Blogging For Birds

Happy Birthday to Me!

2005-08-08T18:30:00.000-07:00

Whoo-hoo! Tomorrow is my 31st birthday - really nothing to get all that excited about, but luckily I'm easy to please. What I really would like for my birthday - are you all ready, please take notes - is a ton of chicken feed and lots of money!

Please send food and checks to:

Eastern Shore Sanctuary & Education Center
13981 Reading Ferry
Princess Anne, MD 21853
USA

Or, just click here http://www.blogathon.org/blogathon.php?campaign&id=223 to give money online. And, I mean lots 'o dough!! Unless you have already been so very generous and you all know who you are. But, if your name is not listed in the blog below and your name is not Virgil, Pattrice or Miriam, please, in honor of my birthday, make a kind donation to some very kind folks and their beautiful rescued birds.

It's Me Again!

2005-08-08T17:57:00.000-07:00

I just couldn't stay away. 24 hours of blogging wasn't quite enough. I have more to say! And, my fingers aren't sore anymore. As Confusious say: "Woman who talk a lot, type a lot."

First I want to the thank the last two people to make pledges: Tony Burgess and Ahlena, who is campaiging in the Blogathon to raise money for CIWF http://www.ciwf.org.uk/ , an organization that works to improve the lives of farm animals. Donations to her organization can be made here http://www.blogathon.org/blogathon.php?campaign&id=43 . Just remember to register or sign in first at the top of the screen.

Also, please visit http://www.blogathon.org/blogathon.php?campaign&id=44 if you would like to donate to Doctos Without Borders, a charity that Crystal Ward has been blogging to raise money for, or this site http://www.blogathon.org/blogathon.php?campaign&id=224 to donate to the Elephant Sanctuary, an organization that Laura Freeman has been blogging for.

THANK YOU ONCE AGAIN TO ALL OF
THE SPONSORS OF MY CAMPAIGN:

Brian Robertson
Laura Freeman
Susan Juetten
Christina Nellemann
Craig Burton
Jane Hussein
Steve F. Lyon
Susan J. Markowitz
Lara Bainbridge
Marlene Garcia
Sharon Ehlert
Crystal Ward
William Beem
Tony Burgess
Alhena

And, please remember to continue to spread the word that pledges can be made until Tuesday night!

Also, feel free to visit my profile for links to my two other blogs.

Pledges Accepted Until Tuesday Night!!

2005-08-07T16:15:00.000-07:00

If you haven't already, please follow this link http://www.blogathon.org/blogathon.php?campaign&id=223 to make a pledge by Tuesday night. You will have to register for free first by following the link at the top of the page that says Register. Then, it will ask you how much you would like to donate.

All of the money will go to Eastern Shore Sanctuary and Education Center http://www.bravebirds.org/ , a beautiful sanctuary in Maryland for rescued factory chickens, fighting roosters and more. Please help them out! They really need the help and please be sure to visit their website for heartwarming stories and photos of rescued birds.

Also, please be sure to visit my blogathon site http://forthebirds74.blogspot.com/ for stories and photos of our chicken, Bonnie, my new rat, Briggsie, my friends and family, my anxiety attack when Reno suffered and Internet outage yesterdy during the Blogathon, my friend Sharon's new hair cut and perm, pet safety, chicken slaughterer turned animal activist, Virgil Butler (also in the Blogathon http://cyberactivist.blogspot.com/) ,
dumb things I did as a kid, me and my dad, and much more!!

Thank you to everyone who pledged and all of those who helped and supported me during the event, especially those who came to my aid during the outage so I did not get booted from the Blogathon. Have a wonderful day everyone and remember to be kind to all of the people and animals whom you come across. You can have a profoundly positive effect on these lives - maybe even more than you will ever realize.

Virgil and Pattrice, both of you have touched my life profoundly and I am grateful!

A Thank You to All and A Good Night!

2005-08-07T06:00:00.000-07:00

Thank you again to everyone who supported this event and pledged for Eastern Shore, including two later sponsors: Crystal Ward and William Beem. Thank you to the Blogathon people for all of your hard work. Okay, my fingers are numb and I'm cold! I can not type another letter. Maybe one more just to say thank you all so much - good morning and good night!

Approaching the Finish Line

2005-08-07T05:26:00.000-07:00

Thank you Gary for popping to post a comment in the early am. One half hour to go! And, way to go Virgil! We are almost there!!

ONE Hour Whoo-Hoo!!

2005-08-07T04:57:00.000-07:00

Scroll down for the more interesting blogs from earlier in the Blogathon. My fingers are numb now from typing and I'm half asleep. Very soon I will be doing some snoring of my own!

ZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

2005-08-07T04:30:00.000-07:00

The dogs are snoring super loud. I wish I was!!!! I think it's these last few hours that are the worst. Too sleepy to write anymore. Hope everyone is hanging in there!!! Anyone visiting this site on Sunday (while I'm fast asleep), please scroll down the page for meatier blog posts that make more sense and are actually about something!!!

