8/6/04
7/31/04
BBC NEWS | UK | Crafty sheep conquer cattle grids
BBC NEWS | UK | Crafty sheep conquer cattle grids
another funny animal story lol
Hungry sheep on the Yorkshire moors have taught themselves to roll 8ft (3m) across hoof-proof metal cattle grids - and raid villagers' valley gardens.
The crafty animals have also perfected the skill of hurdling 5ft (1.5m) fences and squeezing through 8in (20cm) gaps.
They have destroyed several gardens and even graze on the village park, bowling green, cricket field and graveyard.
The grids were installed 10 years ago after a gardener in Marsden, near Huddersfield, held stray sheep hostage.
Dorothy Lindley, an independent district councillor in the former textile town on the edge of the Pennine uplands in West Yorkshire, said: "They lie down on their side, or sometimes their back, and just roll over and over the grids until they are clear.
"I've seen them doing it. It is quite clever but they are a big nuisance to villagers.
Sheep are quite intelligent creatures and have more brainpower than people are willing to give them credit for
"They eat plants, flowers and vegetables in gardens.
"It is soul destroying.
"Registered commoners", who can claim rights of open grazing going back to medieval times, pasture the sheep on moorland owned by the National Trust.
Mrs Lindley added: "What amazes us is they are not frightened.
"When you try to move them on they look at you as if to say it is their patch and you are not right in the head.
"You can shout at them and even if they see a dog they are not frightened.
"Several drivers have had to swerve to avoid hitting the animals and damaged their cars or been given a terrible shock.
"What we really need is more fencing to stop them. But they would probably find another way out before long.
"They must find more tastier morsels down here."
A National Farmers' Union spokeswoman in York said: "We have never seen anything like it.
"We have looked at ways of improving the situation but it is very difficult. The grids are substantial bits of kit."
A National Sheep Association spokeswoman said: "Sheep are quite intelligent creatures and have more brainpower than people are willing to give them credit for."
another funny animal story lol
Hungry sheep on the Yorkshire moors have taught themselves to roll 8ft (3m) across hoof-proof metal cattle grids - and raid villagers' valley gardens.
The crafty animals have also perfected the skill of hurdling 5ft (1.5m) fences and squeezing through 8in (20cm) gaps.
They have destroyed several gardens and even graze on the village park, bowling green, cricket field and graveyard.
The grids were installed 10 years ago after a gardener in Marsden, near Huddersfield, held stray sheep hostage.
Dorothy Lindley, an independent district councillor in the former textile town on the edge of the Pennine uplands in West Yorkshire, said: "They lie down on their side, or sometimes their back, and just roll over and over the grids until they are clear.
"I've seen them doing it. It is quite clever but they are a big nuisance to villagers.
Sheep are quite intelligent creatures and have more brainpower than people are willing to give them credit for
"They eat plants, flowers and vegetables in gardens.
"It is soul destroying.
"Registered commoners", who can claim rights of open grazing going back to medieval times, pasture the sheep on moorland owned by the National Trust.
Mrs Lindley added: "What amazes us is they are not frightened.
"When you try to move them on they look at you as if to say it is their patch and you are not right in the head.
"You can shout at them and even if they see a dog they are not frightened.
"Several drivers have had to swerve to avoid hitting the animals and damaged their cars or been given a terrible shock.
"What we really need is more fencing to stop them. But they would probably find another way out before long.
"They must find more tastier morsels down here."
A National Farmers' Union spokeswoman in York said: "We have never seen anything like it.
"We have looked at ways of improving the situation but it is very difficult. The grids are substantial bits of kit."
A National Sheep Association spokeswoman said: "Sheep are quite intelligent creatures and have more brainpower than people are willing to give them credit for."
CBC News: Thieving squirrels par for the course for Edmonton golfers
CBC News: Thieving squirrels par for the course for Edmonton golfers
LMAO!!!!!!!!
Thieving squirrels par for the course for Edmonton golfersLast Updated Fri, 30 Jul 2004 09:50:54 EDT
EDMONTON - Golfers often have to deal with the frustration of watching their golf balls swallowed up by sand traps or water hazards.
But at Riverside Golf Course in Edmonton, players have another type of obstacle to watch for – squirrels.
The furry critters regularly sprint from the bush, scoop golf balls from the green, and run off with them, particularly around the 10th and 18th holes.
"I shot my first shot right on top of the hill," golfer Dora Bilko told CBC News. "And before I got there this little squirrel came across, picked it up, and took it away. Everybody saw it."
Golfers here call it getting "squirreled." And most players take it in stride. The course even has a rule that allows golfers to replace their balls without penalty if everyone agrees on exactly what they saw.
