Ode to the Wolf

Know that the same spark of life that is within you,

is within all of our animal friends.

(from Greenwood Wildlife Rehabilitation Center)

Wolves fascinate me ~ animals, strong and bold in appearance ~

with eyes of blue or brown and gold.

Forced out of habitats ~ to 'city life'they've adjusted .

Coyotes, along with wolves, are inhabiting our neighbourhoods ~

living in proximity with humans due to expansion and growth of mankind

and due to development of commercial and industrial lands.

I Simply Could Not Resist Him ~

as he faced me on a page within a colour magazine.

There he was ~ embedded ~ within a square.

His piercing blue eyes ~ and ears well alerted,

he gazed at me intently.

His facial fur of grayish white

deepened dark charcoal ~ approaching his neck and body.

Compelling, he piqued my attention ~ now worthy of a second look.

“Who are you? What do you need?”

(I wondered as I studied his face.)

Mesmerized, I was ~ just connecting with his eyes.

“What do you want?”I asked.

With piercing blue eyes still upon me,

he spoke:

“This is a photo of me ~ before a hunter raised his gun!

Bang! Bang! I balked and I howled!

And now, I'm really a clock, set in a 12-inch oaken frame.

I long to be loved ~

and can give to you ~ both pleasure and peace

'cause my 'spirit' within, still lives.

Just give me a battery or two ~ and I'll give you accurate time.

My name is 'Logan' ~ I was the 'Alpha' of my pack.

How could I refuse him?

I could give him a home ~ hanging in plain view

where daily, his face I would see.

Arriving by mail, I inserted a battery, setting his heart a-beat.

I hung him near my balcony door.

And his gift to me, was and is ~ his mesmerizing eyes of blue.

Logan espies me 24/7

as I recall his pack and his life ~

and always will ~ e'en when I renew ~ his warm beating heart.

Composed by Merle Baird-Kerr...November 12, 2018

Comments welcome: mbairdkerr@bell.net or inezkate@gmail.com

Hy and Carnivorous Clans

Once upon a time in Africa's arid lands, dwelt large carnivores, doglike.

Differing in size, today there are four types and in various choice of diet.

Spotted Hyenas...Brown Hyenas...Striped Hyenas...

Striped Hyenas and Aardwolves.

The Striped Hyena has the largest range of all

living in Africa's North and Northeast, the Middle East

and Asia ~ all the way to southern Siberia.

The Spotted Hyenas, allegedly known for their laughs ~

research however shows

the Hyena 'giggles' are anything but light-hearted.

The largest of the species,

they measure in feet about 2.6 from paw to shoulder.

Spotted females are 10% heavier than their males.

The coat is sandy, yellowish or grey

with dark brown or black spots on most of the body.

The Brown Hyenas ~ the second largest, weigh up to 160 pounds.

They are distinguished by their long shaggy hair, being brown or black

Hair on the neck grows about 12 inches in contrast to short hair on legs, face and ears.

Of interest, the forelegs are horizontally striped.

The Striped Hyena have long hair ~ grey to straw-coloured.

The muzzles are black and black are the stripes

on head, torso and legs.

Aardwolves ~ the smallest of 4 species,

about 1/4^th of body length is tail.

Resembling the Striped Hyenas, they have similar colour

in fur textures.

I'm a Brown Hyena ~

catching the attention of a Canadian tourist to Zambia's African Safari.

With mutual trust, he named me HY ~ honouring a Jewish friend from University days.

He learned we're very social, living in groups called clans with members numb'ring up to 80;

And that the Spotted Hyena Female is the most aggressive ~ and dominate of the clans.

And yes ~ we do have predators:

Lions, with every opportunity will attack;

hunting dogs and strange Hyenas are among the attacking species

who prey on our clan ~ Hyenas.

Yes! I'm a male Hyena named HY and I fear I may not mate.

As males, we're the clan's lowest rank ~ and being cast out ~ I hope not to be!

One lucky day, when out 'on the hunt', Ena ogled me with passionate eyes.

Needing descendants, she favoured me with proposal to mate with her.

With dutiful etiquette, we united ~ becoming the family of HY-ENA.

Non-related males and females will mate after courtship

that can last for several days.

After gestation of around 3 months, females give birth to 2-4 young.

Baby Hyenas are called 'cubs' whose eyes are shut for the first few days.