Good Morning!

2005-08-07T03:59:00.000-07:00

Two hours to go. Anyone awake out there? I hope you all are doing well and starting to ease off the caffeine so you can hit the hay in a few hours. Well that's all I can write for now - so so sleepy! See ya in 30!

Please Do Not Eat at Red Lobster!

2005-08-07T03:30:00.000-07:00

This was the protest we did in front of Reno's Red Lobster at the end of June. That's me crouching down on the left and the Clarke family in back. Please help win this fight and do not support Red Lobster until they stop buying Canadian seafood!

Boycott Reb Lobster!

2005-08-07T02:59:00.000-07:00

Before the Blogathon ends, I want to be sure to urge everyone to not eat at Red Lobster until they agree to stop buying seafood from Canada. This, in turn, will put pressure on the Canadian fishing industry to call for an end to the brutal slaughter of baby harp seals. Red Lobster is America's largest seafood chain. Boycotting them can make the difference in whether or not this horrible event continues.

Each year, many baby seals wind up being skinned alive in front of their mothers because the seal hunters do not want club them more than once for fear of damaging their valuable fur. This is barbaric and needs to end. Please support this fight and urge everyone you know to stay away from Red Lobster!

Please visit the Humane Society of the United States website www.hsus.org/ for more info on how you can help in their campaign to end the hunt. The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society www.seashepherd.org/ is also running a huge campaign.

As you can see in my last post, I am very sleepy - so sleepy, I put only 2.5 hours to go! I just realized there are 3 whole hours to go!!! Hopefully it will go fast.

What's All the Flap About?

2005-08-07T02:30:00.000-07:00

Here is a photo I took of a giant moth. There are a lot around here and they really love the petunias. At first, I thought it was a hummingbird because it was flapping and moving so fast.

How is everyone holding up? 2.5 hours to go!!

Four Hours to Go!

2005-08-07T02:00:00.000-07:00

I swear, I don't know how people go out and party all night long. I can't even sit around awake all night long. I sound so old! I am such a lightweight when it comes to sleep. Very rarely do I stay up past midnight.

I hope all the other bloggers are doing okay. Hang in there everyone! Four hours to go!

Five Hours to Go!!

2005-08-07T00:54:00.000-07:00

Well, here it is, the home stretch. I just had quite a scare. My computer slowed down and began acting funny. I am so praying the Internet does not crash again. I closed out a couple of windows and after I post this, I will restart. It just occurred to me that if it does crash, there will be no one to help me this time since everyone is sleeping, except maybe Pattrice. So, Pattrice, if you are awake and happen to notice I haven't posted in more than 30 minutes, please call me since it means the Internet went down. But hopefully these last five hours will be smoothe sailing and then I can crawl my tired butt into bed and say, "Goodnight."

Wide Awake But Braindead

2005-08-07T00:30:00.000-07:00

So much I wanted to say during this event, but I think some of my brain cells have followed the cranial Pied Piper in the last hour. And, my back feels like I tried hanging upside-down by my legs from the edge of a pool again (do not every try this).

I am going to down a bunch of esspresso balls and get writing on some good posts so stay tuned and don't fall asleep! It feels like everyone is sleeping except the other bloggers. I may be tempted to have another peek at the penis blog ...

Reading the Penis Blog

2005-08-06T23:57:00.000-07:00

Wow, that was fun. I almost missed posting this time from getting so wrapped up in visiting this Blogathoner's site http://blog.stonyrubbish.com/ . Thanks, Tudor. I'm very much wide awake now. Nothing like a good penis photo to wake a sleepy woman up.

I drank the last sip of my Monster an hour ago. I feel okay. I guess I always have my secret stash of chocolate covered esspresso balls to fall back on. But then I'll probably be so wired, I'll start writing all sorts of crazy, silly posts about penises and all. See you all in 30!

Barn Swallows

2005-08-06T23:27:00.000-07:00

Here are three barn swallows sitting on a power line behind our home. I think their coloring is so beautiful. I hope they were nesting in our outbuilding! Or just stopping by to eat bugs. Did you know that barn swallows fly through the air to eat insects? They are great to have around, especially for fly and mosquito control. They are found in North America during the warm summer months.

My Adorable Nephew

2005-08-06T22:58:00.000-07:00

This is my little nephew, Dmitri, peeking down from a balcony on our trip to Las Vegas. He is being raised to fluently speak Spanish and English. I can't wait to see him on my trip to San Diego in two weeks. Every time I see him he has changed so much. He is about 20 mos. right now, only 16 mos. in this photo.

Another Log Comes Floating By

2005-08-06T22:30:00.000-07:00

Thank God my bro just called to say they all made it home safely! He gave me a quick glimpse of their trip to Italy for his brother-in-law's wedding. He said that Sicily was very dirty (no offense to anyone). They were told to visit a beautiful beach in Mondello, near Palermo, Sicily. My bro said as they approached, it looked like a dream of white sand and blue, clear waters. It was so stinkin' hot that my brother, his wife and in-laws ran straight for the water and dove in. Coming up for air, they all realized that the pieces of driftwood floating in front of them were giant human turds. My brother said his mother-in-law, Wilma (pronounced Vilma), almost threw up as they ran as fast as they could for the shore! I can't wait to hear all about the rest of the trip!

