Always Remember the Love

Someone recently asked me why I "followed" the Philadelphia Eagles (I put followed in quotation marks because I barely understand football but like the Eagles because my awesome step dad and step sisters love them and they are a seminal part of my adopted home town, that's all) when I am an animal lover and Michael Vick (the notorious NFL-playing, dog-fighter) is their much-prized quarterback. I struggled with how to respond to this question because I have gone through a major evolution in how I express and act on my "more-than-human" love for animals.

I know you may think the Michael Vick/dog fighting story has been run into the ground, but here is my take on the situation:

Unfortunately, working for PETA, even for a short time, I started to feel very hostile towards anyone who hurts animals (or eats animals, or wears animals, or...). Not that, that is a bad thing. It was just that the anger distracted me from what I love, the animals. It has taken me some time to realize that I should be directing my passion towards what matters. In the case of Michael Vick, that is that (a) he did get caught and his being such a high-profile person has brought the issue of dogfighting to a national level of awareness, and (b) many of the sweet animals got rescued and are either living in Best Friends Animal Sanctuary's Dog Town or have been rehabilitated enough to be adopted out.

My heart will always be with those dogs who died under Michael Vick's cruel watch or had to be euthanized due to their abuse. But, I have chosen to honor them by directing my energy towards loving animals instead of hating Michael Vick.

And that is what I told them. I feel so much better now. I am actually inspired to honor the Vicktory dogs further by painting some of their portraits (I do dog portraits, see earlier posts) and selling them at the Trenton Avenue Arts Festival and sending some of the proceeds to Best Friends Animal Sanctuary.

Always remember the love <3

Last Chance to See My Art in Philly…

…at least for a while.

I will be once again selling my wares (aka awesome jewelry, paintings, and bottle cap and wine cork art) at the Memphis Taproom’s Handmade Craft Market tomorrow from 11 am to 3 pm. From the looks of the list of confirmed vendors (http://www.memphistaproom.com/upcomingevents.htm) this is going to be a big one, people.

To get a glimpse of my stuff, check out my etsy store at http://www.etsy.com/shop/marleysshop. Be aware, the etsy store isn’t completely stocked yet (I will probably get to that after this last craft show in Philly). So, to get the full experience, come visit me tomorrow!

One of my trademarks is definitely the bottle cap earrings (dating back to my college recycling coordinator fundraiser days (see pics below).

And for those of you who live in the city (ahem, Joseph, Tina and Cragin) I will probably be hanging at the Rocket Cat Cafe before the show and maybe at the Taproom itself afterwards.

My Dog is Cool

is yours?

Thousands of dogs die from heat stroke each year. Many of these cases can be easily prevented.

A few weeks ago I was at the local Pathmark on an emergency veggie hot dogs mission and found just that… an emergency involving several very HOT dogs. Multiple people had left their dogs in closed cars on a day where it was 90 degrees at 5 in the evening. Studies have shown that if it is 90 degrees outside it could be 115 degrees (Fahrenheit of course) inside a closed car. Luckily several people were rising to this occasion. Multiple concerned customers had already called the police. They had collected what they could from their own cars (cardboard boxes, sunscreens, etc.) to shade the car. One well-meaning bystander had found the passenger door unlocked and opened it to let more air in. They had provided water but the dog would not come out to them. I had my own doggie to take care of so I couldn’t stay but the 3 or 4 concerned citizens were clearly not going anywhere until the police got there to take care of the dog. But lots of dogs don’t get that chance.

What should you do?

First, never do this to your dog. Even with the car windows down, your car will act like a greenhouse on a sunny day and the temperature inside your car could be twenty degrees hotter than it is outside. If you will have to leave your car for more than five minutes, please leave your animals at  home. They will be happier, and so will you.

Second, make sure no one else does this to their dogs. Check out http://mydogiscool.com for important information and ways to help. You can print or buy the United Animal Nations’ “Don’t Leave Me in Here- It’s Hot!” fliers to distribute as a reminder that leaving your animals in the car can be fatal.

