Memorial Day Infographic. Thanks. Wordless Mammal Monday. St. Petersburg. Golden Gate Bridge.

 

For “Mammal Monday”:  Well, Almost Wordless!!

First, a sobering infographic about Memorial Day:

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Did You Lose a Cat?

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On This Day:

St. Petersburg founded by Peter the Great, May 27, 1703:

“After winning access to the Baltic Sea through his victories in the Great Northern War, Czar Peter I founds the city of St. Petersburg as the new Russian capital.

The reign of Peter, who became sole czar in 1696, was characterized by a series of sweeping military, political, economic, and cultural reforms based on Western European models. Peter the Great, as he became known, led his country into major conflicts with Persia, the Ottoman Empire, and Sweden. Russian victories in these wars greatly expanded Peter's empire, and the defeat of Sweden won Russia direct access to the Baltic Sea, a lifelong obsession of the Russian leader. With the founding of St. Petersburg, Russia was now a major European power--politically, culturally, and geographically. In 1721, Peter abandoned the traditional Russian title of czar in favor of the European-influenced title of emperor. Four years later, he died and was succeeded by his wife, Catherine.”

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Golden Gate Bridge opens, May 27, 1937:

“On this day in 1937, the Golden Gate Bridge, connecting San Francisco with Marin County, California, officially opens amid citywide celebration.

Named for the narrow strait that marks the entrance to the San Francisco Bay from the Pacific Ocean, the Golden Gate Bridge was constructed from January 1933 to May 1937. At the time, it was the longest suspension bridge in the world, at 4,200 feet. From the beginning, the bridge's location posed challenges for its construction, not least because of its proximity to the mighty San Andreas Fault, which passes from north to south through the San Francisco Bay area. In addition, the tumultuous waters of the strait posed grave dangers for the underwater construction work necessary to build the bridge.  Still, the engineer Joseph Strauss waged a tireless 16-year campaign to convince skeptical city officials and other opponents of the controversial project.

On the bridge's opening day, he triumphantly exclaimed: "The bridge which could not and should not be built, which the War Department would not permit, which the rocky foundation of the pier base would not support, which would have no traffic to justify it, which would ruin the beauty of the Golden Gate, which could not be completed within my costs estimate of $27,165,000, stands before you in all its majestic splendor, in complete refutation of every attack made upon it."

By 6 a.m. on May 27, 18,000 people were lined up on both the San Francisco and Marin sides; in all, some 200,000 showed up that day. At the appointed hour, a foghorn blew and the toll gates opened, releasing the earliest arrivals, who rushed to be the first to cross. Many schools, offices and stores were closed, and the day was designated "Pedestrian Day." The next day, the bridge opened to vehicular traffic. Across the country in the White House, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt proclaimed the bridge open to the world, and by the end of the day, more than 32,000 vehicles had paid tolls and crossed. According to the official Web site of the Golden Gate Bridge, nearly 2 billion vehicles have crossed the bridge (in both north- and southbound directions) in the 70-plus years of its operation.”

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Yesterday:

Misty and I took our walk down at Jay’s when we went to pick him up.  He is still high, but high on life and the several days of his sobriety.  He says he feels so much better, and the Lord took away the shakes when he prayed for it.   That’s great.

We loaded up the van with a cordless circular saw, big trash can, trash bags, rake, dustpan, tape measure, cold drinks, and drove to the church.

The Men’s Clean-Up team was already there, some were pressure washing the building.  Some were weed-whacking and blowing the parking lot.  Some kids were washing down the new steps and pathway from the church down to the big fenced basketball-volleyball-hopscotch-tennis court, with a water hose.  This congregation does a lot of activities together.

Jay and I just quietly started what we went to do.  Off in one corner by a pine tree, there had been a lot of trash and form lumber left by the contractors who built the new steps.  I picked up all the trash, cans, bottles and plastic, while Jay loaded some of the lumber into the van.  There were a lot of little pieces of wood that they had used to stake the boards, and I piled them into the trash can.  We knew we had to make a second trip to clean it all up.  We came back here and put a lot of it on my burn pile.  Some of the lumber can still be used, so we saved that. 

On the second trip to the church, I raked a lot of the pine needles up into the trash bags held open by the trash can.  And the dustpan?  That’s for holding the pine needles against the rake, to pick them up.  There might be snakey-poos or fire ants, and gloves won’t help then. Even tiny, baby snakes can be poisonous.

