Saturday - July 04, 2015

Suburban Assault Vehicle

An immature bald eagle, or possibly a red tailed hawk, has a bunny for lunch. Nailed him right on the spot. In my mom’s backyard in the middle of the day.  Just 30 miles away from the Empire State Building in New York City.

Forget this “oooh, the bad people, encroaching on the poor wild animal’s natural habitats” bit of silly.  Those poor little wild animals (and those not so small; I heard this bird was the size of a turkey or a smaller medium dog) have not only adapted, they are thriving.

Not sure if you can completely identify what kind of raptor this is. BIG one. White chest, white shoulders, white V across the back. Nobody saw the tail, the feet, or under the wings. Hard to tell the beak color in this pics. But that was not a baby rabbit. Bald eagles are regularly seen around town, and are thriving along the Hudson River a couple towns to the northeast. 

Posted by Drew458     on 07/04/2015 at 06:19 PM   
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   Saturday - June 27, 2015

pussy training

$25 and an hour’s work, and I installed a cat fence around the patio railing. It’s PVC coated steel mesh, much heavier than chicken wire, with a 2” X 3” mesh. A bunch of zip ties hold it on to the railing’s uprights. It came out really nice and the dark green mesh is actually hard to see behind the black painted railing. And it took about 1 second to train the cats to go around the long way. So maybe I can save some of my plants down there. Alas, the cosmos are done. Flattened. Hammered. Broken off at the ground.

Today’s project will be replacing the shut-off valve to the outside faucet. Then maybe I can “train” those cats to stay about 20 feet away. Nah, that won’t happen. She loves the kittehs too much, and adores them when they’re up on the patio doing kitteh stuff. Squeee! Whatever. Just don’t dive bomb my plants anymore, m’kay?

Posted by Drew458     on 06/27/2015 at 10:45 AM   
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   Tuesday - June 23, 2015

The Strange Case of the Cosmo Killing Cats

I need to put up a fence to stop animals from landing in my garden.

It’s not that they can’t walk across the dirt. Some do that all the time. I don’t care.

And it’s not like some are using that soil as a giant litterbox. They’re not. Trust me, I would know.

It’s these three that live out here under the hedges. Cats who are mostly feral. “Scowler” and her two kids “Fred” and “Ginger”. Fred, because he’s a black and white, thus he’s in a tuxedo. And who wears a tuxedo with Ginger? Fred Astaire. So there ya go.

The problem comes from them really liking our patio. It’s a nice smooth sunny place, great for a nap or a feeding session. And a great place to mooch for a handout (don’t look at me, I’m not doing it).

Scowler is fairly used to us, and merely backs away when we use our own patio. Hiss hiss hiss, but she moves off only a couple feet. The kids are a different story. I saw a person! Panic!! I heard something! Panic!! And they go flying off the raised patio, leaping through the railing ... several feet down, SPLAT right onto my new lower garden, right on the nice Cosmos I planted. So now I have flat flowers. Gee, thanks kittehs. Thanks so much. All the other cats in the neighborhood just saunter by, doing the proper cat “I don’t care” thing.

So I think I’ll get a roll of 2’ chicken wire, and line the inside of the patio railing. Kittehs go flying in panic, hit the wire. No way through, so they have to go jump in a different direction. And if they take a leap overthe 3 foot tall railing, that’s a solid 6 feet down. Into the azalea. Which I don’t really care about. And my cosmos will be Ok.

I think I’ll also put in some punji stakes with some string to hold the flower stalks up.

Annoying little cowardly beasties. It’s not like they haven’t lived their entire lives only 10 feet from us. Grow a pair already.

Flailing kittens from the sky
Panicked cats who jump and cry
Feral moggies know the way
The daily three who run away

Trained to live on handout’s hand
No catching mouses in the sand
Cats who breed all night and day
No courage shown in any way

Half a tube of caulk and a “Gee, you’re OLD” for identifying the tune I stole to base my lyrics on. Hint: parachutes not included.

