Mountaintop Removal Education

"Alright kids, May I have your attention please?" As the teacher stands before the 7th grade class Anywhere, USA. Today, we are going to examine a method of coal mining that is affecting the lives of fellow American citizens in Kentucky, Tennesee, Virginia and West Virginia. The strategy for mining in these areas have evolved from conventional strip mining to something called mountaintop removal. An environmentally destructive practice that eliminates quality of life for wildlife and humankind alike. Minimal reclamation of stripped mountaintops have occured because of accessibility difficulties and the initial inhospitable environments that are created by the by-products of the mining projects. Upon reading about long term studies of soil composition at the immediate mountaintop mine site - it appears after several decades it does once again have the ability to sustain vegetation. However, I argue"Why would we want to wait that long for a return to some form of normalcy?" Please go see what is being said over at Gristmill.org about a man named Larry Gibson also referred to as "gatekeeper", and the part he is playing in educating the public on this devastating deconstruction of the flora ,fauna, and communities. He is just one of many talking about what is happening in his neck of the woods. Thanks to Denny at Backwoods Drifter for bringing forward this earth shattering issue. I knew of these concerns several years ago because of environmental tidbits you catch on the news...it concerned me then and needless to say it concerns me now. Having many voices speaking out in unison against this method may or may not make a difference in the future of the way business and government will react, sadly to say. The crusade continues... The one thing that is important in my opinion is to keep seeking organizations with clout, politicians that can be your voice to stand in the State and Federal arenas. Marian at Marian's Hunting Stories etc.,etc.,etc... has joined an advocacy movement in making people aware of how to become an influential individual for the cause of protecting the Appalachian homelands. She is inviting others to join her in making a difference. I, for one, believe we need to leave the terrain of the land the way it was made. Something to consider in your own backyard...if business and governement can allow this to happen for so many years in these states. What could you be facing at the hands of local, state, or federal entities on your home-front?...

"The Excellent Blog Award II"

This is the second edition from Timber Life(click to read the first edition) on presenting authors in the blog world with recognition. I will be pointing attention to some blogs that may not have had recent posts for quite some time, but I liked what the writer has said. Many that faithfully bring their readers thoughtful, or entertaining perceptions of their personal life experiences. If you have some time, most of the following writers are apart of my RSS Feed or Blog Roll, maybe they will become apart of your's too if they aren't already - Alphatriology Black Bear Blog Deer Camp Blog deerPHd Huntin' Junky Hunting Life Marian's Hunting Stories, etc..etc... Outdoor Bloggers Summit - Hunt Smart Think Safety Outdoors with Othmar Vorhinger Simply Outdoors Tails and Trails The Buck Hunters Blog The Hunter's Wife The Shed Antler The Trout Hunters Blog The Wild WoodsWoman Upland Feathers

Visiting these folks and clicking on their Blog Rolls opens other windows in the 'Net. May be this gives you an idea of just how hard it is to actually name everyone that deserves to place "The Excellent Blog Award" on their site...

Jesus Christ Superstar Musical Review

How many of you grew up in the era of Ted Neeley, portraying Jesus in the movie"Jesus Christ Superstar?" For those of you who think nostalgically of this cinematic production, I am with you... Ok, I will put a year on it, 1973 if you'd like to know. A very controversial movie when it came out because of the artistic license taken in the depiction of our Lord, Jesus Christ. I don't have a problem with it, because I know what the Bible says on the issues. It came to the attention of our daughter's that the musical would be making a stop in central Iowa. So, for a Christmas present, they provided 2 tickets to Ted Neeley's farewell tour of Jesus Christ Superstar. The weather seemed to cooperate , no difficult commutes to attend the venue. Everything went off without a hitch - We really enjoyed the musical talents of all the actors, but of course there were those that seemed to standout. Ted Neeley, a very talented artist at age 64, still able to hit the high notes... Corey Glover, gave a wonderful performance as "Judas Iscariot". Aaron Fuksa, aka "King Herod" created some comical interactions with the audience upon arrival of his character, continuing to connect the crowd to the stage. Craig Sculli used his talent in the convincing portrayal of "Pontius Pilate." I was able to feel his pain of indecision and the ultimate choice he made. Want to know if it will be playing close to your neighborhood, click here.

