VETERANS CORNER: Help available to veterans who are at risk for suicide

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Veterans Administration facility at Togus. (Internet photo)

by Gary Kennedy

Well here we are again. It has been a nice summer and a beautiful September. We have a lot of rain but we have need of every drop of it.

Some information has come out on the veteran side of things. As you all know some of us belong to groups and some of us just receive information via media, correspondence and just word of mouth. One interesting but troubling piece of information that I received this week was veteran suicide rates. It was stated that there are between 17-50 veteran deaths due to possible suicide daily. It was explained that the variation in numbers was due to the fact 17 deaths daily were definitely suicide but the other 33 were by drug overdoses which weren’t clearly suicide but were most likely.

By VA standards of measure that is more than likely or beyond a reasonable doubt. It breaks my heart to see this happening to our vets; especially when there are many avenues available out there for help. I believe we aren’t doing our job of outreach. Veterans can be very lonely and weary individuals. Some will reach out to us, and for others we just need to be ever vigilant and watch for signs. Often veterans will not reach out for help. We need to be always on the lookout for tell tale signs which indicate that a person might be considering to harm themselves.

Most of us don’t understand what goes through the mind of a person which causes such devastating feelings of hopelessness. This can be so all consuming, overwhelming, that even the fear of our Creator doesn’t come into the problem. We need to be ever vigilant regarding the veterans in our lives whether they are family or friends. If you suspect a person might want to harm themselves you need to become involved. If you can be of personal help, give it. If you can’t do that then you must contact someone who can. A life can depend on it and all life is precious in the eyes of our Creator. Also, the one thing that most of us don’t think about is the wife, husband and/or children. Where will this loss take them? Sometimes the family is the last to know. However, the impact could be devastating. We are all part of the problem as well as the solution.

If you don’t have the number for a suicide watch line, get one and put it on your fridge, or in your phone. Most of these sad situations can be avoided with a little help. I speak for and about veterans but this could be anyone in a deep and lonely place. Some of us watch veterans at this time as the world is in a sad and dangerous place. Many veterans have fought for their country and are now having feelings of remorse. They don’t understand how we could possibly be heading in the wrong direction. They carry the burdens of a never ending conflict.

The mind can play strange games on one’s self. If you don’t know where to turn call the VA at 623-8411 and press “0” to get to a live person to guide you to the correct place, or you can call the Veterans Crisis Line at 1-800-273-8255, press #1. Our doctors use to send us to the gym and pool which was built more than 75 years ago for this, as part of physical therapy. If you would like to read about the VA’s history you can find most of this at the Winthrop library where a good deal of the old information is stored/archived. Currently, the gym and pool are being rented out to VA employees. I believe they are charged $45 for this use. Some of us are working on getting these places back. Give a token of your support by getting involved.

The VA priority pathway has seemed to have changed from the welfare of disabled veterans and their care to that of employee retention, through perks. The canteen is still open and some veterans do meet there weekly. Some of us are working on more veterans well being programs and places. Vets always feel better when they are together. A sign of V.A.’s genuine concern would be to give veterans a place to meet so as to become part of the solution through fellowship. Priorities need to be examined. Your word needs to be shared.

If you have any thoughts, ideas or opinions, please share them with me and we will see what can be done. Your word carries a lot of weight. It is said, “God helps those who help themselves”. Brothers and sisters let’s be part of the solution and not the problem. Stay safe and God bless you and yours.

SMALL SPACE GARDENING: Harvest, store and preserve herbs from the garden

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English Thyme growing in the garden. (photo courtesy of MelindaMyers.com)

by Melinda Myers

Keep enjoying your homegrown herbs all year round. Harvest throughout the growing season and include them in garden-fresh meals. Then preserve a few for the winter ahead.

Snip a few leaves or leaf-covered stems as needed. For the same intensity of flavor, you generally need two to three times more fresh herbs than dried except for Rosemary which has an equally strong flavor fresh or dried. So, if the recipe calls for one teaspoon of dried parsley use one Tablespoon (3 teaspoons) of fresh parsley leaves.

Continue harvesting herbs as needed throughout the growing season. And don’t worry about harming the plant because regular harvesting encourages new growth which means more for you to harvest. Just be sure to leave enough of the leaves intact to maintain plant growth.

