I observed this Cooper's hawk (above) catching prey the other day.

 "A Cooper's Hawk captures its prey with its feet and kills it by repeatedly  squeezing. Falcons tend to kill their prey by biting it, but Cooper’s Hawks hold their catch away from the body until it dies." Read more at Cornell Lab of Ornithology

I love good surprises and this was one of the best. I unexpectedly got to spend the day and night with my granddaughter over the weekend.  I live in the city during the winter months, instead of in the mountains where she's used to visiting me. The first thing she wanted to do was go for a walk so we headed to my favorite pond where a lot of geese and ducks live and play. We, of course, took our cameras.

She'd been told by someone (an authority figure in her life) that geese would attack her so she was at first a bit trepidatious, but a friendly goose walked right up to us. Someone had obviously fed him before. He stopped about a foot from us and I was able to show her how there wasn't anything to fear. I put up open palms showing no food and the goose immediately understood and began foraging for blades of grass and roots. (At my cabin, she's used to the gray jays landing on her hand.) I then taught her how to observe when geese got frightened or when they felt threatened and explained other things like what they were eating. I showed her how they often travel in pairs since geese mate for life. She quickly relaxed and felt completely comfortable. 

It's important to teach children safety around wild animals but I don't agree with instilling fear. Teaching a child to be wise is much different than teaching him/her to be fearful. I spend a lot of time around geese. I've never had one charge me, but I recognize their warning honk when they get upset. These are the things a child can learn and from which they can benefit. I don't agree with teaching a child to be fearful.

“What do parents owe their young that is more important than 
a warm and trusting connection to the Earth?” 
 - Theodore Roszak, The Voice of the Earth

Taking walks with your children is a great way to have fun while teaching them about life. Depending on what's available, you get to introduce them to all kinds of birds, vegetation, animals and insects. It  can give them a lifelong love and appreciation for all living creatures, as well as develop an ongoing curiosity to explore the outdoors. It's a perfect time to chat about anything, not just what you're seeing. It also presents opportunities to teach about things like weather, conservation, nature, the seasons, or recycling, and it's a great way to naturally exercise. I think it feeds the whole mind-body-spirit.

This woodpecker (below) was in the area I took my granddaughter on our walk, but we didn't get to see him the day I took her there. I wish she could have seen him chipping away at this tree! You could see him flicking the bigger wood chips off with his beak. 

So why does a woodpecker peck wood? 

Answer: The woodpecker pecks, or beats its strong bill, into tree trunks or limbs for several reasons. First, this rapid drumming is used as a mating call. Second, the pecking creates a hole for a nest, with the wood chips it leaves forming a cushion for the woodpecker’s eggs. But most of the woodpecker’s pecking is done in search of food. Once the hole is made, the woodpecker’s long tongue shoots into the hole and spears insects on a barb at the tip of its tongue. A sticky saliva on the tongue also helps trap the food. source: http://www.bigsiteofamazingfacts.com

“We abuse land because we regard it as a commodity 
belonging to us. When we see land as a community to which we belong, 
we may begin to use it with love and respect.”
Aldo Leopold

When my granddaughter and I ran across a trash sack blown into the weeds and another in the water, it was the perfect opportunity to talk about giving up plastic bags at the grocery store and to tell her why they are so bad for the environment. To quote the Surfrider Foundation: "...more than a million seabirds and 100,000 marine mammals die every year from ingestion of or entanglement in plastics."  

I took the pledge to stop using plastic bags on March 10, 2010. It took me a long while to change my ways and to remember to bring my canvas bags. Countless times I had the best of intentions but I would find myself at the grocery checkout and then remembered that I forgot my bags! What I chose to do to retrain myself was to buy new bags at the register instead of using plastic sacks. I bought a lot of bags! I was frustrated that I wasn't able to just make the change over night. But I never gave up trying and now it's something that is almost automatic. I'm at least much, much better at remembering to use them nearly every single time. 

Another thing you can do with your child is to bring your own trash bag and pick up trash you see along the way so that you leave the park or the area you're traveling through better than you found it. Picking up one item that someone else left behind  teaches compassion, respect and is an expression of generosity. 

“As a child, one has that magical capacity to move among the many eras of the earth; to see the land as an animal does; to experience the sky from the perspective of a flower or a bee; to feel the earth quiver and breathe beneath us; to know a hundred different smells of mud and listen unselfconsciously to the soughing of the trees.”  -Valerie Andrews, A Passion for this Earth

"Squirrels breed once or twice a year, and give birth to a varying number of young after three to six weeks, depending on species. The young are born naked, toothless, helpless, and blind. In most species of squirrel, only the female looks after the young, which are weaned at around six to ten weeks of age.

