Paradise Lost~

Jun17

Bombay City on The Salton Sea,

a graveyard for ships that will not sail,

and houses with no one home.

People live here and create art out of trash,

“Scrap was here!” (Click to enlarge and see.)

And this artist thinks we should, “Take the Day Off.” (I agree with him/her.)

This artist made a tree out of trash,

while boats still point, “Straight on til’ morning!”

Hopefully if the sea can be repaired,

Bombay City can be too.

Hope & Cheers to the people in Bombay City who make art and order out of chaos~

Note: I was surprised to see an in-depth story on the history and crisis in The Salton Sea, in ‘The Daily Mail’ a few days ago. Check it out if your are interested in this sad story, which is, of course, all of our stories:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5839677/A-ghost-town-making-Salton-Sea-went-busy-resorts-public-health-disaster.html

Reflections on a Silent Sea~

Jun10

The Salton Sea,

in summertime,

is scorching,

stark,

solitary,

and stunning.

No one here but you,

and the silent sea.
Good news for a change! California voters passed Proposition 68 this week which will allocate $200 million dollars towards saving The Salton Sea. The monies are earmarked towards rebuilding the wetlands that are so crucial to migrating birds and to conserving all the wildlife that depend upon the sea. Funds are also allocated to mitigate the harmful dust that is damaging human health. Everyday, amidst all the negativity, so many people do very good things! Thank you California voters for protecting our wild creatures and wild spaces.
Cheers to you from the soon to be saved Salton Sea~

Black Necked Stilts in The Salton Sea~

Jun2

Black Necked Stilts (BNS) are found from California to as far east as Florida, and as far south as Central America and the Galapagos.

They are waders and have the second longest leg to body proportions of any bird in the world excepting the flamingo (Cornell Lab of Ornithology).

These birds were photographed in The Salton Sea in Southern California.

The Salton Sea is the largest lake in California. It rests directly above The San Andreas Fault, and lies 71.9 meters below sea level.

The Salton Sea is under serious threat, is shrinking, and is heavily polluted.

The sea is considered the second most diverse and significant habitat for migrating birds in the US. Over 400 species have been identified here, and it is a critical migratory winter resting stop on The Pacific Flyway.

BNS populations are in decline due to habitat destruction and wetland pollution.

If the sea were to dry up, the millions of birds who rely on it during their annual migration would be imperiled.

It would become a giant toxic dust-bowl threatening the public health of millions of Californians. The shrinking of the sea is already emitting toxic dust and chemicals harming human health. Effective plans do exist to save and refresh the sea, but no plans exist to date, to implement them.

Cheers to you from the threatened Black Necked Stilts at the vulnerable Salton Sea~

(For more on The Sea read: http://www.latimes.com/science/la-me-salton-sea-20151001-story.html).

The Cooks are for Critters~

May26

Chicks on chairs.

Goats in gardens.

Cows in clover.

Terns in trees.

And,

in the air.

Mynas at your feet,

and at your door.

Girl on the sea,

son down deep.
The Cooks are for critters like you and me.
Cheers to you from the critterful Cooks~

Waving~

May18

Waves on tropical reefs,

sing,

a constant lullaby.

Island breezes,

carry,

flower scented air.

As the sun sets,

you doze and dream of mermaids,

waving from the sea.

Cheers to you from the peaceful Cooks~
(We are home at The Holler now, but I have a few more tranquil images from The Cooks to share with you).

Looking for a Dog~

May11

I have been distracted lately because we have been making the rounds of rescue organizations looking for a dog.

We were getting overwhelmed with choices, when I decided to look at cats for a change. I am both a dog and cat person, my husband is also, but he is predominantly, Dr. Cats Knoke, “The Feral Cat Herder.” Some of you may remember this post about Jim’s core “catness.”
https://cindyknoke.com/2014/02/21/dr-cats-knoke-the-feral-cat-herder/

Anyhoo, The Holler’s local veterinarian referred us to a non-profit organization run by a network of volunteer feral kitten foster parents called, “Love Your Feral Felines (LYFF).” LYFF rescues feral cats with kittens, and separates the kittens at 6 weeks to be raised by foster families so they don’t become feral like their mammas. Feral Mama’s are spayed and returned to where they were, or adopted out as barn cats in their barn cat program.

Check out some information on this brilliant organization and it’s amazing network of volunteers who open their homes to feral cats and kittens:
http://loveyourferalfelines.com/about-us
We met lots of wonderful, healthy kittens and three amazing foster mom volunteers. Thank you Sally, Katie and Kim! All the kittens are up to date on their immunizations, have tested negative for FLV/FIV, have been micro-chipped and spayed. If you are thinking of adopting a kitten, consider a feral cat rescue organization like LYFF.

I was getting overwhelmed with choices again. But then we met Herbert, an 11 week old feral kitten who is in no way feral any longer, and all the confusing choices slipped away. So this is our new dog Herbert!

Look at this total love bug! He and his two sibs were raised by a super nice foster mom named Katie and my husband agrees this is the most well adjusted kitten either of us have ever seen. These photos were taken today, during his first twelve hours, at his new Holler home!

He explored The Holler, slept in his bed, and purred on our laps in between.

And here he is discovering the hummingbirds! I imagine Herbert and I will spend many days together hummingbird watching! We both are fascinated by them, albeit for different reasons. Don’t worry though, the hummers are safe. Herbert will never be outside because of the coyote danger, but he does have a sunny interior courtyard with trees to enjoy, as soon as Mrs. Black Phoebe vacates her nest.

Many thanks to “Love Your Feral Felines,” and cheers to you from little Herbert in his happy Holler home~

Islands of Forgotten Time~

Apr30

The Cooks are the islands that time forgot.

When you are here time loses meaning.

You don’t wear a watch,

or have a clock.

You rise with the sun,

and set with it too.

You are on island time.

You make island friends,

like Jim’s hiking partners,

and my little buddy who are on island time too!

Cheers to you from the timeless Cooks~