You can remove as much as fifty percent of the leaves from established annual herb plants. This is about when the plants near their final height. You can remove up to one third from established perennial plants that have been in the garden for several months or more. Harvest when the plant has formed buds, but before they open into flowers for the greatest concentration of flavor. This is the perfect time to harvest herbs you plan to preserve.

Use a pair of garden scissors or bypass pruners for faster and easier harvesting. Make your cuts above a set of healthy leaves to keep the plants looking good. Then, preserve the flavor and zest of herbs with proper storage and preservation.

Store thin leafy herbs like parsley and cilantro for up to a week in the refrigerator. Place the stems in a jar of water, like a flower arrangement, and loosely cover with a plastic bag. Keep basil out of the fridge to avoid discoloration and others on the counter for quick and frequent use.

Wrap dry thicker-leafed herbs like sage and thyme in a paper towel, set inside a plastic bag and place in a warmer section of the refrigerator.

Freeze sprigs, whole leaves or chopped clean herbs on a cookie sheet. Or pack clean diced herbs in ice cube trays and fill the empty spaces with water. These are great for use in soups and stews. Store the frozen herbs and ice cubes in an airtight container or baggie in the freezer.

Or bundle several stems together, secure with a rubber band and use a spring type clothespin to hang them in a warm, dry place to dry out. Make your own drying rack from an old embroidery hoop, string, and S hooks.

Get creative and use some of your herbs to make a fragrant edible wreath. Use fresh herbs that are flexible and easier to shape into a wreath. They will dry in place and can be harvested as needed.

Speed up the drying process in the microwave. Place herbs on a paper towel-covered paper plate. Start with one to two minutes on high. Repeat for 30 seconds as needed until the herbs are brittle.

Store dried herbs in an airtight plastic or glass jar.

Keep enjoying these fresh-from-the-garden flavors throughout the remainder of the season. And consider preserving a few for you, your family, and friends to enjoy throughout the winter.

Melinda Myers has written more than 20 gardening books, including the recently released Midwest Gardener’s Handbook, 2nd Edition and Small Space Gardening. She hosts The Great Courses “How to Grow Anything” DVD instant video series and the nationally syndicated Melinda’s Garden Moment TV & radio program. Myers is a columnist and contributing editor for Birds & Blooms magazine and her website is www.MelindaMyers.com.

SCORES & OUTDOORS: Bobcat makes presence known in the area

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This bobcat was recently photographed strolling through Phil and Joann King’s yard, in Palermo. (photo by Phil & Joann King)

Roland D. Halleeby Roland D. Hallee

I recently received an email from Phil and Joann King, of Palermo, telling of a sighting on a bobcat in their yard. They live on the Hostile Valley Road, and the bobcat casually strolled through their property during the night. They say he glanced through the sliding glass window and strolled up to the garden. According to them, he seemed completely unconcerned.

Bobcats are common in Maine, some, obviously, more visible than others. They tend to be solitary and generally travel only at night.

The bobcat, Lynx rufus, also known as the red lynx, is a medium-sized cat native to North America. It ranges from southern Canada through most of the contiguous United States to Oaxaca, in Mexico. It is listed as Least Concern on the International Union for Conservation of Nature, IUCN, Red List since 2002, due to its wide distribution and large population. Although it has been hunted extensively both for sport and fur, populations have proven stable, though declining in some areas.

It has distinctive black bars on its forelegs and a black-tipped, stubby (or “bobbed”) tail, from which it derives its name. It reaches a total length (including the tail) of up to 50 inches. It is an adaptable predator inhabiting wooded areas, semidesert, urban edge, forest edge, and swampland environments. It remains in some of its original range, but populations are vulnerable to extirpation by coyotes and domestic animals.

The small tufts on a bobcat’s ears are difficult to spot at even moderate distance.

Though the bobcat prefers rabbits and hares, it hunts insects, chickens, geese and other birds, small rodents, and deer. Prey selection depends on location and habitat, season, and abundance. Like most cats, the bobcat is territorial and largely solitary, although with some overlap in home ranges. It uses several methods to mark its territorial boundaries, including claw marks and deposits of urine or feces. The bobcat breeds from winter into spring and has a gestation period of about two months.

The bobcat is thought to have evolved from the Eurasian lynx, which crossed into North America by way of the Bering Land Bridge during the Pleistocene, arriving as early as 2.6 million years ago.

The adult bobcat is 18.7–49.2 inches long from the head to the base of its distinctive stubby tail, averaging 32.6 inches; the tail is 3.5 to 7.9 inches long. The adult male bobcat is slightly larger than the female.