Jay loaded the rest of the lumber, and even some big globs of dried cement that had been left there.  One lump was so big that the pastor had to help Jay pick it up.  We put it in the van, as Jay has a use for it.  We left the area nice and clean so a mower won’t get damaged when they cut the grass there now.

Usually, Jay wanted to avoid the afternoon service at Willis Church, as it interfered with his beer time, so that is why he always wanted to go to the Conroe service in the mornings.  But he said that the Willis Church feels like his ‘home church’, now!

We really have to vacuum out the van today!

Hope and Understanding. Laying Down One’s Life. 16 Minutes of Warning. Memorial Day. Trinity Sunday? Boat. Where Are You God? Montana Territory. Immigration Law.

 

For “Scripture Sunday”:

Deadly Tornadoes Hit Oklahoma: Searching for Hope and Understanding

“Another natural disaster has struck an American city. As we deal with the loss and devastation in central Oklahoma, what hope can we find in the Bible?

The devastating results of a natural disaster have once again struck in the United States. Oklahoma City and surrounding communities were hit by a series of powerful storm cells that spawned a number of tornadoes on Monday, May 20.

These tornadoes—one estimated to have been two miles wide—have left communities and buildings in ruins. More heart-breaking is the report of deaths and injuries. At the time of writing, there have been 24 confirmed deaths and over 200 injured.

The nation woke up Tuesday to videos and photographs on the TV news and Internet that documented the tremendous suffering and physical damage left by these massive storms. The images alone would be awful enough, but they were coupled with reports of the complete destruction of the Plaza Towers Elementary School in Moore, Oklahoma. One could not help but fear the worst; and for the families of seven children confirmed dead at the site, that is certainly the case.

Condolences and hope

The staff members of Life, Hope & Truth send our condolences to all the families and individuals affected by the storms. We grieve with those who have lost homes, businesses, friends and family members.

When tragedies like these occur, people desire answers. They want to know why these things happen and what real hope there is for those affected. Life, Hope & Truth’s purpose is to give answers.

Three messages

As we mourn the loss of these children and adults in Oklahoma, let’s consider three major messages from the Bible:

• We should grieve for those who have died and are suffering, but we can look to God in hope. There is a time coming when those who have died will live again and suffering will end.

The feeling of grief and empathy for those suffering in Oklahoma is what Jesus Christ would want to see in us. Jesus felt empathy and grief when viewing the hopeless grief of others at the death of His friend Lazarus (John 11:33, 35). Unlike the mourners for Lazarus, if we are aware of God’s loving plan for humanity, our grief will be tempered with the knowledge that those who died still have a future ahead of them (1 Thessalonians 4:13).

• We should not ignore the fact that the intensity of natural disasters is increasing—and will continue to increase.

Though natural disasters (hurricanes, tornadoes, tsunamis, etc.) have been occurring on earth for thousands of years, many experts and commentators have noted a spike in the intensity and extent of devastation of natural disasters in recent years. An Oct. 17, 2012, Bloomberg article reported that there has been a “fivefold increase in weather-related natural disasters in North America over the past three decades.”

The statistics show that extreme weather catastrophes are becoming “more frequent and intense in various regions.”

Students of Bible prophecy understand that natural disasters will continue to increase as we approach the end times (Matthew 24:7). End-time weather disasters should lead us to examine our sins against God (Job 37:11-13).

• Beware of considering God only in times of disaster.

Though it is good to reach out to God in times of disaster and suffering, if that is the only time we reach out to God in prayer, we are in danger of demonstrating the spiritual short-sightedness that Jesus Christ talked about 2,000 years ago: “These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me” (Matthew 15:8, emphasis added).

Life, Hope & Truth offers this message to the people of the United States and other areas of the world that suffer tragedies: Properly support and grieve with those who have been affected. Pray for them. Help them rebuild. Among other nations, America is noted for its generosity to its own people and to suffering people of other nations.

But don’t stop there. Don’t make God your last resort for comfort and help in times like this.