Female red fox squirrels can live up to 12.6 years and males around 8.6 years. They have excellent vision,  with a well developed sense of hearing and smell." Source: wikipedia

“Without continuous hands-on experience, it is impossible for children to acquire a deep intuitive understanding of the natural world that is the foundation of sustainable development. A critical aspect of the present-day crisis in education is that children are becoming separated from daily experience of the natural world, especially in larger cities.” -Natural Learning, Creating Environments for Rediscovering Nature’s Way of Teaching, Robin C. Moore and Herb H. Wong

"While many people only hear the trademark “honk” when geese make noise, there is evidence that Canada geese can communicate with different sounds. Scientists believe that there are as many as 13 different Canada goose calls for things like greetings, warnings and contentment.

Canada geese may be one of the most talkative animals after humans. Goslings, or baby geese, begin communicating with their parents while still in the egg! Once hatched, there is also evidence that they respond differently to different calls and noises from their parents, indicating a sophisticated level of communication." Read more from www.ducks.ca

Goose Facts By Christopher M. Knight

Mallard ducks (male with green head and female with the brown and tan) are considered to be the most abundant ducks on earth. Source: National Geographic

Wikipedia: The word duck comes from Old English *dūce  "diver", a derivative of the verb *dūcan "to duck, bend down low as if to get under something, or dive", because of the way many species in the dabbling duck group feed by upending; compare with Dutch duiken and German tauchen "to dive".

Physical Differences: Crows average around 17 inches long, and ravens about 24-27.

• A raven weighs about four times that of a crow.
• Crows have a wing span around 2.5 ft., and ravens about 3.5-4 ft.
• A raven's wing sometimes makes a prominent "swish, swish" sound, while a crow's wingbeat is usually silient.
• Ravens have pointed wings, while crows have a more blunt and splayed wing tip.
• Crows have a fan-shaped tail (squared-off), while raven tails are long and wedge-shaped.
• Besides having a bigger, more powerful bill, a raven's bill is curved, while a crow has a more-or-less flat bill. Additionally, atop a raven's bill is a tuft of hairs absent on crows. 
• As a result of being larger and more powerful, ravens are the more efficient predator. (Predation is a very small percentage of crow and raven diets.)
• READ MORE ABOUT HOW TO TELL A CROW FROM A RAVEN

Here's a great link for parents, teachers and children on Cornell Edu website:
 http://www.birds.cornell.edu/celebration/birds/brooklyn-new-school-kindergarten  Or you can click on the image below to enter their website. There's a great article about what bird watching teaches children.

Here's an excerpt:
The Brooklyn New School kindergarten has been studying pigeons!  Teacher Kori Goldberg writes," We have been  studying pigeons this fall by observing them in our Brooklyn neighborhoods, reading about pigeons, comparing them to other birds through a focus on bird's feet and beaks and by creating pigeons out of found materials.  We also sing a song about pigeons!  We are having a great time and will conclude this part of our studies by inviting families to our 'Pigeon Museum'.  
A few years ago  I asked a child why he thought pigeons bob their head when they walk.  At first he said, "Kori, I don't know."  But then he thought and added, "Maybe the wind is their music and they are keeping the beat with their heads."

Below are typical winter images that you'll see in Colorado. They're great subjects to photograph because of the textures and colors.

It was a beautiful day and I was photographing a bee. I ended up following him/her around like I often do with butterflies or dragonflies. Then I noticed a lot of bees coming in and out of a tree. I climbed through the thick branches that blocked easy access to it and discovered this wonderful beehive. I bent some branches out of the way and climbed onto some fallen trees to get a better look. I fell in love with photographing them. I got as close as I physically could, which was about 18 inches. There were so many branches and I didn't want to disturb the natural setting. I observed and clicked away for at least twenty minutes. The bees weren't bothered by my presence at all. It was so cool! Not much beats a nature show in the wild. What a special treat! 

NOTE: It's 2/27/2011 and I've been back four times since I posted this. I've also updated some of the photos. It's a favorite place to visit now. I'll sometimes sit below the hive and photograph the individual bees as they come get water and forage for more nectar. I've seen their nectar sacks completely full as they fly back to the hive. Their tube like tongues are red and stout. It is wonderful to watch the hive grow and to study/observe these marvelous creatures.

March 1, 2011 update: I've been going to the hive daily. The temperature has to be above 50 degrees before I see many bees flying around. As soon as it warms up, the buzz gets louder and more and  more bees fly  in and out of the hive bringing sacks full of pollen.