Support Virgil Butler: From Slaughterer to Savior

2005-08-06T21:58:00.000-07:00

I am dedicating this post to fellow Blogathoner, Virgil Butler, former chicken slaughterhouse worker turned animal activist. Virgil, I think what you are doing is awesome, amazing and wonderful!! I have been trying to read through your site, but have not gotten through eveything yet. Please visit Virgil's very informative and eye-opening site at http://cyberactivist.blogspot.com/ . He is also blogging to raise money for the Eastern Shore Sanctuary so please support him as well! All the money goes to the same place!

I want to encourage people to leave comments for Virgil at this post since he cannot get them on his website. Please show him your support and that you are all reading his blogs!! He needs to know. I know it would mean a lot to him. Thanks so much to everyone who has been so supportive!! Thank you Pattrice for staying up late with us!

Time to Break Out the Mongo Caffeine

2005-08-06T21:30:00.000-07:00

Okay, folks, the time has officially arrived for me to break out my giant, caffeine-filled Monster soda, that I have been saving especially for tonight. So, here it goes. And, be forwarned that the more caffeine I drink, the sillier my posts might become!! And, again, please excuse any typos. It has been a long day of typing and I have given up trying to carefully proof each post. Monster, here I come!!

A Bump on the Head Can do Wonders For Your Image

2005-08-06T21:00:00.000-07:00

When I was about 11, I had just learned to hang from a bar, upside-down by my legs. I was really proud of this since all the cool kids were doing it at school. In my eagerness to show off my new skill in the schoolyard, I impulsively decided to hang upside-down from a railing outside one of the classrooms.

Once my legs were secure, I let my body flop backwards and gravity take over. It wasn't long before I realized my error. I had chosen to hang from a bar with a second bar below at just the right height to bash my cranium into. How I overlooked this small factor, I don't know. But my stunt didn't look as cool as I had planned and it was very painful!

However, it was not as painful as the time I tried the same stunt, hanging from the edge of a pool! This time I bashed my head into cement and came up with a nose and mouth full of water. I guess it took two bumps on the head to get some sense into me! I wish I had gotten those bumps and the sense BEFORE I attempted my infamous belly flop - so much more pleasant in concept than reality. I swear, they should post warnings in pool areas for kids who haven't already tried it. Does every kid do the experimental belly flop or was it just me?

How Does Your Garden Grow?

2005-08-06T20:30:00.000-07:00

This is my garden, which I need to run out and water really quicky before it shrivels up in the Nevada desert heat! I am hoping for some good produce. This is the first time I have done a huge garden so I have been learning as I go. It has been lots of fun and hard work! I have been disappointed with some of the crops and surprised at the abundance of others. I was ecstatic to have my radishes do wonderful. I bragged about this at work to my elderly gardening co-worker, who said, "You can't kill radishes." Okay, so maybe it wasn't my green thumb afterall!

Whew, now I am caught up with my posts at last and back on track! Thanks again Blogathon for not giving me the boot!!

Please Spay/Neuter Your Dog or Cat

2005-08-06T20:14:00.000-07:00

Please be a responsible pet owner and have all of your pets spayed or neutered. If you already have done so, please spread the word to your friends and family. It is the right thing to do.

I am still amazed that in 2005, people are still believing the old myths. "My dog with get fat and lazy; My dog won't be a good guard dog; It's a male and he stays in our yard."

Okay, please listen loud and clear - spaying/neutering will NOT make your dog fat and lazy - aging and too much food will, just like people, capiche? Your dog will love you and defend you the same with or without a uterus or balls. But, also a plus for neutering, he may not love your leg as much. Most dogs escape or get lost from their owners at least once in their lives. Please don't let yours be the father to all of the other litters in the neighborhood born to irresponsible pet owners.

Most people say, "I found all of the puppies good homes." Great, but you just took a great home away from a dog that will now have to be euthanized at the pound that might have gotten adopted by all of these "great" homes your carelessly bred puppies went to. There are only so many good homes out there. Why is this concept so hard for some people to understand? Plus, many homes that people perceive to be good homes are not. Many of those puppies will be abandoned, chained up outside or given away when they hit a very hyper and out-of-control six months of age.

Many communties offer low cost spaying and neutering. It is a simple procedure with minimal pain for the dog. Plus, there are numerous health benefits. So, if you love your dog, please do the right thing. And, if you don't, please find a home that will and maybe you should think twice before impulsively getting another pet. They deserve good lives too.

Bonnie and Cindy Snuggling

2005-08-06T20:13:00.000-07:00

This is my dear animal rescue friend, Cindy, who now lives back on the east coast. She is cuddling with our dear, beloved, Bonnie, aka Chicky Butt. As you can see she is quite a snuggle bug.

