Number 85 - To see a tree asmiling.

Good article Stradee. I - in High School - was in the FFA (Future Farmers of America) class. (Also, in grade school was in the 4H (Head, Heart, Hand and Health). We were taught the same things your site showed. And, that was a LONG time ago.
The base of politics is money. An honest man can't last very long in that venue.
Sad but true.
Agriculture is a very large base for politicians to make a buck - everyone has to eat to live.
I'm not taking anything away from the wolf's plight - it lies in the same graveyard as the rest of our food. Except the concept of the wolf is taken mostly from movie versions of the animal. In real life they are shy. In the movies they are the bad guys. Blame the movie producers.

Dan, what hunters and ranchers have said for years about wolves is just not true. Feeding those who do not live urban lives lies and misleading statements, the movie industry finally was absolved after "Dances With Wolves" where the animal was depicted the way they are.

The arguments for and against have been with us for years. I believe predator animals will fare much better if humans stop 'management' policies that are only good for one thing. Hunting.

It's a losing battle, dan. For the animals, for habitat, and humans as well.

Good morning all wilclickers. With a little bit of luck we will get some much needed rain today and this evening. Cross your fingers for me.

Stradee, I agree it's a losing battle for all animals - which includes humans.

Looks like we baby boomers are the lucky ones - at least for the first 20+ yrs of our lives we actually had clean air. That doesn't exist now.

I have 'Dances with Wolves' in my movie library. When she was younger our outside dog, Chloe, would 'Run with the Deer'....... One morning we saw the entire deer herd running through our front yard with Chloe running along in the middle. Now, she's like me - hard to get up from a sitting position and takes awhile to get limber enough to walk straight. But, her eyes glow when I go outside and you can see the happiness in her face.

sumac, I'm keeping all ten fingers crossed for you. Not an easy thing to do. Grin

Hoping for some rain for you - I have my Native American necklace on and am doing a dance for you.

Thanks, Danon.

The majority of Americans are our age! Unbelievable, huh?

Eight years ago i moved to the Sierra's where there is an established small community, with zero construction (homes replaced on existing landowner lots, if that), above the smog line...clear skys and fresh mountain air. Sacramento grew leaps and bounds the past 10 years (or more) floating smog from the valley infiltrates the clean air we all once savored.

Course, nine years ago, most if not all of the clean air and water acts enacted by Congress were lifted for the sake of republican 'progress'. Now we're back to square one waiting (they say) for 1999 air quality. yeah, right

The good news is, we never hear about the millions of people working to keep the planet alive for future generations(and one Republican, our HS)...and i'd like to believe that is won't be 'to little, to late' and our grandkids will have a chance to live healthy lives.

Generally, i'm awake at 5:00 a.m., feed the cats, grab a cup of coffee, and listen to the sounds of the waking forest. We are so very fortunate, Dan.

Sue, ditto on the prayers for rain. There's a kachina sand painting given to me by a friend that might work. Not as well as dans beads, but i'll try.

Well, even though i'm not moving quite as quickly then just a few years ago, there's still a ton of work to finish. One repair, leads to another, and another...laughing...by the time i'm finished, the house will tumble, but damn! the porch ain't movin an inch! determined

Have a good day all ~

Here's my Kachina =
It's on my bookshelf with some other stuff. The pistol is from my Great Grampa. The Stoddard book collection is complete - with the 4 additions. The milk container from Kenya still smells of the fermented stuff that they carried in it. The little round greenish thingy is from Austria, it is the container for the hairy thingy that is on my Austrian hat. It's the same company that made the hairy thingies for Franz Joseph.

Here is a pic of my Apache necklace given to me by my blood brother during the ceremony inducting me into his family. =
Inside the box are two bears teeth about 40,000 yrs old. I bought them from the person who dug them - he is a professor of history at the University of Vienna - so, I believed him. The stones are hand grinders from the local Caddo tribe - I don't have the "bowl" used with it. I had one long ago, but it's gone now.

Still dancing sumac.............

Stradee, I awake about 5 am also - then lie there wishing I were asleep till about a quarter to 6. Then get up - creep around until things don't hurt anymore - and have a cup of coffee.

Hope all is well with all Wildclickers.........

You have got a lotta interesting stuff, dan!

You posted a photo a few years ago...pic of an Austrian hat...with a thingy that looked like a wisk broom (for lack of a better description), and i'm wondering if the brush on the shelf belongs to that hat.

Ah, what a neat Kachinca doll! What's the handled wooden thingy sitting directly in front of the doll? Looks like a tiny hammer...and in the box...what's the round gold object...and is that a tooth carving of a mouse (next to the bears tooth?)

Alexandra Stoddard? Such a marvelous writer (what moms should know, etc) an original collection is priceless.

There is no doubt that you live in a museum of natural history, plus.

Have a marvelous evening, dan and all wildclickers ~

Stradee, here is another view of the thing =
It's a copy I carved of the handle of a small touristy knife my uncle bought in the Philippines during WWII. I don't know where the original went.

Next is the mysterious golden ball - it is a Salzburg Mozart Kugel - a REALLY GOOD chocolate candy that I have saved from my first visit in 1976.
The open wrapper is from a Sissi Taler - a really good chocolate shaped like a dollar. (((In fact the American word Dollar came from the German word Taler - which means about the same thing in different denominations)))

This pic is some knives =

The top one is the knife I had in the jungle when I met the black panther. It was the only weapon I had. The small knife is the one I carried in Vietnam. The one under that is the German bayonet given to me by my friend Franz in Austria - he carried it in WWII in Russia and later on the Western Front towards the end of the war. The bottom German bayonet is one I found and bought at a junk store.

