OpalS

06/09/2023

06/09/2023

01/09/2023

Copied and reposted with permission:

Posting for a friend whose parents have to re-home their 2 dogs because they need to move from Raymond to an apartment. This has been difficult for them. If you know of someone who has lots of outdoor space and can home two loving dogs who need to stay together . Let us know. The post is attached : thank you . 🤞

I’m posting this for my parents. They live up in Raymond near Lyons and they will be moving into an apartment and need to re-home their amazing dogs. They are hoping to find a loving home for them and would love for them to stay together. 🙏🏽

We are looking to re-home our 2x full bred, black Labrador retrievers, five years old. Siblings, a female, 73 lbs. and a male 110 lbs. fully vaccinated, good health, neutered, and spayed. They live in the mountains and are used to room to run and swim. Joey is large and gentle, loves his tummy rubbed. Nelly is a talker and funny, she’ll sit for a rub too. Excited greeters, good with kids. calm indoors. We have to move to an apartment and want our pups to be happy. Please help us find them a loving home. We really want them to stay together.

16/08/2023

The reason for those lines near disabled and handicap areas...

23/07/2023

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT regarding the shopping app TEMU ...
Radio talk show hostess, Kim Komando, did some digging about TEMU and this is what she found!

Seemingly overnight, everyone’s talking about Temu (pronounced “tee-moo”), an online shopping app that boasts deals that seem too good to be true, like $17 wireless earbuds, $1 “gold” necklaces and $23 wedding dresses.
Over 50 million Americans have downloaded Temu since it launched state-side in September 2022, after it gained traction with expensive Super Bowl ads promising to let you “shop like a billionaire.”
Today, Temu is the most popular shopping app in the U.S. behind Amazon. But most of us don’t know much about the app’s true origins. Reader Daniel Mayer asked an important question, “Is [Temu] something we should be concerned about?”
So, I did some digging. And as it turns out, yes, you absolutely should be. Here’s what I found:
Where did Temu come from?
This isn’t some fly-by-night operation. Temu is based in Boston, Massachusetts, by PDD Holdings Inc. (Nasdaq: PDD). PDD is headquartered in Shanghai, China.
PDD also owns the e-commerce platform Pinduoduo headquartered in — you guessed it — China. So, Temu is a Communist China-based app and site.
What you need to know before using Temu
First, you’re buying goods directly from manufacturers in China and other parts of the world. That’s why shipping times are often 12 days or longer. The prices are low because the goods are cheap. The pictures of what you see advertised may not be what you actually get.
Temu’s BBB rating is 2.21/5. Reviews at TrustPilot are interesting, with 38% 5-star reviews and 41% 1-star reviews.
But that’s not the worst of it.
Temu is downright dangerous.
The app is a clever, pervasive digital stalker. As you shop, Temu monitors your activity on other apps, tracks your notifications and location and changes settings.
🛑 It gets worse. Temu gains full access to all your contacts, calendars and photo albums, plus all your social media accounts, chats and texts. In other words, literally everything on your phone.
No shopping app needs this much control, especially one tied to Communist China. If you’re using Temu, delete the app from your phone ASAP.
On iPhone, Long-press an app, then tap Remove App > Delete App. Tap Delete to confirm.
On Android, touch and hold an app, then tap Remove App > Delete App > Delete.
Pro tip: If you downloaded Temu, to be safe from Chinese spies, you really need to do a full factory reset.
But wait, there’s more! Temu’s sister app was removed from Google Play because of malware.
Do not buy from this company, or use their app!

(Copied. Pass this info on.)

01/01/2023

AKC dog shows combine the thrill of competition with the fun of seeing and learning about all different dog breeds. Meet other dog lovers and strengthen the bond with your dog.

01/01/2023

28/12/2022

We're all crying at the thoughtfulness.

It's proof we work with good people.

24/12/2022

Whatever your beliefs, we wish you a Merry Christmas and hope this holiday season holds your loved ones gently with peace. We wish that everyone make holiday memories that are joyous to recall and last a lifetime.

Blessings on everyone.

21/12/2022

With a heavy heart we report our beloved Great Dane, Lexi died yesterday.

She is our Galloping Galoot who likes to jump in the air before doing a big body shake so her legs flew all akimbo.