It is my opinion that if you like musicals you would like this one. The choreographic expertise has all the individuals working seamlessly to present a well rehearsed production.

Eclipse News for 2008

The topic for this post is a divergence from the normal topics, but one that focuses us to a heavenly body that has a very important influence in our day to day lives. Last summer I happened to make it out of bed in the early morning hours to catch the partial lunar eclipse on August 28th. At that time I became aware we would be having another chance to see a full eclipse come Winter 2008. The time is now to get ready for the total lunar eclipse of February 20-21, 2008. It is going to be visible in the US and Canada during the prime-time evening hours. No need to climb out of bed in the wee hours of the morning to watch the moon seem to disappear. There are 2 solar eclipses and another partial lunar eclipse this year as well. None of these are going to be visible in the United States. So, if you are a person that likes to watch the sky, or know of someone else who might not be aware. Mark your calendar for February 20 - 21st, if the weather allows for unobstructed viewing. Happy "Eyes to the Sky."

Deer-Cat

This picture came to me by way of a forward. The source of the picture was attributed to a lady in Ladysmith, Wisconsin, taken on Saturday. Deer on the deck. Looking in the sliding glass door. That would certainly bring excitement in this household! I wouldn't want the deer to be finding their way through the window... Brings to mind the story I read over at Simply Outdoors about Jeff's deer hunt that seemed to find the bucks confused. At any rate, I wanted to share this picture of a buck, nose to nose, looking longingly into the eyes of an individual of the opposite species. You just wonder what they're thinking???

POST UPDATE March 5, 2008: The original photographer of this picture has offered the facts. Please read the following - This is in regards to the deer and Cat photo. It had been brought to my attention that some one claiming to had taken this photo is from Wisconsin. i am just here to say this is not true, i am the owner of this photo and it was posted in the " country Extra" magazine - Jan issue of 2008 - page 22. It clearly states Marilyn Thornbery, outta Colorado was the photographer. i took this shot and a series of approx 10 more in sequence of the interactions between my cat and the deer. so if your reading this Post and can pass along the information and give credit due where it belongs, i'd appreciate it. Thank you, M. Thornbery

Passing "The Excellent Blog Award"

Recently I received a very nice recognition ,"The Excellent Blog Award", from a southern lady, Marian from Marian's Hunting Stories etc...etc... Since I was graciously bestowed this honor I have some blog writers I think could certainly place this emblem proudly on their sites. I will start with one for now... look for more in the future. deerPHd comes to mind when I think of hard working, devoted to his cause. He has so many great articles, but I think one of my most favorite on going series is "What would you do?" Presently,Bryan is working on pursuing a doctoral degree in Psychology. Raised by a dad that loves hunting and fishing, Bryan is passing along his interest in the same outdoor sports. I am sure you will find spending sometime over at deerPHd an enjoyable read. Please click on over and tell him CDGardens sent you.

Thank You!

Yesterday,Marian stopped by to let me know she had awarded me "The Excellent Blog Award". An honor to be apart of a larger group that enjoys catching up with each other in the blog world. There are so many authors I read and respect for their slant on common experiences that to try to pass the award along would take forever. We have writers that need to step out of their comfort zone (me included), people experiencing illness in the family and illness in their own lives. A few who aren't sure if they are being read...and some that just sit down to type with nothing less than perfection coming off those keyboards. Always something new coming off the 'Net. It is more fun to have a voice behind the numbers reflected by page impression counts, but in case they don't speak up, just smile to yourself and know the"lurkers" are taking a minute to see what you are made of. Why did you choose the internet for your platform? 1.Was it because you thought you had something unique to add? 2.You want to gain a passive income and started to talk about things you are passionate about. What ever the case, my encouragement to everyone is to keep writing. Sure, there will be readers who like the way you write and some who won't. Thanks again Marian for the award. Congratulations to you on your award!

