Toby's blog: where pets and people matter

 Gourds

The Coyote Gourd, found in the Mohave Desert grows at the lowest and driest desert elevations along the edges of washes prefering sandy places. This plant has a sprawling vine with large yellow flowers. The pulp of this melon contains one of the most bitter substances known to mankind, yet we use it to make such things as soap. The Native Americans attribute the Coyote "the trickster" with giving these gourds a bitter flavor while providing edible, nutritious seeds high in protein and fat. Animals like the Coyote, Porcupine and others still find a way to eat the seeds while the Javelina dig up and eat the tuberous flesh-like roots they sniff out even when there are no viines above the ground. Humans have been using these gourds for containers & decorative items since prehistoric times.

 Parades

Everyone loves a Parade! Most have marching bands, all kinds of performers and floats, none can compare to the little Parade that started in 1924 along Broadway in New York City. This Parade has balloons the size of buildings. It is the Parade that has become known as the Parade that kicks of the Holiday Season.                                                    The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade!  

Inside Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

 Halloween in Vegas

Sin City has always been the place to Party but on Halloween and in some cases the whole month of October it becomes a monster of a party place. It may very well have more haunted houses than anywhere we have seen. Starting with the FrightDome at the Circus Circuss with not one but 5 haunted houses. If wax figures scare you grab your glow stick and check out Madame Tussauds After Dark. New York New York has Zombie Precinct for you undead lovers. For the largest street party you can find get your costume on and join the free entertainment at the "timewarp" party at the Freemont Street, a scary Experience indeed.

  Trick or Treat comes to America

Some trace the origins of present day "trick-or-treat" to Samhain(pronounced sah-ween), which was their night of demonic jubilation.  Spirits would rise out of their graves and wander the countryside, trying to retun to the homes.  In an effort to appease the spirits, frightened villagers began the tradition of placing plates of food and bits of treats on their doorsteps; not doing this they feared, would result in the death of their flocks or the destruction of their property. 

The other issue the superstitious villagers believed was if the souls of dead loved ones could return that nights, so could anything else, nice or not-so-nice, so to blend in as one of the demonic hoard, they would wear masks and other disguises.  This is one of the believed origins of Halloween masquerading as devils, imps, ogres, and other demonic creatures.

Another European trace to "trick-or-treat", was a custom called "souling".  Beggars would go door to door to collect "soul cakes" in exchange for promising to say a prayer for a deceased depardent, further guaranteeing a soul's passage to heaven.   

Many of the customs were taken to the United States by the Irish and Scottish immigrants in the nineteenth century and developed into "trick or treat".   

Halloween Craft Making and Costume Making : Activity Tv : Learn Step By Step How to Make Costumes , Trick or Treat Bags , Carve Pumpkins and Other Decorations , Tasty Treats , How to Put on Makeup & More : 4 Dvd Set : 324 Minutes

  Halloween Origins and Customs

History traces Halloween back to the ancient religion of the Celtics in Ireland.  They were very conscious of the spirit world and helping their over 300 gods to defeat enemies in battle.  One of the main feasts was called Samhain (pronounced Sah-ween), celebrated Nov 1.  They believed this to be a time when hostile supernatural forces were active and ghosts and spirits were free to wander as they wished. 

By A.D.  43, the Romans had conquered the majority of the Celtic territory, and Roman festivals were combined with the Celtic celebration of Samhain forming a blending of Paganism with Christianity.  One such union was  the day for the Romans to honor Pomona, who was symbolized as an apple, since she was the goddess of fruit and trees. This blending with Samhain explains the idea of bobbing for apples on Halloween.    

In the 7th Century a Pope introduced All Saits' Day, a time to honor saints and martyrs, to replace the pagan festival of the dead.  Oct. 31, thus became All Hallows's Eve. 