My Best Friend, Juls and Family

2005-08-06T20:00:00.000-07:00

This is my suedo-family. From left, John and Andrea, their grandson Caden and my suedo sister, Julie. Julie and I have been best friends since 1992. It took us a few year but we figured out that we can go a whole three days around each other before getting into a major fight. She has only punched me in the face once, but it was an accident (or so she said ...).

We both went to the same high school in New Jersey and ran with the same crowd at different times. We did not like each other then. I guess it was a jealousy thing and we never got to know each other. But then we both found ourselves in the same strange high school in the center of Las Vegas with not a friend in the world. It was the perfect opportunity for a fateful friendship to grow. I do believe we were sisters in past lives. There is a bond deeper than can be described.

Arnie: A Small Spider With A Big Heart

2005-08-06T19:23:00.000-07:00

This is a recent photo of Arnie. Since this photo was taken, he has snagged six giant flies, one tiny moth and a mosquito. Go Arnie! Go Arnie!

Arnie lives in the corner of our bathroom window. He moved in a few months ago to this prime fly-catching real estate plot. At the time I did not realize he was a poisonous Hobo Spider. I decided to name him Arnie so he would not be quite so scary looking. He definitely holds up his end of the bargain: he stays in his corner and he catches lots of bugs! With West Nile cases growing by the day, I guess one could really become attached to a guy like Arnie. The "bark" about them is always so much worse than the bite. Now, little Arnies I can live without!

Professor Hussein: A Brave Man With a Loving Family

2005-08-06T19:00:00.000-07:00

Many of you have probably never heard of Professor Hussein S. Hussein, an animal nutrition expert at the University of Nevada, Reno, who complained of animal neglect at UNR's research facilites. He has since filed harassment charges against the university. UNR President John Lilley, slightly overpaid and a major embarassment to the University System, convened a panel early this year to review bogus charges that I believe Lilley was hoping would lead to the Professor's firing. As a shock to the Pres., all charges against Professor Hussein were dropped.

Meanwhile, in June, the U.S. Department of Agriculture cited UNR for 46 violations of the federal Animal Welfare Act and handed UNR a reduced fine of $11,400, a small price to pay for the huge amount of suffering they caused. Oh and did I mention President Lilley makes well over $300,000 a year, including perks, and just had his office renovated. Must be nice.

As a whistleblower, Professor Hussein has suffered stress and alleged (lawsuits are still pending and I don't want to get sued, but other than that, you can realistically delete the "alleged") retaliation for speaking out against the neglect of dozens of UNR's research animals, leading to the deaths of most of them. He and his family have been so brave through all of this. Even his students have been harassed, having years of reasearch experiments sabbotaged by someone who has never been caught.

Oh, have I mentioned that a UNR video surveillance camera, pointed toward the Professor's lab, was mysteriously turned off during the time the research was ruined? Hmmm. The Husseins are kind, strong and amazing people who believe in speaking out again wrongdoing. Professor Hussein's students fully support him, which can only make one conclude that he is not only a good family man and ethical person, but an inspiring teacher as well.

UNR has yet to punish anyone for the actual neglect that took place. I guess they figure punishing the whistleblower was sufficient. The shock I have had in all of this is that this is a University, a place of academia, of education, of open minds, a place that should be setting an example for the rest of the community to follow. Mistakes happen, I know, but I would feel so much better about President Lilley and his administration if they would publicly admit the wrongdoing, punish those who were responsible for it, reward Professor Hussein for speaking out, apologize for their harassment of him, agree to a committee of local animal experts (not including the possibly (again, throwing in a "possibly" to protect my own behind) corrupt UNR vet Dr. Simmons) to oversee that the research animals are treated humanely and put safeguards in place so no more whistleblowers suffer harassment.

If UNR did these things, as I would have expected them to do, and am so ashamed they have not, I would be proud to be an alumna. As for now, if I had known then what I know now, I would never have gone to school there. Nor will I give them any of my financial support.

Please follow this link http://www.rgj.com/extra/troubleonthefarm.php to read the in depth expose by Reno Gazette Journal reporter Frank Mullen.

Almost Caught Up - Whew!

2005-08-06T18:19:00.000-07:00

I think I will be almost caught up on blog posts - I hope! This is my 6:30 p.m. one and I owe two from earlier and then I will be back on track. Wow, time is flying. My mom just called from Jackson, Tennessee. I did not mention anything about the plane crash. Thank God she did not see the news. She would freak out. Still no word yet from bro and Ves, probably because they are in the air.

One of my dogs is having bad gas - super smelly and hard to tell which behind it is coming from - I have ruled out my own of course! I gave them all a yummy treat earlier of clean-out-the-fridge casserole suprise. Looks like I am getting the smelly surprise now!

Sponsors, You Rock!

