they aren't taking up space in a drawer.

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http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/clickToGive/home.faces?siteId=5&link=ctg_chs_home_from_ars_home_sitenav

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http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/clickToGive/home.faces?siteId=3&link=ctg_ars_home_from_chs_home_sitenav

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Today:

Prime is wandering around the house looking for Patches, who was adopted yesterday.  Little timid, scaredy-cat  Patches is on a 14 day trial with her new 'parents'.   The folks who are trying out Patches seem very patient, and knowingly took her as a "Special Needs Cat". I don't miss her so much, more being very worried about the poor little thing.

I hope, no I have been praying, that she is not too terrified, and will settle down.

 

I have to leave early this morning to take Jay to the next town for an 8.00 AM  doctor's appointment.

 

So that is it for today.

Western Scrub-Jay. Golden Cheeked Warbler. Yellow-billed Cotingas. Indoor Cats.Patches Adopted!.

Western Scrub-Jay

 

 "The Western Scrub-Jay, with its bold blue color, long tail, and boisterous behavior is a regular sight in much of the lowlands of the coastal and southwestern United States into Mexico.  It occurs in open, dry, deciduous and pine forests with mixed shrub understories, and residential areas with exotic tree and shrub plantings.  Western Scrub-Jays favor oak savannahs and woodlands, which is why it is one of the target species in ABC’s Quercus and Aves Program for conservation of oak bird species and their associated habitats. Commonly seen with an acorn in their bills, they possess remarkable skills in caching and relocating acorns.  Like all corvids, Western Scrub-Jays are considered to be smart and highly adaptable, and are expanding their range both north and east in the Pacific Northwest.
To help ABC's Conservation Efforts on the Western Scrub-Jay, click here."



Golden Cheeked Warbler by Greg Lavaty
Oak Habitat Conservation for Priority Birds
The Challenge
"As a result of the decline in quality and quantity of oak habitats, there are a number of oak-associated birds with significantly declining population trends in the Pacific Northwest and in Latin America. In the United States, loss and degradation of oak habitats has accelerated in recent years, in part due to rapid development and pressures of agricultural, urban, and residential development. In Latin America, oak and oak-pine habitats are among the highest priorities for conservation, as they are threatened by potentially unsustainable resource extraction and land clearing for development and farming. Because land ownership of oak habitats is predominantly private, ecosystem-level conservation is problematic."
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Yellow-billed Continga


"The Yellow-billed Cotinga is unique to Costa Rica and Panama. It is about the size of a pigeon; males are bright white with yellow bills and perform swooping flight displays to attract the duller-plumaged females. The species requires mature, upland primary rainforest for feeding, mangroves for roosting and nesting, and access to mature fruit-producing rainforest trees for feeding. Unfortunately, both mangroves and tropical forests have been extensively cleared for shrimp farms and agriculture within the species’ range, which has nearly caused its disappearance from Panama. Its remaining stronghold appears to be in the mangroves of the Río Sierpe and Golfo Dulce estuaries on Costa Rica’s Osa Peninsula. American Bird Conservancy has been working with Friends of the Osa to further understanding this little-known species and its conservation needs since 2007.  This month, as part of a project funded by the Mohammed Bin Zayed Foundation, Yellow-billed Cotingas were caught for the first time ever and fitted with radio transmitters (view photo). It is hoped that important information on the seasonal movements and habitat use will be obtained from this study.
Learn more about ABC’s and Friends of the Osa’s efforts to help this species here and about the radio transmitter project here."

Rare Bird Captured for First Time, Fitted With Tracking Device and Released






"American Bird Conservancy and a leading Costa Rican environmental organization – the Friends of the OSA - reported that three endangered Yellow-billed Cotingas (a female and two males) were, for the first time ever, captured using mist nets, fitted with tracking devices, and released unharmed near the Costa Rican town of Rincon."










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Bird Deaths from Wind Farms to Continue Under New Federal Voluntary Industry Guidelines




"Draft voluntary federal guidelines issued by the Interior Department that focus on the wildlife impacts of wind energy will result in continued increases in bird deaths and habitat loss from wind farms across the country. Members of the public will have 90 days to provide comments on the proposed guidelines to the Secretary of the Interior prior to a final version being concluded."

News from: http://www.abcbirds.org/










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Please keep your cats indoors, or on a harness when you are camping:


Cat eating a bird by Gaëtan Priour
The Challenge
"There is no question that birds are better off when cats stay indoors. Exact numbers are unknown, but scientists estimate that every year in the United States alone, cats kill hundreds of millions of birds, and more than a billion small mammals, including rabbits, squirrels, and chipmunks. Feline predators include both domestic cats that spend time outdoors and stray cats that live in the wild, sometimes as part of a colony.
Life for outdoor cats is risky. They can get hit by cars; attacked by dogs, other cats, coyotes or wildlife; contract fatal diseases, such as rabies, feline distemper, or feline immunodeficiency virus; get lost, stolen, or poisoned; or suffer during severe weather conditions. Outdoor cats lead considerably shorter lives on average than cats kept exclusively indoors."
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Today, I am taking my foster cat Patches to meet some prospective new parents, a mother and her 15 year old son.  Patches is terrified of men, also she is so shy and timid around strangers, so I don't think she will show well.  I hope they will understand and see her potential, as she is a loving cat once she gets to know people.

