Darren the Waving Goat,and SB250

Children visiting White Post Farm in Farnsfield near Nottingham often wave good-bye, so a friendly Anglo-Nubian goat named Darren learned to stand on his hind legs and wave back. He was featured on "Animals Do The Funniest Things" and he's fast becoming an internet superstar. Here's a short video.






And while you're smiling, we'd like to comment on a controversial subject -- Senate Bill 250, an attempt to pass a law requiring mandatory spay/neuter of cats and dogs in California. We don't live in California, but we do have an opinion on the subject.

Just today we read two blog posts with opposing views. Surprisingly, the one rooting for the bill to pass moderates comments. We left a polite comment that we disagree, with a very short explanation, and although the blog has been updated and another comment added, our comment has disappeared. So we're going to touch on the subject. It's okay to disagree. We won't delete polite comments.

We strongly believe spay/neuter should be voluntary. Jan volunteered all of us, and she would like to see more folks spay/neuter their pets. It isn't that we don't understand the millions of animals being killed (euthanized is too kind a word) in shelters each year. Jan used to photograph some shelter dogs and cats, knowing most every one would leave the shelter in a body bag. She knows how hard it is to convince humans to change their perspective toward animals, but she volunteers with the local Humane Society (not the shelter) to help educate and promote voluntary spay/neuter. And like Jan, we do not believe that mandatory spay/neuter will solve the shelter euthanasia population.

In the last months, we have read a number of articles stating mandatory spay/neuter does not work, but unfortunately, we don't remember who wrote them and we don't have time to search for them at the moment.

(Buddy, Mercy & Sam: Jan injured her ankle last night while we were walking her. No, we are not responsible. We got caught in a storm and Jan wanted to hurry back. She stepped up on a curb that was broken but appeared solid. It wasn't -- well, it wasn't in the one spot she picked. Broken concrete shifted and with all her weight on it, rolled her ankle. She nearly took us all down but we kept her upright long enough to get thoroughly drenched. And then it was a long, sloooooooooow walk home. She can't sit at the computer long today, so while she rests, we're typing before we get kicked off again.)

To quote from the ASPCA statement: "To the knowledge of the ASPCA, the only method of population control that has demonstrated long-term efficacy in significantly reducing the number of animals entering animal shelters is the voluntary sterilization of owned pets. .... There is also evidence that sterilizing very specific, at-risk sub-populations of companion animals such as feral cats and animals in shelters can also contribute to reductions in overpopulation. .... In contrast, the ASPCA is not aware of any credible evidence demonstrating a statistically significant enhancement in the reduction of shelter intake or euthanasia as a result of the implementation of a mandatory spay/neuter law."

So we're just going to refer you to this one article by the ASPCA, "Position Statement on Mandatory Spay/Neuter Laws."

Now, we have to run. Jan is grumpy and we need to go sit on her foot so she'll really have something to yell about.

Surprise from KC

First of all, we want to file a complaint against Jan for blasting the air with unmentionables today. (We aren't allowed to mention them.) The way Jan yelled, you'd think poor Cameron stepped on the UPS power button on purpose. Yes, she has it covered over so that can't happen, but his foot slipped. Okay, so she was working online at the time. But is she too helpless to push a couple of buttons to restart the computer?

Now for the surprise. We opened the box and there was a note, " Surprise. Love KC."

Isn't this gorgeous! It's from KC of the Sherwood Bunch. One of the soft and fuzzy blankies knitted by Peggy of Peggy's Place for the auction to help Coco and Charlie cat with their vet bills. Now we know why it was listed as "shipped to some lucky cat(s)." We sure are lucky. This blankie will be so warm next winter! Our house gets cold!


Rusty, Buddy & Sam are the first to check it out. (You thought we were kidding when we said in another post that Jan covers the furniture with sheets because we shed, didn't you?)


Rusty: Hmmmm, nice place to take a bath.


Percy: Hey, wait for me. I'm a kitty too.
Cyndi (on the arm of the couch): I'll wait to see if Rusty gives Percy the boot before I get any closer.


Sam: Is there any room up there for me?
Percy: Wait, there's a box. I have to check out the box.
Cyndi: I can almost touch it from here.


Buddy (upper left, brown): Well, I don't need to stand in line. There's plenty of room for me in my chair.
Cameron: Wow, Jan caught nearly all of us in this one shot. Merci and Cotton are the only ones who disappeared when the camera came out. But why did Jan cut off my head? Retake. I want a retake!


