Disasters & Volunteers - Photos

Hurricane Harvey volunteers

Hurricane Harvey

Hurricane Harvey evacuees

St Maarten after Hurricane Irma

Canadian aid workers heading for St Maarten

My best friend's back yard in Fort Pierce, FL this morning

Key Largo after Irma

Key Largo after Irma

Jacksonville, FL before Irma

Jacksonville, FL during Irma

University of Florida in Gainesville

Fort Lauderdale hotel parking lot

The Chesapeake Bay - Part One

I feel that I am lucky to have grown up with two parents who, themselves, grew up with completely different backgrounds.  My Dad was born in Oklahoma, and was raised in Oklahoma and Kansas - a true farm boy for the previous 200 years of his family's history - all farmers, along with teachers and preachers as side-lines.  My Mom's family, on the other hand, were watermen - fishermen, oystermen, clammers, crabbers, net men, shrimpers - if it came from the ocean, they harvested it.  I feel that I grew up with a much greater appreciation for both the lands and the waters of our planet thanks to those family ties.
   I just read that, in the new President's so-called "house-cleaning," he plans on cutting the Environmental Protection Agency's employees by at least one-fifth; but the item that really caught my attention was the cutting of funding for the clean-up of the Chesapeake Bay from $73 million to $5 million.  That's a 93% budget cut for a single program that is greatly needed.
   About the Chesapeake....
The word Chesepiooc is, supposedly, an Algonquian word referring to a village "at a big river." It is the seventh oldest surviving English place name in the United States; it was first used by explorers heading north from the Roanoke Colony in 1585 or 1586, as they visited a "Chesepiook" tributary.  The name may also indicate a Native American tribe who inhabited the area now known as South Hampton Roads, in Virginia, the Chesepian or Chesapeake people.  The tribe was known to inhabit what is now Norfolk, Portsmouth, Chesapeake, and Virginia Beach.  Local residents today almost always prefix the word/area with "the": "The Bay," "The Chesapeake," or "The Chesapeake Bay."
   The Chesapeake bay is an estuary lying inland from the Atlantic Ocean, and is surrounded by the North American mainland to the west, and the Eastern Shore (comprised of parts of Delaware, Maryland and Virginia) to the east. The Bay is the drowned valley of the Susquehanna River; it was the alluvial plain where the river flowed when the sea level was much lower. It is the largest bay in the contiguous United States, with the northern end of the Chesapeake within Maryland, and the southern portion in Virginia. The Bay is an important feature of the ecology and economy of those two states, as well as others.  More than 150 major rivers and streams flow into the bay's 64,299-square-mile drainage basin; that covers parts of six states (New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia) and all of the District of Columbia (Washington, DC).
   The Bay is approximately 200 miles long from the Susquehanna River outlet to the Atlantic Ocean. At it's narrowest, it is only 2.8 miles wide, and is 30 miles wide south of the mouth of the Potomac River, it's widest point.  The total shoreline mileage, including tributaries is 11,684 miles, circumnavigating a a surface area of 4,479 square miles.  The average depth of the Chesapeake is 21 feet, and the current maximum depth is 174 feet.
   The Chesapeake Bay, long known for both its beauty and bounty,became "emptier," with fewer crabs, oysters, and watermen in the past years.  Recent restoration efforts, begun in the 1990s, have been ongoing and show potential growth of he native oyster population. The overall health of the Chesapeake Bay improved in 2015, and marked three years of gains in the past four, according to a new report by the University of Maryland.
   More regarding the Bay this week.....

And, the island that my Mom's family is from, is on the eastern side of the Delmarva peninsula, out in the Atlantic Ocean, not in the Chesapeake Bay...  Chincoteague, the inhabited island is located in Virginia, while Assateague, which is home to the Assateague National Seashore and the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge, is in both Virginia and Maryland.  The Wildlife Refuge itself is in Virginia, while the Seashore is in both states.

