Musings ~ Part 1

Occasionally throughout the years, a family member sends me

thoughts of humour, philosophies and city projects that are life-engaging.

From time to time, I share these with you...enjoy today's content.

Muse: a spiritual or intellectual guide and a derivation of this word is 'meditation.'

A coyote, a roadrunner, anvils, boulders, TNT and ridiculous contraptions ~

this is when cartoons used to be funny.

My favourite show when I was 6 years old was “The Bugs Bunny Roadrunner Hour.”

Hardly anything else mattered!

I remember sitting in grade one class while my teacher was setting up a movie projector...and musing to myself. But alas! It was just some dumb, pointless educational movie, and would have to wait until Saturday at 5:00 pm to see my favourite show.

And about a year ago, written on the same topic:

“Some people used to watch sports when The Bugs Bunny Roadrunner Hour was on. At the time, I did not grasp the concept that some football game could be more interesting or entertaining than The Bugs Bunny Roadrunner Hour! Sometimes, I wonder if that is why I have never had any real interest in sports. But, then my Roadrunner show was moved to 5:00 pm on Sunday. And it was preceded by some boring curling game. It was so boring, watching these men 'sweep the ice' while waiting for the Coyote's TNT devices to satisfy my passion.

Often my parents would attend a friend's place for dinner. And it was embarrassing to have to ask, guest, to use their TV for my show ~ that I suffered all those long painful hours in school all week, waiting to see. The only thing worse was the endless Watergate Hearings that had taken over all the good channels!!!

Having written the foregoing October 2018, the closing statement was:

I am grateful to my family for getting me all six volumes

of the Looney Tunes Golden Collection for Father's Day.

I get real presents that I really like.

About Recess: Back in the 70's when I was in primary school, we had a 15-minute playtime break in the middle of the morning and afternoon class ~ called 'recess'. If you brought a little snack to eat during the 'recess time' then the name of this snack was called recess.

One time in Grade2, we had just returned from afternoon recess;

another boy and I were being slow taking off our boots and winter coats.

My (wicked witch) teacher, Mrs. Howe, asked a very stupid question to 2 seven-year-old boys.

Do you want to go back outside?

I answered truthfully, 'Sure!' After all, it is a simple matter of preferential logic: go back outside to play in the snow with my buddy ~ or sit in Mrs. Howe's class. The answer was so obvious as to render the very question, stupid! However, the other boy cowardly lied and said, “No.” So Mrs. Howe shook her fist at me and said, “Go on! Go on!” It wasn't as enjoyable to go outside by myself. If my buddy had been honest, we would have had much more fun ~ and exploited the opportunity.

Now, the dingbats to whom we entrust our children's education

thought it would be a good idea to change the name of 'recess' to 'nutrition break'.

They don't take 'nutrition breaks' in court: they still call it 'recess'!

But now, children are not familiar with the word recess!

Hamilton LRT: (Written July 2016, said writer asserts) It seems peculiar to me that the City of Hamilton wants to build a Light Rail Transit system from McMaster to Queensdale Circle. And they claim to have a billion dollars in funding from the Province (which has more debt than California). Why is it funny, you may ask. Hamilton's public transit system, which is all buses, is called HSR

(or Hamilton Street Railway).

What an interesting name for a transit system ~ with no railways!

At one time the citry had a funicular up the mountain, but that's long gone 'cause there's now a network of mountain access roads. I would like to see it restored, because funiculars are cool.

It appears, that a long time ago,

there actually was a street railway ~ hence the name.

When I was a child, which isn't so long ago, the downtown area had a maze of overhead wires ~ and electric buses that had a trolley on these wires. We never got to ride on one.

Those wires are all gone now, and to my knowledge,

all the buses run on diesel or natural gas ~ there are no rails anywhere.

And it is still called Hamilton Street Railway!

Now, they want a light rail system ~ and this is to be built into King Street.
So, it will once again be a street railway. Isn't that interesting? But no funicular!

