“I Can Only Imagine” What a World It Will Be With God in Charge. God's Bountiful Country. Update.

For “Scripture Sunday”:

“I Can Only Imagine” What a World It Will Be With God in Charge

“The inspiring story behind the famous song brings hope for a future when God will right every wrong!

     Ümit Bulut/Unsplash

Our world is broken. There is so much pain and suffering. Our world is in need of intervention that only God can give.

I recently watched the movie “I Can Only Imagine.” It’s a wonderful movie about a wonderful song by the same name. I did not want to watch it at first because I felt it would be too emotional for me (I worried the plot would hit too close to home for me on account of my own painful childhood experiences). However, it only inspired me, because it reminded me of how awesome our Father in heaven is!

The movie is based on the true story of a young man, Bart Millard, who grew up in Greenville, Texas. Bart’s mother walked out on him and his dad after they divorced when he was 3 years old. Bart suffered emotional and physical abuse at the hands of his father.

Many times the young boy thought his dad was going to kill him. In an interview, Bart said of his upbringing: “I ended up living in fear for most of my childhood… If he got embarrassed or cut off in traffic or whatever, he would take a swing at me… I was like his punching bag.” Bart grew up like that with no family support.

Then when he was a freshman in high school, things took a drastic turn for Bart. His dad became terminally ill with cancer, which caused him to repent of his ways and find God. Bart and his dad mended their relationship.

Millard took care of his dad and literally became his nurse. It was his dad’s new faith in God that transformed his life. “That’s when things really changed, because it went from us really not having much contact to talking for two or three hours every night until we fell asleep,” he says.

“I got a front row seat to see this guy go from being a monster to falling desperately in love with Jesus,” Millard says. “By the time he passed away when I was a freshman in college, not only was he my best friend, he was like the godliest man I’d ever known. And it’s literally changed the trajectory of my life.”

Years later Bart Marshall Millard became a songwriter who is best known as the leader of the band MercyMe. He wrote the song, “I Can Only Imagine,” which is the best-selling contemporary Christian single of all time. You can read more of his inspiring story here.  The movie is worth watching as it explores the themes of forgiveness and healing.

How many of us have gone through tough times and we hope for things to change? Alternatively, we may even think the phrase, “I can only imagine…”.

The truth is, God is your hope!

God is and was my hope. God was Bart’s hope. God was his dad’s hope that transformed him before he died so he could be the father he never could have been on his own. And God transformed a severely abused young Bart into someone who totally trusts Him, going on to write songs that worship Him and encourage others. God is our healer!

He is our Father who loves us so much! The movie inspired me because I know my Father in heaven brought me through so much just like Bart. And He is still there with me every day. But He is not just my Father, He is a Father to all of us! He will love you when you feel no one else does. He has the power to deliver you from whatever you are going through.

Our world is broken. There is so much pain and suffering. Our world is in need of intervention that only God can give.  Psalm 147 says: “ He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name. Great is our Lord and mighty in power; his understanding has no limit. The LORD sustains the humble but casts the wicked to the ground … His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse, nor his delight in the legs of the warrior;  the LORD delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love” (Psalms 147:3-6, Psalms 147:10-11). I encourage you to read the whole chapter of Psalm 147.

“I can only imagine” what a world will be with God in charge. The great news is it will happen! I earnestly pray for His Kingdom to come when ”He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death, or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away” (Revelation 21:4).”  From: https://www.ucg.org/beyond-today/blogs/i-can-only-imagine-what-a-world-it-will-be-with-god-in-charge

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God's Bountiful Country

An Amazing Fact: “The most densely concentrated area of life on the planet is the tropical rainforest. In fact, researchers found that just a 4-mile-square patch of rainforest contains as many as 1,500 species of flowering plants, 750 species of trees, 125 mammal species, 400 species of birds, 100 species of reptiles, 60 species of amphibians, and 150 different species of butterflies. A single pond in Brazil is home to more fish species than can be found in all of Europe’s rivers, while the fish species in the Amazon River outnumber those in the Atlantic Ocean! But of the estimated 5 million species in the rainforest, only a small percentage has been named, much less studied.

The rainforest is also a cornucopia of produce, with over 3,000 varieties of fruit. Fruits like avocados, coconuts, figs, oranges, lemons, grapefruit, bananas, guavas, pineapples, mangoes, and tomatoes all originated in tropical rainforests. Even so, the rainforest’s bounty is largely undiscovered by the Western world: of the 3,000 varieties, Westerners only use around 200.

In addition, the rainforest contains a pharmaceutical gold mine. Nearly half of our medicinal compounds come from the plant life in the tropical rainforest, including drugs for childhood leukemia and heart disease. Yet these riches are largely unmined, as less than 1 percent of tropical plants and trees have been tested by scientists.

Rainforests are a living dynamo of animals, plants, and medicines, but instead of discovering and enjoying its bounty, man is destroying it at the rate of 1 acre every minute.

While rainforests used to cover fifteen percent of the Earth’s land area, today they cover less than seven percent.

In the book of Jeremiah, God expresses His displeasure over how Israel treated the Promised Land: “I brought you into a bountiful country, to eat its fruit and its goodness. But when you entered, you defiled My land And made My heritage an abomination” (Jeremiah 2:7). The book of Revelation makes it plain that God will eventually “destroy those who destroy the earth” (Revelation 11:18). As the Earth’s caretakers, shouldn’t we do our best to preserve His bountiful country?

BIBLE TEXTS
And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth. Revelation 11:18”

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Please click every day to save a piece of the Rainforest: http://theanimalrescuesite.greatergood.com/clickToGive/trs/home?gg_source=ctgtabs&gg_medium=sitenav&gg_campaign=ars

“HOW YOU'RE HELPING - CLICK TO HELP. SHOP TO DO MORE!