Oh, wait!!
Here is the oldest knife I have. It is Celtic from around the area of present day Czech Rep. It was used by holding it like you see in the pic and pulling in short repetitions to cut meat. It's from the Roman era give or take a few hundred years.

G'day to all the WildClickers.

I finally caught up on some errands and a few minor chores yesterday. The weather was nice for a change. Not too hot, just on the up side of warm. Not too humid - that made me verra happy!

Click on wildclickers!

time to listen to the World Cup final game

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Always great to see hints of your grand collections danon.

and Stradee's writings about her current home - you both know how to make things sound so appealing

my hair is braided and twisted up for rain for sumac (and I hope she sends it further north for us to have a share)

Hi ehBeth, glad you are ok and saving trees! Another tree asmiling today!!

Stradee, I forgot to add the info re the hairy thingy - It's called a Gamsbart and is the shoulder hair of a goat that lives very high up in the Alpine region of S. Germany and Austria. There are a lot of rip-offs sold these days but I got mine at the Junking market in Vienna - almost as an afterthought the seller said "here is the original container it came in."
Here is the hat =

The wall lamp is original, the books you see are all over 100 yrs old, the mortar and pestles are original and the photo behind all that is one of my GGGrandpas Civil War reunion.

Here is the Gamsbart container =

On the label it says = Alois Pichler, Wien --- Erzherzogl.Kammerlieferant Herzogl.Hoflieferant

Maybe ehBeth can translate all that.........

Stradee - can't get over your BOOK! It's one of the most beautiful books I've ever seen - and no, Danon, you're not getting it next because it weighs about as much as I do and costs a fortune to send through the mails. Wolfies! They all have the sweet faces, furry tails, pointy ears, big paws, intelligent eyes as Siberian Huskies. Well, same family. I'm going to spare you any more raving for now - am still looking through the stunning pictures, this will take me a long time to read from start to finish. Thank you Stradee so much, you really shouldn't have

Free at last free at last good god almighty...(well for today anyhooo)...freeeeeee

Ah, now the wooden thingy is nicely carved when seen close up...(and is that the holder for it ? brown leathery with bamboo and threads (?) holder on the same paper? I know...i gotta know everything. laughing

The box held all those chocolates? Bliss I do luv choco!

Nice knife collection! Have a few sheaved knives that i keep in the garage, with my horses' gear (still have all his leather stuff, including leg wraps) the saddle lives in the shed for now...soon as i buy a new one, all the tack will be organized there for daughter and s.i.l.

Is the Roman knife made of shale? Looks like it from the pic, but certainly they used something a tad stronger. No meat tenderizers in those days (or table manners for that matter)

Dan, your treasures are very cool. Post as many as you'd like. Believe me, I could look at historical antiques all day.

OH, I'm so glad you liked the book, T! Was worried because there are some wolfies who arn't alive, and the pictures are disturbing, but for the most part, the rest of the book is quite marvelous! Are they not the most beautiful animals? Siberian Huskies are very close relatives to our Northern Wolf packs of today. The only difference is stature. God, they are beautiful.

Yes, I should have! You have been such a good friend, and i couldn't think of a better way to say "Thank You".

You're very welcome.

Hi Beth, and good day to you too.

Spain carries home the gold! How exciting for their nation!

sue, you should have rain by now, with all the good thoughts sent your way.

Weathers very hot here, but managed finishing the deck railing repairs and primer. HURRAY! A free evening of reading and relaxing.

Have a good evening wildclickers ~

Stradee, the knife isn't Roman, it's Celtic. Possibly pre-Roman, but, about that time frame. It is made of iron - the rough finish is where the rust was removed. It still has a sharp edge though. American Natives have used the same type item for thousands of years - but, theirs was shards of flint, which they used in the same manner to cut meat. Held between the thumb and finger and using short motions to make cuts.

Here is another pic of the knife handle I carved and the other object =

The model is of the ship Santa Maria - whats left of it after being played with by neices, nephews and grandkids over the past 60 yrs. I made the model and carved the handle as a pre-teenager. The ship model originally had masts, sails (with Maltese Cross) and everything. It didn't survive the kids.

Hello Monday People.......
I know there are a few of us who must - er, ah, have to get up at a certain time each morning. I forget why, but, it must be something of some importance.
It's been so long a time for me to try and remember why this has to happen.......
I forget in my --- ahem! Retirement.......... Hey!!!!!!!
You young-ones have something to look forward to........!
If you plan ahead...............period!
No Plan = too bad...
A Plan = at ease in old age.
Your choice.

(((I'm probably preaching to the choir - but, =


That's my friend in California's T shirt.............
Don't ya just luv it!!!

It's from Hawaii of course.......

Great place to be.

Ah, misread explaination...not unusual for my age...grinning. Guess we humans began using tools soon as we stopped knuckle walking...and that was a very good thing, imo.

Poor Santa Maria's shipwrecked! Intricate work, dan. Bet that took a few days to finish. Gotta luv the grandkids though. It's a rule they pick up everything they see at their grandparents house. Kinda nice.

My son, when he was a toddler, was facinated with cooking pot lids. He'd crawl to the 'lid' drawer, and my mom and i would be jumping over pots, pans, and lids trying to prepare dinner. Probably was better than letting him crawl all over the house. At least in the kitchen we could keep an eye on his face, and it was difficult hurting cookware. Now if he had been alone anywhere near my dad's den? Good God!

I know you have "the drawer"...the place where dads kept their treasures, and only allow the kids near IF dad was in the room. So funny that even when we were older, we still didn't go near that dresser, unless given permission. amazing the things we remember

Wise words, Dan! Am copying them down verbatim. Must leave for Japan, back in August. Stradee, thanks again for wonderful wolf book!