Respond to tragedy in the way Jesus Christ commanded: Seek to know and love God at all times (Luke 13:3, 5). This spirit of turning to God with our whole heart is what is meant by repentance. The prophet Jeremiah’s words apply to our nation as much as they applied to sixth-century B.C. Judah: “Amend your ways and your doings, and obey the voice of the LORD your God; then the LORD will relent concerning the doom that He has pronounced against you” (Jeremiah 26:13).

Sorrows and tragedies will continue to escalate in the years ahead. Repentance and change will bring hope to your life and better prepare you to make sense of what is happening in the world around you.”  From: http://lifehopeandtruth.com/prophecy/blog/deadly-tornadoes-hit-oklahoma-searching-for-hope-and-understanding/ by Erik Jones

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Laying Down One’s Life

“If there’s any ray of light to come out of the tragic Oklahoma tornadoes, it is in the stories of several heroic schoolteachers who are being credited with saving the lives of their students by literally lying down on top of these children to shield them from the deadly, flying debris.

Amazingly, the children and their parents are able to thank these teachers in person, because none of them were killed. As a parent, it’s hard to imagine the depth of feeling you would have to look into the eyes of someone and try to adequately express your gratitude for her willingness to give her life to save your child. And in a world where we so often are beaten down with the steady stream of news stories about so much hatred and brutality toward others, it is truly inspiring to read of this type of selfless love. One of the first responders interviewed told the story of how they pulled a car off a teacher who had three little kids underneath her. In tears he barely choked out the words, “Good job, teach!”

“Greater love has no one than this,” Jesus once stated, “than to lay down one’s life for his friends.” In that concept we see something both marvelous—and limiting—about our human capacity. We marvel when we see someone literally lay down his or her life for someone else, because it so rarely happens. We may even wonder, “Could I—would I—do the same in such circumstances?”

But there’s something about Jesus’ words that makes us think about the limits to our love. You’ll note that He said, “lay down one’s life for his friends.” How far could I—would I—go to lay down my life for someone not my friend? A soldier throws his body on a grenade in a foxhole to save his buddies; would he do it for his enemies? A Secret Service agent threw himself into the path of a bullet intended for President Reagan, but would he do that for the president of, let’s say, North Korea?

A teacher lays her body over her students; but suppose she was a prison guard—would she do that for a convict?” 

More at: http://lifehopeandtruth.com/speaking-of/laying-down-ones-life/

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16 Minutes of Warning

“What if you had 16 minutes to get ready for a major storm that was headed right toward you? From news reports, it seems that this is exactly what happened to a group of teachers and students at an elementary school in Moore, Oklahoma, on the afternoon of May 20.

During an interview, the city manager from Oklahoma City was asked what could be done for the people in the area. The answer from the city manager was “ask everyone to pray.”

We seem to have no problem invoking the name of God in the wake of natural disasters, but if God’s name is brought up regarding a social issue or an issue of morality, it seems that individuals are accused of being insensitive or, even worse, some sort of religious fanatic. No longer does it seem that our society wants to involve God in their personal lives, certainly they don’t want Him involved in setting any sort of standard for human conduct.

Think about that. As a nation, we declare that the taking of life through abortion is legal. So, on the one hand, we are asked to pray for human life when a storm strikes while, on the other hand, we legalize an activity which takes the lives of thousands of unborn babies each year.

With 16 minutes of warning on Monday, May 20, no doubt many lives were saved. Yet, as a nation, we overlook the fact that more than 2,000 years ago, warnings about human conduct, identifying what is sinful and what is not, were written in the pages of the Bible. Christ warned us to protect human life and not destroy it. He warned us to love our enemies, which forbids doing harm to another human being. But His words are universally ignored today.

Wouldn’t it be better if we asked for God’s involvement in all our activities and not just when a storm or tragedy strikes our nation? Wouldn’t it be better if we responded to warnings from 2,000 years ago just as we do the warnings of an impending natural disaster? After all, according to the Bible, the potential for harm and permanent damage is real if we ignore God’s warning messages, just as the damage from a major storm can only be minimized if we take the warnings seriously.

As Christians, we are praying for God’s mercy in the wake of this terrible storm in Moore, Oklahoma, and for the families that have been directly affected. And as those same Christians, we must be praying that we will rediscover the standard of moral conduct and behavior as laid out in Scripture.
Isn’t that the way it should be?”  Complete article at: http://lifehopeandtruth.com/speaking-of/16-minutes-of-warning/

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Memorial Day: A Day of Remembrance

A family, aided by Sentinels of the Tomb, places a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns at the Arlington National Cemetery overlooking Washington D.C. on May 11, 2013. Memorial Day helps us remember those who have died in war. It can also help us long for the day when true peace will come to this war-torn world.

