A Touch of Nature - 1/15/07

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Here At Bluebird Cove

We've had such nice weather here in Central Virginia and it has called us outdoors. Earlier this month, we took a Saturday to discover and rediscover some of the Charlottesville area. We walked around the outdoor downtown area, a Civil War cemetery, a park nature trail we hadn't been to, and to Ivy Creek Nature Preserve. Our day is documented in photos. Enjoy the outdoor Charlottesville day with us on the website gallery.

This past weekend, we left on Friday morning and returned Sunday night and had a grand time. Although the trip was scheduled for our annual Board of Directors meeting for the corporation, we had plenty of time to enjoy thw wonders around the Norfolk area of Virginia while the weather was in the 70's. Randal and I saw many people in shorts and t-shirts.

My brain can hardly take in all of the good weather we've had this "winter." Every time we would be indoors and come out again, I would stand in awe of the weather. With rheumatoid arthritis, winters can be less than fun for my body, so every day and hour that we've had of these warmer temperatures has been a gift to me. I have to express my gratitude in some way. Shouting from my soul and spirit is the least I can do. Too often we don't take time to truly enjoy the moment.

The highlights of our trip were captured in photographs and the albums are on the website gallery. View all of the getaway albums here or view individual ones from these links:

Grandview Preserve - Hampton, VA

Sandy Bottom Nature Park and Nature Center - Hampton, VA

Chrysler Museum of Art - Norfolk, VA
I was amazed that they allowed non-flash photography.

Virginia Living Museum - Newport News, VA

Today is another warm day but the weather forecast for the rest of the week is now looking like winter, so I am going to get some outdoor time in as soon as I finish this newsletter. My butterfly bench is calling my name.

Enjoy every day!
Donna

Sharpshooter Frees Eagle With One Bullet

A bald eagle owes its life to the sharpshooting skills of an Iowa conservation officer. Though the bird has yet to offer any thanks, Jason Sandholdt is getting plenty of recognition from those who saw him use a single bullet last weekend to free the bird from a branch that hung over a cliff at Lake Red Rock. Read the entire story here: www.cnbc.com/id/16563510/

‘Garden of Eden’ Wetlands Recovered After Saddam's Destruction

Fifteen years after nearly being annihilated by Saddam Hussein, almost half of Iraq’s fabled marshlands of Mesopotamia, considered by some to be the original Garden of Eden, have been restored with water and wildlife, thanks to a multi-million dollar program managed by the UN Environment Program, UNEP.

Satellite images released this week showed that almost 50 percent of the total area, one of the world’s largest wetland ecosystems, had been re-flooded, in sharp contrast to agency images in 2001 revealing 90 percent of the marshlands had already been lost.

Read the rest of the story here:
www.goodnewsnetwork.org/content/view/1428/34/

Barks, Growls and Grunts

Nobody has to be taught that a low growling dog is threatening. We can sense that looking at his posture and glaring teeth. We are also familiar with the high-pitched yelps of a happy dog that comes to greet us. The dog's excitement can't help but make you smile.

You can easily sense whether an animal is friendly or hostile by its sound. This sense is also shared among animals that interact in wildlife habitat.

Researchers say that almost all animals bark (the high-pitched sounds) or growl (the low-pitched sounds). They were surprised to learn that animals don't simply make arbitrary noises. Sound has meaning. Even the higher-pitched voice of birds has a barking mode that can be seen on a graph and heard when a slowed-down recording is played.

Animals make lower, harsher sounds when they're being aggressive. This is the growl. When friendly, an animal makes higher-pitched sounds. The bark seems to mean that an animal is neither hostile nor friendly, simply curious.

Several years ago Koko the gorilla amazed scientists and the public by apparently learning enough of the rudiments of English to communicate simple thoughts. Now studies on wild vervet monkeys suggest that Koko's achievement might be nothing more than a normal, God-given ability.

Anthropologists from UCLA report that wild vervet monkey communication shows much more language development than scientists ever expected. It took years of study in the wild before anthropologists began to hear subtle differences in the grunts and screeches offered by the monkeys. They confirmed these differences by recording the different sounds and the actions that went with the sounds. Then they analyzed the sounds electronically and found that there was indeed a pattern of differences in the sounds that corresponds to specific actions.

Anthropologists then set up their sound equipment in the monkey's home territory to test their interpretation of the sounds. When the grunt researchers thought meant "open plain" was played, monkey listeners looked out toward the open plain. Likewise, when the "other group" grunt was played, the monkeys searched the open plain even more carefully.

Keep this in mind as you listen to the birds sounding alarm calls when a cat enters the scene or when you come out the door suddenly while they are feeding. You may find that you will be able to "communicate" a bit more than you thought with the natural world around you.

Source: Creation Moments International
Bennett, Dawn D. 1985. Making sense of animal sounds. Science News, v. 127, May 18. p. 314.
Greenberg, John. 1985. The sophisticated sounds of Simians. Science News, v. 127, June 15. p. 356

Wildlife FAQ

Q. Is it true that I can get ringworm from pigeon feces?

A. No. Ringworm is actually a fungal infection spread by skin to skin contact or surface to skin contact (athletes goot/locker rooms).

It is not a fungus that grows in pigeon feces. Unfortunately, pigeons are so disliked that people hear all kinds of horror stories about the terrible diseases that they spread.

Only one thing is true in regards to bird feces and fungal disease. If large amounts of fecal material are allowed to accumulate, then things tend to grow in it and may then be transmitted to others via inhalation of spores.

