DITL + Charles River Labs protest

We're back. It's been a month since we took off to Portland to lend support after our 20 year-old granddaughter attempted suicide. I'm hoping that's behind us now. She has now moved back to her mom's in Grants Pass where she will continue counseling, get a job and chill for awhile.

This morning it's party time in the Bird Park. Remember, I've been gone for a month but never fear. Good old Seven showed up at 7:22 with a friend. Not only did she find the usual peanuts and puppy kibble, but the delicious pumpkin pie I'd put the freezer when we left, thinking we'd be back in a week. I'm sure it's fine but M. Lee won't touch it. So far, Seven only gave it a peck but she'll check it out later, after she's done stashing the peanuts.

And, yay, a couple of quail just showed up. Excellent. Now the Bird Park is officially open.

 

So today I'm going to Reno to participate in the Reno Vegans protest against the Charles River Labs. In case you haven't heard, Charles River Labs is a notorious contract animal testing business and the world's largest supplier of animals for lab experiments in the world. Although animal testing has been replaced by humane, more accurate methods, Charles River Labs continues to conduct  painful, live experiments on any animal for a price. These poor innocent beings needlessly suffer torturous lives full of pain, fear, suffering and misery. And any who manage to survive an experiment at Charles River Labs are killed shortly afterwards. This needs to end.
 
So, have a good day.

"I know of no achievement through vivisection, no scientific discovery, that could not have been obtained without such barbarism and cruelty. The whole thing is evil."
—Charles Mayo, Founder of the Mayo Clinic, c. 1930.

All in all

After a second, shorter stay in the psych ward my granddaughter is doing better and in a few days she's returning to So. Oregon to stay with her mom for awhile. After nearly a month in Portland this was our cue to exit. We're headed back to Nevada.

I am not comfortable writing about personal matters. That's why I'm doing it.

Autumn leaves

I laid down to rest when the sun was still illuminating the red curtains and I could see summer's last tomatoes on the vine just outside the window. It's dark now, no glowing color, no tomatoes. I have the hacking crud that's going around and can barely talk today. I feel better after a nap but still prefer to lay here than join the family in the front room.

I've lost track of exactly how long we've been in Portland. Since LA,whenever that was. We came here to support the family after our 20 year-old granddaughter attempted suicide. She's a great kid in a very dark place. I don't know if everyone has to stand at that cross-road at some point in their life. I did. Perhaps you did too. She's seems to be reclaiming herself. God, I hope she decides to stick around, see how the story turns out. I'd sure miss her.

I just got called to dinner...roasted veggies, french bread, brie, fire in the fireplace.

Loneliest whale in the world

The 52-Hertz Whale's song
is just higher than the lowest note on a tuba.

"This song is the only one of its kind detected anywhere. Because of this, the animal has been called loneliest whale in the world."  -Wikipedia

Chalkboard

This evening M. Lee mentioned that I am like a person writing on a chalkboard with one hand while erasing with the other. How true.

Election night

FANTASTIC that Barack won!

Ps. Fuck off, Karl Rove..

Happy Election Day

So much is going on. I haven't even had time to post a photo. I am surrounded by spinning worlds. We are still in Portland and it's raining. It's election day. If you haven't voted today be sure and VOTE FOR BARACK OBAMA.