Caution: Random objects ahead

babyanimal-gifs: x Human newborns are remarkable similar. lol

Sun, 28 Apr 2013 01:33:30 -0400

x

Human newborns are remarkable similar. lol

theworldwelivein: Photo and caption by Ken Bower The village...

Mon, 03 Sep 2012 20:44:32 -0400

Photo and caption by Ken Bower

The village of Gásadalur and the island of Mykines in the background.

Until a tunnel was built in 2004, the 16 residents living in Gásadalur had to take a strenuous hike or horseback over the steep 400 meter mountain in order to make it to the other villages.

It was a rare sunny day in the Faroe Islands and I had to wait until the clouds rolled in to provide some softer light. I decided to go with a long exposure (1 minute 10 seconds) to illustrate the force of the wind and a serene sea among the isolated islands.

Great shot.

theanimalblog: Elephants are legendary for their memory and...

Mon, 20 Aug 2012 18:42:37 -0400

theanimalblog:

Elephants are legendary for their memory and intelligence including attributes associated with grief, making music, altruism and compassion. We came across this elephant whose corpse was overcome by vultures and jackals. From a distance we heard and then saw another elephant approaching at a fast pace. She was successful at chasing away the predators and then very slowly and with much empathy wrapped her trunk around the deceased elephants tusk. She stayed in this position for several hours guarding her friend.

(submitted by polkadotted)

Another reason animals are better than people.

theanimalblog: A mallard duck rests on a hippo, in a lake at...

Wed, 08 Aug 2012 22:43:08 -0400

theanimalblog:

A mallard duck rests on a hippo, in a lake at Longleat Safari Park in Wiltshire.

Picture: Longleat Safari Park/PA

theworldwelivein: Racing the Stars, But not Forgotten |...

Mon, 06 Aug 2012 13:16:20 -0400

theworldwelivein:

Racing the Stars, But not Forgotten | Racetrack Playa, Death Valley, California
© Grant Kaye Photography

theanimalblog: “I Dream I Can Fly” by Marina Cano

Sat, 02 Jun 2012 17:11:16 -0400

theanimalblog:

“I Dream I Can Fly” by Marina Cano

Lost.

Sat, 21 Jan 2012 23:12:06 -0500

Have you ever had a conversation that ended up altering your life in many ways? Not just your perception on your life but the way you view that which you thought you knew.

I had one of those the other day. Actually it’s still affecting me three days later. And I have no one I can talk to about it. Well maybe one person but I am scared to. Perhaps because talking about it will make it real for me.

In some ways I was better off not knowing… or not fully knowing. I had an idea that something was up but being kind of in the dark was actually protecting me. But that is gone now and I don’t know where I am or where to go.

I just so very desperately want to rewind time back to when everything made sense, before all the events that lead to this happened.

Where am I supposed to go from here? Where are we supposed to go to get it back to normal, right, good?

I love this! thedailyfeed: The handicapped pet industry is...

Sun, 15 Jan 2012 17:36:16 -0500

I love this!

thedailyfeed:

The handicapped pet industry is booming as more Americans turn to specialized shops and services to extend the lives of their injured companions.

Robinson’s animal-oriented inventory of 250 pet products include tiny wheelchairs, diapers, orthotics, leg splints, seat belts, ramps and more. Last year, HandicappedPets.com shipped tens of thousands of items to customers in more than 22 countries, Robinson said.

Though business has exploded in recent years, the pet paralysis industry has been on the rise since the early 1970s, said Dr. Lincoln Parkes, inventor of one of the first pet wheelchairs.

ruineshumaines: Flowerpower (by Michael Poliza)

Mon, 09 Jan 2012 20:57:34 -0500

ruineshumaines:

Flowerpower (by Michael Poliza)

"LIFE SHOULD NOT BE A JOURNEY TO THE GRAVE WITH THE INTENTION OF ARRIVING SAFELY IN A WELL PRESERVED..."