Fire Truck: I once thought to myself that if I was extremely wealthy, it would be neat to buy a fire truck. Who wouldn't want to own such a fabulous vehicle? Ah, the joy of using my CDL

to drive it home from Seagrave! And there it sits: a museum piece in my collection. But a fire truck is not a Delorean DMC-12 that you can just take out and drive for fun. This type of vehicle performs great and noble service ~ and is able to save lives. If I could privately buy a fire truck, then it rightfully needs to be in service for a fire department somewhere. And I thought to myself: There must be many small towns which do their best, yet really need a new fire truck, There must be many that 'make-do' with outdated fire equipment ...and who would really need a new fire truck...and take care good care of it!

If I said “FREE FIRE TRUCK: Who Wants One?”

Surely I would have hundreds of requests from small town mayors and fire chiefs.

But, who desrves it? One fire truck!

For many mayors, it is a convenient budget freeby. Show me that you deserve it (even if your budget is thin. Show me that you will do your best to maintain a balanced budget. If you already depend on handouts from the Province (which in itself is a welfare case) then you're not getting a nice gift from me. Now, I've cut down my list considerably. And, finally, what about local calamities ? Have you suffered an event which cost you a major piece of equipment ~ or worse, a fireman or policeman?

I've trimmed off all the fat ~ and found a place of genuine need.

And that is where I wiil place my fire truck to good, responsible need!

“That's my lunch rant ~ now back to a busy Friday”

Presented to my valuable readers by Merle Baird-Kerr

To respond: mbairdkerr@bell.net

Ensure that you read Musings ~ Part 2 when soon I shall publish.

Equine Unrestrained

Akin to dogs and cats, the horse is super intelligent.

The special trust, unique to the horse,

elicits communication between this equine and human.

Yes! I was raised on a farm ~ born and dwelt until post-secondary education.

My father had 'work horses' ~ sometimes Clydesdales, Belgian or Percheron. When working the fields at planting and harvest seasons, my sister and I rode on the horses' backs while a pair of these equines pulled the plough and other machinery for tilling the soil...for cultivating...harvesting hay, grain or corn. These horses, gentle in nature...graceful in movement...and respectful of humans were subtly like dogs ~ becoming man's best friend!

When tractors became the wheels to implement on the farm,

Dad sold the horses and purchased a McCormick Deering tractor with huge-lugged-wheels to pull all his machinery as needed: the mower for cutting hay...placing it in withers to 'ripen in the sun' before storage in barn loft...then baling the alfalfa, was loaded onto a wagon and horse or tractor-pulled to be stored for over-the-winter- food needed for his milking cows. Guess who drove the horses and tractor?

One day, he brought home and introduced me to a handsome black horse ~ who had white 'leggings' and a white blaze on her face. Oh! What a beauty! In winter, when entering the stables, she whinnied for attention; her voice having a 'language' which interpreted, prompted us to name her Whistler.

When feeding her an apple or grain from my hand, her nose felt like velvet as she nibbled my palm.

Daily I visited her...we chatted together...and an equine-human relationship grew between us.

At Christmas one year, with a heavy snowfall...and being unable

to spend the celebration at my grandparents' home...

Dad and I harnessed Whistler...hung sleigh bells along her sides to jingle, jingle, jangle

and with a sleigh, Whistler trotted the snowy roads to the country homestead.

“Ritchie and Sundash”

When my daughter was young and energetic, I engaged her in various activities: gymnsastics, dance and music throughout school's holiday weeks. When school was out for the summer, a friend, Joan and I enrolled our daughters in a 2-week riding camp at local stables near Oakville along Hwy. 5.

With weekly riding lessons, soon my daughter competed in local pony/horse shows. It was then I realized the communication between a horse and its rider. We bought her a pony...appearing like a miniature Thoroughbred, he was named Richmond Rose...whom she called Ritchie.

Within a few years she yearned for a horse.

No problem selling Ritchie, 'cause parents with younger children wanted this pony for their child.

But Alas! Ritchie didn't perform well with a new rider...as I anticipated. And understanding, I knew the answer to their dilemma: It was the love and devotion between my daughter and her pony!

A most special trait which breeds success...it's called Communication!