2005-08-06T17:59:00.000-07:00

I just want to thank all of the recent sponsors for their generous support: Marlene Garcia (did you see the Tilly Tooter story?), Laura Bainbridge, Sharon and Karl Ehlert and Craig Burton. Your donations are very much appreciated.

Also, thank you again to those who pleadge earlier: Susan Juetten, Christina Nellemann, Steve F. Lyon, Susan J. Markowitz, Brian Robertson, Jane Hussein and Laura Freeman. I promise to finish this whole Blogathon

2005-08-06T17:53:00.000-07:00

My brother loves being a dad. Can you tell? He is in law school and I am so proud of him. We are very close and he means the entire world to me. I love this photo.

2005-08-06T17:52:00.000-07:00

My brother, Justin, his gorgeous wife, Vesna, and my beautiful little nephew, Dmitri. Look at those cheeks!

Info on Sicily Plane Crash

2005-08-06T17:44:00.000-07:00

Since my TV and Internet has been out all day, I just saw on the news about the plane crash in Sicily. Does anyone have any more information or anywhere to get info on those involved in the crash? My bro, sis-in-law and nephew were flying back today from Italy. I have no idea what time or from where. I just left messages on both of their cell phones. I will not freak out. I will not freak out. Okay, I'm freaking out. I guess the crash happened at 6:20 a.m. this morning Nevada time. Don't you all out there think that if anything had happened that I would have already been notified, right? So, I should not worry? Any thoughts?

2005-08-06T17:25:00.000-07:00

This was the awesome support that I had when I was upset earlier that my Internet was down. The boxer, Frasure, was bone thin when I rescued him three years ago and, Mandy, the old lady next to him has been with me for seven years now. I got her from the Fallon pound just before they were planning to euthanize her.

2005-08-06T17:22:00.000-07:00

Briggsie checking out the things on my night stand. He has doubled in size these past two weeks! His fur is so soft. Rats make wonderful pets and will bond strongly with a person when there is not another rat around to bond with.

Briggsie, Rejected by a Snake

2005-08-06T16:59:00.000-07:00

I will dedicate this post to my new little rat, Briggsie, an albino named after the nickname Anna Briggs had for her husband. Anna is the co-founder of The National Humane Education Society. She and her husband dedicated their lives to saving animals. I have been reading her heartwarming story, "Legacy of Love." It is a short book and I highly recommend reading it for any of you who have time.

I adopted Briggsie two weeks ago at PETCO. I do not buy pets sold for profit and I was not aware that PETCO has a rescued pet adoption program. I found out when I went in there just to look around. As part of this adoption program, when people buy baby rats to feed to their snakes (which I highly oppose and PETCO discourages since many snakes can eat frozen food that has already been humanely killed), if the snake for some reason does not eat the rat, the people are asked to return it to PETCO. The company employees then handle these rats to make them friendly and adoptable and put them into their free adoption program.

I guess they figure the poor baby has been through enough and deserves to live. That is how I got Briggsie. It still makes me cringe to think of him running around that snake cage terrified. He was very cautious when I first brought him home. Can you blame him? He is finally starting to come out of his shell - and what a personality he has! He is a more mellow, affectionate and thinking rat than others I have had (all rats are very intelligent by the way - you can even teach them "no" and "come"). I will post a photo of him shortly if my camera is working.

I am so Glad to Be Back!

2005-08-06T16:36:00.000-07:00

I am really hoping the Internet does not go out again. I have calculated that I have six missed posts to make up so the other bloggers who have been blogging this whole time are not cheated. It's okay because, thankfully, I love to write!

I just hope that all of you out in cyberland, who do not know me don't think I am some flake who just gave up and went to take a nap. I couldn't sleep if I had tried. I thought at first that it would be fixed in an hour or so like it usually is when there is an outage - but of course not! I'm so glad I had the company of my faithful pooches, cats and rodents.

What was very frustrating is that everything went wrong all at once. My wonderful brother, who would have helped me and blogged for me from San Diego, happens to be in Italy for 2 weeks. My friend, Christina, has been out kyaking all day and her husband is in Las Vegas. My friend/sister, Juls, who would have also helped has been sleeping so she can work tonight. Having Sharon post the one she did was next to impossible since she is vacationing with her husband, Karl, at their mountain home retreat. She only had her cell phone and had to be outside so she could hear me and she had to holler to Karl who was inside trying to get the post up on my blog! On top of that, the connection was so poor, Sharon and I could barely hear each other and the phone went out once. What a friend!

And, I could not use any of my neighbor's computers because they were all having the same outage. By 3 p.m. after listening to the Charter Communications recording "We are aware that there is an outage in your area ..." for the umpteenth time, I called Susan, not realizing I was on the verge of a complete hysterical meltdown which I had as soon as she answered the phone. Sorry, Susan. I am sure she thought someone had died or something. I hate to see how I cope then! So, it has been an unexpectedly stressful day. What a relief to just be able to sit here and vent (and for a good cause too!). I feel much better now.

I'm Back and Determined to Make Up For Missed Posts!

