SOME BEAUTIES OF THE ANIMAL WORLD

In the course of writing my novel, I needed to "speak" about horses, among which was The Arab Horse. While surfing the net I came across a number of articles on The Arab Horse. I admire the breed because they are so beautiful, a triumph of breeding by the Arabian Bedouins of Europe and Asia so many thousands of years ago. Today they are bred all around the world.

You can recognize The Arab Horse readily. Their beauty lies in their wedge-shaped head, giving it a dished look. They have small, wide flaring nostrils, with lovely large eyes, small ears, and beautifully arched necks. Their stamina and intelligence are legendary. You may find many articles about them, some at: ezinearticles.com/ for example, under the name, The Arabian Horse-Beauty and Versatility....

As I look out my window I often see several families of Cardinals come to my feeders. The males are truly beautiful in their red coats. One is more brilliant than the others, so I call him "Fatso," a rather shabby name for such a beauty. The other males have more gray on their wings and backs. I love the females as well--who are never far from their males--a lesson for us? Their bits of red and soft browns make them charming.

John Keats, in 1884, wrote in his poem, Endymion, Part I:
"A THING of Beauty is a Joy forever:
Its loveliness increases; it will never pass into nothingness;...."

This certainly applies to the Cardinals and to The Arab Horses of the World.

SNOW, AN INEVITABLE PART OF OUR NORTHERN WINTER CLIMATE FOR OUR WILDLIFE

Several days ago a morning fall of large snowflakes sent my birds into a flurry of feeding. They flitted about from feeder to feeder. Four Cardinal families were most present, shored up by Chickadees and the odd Sparrow. The Jays had gone, and the Juncos, obviously sated for the time. The Mourning Doves were nowhere to be seen. It was fun to watch the Cardinals fly about. They appeared to enjoy the snowflakes. I am at times on a late schedule, so no doubt there will be another round of feeding after the snow has ceased to fall.

I am opened in my Canadian Wildlife calendar to January and a napping Arctic Hare. He, or she is beautiful, and if he stays still he will be safe. He is adorably white with black tips to his ears. I am not fond of watching films about Wildlife in Africa because of its ``dog eat dog`` nature (unfortunate analogy because I like dogs). No doubt the Arctic Hare is caught up in similar circumstances, trying to outwit the Arctic Fox, also white, also camouflaged on the white snow. Just as the Polar Bear must catch and kill the Seal to live and feed their young. Nature, however, works itself out without our help--well, with some help from the Wildlife people trying to keep things on an even keel.

Oddly, without it snowing, the backyard birdfeeders are not so busy. The birds come from time to time, but it is not the hilarity of a ``snowing`` day. The day is dull, the snow promised--about four centimeters. I will take it, even if I must shovel, only to see my birds happy.

Do you have a similar experience with your birds?

THE FEEDING FRENZY IN MY GARDEN

With the first major snow storm here, a feeding frenzy began. The birds obviously could not find food, so came to my feeder. A number put out feeders in the area, but I was pleased to see so many birds. The Blue Jays who come are around six, and scatter seed as they feed. I thought it wasteful, but a friend offered the suggestion that they select the seeds they want and dispense with those they do not. They 'rule the roost,' so to speak.

Next, come the Mourning Doves. I have counted twelve roosting in the trees. They are pairs, and stay somewhat together. There is one pair, a soft pinkish-brown--beautiful. The rest are varying shades of gray. They are patient birds, waiting upon others, mostly ground feeding, although they use the standing feeder as well. I love their gentle sounds, but now with windows shut tight, I cannot hear them. I shall in the early spring.

Ah, the Cardinals. What would we do without them in the dullness of winter? They are indeed bright spots--well, four bright spots usually come with their gentler-colored females. They skirt the Jays, the males less nervous than the females. In a crowed feeding situation, the females bully each other, but never the males. They appear to feed first, and the females fit in, usually ground feeding, whilst the males prefer the large feeder.

The smaller, hanging feeder, is the province of the smaller birds--sometimes Juncos, although they are mostly ground feeders--the Chickadees, the Nuthatches, and the Sparrows. The larger birds flit there to eat from time to time. There is a Cardinal ring for perching, but the male Cardinals prefer the larger feeder, the females the ground.

Then there are the Squirrels. They are grays in this area, and tend to stay where they have been born. I don't see the old one so often. Occasionally he comes for feeding, sits in a tree and glares at me. We have a history. I tried in vain to keep him off the feeders until I got a 'Squirrel Buster,' my hanging feeder, and got smart enough to trim the branches he used as a launch pad. Always there was a baffle, but he sometimes managed to leap to it. The two younger ones ground feed and gambol about chasing one another, and appear content.

Once the storm settled, so did the birds. They come leisurely now, as they need during the day. They no doubt come first when I am abed, but there is a flurry of feeding before their bedtime.

Such drama! I love the frenzy; it is most enjoyable.