Oh Yes! Jim, the stable owner, located a horse! Understand, dear readers, I didn't have $$$ to purchase an already trained horse...so he knew, we'd need to 'start from scratch'! Sundash was a pure-bred chestnut thouroughbred being trained as a track race-horse ~ but being very spirited, the 'starting gates' frightened her ~ forcing the owner to sell her. Jim knew that the only kids at his stables who could possibly train and ride Sundash were his own son, Neil and my daughter.

Daily, before any attempt to ride this chestnut, she had to be lunged

for 10 to 15 minutes prior to any attempt to ride her.

When calmness descended...the horse would permit a rider on her back.

It's not truly a secret ~ or a stroke of luck that this spirited horse

trusted her rider...for between the two of them, an understanding relationship developed.

The horse senses ~ and the horse knows!

Could this thoroughbred horse jump? Oh, Yes! She soared over equestrian fences like the Pro she is!

Her stall at the stables had a half/door open window...and when arriving, Sundash, recognizing her mount, would neigh...and their equine conversation would ensue. One day I snapped a photo...and having it enlarged, took it to a framing studio...the owner asked, “Is that a Bateman?”

To me, the beauty of this equine's head, neck and brown eyes that sparkled,

was the fly on Sundash's nose.

My inspiration to write this article, was a picture I discovered

 and placed in a scrapbook for my son, who also knows my horse infatuation.

The wild horse with flying hooves...windblown tail...and determined gait,

pounds down barren desert sand to the far horizon.

 And I ask, “Who could not love this horse?”

Since my son`s jobs are frequently out of town, 

he frequently takes along a scrap book 

displaying local `shots`of his escarpment home location.

In the coffee room, office personnel 

often comment about his geographic niche in Southern  Ontario.

And, of course, the wild horse photo captures their attention!

Written by Merle Baird-Kerr...June 29, 2019

Your views appreciated: mbairdkerr@bell.net

BA and BOON

(by ANI...on assignment from Wild Writings Press...Planet Earth)

Animals should not require our permission to live on Earth.

Animals were given the right to to be here ~ long before we arrived.

(Douglas Williams)

They tremble in fear...they revel in joy...they recoil from pain.

They deserve compassion ~ (akin to human-kind.)

(Unknown author)

In the midst of creating novel writings about Animals, the Baboon is an 'animal of interest'.

It's enlightening to recognize personality traits between the Baboon and Human.

On Culture, Tosin Thomson states: Baboons who share personality traits, stick together.

Using a black and white photo (a head and shoulder profile of a Chacma Baboon atop a rock in Africa's Kruger National Park), Tosin writes: We think we are unique ~ and probably we are ~ we're smart, really smart. But what makes us doubly special is: 'Our Ability to Reason.'

In 1698, Edward Tyson, an English anatomist,

dissected a chimpanzee (his Pygmy) and found its vocal chords were comparable to those of humans. Tyson couldn't understand why it was ~ that apes with all the necessary machinery, couldn't speak!

REASON isn't something that can be bodily found ~ it's a spiritual essence. Reason, in some ways

reinforces the status of humans as the reasoning and speaking creature. Because of this 'status' humans have developed an arrogant attitude. We feel 'different' from the rest as though our 'branch from the tree of evolution' has been cut off: it's them or us!

.

New research by the University of Cambridge and the Zoological Society of London, shows that within large 'troops' (male and female) Chacma Baboons spend more time grooming those with similar characteristics to themselves.. associating those with similar age, dominance, social rank...even those with similar personality types. This type of behaviour is known as homophily or 'love of the same.'

The research team tracked the same 2 'baboon troops'

from dawn until dusk across Namibia's Tsaobis Nature Park over several months each year between 2009 and 2014 to monitor 'Social Network Structures.”

Dr. Alecia Carter of Departement of Zoology says: Chacma baboon males will often commit intanticide, killing the babes of rivals. Female baboons try to get around this by being 'promiscuous' as possible to confuse the paternal identity ~ so males find it harder to tell if they are killing a rival's offspring ~ or their own. Dr Carter added, Baboons also try to form bonds with particular males...in the hope they will protect their offspring...and let the babies forage in good places with them. But it's believed (Carter said) that the males tend to be fairly lazy.