Today’s clicks so far have funded the value of 962,632.4 square feet of land.* Thank you!

Last year, visitor clicks funded the protection and preservation of 10,321 acres of of habitat, home to tens of thousands of plant and animal species.

Please click on “Remind me to visit daily”.         No spam, unsubscribe anytime.”

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Update.

In between the rainy days, Zack managed to mow the grass and clip the hedge. The every day maintenance of this place is partly what gets me down, I hadn’t expected it to take up so much of my retirement, or I would never have added to it over the years.   Less is more!

Like so many people, my junk is owning me, so I am trying really hard to get it all sold and donated, but it seems neverending.  My daughter is having to cope with too much of other people’s stuff right now, so I had better get this place whittled down to the bone and sold.  They don’t accept U-Hauls at the pearly gates, or the other place!

The new roof on the canvas 10 x 20’ garage doesn’t fit because they sent the wrong one, even though it is marked right on the box.  Maybe a packer put the wrong one in the box. The company said that they will send someone here to take it down and give me a refund.  We will see if that happens.

As I am still ferrying Lauri around, I haven’t been able to list much stuff for sale. Monday, I took her way down south, nearly to The Woodlands, to Costco. She bought more of those organic green hockey pucks, organic hummus and organic already-peeled hard-boiled eggs there.  I would rather buy locally and cook the food myself, then you know exactly what is in it.  But to each his own.

Zack and I contact-cemented the Formica on the other two countertops, but we haven’t done the backsplashes yet. The next day Zack didn’t show up, so as Lauri needed to go south near the Conroe Outlet Mall to pay a bill that she had forgotten, I picked her up.  I went to the “L’Eggs, Hanes, Playtex” store in the Outlet Mall and was measured and fitted for some new bras.  Just hadn’t taken the time to do that for quite a while.  Wow, how clothes have gone up in price!  Lauri wandered around the really upscale second hand store “Jazzy Junque” next door.  They have some lovely things, mostly furniture, and the proceeds are for handicapped kids.

I knew that I wanted to go to the Conroe church again to see Diane, and hopefully, her husband Les, as it was “Father’s Potluck”, but he still wasn’t feeling well.  They have been having troubles, and I hoped that going to church might help them.  He is the super-duper hero who fixes the computers free for the folks at the Willis church.  For the potluck, as I am fighting for room in my fridge’s freezer, I took out several containers of already-cooked food, mostly veggies and some rice, thawed it all out in a big pot on the stove. That concoction, with a few added spices, became Dirty Rice and was put in two crock pots, one for each church again.  I don’t spend much on groceries, but I just seem to have an abundance of food all the time, so I might as well share it.  Lauri needed a ride to my usual Willis church before I went in the other direction to the Conroe church, so I dropped her, and a crockpot, off.

At the Conroe church, Diane’s grandchildren stayed in the nursery while we studied out of the Beth Moore book again.  That didn’t quite make sense to me as Beth Moore is a Sunday preacher, and this is a Sabbath keeping church, just like Jesus went to.  Then the service with the singing, announcements, prayers, more singing and the Message which was about Romans 5. “The Benefits of the Gospel of Christ”, and closing prayers. 

At the Father’s Potluck there were pictures of some of the men when they were young strung on a line and numbered.  We had to guess who was who!  All the food was great and it was so nice to reconnect with old friends.  Then I drove back to Willis church to pick up Lauri and take her home.  Hopefully she will get her TX Driver’s License on Monday.

It was a good thing that I had made some room in my fridge’s freezer, my little deep freeze suddenly stopped freezing.  I caught it before any of the meat defrosted, but some of the frozen veggies got soft, so I cooked them in my big pot.  I had to crank up my little 2-door counter-height fridge, turn it up all the way, packed it full, and just hoped that it can cope.   Now there are towels and bins catching the water from the defrosting deep freeze.  When that is done, I will turn it on again and take it’s temperature.  I have had it many years, so I hope it isn’t ready to retire.

Zack and I tried to get some more stuff sorted out for donating, selling or just chucking out today.

Kennel Cough. Elephants. Help Whales. Wolves Keep Balance. Free Clicks Feed Animals. Greyhounds. Adopt A Senior Pet. Lonely Cats. Ernie Kovacs And Corvair.

 

For "Mammal Monday":

Why This Vaccine is WORTHLESS and Won't Stop Your Dog Getting Kennel Cough…

"If your dog seems to be coughing a lot or making choking sounds, he may have a case of canine infectious tracheobronchitis, more commonly known as kennel cough.

Believe it or not, as awful as the choking, hacking noises sound, most episodes of kennel cough are not serious and resolve without treatment.

About Vaccines for Kennel Cough

Many veterinarians recommend bordetella vaccines – either by injection or nasal mist delivery.  I’m not one of them, however.

Many boarding kennels, doggie daycare facilities, groomers and other similar businesses require dogs be vaccinated for kennel cough. Please understand the reason behind this requirement – it is to remove liability from those establishments.

The truth is, these vaccines are ineffective and will not prevent your dog from getting kennel cough. The infection is caused by a wide variety of bacterial and viral agents, and no single vaccine can provide protection from them all. Nor will the vaccines treat an active infection."  More at: http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2010/09/09/9-natural-remedies-for-kennel-cough.aspx

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From me:  The same applies to flu vaccines for people.

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Elephants in Mourning

"A herd of elephants stumble on some elephant bones and mourn the loss of fallen relatives."

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Tell Japan It's Time To Stop Slaughtering Whales

"Stop Japan from ignoring the International Whaling Commission's moratorium on commercial whaling.