Tue, 27 Dec 2011 23:10:29 -0500

“LIFE SHOULD NOT BE A JOURNEY TO THE GRAVE WITH THE INTENTION OF ARRIVING SAFELY IN A WELL PRESERVED BODY, BUT RATHER TO SKID IN SIDEWAYS, CHOCOLATE IN ONE HAND, WINE IN THE OTHER, BODY THOROUGHTLY WORN OUT AND SCREAMING… WOO HOO, WHAT A RIDE!”

- Carol McCorkle (A wonderful lady I had the great pleasure to have known. May she be carried into heaven on the wings of angels.)

"Merry Christmas to all! And to all a good night!"

Sun, 25 Dec 2011 21:37:27 -0500

“Merry Christmas to all! And to all a good night!”

photojojo: Carli Davidson photographed this heart-squeezing...

Fri, 23 Dec 2011 22:24:33 -0500

photojojo:

Carli Davidson photographed this heart-squeezing series of disabled pets.

You might remember this animal caretaker turned photographer from her series, Shake.

Portraits of Disabled Pets

via LIFE; Feature Shoot

Dear God...

Thu, 22 Dec 2011 12:38:54 -0500

I’m running on empty here. I kind of feel dead inside right now. Maybe it’s preparing me for what’s coming but I don’t like it. I don’t know what to ask for so I’ll just ask that you make the coming events as easy and painless as possible.

Maybe a little help feeling the Christmas cheer I usually have would be good too.

theworldwelivein: Serengeti, Tanzania, Africa© Amnon Eichelberg...

Mon, 19 Dec 2011 18:00:34 -0500

theworldwelivein:

Serengeti, Tanzania, Africa
© Amnon Eichelberg on National Geographic

Prepare all you want... it will still hurt a lot.

Thu, 08 Dec 2011 21:53:37 -0500

A family friend is dying. She pretty much has been for most of this past year. The out look for how long she had has seemed to be given in chunks. Maybe till the end of May. Hopefully till Thanksgiving…

Well the final word has come… one to two months, maybe. Attempts at treatment have been stopped and hospice plans are being made. Also requests for what to put in a obituary have been asked for.

This is not my first dance with death and dying. As mentioned in a previous post I’ve lost my paternal grandmother. From the age of ten I have lost more people than I can count off the top of my head.

But this one will be a hard. I’ve known this woman for twenty seven years (just about my entire life) and she is part of our extended family. Another factor making it difficult is she is one of my mom’s best friends. It’s hard to watch the ones you love give up hope and resign themselves to what can no longer be avoided.

It’s also difficult to think about the family she will be leaving behind. Her husband, two kids (both adults now), siblings, nieces and nephews, in-laws and such. She has been the linchpin in the family, and a guiding force in her kids lives. I cannot imagine her family without her.

So as I said, you can prepare for this all you want. Even see it coming for almost a year. But in the end the loss will still hurt like hell.

mad-as-a-marine-biologist: Lying belly-down on Antarctic...

Mon, 21 Nov 2011 22:51:18 -0500

mad-as-a-marine-biologist:

Lying belly-down on Antarctic sea-ice at the edge of a small hole, a cameraman gets a shock when a killer whale mother and calf explode out of the water in front of his face. The only way to get underwater images was to hand-hold a camera on a pole in the icy water, wait and hope. As the orcas came up to breathe they would eye-ball us with curiosity and spray oily breath all over our faces. To be on your stomach precariously perched on the edge of the ice with a killer whale staring down at you was simultaneously terrifying and awe-inspiring. Ross Sea, Antarctica.

Picture: BBC/Chadden Hunter

Would love to experience this in person!

Another long day.

Fri, 18 Nov 2011 20:41:10 -0500

It’s been one of those long, but not busy, kind of days. H had to go in for another biopsy today. His third since last December. And while in some ways this one was better, in others it’s a bit worse than the two previous ones.

This time H’s Urologist (Dr C.) seems a bit more skilled… or perhaps the better way to put it would be up-to-date on his techniques.