Amd Boon tells us: “It's up to the babies to follow the males.”

Baboons who fail to exhibit moral behaviour ~ do not survive.

They wind up as 'meat' for the leopards.

Dr. Carter's Advice: “With strong connections to other humans:

explore new ideas...increase your knowledge...discover new opportunities!”

“Chief executives, who themselves, own shares of their own

have no more feeling to the average stockholder company

than they do for baboons in Africa.” (C. T. Boone Pikers)

History and Hierarchy

Ancient Egyptians venerated Baboons, regarding them as 'gods. But baboons are considered primates that are closely related to us in their stress-inducing-environment. Robert Sapolsky, believes they are so similar to humans because they have almost no natural predators.

“Low hierarchy individuals suffer the most elevated levels

of physical and psychological stress manifested by high blood pressure...suppression of immune systems...and high levels of stress hormones. It's also for baboons to decipher between a real menace (like a defying rival) and a neutral factor (like one baboon sleeping in an upper branch)

Ba,when questioned says, “The healthiest and most sociable are those of us who from birth, build up social and effective links which are strong and long-lasting. Our decisions depend upon our genetics.

.

“Hierarchy is established by Power, Size and sharpness of the Fangs, Weight, Muscle Mass and also by Aggressiveness.. and the ability to form Alliances,” also stated Ba.

“And to know when to stab a companion in the back.”

First Encounter

Several years ago, we drove in our family car to African Lion Safari in the Flamborough/Cambridge area. We read the signs: Stay in All Vehicles and Keep All Windows Up! Immediately inside the gates we were bombarded by what appeared to be 'a whole troop of baboons' with excited and low-pitch squeals...they were funny...they were crazy...they playfully cavorted (did these grey creatures) as they peered through the windshield (looking for hand-outs, I'm sure). One jumped my moon- roof...sitting like a statue...throughout our slow drive. (Since then, I”ve concluded: he was no doubt the dominate!

In the cool air, the others kept their bums warm from engine heat..

.awaiting the next vehicle for treats.

The African Lion Safari

is a Canadian owned business created in the name of conservation

by the late Colonel G.F. Dailey.

The park opened its gates to the public on August 22, 1969 with 40 lions in 3 reserves; today the park houses in excess of 1,000 animals comprised of over 100 species. Our manner of exhibiting animals is completely different from the traditional approach; that is the visitor is caged in the car...and the animals roam in 2 to 20 hectare (5 to 50-acre) reserves. The park has been successful in breeding 30 species that are considered endangered and 20 species considered threatened. The original idea of maintaining self-sustaining populations in decline, still remains Africa Lion Safari's priority!

The fallen of the Baboon into the river,

'tis the risen joy of the crocodile.

Though the crocodile becomes happy, he conceals his joy

until deploying the necessary deft and strength to capture of the Baboon.

(Ernest Agyemang Yeboah)

Comments for BA and BOON

e-mail: mbairdkerr@bell.net

The foregoing assembled by Merle Baird-Kerr...June 30, 2018

Nature Healers

Therapist Jennifer Udler was in the middle of a 50-minute session with a patient when it started to rain. Instead of being in her office, however, she and her teen-age patient were outside... walking and talking about anxiety and stress ... so they got soaked. But, the torrent had an upside.When they made it back indoors, Udler said, “Hey! Look at us! We're fine! We're a little wet, but, oh well ~ we got through it. Now you can use that next time you have anxiety before and during an event. (For most of the time, she practised in a traditional office.)

On another occasion, she was running and training with a running club ~

when she noticed how easy it was for her running partners

to open up about their problems ~ and one of the women suggested

she combine therapy with walking.

After doing some research, in 2013 Udler founded Positive Strides Therapy

where she conducts sessions while walking outdoors in nature.

“I specialize in cognitive behavioural therapy...in mindfulness...in family systems therapy.

Walking in the park is just where I practise.

