Ring the alarm! Clean up on aisle 7!!!

Dismayed customers take it upon themselves to disparage the perceived slim pickings at the local dollar store in Charlotte Hall, MD. Its just not humans who dislike this time of year apparently. Angry beaver!!!

The lambs have stopped screaming....

A couple of bald eagles surveying their domain between Harrisburg and Interstate 5 this morning at 10 a.m. PST......and there was a third bird on the ground.

R.I.P. Katie

Good bye to my mothers beloved 13 yr. old Pomeranian.......such a lovable character around the house and one of the best feel good pets I've come across. Happy to report that she died being loved and cuddled in the arms of my mother around 3 a.m. this morning...the exact same time I was getting up preparing to deal with snowy slushy road conditions in Portland. She is seen here eager to have a piece of the KFC whilst idling in the drive thru...R.I.P. Katie <3 <3

Feeding The Bunnies........

Killing time before the fireworks on Saturday night.......

Across The Wire: Bald Eagles Feasting On Prey

6 bald eagles standing guard around a deceased animal in a field just north of Harrisburg on Highway 99E this morning, with a couple of the birds taking bites of the corpse periodically.

To Interfere With Nature?

A couple of weeks ago, near the Valley River Center, I came across this guy foraging for food. Unseen in this pic, just a few feet away, was a cat carefully stalking out his next meal, and as the scenario began to unfold, the thought struck me as to whether or not I should let nature play itself out.


Of course, as a human, I had to put my two cents worth into the affair, and I lobbed a rock at the cat, sending him scurrying away, the prey safe from its potential deathly fate for at least for another couple of hours. Why should any of us in this day and age here pretend that the world doesn't operate in a clean, sanitary manner because it's not right in our faces? Carry on, squirrel, until tomorrow......when all bets are off again.

ASPCA: Go Orange For Animals April 10th

I love my pets, and I love the ideas that the American Society For The Prevention Of Cruelty To Animals stands behind with the relationships between humans and their pets. However, as a dedicated Oregon fan, I don't own any orange at all for their ASPCA Day tomorrow, a day in which wearing the colour will show support for their cause; I hope the orange lettering in my New York Mets hat will count.



ASPCA DAY

Gone To The Dogs

Newsworthy day for man's best friend. MUSIC FOR DOGS TOPPING THE CHARTS IN NEW ZEALAND and THEY'RE BLOCKING THE AIRPORT RUNWAYS IN MUMBAI. Model Katie (right) remains keen to hear her music here in the States. Or maybe just have some KFC.

3 Little Pigs In A House

Not much to do with the traditional fairy tale, except perhaps for the fact that a Clackamas County man might consider the company who forced him into foreclosure on his house his version of the "big bad wolf". The man's response? Letting three pigs live in and roam around the house, without food or water, for a few days. Story and some pics from inside the house are at the NWCN site HERE.



Hope it doesn't give my dad any more ideas, the most he's come up with to express his displeasure for the expanding city limits is to start raising pigs before any annexation, so he'll get to keep the pigs while developments go up in the area.

Humboldt Squid Along The West Coast

Interesting story in today's Los Angeles Times about the increase in the numbers of the Humboldt squid in California waters, as well as sightings of the creature all along the west coast of the Americas, from Chile to Alaska. Various factors as to the cause of this is discussed in the article, with the potential of damage to fisheries along the U.S. coast a possibility of this action. The interaction the squid have with humans is also discussed, which is a rarity as they prefer to live at depths that tend to prohibit close study of them.



LA TIMES STORY





Also, a related story from the Monterey County Weekly, from a couple of years ago but still timely, is HERE

To Catch A Thief

Unlike the blog mascot in the upper right, having a dedicated feline in the house might've caught the thief of Bill Exner's dentures and made a nice meal of him by now. As it is, the Exners of Waterville, Maine have been trying to cope with an unwanted houseguest, one who even stole the man's dentures from his bedside stand while he slept. Read the whole, strange story HERE

Eagle Carrying Deer Head Cuts Power To Thousands

Weird story out of Alaska about the hungry bald eagle, its dinner of a deer head, and a power line. Unfortunately, it ends badly for the symbol of our country.



EAGLE

Why Woodpeckers Don't Get Headaches

An answer to one of two not-so-burning questions in my mind about birds: so why don't woodpeckers get headaches? An explanation is found HERE



The other question, related in a manner, is why don't hummingbirds wings get overly tired after beating their wings constantly?

Hogzilla Part Two

They grow 'em big in Georgia, apparently. A lot of my television viewing time is largely devoted to the block of channels that run from the National Geographic, Science Channel, Discovery/Times Channel, etc. (part of it derives from the fact that I like to at least to pretend to learn something while watching it). One of the most intriguing programs I viewed was one on the National Geographic channel about the search for a report 12 foot, 1,000 giant wild hog that was shot in the wilds back in 2004. The beast was given the name Hogzilla, and the National Geographic report of their findings is HERE



There are now reports, seen on the ESPN Hunting page, about a new contender for the Hogzilla throne, once again in Georgia. The newest trophy is being reported at weighing in at a cool 1,100 pounds.


PART TWO

Big Red Figurines (Coming Soon)

A nice effort to remember the official town mascot of Scio, Big Red, the Rhode Island Red Rooster that lived in the Scio Feed And Country Store for several years before it was tragically mauled to death by a dog last July. The figurines are to be made in China, and are expected to be available for sale in mid-January.


BIG RED

Giant Squid Filmed Live

Well, maybe it's not quite the size of the mythical kraken from days gone by, but Japanese scientists have filmed a live giant squid in its habitat.










REUTUERS VIDEO STORY ON THE SQUID

Paging The Ghost Of Marie Prevost

A Kirkland, WA man, who claimed that rats were his friends on his cluttered property, has passed away, and when a King's County deputy investigated the smell at his house, prompted by calls from disgusted neighbors, she found his body inside, with rats gnawing away at the corpse. Another example of no matter how careful you are with you and yours, one can't control what's going on in the next car, or next door, etc.



STORY

There Were Giants In Those Days

Gee Dunkie, what a big mouth you have


The top o' the food chain, the Darth Vader of fish at 33 feet long with armour, able to snap puny sharks in half, achieved with 8,000 psi biting power. Yep, that'll do the trick.


DUNKIE

A Fish Day-Spa For Your Skin

Doctors have used maggots in years past to eat away the diseased flesh of their patients, now here's a fish that'll exfoliate the dead skin that you may have on your feet and hands; somehow, I can just imagine someone is trying to figure out a way to be able to stick one's face in the water for the same luxurious treatment. Bon appetit, little fishies!!!




GET YER GRUB ON!!

Toxic Algae Is My Excuse

Nibbling sea lions in San Francisco's Aquatic Park, probably in a territorial manner, or the aforementioned ingestion of toxic algae.



MOVE ON