Lexi had an unknown start in life but leaves beloved. She leaves behind a Great Dane shaped hole of infinite size to match our love of her.

We will always love our big beautiful baby.

Please know this is a treasured soul and we are gladdened she is no longer in pain and sorry she ever was.

We grieve for our loss and know she has her leg back and is running with her best friends who have gone before.

She is beloved and treasured. We will sorely miss her the rest of our lives until we meet again at the Rainbow Bridge. We'll bring the treats; she'll bring the kisses.

21/09/2022

Happy Birthday to the entire Double Helix Frozen Litter including (possibly especially...) our own Swin. Today she celebrates the conclusion of her 8th year and starts her 9th.

She's an amazing service dog and fantastic Samoyed. It's her puppy picture that's on our profile.

29/08/2022

I've seen a couple very serious injuries caused by retractable leads. There was a time a preschool girl was reaching to pet a favorite dog and another on a retractable lead started running.

The lead wrapped the girls throat and picked her up off the ground cutting her ear to ear and she immediately started screaming when free that she hated dogs. She would barely let her favorite dog within reach in those moments.

As we were moving that day, I have no idea if she ended up afraid for life or scarred.

A retractable leash might seem more convenient, but are there some reasons you shouldn’t use them? Read on to learn more about why retractable leashes might not be a good choice for you and your dog.

18/07/2022

Good dog!

18/07/2022

We always hope to educate, inspire, and support those who read this page.

Today, we ask for education, inspiration, and support.

It is our goal to always expose every one of our dogs to a wide variety of experiences. For this reason we plan to always have at least one animal (likely always a dog as some in the home can't abide living with a cat) of a different breed and temperament to increase stability and acceptance of others.

As of now we have a lovely spirit in a Great Dane rescue 10 years ago. When Lexi was approximately 6 or 7 months old she was found on the streets of a major metropolitan area starving. The shelter deemed her too large for a home with children. They also deemed her too unwell to live. They suspected she'd die within a week. In fact, we were offered a replacement dog for half price within the month for after she died.

We evaluated her (we are not certified). When we saw no concerning behaviors, we then included our child who was 6 at the time. Her fear response was to get away rather than be aggressive. (We never intentionally scared her but someone made a quick movement and startled her.)

She was a puppy and had been taken into the shelter 14 days prior. She lost 12 pounds since arriving in the shelter with severe diarrhea without any solid substance.

We brought her home. We followed the diet recommended by the shelter vet. Her condition continued to degrade rapidly. In three days she began to become weak. We altered her diet. Within a couple days the diarrhea became soft stool and the weight loss stopped. Within the week her energy increased and she began putting on weight.

She's been our goofy galloping galoot. When she shook herself as a puppy all four legs were off the ground and she shook with so much force all legs shook independently. She was silly. She liked to sit on her haunches and beg as a young dog (we encourage this since it strengthened her back and she is very large). She occasionally stood on her hind legs to remind us how large she is (which is small for her breed though about 110 pounds and 26 our 27 inches at the withers).

Over the last couple weeks she would occasionally hold a rear paw up. Since she can tear around the yard and we have a natural virgin area for the dogs that includes rocks, it wasn't uncommon for her to step wrong on a stone or similar. What was uncommon was when it lasted more than a few hours. Inspection revealed nothing.

We made a veterinarian appointment but couldn't get in for a few weeks. Given it wasn't an obvious injury that was fine. Then about 10 days ago she cried out and stopped walking halfway up the steps. She appeared to have some warmth on that hock/stifle area. With advice from the vet, we treated with anti-inflammatory medication and ice and sought a more immediate appointment with a new veterinarian.

Last week she was seen by a new vet. An x-ray indicates weakened bones and a tentative diagnosis of a pathological break caused by osteosarcoma was rendered. The only way to diagnose bone cancer is with a biopsy of the bone. This is done with a puncture. But when there is bone cancer, bones don't usually heal. And the biopsy will expose more of her system to the cancer cells. Bone cancer metastasis is quick and prolific. We were told incorrectly that a biopsy would spread the cancer more quickly. A prognosis of 1-3 months was declared. With amputation coupled with radiation and/or chemotherapy it is likely to extend that another 3 months with the hope of possibly 6 more months. The vet didn't offer or suggest an x-ray of the chest cavity (the likeliest area to be affected by bone cancer next).

