A Tale of Joy and Disillusionment

Sis bunny was still worried about the death of Mr. Armadillo when she asked her mother “Mama, I am not sure all “humans” are bad animals. Are you sure?” “Well, there might be a few who are not bad, but you can’t tell by the way they look. It is best not to trust any of them.” “But Mama” said Sis, “I saw a small human help a turtle who was trying to cross a road and she didn't hurt the turtle.”

Sis decided to try to find this small human and see for herself if she was nice or bad. Off she went into the woods toward the mounds where some humans lived. She waited at the edge of the woods for a long time, and finally saw the little human walking near the place where she was hiding. As the human got close, Sis slowly moved into her path and said “are you nice or bad?”

The little human was startled to see a talking bunny, and sat right down on her knees. “Are you a magic bunny? How can you talk? Oh, I wish you were a real bunny and not my imagination.”

“I am a real bunny. My name is Sis. What is yours?” “My name is Sarah. Are you magic?” “I am just a regular bunny. But please tell me if you are nice or bad. My Papa and Mama said humans are bad, and I saw you help a turtle in trouble. I don’t think you are bad. Are you?”

“I am not bad. I love animals and want to help them in every way I can. When I grow up I will be a special doctor just for animals. But I didn’t know animals could talk. Do all animals talk?”

“Well, we can all talk, but some are very quiet and hard to understand. Fish are like that. I can never understand what they say when I go to the pond for a drink. I would like to talk to you again sometime, but now I have to go home for supper. Can we talk again?”

Sarah liked that idea and told Sis she would look for her tomorrow. When Sarah got home she told her mother about the bunny, and her mother said “Now Sarah, don’t let your imagination run away with you. Animals can’t talk. Period.” “But Mom, I did talk to her. She is a nice bunny.” “Well, if you meet this bunny again, bring her home to meet me. Then we will see if animals can talk.”

So the next day when the two almost friends met, Sarah invited Sis to go with her to meet her mother. Sis was really worried about this, but agreed. She jumped onto Sarah’s lap, and Sarah carried her home. When she got there, Sarah’s mother said “Well, looks to me like you have caught a nice juicy rabbit Sarah. A few weeks in a pen will fatten her right up. What’s your name bunny?” But Sis couldn’t understand Sarah’s mother. Her words made no sense at all so she said nothing at all. “NO!!! cried Sarah. "Sis is my friend.” Her mother said “Give me the bunny right now Sarah. RIGHT NOW!”

But instead Sarah put Sis on the ground and said ‘Run Sis run. Mama wants to put you in a cage. Don’t come back here. RUN!!”

Sis ran all the way home, and realized that what her mama had told her was right: There may be some nice humans, but you couldn’t tell by looking at them. She decided to be really careful when humans were near, and not to trust them. Her Mama was sad to see Sis disillusioned like that, but she thought it was better to be wary than to be caged.

Image: http://www.petlifestores.com/assets/images/experts/girl_rabbit.jpg

Apalachicola Bay: A Thing of the Past, and Who Cares?

Let’s start with a quick lesson in estuaries. These are places where rivers pour fresh water into salt water inlets of some kind, making a place where the salinity is variable from pure salt water to pure fresh water. So What? This leads to many different micro ecosystems where many different kinds of sea life can breed and grow. Including oysters.

Oysters need water that is not salt and not fresh, in other words a blend of the two kinds. They have very specific salinity requirements, and any variation will lead to poor growth or no reproduction. They also need the nutrients supplied by rivers moving decaying organic matter into the estuary.

A Dying Breed: The Oysterman

Until 30 or so years ago, Apalachicola Bay was considered one of the most productive bays in the world. It had been said that it would be impossible to fish out the bay. And this may have been practically true. Then enter the dual events of a declining rain production in the watershed for the bay, and the unencumbered growth of Atlanta and their policy of not regulating water usage. As a result of these factors and a few others, fresh water flow into the bay has been reduced, and today the oyster industry is in near collapse. The Feds are considering closing the bay for oyster harvest to “allow stocks to rebuild”. Not good enough Feds. Not nearly good enough. That is treating the symptom and not the cause.

The answer to restoring the productivity of the bay is to increase the flow of fresh water to pre-collapse levels. Then the bay will take care of itself. But in my humble opinion, the solution will not be achieved, or even considered. Atlanta continues to grow, and yes, they have begun to implement some minor water conservation schemes. However, the continued growth exceeds the savings from conservation so the deficit in water flow continues to grow. And let’s not forget Alabama. They also need water from the water shed, and they want to grow.

