The Old Folks Home

[Bunnylady]

Quote: I still remember one evening years ago, sitting in the left-turn lane at a light here in Wilmington. While waiting for the light to change, I watched a car pass in front of us as it made a left turn from the road to our right. I noticed that there was a large animal moving around in the back seat of the car. I saw tawny flanks and had the vague impression of stripes; I was thinking of a brindled Great Dane when it turned fully around and there, framed in the car door window, was the broad face of a tiger! My husband was looking elsewhere at the time, and of course didn't believe me, but with the movie studio in town there is no telling what you might run into. A couple of years later, I actually met the tiger's owners; they had an assortment of large cats and other exotic animals on their place in a remote part of a nearby county. Oh, yeah, exotic big cats may be a lot closer than we know; even legal owners may not advertise their presence for a variety of reasons.

 

[LindaB220]

Heard something rather unexpected yesterday.

Someone I know recently sold a horse to some folks that live near Whiteville (about 35-40 miles from here). He got a call from them yesterday; the horse was attacked by what they are identifying as a panther (also known as a cougar, puma, mountain lion). I have no details about why they think that's what it was, or the extent of the horse's injuries, but their vet advised them to euthanize the horse, so they did.

Historically, panthers did inhabit this area, but they are thought to have been extirpated generations ago. Rumors of their continued survival in the coastal swamps persist, but reported sightings are usually passed off as a bobcat or large dog. I would think that a dog, or even a pack of dogs, would cause different sort of injuries than a cat would, and I find it very hard to believe that a bobcat (with an average weight of less than 25 lbs.) would attack an 800 lb. horse. We have bears around here, of course, but once again, I'd think the damage they might inflict would be different.

I'm very sorry for the horse, and for the owners, of course, but the situation is intriguing and vaguely disturbing. Is this yet another predator that we need to be aware of?

We had a neighbor a mile down the road that had lost 5 goats in one month. Put out cameras and got a panther. Not a bobcat . Large. I don't know if he has killed it yet. But he's been trying.

 

[chickadoodles]

Quote: When I lived in Hope Hull back in 93 a large cat was attacking peoples horses and cows and several people said they saw a panther going across a field with a chicken. One of our horses got jumped on and the skin was tore from her neck all the way down her back.
The farmers got together and hired a trapper and he got the black panther.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

And most lost everything because there was no one working to pay their mortgages or to look after their belongings.

That's exactly what I thought when I heard the interview. They just took them out of their homes at gunpoint, never to return. I wanted to ask, so what became of your house and all your belongings?

Sylviaanne, we could be sisters. That is exactly what I am. By way of Ark to La. Coming from the deep south I'm most proud of the English and Irish. I didn't know about the Irish stigma. I think all of me is cool. We came to these shores too late to be slave owners. I have no prejudice to anybody. I went to work in a bank in 1966 and worked with the first black to EVER work in an office on main street Shreveport. She became on of my best friends. I support, gays, liberal ladies, blacks or any asian.or latino. I'm agnostic. That's who I am and don't want to change it. Tried to instill all to my 3 daughters. And mostly I did. .

I don't know how I broke free. As I said before, my parents and older family were prejudice.
My kids are pretty color blind. I'm proud of that.

I worked nights a lot and for much of my kids life, the only time I saw them was before they went to school and on weekends. I volunteered to do playground duty and read novels to their classes once a week. One day at playground duty when my son was in second grade, there was a big black kid, twice the size of my son that had him down on the ground fighting. I was instantly livid. I pulled the kid off of him and angrily asked what the problem was and why was he beating up the other kids.
(This kid was new to the school, only having been there a week) He sobbed a bit and said, "but they're being mean to me." I watched intently for the next few days and, sure enough, the other kids were teasing the new big fat kid relentlessly. In the limited time I had, I kind of took him under my wing. He and my son eventually became very close friends. One day my wife said to my son, "Ryan is so big, aren't you afraid of him?" My son said, "no, he's my best friend. If any of the other kids are mean to me, he stands up for me."
Fast forward a couple years. Ryan's mother was a pharmacist but also a single mother. She went into pharmaceutical sales where she made more money. Every time she went with a new company she had to travel for training. She'd ask if we could take Ryan for the week. She'd pack clothes for the week and we'd get him to and from school and provide his meals. Over a period of time, after about 3 of these trips when she'd pick him up on Friday nights, come Saturday, he asked her if he could spend the night at our house. She said, "Don't you think Mr. and Mrs. N***** are tired of having you around? He said, "OH NO, Mr. and Mrs. N***** LOVE me.

We still do.

... My husband was looking elsewhere at the time, and of course didn't believe me, ...
Oh, yeah, exotic big cats may be a lot closer than we know; even legal owners may not advertise their presence for a variety of reasons.

Of course he didn't.
And they do escape from time to time.

I always love it when people say their pets love them. Then why do they run away as soon as the door opens?

 

[vehve]

Quote: Ours might run away, but they always return in time for dinner.

 

[beverly evans]

Quote: AUSTIN, TEXAS!!

 

[vehve]

Here we have Karin's oldest dog, Wilhelmiina the dachshund, 16 years old, enjoying the sun. This might be her last summer, as you no longer need a stethoscope (or even a sense of hearing) to notice her heart problems, but she still is a happy little sausage.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Quote:
Quote:

Nice urban/rural but WAAY too hot for my liking.

In addition to a rural setting with city amenities, my ideal place doesn't require heat or air conditioning - ever.

Give me nights cool enough for a fire in the fireplace and maybe even a light blanket and days where I don't sweat, maybe low 70s.
What a woos I've become.

 

[beverly evans]

Just made this tonight and it's already gone.

http://m.justapinch.com/recipes/dessert/cake/one-bowl-apple-cake-2.html

I CAN JUST TASTE IT, HOT WITH VANILLA ICE CREAM! UMMMMMM..........

 

[beverly evans]

trans..that looks great!

SCG..haven't had apple butter in a while. I will only find it on a grocery shelf here. No one makes it that I know of. My grandmother used to make it.
She also made something else. This was in VA back in the 70's...let's see if anyone else has, or does make this.

She used Molasses...I have used honey. Then peanut butter, then some butter..mix together. That's it. No real measurements, just put what you want in the mix. Onto a piece of toast it goes.

We grew up doing that, one part peanut butter, one part honey, and one part butter. You have to eat it at the time you make it because it doesn't spoil but the color and consistency go off if kept.