The species’ range does not seem to be limited by human populations, as long as it can still find a suitable habitat.

The bobcat is active mostly during twilight. It keeps on the move from three hours before sunset until about midnight, and then again from before dawn until three hours after sunrise. Each night, it moves from two to seven miles along its habitual route. This behavior may vary seasonally, as bobcats become more diurnal during fall and winter in response to the activity of their prey, which are more active during the day in colder weather.

The bobcat is able to survive for long periods without food, but eats heavily when prey is abundant. During lean periods, it often preys on larger animals, which it can kill and return to feed on later. The bobcat hunts by stalking its prey and then ambushing with a short chase or pounce. Its main prey varies by region: in the eastern United States, it is the eastern cottontail and New England cottontail, and in the north, it is the snowshoe hare. When these prey species exist together, as in New England, they are the primary food sources of the bobcat.

Bobcats are also occasional hunters of livestock and poultry. While larger species, such as cattle, and horses, are not known to be attacked, bobcats do present a threat to smaller ruminants, such as pigs, sheep and goats.

The adult bobcat has relatively few predators. However rarely, it may be killed in interspecific conflict by several larger predators or fall prey to them. Cougars and gray wolves can kill adult bobcats, a behavior repeatedly observed in Yellowstone National Park. Coyotes have killed adult bobcats and kittens.

Diseases, accidents, hunters, automobiles, and starvation are the other leading causes of death. Juveniles show high mortality shortly after leaving their mothers, while still perfecting their hunting techniques. The bobcat has long been valued both for fur and sport; it has been hunted and trapped by humans, but has maintained a high population, even in the southern United States, where it is extensively hunted. In the 1970s and 1980s, an unprecedented rise in price for bobcat fur caused further interest in hunting, but by the early 1990s, prices had dropped significantly.

Stories featuring the bobcat, in many variations, are found in some Indigenous cultures of North America. In a Shawnee tale, the bobcat is outwitted by a rabbit, which gives rise to its spots. After trapping the rabbit in a tree, the bobcat is persuaded to build a fire, only to have the embers scattered on its fur, leaving it singed with dark brown spots.

The Mohave people believed dreaming habitually of beings or objects would afford them their characteristics as supernatural powers. Dreaming of two deities, cougar and lynx, they thought, would grant them the superior hunting skills of other Tribes. European-descended inhabitants of the Americas also admired the cat, both for its ferocity and its grace, and in the United States, it “rests prominently in the anthology of … national folklore.”

Grave artifacts from dirt domes excavated in the 1980s along the Illinois River revealed a complete skeleton of a young bobcat along with a collar made of bone pendants and shell beads that had been buried by the Hopewell culture. The type and place of burial indicate a tamed and cherished pet or possible spiritual significance. The Hopewell normally buried their dogs, so the bones were initially identified as remains of a puppy, but dogs were usually buried close to the village and not in the mounds themselves. This is the only wild cat decorated burial on the archaeological record.

Roland’s trivia question of the week:

What’s the diameter of a basketball hoop in inches?

Answer can be found here.

FOR YOUR HEALTH: Six Benefits of Adding Seafood to Your Diet

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As you get older, your body can become more susceptible to chronic diseases, so it can be helpful to eat a healthy diet filled with essential nutrients. If you’re looking for an easy yet impactful way to be proactive in your health journey, try introducing seafood into your diet. By simply eating eight ounces or two servings of seafood a week, you may experience a multitude of health benefits that can contribute positively to your overall well-being. Here are some reasons why you should consider seafood for your next meal and several health benefits you may experience by incorporating it into your diet.

It’s High in Important Nutrients

Seafood is a source of essential nutrients that many people are lacking, including omega-3 fatty acids, protein, iron and vitamins D and B. Fatty fish, including salmon, trout, sardines, tuna and mackerel, are sometimes considered to be the healthiest option because they can provide fat-based nutrients that our body can’t produce on its own. But don’t take our word for it — listen to science. Studies indicate that seafood is a good source of fats, protein, vitamins and minerals that help promote overall health.

It May Help Improve Heart Health

According to the American Heart Association, fish and seafood are consistently associated with a lower risk for cardiovascular disease because they are concentrated sources of omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids are a type of unsaturated fatty acid that may work to benefit heart health by helping to: Decrease triglycerides levels, increase beneficial HDL cholesterol levels, reduce the risk of irregular heartbeats, reduce blood pressure, reduce platelet aggregation and blockages that can clog arteries, decrease risk of stroke and heart failure.