We have heard of the canine cancer vaccine but it isn't apparently available for this type yet. (See https://www.cnn.com/2019/06/21/health/cancer-vaccine-dog-trial/index.html for some information.)

We've dealt with this cancer taking our Labrador Retriever in 2014. It is brutal and cruel. Quality of life choices are difficult and impossible to balance well. Guilt is a guarantee.

We are dealing with a human family member suffering the same diagnosis.

We are hoping someone has information to help Lexi. We ask for prayers.

Thank you for your time in reading this.

A cancer vaccine is being tested in 800 pet dogs. If it works, researchers say it could one day be tested in humans.

18/07/2022

From a post in 2016. Swin is still sassy and healthy:

Had an interesting moment a week ago. Had a friend who lives with a Samoyed over to the house and she met Swin for the first time. I warned her Swin is very smart and would train her. I guess I'm used to smart Samoyeds because I was surprised when my friend was trained in less than 5 minutes.

Swin wanted to be pet more so she got vocal and my friend pet her. Within a minute or so Swin did it again. Within a couple tries and minutes Swin was being constantly pet in her favorite spots without having to resort to using her voice. My friend hadn't realized it until I pointed it out. Only made her love Swin more.

All the training of Swin and I didn't see I was teaching her to train others! Smart girl!

Good friend to take it with a laugh.

16/07/2022

🖤🖤

16/07/2022

16/07/2022

Anyone joining us?

13/07/2022

As we battle cancer on behalf of a Great Dane rescue we came across this information.

If anyone has information about winning or stealing bone cancer, it would be most welcome. We always do it best for every animal for which we are stewards.

https://www.cnn.com/2019/06/21/health/cancer-vaccine-dog-trial/index.html

A cancer vaccine is being tested in 800 pet dogs. If it works, researchers say it could one day be tested in humans.

08/07/2022

A father said to his daughter “You have graduated with honors, here is a Jeep I bought many years ago. It is pretty old now. But before I give it to you, take it to the used car lot downtown and tell them I want to sell it and see how much they offer you for it.”

The daughter went to the used car lot, returned to her father and said, “They offered me $1,000 because they said it looks pretty worn out.”

The father said, now “Take it to the pawn shop.” The daughter went to the pawn shop, returned to her father and said,”The pawn shop offered only $100 because it is an old Jeep.”

The father asked his daughter to go to a Jeep club now and show them the Jeep. The daughter then took the Jeep to the club, returned and told her father,” Some people in the club offered $100,000 for it because “it's an iconic Jeep and sought by many collectors.”

Now the father said this to his daughter, “The right place values you the right way,” If you are not valued, do not be angry, it means you are in the wrong place. Those who know your value are those who appreciate you......Never stay in a place where no one sees your value.

Credit: Unknown

08/07/2022

You’ve probably never heard of Cecilia Payne, so I thought I’d share her story.

Born in 1900, Payne attended Cambridge where she initially studied botany in her first year, but decided to pursue astronomy after listening to a lecture on photographing stars near a solar eclipse to test Einstein’s theory of gravity. She finished her studies but did not receive a degree because Cambridge did not grant degrees to women at the time (they only started granting women degrees in 1948).

Frustrated with her career prospects in the UK, Payne enrolled at Harvard and became the first person to receive a PhD in astronomy from Harvard in 1925. Her thesis, entitled, “Stellar Atmospheres; A Contribution to the Observational Study of High Temperature in the Reversing Layers of Stars,” originally proposed the idea that the sun was composed mostly of hydrogen and helium. However, after her thesis was reviewed by astronomer Henry Norris Russell, Payne was forced to conclude that her results were not actually valid because it contradicted the widely accepted belief at the time that the Sun and Earth were both composed of very similar elemental compositions.

In 1929, Russell realized that Payne’s original conclusions were correct. He published his own paper and received credit for Payne’s conclusions. Astronomer Otto Struve described Payne’s thesis as “the most brilliant PhD thesis ever written in astronomy.”

