Good Bye 2008, Good Bye to those I knew.

Well it is the end of another year. A sorrow filled year. I know that part of life is death. I know that, but it doesn't make it any easier when it happens to the people that we love. 2008 started with deaths and ended with deaths of people that I have been close to.

It started early last year. January 4th my one of my oldest and dearest friends Karin lost her father. He battled and lost a hard fight with cancer and the last few months of his life he was in horrible pain. This truly was one of the kindest men I ever knew. He never and I do mean never raised his voice. Even raising 4 girls, some of whom (even Karin) would at times make any parent scream, he never did. Called everyone "kiddo". At his funeral they asked if anyone had any words they would like to say. I hate talking in public, but this man treated me like his own child, he always told me how beautiful I was and he made me feel that way. That is what I said when I stood up to tell of this wonderful man. Good bye Dale I Love You!

January 25th Shane lost his battle with addiction. A prelude to that was when we had gotten a call from his younger brothers Dec. 19 and said he couldn't wake him up. Jade and I got there and immediately told them to call 911. He wasn't breathing. It was so frightening I have taken about 12 CPR classes in my life never had I had to use it (and in all honesty I hope I never will have to again). It seemed like I forgot everything. Thank God for the 911 operator.
We knew Shane had a problem, but we didn't know how horrible it really was, his last month with us here was a roller coaster. I know he didn't want to be addicted, he was not a bad or evil kid. He was sweet, he did tell us things we wanted to hear at times, what kid doesn't. He didn't want to disappoint people. The day he left us he actually went to rehab. I don't know nor will I till I can see him again, but I truly think he wanted to get high just one more time. It bothers yet comforts me knowing he was holding a guardian angel when he died. That is my question, I don't think he meant to die, I think he got scared. I love you Shane so much!

April 7th I lost an old classmate of mine. Angie she lived just down the street from me and we met in kindergarten. We always either walked to and from school. Or get driven by her mom ever day till we graduated. After graduation we parted ways like alot of people do, but I seen her about 6 months before she passed. Diabetes made walking difficult. And that disease was too strong for her to overcome. She was only 40 years old. I missed her so much through the years, and now I will always miss her till I see her again.

The mother of one of my parents oldest and dearest friends past away this fall.

A grandchild of a friends died at 3 months of age. What can you say about a terrible thing like this?

My ex-sister in laws father died Dec. 10. Mr. Hurley's wife helped raise Jade as she was our day care provider for years.

Pets are often members of the family and my little Boston Terrier Peggy was no exception. She was killed by a car in July (she shared the same birthday as my niece Stephanie who died in March of 2007), and I so blame myself for her death. I am the one that opened the door. The only time she went into the road was chasing after animals, I did not look out that morning. She was a great little dog. I'm sorry Peggy.

Some of the many famous people that left us this year:
Paul Newman
Heath Ledger
Charlton Heston
George Carlin
Bernie Mac
Issac Hayes
Eartha Kitt (I seen her in the Wizard of Oz, at the Fox Theatre)
Michael Crichton
Estelle Getty
Larry Harmon
Tim Russert
Bo Diddley
Harvey Korman
Sydney Pollack
Dick Martin
Arthur C. Clarke
Roy Scheider
Suzanne Pleshette
Sir Edmund Hillary

Good Bye 2008, I hope 2009 brings more happiness then sorrow.

Can't wait for Epiphany?

Well as always Christmas always comes and goes quickly around here. I love my Christmas decorations and I hate taking them down every year. This year has to be a little different as we have finally broken down and have bought a new mattress!! I am so excited about this. For years I have been putting more and more padding between the springs that are poking through and the fitted sheets. When Mark wasn't living at home it wasn't too bad as I would sleep in the middle of the bed. But it is sad watching him wake up in the morning in as much pain if not more then he went to sleep with. It is a little weird going shopping for a mattress as the only way to really see if you like it is to try it out. With the sales man making his spiel as we go from one bed to another. We found one that offers both the support he needs and the comfyness (sp) I want. The prices are crazy, but as someone stated you spend a 1/3 of your life in bed and if he has a bad back, and it isn't something you shop for every year or two you really need to get one that is of good quality. The company offers free delivery and free hauling away of the old one.