"The funniest thing is when you see golfers running after the squirrel trying to get their gosh darn ball back," added golfer John Ericson. "That's hilarious – waving their club, or throwing their club at them trying to get them to drop the ball."
Driving players squirrelly
Golfers admit squirrels are problems at most golf courses, but nothing like what happens at Riverside.
"It's been going on for years here, but this year it's getting worse," apprentice golf pro Dillon Wilder told the Edmonton Journal. "Some people come in after a round and say they've lost four or five balls."
And then there's the question of why a squirrel would steal golf balls, which consist of a synthetic rubber interior and hard plastic exterior, which are not exactly known for their tastiness.
"There's nothing left of them. You'll just see the inside of the core and that's it. There's no outer core," said assistant golf pro Trevor Andrew, who has retrieved some of the balls. "They just chew them and chew them and chew them."
Eyewitnesses who track the tiny thieves say the golf balls aren't being taken into the squirrel's nest or buried for a late winter snack. Instead, they're taken to the tops of trees and the remains left in magpie nests. Golfers speculate the squirrels are trying to drive the aggressive birds away.
One tree reportedly had 250 balls stuffed in and around its branches.
People have tried numerous ways of keeping their golf balls, including dousing them with Tabasco sauce, but nothing works.
Some have suggested killing the critters outright, or possibly hiring a coyote to patrol the course. But golf course officials plan to let nature and the squirrels take their course, said Wilder.
"Every generation [of squirrel] teaches the new ones to take the balls," added Bilko. "They're trained."
Written by CBC News Online staff
LMAO!!!!!!!!
Thieving squirrels par for the course for Edmonton golfersLast Updated Fri, 30 Jul 2004 09:50:54 EDT
EDMONTON - Golfers often have to deal with the frustration of watching their golf balls swallowed up by sand traps or water hazards.
But at Riverside Golf Course in Edmonton, players have another type of obstacle to watch for – squirrels.
The furry critters regularly sprint from the bush, scoop golf balls from the green, and run off with them, particularly around the 10th and 18th holes.
"I shot my first shot right on top of the hill," golfer Dora Bilko told CBC News. "And before I got there this little squirrel came across, picked it up, and took it away. Everybody saw it."
Golfers here call it getting "squirreled." And most players take it in stride. The course even has a rule that allows golfers to replace their balls without penalty if everyone agrees on exactly what they saw.
"The funniest thing is when you see golfers running after the squirrel trying to get their gosh darn ball back," added golfer John Ericson. "That's hilarious – waving their club, or throwing their club at them trying to get them to drop the ball."
Driving players squirrelly
Golfers admit squirrels are problems at most golf courses, but nothing like what happens at Riverside.
"It's been going on for years here, but this year it's getting worse," apprentice golf pro Dillon Wilder told the Edmonton Journal. "Some people come in after a round and say they've lost four or five balls."
And then there's the question of why a squirrel would steal golf balls, which consist of a synthetic rubber interior and hard plastic exterior, which are not exactly known for their tastiness.
"There's nothing left of them. You'll just see the inside of the core and that's it. There's no outer core," said assistant golf pro Trevor Andrew, who has retrieved some of the balls. "They just chew them and chew them and chew them."
Eyewitnesses who track the tiny thieves say the golf balls aren't being taken into the squirrel's nest or buried for a late winter snack. Instead, they're taken to the tops of trees and the remains left in magpie nests. Golfers speculate the squirrels are trying to drive the aggressive birds away.
One tree reportedly had 250 balls stuffed in and around its branches.
People have tried numerous ways of keeping their golf balls, including dousing them with Tabasco sauce, but nothing works.
Some have suggested killing the critters outright, or possibly hiring a coyote to patrol the course. But golf course officials plan to let nature and the squirrels take their course, said Wilder.
"Every generation [of squirrel] teaches the new ones to take the balls," added Bilko. "They're trained."
Written by CBC News Online staff
7/30/04
CNN.com - Worms discovered living on whale bones - Jul 29, 2004
CNN.com - Worms discovered living on whale bones - Jul 29, 2004
EWWWWWWWWWWWWWW. Thanks sis for sharing this;)
EWWWWWWWWWWWWWW. Thanks sis for sharing this;)
7/24/04
7/23/04
Where do I begin? Well first off, I'm home! I had a great time in Louisiana, but I'm so glad to be home! I got home around 4:30am last Saturday. I was soooooooo tired! I left Louisiana Thursday night (the 15th) around 9pm and drove until around 3am. The last hour of driving didn't count much cuz I kept trying to find someplace to sleep but couldn't sleep in the car without Kevin there. I felt vulnerable and unsafe. I finally stopped in a super 8 and she gave me a 15 dollar discount (would have cost 55$ normally). I slept a good 6 hours and took a nice hot shower, so it was worth it, even tho it was much more than I wanted to spend. (I planned on spending about 25$ for a motel)
I thought I got on the road around 9am, but the clock in the motel was wrong, it was 10am (which was 11am here). Made decent enough time except for when there was the HUGE rainstorm early afternoon in Mississippi. Cars and trucks were pulled over to the side of the road. Luckily I remembered to listen to Kevin and had put Rain-X on the windshield so, while I still had to drive fairly slowly, I didn't have to stop.