“On Memorial Day Americans will honor those who died fighting in the many wars that have marked this nation’s 237-year history. Flowers will be placed on the graves of the dead, and ceremonies will take place around the country to honor those who gave their lives in defense of this country. Prayers will also be offered up for the safety of those actively serving in harm’s way.

As we honor those who sacrificed their lives in war, we might ask ourselves, will war or the threat of war always be with us?

A brief history

Memorial Day was proclaimed in 1868 (three years after the Civil War) by General John Logan and was first observed on May 30 of that year when flowers were placed on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery. More Americans were killed fighting the Civil War than both world wars combined.

After World War I the holiday was changed to honor Americans who died fighting in any war. It is now celebrated on the last Monday in May.

Most have deep respect for those young men and women who willingly laid their lives on the line for the security of their families and country.

Sometimes in today’s ungodly world, it seems that there is no alternative to war.

A terrible toll

Though war is glorified in movies and video games, in reality it exacts a terrible toll on nations as well as individuals.

Marriage and family life are disrupted when a soldier has to leave for months at a time. Fathers and mothers are often deprived of the joy of being with their children in the most formative years of their lives. Bodies and minds are often scarred beyond repair by the carnage of war. Parents’ and grandparents’ hearts are torn apart by news of the sudden and tragic ending of the lives of their children and grandchildren in some far-off place.

Neither shall they learn war anymore

Thankfully, an age is coming when mankind will learn to live at peace with one another; when the disputes between nations will not be resolved on the battlefield, but by a just and righteous world government led by Jesus Christ, the King of Kings.

The Bible speaks of a future time following the return of Jesus Christ when there will no longer be a need for war colleges or warfare.

“Now it shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the LORD’s house shall be established on the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and peoples shall flow to it. Many nations shall come and say, ‘Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, and we shall walk in His paths.’ For out of Zion the law shall go forth, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.

“He shall judge between many peoples, and rebuke strong nations afar off; they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore. But everyone shall sit under his vine and under his fig tree, and no one shall make them afraid; for the mouth of the LORD of hosts has spoken” (Micah 4:1-4).”

From: http://lifehopeandtruth.com/prophecy/blog/memorial-day-a-day-of-remembrance/ by Bruce Gore

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Trinity Sunday

“The Trinity is not a biblical doctrine. What should you do?

Trinity Sunday is something many religions celebrate this weekend.  Lutherans celebrate it. Catholics celebrate it. Most Methodists celebrate it, the Anglicans, the Lutherans, even many of the Baptists celebrate what's called Trinity Sunday. And yet there's an issue. Is God a Trinity?”

http://youtu.be/s3TKzwCqbaM

Video and Transcript at: http://www.ucg.org/beyond-today-daily/doctrinal-beliefs/trinity-sunday

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Boat

“The keel on a boat gives it stability and direction, and without this keel a boat can easily drift off course when facing the winds and currents upon the water.

God's law is our personal keel. Without the secure guidelines of the Bible we can find ourselves so far off course that it feels overwhelming to get back on track. As we read in the book of Hebrews: "We must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it" (Hebrews 2:1).”

“Going back every day to God's Word, our keel, helps us to keep His laws and His way in our minds.”

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The program on WGN TV this morning:

Where Are You God?

“Do you struggle in connecting to God? Learn how to build and maintain a more effective and meaningful relationship with Him.

Well today, we're going to look at six important building blocks of prayer that will help you have a more effective and meaningful relationship with God. You can have the faith that God is always there--even when you don't understand maybe what He's doing.”

 

Transcript at: http://www.ucg.org/beyond-today-program/christian-living/where-are-you-god

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On This Day:

Montana Territory created, May 26, 1864:

“Anxious to create new free territories during the Civil War, U.S. President Abraham Lincoln signs an act establishing the Montana Territory. However, as Montana was on the unstable frontier, it did little to add to the integrity of the Union, and Sidney Edgerton, the territory's first governor, fled after suffering through several months of Indian raids.