But now that means I have to take down Christmas decorations or there will not be any room to get it in next Monday. Without crashing into everything. I will leave my little nativity up till the 6th, but all else must come down.

But taking it down is not as simple as putting it away. On Christmas eve I thought I would have time for a very short nap before all the fun and excitement. I was already curled up dozing when I heard Mark come in. He walks upstairs and said the kitchen ceiling is leaking!!! NO WAY! We just put nearly $10,000 in a new roof year before last! HOW CAN IT BE LEAKING!!! We have 4 attics in our house. Above the kitchen is the one I put decorations in so to see where the leak was we had to take out all the boxes. 1 nail, 1 crumby stinkin' nail was poking through in a corner where there was snow and ice build up. With the snow, rain and now wind Mark couldn't get up on the roof to fix it. Well Scott (our roofer) will be doing it, but knowing Mark he will help out. I just reminded him that maybe he can do it today. So every box of all the decorations for all the seasons are in the middle room upstairs. sigh.....

Happy New Year.

Christmas fun

Yesterday after the first service at church there was a family Sunday school, instead of the usual children's and adult classes that are separate. Complete with food (ahh us Lutherans like our food), music and crafts. Each family was able to make a Christmas tree to take home.

My littlest nephew Ryan, was having a wonderful time. Eating Aunt Nina's dounuts. And making his Christmas tree. I must say he did such a good job, he glued all the ornaments himself after I showed him how to get the glue going.

It is just over 2 weeks till Christmas day, and I have 1 decoration up. A nice table centerpiece my sister in law made for me. I just haven't had the time to put anything up, I am hoping today. I don't think I will get around to my iceicle lights that I usually put in all my window (how I love the look of them).

I have one 1 present bought, and not sure how we are going to pull off the rest. It seems like every year things get tighter and tighter and our daughter though she gets less presents they become more expensive. With classes starting up in January. However it seems that thing usually work out, and I am hoping for it to be this year also, I am going to try my hardest NOT to get stressed out about things, and hope my husband can do the same.

Yesterday watching the little guy made me remember what is important this time of year.

I Love You!

Three simple words that means so much. Do I not say it enough? Or is just taken for granted?

Yesterday I was sitting at home and thinking about my daughter. She was out shopping trying to get her mind off something that has been bothering her.

Anytime we talk on the phone or she leaves the house we always tell each other "I Love You". Well yesterday I picked up my cell and called her. Of course with caller id on her side she knew it was me.
"Hey Mom, what's up?"
I said "I Love You".
As soon as that was out she asked "What did I do?"
"Nothing, I just called to say I Love You, I Love You"
"I Love You too Mom, really that's it?"
"Yep, see ya and be careful" and I hung up.

When she got home a few hours later she came in and asked "You really just called me to tell me I Love You?" I walked over to her and gave her a huge hug and said "Yep, that is all I called for, just to tell you I Love You".

Later in the evening we turned the tv off and we just talked, sometimes she and I don't see eye to eye, but yesterday was alittle special and I think it was just from a simple phone call and three little words that mean so very much.

I LOVE YOU!

Wow things were messed up.

The other day I was messing around online and low and behold I found something that sank my heart. It was a blog I had started when my marriage was going down like a fast roller coaster. It was started in 2004, and lasted during the first part of our multi-year separation I had with my husband. I know that divorce can be the cowards way out sometimes, but looking at some of those awful moments that my husband and I were going through, wow.

Life was just terrible for a very long time before he moved out. And truth be told the only reason that we didn't get the divorce finalized was he wouldn't have had health insurance any longer. Sometimes I didn't want to care about him needing it, but he has a bone disease and I could never stop loving him.

It is odd to think that a separation would help a relationship, but it did. It scared him. Since he moved back home, last year I can't say things are perfect. I really don't think anyone has a perfect relationship. But when he thought he was going to lose me forever, he changed and things are so much better.