Posted by Drew458     on 06/23/2015 at 05:29 PM   
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   Wednesday - June 10, 2015

Not Animal Friendly

So I’m standing in the kitchen a few minutes ago, trying to get my eyes open. Trying to kick-start my brain enough to figure out how to get a cup of coffee from a Keurig machine. Machine on, filtered water goes in the reservoir here, lid goes back on, coffee goes in the DIY k-cup, level it off, cap closed, under the press, cup underneath, lower lever, press button ... it’s complicated!

So I look out the kitchen slider and see the sun is coming up nicely. Not raining. And I can see that the wildflower seeds that I put down in the new area I cleared are sprouting already. Nice. And oh look at the size of that great light brown lump. I wonder if that cat is around? WAIT A SECOND! I don’t have a great brown lump in this garden. What the Hell is a light brown lump? Anthill? Patio umbrella? Part of a rotting tree trunk? No, it moved! It’s a deer. Deer!! Instant RCOB moment, like dropping the clutch in Formula One. From Sleeping to Kill in less than a heartbeat. “Not in my garden you don’t! You get out of here! Scram, or I’ll saw your face off and hang it on the wall!” And there’s a spastic explosion of ears and tails and hooves and elbows (knees?) going every which way, and the dopey doe spazzes herself down the hill into the jungle.

I’d caught her in the act of climbing over and through the cleared brush I’d piled up, and she had her head down and ears back facing me as she was coming up over the crest of the steep hill. Probably nibbling something dainty off the ground. Like my expensive seeds. So all I saw was the pointy shoulder; head legs and neck blended into one in the bracken. Great light brown lump. NIMBY!!

I’m not the horse whisperer. I’m the deer shouterer.

Bastiges.

Posted by Drew458     on 06/10/2015 at 06:55 AM   
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   Friday - June 05, 2015

Live Imitates Art. Sort Of.

Back in the days when ethnic humor was both allowable and funny, I knew this Polish joke about a fish.

Various ways to annoy or frighten the federally protected aquatic mammals into leaving have failed. So some bright star figured that they could make a big fiberglass orca, a fake Killer Whale mounted over a little power boat. And they could motor it around the bay, while playing orca songs, like the ever popular Lunch Is Ready in C########. They even made a baby orca to tow behind it, to look like a whole family of the attack whales had moved in. Surely that would scare away those lazy sea lions.

The motorized fiberglass orca was brought to the seaside town of Astoria on Thursday as a sort of maritime Clint Eastwood called upon to deal with ne’er-do-wells, in this case sea lions crowding onto docks and making it difficult for locals to access their boats.

...

About 1,000 people cheered as the dummy whale — with its human operator inside — took to the water Thursday night. Jim Knight, executive director of the Port of Astoria, said sea lions that were crowded onto the docks became “deathly silent.”

But as a cargo ship passed by, the phony orca started to list from the vessel’s wake. And then the bogus orca capsized.

“Our crew from the port had to go rescue the operator so he didn’t drown,” Knight said.

So what did the sea lions thing about this spectacle?

“They probably think it’s dead now that it’s belly up,” Knight said. “You can’t make this stuff up.”

That was not the first fiasco for the dummy orca. The replica whale, loaned by a whale-watching business, was delivered overland on Thursday from Bellingham, Washington. After arrival, the orca’s outboard motor flooded and a replacement had to be found.

...

The fake orca was outfitted with recordings of real killer whale calls, especially the “call to dinner” — usually emitted in the wild after they kill a sea lion or seal.

The orca capsized before the recording could be tried out.

As of mid-Friday, the fake orca was still submerged in water at the Astoria docks, while hundreds of sea lions congregated and barked nearby.

Finally, these ace scientists crossbred the Cowal and the Walskie, and came up with the Kowalski. This gave them the best of both worlds. It’s a big mean fish that fights like hell and is wildly aggressive.

Posted by Drew458     on 06/05/2015 at 04:51 PM   
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   Wednesday - May 13, 2015

A Very Sad Panda

Police in southwestern China arrested 10 people for killing a female wild giant panda, buying and selling its parts, state media said Wednesday.

The giant panda is an endangered species that tops China’s list of protected animals. Poaching them is rare, but panda parts are believed to fetch high prices on the black market because of their rarity.

China Central Television said forest police in Yunnan province recovered panda skin, panda meat, bones and an internal organ from the poachers and vendors. If convicted, the suspects could be jailed for years.