In TN I stopped at the welcome center and some guy came up to talk to me. He ran out of gas. So I drove him up to the next exit to get like a dollars worth and drove him back (young guy...About mid 20s, clean cut, black) he put the gas in but his car battery was dead cuz he left his blinkers on. So I drove on the shoulder to give him a jump and was on my way. Smooth sailing until Nashville when I finally called Kevin to let him know where I was. Hit rush hour there. Fabulous driving until Cincinnati. I crossed the bridge from KY to OH and traffic went from 65 mph to a dead standstill. I almost rammed the guy in front of me and behind me I heard squealing tires and saw someone swerve in my rear view mirror. Turned out there was an accident on SOUTHBOUND I-75 but gawkers on NORTHBOUND I-75 almost caused ME an accident. *rolls eyes* IDIOTS! This was around 10:30pm too!
made it a little past Dayton and had to stop for gas. When I got back on had a HUGE traffic jam (remember this is around MIDNIGHT!) due to people not merging when they should but driving up to the last minute. Around 2am I was so tired and frustrated cuz I was still just in Lima, OH. I called Kevin and was gonna sleep for a couple hours in a rest stop or something, but I was so close to home! So I rested my eyes for about 15 minutes, made myself a bunch of coffee (I had bottles of water and instant coffee and sugar lol) and drove. Stopped briefly at the MI welcome center. Thought about napping. Even laid down. Wouldn't work. I was so close to home I could smell it.
So I got on the freeway behind a big truck and just followed him until I got to the fort street exit and made my way home. Drove a couple mph under speed limits to get here. Walked in around 4:30AM! I was so happy! I probably stank of road. I didn't care. I was so happy to see Kevin all I could do was cry!
(side note...The whole trip I was good until I spoke to Kevin. I would get such a case of homesickness hearing his voice that about every time I talked to him I cried. I felt so bad for him listening to me whimpering all the time)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
So saturday I got up with Kevin before he had to go to work. My mom came over and brought me some lunch. Later on i took a nap and a shower and me and my mom went to the street fair. Kevin met us up there late ron. ran into Lori Bonyai up in front of Feldman's camera shop. She makes jewelery. Pretty. Not worth what she's selling them for. bought one anyway. what the heck. Couldn't find Amber since it was too close to closing Saturday and i didn't know where she specifically was, so i figured i could at least support SOMEONE i knew lol.
Got way too drunk at the black sheep. I was so glad to be home! Gonna go up on Saturday again and take the camera i think. $3.50 pitchers! About the only thing we can afford right now since i'mstill unemployed.
(another sidenote. I disabled the website i made for Shoppers Valley and sent out a mailing to all subscribers telling them it was discontinued. I kept the actual site tho since i worked so hard on it. Good example of work i can do until i do something else i really really like)
~~~~~~~~~~~~
So tonight we went to see "Metallica: Some Kind of Monster" at the Main Art in Royal Oak. Had free passes. It was pretty good. James Hetfield is about the biggest dick you could ever see. If you like Metallica at all, you should totally see this movie. I only like earlier Metallica (And Justice for all and before) but i liked it. It's about the making of the new CD "St. Anger" and all the crap they went thru to get it to happen. See it. tell me what you think.
~~~~~~~~~~~
I think that's it for now. I'm pretty darn tired. Kitty's quiet right now (beginning to go into heat) so i should take the chance and try to get some sleep.
~~~~~~
OH! And old old friend Dave came by with his fiance Tuesday night. I thought I had missed him while he was in town for his dad's funeral but thankfully i didn't. (he called me up and i was apologizing that i had missed him and he was like "no you didn't. I'm outside your building right now" lol) Nice girl! I really like her alot. and so does my kitty lol. They had to go to Grand Rapids or something but were gonna try and come back by when they came back in town. I know how crazy it can be to try and cram everyone into a few days, so i don't expect much. It's just nice to see each other physically and catch up instead of thru emails all the time, ya know? Hopefully we'll be able to rent a movie and watch it together or something.
it's really nice that Dave and I can be friends again. We were great friends once before. And now that we're older and more mature it's nice. That's a whole other blog entry tho. One that i know will get comments (as i'm sure this one will) that I'm not ready to deal with yet.