It's especially easy to access mindfulness in 'walk-and-talk' therapy outdoors

with prompts such as What do I smell? I smell flowers.

What do I feel? I feel the mist of the rain.

What do I hear? I hear the birds.

In a vast garden of lavender/mauve flowers,

backed by a woodland of leafy trees, so green,

Mark and Ben Cullen state:

“Cultivate your garden ~ or else invasive weeds will cultivate it for you!”

“Do you hear that? It is the sound of gardeners celebrating the start of their gardeing season.

More than 80% of Canadians say they engage in the world of plants.

Beginner gardeners always enter a new season with a warped sense of reality. Experienced gardeners can get carried away with plants for a garden that are not likely to materialize as imagined. There will be failures. “My brother and I are not talking about catastrophic let-downs, but about experiences that teach us something by their occurrence”.

“Gardeners learn best by what they do wrong.

It is liberating to fail in the garden ~ as it is essentially harmless.

The consequences of failure in many parts of our lives can be diffucult to bear,

but, a plant that didn't grow is not a failure!

It is a composting opportunity. Be prepared to fail. Embrace it.

There will be triumphs ~ and you will not see them coming!

“Plants that do not grow, are not failures ~ they're composting opportunities.

Finding a monarch caterpillar's chrysalis in your garden is a triumph to savour.

Waiting for your favourite flowers to bloom, is a lesson in patience.”

Have That Glass of Wine: It's Good for Your Health

“The key to reaping optimum health benefits is extreme moderation,” doctors say.

Published in the Sun Sentinel, Cindy Krischer Goodman wrote:

“On a Friday afternoon,Yvette Vezina settles into her hair stylist's chair at Tipsy Salonbar in Plantation, Florida to get colouring ~ and to indulge in a cold glass of Pinot Grigio.

“Drinking wine is relaxing,” Vezina said, “I really enjoy it.”

Wine is a popular alcohol choice with American consumers, particularly women who make up about 60% of wine sales, according to the Wine Market Council. In 2018, wine consumption rose again year over year...as it has since 1993...with drinkers imbibing more than 750 million gallons of wine, according to The State of the Wine Industry 2019 report.

But industry experts are cautioning that wine sales

could taper off going forward, unless Millennials...the next generation of wine drinkers...

buy into the positive health messaging. So, how healthy is wine?

“It's an Antioxidant,” said Dr. John Rivas, a board-certified liver specialist in Hollywood.

We have a big-time epidemic of fatty liver disease in this country with super-sized foods and a lot of calories from fat. Wine, actually helps protect the liver from inflammation caused by fat.”

Rivas said that the health benefits depend on moderation in drinking ~ no more than 2 glasses of wine a day. You want to drink enough that you are getting the antioxidant properties ~

but not enough that it ends up causing damage.

Beyond benefiting the liver, moderate wine-drinking is linked with a longer lifespan.

In a 2018 study, 1,600 people age 90 and older, University of California, Irving, professor and researcher Dr. Claudia Kawas, found drinking wine regularly was associated with 18% reuced risk of premature death. “It did not necessarily have to be daily ~ it just to had to be sometimes,” she stated.

“While wine could affect longevity, it may also help with mental health as people age. A 2011 Loyola University Medical Centre study of older population, looking at data from 19 nations, found a lower risk of dementia among regular, moderate red wine drinkers in 14 countries.

Vezina, who says South Florida's warm climate makes a cold white wine enticing

and wonders if she should be drinking red ~ or if the stress relief of relazing at the salon

with a Pinot Grigio is benefit enough.”

Scientists have found red and white wines, if drinking in moderation, both contain resveratrol, a compound found in the skins of grapes, that has been tied to improved heart and blood health.

Red wine, however, has more veratrol.

Reading the labels on either red or white wines

will give you sugar content.

The older the wine ~ the higher price you pay.

And how can you refuse a glass of vino along with a slice or two of cheese?

Complied by Merle Baird-Kerr from articles here and there.

Written June 4, 2019

To comment: mbairdkerr@bell.net

Rescue Missions

There is no greater feeling than hanging out with my dogs ~

or just walk around the land with my horses.