Halloween Skeleton Restroom Door Cover 30in. x 5ft. Pkg/1

 Animals & Halloween

Bats and Owls have always had their place in Halloween lore. At one time thought to be spirits of the dead. With bats living in caves they were linked to the underworld. When people would hear the screech of the owl they were afraid that it was demons screaming out from the darkness. Even black cats were believed to be witches who prowled the streets for an unsuspecting passerby to cast an evil spell on. Many creatures that come out at night were feared to be lost souls reincarnated to continue making havoc of mankind's lives.

   Venomous Monsters

They have a horrible reputation of being venomous monsters. Most people scream and jump up on furniture when they see them. Crawling like they are part of a racing team with their eight legs. But they can be very still too as they hold their menacing whip like tail over head. It is that dreadful tip on the tail that is the killer. Actually only 25 of the 1000s of species can kill a human. They adapt real well and are found just about everywhere in the world, though they prefer the subtropics. Coming out at night and eating crickets are what Scorpions really like to do.  

Love At First Sting

 America under Attack

I would blog about this but there are many people who know a lot more than we do. Find all the information you can from as many sources as you can and decide for yourself. Be sure to visit www.911memorial.org 

102 Minutes That Changed America

Songs And Artists That Inspired Fahrenheit 9/11

  Labor Day

 Weather Survival

 In arid regions like the deserts of Arizona wild duststorms can form. You can see dustdevils all over the landscape of Arizona. But when you see a Haboob you need to get to shelter. When a thunderstorm forms the winds will move in other directions being pulled into the storm. Then when the storm reaches the point of producing rain it caves in on it self. This pushes the wind out away from the storm known now as a downdraft. As the wind hits the desert floor it causes the sand to blow out forming a wall of debrie ahead of the storm. They can be as wide as 60 miles with severe damaging winds. The following picture is of one that hit Eloy Arizona August 18th 2011. Homes were damaged, billboard signs were scattered over the highway. We were lucky to make it through this storm. We will share more photos soon. Toby was not to happy about being caught in this Haboob.

Midland Consumer Radio WR-120B NOAA Weather Alert All Hazard Public Alert Certified Radio with SAME, Trilingual Display and Alarm Clock - Gift Box(White)

 A Dog in your life

We had a couple of dogs for thirteen years and their loss was great, in fact, we thought that we would never adopt another dog, and then along came Toby.  His story is one that is so familiar, the child/children say that they want the dog and that they will take care of it, but the parents all to often do, and for him the parent worked 12 hour shifts, leaving him alone in a cage for about 14 hours a day. 

When he came into our lives, we had no idea how much our lives were about to be changed; he became a part of everything we think about, our plans have to include thoughts of what we will be able to share with him or when and where he will be boarded for a short while we take care of business or do something that dogs are not allowed to do..  If seen through our eyes, and that of many more, dogs are a miracle they can make even the worst of days better just by the joy they express when you come home.  Despite the worst of days how can you be mad or sad when you have him there wagging his tail running around because of the joy your returning home means to him.  For those of you who share your lives with your pets I am grateful.  They ask for so little, yet give so much in return; what a wonderful world this would be if more people could be this way. 

 Adulthood

Today  it seems like adults don't want to grow up. It use to be that there was a "rite of passage" a point in one's life when they knew they were an adult or at the least supose to act like one, act like our parents. This was a time in your life that you looked forward to. Now that has changed. People consider one to be an adult based on certain personal abilities and characteristics rather than when one graduates or receives a degree or even get married. Men & Women both are taking things, getting things done to their bodies, like Botox, hair growth and Viagra. It makes wounder what the parents of the parents are like, what do they think about this. A scarryer question is what are the children of the parents who will not grow up going to be like. One of the good things about this trend is that more people are more active, staying or at least trying to get fit, they want to wear those skinny pants and they worry about having a heart attack while on the golf course. So I say more power to us.

