The Rescue

My wife had always been partial to cats. She has almost always had a special feline at her heels throughout her childhood. I am mostly a dog person, but I have met a few cats that have met my criteria as being worth to earn a place in my heart and pocket book, but not many. Onry and her little sister Spot are the two felines that have earned that special place in my heart that is usually reserved just for dogs. The strength, endurance and survival instincts that these kittens have shown me would gain the respect of any dog-loving man.

The story begins at the end of August when my wife told me she was hearing cat sounds outside our bedroom window. It wasn’t the “meow” sound from an adult cat, but rather the “meuew” from what we thought would come from infant kittens. At my wife’s request I went out into our backyard and looked around, but nothing out of the ordinary was visible. Just as I was going back inside I heard it, “Meuew”.  Once I zoned in on where the cries were coming from, I went back to report to my wife that, in my judgment, the kittens were probably in the vacant lot behind our house.  

We assumed that one of the feral neighborhood cats had a litter in the field. I guess curiosity got the best of us when we decided that they needed to be checked up on to make sure they were ok; I was given the task. The weeds along the fence line were fairly thick so I carried a branch trimmer with me to make a path. I was also under the assumption that if I used my hands to move the nest my scent would threaten the relationship between the mother and the litter.  After several minutes of straining my ears listing for the tiny voices I took a step and an adult white cat darted out of a pile of grass, weeds and sticks. After very gently moving some material around I heard the voices again and soon found the nest.  

There was still a considerable amount of sticks and weeds covering the nest, so I could not get an accurate count, but it looked like there were 2 or 3 infant kittens bundled together.  After confirming that there appeared to be no immediate danger or issues, I used my tool to gently replace what I had moved and went to the house to report my findings.   

After discussing the situation my wife and I decided that because the mother was feral, and may have a difficult time finding food, we would sit a bowl of food out along the fence to help the mother produce milk for the kittens. The idea worked well for a time. Every one or two days I would either see an empty bowl or see the mother cat eating her meal with distrusting eyes. The “natural” care ended with the freak storm the mid-valley experienced in September.

At work I was worried for the kitten’s well-being. Was their nest weather-proof enough to provide adequate shelter for such small kittens? Would their mother move them to a more secure place if the nest couldn’t provide adequate shelter? I got home and prepared myself for the inspection of the nest it was dark, still raining, and there was still some wind. I climbed a slick, wet fence armed with two hand towels and a flash light and began to try to remember and locate where the nest was at. I was beginning to wonder if the mother had taken them away. I couldn’t find any clue to where they were. Eventually I looked down and put the beam of my flash light on a wet, matted ball fur in the shape of a kitten. I didn’t move. My heart sank. 

I squatted down for a closer look. It was a little white kitten laying on its belly and haunches.  Just to see if, by some miracle it was still alive, I reached out to touch it. The soft push from my finger moved the little body, the whole body, as if it was dead. My heart broke. I began to analyze the situation. The kitten looked dead, but I wasn’t convinced. I gently poked it one more time with the same results. After a few seconds I decided one more “test” and I would go back inside and give the bad news. 

The third gentle poke made the kitten turn its tiny head and strain a tiny “meuew” out at me. Overjoyed, I immediately wrapped the tiny body in the hand towel that was in my pocket. At that moment I heard a second “meuew” and turned to where I guessed the nest was and dug at the wet mass of weeds, grass and sticks until I found a little mass of matted calico fur. I picked up the second one and put it in the other towel. I gave one more inspection and felt around the nest with my hand just in case there were more. Satisfied with the search of the nest, I raced across the vacant field and handed my wife the two bundled kittens over the fence and after I made it safely over the fence we got them inside and proceeded to get them dry and warm.

As they warmed up they became more vocal and their eyes opened up. The calico was bigger, so we guess she was the oldest. The little one was all white except for a small dark spot on the left side of her head that resemble a spot of grease. With the small mark on the white one, Spot became her name. 

With our small guests feeling warm and dry we went online to find out how and what to feed them. Since it was after-hours, it was difficult to find a store with all the tools and ingredients we needed to properly care for the kittens. We finally found what we needed and that night the kittens slept in a warm, dry bed with full tummies.

Onry and Spot the night they were rescued

The next day I called the Humane Society and Animal Rescue. I was told that they could not help. Either they had no more “foster parents” or they could not afford the resources to properly care for them. We then decided that the best thing to do for the kittens would be to care for them ourselves. We decided to keep them. 