Feeding only on mother's milk for the first 6 months,

at 2 years, the cubs are considered 'mature'

and ready to leave their mother.

Mothers in the clan share nursing the young

while other clan members bring home food for cubs.

The Aardwolves (insectivores) only eat termites,

licking off surfaces with a flat sticky tongue...

consuming about 30,000 termites every night.

The other Hyena are carnivores, eating only meat.

They often take advantage of other animal's kill for easy meals

and fill their diet with wildebeast, antelope, hippos, jackals, lizards,

fish, snakes, foxes, porcupine, eggs and insects.

They work together to take down prey.

Hyenas eat every part of an animal including the bones and hooves.

According to National Geographic, the Masai people of Kenya and Tanzania

leave their dead to be consumed by Hyenas, instead of burying them.

Did You Know?

All Female Hyenas rank higher than males.

The Spotted Hyenas can make up to 10 communications with their clan.

The Striped Hyenas communicate with body movements.

According to campers, Hyenas will eat aluminum pots and pans.

The birthing Hyena has only 2 nipples ~ cubs often fighting for food.

Hyenas are believed to be more intelligent than chimpanzees.

(according to Duke University studies)

Composed by Merle Baird-Kerr...June 14, 2018

Comments welcome: mbairdkerr@bell.net or inezkate@gmail.com

Notations: Males have the lowest status of the pack and are forced to leave their family when they reach sexual maturity. The fight to enter a new pack is deadly ~ and the dominate female will determine their fate.

There's always a Hyena of mortality at the garden gate

and the Aardwolf at the end of the street. (David Arthur Lawrence)

There was a man sold a Hyena skin while the beast was still alive ~

and who was killed in hunting it. (Winston Churchill)

Vimy's Historic Tale

I'm a little acorn~ oval and stout

Dwelling in an oak tree in a forest green;

And when the wind blows, I am sheltered in its leaves.

Said my “Mother Oak” as she sat within her tree:

“Remember, little acorn ~ originally, you're a British-English Oak!”

When previous French attacks failed to capture Vimy Ridge,

the Canadian corp in 1917, seized the Ridge: a 7-kilo-length.

After the battle was won, Leslie Millen (from Milliken, Ontario) ~

as a Ridge souvenir ~ he found my Mother Oak half buried ~

and gathered a handful of her fallen acorns.

And on his family farm in Scarborough, east of Toronto,

he planted all his acorns ~ trusting they'd survive and grow.

In January 2015, the process began with professional arbonists.

Taking cuttings from the crowns of the oaks that survived,

they grafted them onto basic root stock.

These saplings have been grown at NVK Connon Nurseries.

These saplings are now available for private Canadian plantings

to commemorate The Battle of Vimy Ridge.

For many, many months and many, many saplings,

they were nourished and nursed with NVK love.

And Guess What! I've Been Adopted!

Proudly I stood with about a 4-foot-plus-narrow trunk,

with 2 short branches either side at alternating levels.

Surely someone would yearn me ~ take me home ~

even though I had no leaves, yet!

About a thousand of us to be sold as

Memorial Trees ~ and to honour Canadians who fought at Vimy Ridge.

A little birdie told us ~ there's a Vimy Tree planted at Waterdown's Legion

and one planted at Burlington's City Hall.

It was on Monday, April 23/18 ~ a cool, sunny day ~

an arborist came to retrieve ME~ stating that a West Lincoln family

would lovingly care for ME ~ a Vimy Ridge Oak!

And there she was: the Grandmother...her daughter and family

who were being presented a wedding anniversary gift

to plant on their 23-acre property backing on woodland

and Chippewa Creek.

After purchasing me, our photo was taken on the Nursery's front patio

with the botanist who selected me.

.

The family kept me in a cool protected room to 'climatize' a few days.

Following directions to plant and care for me, they placed me in rich soil

...and ever so straight, I stood!

They christened me VIMY as Grandmother had suggested!

So exuberant we all were ~ when by the end of May

milder weather arrived: I Sprouted Leaves!

I called Grandma about my quick growth in this, my country home.

I just hope that the visiting deer - won't chew my new leaves!

(For more information: contact NVK Connon Nurseries in West Flamboro, Ontario.)