2005-08-06T16:30:00.000-07:00

Our Internet service is finally up and running after 6 anxiety-ridden hours. Thanks you Blogathon for not giving me the boot and thank you so much to Susan, Sharon and Pattrice for posting while I was unable to. You are all so awesome!!!!

Chicken payback

2005-08-06T16:06:00.000-07:00

Anonymous guest blogger here to lighten things up with a link to a music video. Here's Chicken Payback by a Band of Bees.

Little Red Hens

2005-08-06T15:37:00.000-07:00

It's me, the anonymous guest blogger, back again.

Heather is participating in this blogathon in the memory of a little red hen she called "Bonnie." Over at the website of the Eastern Shore Sanctuary, there is a biography of a little red hen they called "Fanny." Read it -- and be prepared to weep!

anonymous guest blogger in action!

2005-08-06T15:08:00.000-07:00

To keep this blogathon campaign going, I'm going to post for Heather to keep this campaign going.

And, the first thing I'm going to do is suggest that everybody drop by the other Blogathon campaign for the Eastern Shore Sanctuary. "Cyberactivist" Virgil Butler has been blogging enough for five people today. Visit his site to read about how he went from chicken killer to chicken rescuer. It's an amazing story. While you're there, take a look at all of the information about factory farming.

The truth will set you (and the animals) free!

Internet still out in Reno

2005-08-06T14:47:00.000-07:00

This is Heather's friend Susan. Posting to let everyone know Heather's area's internet is still out. She is trying everthing she can to get Internet access. If anybody can blog for her, please call her at (775)677-9797.

Thank you so much to everyone for all their support.

No word on when Internet will be back up.

Reno Area Internet Outage

2005-08-06T10:41:00.000-07:00

This is Heather's friend Sharon. Posting to let everyone know that we are having an Internet Outage in the Reno Area that began at 10:25 am. Heather will post as soon as her Internet comes back up; it could be in and hour or so. Heather will catch up on the blog posts. Heather is very upset; please do not kick her out of the Blogathon. Thank you....

Who in the Heck is Tilly Tooter?

2005-08-06T10:00:00.000-07:00

Tilly Tooter. I was working as a reporter and photographer at the Lahontan Valley News http://www.lahontanvalleynews.com/ when I glanced at the AP wire and saw her name. After Marlene and I cracked some corny jokes and shared a good laugh, I read her story. This was about five years ago, by the way. Tilly Tooter was an elderly black woman living in Florida. She was driving one day when a speeder ran her off a bridge. He never stopped to call for help and there were no witnesses http://www.local10.com/news/46649/detail.html . Tilly's car landed upside-down, suspended in the air by several trees. There she hung upside-down for three days over an alligator-infested swamp (she could see alligators below her), surviving off of a few Lifesavers candies and rainwater she caught and sucked from her sock (she was elderly, 83, let me remind you). She was found by a road construction worker who heard her calling out for help.

Tilly Tooter. I have read a lot of amazing stories. This one does not stand out in my mind because of her funny name, her survival skills, the fact that she was elderly or even had such incredible endurance. I remember this story today, because when Tilly went to court for the sentencing of the horrible man who knew he ran her off the road, yet did not stop or call for help, the judge asked Tilly what she thought the sentence should be. Tilly stood up in court and told the judge that all she wanted was an apology.

Computer Blip

2005-08-06T09:34:00.000-07:00

I just went to save my post and there was an error and it was erased. I hate when that happens. So here is a quick post so I don't get bumped from the Blogathon. I will rewrite the previous one. Check back soon!!!

My Friend, Curly

2005-08-06T08:52:00.000-07:00

This is my friend, Sharon. She is super funny and lots of fun. If you don't believe me, see the picture below. She just got her hair cut and permed. Please write your comments on what you think of Sharon's hair. I think it looks awesome! I am glad it did not turn out frizzy, fuzzy or super curly. That would have been pretty funny!

2005-08-06T08:50:00.000-07:00

She is the one trying to hide out in the back!!! And the others are some of my goofy co-workers. We have lots of fun where I work.

21.5 Hours and Counting so Make Your Pledges

2005-08-06T08:25:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone! Thank you all so much for visiting my blog and supporting the Blogathon. Please hurry and make your pledges for the Eastern Shore Sanctuary, which gives a wonderful home to rescued chickens, roosters and more. Please scroll down to see photos of our dear Bonnie, who died in February of 2005. I never realized chickens actually had personalities. And, she had a very curious and outgoing one! I am trying to get my camera working so I can post more photos! I'll make this post a short one so I can work on that and feed my baby mouse! See you all in 30!! Don't forget to check out Virgil Butler's blog (The Cyberactivist) also for Eastern Shore Sanctuary.

If You Love Your Dog Keep Him/Her Safe

2005-08-06T07:59:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, a distraught Reno woman witnessed the death of a beautiful German shepherd who fell out of the back his owner's pick-up truck as the vehicle went around a corner in Reno. Apparently, the woman owner was hysterical over this "accident." I wish I could punch her in the eye and scream in her face "This was no ACCIDENT! You are stupid, thoughtless and irresponsible! Had you been a responsible pet owner, this ACCIDENT would not have happened!"