The International Court of Justice in The Hague has finished hearing a case brought by Australia that may end Japan's annual slaughter of hundreds of whales. Show your support for conservation and Australia's effort to end Japanese whaling while we wait for the ruling. Please, Sign today!"

http://therainforestsite.greatergood.com/clickToGive/trs/petition/JapanWhaling?&utm_source=ctg&utm_medium=home-feature&utm_term=20130102&utm_campaign=trs-petition

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A Wolf's Role in the Ecosystem - The Trophic Cascade

"A young forest service employee named Aldo Leopold, charged with killing wolves in New Mexico in the early 1900's started to notice that as the wolves died off, the deer population boomed and ate all the plants to nothing. In his groundbreaking work, "Thinking Like a Mountain", (Please read that article) Leopold put forth an idea 50 years ahead of his time: predators control ecosystems.

Since wild wolves have returned to Yellowstone, the elk and deer are stronger, the aspens and willows are healthier and the grasses taller.  For example, when wolves chase elk during the hunt, the elk are forced to run faster and farther.  As the elk run, their hooves aerate the soil, allowing more grasses to grow.  Since the elk cannot remain stationary for too long, aspens and willows in one area are not heavily grazed, and therefore can fully recover between migrations. 

As with the rest of the country, coyote populations were nearly out of control in Yellowstone before the wolves returned.  Now, the coyotes have been out-competed and essentially reduced by 80 percent in areas occupied by wolves.  The coyotes that do remain are more skittish and wary.  With fewer coyotes hunting small rodents, raptors like the eagle and osprey have more prey and are making a comeback. 

The endangered grizzly bears successfully steal wolf kills more often than not, thus having more food to feed their cubs.   In essence, we have learned that by starting recovery at the top with predators like wolves, the whole system benefits.  A wild wolf population actually makes for a stronger, healthier and more balanced ecosystem.  From plant, to insect, to people... we all stand to benefit from wolves."  More at: http://www.missionwolf.org/page/trophic-cascade/

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The Animal Rescue Site.

Free clicks feed animals in shelters and rescues while they wait for their forever homes. The food is funded by the advertisers.

http://theanimalrescuesite.greatergood.com/clickToGive/ars/home

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Adopt a Greyhound:

"The story of how my ex-racer found her true calling..."

 http://www.adopt-a-greyhound.org/

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7 Great Reasons to Adopt a Senior Cat

"Why might you want to consider adopting a senior cat? There are lots of good reasons. Here are seven of the best.

1.   When you adopt a kitten, its personality is still developing. As a result, you won't know whether your new friend is going to be a lap cat or an independent spirit. With a senior, that's not true. Its personality is already fully developed, so what you see is what you get. You'll know right away whether your new feline companion is going to be a cuddlebug or an independent thinker. But keep in mind that in a shelter environment, your new cat's personality might not shine through quite as strongly because of the stress and fear associated with being in a strange place.

7.   Senior cats are often among the hardest pets for shelters and rescues to place in a new home. Especially black ones.  By adopting a senior cat, in most cases, you'll literally be saving the cat's life. Your senior citizen will repay you for your kindness with friendship and appreciation. You'll also be allowing your new cat to live out her senior years in the comfort and dignity that an older cat deserves."     Rest of the reasons at: http://www.petmd.com/blogs/thedailyvet/lhuston/2013/nov/seven-great-reasons-to-adopt-senior-cats-31020#.UtNHqyu2VSg

This applies to dogs, too.

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From me:  My 'new' 12-year old cat, Ava, is a very sweet, loving, black cat.  She was surrendered to a pound by her previous people as she had lost most of her hair and she was as skinny as a rail.  They didn't want to address her medical issues, and she didn't fare much better at her foster home.

Now that I have got her health and terrible dandruff straightened out, and she no longer makes me wheeze, I wouldn't part with her for anything.  She just needed to be on a better diet and some vitamins.  She appreciates that, and tells me every day.  It is so rewarding that I can give her a better life in her old age.

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Should You Leave Your Cat Home Alone While You’re Away?

"Over half of U.S. cat owners feel it’s fine to leave their feline companions alone at home while they’re away. And while it’s true most kitties don’t require the same level of attention dogs do, leaving a cat home for days with no one to check on her can backfire.

What if your cat, home alone, gets sick? Who will tend to him? And what if the problem is very serious, like a urinary blockage? Will you get home in time to save him?

Another consideration is your cat’s diet. The only food that can be safely left in kitty’s bowl during your absence is kibble. However, kibble is far from ideal nutrition for cats. The species-appropriate nutrition that is healthiest for your cat can’t be left in a bowl on the floor for days, as it will spoil.

And what about that litter box? Cats don’t like dirty litter, and if her box isn’t being scooped at least once daily, your kitty may acquire a habit of eliminating in inappropriate locations.

Our recommendation is to have someone visit at least once a day while you’re away to feed your cat, scoop the litter box, and insure your pet is eating and appears healthy." Complete article at: http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2014/01/06/home-alone-pet-cat.aspx

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On This Day:

Ernie Kovacs killed in Corvair crash, Jan 13, 1962:

"On this day in 1962, Ernie Kovacs, a comedian who hosted his own television shows during the 1950s and is said to have influenced such TV hosts as Johnny Carson and David Letterman, dies at the age of 42 after crashing his Chevrolet Corvair into a telephone pole in Los Angeles, California, while driving in a rainstorm. Kovacs, who often appeared on camera with his trademark cigar, was found by police with an unlit cigar, leading to speculation that he had been reaching for the cigar and lost control of his vehicle.

The Corvair was later made infamous by Ralph Nader's groundbreaking 1965 book "Unsafe at Any Speed: The Designed-In Dangers of the American Automobile," about unsafe practices in the auto industry.

It was the only American designed, mass-produced passenger car to feature a rear-mounted air-cooled engine.

The Corvair, which suffered from slumping sales due in part to the negative publicity from Nader's book as well as to consumer lawsuits (the car's suspension system was blamed for rollovers), was discontinued by GM in 1969.