  The Entrepreneurial Myth

"The Entrepreneurial Myth" as many of us have found out the hard way is that just because we are an expert in a given field that we can run that kind of business. The fact is you need business management skills to run any business. A small business must be able to reach a level of sales where the contribution margin equals fixed costs. Most people under price their product or service while others think customers will pay more than what they really will. It is a good idea to start by having a business plan. A number of small businesses do not make it because of poor planning, bad management. A common rule is a business should have as much money on hand as their projected revenue plus what they think their expenses are going to be. They need to have enough capital to run the business. Most Entrepreneurs start their own business because they like the idea of independence, making their own decisions. At the end of the day small business owners must realize that their customers are their bosses. Business owners have to be able to adapt to change. Small businesses are well suited for internet marketing because they can eaily serve specialized niches.  More and more small business owners are finding out that social media is a great way to promote their product, service or business. We have listed some places that can help with starting or improving a business by getting a website up and running and ways to use internet marketing on our Helful Resources Page. We look forward to hearing about your success.     

  Spinal Cord Stimulator

It bothers me that so many days have passed since I last made note, so I would like to explain that part of it is that I have had four back surgeries in five years, the most recent two months ago, and despite that I was told by the surgeon that I should, and have, visited with a pain management specialist about the placement of a  device called a Spinal Cord Stimulator designed to aid in pain relief for failed back surgeries, and my other problem, peripheral neuropathy. I have had to make several seven hour trips to see the surgeon and pain management specialist and of course Toby gets to come along.  Since it is summer and it gets well over 100, during the time that I am with the doctor Toby goes to Doggy Day Camp, and because he has no siblings I hope it is good socialization time for him and much needed time away from me.  

If you are someone who has had a number of failed back surgeries, or no longer gain pain relief for peripheral neuropathy, then get as much information as you can and if you think it sounds good, you should discuss it with your pain management specialist.  I wish someone had mentioned this to me, before now, so I hope my bringing it up will help someone else.  There are a lot of places where you can find health Q&A, the following is one such place.

www.goaskalice.columbia.edu  

 Let the fireworks begin

Did you know that the first known use of fireworks was in China, during the Han Dynasty 200 B.C.-even before gunpowder was invented, but it was the Itialians, during the Renaissance era in Europe(1400-1500), that began to develop fireworks into a true art form.  Kings saw no better way to show their wealth and power then by having fireworks at festivals and other ceremonies. 

Around 1730 firework shows in England became huge public displays.  Settlers even brought fireworks to  America around the 1600's to celebrate special occassions, but for more than 1000s of years the only colors that could be produced was the orange from black powder and white from metal powders; that all changed, because in the 1830s, scientific advancements in chemistry, enabled people to create reds, greens, blues, and yellows.  

Today there are many different forms and colors; cities and countries around the world use them to celebrate a wide variety of reasons.  We, Americans, do as well, but none more spectacular or evoke such depth of feeling as our remembering/celebrating our independence. 

I hope you find this tidbit of information fun, and enjoy a safe and happy 4th of July. 

www.nps.gov/mall

  Let's celebrate 4th of July, but do you truly know why?

It is interesting that most Americans can tell you that we are celebrating our independence, but here's where it is a bit more embarrasing, some if not most aren't sure from what country or when-REALLY!! HOW SAD.  We are supposed to be the country other nations look to when they think of democracy and our gaining our independence, again, just don't ask to many of us for the details.  Unfortunately, most see it meerly as an excuse to get the day off from work, especially since it's in a summer month.  I, too, had to investigate a few of the particulars of the holiday, which I found interesting.  I did not realize that it was (5) men who were tasked with the responsibility of formulating the foundation of our country.  These men not only assumed this momumental task, but by signing their names they risked their lives and those of their loved ones, for had they been found out they would have been arrested for treason.  I am not sure to many of us today would be willing to risk all of that.  

additionally, I learned that the first 4th of July celebration, was actually held on the 8th of July, and that it was not recognized as a legal holiday until 1938.  I also found it erie that on the 50th anniversary, two of the original drafters:  John Adams and Thomas Jefferson died.