Here, PETA’s http://www.HelpingAnimals.com provides helpful tips for preventing heat stroke for your animals.

Here is a good check list for summer travel for your favorite furry companion, http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=2+2098&aid=832

Visit Me… at the Trenton Avenue Arts Festival

Want something to do this Saturday? Come out and support me, my mom, the East Kensington Neighborhood Association, and hundreds of other great local artists, galleries, organizations, food vendors and more at the 5th annual Trenton Avenue Arts Festival.

There will be music all day and lots and lots of unique art to buy. The day will start out with a type of derby you have probably never heard of… the 4th annual Kensington Kinetic Sculpture Derby. I know, I’ve been hearing about it for months and still don’t know what it will be exactly. I think it may just be one of those things you have to see to believe, or in this case, comprehend. Pretty much, people ride a parade route on human powered vehicles (i.e. must have wheels) ending with a run through a giant mud pit. Leave it to Philly, huh?

For a full list of artists and the band line up visit the Festival blog at: http://trentonaveartsfest.blogspot.com/. My mom and I will be selling amazing hand-crafted jewelry and other vintage/antique oddities for amazing prices. I would say look for the big white tents, but there will probably be hundreds of those, so I will say, look for the awesome colorful jewelry booths in the middle of the street 2/3 of the way between Susquehanna and Dauphin on Trenton Avenue! Bring you money, your sunscreen, your walking shoes, and a huge smile! See you Saturday!

Everyone Loves a Dog Hugger!

I used to create dozens of these advocacy campaigns daily for PETA. But I really like this one, it combines my favorite things: dogs (adopt, never buy), and the twilight saga. Kellan plays the awesome vampire Emmett and New Moon comes out Saturday!

Have you hugged a dog today?

Today’s Monopoly

Those guys over at The Daily Finance (I know, I’d never heard of it either) came up with a great idea to look at how Monopoly’s properties are valued 75 years after the game was created. Monopoly was one of my favorite games growing up (right up there with Mall Madness and Pretty Pretty Princess), probably because there were so many colorful pieces. When I would visit my grandparents in Texas as a kid, I would always fuss if anyone else bought Pennsylvania Ave. or Pennsylvania RR.

Oh, but back to the story. Monopoly was based on properties in a boiled-down 1930s Atlantic City. Back then Boardwalk was the most expensive property, Mediterranean Ave. was the cheapest, there were no casinos, four rail roads and lots of free parking. Today? Boardwalk, despite shoreline erosion, is still the most valuable area, you can actually stay in one of the vacant lots on Mediterranean Ave. for free, casinos are the main reason any one comes to Atlantic City, none of the railroads represented in the game exist any more and free parking? what’s that. In between, the yellows and greens and blues are all doing the tango around the board. Watch this video to get an idea of the changes. But me and my urban planning mind would love to diagram the changes using aerial photos from 1935 and 2010 and a box of multi-colored sharpies…

2 days down, 4 to go

This week a motley group of current students, under-employed or unemployed artists, architects, and photographers (no wonder when I mentioned that I was applying to graduate school for urban planning half of the room started talking about what schools had better historic preservation programs or studio space) converged on the Quad at PENN with the guys from DesignYorDorm.com and a crew of security guards. I decided to join them… you know just for kicks.

What are we doing, you ask? We are taking ever-so-detailed measurements of the 750+ different floor plans in the 1100+ room Quad buildings. What for, you ask? So that DYD.com can build 3-D models of each room. Why would they want to do that, you ask? OK, OK, I’ll stop playing games. The company gets schools to join and they create models of each room so that incoming students can visualize their rooms before they get there. Therefore, they know exactly what will fit, where the outlets are, how high the ceilings are, flooring type, how big their closet it, what dressers come with, etc. On the website, the students can also pick out dorm stuff and see how it will fit in the 3-D model of their room before they actually purchase. Wow, kids these days are so spoiled. What will think of next? A box in your car that tells you when to turn left?

It’s important to remember that most of the buildings in the Quad were built in the late 19^th century. You’ve got to think outside of the box here… some of our rooms have 12 walls (18 if you count those “pillars”), bay windows, cathedral ceilings, wood floors, all that fun stuff. Plus, we didn’t trust our “laser measuring thingamagig” after it told us a 17-foot wall was only 13-feet, so we measured almost every wall by tape measure! Stay tuned for reports from the next ridiculous job that Marley finds on craigslist.

I’m a professional artist now

Actually, I don’t know if I’ve sold anything yet, but I’ve joined an artist’s co-op/gallery/market in the Fishtown section of Philly. A lot of the artists there use retro graphics or repurpose things like vinyl records into bowls or bottle caps into earrings (oh wait, that’s me).

Be sure to check out my new artist’s webpage: http://piranhabettys.com/marleybice.html and come to Piranha Betty’s Christmas Eve Eve party Wednesday. You can also find me at some of the Sunday afternoon arts and crafts group meetings and free tarot card readings.

Remember, upcycle, recycle, and support your local artists!

Cross Country Chronicles: Part III

Now for the most boring section of my trip.

Day 5: Independence, MO to Dayton, OH
Another night of falling asleep infront of the TV and a crappy continental breakfast and we're on the road again. We got to St. Louis faster than I had expected but unfortunately it was bucketing rain on us, so we just drove around the arch and took pictures.

We then headed across the murky Mississippi and were momentarily on Old Route 66. I think I slept through most of Illinois and Indiana thanks to a yummy lunch at the St. Louis Bread Co. (actually it is a Panera but with a different name... weird) and a new road surface made of old rubber tires. Smooth sailing...

Welcome to Dayton, Ohio, home of weird-smelling hotel rooms and over-priced pizza (but their Wal-Mart did have a good plastic doggy gumball machine).

Day 6: Dayton, OH to Philadelphia, PA
So, guess who woke me up at 4 am to get on the road and beat the beastly traffic on the Pennsylvania Turnpike? That's right. The one and only. But it was my idea that she lie to her husband all day to make him think that we were stuck in traffic in western Pennsyvlania when we were actually already home. Typical shenanagins. "But, honey, I'm looking at the Google traffic map right now and it is all green." "Well, they're not here are they? Maybe I should call and tell them they are wrong." She is such a good liar. Scary.

See there's really not much to tell about the mid-west, but boy were we glad to be back in Philly!

The Cross Country Chronicles: Part II

Day 3: Brigham City, UT to Denver, CO
We woke up to find that the motel we had arrived at in the dark of night, was actually right in the shadow of a huge reddish rock outcrop - a pleasant surprise. After breakfast at a lovely truck stop, we headed south towards the shimmering Great Salt Lake on the horizon. We watched the looming Wassatch Range to the east warily but our highway ended up winding through a low point in the Range. And you know what else was in the low point? A wind farm. We were looking across at enormous wind turbines as we followed Interstate 70 towards Colorado. I couldn't help but feel like Don Quixote as I was hypnotized by the seemingly slow-moving blades.

The distance between the Wassatch Range and Colorado was relatively bare but we were excited (yet dissappointed that we couldn't visit them all) when we saw signs for Moab, UT; the home and/or gateway to the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, and Arches and Canyonlands National Parks.


As we were reminiscing on past Four Corners vacations, we recognized an upcoming town on the Colorado map; a little town called Fruita. My mom thought she could remember a sandwich shop there that we had eaten at a decade ago (although she couldn't remember if it was any good) - so we took that exit. We think we did find the elusive cafe in a building with a painted cut-out dinosaur welcoming us, although it was closed on Sundays. But other highlights of Fruita include a giant T-Rex eating the Grinch and a giant bicycle.



From there we continued on towards the snow-topped Rockies - a trek my little 110-horsepower hybrid was not too happy about - and she didn't keep her unhappiness quiet either. Despite my worries about never having heard my car work that hard before, she got us safely over the monoliths of Western North America and landed us safely in a sprawling Denver suburb for the night.

We headed out on the town for German food and ended up seeing many more bunny rabbits roaming the streets than we had seen anywhere else in recent memory - go figure.

Day 4: Denver, CO to Independence, MO
Now, you may think this would be the most boring stretch of the entire trip, but I'm pretty sure it was the second most boring. There were two things in particular that made eastern Colorado and Kansas interesting: wind turbines and hawks! We saw a massive wind farm in central Kansas and did an analysis of hawk density per linear mile of I-70. We came up with an average of 2.0 hawks per mile and a maximum of 3.6 hawks per mile. Oh, and the tumble weeds. Counting the number of tumble weeds that hit us (one) or that we hit (two) also kept us from going crazy.

Chronicles to be continued...

The Cross Country Chronicles: Part I

Day 1: Charleston, OR to Trout Lake, WA
I got up early and headed north. But first I had to do the hardest thing, say goodbye to my doggie friend in Oregon. I said goodbye to Lily at my house and Raven at Heather's house and for the first time felt a little choked up. I had to put in the mix CD from Heather and Tyler and get a chai latte with soy milk to make it out of town without losing it.

It poured rain on me almost the entire trip so I am glad I had already seen the I-5 scenery many, many times before. But 84 through the Columbia Gorge was gorgeous despite the rain...yellow cottonwoods, green pine trees, brown rocks, dark water...

Once we were all gathered at the MAC, we were buzzing with well wishes and hugs. After filling out a large stack of paperwork we headed to Hood River for a wine tasting at the Naked Winery and dinner on the River at the Hood River Inn. Back in Trout Lake we had champagne by the fire with dogs at the Trout Lake Inn. A few us headed back to the Commons for a slumber party with When Harry Met Sally.

Day 2: Trout Lake, WA to Brigham City, UT
I woke up the next morning to an inch of snow on my car but with a little help from my friends [hehe] I got out of the MAC and on the road. I took the northern/Washington route to The Dalles and took these great shots of the early morning Gorge.
My drive continued west along the Gorge and past a big wind farm under construction. Along this route I also saw three individual wind turbine blades on trucks. They are each about 150 feet long - quite a sight to see. I made it up and over the Blue Mountains and into Idaho where I picked up my mom in Boise.
Southern Idaho was quite the adventure of the senses. For miles and miles we wondered what smelled so bad when we came upon a quite disgusting cow feedlot. It was a shame that it got so dark so early, I'm sure there was a lot more going for southern Idaho and northern Utah besides the lovely smells.

Chronicles to be continued...

Farewell Oregon!

I feel like my yearbook quote for the Mount Adams Center sums up how I feel right now:

---

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful,

committed people can change the world.
Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.
~Margaret Mead

That was the quote I chose to represent why I became an AmeriCorps volunteer on that freezing cold Martin Luther King, Jr. Service Day trip to the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center. Little did I know how much we would change the world, and how much we ourselves would change in these short ten months.

We converged on a snow-buried Mt. Adams Center in January for snow shoeing and hiking, star gazing and caving. But after we departed to our service sites… me to the desolate and foggy southern Oregon coast… the stories and adventures continued in full force.

My accomplishments at work and new skills acquired will certainly go with me, but it is the other less tangible, more spiritual experiences that I have had here in the magical Pacific Northwest, that have really changed my life forever. In ten months I have snow shoed, skied, and caved in the Cascades, swam in the Umpqua River, rafted the Rogue River, explored Crater Lake, Oregon Caves, the California Redwoods, and dozens of state parks, climbed Mt. Adams (well, most of it), adventured in Seattle, Portland, and Victoria, seen marine creatures great and small, from gray whales to sea splurge, hiked to the top of Multnomah Falls and Beacon Rock in the Columbia Gorge, made friendships that are guaranteed to survive distance and time, volunteered with Habitat for Humanity, Court Appointed Special Advocates, South Coast Food Share, and Star of Hope, started a recycling program at the local county fair, and so much more.

I would like to think Oregon will remember me as long as I will remember her, but that’s not likely. Like the iconic bumper sticker on my water bottle; Oregon will always have a special place in my heart.

---

Now I am off on a cross-country adventure that should bring me home for Thanksgiving. I will be travelling through Oregon-Idaho-Utah-Colorado-Kansas-Missouri-Illinois-Indiana-Ohio-West Virginia-and-Pennsylvania. I've never been to several of those states and think I should eat pancakes at least once.

See you on the other side of the country!

Atlantic Ocean, Marley is coming home!

So Pretty (when you speak your mind)

So, I finally sat down and transcribed the lyrics on the back of one of my third eye blind concert t-shirts. I had never read them before because they are written in tiny cursive in light green ink on a green t-shirt. I just knew I liked what the front of the shirt said ("So Pretty (when you speak your mind)") when I bought it. But I like the rest of the lyrics too. It’s not on any of their better-known albums; it came out on a 3-song EP a year ago. Interesting…

the police high-beam froze her pretty face
in white glow for a while
the politic bureau’s on high alert and
her name showed up on file
there’s trouble with the war effort
and she’s been speaking out
check point charlie’s radio-ed in
she’s compromised in doubt
there’s trouble with the war effort and she’s crossed the party line
you were so pretty in the days you spoke your mind

you were so pretty hiding out
the files have been filled
the regime won’t be undermined
you were so pretty in the days you spoke your mind

quiet now don’t make a sound
the system shut us down now we find each other in the underground
she had the voice once of the people
now she’s timid as a mouse
I would kiss you on the mouth in a safe house
cause you were so pretty hiding out
so walk on by, you’re a red star

tell me how did you let them in
we were silent secret agents
but the resistance is wearing thin
dissent is now illegal
she must pay the consequence
in the thriller mystery baby
you are my suspense
cause you were so pretty hiding out
you’re a red star

My November 3rd

Last night, I (as the effective face of the Friends of the Coos Watershed group) hosted a permitting workshop that brought together seven federal, state, and tribal agencies to discuss their permitting processes and the importance of permitting programs to protect the natural resources of this unique part of Oregon. The event was a great success (35 people filled the room) but not without some goofy mishaps on my part.

Firstly, I forgot my grocery shopping list, so I was wandering around Grocery Outlet chanting “chips… salsa… bread… cheese… veggies… juice…” and probably getting some weird looks. Then, even though I got to the meeting place 40 minutes early, people started pouring in before I could set up the tables, food, projector, and get the coffee made. Needless to say, I ruined the first batch of decaf coffee by (1) not knowing how to make coffee because I don’t drink it myself and (2) not reading the directions that were right in front of me. Later, I was notified that I had made a typo in someone’s phone number on the agenda, but not before I had scattered all 51 plastic spoons, knives, and forks out of a bag that exploded in my face when I tried to retrieve one spoon. Then, after all that, only seven people filled out my evaluation.

So, that was my November 3rd. How was yours?

Happy Halloween!

If the neighbor's inflatable ghost isn't scary enough for you, watch this video to learn how vampire electronics are sucking the blood out of your electric bill when you're not even home!

The Black Lab Mutts In My Life

Recently I took the FB quiz “What breed of dog are you?” and got the response that I am a beagle. My response was “big floppy ears, occasionally walks into walls, yep, sounds like me.” But I think the quiz is flawed. It must not have “black lab mutt” as a choice because I think that is what I must really be. Why? Because my three best doggie friends right now are all black lab mutts:

Barney
Barney is my family’s $25 backyard litter labramation/dalmador (black lab + dalmation, a.k.a. black lab mutt). He used to be jet black except for a white with black spots chest, white tip of tail, white tips of toes, and a gray nose; but now he is graying all over (he is ten years old now). But I think it just makes him the George Clooney of dogs. The way he is graying on his muzzle just brings out his brown eyes. His favorite toys are kong toys (with Scooby snacks in them of course) and hedgies (pretty much any furry toy that goes ::grrrunt:: instead of ::squeak::). He also enjoys wearing his santa coat and scaring people with his bark.

Lily
Lily is my landlady’s black lab mutt puppy. She has some very interesting quirks. (1) When I am sorting my dirty laundry (or folding clean laundry even) and I am obviously paying more attention to my laundry basket than I am to her; she drops whatever toy-of-the-day into my laundry basket and then stares at me like “where’d my toy go?” (2) When I am sitting in my chair in the living room eating dinner, watching a movie, doing a puzzle book (it doesn’t really matter) she likes to pile her toys on my lap so that if I’m not paying attention to her an avalanche of toys will fall off of my lap when I stand up. (3) She sleeps on a couch in the living room but every morning like clockwork, when I open my door, she comes in, drops to floor, rolls around on my carpet, and then demands a belly scratch.

Raven

Ah, Raven, the newest to the bunch. Raven is my friend’s shaggy black lab mutt. Raven’s favorite activities include sitting on people’s feet and demanding belly rubs. Although Raven wouldn’t hurt a fly (my friend had to stop getting squeaky toys for Raven because she wouldn’t play with them – she thought she was hurting them), but one night she did sit on me. Of course, I don’t know why I was on the floor to begin with.

Calling All Mixed CDs

I have less than a month left here on the foggy Oregon Coast which means I have less than a month until my mom and I depart on a seven days, six nights cross-country adventure which means I need your best custom-made mixed CDs.

As you know, I’m not that picky about my music. My Pandora stations range from Van Halen to Mozart to Marc Broussard to The Dandy Warhols to Enrique Iglesias to Van Morrison to All American Rejects to Joe Jackson to Boston. So, send me your favorite music.

Send your mix CDs for Marley’s cross-country adventure to:

PO Box 5689
Charleston, OR 97420

PS: if you like the sound of my eclectic Pandora stations and want a CD from me, just let me know!

Why 350?

A new website, 350.org, is spreading the word about why 350 is the most important number in the world. Leading climate scientists say that 350 ppm is the "safe upper limit" for carbon dioxide in our atmosphere.

What are people saying about 350?

"If humanity wishes to preserve a planet similar to that on which civilization developed and to which life on Earth is adapted, paleoclimate evidence and ongoing climate change suggest that CO2 will need to be reduced from its current 385 ppm to at most 350 ppm." ~ Dr. James Hansen

"As a resident of a Small Island Developing State, I am acutely aware of the dangers of global warming. Some countries are closer to the frontlines of global warming than others, but we are all affected by this global problem, which requires from us a global response. Getting to 350 means saving our planet and ourselves from a disaster of our own creation." ~Liz Thompson

Reaching 350 ppm is a matter of living by my values—which include both “love your neighbor” and “try not to wreck every blooming thing on the planet while you’re here.” ~ Barbara Kingsolver

"Sustaining 9.3 billion people on the planet, ensuring a prosperous future for inhabitants of poor countries and simultaneously protecting the species that share the globe with Homo sapiens will only be possible with an energy revolution. The climate crisis is our biggest collective challenge, and it can only be solved if we stick to ambitious objectives – like 350 ppm." ~Claudio Angelo

Where are we now? 390 ppm and rising.

What can you do?

(1) Educate yourself. Visit 350.org to learn about why 350 ppm is so important and learn about what people around the world are already doing. If you're a teacher, visit climatechangeeducation.org for lots of resources on how to teach climate change issues. The Pew Center on Global Climate Change can get you up to speed on climate and energy research and legislation. More great organizations are linked on the 350.org Friends & Allies web page.

(2) Share the knowledge. The UN Climate Change Conference is 52 days away. If you are worried your decision-makers won't make big enough statements at this conference, speak up now! Get involved with the International Day of Climate Action on Saturday October 24th. Use the widget below to search for actions near you. People from over 150 nations have already registered creative on-the-ground actions.

Days Left

On October 24, join people all over the world to take a stand for a safe climate future.

Enter your City, Country, or Zip/Postal Code below to find an event near you.

(3) Change one thing. Change one thing about your every day life to reduce your impact on the environment. Check out Earth911.org's Tip Garden for lots of creative ideas. Once you are comfortable with that change, change something else. Set a goal for yourself to change something for the better every week... every month... whatever works for you. Just remember, whatever you do, you are making a difference.

One idea: Put reusable shopping bags in your trunk, and use any plastic bags you do accumulate as garbage bag liners or puppy duty bags. Any bags you can't reuse, be sure to return to a plastic bag recycling collection center, usually found at your local grocery store.

Another idea: Save electricity and save money! Remember to turn off the lights, turn off the TV, unplug your cell phone charger, etc. You would be surprised how much energy your appliances are draining when you're not even home to use them.

Yet another idea: Car or bus? Neither, bike! Biking is good for your body and good for the planet. Check out Craigslist or local pawn shops for cheap bikes. But remember to wear your helmet, have your bike outfitted with lights and wear light-colored clothing, and tell a family member when to expect you home (since biking will probably take you longer). Don't have safe biking paths or lanes in your area? Get involved. Petition your city council for more bike and pedestrian-friendly streets!

What are your ideas? Share your ideas here. Then get out on the street and do it! You can make a difference!

The News As I See It

It seems like the Olympic committee has a renewed interest in oddly-shaped balls. Word is, golf and rugby are both approved sports for the 2016 and 2024 summer Olympics. Rugby hasn’t been an Olympic sport since 1924 (of course, the US took the gold that year). To learn more, visit http://www.olympic-rugby.org/. Rugby has been one of my favorite spectator sports for several years and I even wrote an article about rugby for my college newspaper back in 2006.

The Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF) had a very successful Cruise for Compassion in Annapolis, MD last month. Little Ben, a rescued Jack Russell Terrier takes the cake – literally. Watch the video here.

Any news story that combines human-accelerated climate change with the plight of wild animals gets a strong reaction from me. This week I learned of 131 young walruses being trampled to death by a stampede of other walruses. Scientists hypothesize that a decrease in sea ice forced the walruses onto a beach near Icy Cape, Alaska. The AP reports; “Walruses in large numbers on the northern shore of Alaska is a phenomenon seen for the first time in 2007.”

Warmer temperatures and parasites are threatening moose in Minnesota and warmer temperatures are also threatening the migration patterns and health of the Brant goose here in the Pacific Northwest. And the Yellowstone grizzly bears are back on the threatened species list of the Endangered Species Act due to the fact that warmer temperatures are allowing pine beetles to flourish, killing whitebark pine (whose nuts they love to eat in the fall), forcing the grizzly to leave the park looking for other sources of food - where they are being killed by hunters acting in 'self defense.'

Remembering Retreating

In late September, my AmeriCorps group gathered on the northern Oregon Coast to share four days of walking barefoot on the beach, telling stories around the campfire, indulging in delicious food, making hoola hoops, hiking, and of course doing some official AmeriCorps things like presenting our CAP projects. A unique part of the retreat were IP-led activities in which I got to teach bhangra dancing, and learn how to use a GPS, and to make hoola hoops, sand candles, and crocheted hats.Our retreat location was the beautiful and secluded West Wind.

WestWind had a great beach near the inlet to the Salmon River. Playing 4-square and "Wah" on the beach was so much fun.

View from the Highlands. Welcome to the Oregon Coast. We stood there for less than ten minutes and multiple waves of fog rolled in and out in that time frame.

View from Cape Perpetua on my leisurely drive back down the coast.