In a bitter coincidence, one of Kovac's three children was later killed in an auto accident."

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Yesterday:

Another mild day, so the cats could go out on the screen porch for a while.  They still ignore each other and give each other a wide berth, so I did the 'sock trick'. 

I got a pair of socks and rubbed each one on each cat, especially on the scent glands around their mouths, and then put the sock in the other's bed.  This is supposed to familiarize them with each other's scent, without actually being up close and personal.  This has stopped a lot of the hissing at each other.  I know that Nala wants Ava to play with her.  It is always more difficult to get cats of the same sex to be friends.

My time was eaten up by catching up on emails, blogs, paying bills, making Kale Chips, steaming veggies, trying to find the right Heat/Air, and the usual chores.  While I had the steamer out, I steamed some soft-boiled eggs.  If you put several eggs in boiling water, it lowers the temperature and they can't be timed right.  If you steam them they are all the same.

I had already juiced the stems of the kale, so the leaves were all ready for: http://pickyeaterblog.com/garlic-parmesan-kale-chips/ 

Another quiet day.

Dog Diabetes. Pet Foods. Please Click. Feral Cat Hoarding. Dog v. Wolf. Michael Vick's Dogs. Cutest Frog. Baptist Pastor on Easter. April Fools. First Weather Satellite. Tobacco Ads Banned. “Food Matters”.

 

For “Mammal Monday”:

A Single Treatment Cures Diabetes - How to Protect Your Pet Now

“Researchers in Spain have successfully used gene therapy to treat type I diabetes in dogs.

Type I diabetes, known as juvenile diabetes in humans, is the form of diabetes that most often affects canines. It occurs primarily in adult dogs as the result of lifestyle factors, including over-vaccination, diets high in carbohydrates, and lack of exercise.  The gene therapy treatment is given in a single session, and the dogs in the study recovered their health and showed no further signs of the disease – some through over four years of monitoring.

The dogs experienced good glucose control whether fasting or eating, with no episodes of hypoglycemia, even after exercise. The dogs also had improved body weight and developed no secondary complications four years after treatment.

Dog diabetes is almost always avoidable, so while the news of a cure is exciting, preventing disease in your pet should remain the focus of your efforts.

Obesity in companion animals is becoming an epidemic. And obesity stems from two sources:

1. Lack of movement
2. Diet, which is the underlying and most obvious reason behind weight gain and the development of diabetes 

The majority of pets in the U.S. consume a high calorie, high carb diet. And yet, dogs and cats have no physiological requirement for grains like corn, wheat, rice, soy, millet or quinoa as sources of energy.

Dogs are scavenging carnivores, cats are obligate carnivores – they are designed by nature to burn fat and protein very efficiently. The majority of commercially available dog and cat foods in the U.S. use grains or potato starch as filler.

Your pet’s body doesn’t need those carbs, and certainly not in the quantities contained in most commercial pet foods. You should really only give carbs as treats, if at all.

All the carbohydrates in your pet’s food – which can be as much as 80 percent of the contents – break down into sugar. Excess sugar can result in diabetes.  Too much sugar in your pet’s system can result in pancreatic failure, insulin production deficiency or insulin resistance, a condition in which the body’s cells stop using insulin efficiently and become starved of essential nutrients.

To avoid feeding carbs, transition your cat or dog to a species-appropriate, preferably raw diet.”  More at:   http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2010/04/07/causes-of-pet-diabetes.aspx

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How to Tell If a Pet Food Manufacturer is Untrustworthy

“Recently a DVM and professor from Tufts University's Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, Dr. Lisa Freeman, gave a lecture based on her research on companion animal nutrition.

During her presentation, Dr. Freeman showed images of various pet food labels. One label for a cat food showed flaxseed on the ingredient list. Flaxseed can be metabolized by the human digestive system. It can also be marginally digested by dogs. However, cats can't digest the stuff at all – but there it was, big as life, on the ingredient label.

In Dr. Freeman's view, this is a sign the pet food manufacturer doesn't know much about canine and feline nutrition. I would take it a step further and suggest the company also doesn't care much about pet nutrition. How can a maker of cat food use an ingredient wholly indigestible to cats and still give a hoot about feline nutrition?

It is shocking how many pet food companies do not have a nutritionist on staff. She would prefer companies spend less money on marketing and more on research and development and experts in animal nutrition.

Animal by-products are rendered ingredients in pet food. The rendering process is designed to blend anything and everything – from clean muscle meat … to slaughter floor waste … to roadkill … to euthanized shelter pets – into ingredients pet food manufacturers can include in their formulas.”  More at: http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2012/04/27/pet-food-label-guidelines.aspx

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How to Know if the Poultry in Your Pet's Food is Chicken... or Roadkill

“The pet food rendering industry exists for one reason – to turn animal and food waste not fit for human consumption into ingredients pet food manufacturers will buy.

What most pet parents who buy popular commercial pet foods don’t know is exactly what type of “raw materials” wind up at rendering facilities and ultimately, in the food they feed their beloved dog or cat.

Plenty of pet food consumers also don’t realize there’s a huge difference between “chicken” and “poultry” on pet food ingredient labels. There’s also a huge difference between “chicken” and “chicken by-products.” And these differences are extremely important when it comes to the health of dogs and cats.

The sad fact is, most of the biggest pet food companies are consumed with increasing profits, not your pet’s health. That’s why every pet parent should learn to read pet food labels and know the difference between good, acceptable, and poor/dangerous pet food ingredients.”   More at: http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2012/04/11/pet-food-contains-poultry.aspx

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It's High in Protein, High in Fat - But Should You Feed It to Your Dog?

“Unfortunately, the ingredient lists for these new diets aren’t impressive. Chicken did top the list (before processing), but the next several ingredients in all three formulas were primarily grains – including plenty of corn/corn derivatives -- and byproducts.”  More at: http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2013/03/20/new-dog-food-formula.aspx

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Please Click every day.