A recent census shows the wild panda population grew by 268 to a total of 1,864 in China since the last survey ending in 2003.

World Wild Fund for Nature has said poaching, a traditional threat to wild pandas in China, has declined but economic development has become a major threat. Hydropower plants, roads, and mining projects disrupt the animal’s natural habitat.

Still, Chinese officials say poaching rare animals and smuggling their parts remain a problem and that authorities are stepping up efforts to crack down on acts endangering rare animals.

I don’t know much of anything about traditional Chinese medicine, but it seems to be based on “find a really rare animal, kill it, and tell people that eating the bits will make their dicks hard”.  Thankfully, China has finally gotten around to making such things illegal. It only took them 4500 years.

Too bad it’s already too late for the northern white rhino, poached to extinction.

China Outlaws the Eating of Tiger Penis, Rhino Horn, and Other Endangered Animal Products

[May 2014] Consumers of endangered animal products in China face a risk of considerable jail time after the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress reinterpreted existing criminal laws last week to put greater pressure on those who eat or purchase protected species.

Chinese law makes it illegal to hunt and buy any of the country’s 420 protected endangered species, which include Asiatic black bears, South China tigers, golden monkeys, and giant pandas. But the statutory language is highly ambiguous.

The change adopted by the Standing Committee redefines what it means to purchase endangered species, making it illegal for anyone to knowingly buy or consume animals that were poached. The aim of the law is to crack down on the demand for endangered species, which are widely used in traditional Chinese medicine. Various animal parts are thought to offer assorted health benefits, like preventing cancer or relieving back pain.

Many of these species are also valued as a mark of status. Consumption has boomed in tandem with the country’s economy, and the demand has encouraged large-scale illegal hunting.

Posted by Drew458     on 05/13/2015 at 08:29 AM   
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   Wednesday - April 29, 2015

Brothers

Cats and dogs ... they can be friends, but these two act like brothers.

Posted by Drew458     on 04/29/2015 at 03:18 PM   
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   Tuesday - April 14, 2015

awww

Posted by Drew458     on 04/14/2015 at 09:52 PM   
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   Wednesday - April 08, 2015

I want Pluto and the Dawn Horse too

Heisenberg.

You’re God damn right.*

Scientists may have been too hasty when they did away with the name “brontosaurus” in favor of the name “apatosaurus,” according to a study published Tuesday in the peer-reviewed journal PeerJ.

In 1903, paleontologist Elmer Riggs concluded that the dinosaur known as brontosaurus was actually the same as another dinosaur, the apatosaurus.

The brontosaurus name, which means “thunder lizard,” hung around for several decades longer as the popularly accepted name but faded away in recent years.

This new research claims Riggs’ conclusion was incorrect.

Scientists Emanuel Tschopp​, Octávio Mateus and Roger B.J. Benson reviewed 81 specimens of long-necked dinosaurs for 477 anatomical traits. If more than 20% of the traits were different, the researchers put the dinosaurs into their own genus, according to Wired. The brontosaurus bones were deemed to have specific enough traits to warrant its own name.

“We were very surprised when we got these results that brontosaurus was valid again,” Tschopp told Wired.

Posted by Drew458     on 04/08/2015 at 10:35 AM   
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   Monday - April 06, 2015

Tony Yote Gets Whacked

Saddle River is at the northern end of the golden corridor that runs through the middle of the northern end of the state. This is a pretty land of plenty; plenty of money. Rolling hills, thoroughbred horses, fine cars, tony shopping, unbelievable real estate prices and tax bills to match. It’s a great place to live. it’s what suburbia always dreamed of being, but rarely is.

Nature could care less.

A Saddle River, New Jersey man told police Monday that he was attacked by a coyote outside his home on Monday.

The coyote has since been caught and euthanized, according to police.

The man from the Twin Brooks area said he was working in his yard when the coyote attacked. He was able to escape and was taken to an area hospital for treatment, Saddle River police said.

The man was attacked from behind by the animal and managed to escape, the police report said.

Police have since learned that the very same coyote attacked a neighbor’s dog last week, requiring the dog to receive medical attention.

Workers in the area reported seeing the coyote several times Monday acting aggressively toward other dogs, police said.