I pray that we keep the strength alive to still love and respect each other.

I shuttered as I read those old posts in my blog, it made me cold inside.

What a fun and exciting time

This coming Friday I will be making my way to Mt. Pleasant for the yearly Michigan Wildlife Rehabilitation Assoc. meeting that will be held Friday evening and all day Saturday. I love seeing the people who I only get to actually "see" once a year. Although this year is a little disappointing that I am missing the opening day of firearm season, which falls on the 15th (Sat.). I am not the only one that is in wildlife rehab that hunts, there are not many of us though. Some people are completely against hunting in the rehab groups I belong to, however a huge majority know that most hunters are the biggest conservationists. For me my wildlife rehab is my way of giving back.I have been in a hunting family my whole life. My dad never left us at home when he would go up to the cabin. No matter what kind of hunting the whole family went with him. Even my uncles would come along.This will be the last year that MWRA will be hosting their meeting during the hunting season. Many are not able to come due to them or their spouses going hunting, but I don't' want to miss it. Not only to see the other members, but it is great educational experience. I love learning more and more every year.Also I get to have my yearly mini-vacation. I will be staying till Sunday. Saturday after my meeting I am planning on trying out my gambling skills. I have never been to a casino, but I have always wanted to try the slots. I know that what I come in with will not be going home with me. So I am leaving with a SMALL amount of money and that is it. I just want to go have fun.When I get back I will be heading out to my hunting spot around the corner from my house and will be spending the next 3 days out there too. I just love being in "my spot" even if I never see a deer all season. I will see so much other wildlife come through. One year a coopers hawk sat on a branch just outside of my shanty window. What a gorgeous bird God has made. I never knew they had blue in them, but with him sitting less then 3ft from my head, I could marveledat the wonderful creature.This is my sisters first year hunting and I wish her luck. So on the family farm (168acres) both my parents, my sister, her husband, my brother, his oldest son, and my husband will all be out. My parents have a log cabin in the back of the property that we will use to warm up and eat at. It is always a fun time together and reminds me of the days when we would go 'up north' to go hunting.I can not wait!

What a wonderful Halloween

I am so happy about this last Halloween. Though my dad was in pain, and as he stated "only fell 3 times this week", and was black and blue in many places, he dressed up for Halloween.

What a wonderful time we had.

Unfortunately my mom was in pain with her stomach again, well more then her stomach, the ultra-sound shows, I told her to go up stairs and rest for awhile. Dad and I would be fine. I think she was glad to hear it and didn't argue with me.

Dad had me dress up a dummy monster stuffed with newspaper on the side of their porch, as I tried to hurry him along, because trick or treating was starting and he had to eat and to take his insulin first (I thought for sure by time he finished the costumed kids would be done).

He came out right after I had finished handing the first group of kids their goodies. He put on his monster mask and I stuffed newspaper where I could see skin, much like the stuffed monster on the other side of the porch. And he sat next to me. I was in the middle of two monsters.

As the little kids came by I would ask them to say "hi to my monster" they would timidly look at him motionless and say their hellos, as they walked away he would say "hi" back to them. Only one little one started crying and we explained that it was only my dad playing like the rest of the kids. Most of the kids really got a kick out of my dad, as did I.

There was a little girl clown that came up and spent about 5-10 minutes with us, we are sure she was not even 5 years old yet. She had so many questions for "the monster" and I think that if it was up to her she would have stayed the whole time with us. She was so adorable and though she never got too close to dad she wasn't scared either. That little girl made my dads day.

My dad made my day.

My brother in law Eric came back sooner then my sister and their little guy Ryan (who just turned 4 a couple of weeks ago) and put on a old lady mask and wig on. So I had 'my grandma' and 'my monster' with me.

When Ryan got back to the house he wasn't really scared, but he wasn't sure what to think of the 2 of them either.

What a wonderful time we had. My daughter and her new guy that she has been hangin' with came over for awhile. What wonderful memories I hope to never lose.