“Angie asks all ANIMAL LOVERS to pass this on. The Animal Rescue Site is having trouble getting enough people to click on their site DAILY -www.theanimalrescuesite.com  It is the only way they can meet their quota of getting free food to be donated every day to abused and neglected animals.  Their corporate sponsors/advertisers use the number of daily visits to donate food to abandoned and neglected animals in exchange for advertising.

Just go to their site and click on the purple box 'FUND FOOD FOR ANIMALS' for FREE.”   Thank you.

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Florida Legislature Poised to Approve Public Cat Hoarding

(Washington, D.C., March 29, 2013) “Despite public opposition, the Florida legislature is moving towards approving legislation that would authorize the public hoarding of cats by feral cat activists, in the face of potential public health and property value impacts, as well as predicted high mortality for native animals. The cost of cleaning up these areas could also fall on Florida taxpayers.

“Even if the threat of serious disease is not off-putting, the fact is that one in five Americans - about 48 million people - engage in birdwatching. None of those people will want to live in an area that has a state-sanctioned cat hoarding area. We continually get calls from people asking what they can do to get rid of the feral cats that kill the wildlife in their backyards that they so enjoy watching. It is not inconceivable that when word gets out to the wildlife community, birdwatchers may begin to avoid Florida as a birding destination with potentially significant economic impacts to small businesses."  More at: http://www.abcbirds.org/newsandreports/releases/130329.html   

On ABC’s Facebook page many have said that they will boycott FL if this approved!!

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Born to Be Wild: Why Wolves Are and Dogs Aren’t

“Based on exciting new research, it seems we’ve made some incorrect assumptions about how wolf pups mature. Their senses of sight, sound and smell develop very similar to those of dogs, but there’s one important difference – wolf pups begin walking and discovering their world two weeks sooner than their domestic counterparts.

This means wolf pups enter the all-important socialization period at just two weeks of age, when they cannot yet see or hear. Only their sense of smell is functioning as they begin to explore their world. This is a vastly different developmental experience than that of dog puppies, and is very likely the reason the behaviors of adult wolves and dogs are dissimilar.

It seems nature has designed wolf pups to be prepared to survive out in the world at a young age... but with that readiness comes a greater level of fear and aversion to other species and unfamiliar sights, sounds and smells.”  More at: http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2013/03/27/dog-wolf-differences.aspx

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Michael Vick's former dogs celebrated at reunion

“Six of the 22 dogs taken in by Best Friends Animal Society from Vick's notorious 'Bad Newz Kennels' gather for an event sponsored by the animal sanctuary.”  Pictures and more at:  http://www.mnn.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/blogs/michael-vicks-former-dogs-celebrated-at-reunion

 

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I know it’s not a mammal, but it sounds like a dog’s squeaky toy.

Worlds Cutest Frog - Desert Rain Frog

“The Desert Rain Frog’s natural habitat is in Namibia and South Africa along a 10 kilometer stretch of land along the ocean. The frog is nocturnal and enjoys moist areas, which the ocean fog helps provide.”

“Is he crying for his mama?   A viral video that was released earlier this week of a tiny, squeaky-voiced frog has won the hearts of many, including dogs, some of whom can’t get enough of the clip. The so-called “world’s cutest frog,” a South African desert rain frog, has a voice like a squeaky toy, drives dogs wild.

The frog was found and filmed by naturalist Dean Boshoff, who was walking past a sand dune in South Africa when he heard an insistent squeaking.   “I found him, I knelt down,” said Boshoff. “I couldn’t believe the little sound that he was making.”    Neither, apparently, can many dogs.

When Dean posted the video, he asked others to share their pets’ reactions.  The resulting video clips have shown dogs butting computers with their heads, running around in circles and even trying to make off with one user’s smart phone.”

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Should Christians Celebrate Easter?  By Pastor Jeff Alexander,    Pastor Calvary Baptist Church of Lamar, Colorado

“Easter is commonly understood to be a Christian holiday celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The date for it is set as the Sunday immediately following the fourteenth day of the paschal (Passover) moon, which happens on or after the vernal equinox. However, as is explained in the Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge (Vol. 2, p. 682), “The present variable time [for fixing the date of Easter] was appointed by early Romanism in amalgamation with the very ancient pagan spring festival to the goddess of the spring.”

As a result, pagan symbols have been so thoroughly embedded that they are now generally thought to be Christian in origin. An example is the Easter lily. Where is there biblical authority for its prevalence at Easter? Merrill Unger (Archeology and the Old Testament, pp. 173, 174) describes the Canaanite goddess “as a nude woman bestride a lion with a lily in one hand and a serpent in the other.” The lily “bespeaks the grace and sex appeal of the bearer” and the serpent “symbolizes her fecundity” (fertility).

The Roman Church incorporated the egg as an emblem of Christ’s resurrection. Pope Paul V taught people to pray at Easter, “Bless, O Lord, we beseech thee this, thy creature of eggs, that it may become a wholesome sustenance unto thy servants, eating it in remembrance of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Again, where is the biblical authority to support such a notion?”     More at: http://www.inplainsite.org/html/easter.html

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On This Day:

April Fools tradition popularized, Apr 1, 1700:

“On this day in 1700, pranksters begin popularizing the annual tradition of April Fools' Day by playing practical jokes on each other.

Historians have also linked April Fools' Day to ancient festivals such as Hilaria, which was celebrated in Rome at the end of March and involved people dressing up in disguises. There's also speculation that April Fools' Day was tied to the vernal equinox, or first day of spring in the Northern Hemisphere, when Mother Nature fooled people with changing, unpredictable weather.”