I tried to put a harness on her for the first time, so that she couldn't go hide in the room where we let the animals meet new 'parents',  but she wasn't having any of that. I have written out a letter about her, and what she eats and when, for them to read.

I should have prepared her for this day.
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Later:

The prospective parents have taken Patches for the two week probation period. 
They chose her over the other foster mom's cat, "Troubles".
It wasn't a mother and son, it was a couple, and the husband is a big burly man who just loved her.
Poor little Patches, she must be terrified.   I pray that this is her forever home.
Prime is all over me, she wants to know why Patches disappeared today!

March 26th. "Park's March" at Biscayne National Park, FL. Things to Do In FL. Carport.

11th Annual "March for Parks", Biscayne National Park, Florida
"Come celebrate our 11th Annual March for Parks with us, Saturday, March 26, 2011 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

NPCA's Suncoast Regional Office, South Florida Community Partners, and the National Park Service invite you to enjoy and preserve America's Great Outdoors at our annual March for the Park at Biscayne National Park in Florida. Fun activities for the whole family include: fishing lessons, boat and canoe trips, a catered lunch and more!

Free, round trip transportation is provided from six different Florida locations. "
Learn more
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Biscayne National Park, Florida


A Watery Wonderland
"Within sight of downtown Miami, yet worlds away, Biscayne protects a rare combination of aquamarine waters, emerald islands, and fish-bejeweled coral reefs. Here too is evidence of 10,000 years of human history, from pirates and shipwrecks to pineapple farmers and presidents. Outdoors enthusiasts can boat, snorkel, camp, watch wildlife…or simply relax in a rocking chair gazing out over the bay."



Family Fun Fest Kicks Off Second Decade!
"Biscayne National Park's multi-award winning Family Fun Fest program is back for an eleventh season! The free event takes place on the second Sunday of each month from December through April, and features hands-on activities the whole family will enjoy."




Things to Do
"Snorkeling, diving, boating, fishing, camping, picnicking and superb opportunities for wildlife watching are just a few of the many activities here. From late December to May, special activities like Family Fun Fest, guided canoe tours, and year-round fishing seminars and other programs can enhance your understanding and appreciation for the largest marine park in the National Park System."
more...




Park Ecosystems
Biscayne National Park protects four primary ecosystems: the long stretch of mangrove forest along the mainland shoreline, the shallow southern portion of Biscayne Bay, the northernmost Florida Keys and a portion of the world's third-longest living coral reef.


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If you spend time in Florida, or just want to know what is happening at Florida state parks, you may want to sign up for the Florida State Parks Enewsletter.
~ FL State Parks Newsletter
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http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/clickToGive/home.faces?siteId=1&link=ctg_ths_home_from_ths_home_sitenav

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Today:

Jay and I put the newly painted, repaired, dryer back in Ray's utility room, and got it out of the way in the workshop.

Then we started on Ray's side of the carport to make a sunshade over it, to match the one on the other side.
We worked until we were out of the green 3" deck screws, (they are stronger than drywall screws), and out of lumber.

I had bought some deck screws at the same place as the R-panel, but they were the grey ones, and they just didn't screw in right, even with a 'deck' bit instead of a Phillips bit.  So as I had to go into our town, I picked up some silver 3" deck screws, as they are still out of the green ones.  They are $2 a pound cheaper than the green ones, so there is no telling if they are strong enough..

It's always something!!   When I got home, Ray informed me that the dryer still isn't drying, even though it did at the repair shop. Jay said he checked the 220v at the outlet. 

As I have to leave here early in the morning for my foster-cat "Patches" to meet a potential new family, Ray and I loaded the dryer back up in the van today.

The History of Valentine's Day. How To Burn Off Chocolate.

From The History Channel:

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If you are going to indulge in chocolate, this is how long it takes to burn off ONE Snickers bar:
"Here's how to decide whether to pass up a temptation or enjoy it with no regrets: Put a fitness price tag on your favorite indulgence that shows how much extra workout time it will take to burn off its calories.

For example:
Enjoying an occasional cheesy slice of pizza may be well worth the price -- adding an extra 36 minutes to your regular brisk walk, 20 to a bike ride, or only 15 on a stair-step machine. Boom!
Just like that, those calories are gone. But do you also have 60 more minutes to spare to walk off that chocolate cake?
Here's a sampling of treats -- the kind that even the healthiest eaters often find too good to totally give up -- and how much time it takes for a 135-pound person to burn them off. Now those extra calories won't show up on your scales. Or your waist." 
More at: http://www.realage.com/blogs/food-bites/craving-chocolate-cake-cheesy-pizza-do-this-afterward
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My thought:
"how much time it takes for a 135-pound person to burn them off"…. Why would a 135 lb person be worried about it??
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He who does anything because it is the custom, makes no choice. ~ John Stuart Mill

 

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Today:

The critters and I just mostly stayed inside trying to keep warm.  The sun is out, but it is still cold out there.

These are my foster animals:



After a while, Paco thought twice about sitting in the sun, his favorite pastime. 






 Prime wanted to stay out on the porch in the sun,







but Patches couldn't make up her mind, and wanted in, then out, then in again.



But we are all glad that this will be the last of this cold spell today