The bottom line? The Bay is Screwed. Period.  If you want to enjoy some really good Apalachicola Bay oysters, you better get them this year. Because this may be the last year for many years to come when the wonderful bivalves are available.

Image: http://soundwaves.usgs.gov/2005/03/Apalachicola.jpg ; http://floridamemory.com/fpc/folklife/fs88727.jpg

Service of Remembrance Message: Don't Wait!!

We went to a  Service of Remembrance for the 33 year old daughter of friends. Although we have known the family for several years, we never met Lauren. Eighteen months ago she was diagnosed with a very aggressive leukemia, and after all that medicine could do, she died. Eighteen months in radical treatment at the Moffit Cancer Center and Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, two of the most advanced centers for cancer treatment and research, and she died. 

Lauren by all accounts was a happy, smart, loving and giving person, with a deep abiding faith in her God. In preparation for her death, she wrote a letter to her friends and she had it included in the order of service. The letter really said it all. Who she was and why she was admired and loved. I could not figure a way to copy the entire letter, but will continue to try, and would love suggestions on how to do it. You should read it all, and it should go viral. That powerful.
So, I will just copy one thought. 

"There is one thing I want to share with you that I learned during my own experience, and while watching others. Whatever you are wanting to do, do it now. Not only do we not know how long we have in this world, but life is a richer and fuller experience when, rather that waiting for things to happen to us, we make things happen. So whatever it is that you're waiting to do, do it now. You'll thank me." (my bold)

Lauren completed this letter days before she died. Take this anonymous death (for most of you)  and make it your own. Listen to the wisdom of a 33 year old, cut off too soon, telling you her deepest desires. 
And listen to me: What ever you are waiting to do, do it now. Plan it now. Save for it now. And do it. To quote Lauren "You'll thank me."
To which I say "Thank you Lauren."


Offered with love from Woody. 
Images: Moffit Cancer Center Logo and Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center Logo. 

A Tragic Road Tale

Rabbit was busy in his garden when he heard a screech of some kind and a thump. Then quiet. “Odd” he thought. “I wonder what that was.” He went back to his garden, but was troubled by the strange noises and decided to go have a look. When he got to the road, he was shocked to see his old friend Armadillo on his back, barely moving his legs. Rabbit rushed up to Armadillo and cried “Armadillo!!! Armadillo? What happened? Are you hurt?” And then he saw the blood leaking out from his friends shell.

“Oh NOOOO! Armadillo, can you hear me? What happened?”  Armadillo whispered “Oh Rabbit. I was just crossing the road when something big and fast swerved to my side and hit me very hard. I think I am broken inside, and I think I am dying. Please get my family?”

Rabbit dragged Armadillo to the grass on the side of the road and ran off to Armadillo’s burrow. “Mrs. Armadillo, come quickly! Armadillo has been hurt. He is very weak.” Mrs. Armadillo heard Rabbit's words and for a moment was confused. Hurt? How? Weak? “Rabbit, are you sure?”

“Yes. He was hit by something big and fast, and now he says he is dying. Please come quickly.” So Mrs. Armadillo called her children and they all ran after Rabbit. When they got to the road, Armadillo was very, very weak, and whispered only “I love you all. Please remember me”, and he died. When the news spread, Armadillo’s friends came from all over to help his family and to grieve with them.

When Rabbit got home that night, his children sat around him and asked “Daddy, why was Armadillo hit by that big and fast moving thing? He was a kind and gentle animal. He was a generous neighbor. We are so sad, and so angry. Why Daddy, why?”  Rabbit thought for a while and finally said “Children, dying is something we all do eventually. We die of old age or sickness or in the maws of a predator. These ways of dying we accept and understand. But Armadillo was murdered by a thoughtless animal who was directing the beast that killed him. There is no way to know why. Animals like these are around all the time, and they kill us for no reason at all. You must always be on the lookout for these animals, called MAN, and avoid them. They have no sense of right and wrong, and are little more than beasts themselves. We will grieve for our good friend and neighbor Armadillo, but we must learn a lesson. If we do that, he will not have died in vain.”

That night, all the children who knew the Armadillo family were told of the terrible animals called MAN, and warned to be wary. But one young rabbit had a different idea. More on that later.