The foregoing: composed by Merle Baird-Kerr...October 4, 2018

Saga of the Acorn

The creation of a thousand forests ~ is in one acorn!

(Ralph Waldo Emerson)

Thomas Carlyle further states: When the oak is felled, the whole forest echoes

with its fall...but a hundred acorns are sown in silence by an unnoticed breeze.

Hope Jahren comments that every acorn on the ground

is just as alive as the 300-year-old oak tree that towers above it.

And James Allen muses:

The oak sleeps in the acorn...

The bird waits in the egg...

and in the highest vision of the soul...

a waking angel stirs.

Dreams are the seedlings of realities!

Comments welcome: mbairdkerr@bell.net or inezkate@gmail.com

Lest We Forget

Honouring Canada's Veterans on Remembrance Day

“The century-plus anniversaries of the battles of Vimy Ridge and Passenchendaele remind us that Canadian veterans have contributed to global security in even the early years of our national history. In the years following the World Wars, these individuals have continued to place themselves at risk to bring aid and peace. They have represented Canada with valour and determination ~ and many of them made the ultimate sacrifice to secure our future.

“Canada's veterans have fought far from home to defend their friends...neighbours...and fellow citizens...and helped win conflicts that threatened the lives and innocents in distant lands. They left their own families to protect others and supported one another through the conflicts of war with strength and courage. They took these risks ensuring our country remained diverse, just and free.

“Our high quality of life was secured by veterans and current members of the Canadian Armed Forces who have joined our allies around the world in maintaining peace. We owe them more than a promise of remembrance ~ we owe them the bright future they fought for, defined by Canadian values.

“When we wear poppies and take two minutes of silence on November 11, we join Canadians across the country to demonstrate that we built the strong, inclusive, peaceful society our veterans believed in ~ and we will never forget the price they paid for it.” (from message by Regional Chair Gary Carr)

Picture in your mind a somber blue sky with shaded sun rays

and a few greyish-white clouds casting light on a field of red poppies

as they sway in the breeze ~ as numerous birds awaken our minds and hearts.

A large red poppy speaks:

Together we remember!

They shall not grow old in our memories.

We will remember and honour them forever.

Yet the trees hang on, just like the Canadian soldiers did a century before,

watching over monuments commemorating Canadian casualties

lost in various battles around the world.

Memories from the First World War

A year ago, The Spectator invited families to share stories and artifacts

from loved ones who fought.

SGT. Walter WilliamVyse 1892-1982): 16^th Canadian Scottish Battalion. My father saw action in France and Belgium. He rode a horse that was completely black with the exception of a white star on his forehead and one white foot. The reason for the colour being black was because he was involved in transporting supplies to the front line. Of course it was all done under cover of darkness at night.

Horses and mules were very important for transportation. (submitted by Ken Vyse)

PTE Thomas Callander Shannon 1886-1917: 19^th Battalion. After my grandfather married in Milton, he and his wife moved to Hamilton. Even with wife and child, he enlisted and was sent overseas. He actually survived Vimy, but was hit by enemy shrapnel...and died April 22, 1917. (from granddaughter)

SGT. Ernie Barrett1895-1975: Fourth Canadian Infantry. My grandfather told about a shell that exploded quite close to him at Vimy Ridge, killing several of his buddies. He was wounded, but survived. Later he suffered a bayonet wound on his left thigh and a gunshot wound on his right leg. Then he had shrapnel embedded in his back. However, he survived. (from grandson, Al Barrett)

SGT. Alfred Ted Hearn 1890-1966: 68^th Battery, Canadian Field Artillery. In 1914 my grandfather in the Canadian army, was sent to France where he fought in the entire First World War. In 1916 he was part of the battle of the Somme and during some artillery fire, a shell went off in his hands, blowing off 2 of his fingers. It gave him a lot of body shrapnel ~ from which he miraculously lived. After spending 6 months in an English hospital, he returned to the front. (Dave Bowen,Grandson)

PTE.Richard Hamilton Pryde (1895-1960: 86^th Machine Gun Regiment. My father came back stone-deaf with a number of wounds. Not only shot, he was bayoneted, gassed and shell-shocked. He spent a terrible time 'in the trenches'...the smell of death surrounding them...the mud...the water...the dysentery. He had a very difficult time to get back to a normal life. Inability to get rid of all the demons,he became an alcoholic ~ a bent, broken and desperate man. (Richard Hamilton Pryde, Son)

PTE. George Percy Webb 1893-1951: 76^th Overseas Battalion. My grandfather came to Canada as a home child, working on a farm in Waterdown for a few years before enlisting in the First World War in the Canadian Expeditionary Force in July 1915. He spent the rest of the war in England, France and Belgium. The money paid to him amounted to about $33 monthly for fighting in the war. In 1919, he travelled home through the port of Halifax. (submitted by Walter Price.Grandson).

