Everybody Loves Music - Jazz for Cows

If you need any further proof that music crosses all boundaries of life, you need look no further than this footage of cows in Southern France, which is from 2011. At first, the cows react to a lone tuba player. Then, as more musicians join in, more cows appear. Who says that animals have no soul?

Sea Life Aquarium

The Sea Life Aquarium in Concord is about 10 minutes from our house, but the line to get in is always about an hour. So, Sue and I decided to go on a weekday evening when all the kids are home with their parents and we could be alone with the fishes. Like Luca Brasi, only alive.

It’s a small aquarium; as far as aquariums go; but it is a great introduction for the kids in the area to view sea life which they would ordinarily have to travel to South Carolina for. Of all the new large scale attractions to come to the Charlotte area in recent years; such as the NASCAR Hall of Fame; it’s a pleasure to finally have something which families can enjoy, as well as afford to attend.

My favorite part was the lobster tank. Usually, when we see lobsters at all, they are bound at the claws and crowded together like refugees from a catastrophe. Not here. The lobsters  in the aquarium are like giant cockroaches. They have long spindly legs and huge antenna. They walk surprisingly upright and proud as they scavenge the tank floor for something to eat.

The “petting” area; well that might be the wrong word for it; but the area where you are allowed to touch the small crustaceans and crabs is sure to be a joy for any kid “land locked” in the plains of the Piedmont, where Concord sits. We have streams, a river and even a man-made lake well stocked with game fish, but there is nothing which can spark the dreams and imagination of children; young and old; in the way a salt water aquarium can.

The economic impact on the local area will also be felt as the children buy souvenirs and the families retire to the adjacent mall to eat in the food court. As for me and Sue; well, after looking at all those fish there was but one thing to do; find a seafood restaurant! 

Midnight the Hood Ornament

Few things in life give me as much pleasure as Midnight; our resident stray. It doesn't take too much to make him happy. Just some food and a bit of brushing. Oh, and sitting on the hood of the car when the engine is still warm. He likes that.

And, when not being a hood ornament, he likes to lay in the sun and stretch out for a spell. It doesn't matter how I feel about it anyway; he just rolls over and goes back to sleep.

The Turtle

This is the first turtle I have bought home in about 3 years. There was a time when I was able to “rescue” one each year, and the last two years without seeing one crossing the road has made me a bit sad. It means that they are losing more of their habitat to us humans.

I found this plucky little fellow after a big rainstorm which was the back side of Hurricane Andres last week. He was right on the center line of the road near us, frozen there by the vibrations of the passing cars. I had to make a U-turn to go back and get him, but I’m glad I did. He might not have made it across without getting hit.

Several years ago I picked one up that and been hit and flung, cracking his shell. Not much I could do for him except to place him off the road and in the shade. I know he couldn't have lasted too long after that, but I like to think that I made him a bit more comfortable.

Turtles are very special to me. They represent not only the little red eared turtles I had as a child; and one in particular which was given to me by a friend in junior high school; they also remind me of the huge sea turtles which we encountered from time to time when I was in the Navy. These turtles would break surface; reminiscent of some prehistoric creature from the deep; gaze up into the sun, and then use their flippers to “pump” air into their shells before plunging back under the swells. Apart from the snapping turtle, they are generally such docile creatures.

One year I brought home a turtle that was almost ready to lay eggs; which of course Sue and I had no way of knowing. Hell, we didn't even know he was a she. We had been keeping “him” for a pet and were really surprised when “she” laid the eggs right in the garden where Sue had taken her for some exercise.

No sooner had she laid the eggs than she was off and running. That’s what they do. And, it also explains why so few of the hatchlings survive. That so few do, in turn, only serves to make those that do all the more special.

So this fellow; I’m calling him “Gus”, this way if “he” turns out to be a “she” I can just call her “Gussie”; is now living somewhere between my backyard and a nearby creek. I’m hoping the strawberries in the garden will keep him here, but I wouldn't put any money on it. Have you ever put a turtle down on the lawn and looked away for a minute? It’s incredible how quickly they can move when motivated. Kind of makes me think that the story that the story about the tortoise and the hare might actually be true.