The next day we went to the Albany Animal Hospital and had Technician Akiko Nagai inspect the kittens. She told us that despite the lack of care from the mother, the oldest one, (the calico) seemed to be in fairly good health; however, the news for Spot wasn’t as pleasant. Because she is the youngest, (the runt), there is a chance she won’t survive. Spot was underweight’ de-hydrated, and had a bad infection. The technician let us know that Spot’s survival to adulthood was possible, but because her condition, may not be likely. 

We took the professional opinion

 as a personal challenge. I had made up my mind that not only would Spot survive to be an old lady; she would be as big and healthy as possible. Technician Nagai did a wonderful job with the kittens and informed us how to properly take care of them so they could reach their full potential.

That day we became parents to two female kittens and were officially gave the names Onry and Spot. We began the feeding rituals for infants, feeding every three hours. My wife and I would both wake up in the middle of the night, or anytime, to insure that “the babies” would receive the nutrients, cleanliness and attention that they required. We often called upon Technician Nagai for help when concern arouse often in the first 4 weeks, and with her patience and tutelage the “babies” and us pulled through. In about the 4 week of the kittens lives, feedings went to every six hours and my wife and I were finally able to get at least 5 hours of uninterrupted sleep.

We watched in delight as the kittens grew and they discovered new and different things as they went through different stages. We watched as they learned and taught each other to run, jump, climb stairs, use the litter box and dealing with their new sister and brother, a 6-year old lab mix and a 12-year old mini dachshund. 

The kittens have just turned 9 weeks and have went in for their first round of booster shots. They did fairly well during the medical inspection and also did well during the injections. However, the night of the doctor’s visit it didn’t go too well for Onry. She showed signs of discomfort at the injection site, had issues walking on the leg near the injection site, uneasy breathing, and sever lethargy. My wife and I were very worried. I called Dr. Fletcher and we found out that it wasn’t Onry who was acting unusual, it was Spot. We learned that it takes 24 to 48 hours for kittens to get over their reaction to the booster injections and all the symptoms Onry was displaying were completely normal. After about 4 hours of resting Spot was up and playing like nothing had happened. “That is weird,” Dr. Fletcher advised, “I would be more concerned about Spot than Onry”. Luckily for all of us, both kittens survived the ordeal and are doing well. 

Onry is, as the name suggests, a little on the ornery side and because she is the older sister, comes out with the attitude more.  I gave Spot her name for a few different reasons.  First and obviously, the dark smudge on her head. It looks like a “spot” of dirt or grease. Second, I am a bit of a Sci-Fi nerd. On Star Trek: The Next Generation there is a “cyborg” science officer named Data who named his cat “Spot”. According to the TV character, the name “spot” is the most widely used pet name on the planet. And finally, since I am a dog lover, I couldn’t help but give my female kitten a dog’s name. Why would I do that? Because it is unique and special, for a unique, feisty, and special kitten who fought to be here.

It has been just over 8 weeks in our home and the new editions to the family are doing well. 

Onry and Spot at about 8 weeks

My wife is learning to deal with her allergies and the dogs are learning that they need to accept the new family members.  I do not recommend all people rescue feral kittens; per the Humane Society and The Animal Hospital, it is always best to leave the little ones with their mother if possible, but under the extreme circumstances that Spot and Onry were in, our choice to rescue seemed right. We had kicked around the idea of going to the Humane Society to find a cat that needed lots of love. But then we found our two kittens. We saved their lives and they enrich ours every day; A love/love situation.  My wife and I will never be without our bundles of joy, curiosity and excitement. Adoption may not be a choice for everyone, but if one does decide, we are here to tell you it is well worth it.

Conservative Corner: The Two-Edged Sword

No matter what political or social belief you cling to, one thing for sure, we live in a country that gives its citizens special rights and privileges. We are fortunate enough in this nation that we can listen to liberal talkers like Norman Goldman, Ed Shultz, or Randi Rhodes, if one is so inclined to, or we are lucky enough to have the option to listen to great Conservative minds like Rush Limbaugh, Lars Larson, or Bill Post. The beautiful thing about all these choices is, weather you are a liberal progressive or a Tea Party Conservative, we all have a choice of people we can listen to and we all have the right to voice our opinions no matter how patriotic or terrible it sounds. This comes from the 1^st Amendment.