I Survived the Dentist

Well, I survived my first visit to a dentist in 21 1/2 years....  I took a second dose of my anxiety medicine two hours before arrival, and arrived before time, to fill out "new patient" paperwork.  Then I met with the technician, who asked a few questions, then took the X-rays (I think there were 14) and then brought in the actual DDS.  The tech was a very personable young Latino lady, and the dentist was a nice, gentle, and calm Asian woman.  The dentist did a lot of testing and probing, and agreed with my own self-diagnosis - gingivitis, and enamel failure of three teeth.  She believes the teeth can be capped, so I won't need a small bridge...   But, of course, it all costs money.   I was with the technician and the dentist for over an hour, and the cost was $89.00.  Not bad, really.  But I'm due back on January 12 for a cleaning and two fillings...  Then we get to sit down and discuss the big expenses.  - I'm already wincing! - I have NO dental coverage at all.
    I get my complete heart doppler test done on January 30 at 2 in the afternoon; and I have the carotid artery tests and my brain MRI done early on January 6...  I really hope they decide that it was a breaking capillary in my eye when I had the single eye white-outs.  I really don't need any more stress or medications because I've had a stroke....
    I've upped my exercise and my water consumption, and I will stop all sweets once 2017 is here.  I have stuff to bake, and I refuse to NOT sample it!

A Few Stray Thoughts - and Chesapeake Bay Scenes

Isn't it amazing that, while humans are made up of, mostly, water, we are land animals?  And isn't it also amazing how afraid humans are of creatures that live in the water?  I'm sorry that "Sharks Are Terrorizing North Carolina Beaches" is a big media draw.  I am very sorry that people are being attacked and injured in the ocean - but humans are encroaching on marine life territories, when they swim and surf in the sea, ocean, whatever...  The population of sharks around the world has been greatly reduced by over-fishing (both for sharks and what are caught by accident by fish trawlers), and by the popularity of shark-fin soup.  It's sad, really.
  Sixty-nine to seventy-three percent of each of our bodies individual cells are made up of water - a compound of oxygen and hydrogen.  In actual breakdown, the human body is 65% oxygen, 18% carbon, 10% hydrogen, 3% nitrogen, 1.5% calcium, 1.2% phosphorus; and the other 1.2% is made up of potassium, sulfur, chlorine, sodium, and magnesium, with minute traces of iron, cobalt, copper, zinc, iodine, selenium, and fluorine.
   If you're walking in a park - local, county, state, or national - you are not constantly in fear of fire ants, bee swarms, venomous snakes, or wild animals.  People are raised to believe that they are smarter than other creatures, and that they are, therefore, at the top of the food chain.  However, if one should be out, alone, and unarmed in various areas of the world, one can understand being aware of the possibility of a lion, tiger, bear, or mountain lion.  We are small creatures in a large wild world.  Why don't people realize that the same goes for oceans, seas, rivers, and lakes?  People put themselves at risk - and then are upset, when Mother Nature takes it's course.
  The water is a fantastic place.  It teems with life.  A lot of that life, humans do not understand.  But we share the planet with these creatures - sharks, jellyfish, barracudas, Portuguese man-o-war, sea snake and other stinging, biting creatures that normally live in the water.  We invade their space and then hunt them, when they are behaving normally for their species.  Humans still have a lot to learn....

Chesapeake Scenes

Liberty Puzzles in Boulder, Colorado

I had a great tour of Liberty Puzzles here in Boulder the other week.  They make wooden jigsaw puzzles that are cut by lasers on 1/4-inch maple boards.  Liberty Puzzles has a wide variety of puzzles available - square, round, rectangular, and fancy irregular cut-outs.  They make puzzles for children, puzzles for adults, and will even make a custom-photograph puzzle for you.  One of the most spectacular things about Liberty Puzzles is their use of whimsy pieces - in a puzzle titled "Cats and Doves," a lot of the pieces are made up of cats and birds; in an ocean oriented photo, there are pieces that include a man on a surfboard, many kinds of fish and sharks, a sea turtle, starfish, lobster, and different kinds of boats.  These pieces are fascinating - and they cause the puzzle to lock together.
  Besides your custom-made puzzle, they have over 300 puzzles available - paintings by the Old Masters, Americana, Currier & Ives, old advertising, Impressionists, maps, illustrations - you name it, and they seem to have it. Prices vary from $39 (plus shipping and handling) to $145.  They also sell a double-glassed frame, so that you can view the front work of art or photo, and the back, which is the intriguing laser-cut pattern. They look easy, but are difficult to put together - I spent over an hour playing with the pieces of two partially completed puzzles at the front of their store-office.  They have a great website that may be viewed at:  http://www.libertypuzzles.com/

   Here are a few samples of the puzzles, the whimsy pieces, and a partial view of the back of one of the puzzles:

Irises by Vincent Van Gogh

This is less than a quarter of the back of "White Shadows in the South Seas"

Whimsy pieces used in "Water"