I brought some flowers to them one day thinking they would love them. I was so surprised that they didn't once land on a flower but instead focused on chips of bark, fallen tree branches and dried leaves. I also brought them some sugar water and poured it onto the wood and made a couple of small puddles for them to get extra energy since it seems so barren right now.

MY LATEST BUZZ 
(takes you into March with more bee info & pics)

Please read WHERE HAVE ALL THE BEES GONE? and learn about what's happening to bee populations around the world. 

Synopsis
Honeybees have been mysteriously disappearing across the planet, literally vanishing from their hives.

Known as Colony Collapse Disorder, this phenomenon has brought beekeepers to crisis in an industry responsible for producing apples, broccoli, watermelon, onions, cherries and a hundred other fruits and vegetables. Commercial honeybee operations pollinate crops that make up one out of every three bites of food on our tables.

Vanishing of the Bees follows commercial beekeepers David Hackenberg and Dave Mendes as they strive to keep their bees healthy and fulfill pollination contracts across the U.S. The film explores the struggles they face as the two friends plead their case on Capital Hill and travel across the Pacific Ocean in the quest to protect their honeybees.

Filming across the US, in Europe, Australia and Asia, this documentary examines the alarming disappearance of honeybees and the greater meaning it holds about the relationship between mankind and mother earth. As scientists puzzle over the cause, organic beekeepers indicate alternative reasons for this tragic loss. Conflicting options abound and after years of research, a definitive answer has not been found to this harrowing mystery. Click here to see when a screening is showing in your area.

"In cold climates honeybees stop flying when the temperature drops below about 50 degrees F and crowd into the central area of the hive to form a "winter cluster." The worker bees huddle around the queen bee at the center of the cluster, shivering in order to keep the center between 80 F at the start of winter (during the broodless period) and 93 F once the queen resumes laying. The worker bees rotate through the cluster from the outside to the inside so that no bee gets too cold. The outside edges of the cluster stay at about 46-48 degrees. The colder the weather is outside, the more compact the cluster becomes. During winter, they consume their stored honey to produce body heat. The amount of honey consumed during the winter is a function of winter length and severity but ranges in temperate climates from 30 to 100 lbs.[10]" SOURCE: WIKIPEDIA

STRAIGHT FROM http://www.pa.msu.edu/sciencet/ask_st/073097.html :

Honeybees use nectar to make honey. Nectar is almost 80% water with some complex sugars. In fact, if you have ever pulled a honeysuckle blossom out of its stem, nectar is the clear liquid that drops from the end of the blossom. In North America, bees get nectar from flowers like clovers, dandelions, berry bushes and fruit tree blossoms. They use their long, tube-like tongues like straws to suck the nectar out of the flowers and they store it in their "honey stomachs". Bees actually have two stomachs, their honey stomach which they use like a nectar backpack and their regular stomach. The honey stomach holds almost 70 mg of nectar and when full, it weighs almost as much as the bee does. Honeybees must visit between 100 and 1500 flowers in order to fill their honey stomachs.

The honeybees return to the hive and pass the nectar onto other worker bees. These bees suck the nectar from the honeybee's stomach through their mouths. These "house bees" "chew" the nectar for about half an hour. During this time, enzymes are breaking the complex sugars in the nectar into simple sugars so that it is both more digestible for the bees and less likely to be attacked by bacteria while it is stored within the hive. The bees then spread the nectar throughout the honeycombs where water evaporates from it, making it a thicker syrup. The bees make the nectar dry even faster by fanning it with their wings. Once the honey is gooey enough, the bees seal off the cell of the honeycomb with a plug of wax. The honey is stored until it is eaten. In one year, a colony of bees eats between 120 and 200 pounds of honey.

Pictured below, you can see the pollen sacks the bee is dropping off....

The photos below were taken on March 4, 2011. The temperature was in the mid 40's so there weren't a lot of bees around the hive. CLICK TO READ: COMMUNICATING WITH BEES

Go to motherearthnews.com/search.aspx?search=bee keeping for an archive of beekeeping articles from Mother Earth News.

Be sure to read WHERE HAVE ALL THE BEES GONE?

This is a 2009 story but the it has a timeless awww factor. I've emailed the Animal Rescue Team to get an update on these two. I'm waiting to hear back ....

Original story from: http://blogs.discovery.com/animal_news/2009/05/wildfire-wildlife-and-pet-rescue.html

In 2009, the Jesusita wildfire raged near Santa Barbara, California, 90 miles northwest of Los Angeles, consuming over 8,700 acres of land and forest, and destroying or damaging nearly 100 homes. Some 30,000 people, over half the city’s population, were forced to evacuate their homes. While thousands of firefighters devoted their time to containing the blaze, one group of rescue workers gets scant media attention - animal rescue teams that work around the clock to help displaced pets and wildlife and save as many lives as they can.