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First weather satellite, Apr 1, 1960

“The first weather satellite to be considered a success was TIROS-1, launched by NASA on April 1, 1960. TIROS operated for 78 days and proved to be much more successful than Vanguard 2. TIROS paved the way for the Nimbus program, whose technology and findings are the heritage of most of the Earth-observing satellites NASA and NOAA have launched since then.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weather_satellite

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Nixon signs legislation banning cigarette ads on TV and radio, Apr 1, 1970:

“On this day in 1970, President Richard Nixon signs legislation officially banning cigarette ads on television and radio. Nixon, who was an avid pipe smoker, indulging in as many as eight bowls a day, supported the legislation at the increasing insistence of public health advocates.

Tobacco has played a part in the lives of presidents since the country's inception. A hugely profitable crop in early America, Presidents Washington, Jefferson, Madison and Jackson owned tobacco plantations and used tobacco in the form of snuff or smoked cigars. Regulation of the tobacco industry in the form of excise taxes began during Washington's presidency and continues to this day. In 1962, Kennedy became the first president to sponsor studies on smoking and public health.”

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Yesterday:

After watching the sermon program on WGN TV, I tried to take care of Misty and Terry’s breakfast.  Misty is easy, she’ll eat anything, though I try to feed her only the best.  She is still spry and happy at 18 years old.  But Terry was not his usual ravenous self.  He had finished the amoxicillin antibiotic for his URI on Saturday, but he has been sick for nearly a month, and he is still having trouble with his breathing.  Now, he doesn’t want to eat.  I tried different foods, but he didn’t want them, so I poked some Nutri-Cal in his mouth to keep him going. 

DD had left a comment about a health show called "Know The Cause", so I found it online and watched some of the episodes.  But to me, they had the tone of infomercials for the products that they sell. 

So I started looking at some of the sites from the well-known health doctors, (some are non-profit sites), like Dr. Andrew Weil, Dr Mark Fuhrman, Dr. Weston Price, Dr. Mercola and Dr. Andrew Saul, and came across the documentary “Food Matters”.  It is very interesting, and everyone should see it.  It could be one of the most important 1¼ hours of your life.  http://www.filmsforaction.org/watch/food_matters_2008/

 

While the video was playing on my computer, I did dishes, removed sheets, did laundry, dusted, put sheets back on, (doesn’t everyone have their favorite sheets?), and caught up with a few household chores. But I was anxious to get back to it, to hit ‘play’ each time.

In the afternoon, I had just finished drinking some homemade veggie juice and getting ready to take Misty for a walk down to the mailboxes, when it got humid and started raining.  It didn’t last long, but then the grass was all wet. So much for that.

Terry had been hiding in my closet most of the day and still didn’t want any dinner.  I mashed up some canned cat food with some Whiskas cat milk, and got it down him with a feeding syringe. I know I have to take him back to the vet today.

Animals! Animal and Bird Hearts. Chisholm Trail.

 

For “Mammal Monday”:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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On This Day:

Founder of Chisholm Trail dies, Mar 4, 1868:

“Jesse Chisholm, who blazed one of the West's most famous trails, dies in Oklahoma of food poisoning.

Although the trail named for him later came to be one of the major cattle-drive routes between Texas and Kansas, Jesse Chisholm was a frontier trader, not a cattleman. Born in Tennessee of a Scottish father and a Cherokee mother, Chisholm was among the early pioneers who moved west into what is now the state of Arkansas. In his 20s, he joined a community of Cherokee Indians in northwestern Arkansas and became a frontier trader. His familiarity with both Anglo and Native American culture and language (he could reportedly speak 14 different Indian dialects) helped him build a thriving trade with the Osage, Wichita, Kiowa, and Comanche.

Chisholm's knowledge of the Native Americans also made him useful to government officials. The U.S. was eager to negotiate treaties with the tribes in the region, and Chisholm served as a liaison between tribal leaders and federal officials at several important councils. Many Indian leaders trusted and respected Chisholm, and he successfully negotiated for the release of numerous Anglo captives taken by the Kiowa and Comanche.

Chisholm's vast knowledge of southwestern geography were invaluable in trailblazing. He led several important expeditions into the Southwest during the 1830s and 1840s, and during the Civil War opened a trading post near present-day Wichita, Kansas. Following the war, he blazed one of the first trading routes south down from Wichita to the Red River in central Texas. Eventually extended all the way south to the Gulf of Mexico, the trading route became known as the Chisholm Trail.

A straight wagon road with easy river crossings and few steep grades, Chisholm designed his trail for the lumbering heavy freight wagons used for commerce. In 1867, a year before Chisholm died, his trail also began to be used for a different purpose: cattle drives. The rapidly growing Texas cattle industry needed to move its herds north to the railheads in Kansas, and Chisholm's gentle trail provided an ideal route. During the next five years, more than a million head traveled up the road, trampling down a path that was in some places 200 to 400 yards wide. Hooves and the erosion of wind and water eventually cut the trail down below the level of the plains it crossed, permanently carving Chisholm's Trail into the face of the earth and guaranteeing its lasting fame. Traces of the trail may still be seen to this day.”

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Yesterday:

I was my turn to tend to the Cat Habitat in Conroe.  There were all new cats, as the others had been adopted, except Arty who, as he has been there a month, he went back to Kenya’s.   I hope Miss Priss is happy in her new home with two other cats.

As they had just been put in the habitat the day before, the new cats were still adjusting to not being in their foster homes, and they hadn’t eaten their dinner.  I called Kenya, but she wasn’t surprised, she said to just clean up the canned food dishes, and disturb the cats as little as possible.  She would be back to check on them that afternoon.  I went to Lowes and bought some plumbing parts and came home.

