I heard these two stories from an Alachua County (Florida) worker. I asked him for any Bigfoot sightings by him or his friends, and he replied, " I don't believe he exists."
"It is hard to believe, isn't it?"
"My sister-in-law and her grandmother swear they saw one."
"What was the situation?"
"They live in Pensacola and said they saw one run through the backyard. Both of them swear they saw it. They ran for a camera, but it was gone."
Then a second story came to him: "A friend of mine swears he saw one on the main road in Hawthorne (Florida, just east of Gainesville). He was about five feet tall, with arms down to the road, standing on the main highway, just looking."
"I've read a report about one stealing chickens and appearing before a family in a mobile home just a half of mile from the pulp mill in Hawthorne. Apparently, they left because of it," I told him.
Recently I was having lunch outside and asked two other guests if they were hunters.
One said yes so I asked The Questions. His story was: "We put out a trail camera by a corn feeder. A black panther came in, and we got a picture of him eating the corn."
"That's very unusual," I commented. " A cat eating corn."
'I know. Maybe he wasn't eating the corn. Maybe he was just smelling it."
"Did you get a good picture?"
"No, just his head."
This took place about six months ago in Gilchrist County, Florida.
I received the second story at a grocery store. The lady, a sixty year old Jehovah's Witness, said, "This happened when I was only ten and lived in Maine, but it is still vivid in my mind. My father was a deer hunter, and we drove into the woods, parked, and waited to see if there were any deer. A black panther walked right in front of our car."
"How far away was he?"
"Twelve feet. My father whispered, 'Panther!' We also saw a bobcat and two deer."
Note: Bobcats are known to follow panthers hoping to get some of the panther's kill.
Having seen what the Enviromental Protection Agency did to humans in the Pacific Northwest, denying their jobs as loggers, by using the Spotted Owl for an excuse and more recently seeing what the EPA did to the farmers by drying up California's Central Valley to farming, I understand better the bias against recognizing the black phase of the panther as existing. Humans don't want to be prohibited from logging, farming, hunting, and developing through the efforts of the EPA to "protect" the endangered panther. I think this is another reason to elect conservative Republicans as Liberals and even country-club Republicans are more inclined to vote for utopian ideas that only make sense of an emotional basis. If people really cared about you, they wouldn't just offer emotionality but reasoned arguements that include facts, unintentional consequences, and trade-offs. Instead, liberals yell "Free games and grain!" and the ignorant yell back "Yay!" never thinking that there is no free lunch. Even the "free lunches" in the Western saloons were contingent upon you buying liquor. Conservative Republicans are much more likely
to preserve your rights to log, farm, hunt, and even develop in panther woods. Maybe a President Perry will take the little Caesar attitude out of the Enviromental Protection Agency.At any rate, the field guides need to start showing the black color phase of the panther. It's really ignorant of them not to and indicates that they are much too politicized instead of professional. Happy trails.
Monday, August 15, 2011
Monday, August 1, 2011
A Dog Overcoming Cancer
Rocket appears to be a Cairn's Terrier, and he is about twelve years old. He is a quiet, dignified little dog who is absolutetly irresistable to everyone, speaking generally. However, he is solely dedicated to his mistress, Tasha. Years ago she rescued him and a bigger dog, a collie-mix, from a couple. The husband was a troubled soul who claimed he saw dead people and had fits of rage during which he had picked up Rocket who was inside his cage and thrown him out the front door of the house.
Tasha was able to take the two dogs and eventually discovered that Rocket had Cushing's Disease. At great expense she treated it and got in under control. Then she learned that Rocket had Lymphoma, and he began cancer treatment at the University of Florida's small animal clinic which has just moved to a beautiful building. From what I can gather, a course of chemotherapy can cost $2,ooo to $4,ooo.
Rocket's chemotherapy went smoothly, and he is now in remisssion. But that doesn't always happen. An acquaintance has a dog who alerts her to her enviroment because she is totally deaf was treated for Lymphoma at the same time as Rocket. However, in the course of chemotherapy, it was found that the cancer had spread to the dog's liver. The last I heard the dog was still alive. The only time this dog wagged her tail at me was during her chemotherapy. Her mistress always referred to her lack of energy and enthusiasm as being "tired," but now we know it was cancer.
When Rocket was getting his last treatment, the doctor called Tasha to say that he had detected a heart murmur. This was almost too much for Tasha. She had tackled and paid for the treatment of Cushing's Disease and cancer. Now she was being told that Rocket had heart problems! She had no more money, and she had to tell the Vet not to
investigate the heart murmur. The Vet totally understood. Rocket's two week check-up revealed that his cancer was still in remission, and the Vet could not hear a heart murmur.
As pets become increasingly dear to humans, their health problems are going to become more obvious as they have such short life spans compared to us humans. That means humans must take into account the cost of health care when they buy an animal.
It is only realistic of a prospective dog raiser to ask himself is he is willing to give up a considerable chunk of his materialistic narcissism and self-indulgence to take care of his canine best friend. If you ever get into a position that you can not afford to treat your animal, take him to your Vet and tell him. If the choice is only to put him to sleep, it is far better than letting your pal suffer. Don't feel alone; there are plenty of people who go to the vet with the same problem. It's a very tough possiblity, but it's best you know about it. Your dog will give you a love and faithfulness that you will not find with a human, but remember that he is helpless and relies upon you to take care of him. Never let him suffer.
Tasha was able to take the two dogs and eventually discovered that Rocket had Cushing's Disease. At great expense she treated it and got in under control. Then she learned that Rocket had Lymphoma, and he began cancer treatment at the University of Florida's small animal clinic which has just moved to a beautiful building. From what I can gather, a course of chemotherapy can cost $2,ooo to $4,ooo.
Rocket's chemotherapy went smoothly, and he is now in remisssion. But that doesn't always happen. An acquaintance has a dog who alerts her to her enviroment because she is totally deaf was treated for Lymphoma at the same time as Rocket. However, in the course of chemotherapy, it was found that the cancer had spread to the dog's liver. The last I heard the dog was still alive. The only time this dog wagged her tail at me was during her chemotherapy. Her mistress always referred to her lack of energy and enthusiasm as being "tired," but now we know it was cancer.
When Rocket was getting his last treatment, the doctor called Tasha to say that he had detected a heart murmur. This was almost too much for Tasha. She had tackled and paid for the treatment of Cushing's Disease and cancer. Now she was being told that Rocket had heart problems! She had no more money, and she had to tell the Vet not to
investigate the heart murmur. The Vet totally understood. Rocket's two week check-up revealed that his cancer was still in remission, and the Vet could not hear a heart murmur.
As pets become increasingly dear to humans, their health problems are going to become more obvious as they have such short life spans compared to us humans. That means humans must take into account the cost of health care when they buy an animal.
It is only realistic of a prospective dog raiser to ask himself is he is willing to give up a considerable chunk of his materialistic narcissism and self-indulgence to take care of his canine best friend. If you ever get into a position that you can not afford to treat your animal, take him to your Vet and tell him. If the choice is only to put him to sleep, it is far better than letting your pal suffer. Don't feel alone; there are plenty of people who go to the vet with the same problem. It's a very tough possiblity, but it's best you know about it. Your dog will give you a love and faithfulness that you will not find with a human, but remember that he is helpless and relies upon you to take care of him. Never let him suffer.
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