“Don’t you dare!” I hear Julia Di Sieno say gently to someone in the background as I speak to her on the phone. She is Co-founder and Director of Animal Rescue Team, a nonprofit organization which has been inundated with animals they’ve rescued and calls for help since the fire broke out last week. Her organization specializes in wild animals, particularly fawns and mammals, while domestic pets they rescue get sent to the local Humane Society. Out of curiosity, I ask who she’s talking to, figuring it’s one of her animals. “It’s the bobcat! She was trying to pee on me!”

Di Sieno helped rescue the bobcat kitten in the photo a week before, near Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Ranch, where it was dehydrated and near death. Di Sieno nurtured it back to health. They rescued the fawn during last week's wildfire. Although wild animals, especially of separate species, are never placed together due to regulations, in this emergency situation, they had no choice. During the mayhem of the fire, they were forced to put animals anywhere they could, since they had run out of crates large enough for the fawn. The kitten ran to the fawn, and it was instant bonding.

Most wildlife knows instinctively to flee fires - to fly away, burrow, or run - but some don’t make it out in time. Rescue workers walk near the fire line with nets, searching for any injured animals or young separated from their parents. “Burn victims go to the local care hospital,” says Di Sieno. “We rescued bunnies, squirrels, two fawns. We’ve rescued I don’t know how many geese, chickens ducks, cats, birds, turkeys, and a baby owl and a baby raptor.”

Another local nonprofit, Santa Barbara Wildlife Care Network, specializes in songbirds and seabirds, but during emergencies rescue workers help any animal that needs it. “All rehab centers in California work together as a team to help wildlife who are in need of care due to injuries often caused by man, dogs, cats, cars, etc,” explains Julia Parker, Director of Animal Affairs at WCN.

California currently faces severe drought conditions, which increases the chance of wildfires breaking out, and of spreading out of control. Just last year this same region had the Goleta Gap fire and the Montecita Tea Fire. During these fires, which can escalate and spread rapidly due to shifting winds, pets sometimes run from their homes, or alternately get stuck at home when a fire spreads rapidly and desperate homeowners can’t get to their homes.

All of these Santa Barbara area animal rescue organizations have put out a national plea for donations because of the overwhelming need for animal food, medicines, and space to house displaced animals. ART currently leases a 1.5-acre plot of land that houses rescued animals in enclosures on the property, which require around-the-clock care, and the organization is desperate to purchase the land. The morning after Di Sieno – along with an insanely cute bobcat cub and fawn photo – appeared on the Ellen Degeneres show – the landowner decided he needed to sell it and she’s concerned for the future of the animals she and her fellow workers just rescued. The WCN also seeks funds for their Oiled and Injured Seabird Rehab Center, and receive no City, State or federal funding. One of their volunteers, Nancy Callahan, runs W.I.L.D.E. Services which focuses on raccoons and opossums, had her home and facility burnt to the ground and must start over from scratch. After rehabilitation, the groups reintroduce rescued animals to the wild.

Feb 2011 News:
ANIMAL RESCUE TEAM GOING AFTER POACHER
The Robin Hood poacher — an elusive outlaw who dresses like the fabled English character, rides a Japanese motorcycle, and slaughters deer throughout Southern California — is reportedly responsible for the deaths of around 20 deer in the Santa Ynez gated community of Rancho Ynecita over the last two months. READ FULL STORY

Read yesterday's post on my HOME page: A LIFE WITH PASSION

Pictures from a winter stroll in Colorado...

Recently, I've been finding  images that I want to use for my website and yet I can't locate the original creator of the work.  Other people I've communicated with about this have run into the same scenario and the general consensus is that we'd all like to know who the creator is to inquire about obtaining permission to use the work of art and also to give credit to the talented person.

The sole purpose of AUTHOR UNKNOWN on FACEBOOK  is to reunite 'author unknown' pieces of work with the creator and give that person an opportunity to grant or deny permission for use of his/her work, in addition to giving the creator due recognition. 

WHO IS THE PHOTOGRAPHER?
These are magnificent shots!

These are the first three photos uploaded on Author Unknown on Facebook. I'm looking for the original photographers. If anyone knows who he/she is, please email me or JOIN AUTHOR UNKNOWN on FACEBOOK and let me know. 

This laughing kitty cracks me up! Who created this?

It  turns out that the humble domestic sheep can pass a psychological test that monkeys struggle with, and which is so sensitive it is used to look for neurological decline in human patients.

"SHEEP intelligence: it sounds like one of those famous oxymorons, such as fun run, or efficient government, or English chef. Yet I'm going to suggest that sheep really are smart," writes GEOFFREY HUTSON.

