Category: Animals / Insects / Water Life / Plants / Nature
Dog Ticks Are Changing Their Diet. You’re on the Menu | Deep Look
Is The Orca Uprising Upon Us?
We Ignore Animals’ Cognition at Our Peril…plus a civics reminder/plea
As she always does, Annie wrote a grand post. The post has a wonderful video and a great message. However the post also has a lot of great election information, and WordPress is acting weird as always so is preventing her posts from being distributed to her followers. Please head over to her blog and check out the grand post. Hugs. Scottie
True Facts: Incredible Crab Stories
Midday Palate Cleanser
I thank Tengrain for their daily servings of news, funny things, and animal videos. They put a lot of hard work and effort in to the posts. Plus the commenters are top-notch. I really recommend following the site.
Ron and I have been family to dogs and cats most of our lives. Each one has had their own personality and presence, just like humans. This is a wonderful video of ability and reasoning ability along with determination. Hugs. Scottie
Texas installs barrier at New Mexico border to deter migrants
https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/4264027-texas-barrier-new-mexico-border-deter-migrants/
How greatly the republicans in that state must hate brown people. If given half a chance, they would gleefully restart slavery. I don’t see how this is even legal. Think of where this money could be spent to help the people. Hugs
BY LAUREN SFORZA – 10/18/23 9:51 PM ET
Texas is adding to its border wall to deter migrants from entering the state by constructing a barrier between itself and New Mexico.
“Texas installs fencing along NEW Mexico border. Our barriers around El Paso forced the migrants crossing illegally to enter into New Mexico. They then entered into El Paso from there. To end that, we are building a barrier on the New Mexico border,” Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Construction of a wall along the Texas-Mexico border has been in the works for months since Abbott committed to the project in 2021. He has continually posted videos and images of the border wall on X, but last week’s announcement revealing the construction of a wall between Texas and the neighboring state of New Mexico marks the latest step in his Operation Lone Star.
KFOX14 reported earlier this month that members of the Texas National Guard reinforced the wall between New Mexico and Texas with concertina wire — a type of barbed wire that already lines the Texas-Mexico border. Abbott said Texas had plans to build a barrier between the two states during an appearance at the Manhattan Institute last month.
New Mexico and Texas Democrats condemned the action in a joint statement.
“Earlier this month, Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced the placement of razor wire fencing along the Texas-New Mexico border north of the Rio Grande near Sunland Park, NM. This is the latest Operation Lone Star stunt funded by the working Texas family’s tax-dollar that will result in environmental damage, community division and injuries of vulnerable migrants,” the statement read.
“It’s clear that Governor Abbott has no plans on actually addressing our broken immigration system head on — but instead adding more fuel to Operation Lone Star’s dumpster fire,” the statement added.
Is Abbott aware that New Mexico is part of the United States and not “Old Mexico?”
I sort of being serious. There are people in this country who get confused about this. I’ve heard it from JMGers who reside in NM.
This is a real article that I saved years ago from USA Today newspaper.
I swear it was in the comments section of this blog that someone nearly had immigration called on him/her because s/he told a fellow American that s/he came from New Mexico and didn’t go through customs. It was a whole “facepalming” nightmare.
I remember a story decades ago about a man who had a huge hassle from the IRS because he wasn’t paying the right taxes. He lived in NM and they insisted he report his “out of the country” income.
I read that there is a surprising percentage of Texans that think New Mexico is part of Mexico. And an even higher percentage of non-Texans that think that. I’m not surprised on either count.
Fascist Abbott is building these walls to lock women in so they will be unable to leave the state to obtain legal reproductive care elsewhere.
THE STORY OF ZIGGY
For those that do not know, Jerry / Rawgod and Jill started a blog for and about furry members of the family, pets in common terms. I have fell in love with the stories, both the births, the deaths, and the stories in between as people talk about what their non-human family members brought to them. All my life, dogs and cats have been the balm to sooth the hurts happening to me. One of my greatest fears is losing my eyesight. I read a book called “Follow My Leader” as a child, and it was about a young boy blinded who learned to deal with his sudden blindness and to work with his new companion, a seeing eye dog. The post and video at the link above is wonderful. Please go, read and watch, and support our furry non-human family members. Hugs. Scottie
The race to mine the bottom of the ocean
This video explains the history and the debate over mining metals in the deep sea and why one Canadian company, The Metals Company, is leading the rush there. There are huge environmental implications for digging up seafloor ecosystems as well as ethical ones: Metal-rich zones like the Clarion-Clipperton Zone lie in international waters that technically belong to everyone. A United Nations body located in Kingston, Jamaica, the International Seabed Authority, is faced with an urgent dilemma over how to regulate mining, whether the environmental harm is worth the benefits to solving our climate crisis, and how to fairly share the profits from this shared resource.
Thank you, my sweet girl. You will forever be the better part of my heart.
It’s too quiet. It’s too quiet!! The walls echo emptiness and absence, and it’s tearing my heart.
In April of 2010 I wanted a friend. I wanted one who would keep watch over my safety, driving off strangers and those who meant me harm. I wanted a friend who would stand tall and let none pass that meant me harm. And so, I went to a friend of a friend who found those who no one wanted with hope she could find me such a friend. As we spoke this maniacal blur of black and grey came ripping into the yard, eyes wide, teeth sharp and white, claws digging up tufts of grass as she made corners and then straight towards me with an unknown intention.
“Watch that one,” the lady said. “She came to me as one too wild to be homed.”
And then this wild child launched herself into my lap and laid her head on my chest, looking right through me with soft brown eyes full of mischief and hope. “Well, looks like you have been claimed,” the lady said.
“What’s her name,” I asked.
“Grace,” the lady said. “I found her just before she was to be put down at the pound. I told you she is said to be too wild.”
“Yeah, she looks vicious,” I laughed. 
Yet, claimed I was, a man no one wanted by a dog no one wanted, and both of us thought by some better off with a bullet. And so, Grace came home with me, this wild one that would protect my home and safety, just as I wanted. Just as I thought I needed.
As time went, she proved to me how wrong I was. Grace was not a guard dog. She didn’t stand boldly at the gate, the fear of strangers everywhere. In fact, one of the neighbors referred to her as a slut – taking love from anyone. I didn’t know if I was offended by that or not, but she was right.
As time passed Grace helped me deal with my anger, my desire for violence, my desires to just get in my car and drive away from it all. Grace taught me discipline and responsibility. 
Most importantly, Grace taught me love and loyalty. I did not receive the guard dog I wanted that day, but was instead blessed with the best friend I deeply needed.
Last summer Grace began to limp. She was coming on 14 years old, so arthritis is expected. But, the arthritis medications didn’t help. Still, she lived a happy dog, and though she couldn’t do zoomies anymore, she loved to be with me outside or between my feet while I sat in my chair. 
There was nothing wrong with her tail, that’s for sure, and she was sure to tell anyone who could reach the box that she was ready for a bone no matter how bad her leg hurt. Two weeks ago I found out that she actually had cancer as her pain was getting worse and worse.
Still, my happy girl was glad to see me, quick to cuddle, quick to make me feel wanted, needed, loved.
On Thursday I overcame my selfishness and said goodbye to my sweet friend of 13.5 years. She laid her head in my hands one last time, a slight look of confusion on a face wet with my tears as the vet helped her move on. I held her to the end, my sweet friend, and experienced pain I just didn’t know a man could as I drove home. Alone.
Thank you, my sweet girl. You will forever be the better part of my heart.
Scottie's Playtime 