Sunday, June 29, 2014

She Broke My Heart

Where are you, mommy?
I had never heard such a sound before.  I was thinking that someone might be whistling.  It was a high-pitched sound.  I looked out my bedroom window.  I saw one of Veronica's young groundhogs sitting near her home: a hole in the ground (right next to the building I live in).  I realized she was making the sound.  She was yelping.  I believe she was calling out for her mama: Veronica.  I had seen her earlier that day.  She was in the same place, right next to the hole, and she was looking around.  She even stood up on her hind legs so she could see more.  But she probably did not see her mama, which is why she called out to her.  I can't be totally sure.  She might have been calling out to one of her sisters or brothers.  But my gut instinct told me she was summoning her mama.
Veronica is a wonderful mother.  She gave birth to 5 baby groundhogs this spring.  I've seen mother groundhogs attack their own children: not Veronica.  As far as what I've seen, she's only been good to her little rascals.  But I think that trouble arrived in the form of another adult groundhog.  I thought it was strange that Veronica didn't chase this invader away.  Mother groundhogs are usually very protective of their young.  I assumed she was intimidated by this groundhog.  Then I realized I hadn't seen Veronica in a while.  I believe this adult groundhog chased her away: away from her babies, which is why one of her daughters would cry out for her to come back.
Before I began to write this post, I could see 3 young uns eating grass and weeds.  I really believe that the adult groundhog around here is not mama Veronica.  Adults usually have missing fur: possibly where they've been attacked, and bitten, by other groundhogs.  I've taken pictures of Veronica, and I believe this adult is not her.  How is Veronica?  I worry about her.  What is the dynamic between this adult and the young uns?  I haven't seen this adult terrorize any of them, but that doesn't mean it hasn't happened, and that it won't continue.  Is this adult living with the young uns?  I don't know.  It's anarchy out there.     

Saturday, June 21, 2014

Eat Organic Spinach

Mama Veronica with 4 of her 5 babies.
I have had problems with depression and OCD.  For anyone who has problems with issues like depression, I highly recommend eating fresh organic spinach everyday.  Eat plenty of it.  It is very healthy for body and mind.  I've been feeling so good since I started eating it every day.  I must admit that I want to help animals most of all.  But if I can help people, especially those who are dealing with depression, I will.  Suicide is so ugly.  There's so much of it going on every day in the world.  The only people I'm fine with committing suicide are terrorists (hopefully not in a suicide bombing) and other violent criminals who have no chance of reform.  I know it seems crazy that spinach can help so much with one's mood, but it's true.  I'm not lying here.  To be honest, I drink, so there's that too.  I'm not recommending that people drink, I'm just providing all the information I can.  I recommend you don't drink.  I feel best when I wake up after not drinking the night before.  Unfortunately, I currently associate drinking with writing.  It seems like, when I drink, I have more stamina to sit at the computer and write.  So it's a psychological thing.
Enough of that, back to the groundhog news.  My choice for mother of the year so far is Veronica.  She is the best groundhog mother I've ever seen.  I've seen a groundhog mother attack one of her babies: not Veronica.  She is a great mother.  I saw a baby come right up to her and start pawing her face.  She just moved her face out of the way.
At least one of the 5 growing groundhog babies is feisty.  One kept bugging one of her sisters.  She sneaked up behind her and bit at her tail.  I hope it was playing and not bullying.  The one who was getting her tail bit turned around and yelped.  Then the aggressor ran back to hide behind a bush.  Then she ran to the next bush.  Then she ran back to the first bush.  What a feisty groundhog baby!  In my experience, the only time when they're playful is when they're young.  Once they're adults, they seem to be only interested in eating grass and weeds, running from danger, or chasing away animals (including groundhogs) they don't want around.     