The Swimming Elephant

This footage of a baby elephant swimming on the beach at Phuket, Thailand made the rounds last weekend on the internet. Though it is from 2008, it is still a wonderful sight. Elephants are very special to me. For all of their lumbering size and strength, they possess; and display; a keen sensitivity which I usually associate with dolphins and whales. They’re all stronger and faster than we are, yet somehow I feel as if they look upon us humans with a bit of pity. We do such odd things in their eyes.

The baby elephant; who was on the beach at Phuket for a wedding party; just couldn’t understand why everyone was dressed up in the sweltering heat. The ocean looked so inviting that he naturally jumped in, to the delight of all present. Turn up the volume and you can hear the reaction of the people who were watching this in person.

I have seen the whales, swam with the dolphins, and even had a slight disagreement with a monkey once; but I have never seen an elephant enjoying himself quite as much as this fellow. The funniest part of the whole thing is that while the people on the beach couldn’t understand why he went into the water; he couldn’t understand how they could stay out! 

The Cat House

Midnight, our resident stray, has a new home. After over a year of trying to make him comfortable; while at the same time taking care of my own allergic reactions to him; he finally has a better home than he did for the last winter. At that time he was living in our garage on an old bedspread with a heating pad to help him keep warm. This year the heating pad will be located at one end of his wicker home, and connected to a timer, which will offer him a few options in relation to how much heat he actually wants.

It’s been a year in which we have come to know one another a bit better, each respecting the others limitations and idiosyncrasies more than we first did. For instance; I now know that he strikes me with his paw as a sign of affection after I stop playing with him; while he has learned to not use his claws on me. Since he does live outdoors I cannot have his nails clipped, as that would leave him defenseless.

He has also learned not to wander too far from home, stranding himself in other people’s garages without food or water for several days. He has also learned not to cross the big open yard in back of our house which makes him a convenient target for the many hawks in the area. Last year he was actually swept up by one of these aerial predators. It was a short flight which left his ear damaged from the hawk’s talons. It actually changed the pitch of his “meow.”

The new home is of wicker construction, and was acquired by Sue at a yard sale for less than one dollar. I had already purchased a “cat bed” for him, complete with catnip, but he just kind of looked at it in a curious manner. He never even tried to lie down in it.

By contrast, from the moment Sue bought this wicker palace home, Midnight was very much interested in it. There is even a sun roof for him on top to use on nicer days. Currently, we are furnishing the inside, using Snoopy's doghouse as a guide for what Midnight might like. A small pool table is not out of reach; and a transistor radio or tummy TV is certainly affordable. But the Van Gogh is definitely out.

"Midnight's Blues"

“Midnight’s Blues”

CFG
I got a cat named Midnight
He just loves to roam
I got a cat named Midnight
He just loves to roam
But it’s past 12:30
And he still ain’t home.

I got your can of tuna
Waiting by the door.
I got your can of tuna
Waiting by the door.
I’d gladly feed you baby
If you’d come home once more.

FC/ G
Seen you in the moonlight slinking around
Seen you in daytime sleeping so sound.
Seen you in the sunshine and out in the rain
I just wish you’d come home again.

CFG
I seen you down the street
With the big white cat
I seen you down the street
With the big white cat.
I don't care who you been with,
I just want you to come back.

I got a cat named Midnight
He just loves to roam
I got a cat named Midnight
He just loves to roam
But it’s past 12:30
And he still ain’t home.

Update: Midnight - Rooftop's Cat

A quick update on Midnight, or "Meow", as he prefers to be called, the cat who seems to have adopted us as his benefactors for the winter, and maybe longer! All of the shelters, which are of the "no-kill" variety, are full, etc. And, of course, nobody seems to want him, as in, "My other cat may not like him" etc. So, he has definitely taken up residence with us for the winter. He doesn't want to use the community "cathouse" a neighbor has provided down the street, either.