Happy Halloween

It's is again Halloween, throughout the centuries times have changed, meanings have changed. For us now Halloween is a fun time. Thanks goodness!

It is a time for kids to run around with costumes on, and go door to door through their neighborhoods getting candy. A time for parents to dress up and be a kid again.

That is why I love Halloween. Growing up my father always dressed up. He would be the one to walk me, my sister and 2 brothers around the blocks near our home while mom would hand out candy to the kids.

Once my siblings and I were grown and had children of our own, my dad would still dress up sometimes he would walk along with his kids and grandchildren, but once walking became more of a problem he would stay at home, but still dressed up.

Some years if he was feeling well he would jump out and scare kids. These were kids growing up near him who would often stop and visit him during the year to talk to my him and pet his sweet giant of a dog Teddy. They got used to this after seeing him dressed up in the same costume and sitting in the same place for 2 years. The 3rd year he dressed a dummy up to look like what he did and put it in his normal spot. The kids would come over and say "where's Mr. Straub?", as they would start going for the candy bowl the dummy was holding, dad would jump out from behind them.

Dad dressed as "The Alien in the Window" which was from our favorite program at the time, Sightings. Sightings was a show that Tim White hosted on the Sci-fi channel that dealt with the paranormal, miracles, and interesting other cool stuff. We loved that show, I would often go to my parents and watch it with him when it was on.

The alien in the window was filmed in Monroe (a town near Dundee where we lived) and given to a post office employee who sent it in to Sightings.

It was a very short clip that featured something that looked like what we would think an alien looked like peer in a window and go back down again.

If I can ever get my computer working at home that has a scanner I will post the picture of my dad. He put aluminum foil on top of his head and shoulders and turned some oatmeal green that he moistened and put on his face. Problem was he used green food coloring. He was green for a week after that.

I love Halloween, I love Halloween because of my Dad. I love the memories I have of Halloween. Most of all I love my Dad!

It's Reformation Day

491 years ago today a talented well educated Catholic monk named Dr. Martin Luther, who seen problems within the church, posted Ninety-five Theses on the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany.

He seen problems that arised out of the church. At the time the church was the government and like many governments it was plagued with corruption.

He believed in the word and the grace of our God. Our God, not my God, not their God, but OUR God, OUR Lord and OUR savior.

WE are all Gods children. He loves each one of us. Catholic, Lutheran, lost souls. He is there all we have to do is open our eyes and our hearts

That is what matters.

By grace God's Son, our only Savior,Came down to earth to bear our sin.Was it because of your own merit. That Jesus died your soul to win? No, it was grace, and grace alone,That brought Him from His heav'nly throne.

Poems, Prayers and Promises

I've been lately thinking

About my life's time

All the things I've done

And how it's been

And I can't help believing

In my own mind

I know I'm gonna hate to see it end

I've seen a lot of sunshine

Slept out in the rain

Spent a night or two all on my own

I've known my lady's pleasures

Had myself some friends

And spent a night or two in my own home

And I have to say it now

It's been a good life all in all

It's really fine

To have a chance to hang around

And lie there by the fire

And watch the evening tire

While all my friends and my old lady

Sit and pass the pipe around

And talk of poems and prayers and promises

And things that we believe in

How sweet it is to love someone

How right it is to care

How long it's been since yesterday

And what about tomorrow

And what about our dreams

And all the memories we share

The days they pass so quickly now

Nights are seldom long

And time around me whispers when it's cold

The changes somehow frighten me

Still I have to smile

It turns me on to think of growing old

For though my life's been good to me

There's still so much to do

So many things my mind has never known

I'd like to raise a family

I'd like to sail away

And dance across the mountains on the moon

I have to say it now

It's been a good life all in all

It's really fine

To have the chance to hang around

And lie there by the fire

And watch the evening tire

While all my friends and my old lady

Sit and watch the sun go down

And talk of poems and prayers and promises

And things that we believe in

How sweet it is to love someone

How right it is to care

How long it's been since yesterday

What about tomorrow

What about our dreams

And all the memories we share

John Denver born Henry John Deutschendorf Dec. 31, 1943. Died in a plane crash on Oct. 12, 1997.