It Can Help Prevent Vision Loss

Having a seafood-rich diet can help ensure that you’re getting plenty of omega-3 fatty acids that may not only help benefit your heart health, but can also help protect your vision. Evidence suggests that the omega found in seafood can help fight against age-related macular degeneration — a common eye disorder that causes blurred or reduced central vision and even blindness. While many types of seafood contain small amounts of omega-3 fatty acids, the highest amounts can be found in salmon, tuna or mackerel.

It May Help Promote Bone Health

As you get older, your bones can naturally lose density, and while this can be a normal part of in the aging process, this can make you more susceptible to broken bones and fractures, which can be life-changing events for seniors. Consuming seafood is one proactive action you can take to help increase your bone density. According to this study, there may be a positive correlation between the consumption of seafood and bone health that may help seniors lower their risk of developing osteoporosis. Why is this? Seafood is rich in vitamin D, which may help the body use calcium and phosphorus, key minerals for bone health. Try eating salmon, mackerel, herring and sardines if you’re looking to find good sources of vitamin D.

It May Help Ease Joint Pain

Suffering from stiffness in your joints? Partaking in a seafood diet may help to provide some relief. Omega-3 fatty acids can help decrease the production of certain inflammatory chemicals in the body, and the vitamin D they contain can help decrease joint swelling and pain. Even if you don’t suffer from stiffness in your joints, by consuming omega-3 regularly, research suggests, you may be less likely to develop rheumatoid arthritis.

It Can Help Promote Brain Health

Brain health is seriously important as you get older. Research suggests mild cognitive impairment, which is characterized by problems with memory, language, thinking or judgment, appears in 10 – 20 percent of adults aged 65 years and older. You can take proactive measures to help increase your brain health by regularly consuming fish, which has been shown to help improve cognitive ability. The omega-3 fatty acids that are found in fish can play a vital role in preserving cell membrane health and supporting cognition and memory — but since our bodies do not produce omega-3, it can be essential that we get them through our diet. The above content is shared for educational purposes only. You must consult your doctor before acting on any content, especially if you have a medical condition. The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read.

I’M JUST CURIOUS: Fall thoughts

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Ruby-throated Hummingbird, June 9th, 2008, Our house in Brandon, Canon 20D, 400 5.6L

by Debbie Walker

It’s hard for me to wrap my head around the idea of fall. To me, since I am back in Florida, I am still in summer weather. When I got my e-mailed newsletter from Farmer’s Almanac last week, it was about birds. It told about what we could do to help them in the cooler months.

I have wondered about the little hummingbirds and how long to leave their feeder out. From what I read about the little beauties and their feeders; it doesn’t hurt to leave the feeder up until into November. If you are seeing an occasional bird at the feeder, leave the feeder up. When you have not seen any activity, leave it up for a couple more weeks, just in case. I am looking forward to the couple that seem to keep coming back, even the couple at the cottage in Maine.

I also have wondered, do birds become dependent on feeders and lose their foraging skills? The answer is, “no, plus feeders may help birds migrate better.”

Completely off that subject now I have to repeat this little laugh to you. Recently my sister and her daughter were in a store in Waterville. Some nut case came in the store she was in, yelling “Everyone on the floor”. Nothing happened, in fact, they saw him running down the street. My sister said she was definitely scared. She was afraid if she got down on the floor, she wouldn’t be able to get back up!!

Okay, changing the subject again. I don’t have any cast iron pans, so I can’t try this one idea. Maybe you could? In First magazine I read you could use tea bags to rust proof the pans. Wash and dry the pot/pan, then wipe it down with a damp tea bag. It has to do with the tannins in the tea. Good luck.

Those nasty paper cuts are real ouch material. A used tea bag will stop the bleeding, leave on for 30 seconds. The tannic acid promotes clotting and relieves some pain.

I don’t have any real house plants. I have a problem remembering to water them so silk plants are the way for me! They say tuck two or three tea bags in the base of the real plant. When you water the plant, the bags will absorb the water and release when needed.

The First magazine is passing on a beauty tip with the tea bags. I will try this one! If you have puffy eyes. You may rescue them with two tea bags. Steep two tea bags in hot water for five minutes. Squeeze out liquid. Let cool until bags are just warm, apply to the eyes for 15 minutes. Wish me luck.

