hug for Cher

wrote in message
oups.com...
Hi Everyone,

I've so enjoyed reading these posts about the different birds. I have
four tufted titmouse that come to the feeder in the winter, but they
are gone now. The only winter birds that are still here are two pairs
of cardinals, goldfinch and chickadees. I do have a mourning dove that
is sitting on her nest behind the light above our garage door and the
robins are in the pine tree.
Laura, I hadn't heard about the little five year old boy, I hope they
find him safe and sound. I did see the news story about the kid though.

In our village there is Collins Lake and the Canadian Geese love it
here. We have had over 500 at one time and they now have had to take
steps to see if they can move them along, but so far it hasn't worked.

Hugs,

Nora

Yes, Nora, they did find the little boy safe and sound this morning. I'm
sure it was a terrible night for his family. As for the geese, DH grew up
near a college campus with a lake and a Canada geese problem. They employed
a local resident's sheep-herding dog to chase them away. I have heard of
dogs being used around airports to keep the birds away as well. 500 is
certainly a lot of geese!

LauraJ

"Laura J" wrote in message news:iZ4ge.1285$rw4.11@trndny03...

I thought you were in Canada! That's why I was surprised that this story

I watch quite a bit of American TV, actually. )

they did a great piece on a greyhound track which closed in Connecticut.
They are trying to place 1000 dogs in homes and the story showed tons of
people coming out to the shelters to adopt them. I'll be driving through
CT next weekend on the way to visit my parents and offered to pick a
couple up for them but they politely (or not so politely, on my father's
part) declined the offer (I'm sure I could have convinced my mother if I
had worked a little harder on her but my dad might have never spoken to me
again! LOL).

hehehe I can just imagine! It would have been ME wanting to keep the dogs
though.

The month before Matthew was born my 9 year old mixed breed dog died after
having a couple of weeks of going into convulsions and the vet not being
able to find out what was causing it. She had been my "baby" since my
brother brought her home to me (in the middle of the night after a New
Year's Eve party, mind you) when she was actually too young to be taken from
her mother... the people who had her had given the rest of the litter away
before her and because she was the last one they said if they didn't find a
home for her they would have her put down. I could literally hold her in
the palm of one hand, she was a tiny ball of fluff.

When I got pregnant, and before I started to show, Tasha would get up on the
couch beside me while I was lying there. Normally she would lay right
across my stomach, but once I became pregnant she would put her paw *gently*
on my stomach, then pull it back and lay beside me with her head resting on
my stomach instead. ) She was at the vet's and they called me a couple
of times the night before she died, saying that she was eating from their
hand, and she seemed to be feeling better. I went there the next morning to
find out how she was doing and was told by the receptionist "Oh, didn't you
know? She died during the night!" I was shocked, and heartbroken! I
went home and sobbed... my ex-husband (can't imagine why he's my EX) was
very insensitive and said "Stop the nonsense, IT was just a dog!" My dad
went to the vet to get her, and buried her. My parents loved her too, she
was such a baby.... even wrapping herself up in her baby blanket when it was
time for a car ride.

Anyway (I got way off track there, sorry about that), after she died and I
was so upset... and after my marriage dissolved... I mentioned missing
having a dog, and my mom said "After how upset you got when Tasha died... I
don't want anymore dogs in the house at all.) Of course I talked her into
it when Matthew's 11th birthday was coming up, saying that he had never
known the joy of having a dog like we had. ;o) My mom finally gave in,
much to my dad - mine - and Matthew's delight.... and we got Buffy from a
farm. Matthew picked her out, so she's his dog.

Then four years ago I saw an ad in the paper for free puppies, so I told my
mom I was going to look at them. I looked (was thinking about a yellow
coloured one as we'd never had one before, and white seemed hard to keep
clean so I wasn't even considering one of them), and while on my knees
patting one Casper would come over and nudge the other pups out of the way
to get the attention. I patted him and then tried moving on to the other
pups, and calling them... but guess who was front and center all the time.
After doing this for about a half hour, he finally put the finishing touches
on and stole my heart by coming over to me *again* and semi-climbing up to
me, and planting a little puppy kiss on my cheek. I looked at the woman and
said "Okay, he obviously wants me, and he *is* adorable. So he's mine!"
Just then I looked and he had gone to his mother who was lying on the ground
and started nursing. I looked at the woman and she said "That's weird, they
have all been weaned for a couple of weeks." Guess he was saying goodbye to
his old family so he could come home with his "Mama". ;o) It will
definitely break my heart big time when his time is up and I have to say
goodbye.

