Sunset Ft. Bragg, CA

Sunset  8-30-11

Fort Bragg, California

Happy Feet is on his way home!

Happy Feet the penguin is now

aboard the NIWA’s research vessel,

 Tangaroa, as of the evening of

 August 29th, New Zealand time.

He will stay approximately 4 days

 at sea and will then be let free in

 an area known for where other 

juvenile emperor penguins are.

(or so we hope!)

We miss you Happy Feet...

Photos courtesy of

Scoop Independent News

 Being carried onto the ship

 His new home for the next 4 days.

All comfy cozy on his belly

with new snow.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From another HF fan,

Kathleen Johnson shared

one of her favorite quotes

and now one of mine.

From the book,

"The Outermost House"

by Henry Beston.

"We need another and a wiser and

perhaps a more mystical concept of

animals.  Remote from universal

nature and living by complicated

 artifice, man in civilization surveys

the creature through the glass of

 his knowledge and sees thereby a

 feather magnified and the whole

 image in distortion. We patronize

them for their incompleteness, for

 their tragic fate for having taken

 form so far below ourselves. And

therein do we err. For the animal

 shall not be measured by man."

"In a world older and more complete

 than ours, they move finished and

complete, gifted with the extension

 of the senses we have lost or never

 attained, living by voices we shall

never hear. They are not brethren,

they are not underlings: they are

other nations, caught with ourselves

 in the net of life and time, fellow

 prisoners of the splendour and travail

 of the earth."  

Our 23rd Wedding Anniversary

It was our 23rd anniversary

yesterday the 27th.

Thought it would be fun

to post our wedding pic.

We got married at New Brighton

 State Beach,  south of Santa Cruz.

Foggy in the morning, but the sun

came out just in time for the

ceremony.   I don't know

what I was thinking with

that pouffy veil!   :o)

I loved my bouquet ---

gardenias and seashells!

Lori & Mike

August 27th, 1988 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Love is patient and kind:

love does not envy or boast;

it is not arrogant or rude.

It does not insist on its own way;

it is not irritable or resentful;

it does not rejoice in wrongdoing.

Love bears all things, hopes all

things, endures all things...

so now faith, hope and love

abide, these three; but the

greatest of these is Love.

--- 1 Corinthians 13:4-8

HAPPY FEET is starting his journey home.

Happy Feet the penguin will be leaving

 in less than 2 days aboard a research

 vessel heading towards the south pole. 

Myself and other HF fans are glad he

will have the chance to be free, but we

have worried and fretted about all the

unknowns.  He is such a sweet little

 creature, so curious and kind.   When

 the zoo gives him new snow, most of

 the time he just stands there, unafraid.

If they need to put some in the

place he stands, he takes a few steps 

 over to make way for his new snow.

These photos were taken by a HF fan

 in New Zealand, Saphira Brilliant Nrew

who braved the chilly snow to see HF

outside his hospital room in Wellington,

New Zealand.   You can see more

Happy Feet photos HERE

 His beautful eye.

Mr. Shy

 Finally in the pool.

 Coming out of the water....

love his cute little legs!

Sir Happy Feet

(the Sir was given by another

 Happy Feet fan - Denise Toth)

HAPPY FEET THE TEACHER

by Lori Bei Durst

There was a little penguin

who came upon the beach.

He thought he'd take a break

but it wasn't within his reach.

It was warm for him you see

because he comes from the cold.

He started eating sticks and sand

thinking they were snow.

Some kind people came along

and seeing his distress

scooped him onto a large ice cube

so he could get some rest.

Off they went to hospital

fixing him best they could---

next was just to watch and wait

hoping healing that he would.

Weeks have turned into months

and then everything was set.

Happy Feet would be returned

to his home of cold and wet.

Thousands of people have watched him,

grow stronger everyday

Most have grown too, you see,

but still hoped that he could stay.

But Happy Feet possesses

many wonderful traits.

Patience, trust and focus too 

which he has passed along to us mates.

So although we are sad to see him go,

and have debated back and forth---

it turned out that our curious
Happy Feet

was the perfect teacher for our growth.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A single sunbeam is

enough to drive away

many shadows.

--- St. Francis of Assisi

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Our little Happy Feet

is that sunbeam.

Autumn is coming !

Mother's parasol

I unfold the dust

of other summers.

--- Ernest J. Berry

This morning as I looked out

 the kitchen window I immediately

 felt autumn coming.  The purple

coneflowers  had that faded look

and tilt that mean times are

changing.  Summer is still here,

 but has had a different feel this

 year I can't define. So far, we

 have had only one stint of over

 100 degree weather here in

Lake county (knock on wood)

for which I am thankful.

Plenty of 92 to 94 degree days,

(actually today was 96)

which are still too hot for my blood,

unless of course you are by the pool

or at the beach!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I think and think for

months and years.

Ninety-nine times,

the conclusion is

false.  The hundredth

time I am right.

--- Albert Einstein

More Happy Feet the Penguin

"Here I am!"

Isn't he just the sweetest?

I am still watching Happy Feet , but

 trying not to as much as I had. 

  Good grief, I was/am spending hours

and hours each day causing my

rump to go stale and my bedtime

to be after 2 am each night.

(well that is still the same)

  I am trying to watch only his feeding

 and getting snow times (the best)

but still many peeks throughout the
 days.  He leaves August 29th
New Zealand time and

the 28th for the USA.

I find myself caught up in too many

 additional emotions with his release

 (like I need anymore of those)  but he

 has taught me many things for

which I am grateful.   I have written

 a poem about HF that I will share later

in the week.  I will also post some

 fabulous photos taken by another

HF fan from New Zealand - Saphira. 