Among those Indians known to have inhabited Montana in the 19th century were the Sioux, the Blackfoot, the Shoshone, the Arapaho, the Cheyenne, the Kutenai, and the Flathead. The vast area of what we now call Montana became a U.S. possession in 1803 under the terms of the Louisiana Purchase. Two years later, explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark became the first known explorers of European origin to explore the region on their journey to the Pacific Ocean.

Significant U.S. settlement did not begin in Montana until the 1850s, when the discovery of gold brought people to mining camps such as those at Bannack and Virginia City. In 1864, Montana was deemed worthy of territorial status and 25 years later entered the Union as the 41st state.”

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Coolidge signs stringent immigration law, May 26, 1924:

“On this day in 1924, President Calvin Coolidge signs into law the Comprehensive Immigration Act, the most stringent immigration policy up to that time in the nation's history.

The new law reflected the desire of Americans to isolate themselves from the world after fighting the terrible First World War in Europe, which exacerbated growing fears of the spread of communist ideas. It also reflected the pervasiveness of racial discrimination in American society at the time. Many Americans saw the enormous influx of largely unskilled, uneducated immigrants during the early 1900s as causing unfair competition for jobs and land. Under the new law, immigration remained open to those with a college education and/or special skills, but entry was denied to Mexicans, and disproportionately to Eastern and Southern Europeans and Japanese. At the same time, the legislation allowed for more immigration from Northern European nations such as Britain, Ireland and Scandinavian countries. A quota was set that limited immigration to two percent of any given nation's residents already in the U.S. as of 1890, a provision designed to maintain America's largely Northern European racial composition. In 1927, the "two percent rule" was eliminated and a cap of 150,000 total immigrants annually was established.

The law particularly angered Japan, which in 1907 had forged with U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt a "Gentlemen's Agreement," which included more liberal immigration quotas for Japan. By 1924, strong U.S. agricultural and labor interests--particularly from California, which had already passed its own exclusionary laws against Japanese immigrants--favored the more restrictive legislation signed by Coolidge. The Japanese government viewed the American law as an insult, and protested by declaring May 26 a national day of humiliation in Japan. The law fanned anti-American sentiment in Japan, inspiring a Japanese citizen to commit suicide outside the American embassy in Tokyo in protest.

Despite becoming known for such isolationist legislation, Coolidge also established the Statue of Liberty as a national monument in 1924.”

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Yesterday:

After Wendy and I had our Saturday phone call, and I tended to the critters, I was able to take the rest of the morning leisurely getting ready for church.  I had one of my breathless episodes, and so I was glad I didn’t have to rush around.

Jay had agreed to go to the afternoon Church of God service in Willis with me.  He said that he had quit drinking, so going to the afternoon church would no longer interfere with his beer time!  But he didn’t want to go early for Bible Study.  That suited me as I had been up with my sinuses during the night, so I took quick nap before going to church.  My sinuses and breathlessness didn’t bother me for the rest of the day.

I had been hoping to go to the Willis church Bible study, as one of the elders, Oscar, has been giving special Bible studies, and he is always good.  We got there in time for the last 15 minutes of it, but Jay stayed in the dining hall, while I went in there.  As I had been to Conroe Church for the last two weeks, Oscar’s wife is going to email me the Bible studies that I missed.

As it is done by turns, the Song Service was by a couple instead of one of the bands this time.  He plays a guitar, and they both sing well.  Anyone can do a ‘special’, after the song service.  This week it was a Mexican lady who sang a hymn in Spanish, then a sister who was hand miming to a hymn we all sang, accompanied by keyboard and guitar.

The sermon was about “Cross-Cultural Witnessing”.  It was how some missionaries spend so much time learning about the beliefs of other countries before they go to them, whereas they could be spending their time carefully diving right in witnessing to them.  Examples of witnessing are Acts 17: 16-28, where Paul says “Ye men of Athens, I see how religious you are, but have an altar to the unknown god”, and proceeds to tell them about the One and Only God.  Acts 26: 1-8, Paul and king Agrippa, John 4:5-25, Jesus and the woman of Samaria at Jacob’s well.

We didn’t stay for the pot-luck, but as the church is having a ‘clean-up’ team this morning, we are going back today.