07/07/2022

I've found boutique mixed breed dog owners are bigger snobs than anyone. But it does fit with the idea that having limited information with unlimited confidence makes an "expert".

Today's PSA, courtesy of the Golden Retriever Club of America:

GRCA Responds to a
Letter to GRCA from a Goldendoodle Breeder:

I am shocked and insulted by your information on the Golden Retriever Club of America web site concerning Golden Doodles. We breed these dogs with every caution and 2 years of research and have had wonderful results.

In my opinion your bias and negative comments are uncalled for, perhaps you should purchase one and find out for yourself before you make such bold statements.

Nancy ________________
GRCA’s Response:
The Golden Retriever Club of America stands behind the information on our Website. We are dedicated to the preservation of the Golden Retriever breed as defined by our standard, which is published on our Website.

You state that you have two years of research behind your breeding program. We have over 140 years of experience in our breed and can trace our entire breeding program back to the mating of two dogs in the 1860’s with very careful notes and ledgers maintained on every single breeding. The history of the Golden Retriever is carefully preserved and documented.

You do not delineate what you mean by research. What we do in the way of research is fund many bona-fide grants designed to help identify and eliminate canine hereditary disease — diseases that are, by the way, passed on to your Golden-doodles. Are you aware of these diseases?

In addition we request that all our members do the basic genetic testing for hips, eyes, hearts and elbows. We request that additional information be given to those who purchase Golden Retrievers about the overall health and longevity of the breed. We expect every breeder to support genetic research not only in doing the four major clearances but also by contributing to a DNA databank available to researchers. The Golden Retriever Club of America is responsible for collecting DNA on over 1000 of our current dogs along with a detailed health profile. There is no such pool of available information on cross bred animals.

You mention wonderful results. That is a rather broad statement. Golden Retrievers excel in multiple venues — field, obedience, conformation, agility, companionship, service, detection, comfort and search and rescue. We have a long history of stable temperaments, trainability and bidability carefully preserved and monitored by conscientious breeders. These breeders have the full resources of our club, our foundation and our membership at their disposal.

The Golden Retriever Club of America also works with the Morris Animal Foundation and The Canine Health Foundation in providing support and samples for vital research in genetics and health. We have never seen a grant application for the health of the Golden-doodle. We have never seen a donation by any Doodle organization to the betterment of canine health, only undocumented claims that their dogs have no health problems. We have never seen anyone breeding doodles of any kind talk about the basic genetic testing for both the Golden and the Poodle. Instead we only hear of these dogs showing up in rescue because the promises of lack of shedding and allergies and stable temperament remain unfulfilled.

The Golden Retriever Club of America also has an extensive rescue network and is among the first to arrive on the scene during natural disasters to provide shelter and assistance to the Golden. Where were the Doodle people during Hurricane Katrina?

We do not condone actions such as the deliberate production of litters from two different AKC recognized breeds of dogs, which does not maintain the separate purpose and integrity of each breed. We speak for the Golden Retriever. We expect our breeders to demonstrate honesty, integrity, and fairness in dealing with other owners, breeders, purchasers of puppies and the general public. We feel that the deliberate production of “Golden Doodles” profoundly violates that trust. The Golden Retriever, as a purebred dog, comes from generations and generations of breeding dogs with a common gene pool and a characteristic appearance, temperament and function. “Goldendoodles” are nothing more than mixed breed dogs.

If you are offended by our website, imagine how we feel about the proliferation of boutique dogs taking advantage of the public and misusing the careful and selectively bred Golden Retriever.

The Board of Directors of the Golden Retriever Club of America

07/07/2022

https://deshinewspost.com/have-scientists-finally-decoded-the-ancient-knowledge-of-how-to-change-the-human-dna

07/07/2022

Native American women were highly visible in early 20th century suffrage. White suffragists were fascinated by matriarchal power within tribes, but quickly forgot them by 1920. “The Indian woman rejoices with you,” one woman told Alice Paul, but she was quick to remind too that the fight was far from over. The 19th Amendment didn’t grant voting rights to Native women— at that point, they weren't even considered US citizens.

That woman who reminded Alice Paul was Zitkala-Ša (“Red Bird”), who spent her entire life straddling two cultures. Born and raised on a reservation in South Dakota, she was taken by Quaker missionaries to attend boarding school. Later, she wrote on her struggles with identity, the inner conflict she felt between the culture she came from, and the culture she was educated in— the joy of learning to read, write and play music, but also the pain of losing her heritage.