It has been 11 years next Sunday that John Denver passed away. It doesn't seem like it. My love of his music and meaning has never changed since I was young. I was lucky enough to see him in concert about 2 years before he passed away. It was an emotional experience for me. His songs always had and still has deep meaning to me. It gives me a sense of calm listening to him. I will treasure his songs, his talent, and his spirit forever.

My Chair

At the beginning of the summer I went up to my parents 'rustic' cabin near Tawas with both my mom and dad. We were going to the Michigan Magazine Museum to make bentwood chairs. They were having a class on making them. My mom and I both made one, my dad didn't have the strength to make one on his own, but was able to help with cutting the leaves and bumps off the branches. They were supposed to have a workshop this fall to make a matching love seat, but the couple that puts on the workshops got too busy and were unable to do it. Now we have to wait till spring. Everyday I come home and see this chair. It reminds me of the wonderful times that I have shared with my parents and the fun things we have done together. People that see it like it. I am hoping to make more maybe during the winter months, the family farm has 168 acres, and alot needs to be cut away to clear it out. I just need to find the right types of wood. Who knows maybe just maybe I can sell them this spring, they were so fun to make and not very hard to do. Maybe I will have my dad help me too.

And what to do with the pumpkin seeds?

My younger brother Jon and I fight every year over who has the best pumpkin seed. He always loses although he doesn't agree with me and thinks he wins.

How can he? All he does is soaks the seeds in salt water over night and bakes them. How boring!!

I kind of invented this recipe myself and like most things I don't have measured ingredients.

Anita's Pumpkin Seeds

pumpkin seeds

Worcestershire sauce

margarine

salt (I started using McCormick's Broiled Steak Seasoning last year)

Heat oven to 225

rinse seeds

boil seeds in salt water for about 10 minutes.

dry seeds on a towel

melt margarine (just a couple of tablespoons)

mix margarine, Worcestershire sauce, and salt in a bowl and add seeds

spread out on a cookie sheet

bake for 1-2 hours

They are softer then the way my brother makes them and they are so tasty with the nutty flavor of the seeds.

I store them in the fridge (if there is any left overs) not sure if you have to, but I don't want to take a chance.

It's Time. Let the comfort food cooking begin!

I just love as the weather get cooler and the pumpkins come in it is time to cook up some pumpkin soup.

Growing up my mom would make this in the fall, it is a recipe that my great grandmother made. Great Grandma was from Poland and I often wonder if it was handed down in the family more then I know (I do hope so).

I make mine a little different then moms. Mostly because I use half and half, and mom would use milk. Yes I know it is fattening, but I do use Slenda (lol) instead of sugar.

I don't follow actual measured ingredients, just one of those recipes you can play with. If you make it I hope you enjoy it as much as anyone that has tried it. I actually have some of my daughters friends asking for it this year. Most of them before trying thought it the grossest sounding recipe in the world.

Anita's Babcia's Pumpkin Soup

-Peel, de-seed, and cube whole pumpkin (canned pumpkin does NOT work in this recipe). I like to use a couple good size pie pumpkins, they have a good flavor

-In a large pot add pumpkin cubes and just enough water to cover

-Add pumpkin pie spices and alittle vanilla-Boil till pumpkin is soft.

-Drain the water, but reserve some for the dumplings.

-Mash pumpkin

-Add milk and half and half to the pumpkin. Add as much as you want to soup to be. (you can use 2% milk, but then the soup will not be that creamy)
-Add more pumpkin pie spices.
-Add sugar (or Splenda®) to taste.-Slowly simmer, stir frequently, till just about boiling.

Dumplings
-Mix flour-baking powder (about 3teaspoons)

-add a little sugar (or Splenda®)

-1 to 3 eggs (depending on how many dumplings you want)

-add some pumpkin pie spices and vanilla

-Add some of the warm reserved pumpkin water and a little warmed milk just enough so your flour is mixed in, you want it the constancy of cookie dough.