Image: http://www.asergeev.com/pictures/archives/2006/545/jpeg/10.jpg

BMFR Finds a Home, Finally

 For several years, actually since the Geology Department was unfortunately scrapped at TU, the BMFR has lived with us. First at Rainbow Farm, and now at Rainbow Rise.
The BMFR was adopted by several geology students and presented to Prof. McWilliams for use in class or for the fun of it. Both are great reasons to rescue this rock from the Wilds. When the department was disbanded, many of the specimens found their way to RBF and thence to RBR where the prevailing thought was "I WILL find something to use these for." And all had been used, except the BMFR. Why? Hard to handle for an OF is one reason. But that OF got it in place this morning. The better reason was it needed to be in the perfect place to display and to function, the way all rocks want to live. When we decided to raise the waterfall outflow, suddenly the BMFR said "Hey, numbnuts!! (Rocks like this talk like that) I would be the PERFECT rock for the waterfall to feed into  the pond. Just put me on an angle and I will do the rest." Well, that was a splendid suggestion, so I said "Okay GRAVEL BREATH, you are on."
And this morning it happened. As I slid the BMFR into place and adjusted the hight, I swear I could hear a murmur of contentment. When the water started to flow, I did hear a sigh of relief.
The BMFR has finally found a home.
Images: BMFR portraits by Woody.

She said “The Moron in Your Head.”

This morning I was telling Sally the text of a dream from last night. Dreams are funny things, no? Bits of reality strung together with ridiculous images and ideas that on reflection often make no sense at all. This one was based loosely on a problem created by the Franklin County road department when they paved the road in front of our lot. They raised the road bed quite a bit, which when added to the deep swale made the driveway a steep dip. So steep that any trailer over about 10 feet would bottom out going in or out, and longer ones would hang. The road department has yet to respond.

The dream took that premise and changed the location of the lot. Not unusual for dreams. So here I was, driving up the road that isn’t there, noticing all the road work on driveway bibs. When I get to mine, I see that the road guys cut the pavement away from the bib, removed my 10 foot gate and fence (always locked), filled the ditch to a slight taper, and built two concrete block gate posts about 15 feet into the property to be used for a new gate. No fence, no gate. And all of this seemed okay, as dreams often do, until I noticed that the “gate posts” were only 7 feet apart, not nearly enough to get any good sized boat or camper through.

Now here comes reality again. As I was telling Sally about the dream, I got to the part where I noticed the posts being 7 feet apart, and reacting as if this were a real event, I said to her “What kind of Moron would put gate posts 7 feet apart?”

And she said “The Moron in your head”. Suddenly, I went from telling about a dream to having a resident moron. And you know what? We all have one. Sometimes the moron just plays with dreams and makes up the most bizarre stuff. Conflates things not related, invents impossible tasks and solutions and creates totally unrealistic situations. Those are not problems as long as you recognize the moron at work. (And sometimes you wake yourself up when things get so strange even your sleeping brain knows things are getting really stupid.)

The real problem is when the moron in your head manifests in real life, when you make snap judgments about people or situations, or when you make stupid decisions without considering the consequences. The reality is that we all have a moron in our heads waiting to manifest. So beware, you have a moron in your head. 

Thanks to Sally for putting a name and face on mine. And you are welcome for me putting a name and face on yours.

Image: http://www.bolgernow.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/caution_moron_alert.jpg

A Bully or Not? You Decide.

Big Bully? 

A young rabbit was out one afternoon for a romp with his friends when a new animal pushed into the game. “Give me the stick or I’ll bite you” he said to the rabbit. “If you want to play with us you should say so and we will be glad to have you join” replied the rabbit. Well, that didn’t sit too well with the young nutria, so he pushed the rabbit and bit his tail. “Now GIMMIE THAT STICK YOU DUMB BUNNY!!!” he screamed.

Rabbit didn’t know what to do. His tail was a bit bloody from the bite and he hurt his paw when he fell. His friends were too  surprised  to do anything. The nutria took the game stick and ambled off to play by himself. A friend of the rabbit, a small cotton rat, ran over and said “RABBIT!! Are you hurt badly?” “No, said the rabbit, just my pride. I let that nutria bully me without even saying anything.”

The next time the youngsters were playing, the same thing happened, only this time the cotton rat got pushed and bitten. Nobody did or said anything, and the bully just ambled away, snickering to himself as he went. Just when he was out of sight, they heard a loud growl and a cry for help. What could it be, they all thought. The rabbit was the first to run to see what was going on, followed by his sister, the cotton rat, a young mink, a garter snake and a possum. Soon they found out what was happening: A stray dog had cornered the nutria in a small stump and was digging him out. “HELP!” cried the nutria. “HELP HELP!!”