So as you can tell, I'm a big softy when it comes to dogs. I would have a
bunch of them if it wouldn't be so expensive to feed them all, and take them
for their shots and heartworm medicine. Two at a time is plenty as far as
the expenses go... but my heart could love a lot more. )

And for the record, they did find the missing boy so that is good news!

Thank goodness for that! Had he been kidnapped, or wandered off? That
would definitely put the fear of God in you to have your child disappear.

Gem

I like dragonflies, one evening, I was getting Edward ready for bed, it was
dark and quite late, and I suddenly heard this tap tap tap at the window,
thinking for a minute that the open window was making the curtain cord tap
against the side, I ignored it, and then Edward said, it's a bird, I told
him it was just the breeze so went to shut the little window at the top, to
suddenly see a large green and blue dragon fly banging at the other large
window, he must have seen the sheen on the window and thought it was a
pond, and more to the point Edward thought it was a bird so it may have
happened before, I explained to Edward what it was...lol

We don't get mosquito's like you do over there thankgoodness, but we get
little midges that bit and bring us up in welts too. The summer sun or
gardening or something out there gives me prickly heat though and I come up
in tons of little tiny spots that really itch real bad...Lavendar oil calms
it down, or lavendar cream...

cheers......Cher
"Matthew Hollands" wrote in message
...
"Cher" wrote in message
...
Wow sounds lovely, we certainly are fortunate, and none of us like flies
of
anysort much, although I love the dragon fly when she comes to visit
the
pond, I \shall\ have to put a netting over my\ pond.

We had a dragonfly come to visit our swimming pool a few times last
summer,
while we were in it I might add. He didn't stay long, just stopped for a
quick look around and then he was off to the outside area, and then over
the
fence and gone. They are neat looking.

I am definitely with Shelagh about the mosquitoes though. Matthew has
always had an allergic reaction to mosquito bites. I remember one year
when
he was only six, it was the first week back to school and the mosquitoes
had
been out in full force. Matthew had been bitten often and came up in huge
red welts on his face, his arms, the backs of his legs, and one of his
ears
was swollen to twice it's size. When I went to the school with him that
morning I noticed a few teachers looking from hiim to me and back again,
the
welts were so bad I could see how they must have thought it looked like
someone beat him with a cane or something. Thankfully he started
scratching
them (a LOT), and also thankfully most of the teachers knew me well enough
to know that I would never allow anyone to beat my child. Poor little
guy!

He still comes up in welts, but they don't look half as bad now that he's
not a little fellow anymore. When he was little someone told me about
Skin-so-Soft by Avon (a bath oil, for those who don't have Avon in their
country) working on keeping mosquitoes away. I tried it on Matthew and it
worked... he only got two bites while having it on him. Obviously
something
in the stuff that the mosquitoes can't stand the smell of. Actually,
Matthew wasn't crazy about smelling like that while going to school
either,
so often he would be gone before I could have the chance to get it on him.
He wears it more often now though... at the times the mosquitoes will be
around more... either that or he'll just stay in the house at the worst
times.

Gem

"Matthew Hollands" wrote in
:

We had a dragonfly come to visit our swimming pool a few
times last summer, while we were in it I might add. He
didn't stay long, just stopped for a quick look around and
then he was off to the outside area, and then over the
fence and gone. They are neat looking.

and they eat tons of mosquitoes, blackflies, gnats, flies...
we have thousands of dragonflies in the summer buzzing over
the gardens & pasture. there are the big blue & green ones,
metallic looking ones with black wings (those stay pretty
close to the pond), smaller red ones, delicate damselflies
(look like dragonflies, but fold thier wings when resting.
they are the adult form of antlions AKA doodlebugs, that make
those cone shaped traps in dry sandy soil)...
the smaller dragonflies tend to be somewhat terratorial. they
choose a roost spot & will fly off, grap a bug, & come back to
the same spot. if you place your finger near thier roost, but
a bit higher, they almost always will land on your finger
instead. this thrills the kid no end
lee

"Matthew Hollands" wrote in message
...
"Laura J" wrote in message
news:iZ4ge.1285$rw4.11@trndny03...

I thought you were in Canada! That's why I was surprised that this story

I watch quite a bit of American TV, actually. )

they did a great piece on a greyhound track which closed in Connecticut.
They are trying to place 1000 dogs in homes and the story showed tons of
people coming out to the shelters to adopt them. I'll be driving through
CT next weekend on the way to visit my parents and offered to pick a
couple up for them but they politely (or not so politely, on my father's
part) declined the offer (I'm sure I could have convinced my mother if I
had worked a little harder on her but my dad might have never spoken to
me again! LOL).

hehehe I can just imagine! It would have been ME wanting to keep the
dogs though.