Satchmo is a very nervous and skittish cat, he doesn't like to be on the screen porch, and runs when any one enters a room.  I wonder how stressed he will be when traveling in the motorhome. There is often a lot of construction going on here, and it really bothers him.  I found out that this is often the case with de-clawed cats, they run when startled, as they can’t fight.  I am used to laid back cats who go with the flow.  I love him to pieces, but is this life good for him? He can go back to his foster mom, and have a quieter life.  He has put on weight, his coat is better since he has been here, and he seems fond of me, but he is so scared all the time. I don’t know if I did him any favors by taking him in.

The new wall heater arrives today.

Birds: 'Akiapōlā'au. Stresemann's Bristlefront. Bald Eagle Freed. Arctic Birds in FL. Snowy Owls. Carolina Waterfowl Rescue. BLUE BIRD. BirdNote: The Early Bird, Egrets, and Chickadees ... Marias Massacre.

 

For “Winged Wednesday”:

'Akiapōlā'au

“The 'Akiapōlā'au (pronounced ah-kee-ah-POH-LAH-OW) is a member of the highly specialized Hawaiian honeycreeper family. This species is most notable for its mismatched-looking beak that has a long, downward-curving upper mandible, used for probing, and a shorter lower mandible, used as a drill as the bird creeps along tree trunks and branches, probing for arthropods under the bark. It also takes flower nectar and drinks sap from shallow wells it drills in live bark.

Threats include grazing and logging, that have degraded or destroyed much of its habitat; predation by introduced mammals; mosquito-borne avian diseases; and depletion of the birds’ prey by introduced insects. Global climate change could allow mosquitoes to move to higher elevations, further decreasing suitable habitat for the 'Akiapōlā'au and other native Hawaiian passerines.

ABC is involved in a significant conservation project that will benefit the 'Akiapōlā'au and other native birds on the Mauna Kea volcano, where the species disappeared when overgrazing by non-native mammals severely degraded the forest.  Mouflon sheep and goats will be removed following the completion of an ungulate-proof fence that will encircle the mountain, setting the stage for forest regeneration and restoration. Fencing and removal of cattle and pigs has also been successfully employed at Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge, a key stronghold of the 'Akiapōlā'au.”

Help ABC conserve this and other birds and their habitats!

Listen to a two-minute broadcast about this bird!Photo: Jack Jeffrey; Range Map, ABC

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First Nest Ever Discovered of One of the World's Most Endangered Birds

Stresemann's Bristlefront by Ciro Albano - NE Brazil Birding.

(Washington, D.C., January 17, 2013) “The first known nest of one of the world's rarest birds - the Critically Endangered Stresemann's Bristlefront - has been discovered in Brazil. Of perhaps equal significance is that strong evidence of active nestlings was also found.

The Stresemann's Bristlefront is one of the world's most threatened bird species -- unrecorded for 50 years until it was rediscovered in 1995 near Una, Bahia, in Brazil's Atlantic Forest region. The world population estimate is fewer than 15 individuals. Its population is declining owing to fires, logging, and the clearance of humid valley-floor forest for cattle ranching and agriculture.

On October 30, 2012, Dimas Pioli and Gustavo Malacco, two Brazilian researchers visiting Fundação Biodiversitas’ Mata do Passarinho Reserve discovered the bird’s nesting tunnel entrance, a tennis ball sized hole, located about three feet from the ground in an exposed dirt vertical edge that contained overhanging vegetation. Nesting tunnels are typical for the ground dwelling Tapaculo family, to which the Bristlefront belongs.”  More at:  http://www.abcbirds.org/newsandreports/releases/130117.html

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Eagle hurt in brawl with another eagle released into wild

Credit: West Sound Wildlife Shelter

“A bald eagle hurt in a fight with another eagle in October was released back into the wild on Sunday.
West Sound Wildlife Shelter had been caring for the 10-pound raptor, which is about six years old and was suffering from soft tissue injuries and soreness.”

Watch it hanging on to it’s security ‘blankie’!!

“The West Sound Wildlife Shelter says in 2012 they cared for 1003 animals in need of medical care. 
The West Sound Wildlife Shelter provides injured, orphaned and sick wild animals a second chance at life and promotes the well-being of wildlife through public outreach, education and involvement.”

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Dead & dying arctic birds showing up in Florida, possibly due to Hurricane Sandy

NBC NATIONAL NEWS — “Arctic birds that are supposed to be up north are ending up in Southwest Florida. They're about 1,000 miles from where they should be.

They're called razorbills and they look a little like penguins.  They're migrating to Southwest Florida and dying within hours. We found out how Hurricane Sandy might be responsible months after it made landfall.

Walking down the beach near Clam Pass, Ed Selby saw a bird he'd never seen before on the shores of Southwest Florida.  "They look a little bit like penguins. This is the first time I'd ever seen the birds here. In fact, I think it's the first time anyone's seen them here," said Selby, a volunteer with the Conservancy of Southwest Florida.

He found two dead razorbills - an arctic migratory seabird not native to Florida.  Over the past few weeks wildlife clinics have taken in dozens of the protected birds. Most were already dead; others were found exhausted and starving and died within hours.”   Video and read more: http://bit.ly/Wiv1tJ

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Thousands of Snowy Owls Migrate South in Unbelievable Wildlife Event

“In "... the most significant wildlife event in decades," thousands of Arctic snowy owls are migrating south to the U.S. this winter. They have been spotted coast-to-coast and as far south as Oklahoma.

Experts believe a snowy owl population boom that followed mating season has forced the birds -- mostly young males -- south in search of less competition for food.

The snowy owl is one of the largest species of owl, with an impressive five foot wing span. These owls have few predators, but their population is thought to be in decline.”

Complete article at: http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2012/03/12/arctic-snowy-owls-migrate-south.aspx

“Get an intimate look at these white owls from the north through video and photographs captured by the Cornell Lab's, Gerrit Vyn.”:

“Snowy Owls lead nomadic lives and travel vast distances from year to year searching for productive feeding areas. Some years, most recently in the winter of 2011/2012, conditions cause them to come south in great numbers.”