The officers found the coyote running through a neighbor’s yard in broad daylight, police said.

TYCO Animal Control and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Division of Fish and Wildlife were notified and responded to the scene, police said. The coyote was spotted in the woods and was euthanized, police said.

The body of the coyote was being transported to the Fish and Wildlife division for testing and analysis, police said. The man who was attacked had been released from the hospital late Monday and was recovering at home.

That’s pretty odd behavior for a ‘yote, so I’m sure everyone is worried sick about rabies. I hope it isn’t; I think coyote behavior has changed. They’ve adapted, and are now the apex predator in the area. They don’t need to be nocturnal any longer.

Bears? No, bears live in the low rent rural places like forests and farms and stuff. They can’t afford to live in this area, although they do visit once in a while.

Posted by Drew458     on 04/06/2015 at 10:12 PM   
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   Saturday - March 14, 2015

kitty as eye candy and why the heck not

One of my favorite breeds. The British Blue
There’s also a Russian Blue btw. But the Brit Blue is different enough for me to prefer. Not that I’d refuse almost any cat our home. Sadly, can’t have one here and now.

British Blue kitty

I’m almost certain I did doggies once some time ago.

But I’m also a cat lover of long standing.  That’s also cos if a cat has my chair I won’t move it. They are gods you see.
The ancient Egyptians had it right.

That’s why people can’t actually own cats.  You can not own a god as that would upset the natural order of things.

The Maine-Coon Awesome cat but too much for us to deal with. Love em anway.

A Maine -Coon kittlen.  Look at those paws. And still a baby,

As long as I mentioned it above at the beginning .....  here’s three examples of the RUSSIAN BLUE.

still just a kitten. hasn’t even grown into those cute ears yet.

During the next flood when the next ark is built ,,,,, it’s just gonna be certain breeds of dogs, almost all cats, no pigeons and more women than guys who will all like me.

Posted by peiper     on 03/14/2015 at 06:37 AM   
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   Thursday - March 12, 2015

Kitteh Dreams

Where can you see lions? Only in Kenya!




You should see the magnificent pride of great cats out here on the wide African savannah outside our condo, boldly stalking wild game and heroically striking down elephants, giraffes, giant antelopes, and field mice.

Some of them even brave the weather, living rough in the outdoors like the wild untamed creatures they are. Unless it gets too cold, or it’s dinnertime. Or if a dog should amble by. In which case, siiiigh, they just have to put up with those puny humans for a time and stay indoors.

Posted by Drew458     on 03/12/2015 at 02:53 PM   
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   Friday - February 20, 2015

Bears we got

Surprise! The one and only bear rehabilitation center in the entire state is just down the road from here, about 4 hills to the South.

And they have Cub Cam! Awww.  24 hours a day, yay!!

Three weeks ago, some deer hunter stepped into a den hole by mistake and had to shoot Momma Bear to save himself. Two infant cubs were rescued, one lived.

Mike the black bear cub seems to be doing Ok, living in a heated incubator box and drinking special formula from a bottle. His eyes are open now.

The Woodlands Wildlife Refuge in Pittstown NJ has a large outdoor bear habitat area to help re-acclimate healing bears to life in the wild.

So, bears 10 minutes to the South, wolves 30 minutes to the North, deer, geese, and little critters everywhere. Foxes. Woozles. Deermice! Who am I, Marlin Perkins?

Posted by Drew458     on 02/20/2015 at 04:29 AM   
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The Eagles Are Coming

An adult bald eagle and an immature one, fishing along the partially frozen Hudson River, yesterday. Stony Point NY, on the west shore of the river, is only 25 miles north of Manhattan.

Bald eagles have made an enormous comeback, and are almost common in the area along the river, both sides, miles inland, and at least 10 miles South. Which is the heart of suburbia that is the NYC bedroom community area. Like many other animals, they have adapted to “humans encroaching on their habitat” and are thriving therein. I don’t think bald eagles had been in the area in more than 150 years, certainly far more than 50.

50 years ago, this part of the Hudson and further south was almost toxic to the touch.

Actually, what was right there on the river 50 years ago was Liberty Ships. Nearly 200 of them.

Posted by Drew458     on 02/20/2015 at 03:52 AM   
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