Give the soup one last stir and drop the dumplings in by spoonfuls and give them a little room (don't just drop them on each other or you will have 1 large dumpling.

Cover and simmer (on the lowest setting) for 20 minutes. *

*Important thing to remember if you want the perfect dumplings. When you cover the pot after dropping the dumplings in DO NOT uncover for the full 20 minutes, you need the steam to cook dumplings.

Wildlife Rehab and Me

I have now officially entered my 13th year of 'legal' wildlife rehab. Before this I really didn't know it was against the law to posses wildlife of any kind without a permit.

This is how I and many other rehabbers have started. 13 springs ago my husband comes home with a baby raccoon. It was in the middle of the road with its dead mother and siblings. He looked around just in case there were others and finding none he brings him home.

Not knowing what to really do with it, but knowing that they carry diseases and having a youngster at the time, I called the Humane Society in Ann Arbor and they gave me the number for an organization called Friends of Wildlife. I talked with a woman named Barb that dealt with raccoons and we chatted for quite awhile. We started talking about the animals that my family had on the farm that my dad was raised on and that we still used. She asked if I would be interested in wildlife rehab, that their organization was having their yearly meeting for new members that coming Saturday. She gave me directions to her house so I could drop off the little guy and by time I got there she made sure there was still room for me at the meeting.

The rest as they say is history!

This is a volunteer group that takes in, rehabs, and releases wildlife back where they belong. I am the official "Cottontail Placement Coordinator". Which means that I take in most of the calls for cottontail rabbits and give lectures about cottontails. 90% of the calls we get in are for advice. I get on average 700 calls a year. With the majority of those in April-May. It is really a full time job, but done on a volunteer basis. But like I said most of the calls are just informing the public on what to do if they find cottontails, whether it be a nest, a single baby, an injured adult.

Because cottontails are a prey animal they don't do well in captivity and can die just from stress. So keeping them in the wild is the best for them, but we do bring in babies if they have been very badly hurt, or if we are pretty positive that the mother has been killed. We also rehab adult injured or ill rabbits too.

Cottontails are one of the many animals that I have dealt with, but it has been my main animal. I love doing squirrels they are so flippin' cute. I have successfully raised reds, fox, and a flying squirrel also. I have filled in for one of the rehabbers when she was on vacation and feed a mean ass mink. Dealt with chipmunks and I am forbidden to rehab raccoons anymore.

Our organizations goal is to release these animals back into the wild and have them live successfully on their own (this means that cottontails really just become a hawks or coyotes meal, but THAT IS THE CYCLE OF LIFE). I started with raccoons and after a couple years raising them which means about 3-4 months of teaching them how to be raccoons. For them to be successful in the wild, (they must be wild). Unfortunately I had a group of about 6 babies that got conjunctivitis (an eye infection) and they needed medication. To do this twice a day my husband and I had to grab these 10 pound animals that didn't like to be grabbed out of their cage and given eye ointment and other medications., No that really isn't they way it went. My husband would grab them out of the cage and I gave them their treatments. Well it is not a fun and happy time grabbing these 10pound wild animals out of their cages 2 times a day for 10 days. It was just too much and to keep peace in the household I stopped rehabbing raccoons.

In the spring and fall I take on 'self feeding' squirrels. These are little guys that mostly eat on their own, and learning how to crack nuts. I have a large release cage in a small woods next to my house. So after they are eating on their own very well and climbing the large branches I have in the cage, during the day time I will leave the door open for them to start exploring and close them up in the evening when they come back to the cage. I have squirrel houses in the woods, and when it is time (which is really up to them) they will either start using the houses or most of the time they start building their own home and they are on their own, but I feed them all year long.

I love working with babies, but unlike rabbits that only eat up to 3times a day at most. Other animals must be feed many times a day (recently born animals will need nightly feedings too). And working full time at a 'real' job, I just can't do that anymore (whens retirement? :) ). Also cottontails are the only animals that we do what is called a 'cold release' which means that they don't have to be taught to survive on their own. They are independent at around 3 weeks of age and as long as they are hopping without falling over and don't have any health issues we release them.