            The First Amendment says, that Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of a religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech or the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances. This means any U.S. citizen can go anywhere in a public area and say nearly anything they wish, (within reason), and the 1^st Amendment will protect their rights. These rights were tested or threatened this weekend by two different groups with very different views, but on the same side of the law.

            Last Saturday evening the group, Overpasses for Obama's Impeachment, Oregon Chapter, took to the Hwy 20 overpass at interstate 5 in Albany. They had American flags, signs, and banners expressing their dislike for the way the Federal Government is being run by Obama and calling for the impeachment of President Obama. The local traffic was very supportive of the protest; however, the I-5 traffic wasn’t as nice. The group did get many thumbs-up and horns from the freeway, but several gave thumbs-down or the infamous single-digit salute.

            It’s true that not everyone wants to see Obama impeached, however, exercising one’s rights of free speech is clearly American and Americans do it with pride. We see this with the anti-war protests of the 60’s, the protests during the time of the Bush presidency and with the more recent occupy movement. We as Americans seem to have no problem letting others know how we feel about our problems and the problems of the world.

            Unfortunately, our cherished freedom of speech can also be used for hate and evil sounding words. Amazingly enough, one thing that both conservatives and liberals in this county have in common is the dislike of the group who call themselves the Westborough Baptist Church. I don’t know of any Christian group, Baptist or not, who agree with them, but they do hold the attention of the nation with their protests and their disgustingly infamous signs, like “Thank God for dead soldiers”, and “God hates fags”. Last Sunday this hate group put their sights on Corvallis and the funeral of one of our local fallen heroes, U.S. Army Ranger Spc. Cody Patterson, and the community returned the favor.

            News of the protest of the WBC brought out the Oath Keepers, Patriot Guard Riders, and several Christian and non- affiliated Christian biker clubs from all over the area,( nearly all of which were veterans) to help protect the remains of Spc Patterson from whatever the WBC might try. Between 200 and 300 bikers, guards and supporters lined the street into the back of the LaSells Steward Center on the OSU campus to protect the remains from anyone who may try to dishonor the fallen hero. The support, however, didn't stop there. Throughout the afternoon the bikers and well-wishers continued to pour in. According to www.katu.com more than 2500 people were there to help or just show support.

            The Westborough Baptist Church is, according to many, a vile and hateful group who should not be allowed to protest the way they do. I do not endorse the group by any means, however, as an American and a U.S. Army vet, I am sad to say I support their 1^st Amendment right to free speech. After all, if they lose their right to free speech who would be next to loose theirs? We must exercise our rights carefully. After all, the 1^st Amendment is a two-edged sword and someone could get hurt.

                                                       dkhummel.blogspot.com, dkhummel.com

Conservative Corner: Save a Tree, Starve a Logger

Most of us have heard the phrase, “go paper-less” or “save a tree”.  For some time I have been puzzled by this term and what it means in its context. I understand how people would see the need for more up-to-date record keeping in a modern world, however, when I hear some say, “save a tree”, I have to say save a tree from what? Save them from fire, from insects, or perhaps from natural disaster. Whatever danger one may think Pacific Northwest trees are in, Oregon has had quite a prosperous history from this natural and renewable resource.

There was a time when Oregonians bathed in the wealth of the timber industry. There were homes built, businesses thrived, lumber was plentiful, there were plenty of jobs and towns prospered. There are and were towns in Oregon and the Pacific Northwest that were dependent on the success of the timber industry. Most every town in the region at some point owed its livelihood to harvesting of wood.

 The first lumber mill in the region was built in 1827 and by 1833 lumber had become a profitable export for the area. By the 1850s there were 4 lumber mills in Oregon and lumber was being traded with China, Hawaii, and Australia. By 1870 the number of mills in Oregon grew to 173, and by 1947 1,573 lumber mills turning out more than 7 billion board feet according to www.opb.org/programs/oregonstory/logging.

In 1973 Congress passed the Endangered Species Act and environmental groups made the Northern Spotted Owl the “poster child” for their assault on the logging industry and the regional economy. The environmentalist groups argued that the spotted owl could only survive in old-growth forest, but this was never accurately confirmed. Recently more accurate information about the owl has come to light in response to the anti-logging scandal from www.news.discovery.com. As it turns out, the spotted owl is still drastically declining in numbers, and it’s not due to logging. It is due to its natural predators like the bard owl and the golden eagle.