PTE. WilliamWalker 1888-1985: 11^th Battery Field Artillery. My grandfather went to France in the spring of 1915 and immediately was involved in the Second Battle of Ypres. Gassed in that battle, he survived. In October 1916, he was wounded at the Somme ~ hit by shell fragments that blew him off his horse. He woke up on the train platform where he had been left for dead! He then bribed an orderly to put him on the train for 10 pounds. Surviving, he spent the next 2 years in hospital. ( Siubmitted by Robert Walker, Grandson).

Of interest to me as writer, it may be 'a small world' ~

as of a few years ago, I met Bob Walker through business...and recently working on Election Day (I was the DRO) in early October, his wife checked in to vote. Recognizing my name, introduced herself...telling me she had her husband in her car for a ride ~ he was a resident in this Senior's Home.

They Signed On For Service ~ But Stayed 'Second Class'

Mona Whitwell's binder tells a story about women in the Second World War:

proud to serve, but fighting for respect.

Paul Wilson. a journalist, wrote in The Hamilton Spectator (together with photos) stated:

“The men who served Canada in the Second World War were called heroes ~ all of them ~ the women not so much. Thanks to a big black binder her mother left her, Kathy Whitwell got a window into what that war was like for some women who chose to sign up.

“Mona, her mother, born 94 years ago, was clever...skipped a couple of grades.

But she had to leave Delta Secondary partway through to care for her mother.

Wanting to do something that mattered, she saw the recruitment ads for the Canadian Women's Army Corps...stating: You can free a man to fight. Some men still fill jobs that women can do...they wait for you to take their places. She signed on for service anywhere, including overseas. CWAC posted her to Chebucto Barracks, Halifax. She rose to Sergeant, in charge of the steno pool...(and her story goes on)!

Her stone marker sits on the south bank of the Grand River in Caledonia.”

Compiled by Merle Baird-Kerr...November 2, 2018

To comment: mbairdkerr@bell.net or inezkate@gmail.com

In Case You Didn't Read It:

Journalists...Letters to The Spec...Health Tips...Family Trials and Tribulations...

Local and World News...'tidbits' of some interest (both comic and surreal)

usually catching my attention, determines interest to further read.

Should none of the foregoing have piqued your interest,

there's always Sudoku, Crosswords, Bridge and Chess games.

The content of News Press items

is anything that adds value to the reader's life!

In today's world, people don't want new products and services ~

they want solutions to enhance their lives.

Following is my conglomeration of News, of Events, of Gardening Tips, etc.

(in case you didn't read it).

Junior League of Hamilton-Burlington present their 36^th “Annual Holiday House Tour to Distinctive Homes (November9-ll). A network of empowered female civic leaders work with community partners to address and solve pressing issues...improving the success of young women in poverty. “We're part of an international network of 291 leagues comprised of over 140,000 women in Canada, Mexico, the UK and the U.S ~ all engaged in similar work in their communities.”

“There is no greater joy, nor greater reward

than to make a fundamental difference in someone's life.”

(stated Mary Rose McGeady)

Standing Tall: The highest mountain in the Western Hemisphere is Cerro Aconcagua or Rock Sentinel

part of the Andes Mountain Region in Mendosa, Argentina. Aconcagua stands aproximately 6,960 metres (22,835 feet) above sea level. (I once flew over this Andean mountain en route from Chile to Argentina with my 4-year old boy..and WOW! So Stunning! (several years ago).

Rocky Peninsula: The long Baja, south of the state of California, is part of Mexico. A rugged piece of land, Baja offers miles of beautiful beaches. At its southern tip is Cabo San Lucas, a well-known tourist destination. (never been there, possibly in my 'next life'!)

Black Blizzard:When the wind blows snow around, it's called a blizzard. When the wind blows dirt around, it's called 'a black blizzard'. These blizzards also resemble big black clouds.