Extreme Weather. Moore, OK. Skagit River Bridge. Condition Your Animals. Oysters Protects Us. HPV Vaccine Tragedy. San Pedro River. Roan Plateau, CO. Babe Ruth. Grizzlies Protected.

 

For “Summary Saturday”, News, Some New, Some Old:

Man-Made Disasters, "An Era of Tornadoes: How Global Warming Causes Wild Winds"

“Our hearts go out to the people of Moore, Oklahoma. You cannot watch footage of the devastating effects of this tornado on the communities, the families and the children of this town without wiping away tears.

Oklahoma is God country. But, I've got news for you. God had nothing to do with this disaster. We often turn to God in times of hardship and distress to simply ask why to questions that have no answers. But, this is not one of those times. Here there really is an answer if we are brave enough to ask the right questions.

Recent studies published in Nature and Science conclude that extreme weather events (heavy rainfall events and heatwave intensity) are linked to climate change. And the heat buildup in the deep ocean helps explain why.

Since the 1950s, the world's oceans have accumulated close to 95 percent of all the additional heat related to global warming. Because warm ocean surfaces evaporate faster than cool ones and the warmed atmosphere holds more water vapor, the warming and water vapor fuel storms. (MIT climate modeler Kerry Emanuel, for example, has demonstrated that Hurricane Katrina would not have been as strong as it was in 2005 if it had occurred in 1980, when the atmosphere and sea surfaces were cooler.)

So global warming is thus causing climate change, including altered weather patterns, and the engine of change is the heat building up deep inside the world's oceans. Water is warming, ice is melting, and water vapor is rising. How does this help explain tornadoes?

For tornadoes, we have clear ideas on how they form and have some idea about how their strength may be linked to global warming.

It's all about contrasts and gradients. Warmer temperatures over land surfaces create low-pressure systems (since hot air rises, creating "lows"), while cold fronts from the north come with high pressures. Weather "flows downhill," as it were--from highs to lows. When temperature and pressure gradients between highs and lows increase (as they do naturally in spring), the clash can twist to form tornadoes. The greater the contrasts, the greater the force of the twisters.

Nobody is saying that any one weather event like a single tornado has definitely been caused by climate change, but weather patterns are shifting making extreme weather all the more commonplace.”

More at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-r-talbott/manmade-disasters_b_3311715.html

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View Different Areas Before And After Oklahoma Tornado

Moore, Oklahoma

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Skagit River Bridge Collapse after truck hits span

SKAGIT COUNTY, Wash. — “It was shortly after 7 p.m. when Dan Sligh and his wife Sally were near the Interstate 5 bridge over the Skagit River. The semi-truck ahead on the far right seemed too wide for the bridge span, and Sligh told his wife so.

“We started slowing down, and about that same time another semi-truck came up on the left side,” he told KIRO 7. “It almost looked like he pinned that truck over to where he couldn’t swerve.”

“He hit the bridge about 3 or 4 feet wider than the actual bridge was, and there was a big puff of dust. I hit the brakes, (but with) the weight of the trailer and everything else we went right off the bridge as it collapsed into the Skagit River.”   More at: http://www.kirotv.com/news/news/i-5-skagit-river-bridge-collapses-people-vehicles-/nX2d5/

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Sanctuary Residents Prepare for Possible Emergency.

With the crate door closed, Tonka shows no signs of stress. With conditioning, Tonka has become familiar with his transfer crate.

“Sanctuary residents are trained to enter and exit their transfer crates to facilitate ease of transfer in case of disaster or medical emergency.

We condition our animals to feel comfortable in their transfer crates by:

1. Making the transfer crates a part of their regular habitat so they are very familiar with the smell, feel, and appearance of them.
2. Feeding them inside the crates.
3. Routinely closing them into the crates while we clean or perform habitat maintenance so they understand they may need to stay inside of it for long durations.
4. Rotating the animals between habitats every few weeks using the transfer crates and other equipment that would be used to transport them off property in case of emergency.   

More at: http://www.humanesociety.org/news/news/2013/05/ffawc-prepares-for-emergency-situation-051313.html

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Condition Your Pets

From me:  This is why it is important for your pet to be familiar with his traveling carrier.  Make the carrier into a comfy den for your pet.  Are you and your pet ready?  In a weather event, where would your pet(s) be?  How would you move them to safety?  Do you have carriers handy?  Would your pet panic if confined to it?