Cameron: Jan, you did it again. Where's my head? Oh, there's my head but where's my face? I do have a face, you know!
Rusty: What are you complaining about? Jan keeps taking pictures of my back. I have a face too.


Cyndi: Well, it's about time they all left. Rusty takes up half this blankie himself.
Percy: Zzzzzzzzzz.

Thank you, KC & the Sherwood Bunch. We love our new blankie!

Crystal received a late card for his birthday from our friends Annie, Gyp & Mollie -- and their human KC (not KC of the Sherwoods) -- over at Gentle Annie's .

Mayor Hazel and Ingle's

Jan has been moaning and groaning on our walks the last few days. She claims it's from standing on her feet Friday and Saturday to help distribute VFW Buddy Poppies. We think it's old age. After all, she is older than all of us and our 9 lives together.

Well, our friend Sherry sent us a video link that puts Jan to shame. (Okay, she sent the link to Jan and we appropriated it.) An 88-year old mayor with energy to spare -- and no whining when her dogs try to walk her. Of course, we don't actually know whether she has dogs, but if she did, she wouldn't be whining about walking with them. She'd probably be racing them down the road -- and win!

But since we mentioned the VFW, we'll take a minute to update our post A Sad Day. We hope you caught the message, that it wasn't just about the VFW being denied permission to fundraise on Ingle's Markets property. It was about the entire community being tossed out on their butts. The fire departments, most of which are volunteer, can't do another Boot Drive to raise funds. The little kid with cancer is denied a car wash to help pay his medical bills.

Friday night Jan learned that a couple months or so ago, Ingle's Corporate sent a memo effectively ending community involvement of any kind. Corporate sent the District Manager personally to post "No Soliciting" signs on the doors and to remove -- get this! -- the community bulletin board where folks could post lost animals, pets needing a home, church events, etc. Guess Ingle's, like other big corporations, has lost perspective and relegated the local community to the litter box. And we all know what goes on in a litter box!

Anyone using the email form on Ingle's website to complain, even if they specifically mention they don't live in Ingle's territory, receives a canned response:

Thank you for contacting us. Due to our increased concern for safety we have ceased activities of this kind at all of our locations. We would like to thank you for your understanding. Many groups and organizations have benefited from Ingles' giving in the past and we are hopeful that you will find other opportunities to meet your current need. A copy of our Community Giving Policy can be found at the following link http://www.ingles-markets.com/donations.php . Please check there to see if this may be an avenue for your organization. We appreciate your shopping at Ingles.
Customer Service
Ingles-Markets.com
Phone: 866-226-7168

Now, first of all, this is not about seeking money from Ingle's so their response is a slap in the face to anyone receiving it. A friend of Jan's replied, asking if Ingle's had even bothered to read his original message and he received the above for the second time. So, basically, no one is reading the messages. It's just an assembly line -- one message in, canned response out.

A Viet Nam vet cc'd Jan. We don't think he'll mind if we use a couple of lines from his message: "I wrote ingles supermarkets costumer service department about their most questionable corporate decision from their web site. .... I nicely explained without any form of vulgarisms that their corporate decision was a kick in the hind ends of disabled veterans of the USA." We imagine he received the same canned response.

We hope our post didn't get the local Ingle's manager in trouble with Corporate. And with no disrespect to him, since he has nothing to do with Corporate decisions, we think this decision was a kick in the hind ends of all Ingle's customers and their communities. Unforatunately, it reflects a growing trend. Non-involvement.

Enough said! Now to our fun video. You will enjoy this energetic mayor of Mississauga, Ontario, Canada.



If the video won't play, click here.

Crystal is 11

It's hard to believe Crystal is 11 today. At least according to Jan's calculations. He found Jan when he was about 6 weeks old. Since he's the oldest, all of us furries on the Funny Farm have known him all our lives.

Jan can't say the same, about knowing him all her life. She's older than all of us together. And that total includes all 9 lives -- of each of us -- added together! Let's see, 9 x 11 = 99, plus 9 x Cotton's going on 10 ..... plus 9 x ..... plus ..... plus .... plus ...plus .... plus .... plus .... That would make her ..... Uh, hi, Jan. What are we doing? We're just posting about Crystal's birthday.


This is a picture of him we like. Jan set he kitty toy box (translate, "dish pan") on the washing machine and Crystal immediately climbed in and took a long snooze. He looks pretty comfy there, doesn't he!

Crystal, we all want to wish you a Happy 11th Birthday!

And may there be many more. We love you.

JFF -- Cotton, Merci, Cyndi, Percy, Cameron, Buddy, Rusty & Sam

Oh, yeah, and Jan.