From our eyes to our feet tea bags look to be helpful. Yes, even our feet. Get rid of smelly feet. If you have the occasion of walking a distance and your feet are sweaty and smelly, you might try the tea bags. Let five tea bags steep in a cup of hot water for 10 minutes. Next, pour the liquid into a basin of tepid water, soak your feet for 30 minutes and then air dry. The tannic acid kills odor causing bacteria.

As I explained earlier, some of this info came from First magazine this month. I enjoy sharing information I get with you. I am just curious how much of it you get to try out. I do some of it but “all” of it just isn’t a fit.

Contact me at DebbieWalker@townline.org with any comments or questions. I’ll be waiting to hear from you. Thanks for reading and have a great week!

REVIEW POTPOURRI – Conductor: Charles Munch

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Charles Munch

Peter Catesby Peter Cates

Charles Munch

Not too long before his death in 1962, Boston Globe music critic Cyrus W. Durgin wrote the fascinating liner notes on the RCA Victor LP recording session for the Schumann Spring Symphony and Manfred Overture featuring Charles Munch(1891-1968) conducting the Boston Symphony.

Mr. Durgin is describing the chaotic details of musicians practicing, of cables and trunks of recording equipment strewn everywhere and of most of the 2,613 seats in Symphony Hall removed prior to this October morning as RCA’s recording team of Richard Mohr, Lewis Layton and audio administrator Al Pulley keep scurrying back and forth between the main floor and upstairs recording booth:

“Ten o’clock precisely. The seeming chaos of tuning stopped abruptly. Charles Munch, score and baton in hand, dressed not in his usual rehearsal jacket but in a beautifully tailored light gray suit, mounted the stand. Over the loudspeaker came the voice of Mr. Mohr. ‘Quiet, please….Stand by. ‘Then the code numbers of the first ‘take. ‘Dead, dead silence. A tiny red light, on a pedestal down at Dr. Munch’s right, winked on.

“From the horns and trumpets burst the first half of the opening theme of Schumann’s B-Flat Symphony. A large, commanding gesture from Munch brought in the whole orchestra in a tutti of richness, power and majesty. The second half of the theme, and so on through the introduction, exposition, free fantasy, recapitulation and coda which constitute the formal structure of the movement. ”

In the last paragraph, Mr. Durgin quotes from a couple of letters Schumann himself wrote on this Symphony:

“I wrote this Symphony towards the end of the winter of 1841, and, if I may say so, in the vernal passion that sways men until they are very old, and surprises them again with each year…”

To a conductor who was preparing the Spring Symphony for performance – “Could you infuse into your orchestra…a sort of longing for the Spring, which I had chiefly in mind when I wrote it?”

I own four copies of this recording – the mono and stereo LPs, a cassette and the CD set of Munch conducting 19th century German repertoire. With respect to the CD transfer which I initially thought superior to the LPs and cassette, I have now changed my mind and am quite thrilled by the stereo LP sound.

Schumann’s Manfred Overture was composed in 1848 and has a grim mood of tragedy pervading it but it is a very exciting piece into which Munch and the Boston Symphony musicians threw themselves with brilliant abandon.

Charles Munch wrote a book on conducting in which he stated that every individual standing in front of 100 or more players should feel “still struck to the heart by fear and panic…a formidable transport of anguish ” before a concert or recording session. Only then is a conductor truly making progress and advancing in understanding.

In rehearsals, Munch was meticulous about going over every note but when the recording session or concert occurred, he could really let loose and no two concerts were exactly alike.

A favorite piece of Munch was the Berlioz Symphonie Fantastique and, when on tour with the Boston Symphony, he conducted it ten times; according to one player, each performance was different and special, as though the piece was being heard for the first time.

Charles Munch replaced Serge Koussevitzky (1874-1951) as music director of the Boston Symphony in 1949 and was replaced by Erich Leinsdorf (1912-1993) in 1962. But he continued to guest conduct and record in the United States and Europe.

In 1967, France created the Orchestre de Paris and appointed Munch as music director. A year later, he was touring with that orchestra in this country, led a November 6 concert in Richmond, Virginia, and later that evening died of a heart attack at his hotel room. He was 77.