The title of the article is Zoologger: The Sharpest Mind in the Farmyard
18:05 09 February 2011 by Michael Marshall

Over the past few decades, evidence has quietly built up that sheep are anything but stupid. READ THE INTERESTING ARTICLE

Is our technology an indication of how much humans crave and need to feel connected? Or what?

Is the Facebook phenomenon with its 500 + million users  out of the planet’s 6.5 billion total population, which is 7%+ (and growing daily) of the world’s population, some kind of tell-tale barometer that people strive to connect with others? If so, what is it that people want from this connection? And I mean at the core of that want, what is it? Is it to feel understood? To feel a stronger sense of self-worth? I'm really asking. I don't have the answers.

Millions of people are tweeting, blogging, emailing, texting, or in chat rooms, on social network sites, or skyping or talking on webcams. I saw where a woman was in the hospital room about to give birth and tweeting that she was 10 centimeters dilated. Why is she tweeting at that moment? Why are any of us tweeting? Why do people constantly answer their cells phones when they’re in a live conversation with someone else? Why are people texting and talking at the same time? People are driving and texting at the same time? What are people craving? And whatever they’re craving, are they getting satisfied? Is our technology helping us achieve our desires and needs? Is the quality of our communication getting better? Are we feeling more understood? Are we understanding others better?

 You tell me ....

My son's girlfriend sent this video link to me and I wanted to share. It's 20 minutes, which I know is a lonngggg time to almost everyone, but it is well worth a listen even if you need to break it up into 5 or 10 minute fragments. I found her so engaging I just kept listening.

Here's her website: http://www.brenebrown.com/

Brene Brown makes a living studying the human connection -- our ability to empathize, belong, love. Quoting straight from the website: " In a poignant, funny talk at TEDxHouston, she shares a deep insight from her research, one that sent her on a personal quest to know herself as well as to understand humanity. A talk to share."

From her Bio on her website:
Brené Brown, Ph.D., LMSW is a research professor at the University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work. She has spent the past ten years studying vulnerability, courage, authenticity, and shame. Brené spent the first five years of her decade-long study focusing on shame and empathy, and is now using that work to explore a concept that she calls Wholeheartedness. She poses the questions:

How do we learn to embrace our vulnerabilities and imperfections so that we can engage in our lives from a place of authenticity and worthiness? How do we cultivate the courage, compassion, and connection that we need to recognize that we are enough – that we are worthy of love, belonging, and joy?

Brené is a nationally renowned speaker and has won numerous teaching awards, including the College’s Outstanding Faculty Award. Her groundbreaking work has been featured on PBS, NPR, CNN, and was the topic of two 2010 TEDx talks (Houston and Kansas City). THERE'S A WHOLE LOT MORE .. OR JUST GO DIRECTLY TO THE VIDEO

It's estimated that 2 million children are trafficked  every minute for sexual exploitation.

In September 2002, Love146 Co-Founders Rob Morris, Lamont Hiebert, Desirea Rodgers and Caroline Hahm went on an exploratory trip to SE Asia to determine how they could serve in the fight against child sex trafficking. In brothels they saw young children being sold for sex. In safehomes they witnessed the miracle of restoration as they sang and danced with survivors. The goal of this and subsequent trips was not to “reinvent the wheel” but to find out where the greatest needs were and how they could be most helpful in filling those needs. After 18 months of research, networking and other foundational work, Love146 became an official Public Charity in March of 2004 under the name of Justice for Children Intl. In October 2007, JFCI became known as "Love146". GO TO THEIR WEBSITE

People were told this is an orphanage. In reality it was a child brothel catering to pedophiles.  

      Take a piece of paper. Wyrite down these numbers. Two. Seven. Comma. Zero. Zero. Zero. Comma. Zero. Zero. Zero. Now read it. That's how many people are slaves on the planet. And children are half of all the people trafficked (bought/sold, stolen, forced, kidnapped) worldwide for sex and domestic slavery.  Those are the statistics. And if you’re not living in a cave or on some remote, internetless (I know that's not a real word) island somewhere, you’ve probably seen or heard them  before.    But have you stopped long enough to think about that for a moment? Really think about it? 

     Hmmm.. actually, no amount of pondering helps much. 27,000,000 is simply one of those numbers that is unfathomable no matter how long you roll it around in your head. Just say that number out loud. Say 27,000,000. Twenty ... seven ... million.  I can't even picture 27,000,000 of anything. It’s a number that’s hard to envision in any meaningful way. Add to that, the idea that half of those forced into the sex trade are children??! It’s beyond a head shaker and a mind blower. It leaves me utterly stunned. I suspect that's where some people give up trying to make a difference. Those are the people I want to reach the most.     