Sunday, June 15, 2014

Never Give Up

sisters
Last week, I was disappointed with myself.  I'm less so now.  That was a strange incident.  I'm ready for it now.
Recently, a loud group of kids saw a groundhog or two.  They saw him and/or her go into the hole that's right next to the building I live in.  They began to have a discussion about what they should do.  One of them suggested trying to chase them.
The oldest girl in the group made me proud.  She said, "How would you like to be chased?"  It gave me hope for the future.
Then one of the other kids said, "I'd love it; I love to play tag."  They're not "playing tag," kid.  They''re terrified and running for their lives.  One of them threw something, like a rock, down the hole.  That was my cue.
"Leave them alone," I said out my bedroom window.  They looked up at me.  They seemed to be startled.  They ran away.  I did not yell.  I did not have a mean tone in my voice.  Regardless, they stopped terrifying defenseless animals.
I'm not the only person around here who loves groundhogs.  I heard something, so I looked out the window.  Two maintenance workers were driving around on a golf cart (They don't walk anywhere.).  One of the guys was saying, "Look at them!" Then he said it again.  He was referring to two baby groundhogs who were running for cover.  To my eyes, he looked like a cool, possibly tough, young guy.  But I heard his voice raise when he told his coworker to look at the groundhogs.  I believe he was delighted by the sight of the baby groundhogs.
Then, when I went downtown, I saw groundhogs grazing there.  They were doing it in an area where people were all over the place.  There was a workplace on one side and plenty of downtown traffic on the other.  They didn't have a lot of room to themselves.  Not surprisingly, they didn't seem to be as afraid of people as the suburban groundhogs that I'm used to.  Two guys looked at them and began speaking to each other in Spanish.  I kept an eye on them, but it seemed like they were just looking.  Groundhogs are a North American beastie.  Not everyone is as fortunate as I am to see them every day: except for winter.        

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Fear

Lil' furball
Fear is evil.  It keeps us from doing things we should.
However, let me make a quick detour and tell you about spinach.  I have had problems with depression and OCD.  Lately, though, I've been feeling pretty darn good.  Why?  I pondered the situation and realized that it had to be the introduction of spinach into my diet.  I always knew I hadn't been eating enough dark green leafy veggies, but after hearing Dr. Oz extol the virtues of spinach as a natural source of calcium and as something that helps detoxify the liver, I decided to make it a regular part of my diet.  Eat as much raw organic spinach as you can.  It's important it be organic, because spinach is one of the dirty dozen; it soaks up pesticides like a sponge.
Back to fear.  I was thinking this would be a triumphant blog post.  I planned to title it "3 in 2," because, I told kids to leave local wild animals alone 3 times in 2 days.  I was proud of myself.  I got better at it too.  I became nicer.  They say you'll get more flies with honey than with vinegar.  Well, the other night, a couple of young guys (20s-early 30s) were hanging out on the picnic table that can be easily seen from my windows.  They were smoking and laughing.  I'd rather hear my music than them, but, whatever, it wasn't too late for them to make some noise.  Then I noticed that one of them was approaching my building with a stick in his hand.  I immediately suspected that he picked up that stick to attack or terrorize a small wild animal.  I began to monitor the situation.  However, I was also a little scared that these guys would see me looking out the window at one of them and confront me about it.  Which I don't care about presently.  But if I were to make enemies with these guys and buy a car, then I'd be worried about it being vandalized.  So I wasn't as aggressive about looking at what they were doing had they been kids.  I never saw this man do anything wrong.  Both of them were laughing about what he was doing, or threatening, to do.  That was the end of it.  I'd like to think, that if he continued to act like that, I would have gotten involved.  Regardless, I feel like a coward when it comes to that incident.  I've pondered things thoroughly since then, and I've come to the conclusion that the nice, funny approach is the right way to go.  If you want to change the world, and I certainly do, practice nonviolence, treat people with respect, and, as Patrick Swayze's character said in the great film Road House, be nice.          

Just in Case

if you're here from twitter because i stopped posting, i ask that you NOT ask twitter or anyone to do a wellness check on me. i wouldn&#...