THE POLAR BEAR AND CLIMATE CHANGE

I heard on the news some days ago that Polar Bears, unable to get out onto ice floes to get to the seals, are eating their young. I opened my Canadian Wildlife Calendar December first to a picture of a mother Polar Bear resting on the ice, with her young pup sleeping up on her back, and I thought, how sad, if the above account is true. Governments hem and haw over Global Warming when so many signs show it to be self evident. The mother neither eats nor drinks while in the den bearing and rearing her young, which makes it extremely important that she gets to the seals for her nourshment, and those of her young. How can she maintain herself and her young if the ice flows are melting? Seals are the main source of her food.

Since the mother Polar Bear had only a single pup in the picture, and they usually have two, one must speculate why one pup? The other was eaten my a hungry male? the mother was unable to nourish two, therefore only the stronger survived? Perhaps only the photographer knew. Perhaps not. Is there a more sinister reason? She looked rather lean.

The Polar Bear is a member of a class of endangered species. They are protected in the Northern countries of their habitat: (US) Alaska, Canada, Greenland, Norway, Denmark, and Russia, by an International Agreement on Conservation and Managememt of Polar Bears. Not only climate change, but pollution, industrial activities, and poaching, can harm them.
http://www.polarbearsinternational.org/

Let us hope that something good comes out of the Copenhagen Conference on Climate
Change--especially sea ice loss--to help the Polar Bear.

RESCUING THE PERISHING

A story has been paramount in my area for several weeks concerning ninety-nine sled dogs rescued from a farm further north by the Animal Protection Societies. The owner was unable to care for them.

This is a problem with sled dogs. They work hard during the snowy winter months in races, etc., but the owners must still feed and care for them over spring, summer, and fall. A huge task it is for anyone to take on ninety-nine?? From pictures, the dogs were somewhat emaciated, cold, and hungry, and the rescue team saw no water. Thirty of the females were pregnant, and at the last report I heard, four mothers had dropped (for example) ten puppies each. Twenty-six more mothers have yet to bear. Most of the dogs are huskies, but some are cross breeds.

When one thinks of the enormity of the task the Humane Societies must face in feeding and providing Veterinarian care for so many dogs, it is staggering. I understand they have a source for food, but they need donations for the Vet care, not to mention the advertising needed to place all of these dogs in homes across Canada and the USA. People are calling in, but such a program for all of these dogs and the puppies to come!!!

How sad that this occurrence happens all over North America, with even worse horror stories of dogs in far worse conditions. Lax tax laws and punishments allow for this, and even some owners are given back some of their dogs to start the process all over again--but one sees the winds of change. It is our task to press for firmer laws, and that owners receive more severe judgments so they will think twice before jeopardizing these beautiful animals.

We must do our part to help. The Humane Societies will be aware of this story if you wish to assist.

STANDARDS IN DOGS, AND THEIR IMPLICATIONS

I talked before about Standards when Showing dogs. I thought this time to write about the implications of that Standard, as shown in the 2009 Shetland Sheepdog Calendar to help you understand the dogs' points of difference. The more I looked at this Calendar each month, the more I realized they deserved a comment. Without looking at the Calendar it is difficult, but bear with me.

True, on the cover, there are two cute puppies, and beautiful dogs all through. There are, however, pros and cons I will offer. They are used in Shows to make decisions, and will help you when you make a purchase of a breed. You need to learn your breed. The Inside Cover shows a gorgeous Sable and White Sheltie head. She is perfect in every way, a credit to the breed. We would need to see the whole, but such a perfect head should have a perfect body.

January: A Blue Merle with excellent ears, and the blue eye. The head suggests a male, but the small bib and full skirt make her look female. Could be wrong.
February: The puppies from the cover. Left is an excellent Blue Merle male around six months old. Right is a smaller, younger Sable and White female. She has good ears, but her look is hard, rather than soft. It is in the eye.
March: A Sable and White male with ears back, and a Collie-like head.
April: A beautiful Sable and White mother and pup. Delightful! Right on Standard.
May: A lovely Blue Merle male with questionable ears.
June: A rangy Sable female up to Standard, and a large, gangly Blue Merle male, perhaps over six months. Her son?
July: A Sable and White bitch jumping in an Obedience setting.
August: A good Sable and White bitch, either young, or having lost her coat through breeding.
September: Left is a Blue Merle male with too large ears and a pinched look, hard eyes with unfortunate markings.
Sable dog beside him has hard eyes and sky high ears. They should tip over a third. A breeding fault?
October: Sable and White males, but I could be wrong. Muzzles are masculine. Usually males have a large lion-like bib, whereas females have a smaller bib and a full skirt.
November: Blue Merle male running with ears back by the wind (I hope). He has a beautiful coat and good bone, but with a brown eye. Usually Blue Merles have blue eyes. (Black iris with blue 'whites').
December: Mistake in breeding here. Left is a large Sable male with Collie head and askew ears. Right, another male(?) with flopped over ears--bad. Such ears must be trained when they are puppies. Both have excellent soft eyes.

All of these dogs re beautifully groomed for their photos, but I note these faults to show that one must learn the breed Standard. Unless you do, and you decide to breed your dog, then you can double up the faults and do the breed a disservice. A good breeder will only breed a bitch to a dog who will cancel out major faults and vice versa.

A dog or bitch who conforms to a Breed Standard is beautiful to behold.

I am putting up a picture of my Tri-color, JEWEL.