    The horrific reality is that 27,000,000 is the number of human beings who are at this very moment living lives as slaves.   And I mean slave in every sense, in every horror of the definition, and every imaginable way and then some. These people (mostly women and children) have no choice about the way they live their lives. Not 'no choice' as in you have a crummy job you want to change and you wish your car was newer. I mean NO CHOICE and they're brutalized in countless ways all the time. Many have no choice over their own bodies. They have no say about who touches them or how.  Many are repeatedly raped day in and day out. They are often beaten, starved, and in addition to the physical abuse, most are  emotionally tormented. They do not have control over where they work, how long they work, or where they live or when or what they get to eat -- if they get to eat. READ MORE

STRAIGHT FROM MUTTSHACK.ORG

Thousands of puppy mills exist in the United States, as well as overseas, and the dogs they produce are sold via the Internet, newspaper ads and to brokers and pet stores across the country. The overwhelming majority of pet stores (just about all) obtain their puppies from puppy mills or puppy mill brokers. 

Don't buy while shelter pets die. 

But while puppy mills thrive, animals are killed by the thousands in shelters. Why?  "Generally, pet stores succeed when a shelter is not meeting market demand or competing effectively, and because animal lovers do not want to go into a shelter that kills the vast majority of the animals" Nathan Winograd.  The key to getting people to adopt shelter pets, is offsite adoptions.  

"Our ambition is to fill the bus up with cats and dogs and set up adoption events at locations and public events throughout the city.   By taking animals to where people work, live and play, we want to make it easy for them to adopt a shelter animal rather than buy one from a breeder, pet store, or elsewhere." says Amanda St. John, Founder of MuttShack Animal Rescue.

CLICK IMAGES TO ENTER THEIR WEBSITE
Also become a fan on Facebook & show your support!

SEE WHAT'S HAPPENING IN HOUSTON ...

STRAIGHT FROM NO KILL HOUSTON'S WEBSITE:

"There are many challenges and roadblocks to No Kill. From bureaucrats who are content with the status quo, to uncaring shelter directors who are hostile to reform even when presented with overwhelming proof that the No Kill model saves lives. The roadblocks to No Kill are considerable, but not undefeatable.

We have a choice.  We can embrace No Kill as our future or we can continue to legitimize the failed “adopt a few and kill the rest” method.

Demand better.  Demand change.  This is your community and these are your community animals that are being killed."

"The rabbit is the fourth of the 12 Chinese animal zodiac signs. The animal signs are linked each year to the ancient binary opposition of yin and yang and to one of the five elements of metal, fire, wood, earth and water. Each individual combination recurs every 60 years." http://www.chinapost.com.tw

If you google "year of the rabbit" you'll find every news organization around the world including Wall Street Journal, NPR (whose cute title is Year The Rabbit Scampers In), NY Times along with animal organizations, activist groups, zodiac websites, and countless others weighing in with their interpretation and perspective. I guess I'm no different. 

In answer to the title on this posting: What do George Orwell, Albert Einstein, Fidel Castro, actor Brad Pitt, and director Francis Ford Coppola all have in common? You probably already guessed they’re all born in the year of the rabbit. Below, you'll find out what that means. It's rather entertaining, if you like that sort of thing!

And while the zodiac stuff is fun, I mainly write about this because it brings up an important issue of what happens when an event comes along that spurs people to go out and purchase the "in" animal. Every time 101 Dalmatians makes a comeback, lots of people go out and buy the lovely spotted canine only to discover they aren't compatible with an animal who needs massive amounts of daily exercise. The result: abandoned dogs. So with this being Year of the Rabbit and  six animated films featuring cute cartoon versions scheduled for release, Chinese children will likely be clamoring to buy them. And not just children want rabbits this year. Owning a rabbit in Chinese culture is thought to bring good luck. There are so many people wanting rabbits that pet suppliers can't  keep up with the demand for these cute, little fur balls. 

That face is hard to resist! They are indisputably adorable. I'm not saying don't buy a cuddly bunny. Just learn about the animals before you buy. As Dorothy Hoffman writes about pet rabbits, " Rabbits – as innocent and cuddly looking as they appear – can actually prove to be a real handful for the unsuspecting adoptive parent expecting a soft, gentle little ball of fur contented to stay in a cage all day and snuggle on their laps when they’re in the mood."

In her list of what to know BEFORE buying a rabbit Dorothy cautions:

Bunnies may look harmless and innocent, but they can wreak havoc on your woodwork, furniture, carpets, electrical and phone wiring – and anything else in your home that’s chewable. Like rodents, rabbit’s teeth continue to grow throughout their lives, so they will constantly be on the lookout for all kinds of things to gnaw on. In my experience, the little critters inevitably prefer whatever you DON’T want them to destroy to the nice little carrot-shaped chewing blocks or assortment of chew-toys you thoughtfully provide for them.