So I'm heading to sleep! Sweet Dreams!
I thought I got on the road around 9am, but the clock in the motel was wrong, it was 10am (which was 11am here). Made decent enough time except for when there was the HUGE rainstorm early afternoon in Mississippi. Cars and trucks were pulled over to the side of the road. Luckily I remembered to listen to Kevin and had put Rain-X on the windshield so, while I still had to drive fairly slowly, I didn't have to stop.
In TN I stopped at the welcome center and some guy came up to talk to me. He ran out of gas. So I drove him up to the next exit to get like a dollars worth and drove him back (young guy...About mid 20s, clean cut, black) he put the gas in but his car battery was dead cuz he left his blinkers on. So I drove on the shoulder to give him a jump and was on my way. Smooth sailing until Nashville when I finally called Kevin to let him know where I was. Hit rush hour there. Fabulous driving until Cincinnati. I crossed the bridge from KY to OH and traffic went from 65 mph to a dead standstill. I almost rammed the guy in front of me and behind me I heard squealing tires and saw someone swerve in my rear view mirror. Turned out there was an accident on SOUTHBOUND I-75 but gawkers on NORTHBOUND I-75 almost caused ME an accident. *rolls eyes* IDIOTS! This was around 10:30pm too!
made it a little past Dayton and had to stop for gas. When I got back on had a HUGE traffic jam (remember this is around MIDNIGHT!) due to people not merging when they should but driving up to the last minute. Around 2am I was so tired and frustrated cuz I was still just in Lima, OH. I called Kevin and was gonna sleep for a couple hours in a rest stop or something, but I was so close to home! So I rested my eyes for about 15 minutes, made myself a bunch of coffee (I had bottles of water and instant coffee and sugar lol) and drove. Stopped briefly at the MI welcome center. Thought about napping. Even laid down. Wouldn't work. I was so close to home I could smell it.
So I got on the freeway behind a big truck and just followed him until I got to the fort street exit and made my way home. Drove a couple mph under speed limits to get here. Walked in around 4:30AM! I was so happy! I probably stank of road. I didn't care. I was so happy to see Kevin all I could do was cry!
(side note...The whole trip I was good until I spoke to Kevin. I would get such a case of homesickness hearing his voice that about every time I talked to him I cried. I felt so bad for him listening to me whimpering all the time)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
So saturday I got up with Kevin before he had to go to work. My mom came over and brought me some lunch. Later on i took a nap and a shower and me and my mom went to the street fair. Kevin met us up there late ron. ran into Lori Bonyai up in front of Feldman's camera shop. She makes jewelery. Pretty. Not worth what she's selling them for. bought one anyway. what the heck. Couldn't find Amber since it was too close to closing Saturday and i didn't know where she specifically was, so i figured i could at least support SOMEONE i knew lol.
Got way too drunk at the black sheep. I was so glad to be home! Gonna go up on Saturday again and take the camera i think. $3.50 pitchers! About the only thing we can afford right now since i'mstill unemployed.
(another sidenote. I disabled the website i made for Shoppers Valley and sent out a mailing to all subscribers telling them it was discontinued. I kept the actual site tho since i worked so hard on it. Good example of work i can do until i do something else i really really like)
~~~~~~~~~~~~
So tonight we went to see "Metallica: Some Kind of Monster" at the Main Art in Royal Oak. Had free passes. It was pretty good. James Hetfield is about the biggest dick you could ever see. If you like Metallica at all, you should totally see this movie. I only like earlier Metallica (And Justice for all and before) but i liked it. It's about the making of the new CD "St. Anger" and all the crap they went thru to get it to happen. See it. tell me what you think.
~~~~~~~~~~~
I think that's it for now. I'm pretty darn tired. Kitty's quiet right now (beginning to go into heat) so i should take the chance and try to get some sleep.
~~~~~~
OH! And old old friend Dave came by with his fiance Tuesday night. I thought I had missed him while he was in town for his dad's funeral but thankfully i didn't. (he called me up and i was apologizing that i had missed him and he was like "no you didn't. I'm outside your building right now" lol) Nice girl! I really like her alot. and so does my kitty lol. They had to go to Grand Rapids or something but were gonna try and come back by when they came back in town. I know how crazy it can be to try and cram everyone into a few days, so i don't expect much. It's just nice to see each other physically and catch up instead of thru emails all the time, ya know? Hopefully we'll be able to rent a movie and watch it together or something.
it's really nice that Dave and I can be friends again. We were great friends once before. And now that we're older and more mature it's nice. That's a whole other blog entry tho. One that i know will get comments (as i'm sure this one will) that I'm not ready to deal with yet.
So I'm heading to sleep! Sweet Dreams!
7/20/04
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