My 'Rescue Ranch' is where I feel the most at peace ~

where I'm reminded of the simple things in life ~

and let the chaos of my crazy life fade away, declared Kelly Clarkson.

Anesthesiology and the Thai Cave Rescue

The following are excerpts from an essay written by Yvgeniy Oparin,

a second-year medical student at McMaster University ~

winning first prize at the 2019 Canadian Anesthesiologists' Society Student Essay Contest.

“Last summer, the world watched as 12 boys and their assistant coach became trapped inside of Tham Luang Nang Non cave in Thailand. The journey to reach the boys and back, could take up to 11 hours, even for experienced divers. With monsoon rains forecasted...water levels rising...and oxygen levels in the cave dropping, the rescue mission had to act quickly.

Anesthesiologist and cave diving specialist, Dr.Richard Harris,

played a pivotal role in the rescue.

It involved sedating the boys with medications and carrying them through

the flooded cave for hours.

Dr. Harris mirrored what anesthesiologists do in the operating room every day.

“On June 23, the soccer team and their coach, set out to go cave-exploriing after practice. The boys entered the cave, but monsoon rains flooded the entrance and trapped them inside. The boys would only be found 9 days later ~ 4 kilometres from the entrance ~ hungry and cold, As monsoon rain poured down, water levels continuted to rise ~ and oxygen levels in the cave dropped to dangerous levels. The rescuers attempted to teach the boys basic diving skills, but they were too weak.

Anesthesiologists always have a plan A...plan B...plan C.

For various medical reasons, these plans would not apply.

Diving for the boys ~ and rescuing them under sedation was the only option left.

Dr.Harris used an anxiety medication.

To breathe, the boys wore full face masks delivering high-concentration oxygen.

However, Dr.Harris was not solely responsible for the success of the rescue.

By some estimates, more than 10,000 personnel were involved ~

including over 100 divers from around the world.

“ Although, the monsoon flooded caves of Thailand are a far cry from the operating room ~

what Dr. Harris did is what anesthesiologists do ever day.”

A black and white photo depicted:a group of Royal Thai Navy divers

in the Tham Luang cave during rescue operations in Chiang Rai, Thailand in 2018.

“A Bird in theHand...

“I know a lot about fledgling robins now,” wrote Lorraine Sommerfeld.”

“A couple of weeks ago,I spied a little round brown ball of bird in the grass. My first instinct was that it was dead; birds belong in nests...or in the sky...or in trees, not nestled in my lawn. It moved a little.

I called Animal Control ~ and a patient woman explained

that birds boot fledglings out of the nest...they land on the ground...

then spend the next 2 weeks learning to fly.

My neighbourhood (having coyotes and cats and skunks and raccoons), I put a square-trellis thing over the bird to protect it. An adult robin immediately perched on the top and screeched at me. The lady on the phone further advised, “The parents will protect and feed the baby ~ but altimately, it was part of the circle of life. Now I wondered if I should take a lesson in child-rearing from the robins.

I hunched down beside my little dude. He was asleep.

I chuckled and he instantly flipped open his beak...gaping at me and he tweeped.

I got a worm ~ and as I dropped it, he closed his mouth and looked at me like I was the one who screwed up, I got another worm, and he ate it. Feeling like I was well on my way to a doctorate in avian studies, I went lookng for more worms. When I returned, he'd hopped a few feet ~ so I moved the trellis again. From the house, I watched a pair of robins feed him and keep watch.When it got dark, I went out with a flashlight to check on him. I woke him up...felt bad...and got him another worm.

Next morning, there he was beside a little rock. Mama chirped.

And this little ball of feathers, flapped his wings a little, reaching the top of the rock.

Certainly, he was not a hang-glider ~ but I was bursting with pride.

There's a bunch of robins flitting about today ~ I've decided one of them is my little buddy!