At first the friends didn’t move,  but then the rabbits’s sister said “HEY DOG!!! BET YOU CAN’T CATCH ME. YAH YAH YA YAH YAH!” and off she ran. Then the other friends all called out to the dog almost at the same time “NO! CATCH ME!!!!” and they all ran off in different directions. The dog started to chase one then another and then another, but got so confused he gave up and, tail between his legs, ran away. He forgot all about the nutria.

When the friends came back to the stump, the nutria was still there, crying. “You nearly got eaten” said the young mink. “Yeah, you big bully. We should have just left you.” Said the garter snake. “Why didn’t you?” asked the nutria. “I was mean to you all and you still came to help me. I don’t understand.” “Well, said the possum, we have been practicing escaping for quite a while. We never tried it before, but IT WORKS!!!” “Hey nutria” said the cotton rat. “Why are you such a big bully?”  The nutria told his story: “I was born in the swamp and was teased by the muskrats until I hid away, and finally ran away. I haven’t had much chance to play or even talk to other kids, so I just acted mean to protect myself from teasing. I am sorry that I pushed and bit you rabbit. And you too cotton rat. I just don’t know what else to do.” And he hung his head, turned and walked away.

The other kids talked for a minute and then the rabbit yelled “WAIT!! We will let you play with us if you promise to follow the rules, and not be a bully anymore.. I know how mean those muskrats can be. They were always pushing me around in school. My family finally moved to get away from them.”  The nutria stopped and looked back to see all the friends agreeing with the rabbit. He turned around and said “I will try my very best to be a good friend.”

And he did. And he was.

Image: http://watershedtexas.files.wordpress.com/2014/01/546px-myocastor_coypus_standing.jpg

The Bible as a Textbook or, The Lord Helps Him who Helps Himself.

Years ago I started a class in zoology as I started most other classes. I told the students that there would be reading assignments in the text, that the text was an important ancillary to the class, and I asked if they all had gotten their book. One student held up a well-worn Bible and said “this is the only book I need.” Ok, I thought, no point in getting into an argument here. I had a brief conversation with the student after class, and he reaffirmed that he didn’t need a textbook because he could find all he needed in his Bible.

He came to class regularly after that and listened to the discussions on various animal groups and the evolutionary processes at work. He didn’t interact much with me or other students. He was home schooled. When I graded the first exam, all essay questions, he failed. His paper was nearly blank. A few snippets remembered from class, but nothing more. I asked him to talk to me after class, and he affirmed that he would not be buying a textbook, and that he would do much better on the next exam.

He failed every quiz and exam, and failed the class. He never lost his faith that he would in the end pass, and his faith in this regard failed him. I have had other very religious students over the years, and they have done as well as others. I had a young man take my Evolution course who started out on the first day by saying to the class “I am a Christian. I don’ believe in Evloution. I believe that God made everything you see as you see it.” He had a Bible with him, and he also had the textbook. He worked hard, did well and passed with an”A”, never believing a thing he learned. But learn he did.

I have no idea what happened to the first student. He disappeared after that term and I never saw him again. The other, though, went on to FSU and graduated with a degree in Biology. He is now a Chiropractor I think. Good student with a good mind. And there is a moral here: The Lord Helps Him who Helps Himself.

I have had hundreds of students tell me before an exam “I prayed that I will do well on this test.” Some did and some didn’t. My answer was always the same: “I hope you studied too.”

Images: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK99RMJxPce6IfKtsB8ROpWOQyEGW-qc_v2xe_f_xCmVJC18U2BSeFodym4rBxFfk-3PuB-YtkIyqR4qWwGur61cIIwiDqI6Yn0uQpJEx7L4upUAeoNRHfMTIQnHqwKfiW11s4UrOEfmeK/s1600/bibletextbutton2.jpg

http://iloveyoubutyouregoingtohell.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/kanawha-county-i-have-my-bible.jpg

A Tale of Bravery and Compassion

Unlikely Friends

One day a young rabbit was playing near the woods when he noticed a rustling in the bushes nearby. He went to investigate and found a baby hawk, weak from struggling, caught in the branches. The rabbit ran home and found Grandpa Rabbit and asked him to go with him to help the baby. Grandpa said “Boy, hawks are the enemy of all Rabbits. They are PREDATORS who kill and eat our kind. We do not help them. Go away.” and he promptly fell asleep.