Poachers from South Carolina caught in Iowa

Two South Carolina men were arrested for deer poaching on November 10, 2007 at a Des Moines area hotel by Iowa DNR officials. Michael Sillanpaa Jr., of Summerville, S.C., and David Gordon, of Goose Creek, S.C. found themselves the focus of conservation officers. Tips came from a concerned citizen which led to the search of a local residence and a vehicle. Results of the search led to the seizure of deer, two shotguns, two crossbows, a rifle and other equipment, according to the DNR. The men came to Iowa last October...purchasing small game licenses and paying the habitat fee so they would have a legitimate reason to be in the woods hunting. Little did they realize they had become the focus of surveillance by the DNR. These guys were observed purchasing a $1,060 crossbow by officers at a local sporting goods store. Conservation Officer Jeff Swearngin reported later that they had been followed through two state parks where they would kill deer by shooting the crossbow from their vehicle, coming back at night to get the animal's head. Crossbows are not a legal form of weaponry to hunt unless you are disabled here in the state of Iowa. The Iowa DNR said the men shot two bucks, and South Carolina game wardens found three shoulder mounts and two other separate set of deer antlers also taken in Iowa. This wasn't the first time Sillanpaa has been involved with poaching officials from South Carolina revealed. Without this breakthrough these guys would never have been caught. What was strange was that they have been deer poaching in Iowa for the last 10 years. What kind of penalty was imposed you ask? State environmental officials required Michael Sillanpaa Jr., and David Gordon to pay $24,000 in damages, give up $5,000 worth of hunting equipment, and pay a fine of $2,137 which reflected the value of the recovered deer antlers. In looking over the facts - a question comes to mind. What has made the collection of deer antler so valuable that they would risk going above the law to procure them? They don't seem to be alone...

"What would you do?"

Bryan,over at deerPhD has started a weekly article giving scenarios for the hunter to decide what decisions they might make while in the timber or field. If you haven't had a chance to stop in yet, I highly recommend taking a look around deerPhD to see what this author is bringing to his readers. Now, I would like to ask what you would do with the facts I am about to present. This is how I've assumed events unfolded when I went to look later in the day. Heading back to the second day of muzzleloader season I heard three shots , two of them not far from our house. It appeared that the muzzleloaders may have injured a deer that took off running. I found one tiny blood drop at the corner of the fence where they crossed onto my property.... There were tracks of two ATVs, to me it looks as though they were chasing deer, because of where they went in correlation to deer tracks.

Bringing hunter activity from the neighbor's cornfield down into the tree line between our cornfields. Having pictorial documentation of the results of the two shots close to our homestead, I could correlate position of hunter to hunted. What I would like to know-

1. As a hunter, how far would you go in a chase by foot to get your injured deer in the snow and cold? Would you pursue with an ATV? 2. As a landowner, what would you do if you weren't certain if those who didn't have permission to hunt your property, but had the right to retrieve a kill without firearms, was hunting illegally? First shot wasn't lethal. Here at enotes.com,"Law & Politics" section you can find some interesting facts about what is considered trespassing in 40 of our 50 states. The information is worth checking out to see where you stand as a hunter and or a landowner...

Anybody Home?

Today I went to collect my two field cameras to see just what was stopping to pose for their pictures. The time stamps have wide gaps - when the batteries warm up they catch anything walking by. The cameras have been out since the 4th with a limited amount of wildlife being captured.

A couple of Alberta Clippers are scheduled to make their sweep through the state, the decision was made to keep one camera inside, and the other would be stationed on the back steps to catch the bird activity. Pictures of the re-cycled Christmas Tree and birds will come at a later time if the chill doesn't prevent the process from happening.

We have had some marauding wildlife in the vicinity as of late. The tracks and vocalizations point to Opossum which make their yearly reservation. It may be possible to catch the little critters in view of the back steps with the trail camera. One was caught in a foggy picture in the field. While I was out hunting I watched one as it briskly bustled from place to place.

Hope everyone is finding something to do to keep warm and well through these cold blustery months. Later!