People know me as "The Rabbit Lady" or "The Animal Lady". People find me through Friends of Wildlife, Neighbors, friends, and others are calling or coming over with all kinds of questions, concerns or animals. I think the animals know it also, as I seem to find animals or they find me.

The opossum that is pictured here is proof of that. This last spring my husband came home it was just getting dark, lucky it was still cold and he had his gloves on. He gets to the front door and here is a half grown opossum. He grabs it up and brings it in, I look at both of them and ask what's up? He figured someone dropped the little guy off and he got out of a cage. Well we put him back out and watch from the windows, he went to his little home next to the shed, but no mother or siblings. I fed him out there for a few weeks to make sure he stayed strong, we never seen him by the house again, by the start of summer he must have moved on.

Opossums are really sweet little things if you give them a chance. They are a marsupial and when born will go into the mothers pouch till old enough to start venturing out. Even when they are teeny tiny they look just like a opossum, just a miniature version of mom. Most people think that they carry all kinds of diseases, because they will play dead which includes drooling at the mouth and out their behinds, the slime can smell like a dead animal and be nasty in color. It's just a ploy. In all reality their body temperatures are usually too low to house germs, this is why they can eat dead animals and not get sick. Too bad alot of people don't know these facts and will end up killing these guys who have a big part in this world of ridding animal carcasses that can carry diseases. Opossums like many animals do have a function.

Here are the organizations I belong to and you can find much information:
Friends of Wildlife http://www.friendsofwildlife.net/
National Wildlife Rehabilitators Association http://www.nwrawildlife.org/
International Wildlife Rehabilitators Council http://www.iwrc-online.org/
You can find Michigan Wildlife Rehabbers at the MI DNR wesite http://www.michigandnr.com/dlr/

The start of hunting season

Today is the first day of doe season in Southern Michigan. It is an early season that is not just for kids, but is only on private land.

I don't agree with it. 2 weeks ago I was on my way to work and coming into the road was a fawn that still had spots.

Deer almost never have a single baby. 3 is common, but 2 is usually the number. These babies may not be able to survive winter at this age if they don't have their mothers now.

This is also true for squirrel and cottontail rabbits. Until I got into wildlife rehab (I will get into that in the next blog) I didn't know that squirrel have 2 litters. One in the spring and one in the fall. Cottontails have babies from spring to fall. The latest baby cottontails I ever got in were on Oct. 31.

The start of small game is Sept. 15.

Sometimes I wonder how they make these rules. They stop the season right about breeding season for these animals.

I have written the DNR and have asked questions with no response.

I don't bow hunt, though the weather is usually wonderful in Oct. I do not feel confidant to shoot an animal with a bow. With a gun, I never take a 'pop shot'-I know where it is going and it will be a clean QUICK kill or I don't do shoot.

For now I will wait till Nov. 15th and I hope others do the same.

Starting again

About 5 years ago I started a blog and then lost it. I have no idea where it went. I tried the couple of email addresses I have and was never able to find it.

Since that time I have been reading my friends and others blogs and keep telling myself that one day I will just start over. Then I start and think what do I really do that would interesting enough to write down? I am still not sure, but I have to start somewhere.

My daughter graduated high school this past June, she had a pretty hard time the last couple of years. Her junior year was plagued by illnesses and trips to the doctors and urgent care. Finding many urinary, and pelvic infections. Sinus infections, bronchitis, allergies to Motrin and aspirin, just to name a very few. Throughout this she learned a lot from the radiologists and techs that were working with her. She now wants to get into that career. Illness wasn't the only set back she lost both a cousin (that was one of her best friends growing up) and a boyfriend due to overdoses. This now is making her stronger in wanting to help others. It has been and will be a struggle for all of us. This also has made her angry and we are working with her on that. How can you not be angry when someone you love does something so stupid? And they are not there to be angry with?