The logging continues to be stifled by radical environmental groups like ELF, Earth First, and The Earth Liberation Front in their attempt to remove all improvements to communities and the region. These domestic terrorist groups have already claimed responsibility for destroying company property and setting fire to logging trucks. “Destroying luxury homes, SUVs, and other private property thereby costing Americans millions of dollars in damages is their strategy”, according to www.targetofopportunity.com/elf.htm. I know these are extreme cases; however, whether it is one extreme case, or many minor problems, the effect is the same, the loss of jobs, money and security in a community.

Trees are also a renewable crop and they grow relevantly quickly in the Northwest region. The mild and damp winters and the warm and sunny summers practically guaranty healthy trees every year. The harvest of this “crop” also insures many people with livelihoods to keep communities and towns alive.

If you have ever taken a journey along Hwy 22 going east you will see the damage the environmental groups have done to the towns and communities in the area. Cold, quite mills, empty stores, and vacant houses are a sad reminder of what used to be a thriving community. Most of what’s left along that lonely stretch of highway is ghost towns and non-productive mills thanks to the environmental groups who seem to care more for a human-less planet than they do for the community from which they live. They seem to call the near death of these small towns a victory. These are the same people who choose to protest the logging industry using paper signs with wooden handles.

If you have sympathies towards the environmental groups, please remember where you get your lumber, plywood, paper, and other paper products. It does not come from thin air, someone has to cut, haul, process and sell the wood products in which we depend.

The next time you see a lumberjack or a logging truck please be thankful that someone is providing valuable products and helping to stimulate the economy with their lumber dollars. So before you go totally “paperless”, just remember; the next time you “save a tree” you may just starve a town.

               Dkhummel.com, dkhummel.blogspot.com

Conservative Corner: If a Tree Falls in the Woods

We have all heard the philosophical question, “If a tree falls in the woods and no one is there to hear it, does it still make a sound?”, however, even if the statement is not familiar to you, a version of the same thing seems to be happening with our government. The shutdown of the U.S. Government may make big news on cable TV; however, locally is it making barely more than a ripple.

            The budget woes are due to Congress Republicans and Senate Democrats along with the Obama Administration not agreeing on the fate of the Affordable Health Care Act, or Obamacare. The Democrats say that the health care act is the law of the land and is as much a part of the government as anything else. The Republicans call Obamacare an overpriced, train wreck that will damage the country and the health care system. It is the hope of the Republicans that Obamacare will be defunded and help produce the first fiscal budget in nearly 8 years without wrecking our economy even more.

            With the disagreement of the budget, the government ran out of time and was forced to close down some of their offices. The shutdown of certain branches of the United States Government, depending on your view, has either been a travesty or a great way to reduce an already overbearing government and find out what services we really need and which ones we can do without.

            Some of the government services that have been affected by the “Battle of the Budget” are call centers, hotlines and regional offices that help veterans understand their benefits, all of America’s national parks and monuments are closed, new applications for small business loans and loan guarantees will stop, and research into life-threatening diseases and other areas will stop, according to www.usa.gov/shutdown.shtml.

            Some of those areas may affect the LBCC students, staff and faculty, but for the most part the hype seems confined to the East Coast and people directly connected to government jobs. For those students on campus who maybe worrying about financial aid, the LBCC Financial Aid Office tells us things are still going ok. Elaine Robinson of financial aid says, “It’s still business as usual. We are keeping a close eye for whatever happens. Until then, we don’t know and we keep on processing loans”.

            So for those of us not directly involved with the government in some way life goes on unscathed and without the doom and gloom cable TV and the Democrat law makers made it out to be. Actually many key government services still go on.

            People on social security will continue to receiving checks, postal service will continue, active military will continue to guard our country, air traffic controllers, prison guards, and border patrol agents will keep working and NASA will continue to monitor the Universal Space Station. If more information is needed on what government services are closed because of the shutdown, you can call toll-free at 1-800-FED-INFO (1-800-333-4636). And yes, the number will be operational during the government shutdown.

            Whatever your opinion may be on Obamacare, one thing is for sure, the new health care act is the primary cause for the budget ailments. The Republicans try to pass bills to keep key services open for the public during this troubling time; however, Democrats seem to think it’s “all or nothing”. So for those who blame the Republicans for the shutdown, remember, not one single Republican voted for the law. It was passed with a Democrat majority in both the House of Representatives and the Senate.