The Falcon and the Cherry Tree

Currier & Ives - The American Express Train

Whimsy pieces from "The Denver & Rio Grande Rail Road"

"Storm in the Rockies" with a cut-out western border

Pony Penning 2013 at Chincoteague Island, Virginia

Tomorrow the wild ponies of Chincoteague will make their 88th annual swim from the island of Assateague to the island of Chincoteague in the state of Virginia.  Usually about 130 to 150 ponies make the swim, having been checked carefully by a veterinarian over the past few days.  When author Marguerite Henry wrote Misty of Chincoteague, the ponies were rounded up and herded together the morning of the swim. More than 60 years later, the ponies are rounded up during two days (the weekend before) the actual Pony Swim, so that all ponies can be evaluated for fitness and health for the swim itself, and so that the ponies to be sold will have had their blood drawn and tests done to assure they have no communicable diseases. Usually, today, the day before the Swim, any pony that needs to have its hooves trimmed will be serviced by the farrier (or blacksmith); foals will be assigned numbers and tags will be tied around their throatlatches so that people interested in buying a pony can see (and remember on Thursday, the Auction day) what number their chosen, favorite pony is.  Today is the day to view the ponies on Assateague Island in the Holding Pens near Tom's Cove.  Wednesday is the Pony Swim ; Thursday the Auction; and Friday is the Swim back to freedom.
   Tomorrow the forecast for Chincoteague  continues to be very hot and very humid.  If you are going to go see the ponies swim, please bear these things in mind.  There is very limited parking near the Swim site. There are free shuttles to take you to the swim site, and after the swim, either back to your pick-up point, or directly to the Carnival Grounds.  Food and drink stands will be open, and once the ponies arrive in the pens, most booths and rides will open within 90 minutes.  If you proceed to the Swim site:  take plenty of water to drink; be prepared to stand for hours, and wear comfortable shoes that can get extremely muddy and mucky; wear a hat with a brim, or at least a sun visor; take along, and use frequently, both sunblock and insect repellent; the ponies swim from the east to the west - wear sunglasses.  Be prepared to be crowded, nudged, accidentally poked, and have your toes stepped on.  Please bring a good temper.  Stay hydrated. Most ambulance and EMT calls are for heat related problems before, during, and after the Swim.
  The earlier you get to the swim site, the better your view point will be - but be prepared for late-comers to splash out into the water to get ahead of you and your uninterrupted view.  There will be people in all sizes of boats, including canoes and kayaks, paddling around.  They must be and stay on either side of the clearly marked buoy channel before the Swim starts.  A US Coast Guard cutter will be in place, and once Slack Tide arrives, they will fire a flare to signal the Saltwater Cowboys that it's time to start moving the ponies into the water.  The swim itself, from start to finish lasts about 8 minutes - from the time the first ponies step into the water, until the last ponies step out of the water.
  ** Currently, the US Coast Guard predicts slack High Tide between 10 a.m. and noon on Wednesday. **
In regard to insect repellent: A lot of people like to use "natural" substances, but they are not very effective against the Chincoteague salt-water mosquitoes, or the horse-, yellow-, deer-, or black flies that abound on the islands.  It is highly suggested that you use and wear (with frequent applications) the highest percentage DEET-containing repellent available.  Skin-So-Soft  and citronella don't keep Chincoteague bugs away from you.

Dead Pump; Stuff

Lovey is stropping my chin and jaws (with her chin, back and tail) as I type this... so my thoughts might be a little disconnected.  I've walked Rosie and Remy, and Lucy, and have cared for Cloudy and Shady, and Sasquatch and Tugger.  I've had lunch, and am now awaiting the opening secenes of Rawhide.  The Snow family's water pump died in the middle of a shower this morning; Kathy had to rinse off soap and shampoo with 3 gallons of cold water from the garage.  I guess Jim was going to look at the pump and see if he could fix it later this morning...  I've offered them the use of water at Alexy's tonight, and at the Clark house tomorrow.  And, tomorrow night, I get to sleep back at home once again. 
   Bits and pieces today -  I'll be rooting for the Giants tonight, playing against the Panthers.  ....  Still haven't heard any further word on Potesta, the 3-year-old filly, who broke her leg last Friday.  One of the two-year-old colts, Spurious Precision, who won the Saratoga Special last month, was galloping this past Tuesday and his exercise rider felt the colt step wrong.  The colt fragmented his knee, and the cannon bone below, as well as the ends of the bones above the knee.  With the X-rays showing irreparable damage, the colt was put down.  .....  The dermatologist I saw yesterday said the spot on my face was probably the beginnings of another cherry angioma (one of those blasted red spots that pop up on me), and that I had "picked at it" and caused the problem.  He told me to just keep my hands off my face - "and no pickin'!"  But, if and when I have another bout with the shingles, I need to see him right away.