The month before Matthew was born my 9 year old mixed breed dog died after
having a couple of weeks of going into convulsions and the vet not being
able to find out what was causing it. She had been my "baby" since my
brother brought her home to me (in the middle of the night after a New
Year's Eve party, mind you) when she was actually too young to be taken
from her mother... the people who had her had given the rest of the litter
away before her and because she was the last one they said if they didn't
find a home for her they would have her put down. I could literally hold
her in the palm of one hand, she was a tiny ball of fluff.

When I got pregnant, and before I started to show, Tasha would get up on
the couch beside me while I was lying there. Normally she would lay right
across my stomach, but once I became pregnant she would put her paw
*gently* on my stomach, then pull it back and lay beside me with her head
resting on my stomach instead. ) She was at the vet's and they called
me a couple of times the night before she died, saying that she was eating
from their hand, and she seemed to be feeling better. I went there the
next morning to find out how she was doing and was told by the
receptionist "Oh, didn't you know? She died during the night!" I was
shocked, and heartbroken! I went home and sobbed... my ex-husband (can't
imagine why he's my EX) was very insensitive and said "Stop the nonsense,
IT was just a dog!" My dad went to the vet to get her, and buried her.
My parents loved her too, she was such a baby.... even wrapping herself up
in her baby blanket when it was time for a car ride.

Anyway (I got way off track there, sorry about that), after she died and I
was so upset... and after my marriage dissolved... I mentioned missing
having a dog, and my mom said "After how upset you got when Tasha died...
I don't want anymore dogs in the house at all.) Of course I talked her
into it when Matthew's 11th birthday was coming up, saying that he had
never known the joy of having a dog like we had. ;o) My mom finally gave
in, much to my dad - mine - and Matthew's delight.... and we got Buffy
from a farm. Matthew picked her out, so she's his dog.

Then four years ago I saw an ad in the paper for free puppies, so I told
my mom I was going to look at them. I looked (was thinking about a yellow
coloured one as we'd never had one before, and white seemed hard to keep
clean so I wasn't even considering one of them), and while on my knees
patting one Casper would come over and nudge the other pups out of the way
to get the attention. I patted him and then tried moving on to the other
pups, and calling them... but guess who was front and center all the time.
After doing this for about a half hour, he finally put the finishing
touches on and stole my heart by coming over to me *again* and
semi-climbing up to me, and planting a little puppy kiss on my cheek. I
looked at the woman and said "Okay, he obviously wants me, and he *is*
adorable. So he's mine!" Just then I looked and he had gone to his mother
who was lying on the ground and started nursing. I looked at the woman
and she said "That's weird, they have all been weaned for a couple of
weeks." Guess he was saying goodbye to his old family so he could come
home with his "Mama". ;o) It will definitely break my heart big time
when his time is up and I have to say goodbye.

So as you can tell, I'm a big softy when it comes to dogs. I would have a
bunch of them if it wouldn't be so expensive to feed them all, and take
them for their shots and heartworm medicine. Two at a time is plenty as
far as the expenses go... but my heart could love a lot more. )

And for the record, they did find the missing boy so that is good news!

Thank goodness for that! Had he been kidnapped, or wandered off? That
would definitely put the fear of God in you to have your child disappear.

Gem

Aw, thanks for sharing, Gem! I love your dog stories. It is amazing how
much they can sense about us! My family had two growing up and I would love
to get one now but it is hard being in a tiny place in the city. Maybe by
the time we retire (in 35 years!) we'll have a place with a yard big enough
for a dog to run around in. DH is a cat person so I'll probably have to put
up with one of those if I want my dog

I haven't heard much news about the missing boy but it sounds like he
wandered off and spent the night at a neighbor's (why the neighbor didn't
call his parents I'll never know!). He reappeared at his mom's house at 5
the next morning - they don't even know who dropped him off. Very strange
all around but definitely good that he is okay!

Okay, gotta get to work. Hope you all have a nice spring day!