            No matter whom the blame falls on for the shutdown or whether or not you support Obamacare, I just have one question; does the government shutdown really affect you? If a government office in Washington D.C. closes and we here on the West Coast are not directly affected does it really matter?

Maybe this government shutdown is just what we need to weed out the worthless government offices and services that do nothing for the country but waist money.  Just think of how much money could be saved if we could “trim the fat” from our Federal Government and perhaps fix the economy.

                                                          Dkhummel.com, dkhummel.blogspot.com/

Conservative Corner: Are We Really Tolerant?

With the advancement of political correctness and social justice we seem to have fallen under the ironclad choke-hold of what many people call tolerance and fairness. We as a society have used the word “tolerant” so much it seems to have lost meaning, and possible its true meaning.  

Today we commonly see and hear of intolerance as being racist, homophobic, anti-gender, and anti-class but there are more intolerances that aren’t commonly recognized in a liberal society. Anti-gun, anti-conservative, anti-patriotic and anti-religion (especially anti-Christian), and sometimes anti-free speech are intolerances that you may not see on the cable news or see in liberal publications.

Dictionary.com defines tolerance as a fair, objective, and permissive attitude toward those whose opinions, practices, race, religion, nationality, etc., differ from one's own. This, however, that is not always the case. It seems as though the “hate card” is only played when conservatives do something unpopular with liberals and progressives.

When a small business or company stands up for their faith against a wall of opposition and feel they cannot betray their faith by making products that is against what they believe in? It would stand to reason that liberals would understand the pain people feel when others try to changing their values or punish them for their views. Chick-Fil-A and Sweet Cakes by Mellissa in Gresham, Oregon have felt the pressure. The gay/lesbian supporter’s boycott of Chick-Fil-A backfired with the Christian community giving support to the fast food restaurant. The Gresham bakery wasn’t so lucky. On August 30^th the bakery closed their doors and forced the owners to work from their homes. To this day they still receive hateful messages on their Face Book page. That doesn’t seem very tolerant or fair to me.

The Tea Party has been the target of such intolerance by those on the “left side of the isle” almost since the conception of the organization. It is no secret that many liberals and progressive Democrats have little, to no respect for the conservative grass roots organization.  The black Democrat representative from California, Maxine Waters, said, “This is a tough game. You can’t be intimidated. You can’t be frightened. And as far as I’m concerned, the ‘tea party’ can go straight to Hell!”, as reported by washingtonpost.com. Again we see another instance of hypocrisy of those who follow the lead of liberals. Again, that appears far from tolerant.

If you see a person walking down the street with a pistol peeping out of the holster under their clothing, what’s the next thing on your mind? Do you scream “OH MY GOD, A GUN!” as you point and immediately call 911 or do you relax and realize that if something happens chances are the person with the pistol will probably help keep you safe until the police arrive. Many liberals and progressives seem to think that taking guns away from everyone is the safest thing to do. Many actually want to completely remove guns from Mr. and Mrs. America. Dianne Feinstein (D.-Calif.) is in favor of this kind of action. All in all at least 9 Democrats strongly favor tighter gun laws or even removing guns from the population of the county according to www.gunandgame.com. Once again, where is the tolerance for the 2^nd Amendment supporter and law-abiding gun owner?

We get constantly bombarded from the mass media and progressive left on the “hatred” from the Tea Party, Republicans, and other like-minded groups. Every time a Republican Congressman votes against a liberal idea, he or she gets labeled in a negative light. However, when a Democrat does something negative against Republicans or conservatives it is either ignored or it is blamed on Republicans and they are accused of wagering a “war” against  certain groups and are again labeled, homophobic, anti-gender, anti-class and others.

 If we could step back and see the bigger picture and look at the world though another’s eyes we would see the intolerances clearly go in both directions. Are you truly a tolerant person? Look at someone with whom you don’t agree with politically and/or socially. Would you consider them a racist, homophobic, anti-gender, and anti-class person? If you do then perhaps you’re not as tolerant as you thought you were.

As I see it, we should not be concentrating on mere tolerance to bridge the gap between our disagreements and differences, but instead we should be looking more toward acceptance.  Try not to just “tolerate” someone but accept them for who they are, even if they are a conservative, Tea Party member who votes Republican.

                              

                               Dkhummel.com, dkhummel.blogspot.com/