It’s absolutely vital that you thoroughly rabbit-proof your home before you let your bunny companion to roam. READ HER FULL ARTICLE (good reading especially if you have children in your home.)

THE RABBIT PERSONALITY

A person born in the year of the Rabbit possesses one of the most fortunate of the twelve animal signs. The Rabbit, or Hare as he is referred to in Chinese mythology, is the emblem of longevity and is said to derive his essence from the Moon.

When a Westerner gazes at the Moon, he may joke that it is a ball of cheese or tell a child the story of the Man in the Moon. When a Chinese looks at the Moon, he sees the Moon Hare standing near a rock under a Cassia tree and holding the Elixir of Immortality in his hands.

During the Chinese mid-Autumn festival when the Moon is supposed to be at its loveliest, Chinese children still carry lighted paper lanterns made in the image of a Rabbit and climb the hills to observe the Moon and admire the Moon Hare.

The Rabbit symbolizes graciousness, good manners, sound counsel kindness and sensitivity to beauty. His soft speech and graceful and nimble ways embody all the desirable traits of a successful diplomat or seasoned politician.

Likewise, a person born under this sign will lead a tranquil life, enjoying peace, quiet and a congenial environment. He is reserved and artistic and possesses good judgment. His thoroughness will also make him a good scholar. He will shine in the fields of law, politics and government.

But he is also inclined to be moody; at such times he appears detached from his environment or indifferent to people.

The Rabbit is extremely lucky in business and monetary transactions. Astute at striking bargains, he can always pop up with a suitable proposal or alternative to benefit himself. His sharp business acumen, coupled with his knack for negotiation, will ensure him a fast rise in any career.

Although the Rabbit may assume an outer air of indifference to READ MORE 

THE RABBIT CHILD

A child born in the Rabbit's year will have a sweet disposition. Even-tempered and obedient, he will be sensitive to the moods of his parents and act accordingly. He may or may not be talkative, but he won't be rowdy or offensive. He can sit quietly and concentrate on one toy or game at a time. READ FULL DESCRIPTION 

Before you buy a rabbit for the new year or Easter or any other fly by night impetus, stop and think about the full picture. Is your desire going to be short lived? What does that mean for the rabbit? Just think before you buy ... and learn about the animal's needs.

Animal ownership should not be entered into on a whim ...

Link to Dorothy Hoffman's article about having a pet rabbit

Here's one more thing to think about to help these
 lovely creatures in the Year of The Rabbit: 
BUY PRODUCTS THAT ARE CRUELTY FREE (list of companies provided below)

BE RABBIT FRIENDLY WHEN BUYING YOUR COSMETICS AND OTHER PRODUCTS....
Although no law requires that cosmetics and household products be tested on animals, some companies—such as Clorox and L'Oréal—continue to test their products on animals. Fortunately, hundreds of cosmetics and household-product companies—including Avon,Bath & Body Works, Revlon, Newman's Own Organics, and many more—have turned their backs on animal testing and are taking advantage of the many sophisticated non-animal test methods available today. A full list of cruelty-free companies is available here or you can browse through the document below and see if your favorite company is on the list.

ALL OF THE ABOVE PHOTOS ON THIS POSTING CAME FROM: http://www.freerabbitpictures.com/

Yesterday this little rabbit let me sit about 8 feet from her while she munched on some snow and dried grass. She let me click as many pictures as I wanted. There's never one time, not one moment, when  I don't feel a sense of awe and wonder when I'm around wildlife. 

The view out all my windows this morning: snow and more snow! It's a great day to settle in, get cozy, heat a cup of joe or tea and get busy reading a good book, or as I often do, read parts of several books and various Internet articles. Of course, if it were sunny, I'd say the same thing. I think any day is a good day to read and research. Both are my passion. 

 I'm reading The Animal Manifesto written by Mark Bekoff and loving it. I feel a kindred spirit in the author. He also wrote The Emotional Lives of Animals and Wild Justice. They are on my to-read-soon list.

You know that feeling when someone so eloquently puts into words exactly what you believe? It's like how it feels when a ball hits the sweet part of the  racquet. That's what it's like reading Bekoff's book. One paragraph after another, I'm sitting here thinking Yes! Yes! That's it exactly! 