Hot and Hotter

Yuck!  I hate the heat! Especially with temps in the 90s and lower 100s, no air conditioning, and being away from home.  Complain, complain, complain...  I'm with Eliphalet Pease, the bantam rooster, his flock of hens (including Plain Jane), Hila, a puppy, and organic gardens and plants galore.

Saturday had been the hottest day of the year, and then yesterday topped it.  My brother-in-law collapsed from heat prostration (we think) on Saturday, and spent several hours in Urgent Care.

The dogs, my cats, and the chickens have been consuming loads of water (good for them), as have I.  I've been watering the gardens and plants from 10 p.m. until midnight, smothered in OFF!  

Hopefully I'll be able to return to my usual haunts within the next 24 to 48 hours - and then I'll have to get ready for 8 nights in Brighton - but no puppy to have to take out every three hours! And I'll be able to visit my kits almost all day long, and get some work done at home!  Yippee!

The above makes it sound like I don't enjoy my house- and pet-sitting.  Please don't get the wrong idea - I do like it and enjoy it. However, I usually schedule myself so I work about 2 weeks away from home at night, and then two weeks at home (or 1 week away, 1 week at home) each month. In July, I've only spent 4 nights in my own bed, with possibly 3 or 4 more before heading for Brighton. I love the critters - I love helping people "get away" for a few days - but I also love my kits and my small home.

Cats and Water; Busier than I Thought...

Soe information on cats and their water needs:
Sufficient water consumption plays a major role in your cat's health. Insufficient water consumption is linked to an increase in bladder infections and crystal formation. Water helps regulate your cat's body temperature, and is necessary to aid in the digestion of dry food and the absorption of vitamins.
Your cat needs full-time access to water. But how much? A typical cat consumes approximately two and a half times the volume of dry food she eats. If, for example, she eats four ounces of dry food, she drinks about ten ounces of water. Factors such as high heat, exercise, or lactation can double or triple the amount she drinks. Thus, you should always provide more water than she actually drinks.
To ensure your cat drinks enough water, provide fresh water according to her preference. From time to time, your cat may get finicky and not drink enough. During these times, you may need to make an extra effort to persuade her to drink more. How you provide the water can be as big a factor as the quantity and quality of the water.
Have you ever spotted your pet drinking from the kitchen faucet? The sound, coolness, and freshness of running water is preferred by many cats. Your cat may enjoy drinking from a slowly running faucet, but leaving it running all day for her is impractical.
Water quality also counts. Because unwashed water bowls can harbor all kinds of bad organisms, be sure to rinse them daily, and disinfect them periodically with a mild bleach solution and thorough rinsing in clean water. Untreated water from other sources such as a backyard pond can also harbor bacteria, viruses, and parasites that can make your cat ill. Providing plenty of fresh water indoors greatly reduces the chance your cat will drink from secondary sources outdoors.
Fresh, running water may be especially important for your sick or older cat. Maintaining normal water consumption helps reduce the incidence and severity of feline lower urinary tract disease and other problems. As more water is consumed, urine is less concentrated, and crystals are less likely to form. If your cat has a medical condition, your veterinarian may recommend encouraging her to drink a large quantity of clean water.
As your cat ages, she may no longer drink sufficient amounts of water, which can exacerbate constipation problems or kidney disease, and contribute to dehydration. Maintain awareness of your cat's water consumption and take action to ensure she always drinks enough. These efforts will help keep her healthy and well hydrated.
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I am going to be busier than I thought - due to Levi and his team's prowess on the baseball diamond, I will be visiting Hila, Eliphalet Pease, and the chicken flock this weekend, plus Monday. Then I'll have a few days at home before heading for Brighton for 8 days wih 4 cats, a Samoyed and a German short-haired retriever.
I couldn't figure out why I felt so bad around 9:30 last night. I finally realized that I hadn't eaten anything since 7 that morning - and that was a pear and some blueberries. So, at 10 p.m., I fixed a sandwich, which (since it was turkey) the kits insisted upon sharing.... so go my busy days...