 

 

 

 

 

The foster cats here are fed in their big cages, so it’s a good place to be.  Often, they stay in there, even when the doors are open. They are closed up in their cages when we are working  in the mornings, so that they can’t accidentally get out of an open door.  This conditions them not to be scared of being confined in an emergency.  They are loose the rest of the time. 

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Basic Disaster Supplies Kit

“Since you do not know where you will be when an emergency occurs, prepare supplies for home, work and vehicles.   Your disaster supplies kit should contain essential food, water and supplies for at least three days.

Keep this kit in a designated place and have it ready in case you have to leave your home quickly. Make sure all family members know where the kit is kept.

Additionally, you may want to consider having supplies for sheltering for up to two weeks.”

http://www.ready.gov/basic-disaster-supplies-kit

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Nature Works - The Amazing Oyster Reef.

Oysters protect the land from storms.

“It's a bird, it's a plane, it's Super Oyster! Travel to the Gulf of Mexico to learn how the humble oyster protects us from storms, supports a thriving fishing industry, and still mages to taste great with a splash of lemon.

Watch close encounters of the natural kind! Explore the fascinating realms of nature and science and see how nature really works to benefit us.”

See more at: http://www.natureworkseverywhere.org/ 

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Clearing the Murky Waters: Where Are we Headed with Oyster Restoration?

“Oysters. Famous for being a delicious morsel, with a succulent, creamy texture. Less famous for being an ecological cornerstone in our estuaries.

But that’s exactly what they are. While sitting quietly on the ocean floor, a single oyster can vacuum up to 50 gallons of water a day through its little bivalve body. Which means those little guys can make a big difference.

When oysters filter water they remove particles, which they then either eat or deposit on the sediment. Either way, the water becomes clearer. And clearer water means more chance for seagrass and other vegetation to grow on the sea-bed, bringing a cascade of benefits for nature and for people.

Clear waters also mean better recreation for swimming, boating and fishing, and fewer toxic blooms and hypoxic events.  Great, right? It would be if we still had our wild oyster reefs left… which we almost don’t.” 

More at: http://blog.nature.org/conservancy/2012/10/11/clearing-the-murky-waters-where-are-we-headed-with-oyster-restoration/

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Time-lapse: Oysters Filtering Water

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Supreme Court Suit Filed over HPV Vaccine Tragedy in India

“Some of the girls died. Some suffered serious adverse effects. Some of the girls developed autoimmune diseases that would require lifelong care. The manufacturers themselves acknowledged adverse events such as anaphylactic shock, seizures and paralysis, motor neuron disease, blood clots, eye, ear and vascular problems and even death, and problems affecting the nervous system, the immune system, the musculoskeletal system, the blood and lymphatic system, the respiratory system,the gastrointestinal system and the vascular system.

No monitoring of the program was done. No course correction was made. After vaccination, the girls were dumped with no follow up.” More at: http://www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/supreme-court-suit-filed-over-hpv-vaccine-tragedy-india

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Defending Arizona's "Ribbon of Life"

Dr. Robin Silver, a long-standing advocate for the River, walks along the San Pedro.

“Our attorneys have taken legal action—a a series of cases challenging inappropriate groundwater depletions by the U.S. Army’s Fort Huachuca—to keep water in the river until a balance can be struck between the needs of the river and the local communities. While we have had success through the years, the San Pedro River is unfortunately one of those places where the effort to achieve a lasting solution has been difficult.

Champions of the San Pedro now have a great opportunity to change that tide and secure meaningful protection for the river into the future. A challenge was filed this week to a 7,000-unit suburban development planned for the upper San Pedro valley which had been given the go-ahead by the state of Arizona. This development would be fueled by groundwater pumped from the San Pedro watershed and will, if built, drain the remaining flows from the river. The challenge seeks to deny the planned groundwater pumping, force the state to acknowledge the authority of water rights granted to the San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area and, by doing so, keep the river alive.”  More at: http://earthjustice.org/blog/2013-may/defending-arizona-s-ribbon-of-life

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Groups Take Action in Court to Defend the Roan Plateau

Well pads on Colorado's Roan plateau.