Puppy Lost in Crash Found 3 Days Later

A recently adopted puppy that disappeared after her owner crashed in Arizona, survived 13 days in the mountains and has been reunited with her owner. Volunteers found Bella, a 4-month-old mixed yellow lab, almost 2 weeks after the driver, Michael Crocker, was air-lifted to hospital after he rolled his SUV off the the historic Route 66 in Flagstaff. The whimpering pup was found, not far from the crash site.

(The foregoing published inThe Associated Press)

Newborn Rescued from Bag in Forest

A Georgia sherriff released a dramatic body-cam video Tuesday, showing the rescue of a newborn girl who was found alive inside a plastic bag in the woods.The Forsyth County Sheriff's Office made the video public in hopes that it will generate credible tips in the case. Authorities have been searching for the baby's mother since June 6, when a family in a nearby home heard crying in the woods

.

When the World Looks On ~ and Prays

(The following are excerpts fom an article I published spring of 2014.)

So heart-rending...such a calamity...such a tragedy...so disastrous!

“In January & February (several years ago) I visited Chile with my 4-year-old son, to meet with my husband's family living in Santiago, Chilan and Temuco. Building specifications must be adhered to when building construction takes place due to the Andes Mountains, the mighty blue Pacific and location of the Atacama Desert where the mines are. So, it was of prime concern to me when this tragedy occurred. Many of you readers, may have forgotten this news that shook the world.

All 33 Chilean Miners Rescued!

(published by CBC News October 12, 2010)

“Celebrations erupted Wednesday night as the last of 33 miners trapped in a Chilean mine for more than 2 months was rescued. The last to emerge from the Phoenix rescue capsule was shift foreman, Luis Uzrua, whose leadership was credited with helping the men endure the initial 17 days after the August 5^th collapse, during which they had no outside contact.

“We have done what the entire world has been waiting for,”

Urzua said to Chilean President Sebastian Pinera after the rescue.

“The 70 days that we fought so hard, were not in vain. We had strength; we had spirit!”

The miners survived more time underground than anyone on record

and the world was captured by their endurance.

Author: Merle Baird-Kerr...written June 27, 2019

To respond: mbairdkerr@bell.net

Rescue Missions

There is no greater feeling than hanging out with my dogs ~

or just walk around the land with my horses.

My 'Rescue Ranch' is where I feel the most at peace ~

where I'm reminded of the simple things in life ~

and let the chaos of my crazy life fade away, declared Kelly Clarkson.

Anesthesiology and the Thai Cave Rescue

The following are excerpts from an essay written by Yvgeniy Oparin,

a second-year medical student at McMaster University ~

winning first prize at the 2019 Canadian Anesthesiologists' Society Student Essay Contest.

“Last summer, the world watched as 12 boys and their assistant coach became trapped inside of Tham Luang Nang Non cave in Thailand. The journey to reach the boys and back, could take up to 11 hours, even for experienced divers. With monsoon rains forecasted...water levels rising...and oxygen levels in the cave dropping, the rescue mission had to act quickly.

Anesthesiologist and cave diving specialist, Dr.Richard Harris,

played a pivotal role in the rescue.

It involved sedating the boys with medications and carrying them through

the flooded cave for hours.

Dr. Harris mirrored what anesthesiologists do in the operating room every day.

“On June 23, the soccer team and their coach, set out to go cave-exploring after practice. The boys entered the cave, but monsoon rains flooded the entrance and trapped them inside. The boys would only be found 9 days later ~ 4 kilometres from the entrance ~ hungry and cold, As monsoon rain poured down, water levels continuted to rise ~ and oxygen levels in the cave dropped to dangerous levels. The rescuers attempted to teach the boys basic diving skills, but they were too weak.

Anesthesiologists always have a plan A...plan B...plan C.

For various medical reasons, these plans would not apply.

Diving for the boys ~ and rescuing them under sedation was the only option left.

Dr.Harris used an anxiety medication.

To breathe, the boys wore full face masks delivering high-concentration oxygen.

However, Dr.Harris was not solely responsible for the success of the rescue.

By some estimates, more than 10,000 personnel were involved ~

including over 100 divers from around the world.

