We
patronize the animals for the incompleteness for their tragic fate of
having taken form so far below ourselves. And therefore, we err and
we greatly err! For the animal shall not be be remembered by man in
a world older and more complete than ours ~ they are the more
finished and complete...gifted with extensions of the senses we have
lost or never attained, living by voices we shall never hear. They
are other 'nations' caught with ourselves ~ in the net of time ~
fellow
prisoners of the splendour and travail of the earth. (Henry Beston)
Evasive Cow:
A
cow in Nysa County, Poland, demonstrated her great will to survive.
The time had come for the bovine to be taken to the butcher, but she
had other ideas. When she saw the truck that had come to get her, she
took off like a shot and jumped over a fence before the workers could
corral her. From there, she headed across a field to a lake and
jumped in, swimming to a small island. Her owner, Mr. Lukasz and a
few of his farm workers attempted to catch the elusive beast, to no
avail. She was enjoying her new island life much more than the
alternative.
The Eagle Has Landed:
In The Hamilton Spectator's September 8 issue, a colour photo
depicts Derril McKenzie of Kelowna B.C. smiling into the camera as an
eagle perches on the edge of his boat.
Reported by Hina Alam from Vancouver: “The story of how the
amature fisherman came to pose with an eagle, began the morning of
Augsut 31 on a routine annual fishing trip to Gardom Lake near Salmon
Arm, B.C. He was joined by his brother-in-law when, 'All of a sudden
the eagle came out of nowhere.
I
thought it was a crow, and then as it got closer, I thought it was a
raven. Then I could see that as it spread out its wings, it was
bigger than that. It plunked itself on the bow of my boat. The bird,
which McKenzie called Eddie
might have been fed before from a boat and was probably looking for
fish. As the boat speeded forward, the eagle took flight, landing on
McKenzie's head. When he put up his arms to protect himself, the
bird gave him a little nudge .Then, giving the bird a little nudge
with his oar, the bird jumped in the water and swam back to
shore...then flew up to a branch. McKenzie concludes by saying, The
people at work are calling me the 'eagle whisperer'.”
All
in a Day's Work:
A lsrge colour photo by The Spec's photographer, John Rennison,
tells the story of “Gloria Skuse, a Hamilton Waterfront Trust
trolley conductor ,who feeds “Baby
Girl” during
a stop in Coutts Paradise, as she tells the story of the goose to
passengers. Skuse found the goose injured at the park 6 years ago ~
and stops to feed the 'snow goose' gluten-free vegetable crackers.
“Snow geese are native to northern Biritish Columbia and Alaska,”
said she, “so I've no idea how she ended up here. She understands
me ~ and comes when I call her. She chases off other geese when
they get too close. She pulls on my shirt if I'm feeding her too
slowly.”
Experts
Weigh Next Steps, Possible Capture to Save Ill Orca:
An article from The Associated Press tells of a young sick whale who
is skinnier than ever and in poor condition nearly 2 months after an
international team of experts began taking extraordinary measures to
save her. Veterinarians from Seattle believe they have exhausted
treatment options in the field, including twice injecting the
free-swimming whale with antibiotics. No rescue would proceed while
J50
remains
with her family group, said the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration Fisheries (the agency responsible for marine mammal
protection. Teams would only rescue the orca if” she becomes
stranded or separated from the rest of her tightly knit group of
whale to minimize any potential risks to those other whales.
Teams
have also dropped several live salmon from a boat as J50
and
her pod swam behind ~ a test to see whether fish could be used as a
means of giving medication.
(An attached colour photo: placid ocean waters beside a lighthouse
promontory.)
Moose Crowded by
Onlookers on Shore, Drowns in Vermont Lake:
A moose drowned in Lake Champlain after people crowded around the
animal to take a photo. Fish and Wildlife Warden, Robert Currier
stated: “The moose swam across the Lake from New York to South
Hero, Vermont. Making its way onto land, it was forced back into the
water ~ likely feeling threatened by human onlookeers. The moose
succumbed to exhaustion and drowned.”
Tragic End to Search
for Noah the Horse:
Recently from Puslinch Township, Laura Booth reports. “Over 3 days,
more than a hundred volunteers combed fields and forest searching for
a missing horse named Noah. But, hope turned to heartbreak when the
horse's body was spotted by a helicopter pilot in a swampy area in
Puslinch. “ The 23-year-old dark bay thoroughbred is believed to
have drowned,” said the owner. “I'm pretty heart-broken.”
Hale, a seasoned rider, had come out to participate in the
Wellington-Waterloo Hunter Pace ~ a bi-annual event where
participants head out on a set coarse and are timed. “ It was just
a 'trail-ride' sort of thing ~ in which Noah had participated
frequently.
But the enjoyable ride through the agricultural township took an
unexpected turn
at 11 a.m. when a donkey nearby started braying.
Noah got spooked and jumped over a wire fence into a field and took
off. Hale, who fell off during the leap, was left bruised, but not
seriously injured. “It's more my emotions that are wrecked than my
body,” she said while the search was ongoing.
Welcome to the Baby:
As told by my mother, “Our first farm dog was Halo
~ named
as such because when obtained, his hair was matted and dirty ~ my
father had cleaned him with Halo Shampoo. As a farm dog, he was
allowed in the house only upon invitation. When my sister was born,
Halo, hearing the baby cry, trotted to the crib and placing front
paws on the crib top...wagged his tail and 'dog-talked'
to
quiet the crying babe ~ with instant success!
Unloving
Neighbour:
On our sheep farm, my father had purchased a purebred 'Border
Collie' (black and white) whom we called Billie.
Also
a 'family pet'. A few years later, after selling the farm, she
accompanied us to a fully-fenced city home in Brantford Within a
year, my Dad found her dead one morning near a neighbouring fence.
Although we had no proof, he suspected the next-door neighbour who
disliked dogs. Our veterinarian stated, “Billie's
stomach
was poison-ridden!”
Constant
Mischief:
My
first house purchase (with a Government Grant of $5,000) was a
newly-built-sem-detached in Burlington's Brant Hills. The lot of
great depth and yard fully wood-fenced, we purchased an adorable
Siberian Husky pup. For her, Kiska
had
a unique dog-house with an extended front entry. My son, daughter
and I took turns exercising her on long walks and hikes. Being
roughly strong and very active, my son took her to 'Obedience
Classes' where she learned behaviour. Adapted to cold weather, she
lived outdoors...and invited only at our meal times. One Sunday,
Kiska,
riding in the car, we went to the Stables to meet our daughter
(following a horse show in which she competed). Needing an item at a
'Tack Shop' near Milton, and following said purchase, we parked at
nearby McDonalds for a quick snack. Upon arriving home, my daughter's
riding hat was badly damaged ~ the black velvet covering was chewed
to pieces!
Another
Sunday, when working, I had placed roast beef and potatoes on an
oven timer.
The aroma was so tantalizing when arriving home.
When
slicing the beef, the doorbell rang so placed the plate of beef to
the back of the counter. Only a few minutes later, discovered Kiska,
with
paws, had reached the plate...dragged it to the edge...and on to the
floor. Broken plate...scraps only of meat...and eyes that bespoke:
I
was Hungry, too!
I could write a book about her mischief... unexpected babies...and
family love!
Author: Merle Baird-Kerr...September 16, 2018
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