Back story: Dr D wasn’t terrible but has been in practice for more that 50 years (and is in his 80s). And while the argument can be made that he has seen a lot over so many years it has become apparent that he has not kept up on, or changed to, the methods being used by other Uros out there. Some other problems with Dr D is the fact he’s never seen bladder cancer in someone H’s age group (mid 30s) and doesn’t listen well or try and find answers to questions. The final straw for me in dealing with him came in April when meeting with me following H’s second biopsy (H was in recovery) he asked if we found out weather or not the cancer and treatment would affect our ability to have kids. We asked him that question in December and while I did say I’d do some research on the matter I figured he’d know better where to get answers from. Or at least look into the matter. Also that was not a conversation to have without H present.

H’s new Uro Dr C has been in practice for about 25 years, and unlike Dr D, he has had about a dozen patients in H’s age range who have had bladder cancer. (And a few of them had kids while dealing with their cancers.) He has also kept up with the latest advances and techniques being used.

So anyway, back to my original point, story, whatever.

H went in for a cystoscopy a few weeks ago- a much less uncomfortable process than at his old Uro’s office where it was not only rather unpleasant but made H feel like he was peeing razor blades for the two days following the procedure- and Dr C found a small mass. Being that H’s last cysto (in August) was all clear Dr C wanted to go in a remove the mass. Hence today’s current adventure.

Well the biopsy went well. It took less than an hour this time (FYI the usual time allotment for this type of biopsy is 1.5 hours in the OR and 1.5 hours in recovery/PACU) which I hope is a good sign. The mass, which measured about 2mm, was removed along with some other tissue samples. Dr C said other than the lump everything looked great. However, due to the nature of the cancer, along with H’s age (early for such a diagnosis) we would have more of these trips in our future.

Dr C also did not leave a foley catheter in H after this biopsy. With both biopsies Dr D did H would have the foley in for two days and then have it removed. After the April biopsy the floey was removed in the usual amount of time but due to an increase in clots blocking the urethra I had to take H to the ER to get the a foley put back in for a few more days. That was not fun at all. So H is, or perhaps was, excited about that. To not have to deal with a tube hanging out of his penis sounded great hence the excitement. Now, well not so much on the overjoyed but still a bit happier.

You see what H didn’t fully realize was how much blood and how many clots he normally passes in the night and day following a biopsy. Since he had the foley in place after the previous two trips I was the one getting up close and personal with the collection bad and emptying it. So for the first dozen trips H has taken to the bathroom I’ve had to go and look in the toilet before he flushed to reassure him that what was in there was normal… for him anyway. Honestly I’m much more familiar with my husband’s penis and urine than I ever thought I would (or wanted to) be.

We won’t know the results of the biopsy until next Wednesday or perhaps the following Monday (the office is closed for Thanksgiving). It may very well not be cancerous. However, pretty much from now on any lumps, bumps, and masses seen in H’s bladder will have to be removed right away. It’s the nature of the beast so to speak.

If the samples are positive for cancerous cells then H will probably have to undergo BCG treatment again. It won’t be fun for either of us. Worse for H, but it will suck for me too as we will be fighting for bathroom time. (Me due to the baby bouncing on my bladder and H because the BCG makes you have to pee due to the irritation and increased fluids you have to take in.)

We shall see what the fates have in store for H.

I see these little guys often on my vacation. I also have to...

Fri, 04 Nov 2011 19:32:27 -0400

I see these little guys often on my vacation. I also have to remember to bring my shoes in at night or the foxes that live near the cottage will steal them from me. Cute little kleptos!

oracularowl:

PEI Red Fox (by Insight Imaging: John A Ryan Photography)

Photo

Fri, 21 Oct 2011 23:59:31 -0400

Remember what I said about fall...

Mon, 10 Oct 2011 07:38:40 -0400

I was right. 84 degrees yesterday, it’s supposed to be 80 today. This is not fall.