“ Although, the monsoon flooded caves of Thailand are a far cry from the operating room ~

what Dr. Harris did is what anesthesiologists do ever day.”

A black and white photo depicted:a group of Royal Thai Navy divers

in the Tham Luang cave during rescue operations in Chiang Rai, Thailand in 2018.

“A Bird in the Hand...

“I know a lot about fledgling robins now,” wrote Lorraine Sommerfeld.”

“A couple of weeks ago,I spied a little round brown ball of bird in the grass. My first instinct was that it was dead; birds belong in nests...or in the sky...or in trees, not nestled in my lawn. It moved a little.

I called Animal Control ~ and a patient woman explained

that birds boot fledglings out of the nest...they land on the ground...

then spend the next 2 weeks learning to fly.

My neighbourhood (having coyotes and cats and skunks and raccoons), I put a square-trellis thing over the bird to protect it. An adult robin immediately perched on the top and screeched at me. The lady on the phone further advised, “The parents will protect and feed the baby ~ but altimately, it was part of the circle of life. Now I wondered if I should take a lesson in child-rearing from the robins.

I hunched down beside my little dude. He was asleep.

I chuckled and he instantly flipped open his beak...gaping at me and he tweeped.

I got a worm ~ and as I dropped it, he closed his mouth and looked at me like I was the one who screwed up, I got another worm, and he ate it. Feeling like I was well on my way to a doctorate in avian studies, I went looking for more worms. When I returned, he'd hopped a few feet ~ so I moved the trellis again. From the house, I watched a pair of robins feed him and keep watch.When it got dark, I went out with a flashlight to check on him. I woke him up...felt bad...and got him another worm.

Next morning, there he was beside a little rock. Mama chirped.

And this little ball of feathers, flapped his wings a little, reaching the top of the rock.

Certainly, he was not a hang-glider ~ but I was bursting with pride.

There's a bunch of robins flitting about today ~ I've decided one of them is my little buddy!

Puppy Lost in Crash Found 3 Days Later

A recently adopted puppy that disappeared after her owner crashed in Arizona, survived 13 days in the mountains and has been reunited with her owner. Volunteers found Bella, a 4-month-old mixed yellow lab, almost 2 weeks after the driver, Michael Crocker, was air-lifted to hospital after he rolled his SUV off the the historic Route 66 in Flagstaff. The whimpering pup was found, not far from the crash site.

(The foregoing published inThe Associated Press)

Newborn Rescued from Bag in Forest

A Georgia sherriff released a dramatic body-cam video Tuesday, showing the rescue of a newborn girl who was found alive inside a plastic bag in the woods.The Forsyth County Sheriff's Office made the video public in hopes that it will generate credible tips in the case. Authorities have been searching for the baby's mother since June 6, when a family in a nearby home heard crying in the woods.

.

When the World Looks On ~ and Prays

(The following are excerpts fom an article I published spring of 2014.)

So heart-rending...such a calamity...such a tragedy...so disastrous!

“In January & February (several years ago) I visited Chile with my 4-year-old son, to meet with my husband's family living in Santiago, Chile and Temuco. Building specifications must be adhered to when building construction takes place due to the Andes Mountains, the mighty blue Pacific and location of the Atacama Desert where the mines are. So, it was of prime concern to me when this tragedy occurred. Many of you readers, may have forgotten this news that shook the world.

All 33 Chilean Miners Rescued!

(published by CBC News October 12, 2010)

“Celebrations erupted Wednesday night as the last of 33 miners trapped in a Chilean mine for more than 2 months was rescued. The last to emerge from the Phoenix rescue capsule was shift foreman, Luis Uzrua, whose leadership was credited with helping the men endure the initial 17 days after the August 5^th collapse, during which they had no outside contact.

“We have done what the entire world has been waiting for,”

Urzua said to Chilean President Sebastian Pinera after the rescue.

“The 70 days that we fought so hard, were not in vain. We had strength; we had spirit!”

The miners survived more time underground than anyone on record

and the world was captured by their endurance.

Author: Merle Baird-Kerr...written June 27, 2019

To respond: mbairdkerr@bell.net