Naturally, he gives us moments of high drama, as in the little episode a few weeks back, when he was snatched and taken for a short flight by one of the many large hawks which abound in our area. But, I feed him rather well, and he has gained weight, so the hawk couldn't hold him. The good news is that the drop didn't kill him, but the sad news is that the hawk's talons really sliced up his neck and ear a bit. So, we let nature take its course, and he's doing much better now, though he seems to look up a lot more than he used to. Then there was the day and a half he was gone because he snuck into a neighbor's garage as they were leaving for the weekend and the door was closing.

He still can't enter our home, due to my allergies, but, somehow he seems to like it at our place. Maybe it's the warm canned foods he gets on these frosty mornings, along with the warm skim milk in the evenings that keeps him around. And then again, how could any cat resist this cardboard, felt lined, heated shelter in our garage? He seems quite happy with the arrangement, in spite of Sue and I constantly "looking in" on him, disturbing him when he is in deep thought, contemplating the great cat issues of the day, such as, "Wonder how long 'til dinner?” There is nobody, in the entire world, more surprised by my having a cat, than I.

The Cat

My first reaction to this fellow was to chase him away. He had been hiding out in our garage to escape the heat of the mid-day sun, which has been quite hot here lately. But each time I came out and saw him, I liked him a bit more. He roams the neighborhood, much as I did in my own neighborhood, when I was younger.

The first day I just let him alone in the shade as it was 100 degrees outside! There was no way I could chase him away. Then the next day I brought him a dish of water. In true cat fashion he turned his nose up at it, and went back to curling up under the front porch chairs.

Well, now I have gotten used to him darting around the outside of the house when I get my morning paper. Yesterday he was hanging out beneath Sue's car, and I brought him some milk. There was not even a moment of hesitation on his part, he simply began to lick it up while I snapped away. Camera shy is not in his vocabulary.

I haven't seen him yet today, but I know he'll be back. I know he doesn't really love me, and he certainly isn't coming by to see me - he's just in it for the milk. And that's okay by me.

Rooftop Reviews - Society News

In an effort to remain current,we dispatched our correspondent, Stacey Redgrave, who happens to be my cousin and works cheaply, to London to cover the Royal Wedding. This postcard arrived yesterday. Notice the date and postmark. We will have to get all the details from her when she returns. The groom was an unemployed fellow by the name of William. Actually, I'm told that he is from a wealthy family. He married the elder Milligan daughter, Kate. We wish them all the best. Co-incidentally, these were the first names of my great-grandparents, William and Kate Williams. Meantime, on the local social scene, we have the following to report;

Our frog, has returned from his winter vacation home. It only took a couple of weeks, but he now comes willingly when called. He gained a bit of weight over the winter, but that's to be expected when you just lay about all day for several months. We're looking for a frog family, preferably in the area, with a young frog of their own, one who has not been in any significant trouble, to meet our frog. Who knows? They just might hit it off and make some beautiful frog music together.

"Rescue Ink" by Rescue Ink with Denise Flaim

This is one of those books that give you hope in mankind. Just when you think the whole world has gone nuts you manage to stumble across these guys. With their common sense and hands-on approach to a despicable problem, animal abuse, Rescue Ink (Ink being a reference to their tatoos) is a breath of fresh air in a world that sometimes seems to have gone stale.

From the misssing dog to the house with 150 cats and on into the world of dogfighting, these guys go wherever their presence is requied to protect our furry little freinds. And along the way they manage to educate the reader on why it is imprtant to treat animals well and in accordance with their needs. Do YOU really want to be chained to a tree all day in the sun? Wouldn't YOU prefer to sleep indoors during the dead of winter?

Like I said, it may seem like common sense to you or I, but some people just don't get it. I hope one of them reads this book!

Visit their website at www.RESCUEINK.org