White Sand: In Australia, Whitehaven Beach is located on an island in the Coreal Sea, off the coast of Queensland. Like its name, this beach is very white ~ because the sand is made up of almost pure silica which is whiter and of finer texture than the sand found on other beaches. When walking on this 7-km (4.3 mile) stretch of shoreline in bare feet, the sand is said to feel like velvet. To keep the beach pristine, dogs and cigarettes are not allowed at any time!

Driving is Driving Me Crazy, wrote Paul Benedetti, several months ago...further stating, “Commuting has all the easy fun of going through customs! During my commute to work one day, I came to the realization I had my underwear on backwards. I had purchased some new, stretchy space-age boxers ~ and it's sometimes hard to know which way is which ~ especially when you're half awake...also realizing I've been commuting for 20 years! To anyone who claims they enjoy commuting, I say, Compared to what? A colonoscopy? Commuting has all the appeal of an outhouse in January ~ and all the intellectual stimulation of taking out the garbage!” (Paul continues his commute travel by train and bus with experiences that accordingly enfolded...concluding with his Highway 401 West daily travel...coping with trucks.., heavy loads ... and rain storms...concluding, “So here I am...underwear on backwards...driving the 401 to London in my car!”

Knights of the Rite Keep Their Castle Well (titled by Paul Wilson) who states, “Few Hamiltonians may realize it, but their downtown showpiece hides an inside opulence rare in these work-a-day times.

Hamilton got a lucky break 100 years ago. When George Tucket's castle at King and Queen Streets, went on the block, a Masonic organization, called The Scottish Rite, stepped forward to buy the stone-storied showpiece. A spectacular colour photo speaks of its history and presence...and perfectly preserved 1890's mansion in the core of Hamilton.

Six other colour photos accompanied Paul Wilson's detailed article.

Hillgren ~ a 68-year-old-retired principal ~ joined The Scottish Rite 40 years ago to make his father-in-law happy. Yes, there's a secret handshake...and rituals...and customs...and titles like 'Sovereign Grand Commander. But, Hillgren came to believe, You can become a better man at the Sottish Rite!

Movie-makers know what we have here.

A few years ago, Oscar-winning director, Guillermo del Toro, used the Scottish Rite

in his horror film 'Crimson Peak' .

This past summer, there was a 'shooting' at the 'big house'

for a sequel to Stephen King's nightmare film 'IT'.

In addition to the $3,500-plus daily rental fees, movie companies have often left behind new carpets... new chandeliers...new built-in bookcases...and a spectacular new ceiling mural in the Round Room.

Alterations, in keeping with the Scottish Rite era, are graciously accepted.

Fairies in the Forest: Travellers, driving through British Columbia will be charmed if they visit this Forest (not far from Revelstoke). Covering several acres, the 'forest' contains cement figurines sculpted by Doris Needham, the first owner of the property, who with husband, Ernest, bought the land in the 1950's. Among the trails, trees and streams, visitors will find mermaids, fairies, dragons, dwarfs and more. The new owners have kept the Enchanted Forest open for visitors and run it as a family business.

Divide and Dig Now for Sping Blooms: “A gorgeous 1/2 page colour photo portrays a butterfly pollinating a 'fave bee balm' that can be divided and replanted,” illustrated by Mark & Ben Cullen who advise resourceful gardeners about autumn care. Now and early November is the best time to do both jobs. After selecting your spectrum of colurs, be sure to plant all bulbs 3 times as deep as the bulb is thick. Plant them anywhere the sun shines for at least 4 hours a day ~ the soil being reasonably loose. Dig up the tired tulip bulbs after the leaves turn yellow in late June, early July; remove the small 'baby base' that crowd the bulb base...and replant the healthy base in compost-rich soil.

Congratulations to Mohawk College's Graduating Class of 2018!

Sometimes the path to figuring out what you really want to do,

takes a couple of very strange turns.

There is no schedule to finding your way.

No master timetable that works for everyone.

There is only the opportunity to try...and to grow...and to learn...and to try again.

(Excerpts from address by Ron McKerlie,

President ~ Mohawk College.)

Author: Merle Baird-Keerr...October 28. 2018

Comments welcome: mbairdkerr@bell.net or inezkate@gmail.com