The young rabbit was really upset and confused by his Grandpa’s response, and went to find his mother. When he told his story, his mother said the same thing that his Grandpa had said. “Hawks are the enemy. Stay far away from that baby.” “But mother, the baby hawk isn’t an enemy. And if we help it, couldn’t it become our Friend?”  “No”, said Mother. “It is the hawk’s nature to kill and eat rabbits. They cannot change that. Best leave the baby to its fate.”

Well, thought the young rabbit, nuts to that. So he ran back to the woods and found the baby hawk, weaker still, and heard a high keening sound. He looked around and found a young Mother Hawk sitting on a rock, crying. He crept up and said “Why are you so sad?” Well, the young hawk was at first startled then angry at the nerve of this young rabbit. “Leave me alone you fur ball. I have lost my only baby and I am very, very upset.” The rabbit said “Lady, I know where your baby is, and I will take you there if you promise not to kill and eat me.” The hawk promised and rabbit led her to the bush, in time for her to save her baby.

Later that week rabbit was again playing near the wood when a shadow slipped over him. As he looked up a hawk flew straight at him, talons out. “I am caught” he thought. But no, the hawk landed next to him and stared for a moment. “You are the rabbit who led me to my baby, are you not?” “Yes” whispered the rabbit is a tremulous voice. “Please don’t kill me?”

“Kill you?” said the hawk. “I have been looking for you for days to thank you for saving my baby. You did a very brave thing. And I realize that although it is the nature of Hawks to kill rabbits, I have decided to become the protector of all the rabbits in my territory, and keep others from hunting you. Maybe we can learn to live in peace.”

The rabbit was so relieved and happy that he actually hugged the hawk. Later, when he told his grandfather what had happened, Grandpa just said “Harumph. Can’t get a hawk to change its feathers”, and went back to sleep. But a funny thing happened. For many years, no rabbits were killed by hawks, and some swore that they saw a rabbit and hawk walking and talking together near the woods.

Image: http://www.birds-wallpapers.com/bird/wild-hawk-rabbit.jpg

Tortoise Gets Helped, and Gets a Lesson

Miz Possum with babies and mushrooms

Tortoise got up one morning and decided to visit his grandmother. She was getting slow in her old age and needed some help getting her burrow ready for winter. On the way to her field, Tortoise stopped to munch on a few fresh mushrooms and thought “Hmm. I bet Granny would like some of these”. The problem was that he didn’t bring a sack to carry them in, and he knew they would never balance on his shell all the way to her place. He fretted for a minute or two and decided that he would never be able to get them to her, so he began to walk away from the patch. Just then, Miz Possum came by with her babies and said “Good morning Tortoise! Isn’t it a FINE DAY!”

Well, Tortoise was not in a very good mood, and Miz Possum’s cheeriness annoyed him. He mumbled “Morning Miz Possum, and no, it isn’t a FINE DAY! I am on the way to Granny’s burrow and can’t bring her any of these fresh mushrooms because I didn't bring a sack.” 

Miz Possum just laughed and climbed on Tortoises shell and said “Oh Tortoise, after all the things you have done for the folks in this valley, surely you wouldn’t mind if I helped you?” Tortoise was puzzled by this. He always helped others when they needed help, but he had never needed help, and didn’t like to ask for help anyway. He said “ Miz Possum, how can you help me?” Miz Possum explained that since her babies were now riding on her back, she could pick some mushrooms, stuff them in her empty pouch, and ride to Granny’s burrow on Tortoise’s shell to keep from crushing the delicate caps. Tortoise said “But Miz Possum, weren’t you on your way to do something? Can you take the time to help me with something as unimportant as a few mushrooms for Grannie?”

“PASH” cried Miz Possum. “Helping a friend isn’t a matter of degree, it is a matter of desire and duty. If you need help getting mushrooms over to your Granny’s burrow, I will take the time to help you. Simple. You are the most unselfish critter hereabouts, and we all love and respect you, so why wouldn’t I help you?”

As Miz Possum went about gathering some mushrooms and putting them in her pouch, Tortoise watched over the tumbling youngsters and thought about that and finally said, “Thank you Miz Possum. You know that I never help folks with reward in mind, don’t you? I just like to see folks safe and happy, and am good at some things. I am not very good at carrying things without a bag, though, so your help is most welcomed” and off they went.

When the got to Granny’s burrow, Granny exclaimed “Why Miz Possum, do you have another pouch full of adorable babies?”  “No” said Miz Possum, “I have a pouch full of delicious mushrooms just for YOU!!” Granny took the mushrooms inside, made a wonderful soup, and they all had a tasty lunch.

Image: https://c2.staticflickr.com/4/3631/3636133248_3e939de23e.jpg