I think you all get the point. Sure, dogs who ride in the back of trucks have good balance, but they don't have hands. They can't hold on if the vehicle swerves or stops short. I see dogs all the time in the back of vehicles, tongues out, ears flapping, having a good time - as good of a time as they'd be having sticking their heads out from the cab of the pick-up. Okay, I can see having your dog in the back for quick ride down a dirt road or just a block or two on a side road, not exceeding 25 mph, but just driving around in traffic at normal speeds is insane. Their is a reason that people are not allowed to ride in the back of pick-ups. It is dangerous!

I am so glad I did not witness this tragedy, because I would have been completely traumatized - probably so much so that I would have been tempted to toss that idiot owner into the back of her own pick-up truck and take her for a joyride. So, please, if you do something this ignorant that results in tragedy, please don't cry like it was an accident, because it wasn't.

In addition, please do not ever leave your dog in a vehicle when the temperature gets warm. Even with the windows cracked or rolled down, this can be deadly! Please call your local authorities immediately if see an animal in distress. You may be its only hope! And, when temperatures get very hot, please feel the pavement or blacktop before walking your dog over a surface that could burn its paws.

Some Websites to Visit

2005-08-06T07:29:00.000-07:00

If you love animals (and how could anyone not?) be sure to visit these websites of my favorite rescue organizations:

http://www.tahoewarf.com/ - Located near Lake Tahoe, they have a wonderful website showing current photos of the animals they have for adoption.

www.sparealife.org/ - This is a rescue group in Egypt and they surely have their work cut out for them! They are always desperately in need of financial support!
http://www.civicworldwide.org/ - Okay this is not an animal site, but it is a site devoted to helping people. CIVIC was started by Marla Ruzicka, a beautiful, young, kind and brave America woman, who was killed in April of 2005 in Iraq along with her friend, Faiz. They were working to count Iraqi civilian injuries and casualties to get compensation for the families of victims from the American government. Marla's story is amazing and heartbreaking. This is one site you don't want to skip!

I had exchanged several emails with Marla in the years before she was killed. She was very friendly, bubbly and personable. It was amazing with how busy she was that she would respond personally to email inquiries. She worked tirelessly to turn CIVIC from new and struggling organization into a powerhouse of hope known worldwide. Here is an email Marla sent to me on May 30, 2003, when I emailed CIVIC for more info on how to help after reading an article in the news about Marla taking off to Iraq with only $50 in her bank account:

Thank you so much for your kind words about CIVIC's work. E-mail is very difficult from Iraq, so I am sorry for a short message. We do need funds. People can make checks of under $100 out to CIVIC, and mail them to Marla Ruzicka, PO Box 1189 Lakeport, CA 95453 For contributions above $100 we are working out a fiscal agent so proper tax deductions can be made. If you find people who can support the project and need tax-deductions the best thing to do is have them email me in about 10 days when i'm back in the US and able to respond to them. As you know this is a lot of work for one person so your help touches my heart.
Thank you, Marla

A Baby Mouse

2005-08-06T06:56:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, when I was taking care of one of Nosey, one of our pooches, in our outdoor kennel (it is a workshop-type building converted to dog kennel), I was filling his water when I saw what appeared to be a cherry-sized brown rock blinking at me. It was a tiny baby mouse laying out on the floor in the late afternoon, which is hours before they usually wake up. I scooped him up and brought him inside, perplexed as to why he would be out in the middle of the floor.

He appeared okay so I put him in the small tank I used for last weekend's baby injured deer mouse rescue (when it rains, it pours people). I just checked in on him and he appears to be doing okay. He is really cute. I have been playing with him and taming him to possibly have him be a buddy for the baby I found last weekend, even though they are two different types of mice. I think they should get along just fine since they are both babies. I am trying to post a photo of him, but I am having problems so I will try again after I post this. Check back in 30!

Check Out the Website For Eastern Shore Sanctuary

2005-08-06T06:10:00.000-07:00

The Eastern Shore Sanctuary is amazing. These volunteers work day and night to rescue chickens, many who have fallen from factory trucks, and fighting roosters as well as an assortment of other birds who are able to live the remainder of their lives at the sanctuary. Please visit their website http://www.bravebirds.org/ to read the amazing rescue stories. Also, be sure to visit Virgil Butler's blog http://cyberactivist.blogspot.com/ . He is a chicken slaughterhouse worker turned animal activist and he is also blogging today to raise money for the Eastern Shore Sanctuary.

Please see the photos below for my own amazing chicken rescue story. I am actually blogging today in memory of Bonnie, aka Chicky Butt, who had more personality and charm than I ever imagined a chicken could have. She was the first chicken I ever really met and got to know. I was feeding my neighbor's Rhode Island Reds for her while she was away for a month when I noticed one hen being picked on by the others. She had a hole pecked into her back as round as a quarter and an inch deep. I carried her up to our house where I treated her wound and watched her excitedly dig up half the lawn in search of worms. The coop where she had been was dirt and straw. My neighbor said we could keep her.