We, as Americans, should be proud of this heritage, but we should take the time to understand it, because I was in the military and I feel my service was drawfed by those before and after me.  There are soldiers around the globe today aiding in countries, where its' citizens are protesting injustices, being gunned down, beaten and arrested in the name of freedom.   I am not saying that you should not enjoy yourself, just that you take a moment and remember those defending our  liberties near and abroad and their sacrifies and those of their' families, as well as, those who have served before them.  We are a young country by most standards, yet  we now set an example, let's show the world we will not forget, and that we honor those who serve to protect our ideals and that freedom is always worth fighting for and defending.     

 Doggie Day Camp

Travel to new places is something most americans enjoy, but our vacations are also a time for a great deal of stress for many of us.  The mode of travel, whether by air or car can be a great source of aggrevation.  Some of us worry about getting lost or not being able to see all the things we have planned, and what are we going to do we the pets.  Some people are fortunate to have people they can leave their pets with, while others board them: this can be quite disturbing to the pet especially if it is for an extended period of time, but what's the solution?  There are so many things to see and enjoy, but  unfortunately are off limits to our pets, and for those of us that do not want to leave them for days and beyond, in many cities there are places that offer a viable solution-Doggie Day Camp.  Some places offer doggie day camp, and charge by the hour if you think you are not going to leave them long, or offer a day rate.  Times, rates and services vary, but one thing most require are up to date shots, so make sure you have the documents to show history.  Book in advance, sometimes, especially during the holidays, they do book up. 

 Pets Health 

Having a pet should be a great experience, they can provide love and companionship, but like humans, they too, can get sick.  If you have ever had a sick pet you know how expensive their care can be, but one of the greatest resources that have come about is pet insurance.  Finding a policy that is right for you and your vet is important, but equally important is knowing that it will help you and your pet. 

Here is a Great place to find all kinds of information about Dogs

www.i-love-dogs.com

In the desert, like Arizona it gets extremely hot so when you go out hiking remember to go early in the morning and don't just carry water, drink it, and although allowing your four-legged friend to run around without a leash is fun, there are dangers all around.  Be aware of your surroundings; watch for snakes and scorpians, and a wide variety of catcus types-so please be careful.  Dress appropriately and carry essential gear.     

 Traveling with your Pet to National Parks: 

We went to the Great Basin National Park in Nevada and found that you can not take your dog on any of the trails.  This, we were told, was the case at all National Parks.  I realize that they are trying to keep the parks clean and it is unfortunate that those before us ruined it for the rest of us, but really-they can't go outside on any of the trails.  It's outside! Pet owners need to be more responsible so that we do not lose more places to take them.  California Beaches: Most(haven't been to all) of the beaches in California restrict dogs, some don't even allow dogs on them.  There are a couple of designated beaches.  Check before you go.  Around Town: Many cities now have laws for picking up after your dog, some are nice enough to place bags in different places for our convenience. 

 Keep Out of Reach

       **Do you know what is safe and not safe for your dog to eat?                        In my experience it depends on who you ask. One person may say one thing and another say something else.

Consider this:  www.can-dogs-eat.com

 So many dogs have pain with their joints, either because they are small and they are constantly jumping up and down, or just due to age.  Many years ago a vet suggested using Glucosamine and it was used up for the rest of her life and she never had joint pain again.  At the time I used an over the counter product used for humans, just adjusted dose for weight, however there are companies now that sell products for pets, like:

HealthyPets

Like any med there are side effects, so read this:   www.dogarthritisblog.info

 Dogs Over the Counter(OTC) Antihistamines(MUST NOT CONTAIN DECONGESTANT):

1. Chlorpheniramine( 4 mg tablets) 
2. Tavist-Allergy( 1.34 mg tablets)( Generic: Clemastine Fumarate)
3. Benadryl( 25 mg tablets)

TALK TO YOUR VET ABOUT DOSING AND FREQUENCY

Before starting any regimen, whether natural or not, you should check with your vet    

other Pet related Blogs:

www.pet-articles.blogspot.com

It is awful when your pet is sick it is terrifying when they are lost: