Friends

I was chatting with one of my friends last night and telling him that I was feeling somewhat lonely. (Very long day, people leaving, moving back to the dorm from Southern Village...etc) He said he would draw me a picture to cheer me up..... It made my day!

A Wonderful Weekend

It started Friday night with food/gathering with Alyssa and Bekah. Which got strange when we decided to make cookies. Bekah suggested I mix them with my hands. Later we chilled and I burnt my arm on the stove when I was taking the cookies out, thus the picture with me and the ice cream box on my arm.








Then we made ourselves beautiful for vespers.




Saturday night we went to Leslie and Trenton's for games. We had fun. Me, Gene and Trenton were playing this hotel game. Trenton won.




I do not want to face the reality of this week...... *sigh* However, "My grace is sufficient for you"

Life is good

but I am cold.

God is Gracious

Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols.

Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.

I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances.

You will live in the land that I gave to your forefathers; so you will be My people, and I will be your God.

Ezekiel 36: 25-28

Find your Beaver

There is a stuffed beaver in the entryway of the library. Just looking at it makes me happy. I pet it nearly every day. It's very therapeutic. Find your beaver today!












(http://www.maxwaugh.com/images/yellowstone05/beaver1.jpg)

A Cat's Prayer

Now I lay me down to sleep,
The king-size bed is soft and deep...
I sleep right in the center groove
My human can hardly move!

I've trapped her legs, she's tucked in tight
And here is where I pass the night
No one disturbs me or dares intrude
Till morning comes and "I want food!"

I sneak up slowly to begin
My nibbles on my human's chin.
She wakes up quickly, I have sharp teeth -
And my claws I will unsheath

For the morning's here and it's time to play
I always seem to get my way.
So thank you Lord for giving me
This human person that I see.

The one who hugs me and holds me tight
And sacrifices her bed at night.

Author Unknown

(images: http://piccat.com/pictures/1/sleeping_kitty.jpg, http://lh6.ggpht.com/metalicshield/Rfv7VeeJjvI/AAAAAAAAAdA/IvB_Sy0vY1E/s512/IMG_0771.jpg)

Skunk Enlightenment

Quick: Think of a skunk. What's the first thing that comes to mind? For many, it's the animal's unmistakable eau de parfum. Which is too bad, because skunk spray has given the wrong impression about these gentle, non-aggressive creatures.

Cat-sized or smaller with long fur and long bushy tails, skunks are easily identified by their distinctive black and white coloration. These near-sighted creatures are omnivores and have a hearty appetite for grubs and insects that are pests to humans. They have also been known to consume mice and baby rats.

Skunks are members of the Mustelid family, a group that includes weasels, martens, and badgers. Found throughout almost all of North America except the far north, skunks often live in suburban areas—unbeknownst to their human neighbors. In the East, spotted skunks prefer agricultural landscapes and spend much of their lives in or near farmyards. Other species, such as the striped skunk, are adaptable to a variety of open, scrub, wooded, and developed habitats. Normally, skunks do not engage in long migrations and have home ranges that encompass a few hundred acres at most. Skunks can be active all year but will remain in dens during cold spells.

Striped skunks breed in February and March and sometimes become quite noticeable when amorous male skunks seek out females who may not be in the mood. Generally, skunks are solitary animals, except when raising young or sharing a den during cold periods.

Baby skunks are generally born in May and June. Skunks den in cavities such as woodchuck burrows, hollow logs, brush piles, stone walls, and under buildings. A den is usually used for brief periods because of skunks' nomadic tendency. Once the babies are mobile, the mother will appear with young, traveling single file behind her.

A skunk's only defense is a familiar noxious odor created by a sulfuric acid that can be "fired" from either of two independently operating anal glands. Contrary to popular myth, striped skunks cannot spray over their backs. However, spotted skunks do have the unique ability to spray while doing a handstand. Skunks have a limited supply of ammunition; they don't waste their defensive spray, because they can't "reload" very quickly. Instead, they stamp their front feet as a warning when threatened, giving ample opportunity for an intruder to back off.

—Laura Simon, Director, Urban Wildlife, The Fund for Animals, New York City

Striped Skunk

Found over most of the North American continent north, the Striped skunk is about the size of a house cat and can weigh up to 14 pounds.










Spotted Skunk

The Western Spotted Skunk(S. gracilis) occupies mostly lowland wooded areas in North America west of the Continental Divide from southern British Columbia to Central America. The eastern species (S. putorius) is found opposite of the Divide in prairie and wooded areas south to Mexico but not as far east as the Great Lakes. The spotted skunks are smaller, faster and more agile than the striped skunks .

Hooded Skunk

The Hooded Skunk can be distinguished from the Striped skunk by its longer tail and longer, softer coat of fur. A ruff of white fur around its neck gives the animal its common name. The hooded skunk is most abundant in Mexico, but its range extends into Central America and into the southwestern United States.


Hog-nosed Skunk

The individual hog-nosed skunk species vary in size, but among them is included the largest of all skunks. All are characterized by comparatively short hair, especially on the tail, and this appendage lacks the plumelike appearance observed in other skunks. The nose is prolonged into a distinct "snout", naked on the top and sides and evidently used for rooting in the earth after the manner of a pig. The hog-nosed skunk ranges from Mexico through central America and down to South America.

"I'm adorable! Don't hate me!"

(images:http://www.windstar.org/eMagazines/eMagazine24/website%2520baby%2520skunks%25201.jpg, http://www.halkorberphoto.com/Striped%20Skunk%20in%20Fall%20copy%20web.jpg, http://www.striped-skunk.com/pictures-images-gallery/striped-skunks-01.jpg, http://www.washington.edu/burkemuseum/collections/mammalogy/mamwash/Images/spotskunk.jpg, http://itech.pjc.edu/sctag/hooded_skunk/skunk1.jpg, http://www.hunter-ed.com/wildlife/wildlife_specific_images/wildlife_photos/hog_nosed_skunk.jpg, http://www.stinktierbuch.de/skunk-baby1.jpg)