LIFE ON THE PLAINS: Pictorial tour of Water St. – Part 2

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The Water St. Market, located on the north side of the intersection with Sherwin St. The upper floors facade of the Chez Paree can be seen at right. That area is now a parking lot for the “Chez”.

Roland D. Halleeby Roland D. Hallee

This week we continue our trip down the west side of Water St., and buildings that are no longer there.

(See part 1 here.)

Photos courtesy of E. Roger Hallee. Most of these photos were taken in the 1930s.

A small shoe repair shop, at 47-1/2 Water St., that sat directly next door to what is now Scotty’s Pizza. The store’s awning can be seen at right.

To the left of the shoe repair shop is this store front, located at 47-A Water St., which this author does not remember its function.

A single family home, at 53 Water St., to the left of the unknown store front.

SMALL SPACE GARDENING: Composting directly in the garden

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Trench composting, a centuries old technique, is low maintenance, effective, eliminates the need to turn piles of plant debris, requires minimal space, and doesn’t smell. (photo courtesy of MelindaMyers.com)

by Melinda Myers

Trench composting: An old tried and true method

Don’t toss those imperfect lettuce leaves, onion tops and strawberry tops into the trash. Instead, convert them into compost right in the garden.

Worm and pile composting are great ways to manage these scraps. But if these methods aren’t for you, try trench composting. This centuries old technique is low effort and effective. The process is basically invisible, eliminates the need to turn a pile of plant debris, requires minimal space and doesn’t smell.

Simply dig a 12-inch-deep trench between the rows of vegetables, in the pathway, or in any vacant spot in the garden. Be careful not to damage the plant roots. Add about four to six inches of kitchen scraps, mix with soil and cover with at least eight inches of soil that you removed from the hole. Co­vering with this much soil helps prevent animals from digging. Repeat until the trench is filled with plant debris and covered in soil.

Just like other composting methods, use plant-based materials only. Do not add meat, dairy and fat that can attract animals and rodents. And this is no place for perennial weeds like quackgrass, annual weeds gone to seed, or invasive plants that can survive the composting and take over the garden.

You can also trench compost one hole at a time. Just dig a hole in a vacant space in the garden, toss in the materials, mix, and cover with soil. I grew up with this method. After dinner or once we had a bowl full of kitchen scraps, we were sent to the garden to dig a hole, dump, and cover.

For those that want to rotate plantings as well as compost, you may want to try one of these two methods. Plant in wide rows and trench compost in the pathway. Next year, move the garden to the path location and make last year’s garden the path. You will be rotating your plantings while improving the soil.

Or designate separate adjacent areas for planting, paths, and composting. Next year, rotate so last year’s composting area becomes garden, the garden becomes the path, and the path is the new section for trench composting. In three years, you will have rotated crops and improved the soil in all three areas.

Start by contacting your local municipality to make sure there are no restrictions on any type of composting. Then get out the shovel and dig your way to healthier soil and a more productive garden.

Melinda Myers has written more than 20 gardening books, including the recently released Midwest Gardener’s Handbook, 2nd Edition and Small Space Gardening. She hosts The Great Courses “How to Grow Anything” DVD instant video series and the nationally syndicated Melinda’s Garden Moment TV & radio program. Myers is a columnist and contributing editor for Birds & Blooms magazine and her website is www.MelindaMyers.com.

CRITTER CHATTER: Fall preparations at the Duck Pond Rehab center

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Raccoon release at The Center. (photo from Duck Pond Archives)

by Jayne Winters

I stopped in to see Don at the Duck Pond Wildlife Rehab Center recently and was surprised to find only one critter in the house: a young gray squirrel which likely had been injured by a cat. It was able to move and use its front paws for eating from the food dish, so Don doesn’t think there’s been a spinal injury, but he’ll keep it for a day or two for observation and assessment before transfer to a rehabber in Bowdoin, who has more volunteers to help with wildlife care.

All releasable critters are gone from Duck Pond, with only nine foxes (one gray, eight red), four raccoons, ten deer, the gray squirrel mentioned above, and Don’s own geese and ducks on site for over-wintering. He usually gets opossums in the fall, which will be kept in the house or basement until warm weather returns next spring. There will likely be a few injured animals admitted during the upcoming months, but most will be transferred as Don is trying to cut back on winter patient maintenance. Although he has two part-time volunteers to help with feeding critters and cleaning cages, Don recently celebrated his 84th birthday and admits he’s slowing down a bit!