LauraJ

"Cher" wrote in message
. ..
I like dragonflies, one evening, I was getting Edward ready for bed, it
was
dark and quite late, and I suddenly heard this tap tap tap at the window,
thinking for a minute that the open window was making the curtain cord tap
against the side, I ignored it, and then Edward said, it's a bird, I told
him it was just the breeze so went to shut the little window at the top,
to
suddenly see a large green and blue dragon fly banging at the other large
window, he must have seen the sheen on the window and thought it was a
pond, and more to the point Edward thought it was a bird so it may have
happened before, I explained to Edward what it was...lol

Or possibly he was saying goodnight! )

Gem

"enigma" wrote in message
. ..
"Matthew Hollands" wrote in
:

We had a dragonfly come to visit our swimming pool a few
times last summer, while we were in it I might add. He
didn't stay long, just stopped for a quick look around and
then he was off to the outside area, and then over the
fence and gone. They are neat looking.

and they eat tons of mosquitoes, blackflies, gnats, flies...
we have thousands of dragonflies in the summer buzzing over
the gardens & pasture. there are the big blue & green ones,
metallic looking ones with black wings (those stay pretty
close to the pond), smaller red ones, delicate damselflies
(look like dragonflies, but fold thier wings when resting.
they are the adult form of antlions AKA doodlebugs, that make
those cone shaped traps in dry sandy soil)...
the smaller dragonflies tend to be somewhat terratorial. they
choose a roost spot & will fly off, grap a bug, & come back to
the same spot. if you place your finger near thier roost, but
a bit higher, they almost always will land on your finger
instead. this thrills the kid no end
lee

Cool, I didn't realize that they ate mosquitoes and other bugs. )

Gem

Look and sound cute Noreen, are they shy or friendly birds, our little
great tits are quite friendly, til they are nesting then they are too busy
to bother with you....lol

cher
"Noreen's Knit*che" wrote in message
...
We have the tufted titmouse!
JM2C,
N.

"Cher" wrote in message
...
OMG I didn't think that you don't have Great Tits over
there.....lol
here is the url to see an adult Great Tit,
http://www.rspb.org.uk/birds/guide/g/greattit/index.asp

I'll try and find out why they are so called....something to do
with their
caps I think....
Thanks so much Helen, we also have coal tits and blue tits, and
here is a
link to the Great Tit, they are great little fellows green and
yellow with
a black cap, a thin black stripe down the middle front of the
female, and
thicker for a male....

I didnt' give it a thought that it sounded rather rude, or like a
typo....I'm so sorry for any embarrassment caused...

Cheers ...Cher
"Helen Halla Fleischer" wrote in message
...
| On Mon, 9 May 2005 05:59:01 -0500, "Shillelagh"
wrote:


"Cher" wrote in message
k...

...at least the chicks only great tits
will get a chance tofly off with their parents in a few weeks

Aaaaah Cher, I know in my heart it's a typo, but please tell me
what you
were trying to say - I just can't figure it out (LOL)

Shelagh

I'm no Cher, but I do know that the great tit is a British song
bird if
that helps.

Helen "Halla" Fleischer, Fantasy & Fiber Artist
http://home.covad.net/~drgandalf/halla/
Balticon Art Program Coordinator http://www.balticon.org

That's what I told Edward, but it freaked him a little bit, and I had
adickens of a job to get him to keep his window open last summer..he was
worried incase the ''bird'' came in..lol I told him, that he had just got
lost a bit, he won't do it again, and anyway that was a night time bird not
a daytime one, lol

hugs...Cher



"Matthew Hollands" wrote in message
...
"Cher" wrote in message
. ..
I like dragonflies, one evening, I was getting Edward ready for bed, it
was
dark and quite late, and I suddenly heard this tap tap tap at the
window,
thinking for a minute that the open window was making the curtain cord
tap
against the side, I ignored it, and then Edward said, it's a bird, I
told
him it was just the breeze so went to shut the little window at the top,
to
suddenly see a large green and blue dragon fly banging at the other
large
window, he must have seen the sheen on the window and thought it was a
pond, and more to the point Edward thought it was a bird so it may have
happened before, I explained to Edward what it was...lol

Or possibly he was saying goodnight! )

Gem

"Cher" wrote in message
. uk...
That's what I told Edward, but it freaked him a little bit, and I had
adickens of a job to get him to keep his window open last summer..he was
worried incase the ''bird'' came in..lol I told him, that he had just
got
lost a bit, he won't do it again, and anyway that was a night time bird
not
a daytime one, lol

Awww, poor boy! I guess that might very well concern him. )

By the way, you don't use screens on your windows? Likely because you
don't have to worry about moquitoes coming in and having a snack on you
while you're sleeping, hmmm?

My Mom told me that when she was growing up in Newfoundland they didn't use
screens on their windows. I would have thought being by the sea that with
or without mosquitoes there would at least be fish flies to contend with.
*shrug* Katherine? I know you're in Labrador now, but didn't you also
live on the island?

Gem
Who definitely does NOT like bugs (except dragonflies and butterflies, and I
don't mind ladybugs too much either) most especially not the creepy-crawly
ones! {{{shutter}}}