StumbleUpon | berrypicker's blog posts

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Sun, 02 Aug 2009 18:37:38 -0700

This little man became my accidental pet for a few weeks. I don't know where he came from but it was love at first sight. The Rooster was gentle, friendly and loved to be the center of attention. Every morning at 6:30 sharp he came running to my house for some organic whole grain toast, cracked corn and fruit for breakfast. I live in city limits and Roosters are not allowed, and my nosy neighbor was not amused that a Rooster just "showed up" and demanded that I get rid of him. I was forced to give up butt butt and I miss him and our daily routine. I will always remember the Rooster that just showed up. My plans to live on a farm can't get here fast enough. I guess the moral of the story is never feed a Rooster ,not even once, unless you want a noisy little friend for life.

http://berrypicker.stumbleupon.com/review/31073496/

Sat, 14 Mar 2009 17:42:14 -0700

That time of year has come around again. Humans will be spending more time outdoors and animal moms will be busy raising babies. While I applaud the work of wildlife Rehabilitators, It is always best (and easy) to try to avoid harming animals in the first place

Always keep dogs and cats under control. Don't let them roam. Cats can disturb, maim, or kill nesting birds as well as young birds just out of the nest during breeding season. The bacteria transmitted in a cat bite will quickly cause infection and become life threatening.

Before you cut down or prune trees and shrubs, check very carefully for nesting birds. You could unintentionally destroy a nest by trimming too closely or destroy the habitats provided in the tree. It is always best to leave dead trees or snags standing. They provide food and shelter for many birds throughout the year. As an added benefit, you can enjoy the wildlife attracted by snags!

walk your property before mowing, weed eating or any other activity involving fast moving blades and spikes. Many animals such as bunnies make nests in the ground.

Never feed wildlife human food. Natural diets are always more nutritious for wildlife than human food. Bird feeders can be stocked with balanced mixes of different seed, appropriate for the birds in your area. Old bakery goods do not supply nutritional levels for good health, especially when birds are preparing for migration or breeding.

Many birds depend on insects in and around our backyards. So, limiting the use of insecticides can help protect the health of our wildlife and water resources too. Instead of using dangerous chemicals, contact local conservation groups to obtain ideas for environmentally safe alternatives-or ask me I've been a wildlife and organic gardener for 15 years.

If woodpeckers drum on your house it could mean several things: you may need to have your house inspected for termites, the bird is displaying territorial behavior and communicating with other woodpeckers or it is attempting to begin a nesting cavity. You can try supplying a nest box for them to use. Your local Audubon Society can provide you with instructions.

drive with care, slow down and be aware of animal movement particularly in wooded areas at night

Reflections from windows can confuse birds. This may cause them to fly into the glass or repeatedly peck at what they see as their competition. Some simple remedies include breaking up the reflections with stickers, decals, or aluminum pie pans. Strips of colored plastic flapping in the wind or balloons with big eyes painted on them also break up the reflective pattern.

Never litter! All species of birds can become easily entangled in man-made products such as plastic, fishing line, cans, and bottles. Struggling to be free of such entrapments often results in serious injury or death. Help by disposing of litter properly, and recycle whatever you can.
http://www.tc.umn.edu/~devo0028/

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Thu, 11 Dec 2008 08:24:57 -0800

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Thu, 11 Dec 2008 08:21:52 -0800

http://www.rankthehot.com/Channels/Landscape/Winter_Photos

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Thu, 11 Dec 2008 04:50:22 -0800

The Snows of Kilimanjaro
fmalan
http://www.dpchallenge.com/image.php?IMAGE_ID=744545

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Sat, 22 Nov 2008 15:37:19 -0800

stuffed pumpkin
* 1 (5 pound) pumpkin or large squash- Butternut is good
* 2 to 3 cups brown rice, cooked
* 2 cups crumbled dry whole wheat bread (or part corn bread or other bread)
* 1 onion, chopped
* 1/2 to 1 cup chopped celery and leaves
* 2 apples (tart and unpeeled), chopped
* 1 cup roasted chestnuts or a handful of cashew nuts, cut in half
* Herbs: Sage, savory, marjoram, oregano, and paprika to taste
* 1 to 2 cups vegetable stock
* 1/4 to 1/2 cup butter, melted, or safflower oil
* Soy sauce or salt to taste

Preparation:
Cut off top of pumpkin to make a lid. Remove the seeds and scrape out any stringy pulp.

Combine brown rice, bread, onion, celery, apples, chestnuts or cashews, and herbs in a large mixing bowl and mix well with hands.

Add stock and butter, and mix well, adding soy sauce and salt if desired. Stuffing should be moist but not wet. Pack loosely into pumpkin, replace lid, and bake on oiled cookie sheet for 1-1/2 hours or more at 325 degrees F.

It is done when a fork pushes easily through the pumpkin. Transfer to a casserole dish and serve at the table, scooping out some of the tender pumpkin flesh with each serving of stuffing. If the pumpkin is organically grown, you may eat the skin too.

(If you have too much stuffing for your pumpkin, place extra in an oiled casserole, cover, and bake for 1 hour.)

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Thu, 06 Nov 2008 16:05:52 -0800

N.C., a solid red state for many many years, is blue this year!!! we went for Obama!!!

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Thu, 10 Jul 2008 17:01:12 -0700

If you have the feeling Buddhist monks are out of touch and hard to understand, you have not met Ajahn Brahm yet! Ajahn Brahmavamso (also known as Ajahn Brahm) was born in London in 1951. He regarded himself a Buddhist at the age of 17 through his reading of Buddhist books while still at school. His interest in Buddhism and meditation flourished while studying Theoretical Physics at Cambridge University. After completing his degree and teaching for a year, he travelled to Thailand to become a monk. He was ordained in Bangkok at the age of 23 by the Abbot of Wat Saket. Subsequently, he spent 9 years studying and training in the forest meditation tradition of the revered Venerable Ajahn Chah." the following link is Ajahn Brahm giving a talk about emotions http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-2900366860985024288&q=Ajahn

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Wed, 25 Jun 2008 10:34:11 -0700

waiting on sunset_2
bniles http://www.dpchallenge.com/index.php

UK sunset.jpg
ziggy_faw

Glorious
Blackbox

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Sun, 01 Jun 2008 04:43:32 -0700

Grant me the stubbornness to change what I can, the laziness to accept what I cannot, and enough beer to sit around and endlessly discuss the difference between the two.
~Dick Dunn~