Countering efforts of oil and gas company to develop unique landscape

Denver, CO — “In June of last year, Judge Krieger of the U.S. District Court for Colorado struck down BLM’s earlier plan for the Roan Plateau, and ordered the agency to consider more protective approaches for managing this special place. BLM is complying with that order and began a new environmental review process earlier this year. Only Bill Barrett Corporation’s (BBC), which in 2009 proposed to turn the top of the plateau into an industrial zone of 3,000 natural gas wells, has challenged Judge Krieger’s ruling.

While the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), which manages the plateau, is already moving forward to consider a new management plan for the Roan, BBC is seeking to halt BLM’s effort

“We offered a common-sense middle-ground approach that would have allowed development to occur in appropriate places while protecting the top of the Roan Plateau from drilling,” said Marc Ross of Rock the Earth.

“There are few areas in Colorado like the Roan Plateau,” added Pete Maysmith, Executive Director of Conservation Colorado Education Fund. “The District Court was correct in ruling that the Bureau of Land Management has to do a better job of analyzing the significant environmental impacts that will come if the Plateau is opened up to heavy industrial drilling. The sooner this case is dismissed the sooner a common-sense plan for the Plateau can be developed which will protect this treasured landscape for future generations to enjoy.”  More at: http://earthjustice.org/news/press/2013/groups-take-action-in-court-to-defend-the-roan-plateau

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On This Day:

Babe Ruth hits last home run, May 25, 1935:

“On May 25, 1935, at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Babe Ruth hits his 714th home run, a record for career home runs that would stand for almost 40 years. This was one of Ruth’s last games, and the last home run of his career. Ruth went four for four on the day, hitting three home runs and driving in six runs.

Ruth died of throat cancer on August 16, 1948. His record for career home runs was not broken until Hank Aaron hit his 715th home run on April 8, 1974, 39 years later.”

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Grizzly bear is classified as a "threatened" species, May 25, 1975:

“In 1975, the grizzly bear--once the undisputed king of the western wilderness--is given federal protection as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act.

Before the Anglo-Americans began invading their territory, the grizzly bear inhabited most of the country west of the Mississippi from Mexico north to the Arctic Circle. Its only serious competitors for food were the Native Americans, who considered it a sacred animal-although they did hunt the bear as a test of strength and its long claws were prized symbols of status.

Because of the grizzly's fearsome size and aggressive nature, most early European explorers of the West noted their encounters with the animal. During their expedition to the Pacific, Lewis and Clark encountered many of the bears and were awed by their impressive speed and power. On July 1, 1805, while the expedition was making the slow portage around the Great Falls of the Missouri River in Montana, Lewis wrote in his journal that grizzlies were all around their camp. "We have therefore determined to beat up their quarters tomorrow," he continued, "and kill them or drive them from their haunts about this place."

Because of such hunting and the general destruction of their habitat, the grizzly began to disappear in concert with the settlement of the West. California, which is estimated to have once been home to 10,000 grizzlies and placed the animal's image on its state flag, no longer had any of the bears by 1924. During subsequent decades, grizzlies gradually disappeared from their native homes in Texas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Kansas, Arizona, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, the Dakotas, and probably Colorado and Washington. Outside of Alaska, by the 1970s small populations of bears remained only in a few isolated wilderness areas and national parks in Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho.

In a last ditch effort to halt the decline, Congress designated the grizzly a threatened species on this day in 1975. Protected from hunting and trapping, grizzly populations have slowly begun to recover. However, there are still probably fewer than 1,000 grizzlies in the lower 48 states today, nearly half of them in Glacier and Yellowstone National Parks. Recently, plans to reintroduce the species into two wilderness areas in Idaho and Washington have met with controversy. The future of the grizzly bear will depend on human willingness to share their habitats with the bears and set aside areas of wilderness large enough for them to survive.”

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Yesterday:

Misty and I drove down to Jay’s to pick him up, and had a short walk down there as he was actually ready!

Jay has long arms, so he could reach the screws from the 8’ step-ladder to dismantle the mess of boards and roofing that he had screwed over my front entry porch.  Most of it was gone by lunchtime.  I carried the boards and roofing and put them away, then sorted out all the screws that had been taken out. 

Ray removed some old vinyl striping off the door of the cargo-camping trailer. Someone had painted over it, and it didn’t look nice, so now the door can be painted again without the outline of the old vinyl stripes showing.

It felt like it was going to rain, but never did. It was another muggy day.