 She took over 500 photos a few

days ago when she went to see

 him at the Wellington Zoo.

She was blessed to have cold, cold

weather and HF's door was open to

 his little salt water pool.   She has

 been gracious to share them all

 with other Happy Feet fans and to

 let us use them to our heart's content.

Thank you, Saphira !

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When you can see the beauty

of a tree, then you will know

what love is.

--- Miranda July

Happy Feet the Found Penguin in New Zealand

I have spent the past week

 watching THIS

It is addicting so watch

 at your own risk!   :o)

They hope to release him

later in August.

You can find more info on Happy Feet

the penguin at:

The Wellington Zoo Facebook page

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I never think of the

 future ---

it comes soon enough.

---Albert Einstein

Diana Nyad - The Cuba Swim



This woman, Diana Nyad, is 61

 and is right now

swimming from Cuba to Florida!

She started Sunday evening,

August 7th 2011.

Check out her site HERE

Here is some info about her

from her site:

For ten years (1969-1979), Diana Nyad was the greatest long distance swimmer in the world. In 1978, she attempted to swim 100 miles from Cuba to Florida. After being in the water for 41 hours and 49 minutes, Diana fell short of her goal due to strong currents and bad weather. In 1979, she stroked the longest swim in history making the 102.5 mile journey from the island of Bimini (Bahamas) to Florida. She also broke numerous world records, including what had been a 50-year mark for circling Manhattan Island, setting the new time of 7 hrs 57 min. Diana is a member of the National Women’s Hall of Fame and the International Swimming Hall of Fame.
Until a year ago, Diana hadn’t swum a stroke, not a single stroke, for 31 years. This summer, at the age of 60, Diana Nyad is going to stroke her way from Havana to the Florida coast. Again, millions of people will be cheering her on, but this time over the internet, no one will miss it. And when she walks up onto the far shore, no one will ever look at a 60 year old quite the same way again.
For decades, Diana has been at the heart and soul of the baby boom generation, many of whom are feeling irrelevant, lacking in vitality, and dejected that their best days are behind them. This summer, the imagination of the American public will once again catch fire. The authentic message, the walk that Diana walks, will resonate with millions of baby boomers looking for renewal, parents hoping their children spark to inspired lives, and women searching for proof that middle age is their prime, not the beginning of the end.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

No matter where you go or what you do, you live your entire life within the confines of your head.

--- Terry Josephson

Human blood containing toxins from GMO crops?

From my local newspaper:

Baumann: Consumers have right to know

Written by Deb Baumann

Tuesday, 26 July 2011

Earlier this year, Canadian scientists researching utero-placental toxicities reported that blood from 93 percent of pregnant women, and blood from 80 percent of their umbilical-cords, contained a pesticide from Monsanto’s Bt MON810 (the most common genetically modified corn). Human blood containing toxins from GMO crops? That was not supposed to happen. When MON810 was released into the US food supply over a decade ago, government approval was based on Monsanto’s own word that the toxin in the corn would pass harmlessly through the human body during digestion. No independent research or testing was done, to verify Monsanto's claim. No long-term animal trials were done, to determine effects on multiple generations. And, no human trials were done. “Yes, every cell of our corn contains a deadly pesticide. But don't worry! We assure you the toxin will just pass right through human digestive tracts. Take our word on that.” And, bowing to pressure for deregulation, that's what the USDA and FDA did. They approved MON810, and other genetically modified crops, over objections from their own scientists. Other countries chose to follow what is known as The Precautionary Principle. Based on real science (as opposed to Corporate-bought-science), they seek to understand long-term affects on health and the environment, before popping the lid off Pandoras Box. Based on testing done elsewhere (since independent testing is not done here in the USA), many countries have outright banned Mon810. Thailand (producer of a third of all rice consumed in the world) has banned GMO rice. The list of GMO products banned in other countries is very long – products which unwitting and unwilling US consumers have been eating for years. Corporate ag has been very successful at hiding the truth from Americans. A 2006 study found that only 26 percent of American consumers believed they had ever eaten genetically modified food, while a 2010 survey reported that only 28 percent of respondents knew such foods were sold in stores. (Los Angeles Times 6-2-2011, “Debate rages over labeling of foods with genetically modified ingredients”). The truth is, most Americans consume GMOs daily. Not because they want to. But because they are not allowed to know. In almost every developed nation in the world except the United States, labeling of GMO foods is mandatory. In England, consumers are allowed to choose. In France they have that choice. In countries of the former Soviet Union, consumers have that choice. In China, they have that choice. But not in the USA. Japan preferred a “wait and see” moratorium, so they could see what happened to the first generation born and raised on GMOs in the USA. And what has happened to the US population in the 15 to 20 years since GMOs were introduced to our food supply? Chronic disease rates and severe food allergy rates doubled – from 6 percent to 13 percent. How much of that doubling of our chronic disease (mostly GI tract) and food allergy rates can be directly attributed to consumption of GMOs? In the absence of labeling, how could we begin to answer that question? The absence of labeling would seem to be working rather to the advantage of Big Ag and Corporate Food, don't you think? Certainly hard to identify need for product recalls, when we have no way of knowing which products are making us sick. Twenty years after it was introduced with the unsubstantiated promise that it would “pass through the human digestive tract,” we now know that Monsanto's claim that its GMO Bt toxin would be expelled by our digestive tracts was wrong. Instead, it remains in our blood. Whoops. To learn more, read food industry professional Robyn O'Brien's “The Unhealthy Truth: How Our Food is Making Us Sick” (www.robynobrien.com) and please join the consumer movement to label GMOs (www.labelgmos.org/).