The author describes his manifesto as a journey through six reasons (each reason is its own chapter) why all animals matter, why we need to do better, and why we need to expand what he calls 'our compassion footprint.' He compares the term to the concept of a carbon footprint, and explains that we need a bigger footprint of compassion as it relates to the way we treat all life. It's easy to see how the world would be a better place if animals across the globe were treated with respect, care, and kindness. Doing good and being good has a perpetuating effect or more simply put: a domino reaction. I smile, you smile and someone else smiles... and so on. 

Much of what Bekoff writes about, and has devoted his life to, is what I hope some of my website succeeds in doing, which is inspiring people to stop and think, and then rethink about reevaluate the way animals are viewed and treated. Out of this thoughtful examination, hopefully there will be some good changes.  I always, always loved animals, but I am much more compassionate towards them now. I continue to learn about them and in so doing, I hope my 'compassion footprint' grows ...

 Old habits die hard as the saying goes, but here's an example of how I've changed.

When I was growing up, I never once thought about the circus being something cruel. It did not occur to me to wonder if the animals were happy and well treated. Now, I think about those things. I did some research and read about circuses. I talked to people about them. All in all, I have concluded the circus must close!

  I do not support what Ringling Bros is doing.  (I have followed the law suit against them, which is a whole other article.) I see the atrocious abuse of circus animals and I want to be part of putting an end to it.  But you have people who have been in the circus world for generations. The circus has a long tradition in America dating back to the last decade of the 1700's. It is very much a part of American history and carries a proud image. But now that we have knowledge about how circus animals are trained and treated, and what the appalling living conditions are for circus animals, we owe it to them and to our own sense of humanity to stop this form of "entertainment".

 Old notions and traditions of "entertainment" have come (and continue to come) at a great sacrifice to the health and happiness of our beloved animals. I have a page on my website  called SAY NO TO THE CIRCUS.  If you haven't thought much about it ... please take a look at it and do some long, hard thinking about it ...

There are many other ways my own attitude toward animals and treatment of them has evolved and become more compassionate as I've become more aware and knowledgeable. I'll share in another blog ...

More to come on The Animal Manifesto ....

"By respect for life we become religious in a way that is elementary, profound and alive. 
Impart as much as you can of your spiritual being to those who are on the road with you, and 
accept as something precious what comes back to you from them. 

In everyone's life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. 
It is then burst into flame by an encounter 
with another human being. We should all be thankful 
for those people who rekindle the inner spirit."

~~ Albert Schweitzer (Out of My Life and Thought)

"Anyone who tries to improve the lives of animals invariably comes in for criticism from those who believe such efforts are misplaced in a world of suffering humanity," Jane Goodall once said. 

I relate to those words.   I was even criticized for choosing to go overseas to help orphans in Nepal instead of helping children in the United States. How misguided and narrow minded of someone to judge another about whom he or she chooses to devote attention, time and/or financial resources to help. 

 I know eyes roll for some who stumble upon my website.  I just hold onto the knowledge that throughout time, people who challenged the status quo came up against resistance and judgment.  It's just the way it is. Criticism and cynicism come with the territory of activism, and especially animal activism. I'm okay with that. I know that caring for animals doesn't mean I care less for humans. 

An excerpt from today's Jasper's Blog posting:
"The vast number of animals suffering on this planet due to outdated notions, ignorance and greed must, as Jane Goodall says, be overcome. It must not be tolerated. It is no myth that animals feel deeply. It’s also not anthropomorphism. It’s real. Humans must rethink their treatment of animals and revamp their entire view of what is in the best interest of animals if we ever hope to restore the animal kingdom to its optimal and rightful place on this planet that we all share." READ ENTIRE POST

SHOW YOUR LOVE AND COMPASSION FOR ANIMALS WITH A JASPER SWEATSHIRT
SUPPORTING THE ANIMAL BILL OF RIGHTS BY THE ANIMAL LEGAL DEFENSE FUND

If you're unfamiliar with Jasper (little guy holding the flag) check out Jasper's Blog and Chippy and the Crew

I SIGNED IT! HOODY FOR SALE. EMAIL ME!

I, the undersigned American citizen, believe that animals, like all sentient beings, are entitled to basic legal rights in our society. Deprived of legal protection, animals are defenseless against exploitation and abuse by humans. As no such rights now exist, I urge you to pass legislation in support of the following basic rights for animals: 

The Right of animals to be free from exploitation, cruelty, neglect, and abuse. 

The Right of laboratory animals not to be used in cruel or unnecessary experiments. 

The Right of farm animals to an environment that satisfies their basic physical and psychological needs. 

The Right of companion animals to a healthy diet, protective shelter, and adequate medical care. 

The Right of wildlife to a natural habitat, ecologically sufficient to a normal existence and self-sustaining species population. 

The Right of animals to have their interests represented in court and safeguarded by the law of the land.