This holds true for feces of all living things as well as any other bio waste (vomit, blood, etc.) product. These things are excellent rich mediums for bacteria, fungus, etc. Pigeons tend to flock and roost in the same spot so if normal sanitation is not present, accumulated feces may occur and things can grow in it if it is not removed. There is a respiratory infection dubbed "pigeon breeders disease" caused by inhalation of dried, contaminated feces. These are cases where there were filth conditions present and un-maintained pigeon lofts were grossly unsanitary. Ordinary sanitation with good old common sense should prevent any health problems.

Source: Pacific Wildlife Project - www.pacificwildlife.org

Migratory Bird Treaty Act

This law implements the treaties that the U.S. has signed with a number of countries protecting birds that migrate across our national boarders. It makes illegal the taking, possessing or selling of protected species.

Be informed about the law and inform others also. Download a PDF of the entire law documentation: www.pacificwildlife.org/info/Online%20Docs/mbta.pdf

Natural Herbs, Supplements and Essential Oils

Natural herbs and supplements bring the powerful world of nature into your body for health and healing. We've been using herbal remedies since the late 70's and have been so blessed by them.

It's been our full-time business since 1982. We'd appreciate you shopping with us.

Herbs and Supplements by Health Topic

Nature's Sunshine 100% Pure Essential Oils

Get Your Gardening Growing in the Middle of Winter

The weather outside may be frightful or it may be making you think of gardening. Either way you can still exercise your green thumb during winter. "This is the best time to plan your garden and decide what you want to grow," says Maureen Heffernan, director of public programs at the Cleveland Botanical Garden. It's also a good time to start planting seeds - indoors, that is.

Here's an article at National Wildlife Federation to give you some ideas and how-to information: www.nwf.org/backyardwildlifehabitat/gardengrow.cfm

Detoxify Your Soaps and Cleaning Supplies With Sunshine Concentrate!

This environmentally-friendly cleaning and washing concentrate is nothing less than wonderful. We've used it for 15 years for laundry, hand soap, pet baths, soaking produce, dishwasher, cleaning, and a multitude of other uses. This product has saved us money and health. No more "itch" of chemical soaps. Read more about Sunshine Concentrate.

Too Much Paper Junk Mail?

Would a dime a day be too much to pay to have somebody stop your paper junk mail and plant a tree for you each month? You could find a dime a day in your budget for such a great cause. So little to pay for the pleasure of avoiding paper spam while making the air and waterways a cleaner for all. Consider that collectively, in the United States, one year's worth of junk mail could fill 420,000 dump trucks. It's so simple to make a difference. Go to Green Dimes and find out how.

Pets Are Part of Our Nature at Home and We Love Animals

Free Samples of Pet Food, Supplements and Treats - These formulas are developed by Dr. Jane Bicks, a highly respected and nationally recognized holistic veterinarian and author.

Pet Success Stories Using Nature's Remedies - Read how pet owners have used herbs.

Nature's Heartworm Program - Yes, there are successful herbal programs.

Healthy Pet News - Complimentary professional email newsletter with great articles.

Healthy Pet Corner - Resource site for cats, dogs, birds, horses, rabbits and reptiles.

Does The Gas You Buy Have Ethanol In It? Is That A Good Thing?

One surprise we had on our weekend getaway was finding gasoline at $1.99 a gallon since it has been $2.15 or above in our area. We read on the pumps that it had 10% ethanol. We hadn't heard of the brand before but it had a catchy name, Zooms, and we decided we'd look for it on the way home. After all, adding 10% less carbon to the atmosphere sounded great, especially while traveling down an interstate highway with your head heavy on fumes.

Randal thought he'd read something about it not being a good thing, so I made note of it to research it today. Since there were lines every time we saw one of these stations, we figured it must be a good thing, but we attempt to never let assumptions rule our decisions.

I've discovered it's actually a very good thing, although some gas stations (that don't sell it) are posting warnings about it. That's probably where Randal got the idea it was bad. It's actually very good for the environment and for the cars, not to mention the farmers that grow the corn to make it. You can read more about the benefits of ethanol gas at this website: www.livescience.com/environment/060126_ethanol_better.html

You might also want to read an article written by somebody who saw the warning signs at a gas station and tried to get the owner to back up his claims. The gas station owner did not know there was a difference in alcohols. The information in this article was very helpful and it's good to know that ethanol is gaining in market shares. Read it here: www.moscowfood.coop/archive/ethanol.html

I was hoping to find a site that showed locations of ethanol gas, but could find none with a brief search. If anybody knows of one, please reply and I'll post it in the next issue.

The Frugal Life - Living Well With What You Already Have

Living more simply is a great way to effect change in your own personal environment and it helps the planet. The Frugal Life website has lots of ideas on getting back to basics. They also provide a free newsletter monthly and a forum where you can ask questions or search for information. Visit The Frugal Life site.

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© 2000-2007 Donna L. Watkins

All photographs are the property of the editor, Donna L. Watkins. This newsletter may be forwarded in its entirety by email but may not be placed on any website without written permission.

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The content, suggestions, and web links in this newsletter are for informational purposes only and not necessarily endorsed by our sponsor "The Herbs Place.com." This is a personal publication by Donna L. Watkins. The ideas and information expressed in it have not been approved or authorized by anyone either explicitly or impliedly. In no event shall Donna L. Watkins or "The Herbs Place.com" be liable for any damages whatsoever resulting from any action arising in connection with the use of this information or its publication.