She made herself right at home among four cats and five dogs and slept on the arm of a porch chair at night. She would curl up in my lap and fall asleep as I would pet her soft feathers. I swear, I never knew a chicken could be so loving! If you touched her belly, her eyes would pop wide open and she'd lean forward to look and see what was going on down there! She would also snore (yes, I said snore). In February of 2005 (after we had her for a year) I took her to the vet after noticing she did not look well. The vet said he was not sure what was wrong but that she was very ill and would have to be euthanized. He told me that she was more sick than she let on. I did not know that chickens try to look well when they are not because in a chicken coop, the other chickens will kill a sick chicken. I swear, sometimes I still hear her clucking happily around the yard . What a joy she was to have around! She is missed very much!

Welcome to Blogging For Birds, Blogathon 2005

2005-08-06T05:38:00.000-07:00

Good morning everyone! I have not seen very many cracks in my life - cracks of dawn that is! It took me months just to get used to waking up at 6:20 a.m., and this is almost a whole hour earlier! Okay, I promised to be bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. I may have lied a tad. I'm closer to red-eyed and bushy-haired, but close enough for 5:30 a.m. My dogs are looking at me, wondering if I'm getting ready to grab a suitcase and head out of town - the only other times they see my up at the crack 'o dawn.

Who am I, you ask? Okay, you didn't, but I'll tell you anyway. I am Heather Leigh Singer, born in the great city of Philadelphia, raised in south Jersey, relocated suddenly in mid high to school to insane Las Vegas, headed to college in 1992 at the University of Nevada, Reno, where I majored in party hopping my freshman year and then moved on to major in journalism and minor in English. (Pardon any typos since there may not be time enough to proof as the day progresses and my dogs and cats grow needier as they perceive me to be sitting around bored.)

Owweeee. Nothing wakes up you like stepping on a thorn in bare feet! (I just had to bring my boxer back in from taking his giant morning crap. Anyway, after graduating, I landed in Fallon, Nevada, for six and a half years working as a reporter and photographer for the Lahontan Valley News. What a blast! I had many crazy adventures that I will tell you about in later posts and met many wonderful people (like Stevie Poo, now the LVN editor and my little buddy, and Marlene G., a tough, cool reporter, awesome role model, and lifelong friend). Now I live in Reno and work in the communications industry, lots of fun, but completely different from working for a newspaper.

I am also an animal, human rights and environmental activist, working hard to save the world. I am a vegetarian. My latest hobbies include rescuing rodents, studying birds, blogging, hiking, and being a major pain in the ass. Check back here in 30!

2005-08-05T22:17:00.001-07:00

Me being a dork!

2005-08-05T22:17:00.000-07:00

An injured deer mouse I found last weekend. The gash on his head is healed and he is doing really well.

2005-08-05T22:15:00.000-07:00

Simon resting from a long day of napping!

Last Chance to Make a Pledge!!

2005-08-05T19:32:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone! The clock is ticking and at 6 a.m., I will be bright-eyed and bushy-tailed (yeah right), ready to type away in the 2005 Blogathon. Please make any last pledges soon since the event begins in less than 12 hours!

I am really excited to have raised at least $70. I would like to give special thanks to those who have pledged so far: Steve F. Lyon (editor of the awesome Lahontan Valley News http://www.lahontanvalleynews.com/ ), Laura Freeman, Jane Hussein, Christina Nellemann, Susan Juetten, Susan J. Markowitz and Brian Robertson. Your pledges are very much appreciated and will help the rescued birds of Eastern Shore Sanctuary http://www.bravebirds.org/ . Be sure to check in during the Blogathon to post comments and show your support since I am sure to get very bored and sleepy!!!

2005-07-31T21:33:00.000-07:00

Bonnie and Skinny Minny

2005-07-31T21:31:00.000-07:00

Bonny and Skinny Minny eating dinner.

Please Support Blogathon 2005!!!!

2005-07-31T17:26:00.000-07:00

Hi all! Please help me raise money for the Eastern Shore Sactuary and Education Center http://www.bravebirds.org. Visit the Blogathon 2005

http://www.blogathon.org/blogathon.php?campaign&id=223 site to make a pledge. All the money will go to Eastern Shore Sanctuary. It is a wonderful organization run by a small group of dedicated volunteers. They rescue chicken, ducks, geese and anything else that comes their way. Their sanctuary is beautiful. Please visit their website to learn more.

And, please, if you are able to, show your support by pledging money, even if it is only a dollar!! Next weekend, beginning on Aug. 6, from 6 a.m. to 6 a.m. the following day, I will be in Blogathon 2005!!! That means I will have to publish a blog post every half hour, for 24 hours in order for the Sanctuary to collect the funds pledged. Please stop in and read my blogs and show your support. Thank you!!!