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Rescue U - Final day at the Carolina Waterfowl Rescue

From me: One of the ways you helped with your clicks every day:

“The Rescue U team rolled into North Carolina in January 2013 to help Carolina Water Fowl Rescue rebuild and expand their facilities after being hit by severe storms in 2012. This $60,000 project was made possible by Gifts That Give More at The Animal Rescue Site and the many college volunteers who gave up their vacations to help.”

“As always, a huge THANK YOU is owed to all of the college student volunteers of Rescue U. They provided the woman and man power to make it happen!”

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BLUE BIRD OF HAPPINESS, MY ASS!

“It's Friggin' Freezing.  There's snow up my ass, all the food's covered with 3 feet of this white shit, and you want ME to sing?”

 

 

 

 

 

 

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BirdNote Weekly Preview: The Early Bird, Egrets, and Chickadees ...

 

Upcoming Shows

Sooty Tern

SUNDAY  Sooty Tern  by Dennis Paulson   LISTEN NOW ►

MONDAY  A New Year Dawns featuring the recordings of Gordon Hempton LISTEN NOW ►

American Robin

TUESDAY The Early Bird? by Bob Sundstrom LISTEN NOW ►

Reddish Egret

WEDNESDAY Reddish Egret - Lagoon Dancer by Bob Sundstrom LISTEN NOW ►

King of Saxony  Bird of Paradise

THURSDAY The Birds of Papua New Guinea featuring Alexandra Freeman LISTEN NOW ►

Chestnut-backed Chickadee

FRIDAY Why Do Chickadees Come and Go? by Dennis Paulson LISTEN NOW ►

American Crow

SATURDAY Tale of a Rascal Crow by Frances Wood LISTEN

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On This Day:

Soldiers massacre the wrong camp of Indians, Jan 23, 1870:

“Declaring he did not care whether or not it was the rebellious band of Indians he had been searching for, Colonel Eugene Baker orders his men to attack a sleeping camp of peaceful Blackfeet along the Marias River in northern Montana.

The previous fall, Malcolm Clarke, an influential Montana rancher, had accused a Blackfeet warrior named Owl Child of stealing some of his horses; he punished the proud brave with a brutal whipping. In retribution, Owl Child and several allies murdered Clarke and his son at their home near Helena, and then fled north to join a band of rebellious Blackfeet under the leadership of Mountain Chief. Outraged and frightened, Montanans demanded that Owl Child and his followers be punished, and the government responded by ordering the forces garrisoned under Major Eugene Baker at Fort Ellis (near modern-day Bozeman, Montana) to strike back.

Strengthening his cavalry units with two infantry groups from Fort Shaw near Great Falls, Baker led his troops out into sub-zero winter weather and headed north in search of Mountain Chief's band. Soldiers later reported that Baker drank a great deal throughout the march. On January 22, Baker discovered an Indian village along the Marias River, and, postponing his attack until the following morning, spent the evening drinking heavily.

At daybreak on the morning of January 23, 1870, Baker ordered his men to surround the camp in preparation for attack. As the darkness faded, Baker's scout, Joe Kipp, recognized that the painted designs on the buffalo-skin lodges were those of a peaceful band of Blackfeet led by Heavy Runner. Mountain Chief and Owl Child, Kipp quickly realized, must have gotten wind of the approaching soldiers and moved their winter camp elsewhere. Kipp rushed to tell Baker that they had the wrong Indians, but Baker reportedly replied, "That makes no difference, one band or another of them; they are all Piegans [Blackfeet] and we will attack them." Baker then ordered a sergeant to shoot Kipp if he tried to warn the sleeping camp of Blackfeet and gave the command to attack.

Baker's soldiers began blindly firing into the village, catching the peaceful Indians utterly unaware and defenseless. By the time the brutal attack was over, Baker and his men had, by the best estimate, murdered 37 men, 90 women, and 50 children. Knocking down lodges with frightened survivors inside, the soldiers set them on fire, burnt some of the Blackfeet alive, and then burned the band's meager supplies of food for the winter. Baker initially captured about 140 women and children as prisoners to take back to Fort Ellis, but when he discovered many were ill with smallpox, he abandoned them to face the deadly winter without food or shelter.

When word of the Baker Massacre (now known as the Marias Massacre) reached the east, many Americans were outraged. One angry congressman denounced Baker, saying "civilization shudders at horrors like this." Baker's superiors, however, supported his actions, as did the people of Montana, with one journalist calling Baker's critics "namby-pamby, sniffling old maid sentimentalists." Neither Baker nor his men faced a court martial or any other disciplinary actions. However, the public outrage over the massacre did derail the growing movement to transfer control of Indian affairs from the Department of Interior to the War Department--President Ulysses S. Grant decreed that henceforth all Indian agents would be civilians rather than soldiers.”

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Yesterday:

Jay called wanting to work, so Misty and I went to get him and had our walk down there, while we waited for him.

Jay and I moved all the remnants of the back wall of the RVport that we had torn down on that cold day last week.  We were just too cold to do that at the time.  The lumber was cleaned (that means the old nails were removed), and stacked on the other side of the house.  But we kept one 10’ 2x6 and screwed it between two side posts in the area in front of where the Puddle Jumper is parked.   This is a covered area between that carport and the storeroom, with one open side.  Before, it had been protected by the RVport roof. We screwed two of the panels that were on the back of the RVport onto the 10’ 2x6, so now that side is weather protected, temporarily. 

It was a lovely warm day, and it was great to be outside again.

Jim, the mechanic brought my van back after the tune-up.  He said as difficult as some of the plugs were to get to, he doubts if they have ever been changed before. I drove him home, it’s all better now, and drives great, so I can go shopping today.