While studying at Earlham College and the New England Conservatory of Music, she began recording Native American oral histories and translating them into English. It was her belief that because many Indigenous customs were passed orally through music, opera would be a powerful way to share her cultural values with a new audience. So in 1913, she wrote the libretto and songs for the first Native American opera— composed in the romantic style, and based on a sacred Sioux dance deemed illegal by the US Government.

She argued that as the original people of America, indigenous people had a right to be citizens and be represented in government with the right to vote. Her relentless work in promoting a pan-Indian movement across all tribes for the cause of citizenship rights led to the passage of the 1924 Indian Citizenship Act. In 1926, she co-founded the National Council of American Indians, lobbying for Native suffrage rights. Her later books were amongst the first to bring traditional Native American stories to white audiences.

On International Women’s Day, it’s important to remember Zitkala-Ša’s call to remember Native women, and the full range of their political and cultural experiences.

Photo from Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery

07/07/2022

05/07/2022

Never give up

05/07/2022

I hired a plumber to help me restore an old farmhouse, and after he had just finished a rough first day on the job: a flat tire made him lose an hour of work, his electric drill quit and his ancient one ton truck refused to start. While I drove him home, he sat in stony silence. On arriving, he invited me in to meet his family. As we walked toward the front door, he paused briefly at a small tree, touching the tips of the branches with both hands. When opening the door he underwent an amazing transformation.. His face was wreathed in smiles and he hugged his two small children and gave his wife a kiss. Afterward he walked me to the car. We passed the tree and my curiosity got the better of me. I asked him about what I had seen him do earlier. ‘Oh, that's my trouble tree,' he replied 'I know I can't help having troubles on the job, but one thing's for sure, those troubles don't belong in the house with my wife and the children.. So I just hang them up on the tree every night when I come home and ask God to take care of them. Then in the morning I pick them up again.' 'Funny thing is,' he smiled,' when I come out in the morning to pick 'em up, there aren't nearly as many as I remember hanging up the night before. THIS ONE IS WORTH SENDING ON. Life may not be the party we hoped for, but while we are here we might as well dance. We all need a Tree!

(I didn't create this story, but loved it when I read it and wanted to share)

05/07/2022

In celebration of Independence Day, we're honoring 16-year-old Sybil Ludington, a little-known hero of the American Revolutionary War who rode 40 miles through the night to warn local militia troops of a British attack on the town of Danbury, Connecticut on April 26, 1777. To read more about this courageous teenager who rode twice the distance of Paul Revere on his famous midnight ride, visit https://www.amightygirl.com/blog?p=24115

To introduce your kids to Sybil's story, we highly recommend the picture book "Sybil’s Night Ride" for children 4 to 8 (https://www.amightygirl.com/sybil-s-night-ride), the chapter book "Sybil Ludington’s Midnight Ride" for ages 6 to 9 (https://www.amightygirl.com/sybil-ludington-s-midnight-ride), and the graphic novel "Sybil Ludington Rides to the Rescue" for ages 7 to 10 (https://www.amightygirl.com/sybil-ludington-rides-to-the-rescue)

There are also two historical fiction novels "By the Light of Fireflies" for ages 7 to 10 (https://amzn.to/3xaOWr0) and "Sybil Ludington: Revolutionary War Rider" for ages 8 to 12 (https://www.amightygirl.com/sybil-ludington-war-rider)

She is one of 20 women featured in the fascinating book, "Women Heroes of the American Revolution: 20 Stories of Espionage Sabotage, Defiance, and Rescue," recommended for teens and adults, ages 13 and up, at https://www.amightygirl.com/women-heroes-of-the-american-revolution

To learn about more courageous Revolutionary Women, you can find reading recommendations for both kids and adults in our blog post, "Remember the Ladies: Books Celebrating Revolutionary Women” at https://www.amightygirl.com/blog?p=12580

And, for more inspiring stories of pioneering girls and women throughout history, you can sign-up for A Mighty Girl's free weekly email newsletter at https://www.amightygirl.com/forms/newsletter