Now the preparations for fall begin, a little earlier this year while the nice weather holds. Don usually gets 50 bales of second crop cutting, i.e., green grass with clover, for feeding the deer that can’t be released until spring. He told me deer don’t typically eat hay, they eat what they like from the bales, then use the rest for bedding. He will use grain and corn as a winter supplement, which is kept in the “doe house.” Before the snow flies, the deer will be moved to their winter pen. This requires extra hands to set up barriers and walk them from one area to another, carefully and calmly, to avoid spooking them which could result in their jumping over the barrier.

The pens that previously housed the three bobcat kittens need to be cleared of tall grass so the remaining foxes can be relocated from their smaller cages. In addition, any torn tarps on the coon cages must be replaced and secured, fencing repaired if necessary, and any other type of winterization completed. All the dishes, cages, empty pens and dog houses that have been used to shelter animals need to be cleaned or power washed, repaired, and painted for winter storage. The mobile pens are moved to one central area where they will be securely covered with tarps to protect them from snow and ice.

Not only the grounds need to be readied for cold weather. A couple of tires on the small trailer used for hauling brush and cases of food were recently replaced. The snow plow will need to be attached to the truck. Shovels and ice chippers will come out of storage and sand for icy paths purchased. Think about all you do to get your family’s home ready for a Maine winter and multiply it to meet the needs of various species of wildlife spending the next seven or eight months with you! I’m tired just thinking about it…

Don continues to limit admissions and long-term residents by transferring many rescued critters to other rehabbers who have graciously provided assistance in their care. Please check these websites to see if there is a rehabber closer to you to help keep critter care at Duck Pond more manageable: https://www.mainevetmed.org/wildlife-rehabilitation or https://www.maine.gov/ifw/fish-wildlife/wildlife/living-with-wildlife/orphaned-injured-wildlife/index.html – Donald Cote operates Duck Pond Wildlife Care Center on Rte. 3 in Vassalboro. It is a non-profit state permitted rehab facility supported by his own resources & outside donations. Mailing address: 1787 North Belfast Ave., Vassalboro ME 04989 TEL: (207) 445-4326. PLEASE NOTE THE PRIOR wildlifecarecenter EMAIL ADDRESS IS NOT BEING MONITORED AT THIS TIME.

SCORES & OUTDOORS: Barred owls are keeping me awake

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Barred owl

Roland D. Halleeby Roland D. Hallee

Last Thursday night my wife woke me from a sound sleep to listen to something outside our camp. Well, being somewhat groggy, I didn’t hear anything, and went back to sleep. It wasn’t long afterwards that she woke me again.

“Can’t you hear that?” she inquired sounding a little frustrated – You see, my wife tells me I’m going deaf.

I sat up, and listened attentively. “OK, I hear it, it’s a Barred Owl,” I told her.

She persisted. “Listen carefully.”

What I then heard made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. It was at least two, maybe three, barred owls caterwauling to each other. This was at about 11 p.m. I had heard Barred Owls behind camp a thousand times, but never anything like this. It was almost as intriguing as listening to loons calling to each other.

The “who cooks for you, who cooks for you all” call was unmistakable. But, I think it was a strange time of year for them to engage in this activity. This is usually done during the spring courtship, when one will vocalize to its mate, and vice versa. There were times when it was so loud and sustained, it almost sounded like a barking dog.

These calls are most heard at night or in twilight, and especially during the breeding season. However, calls can be heard year round since these birds do not migrate. They are very territorial, and will chase away intruders with loud hoots. These vocalizations become more frequent during the mating season, where female birds make invitation calls to mate with males.

Scientists, however, have debated that the calls of Barred Owls are much more diverse than we think. The research indicates that more needs to be known about the Barred Owls before they can deduce more about its behaviors in and out of the breeding season. Owls in general can be a difficult species of bird to study since they are mainly nocturnal and are not incredibly active until the breeding season.

Barred Owls, Strix varia, are easiest to find when they are active at night, but they are easier to hear than to see. From a distance, their calls can sound like a barking dog. They prefer mature forests, and their main diet is small mammals, reptiles and amphibians.

Since the 1960s, Barred Owls have expanded their range to the Pacific Coast where they are considered invasive. That is because it is believed they are partly to blame for the recent decline of the northern Spotted Owl, which is native to British Columbia, Washington, Oregon and California. When Barred Owls and Spotted Owls occupy the same space, the Barred Owl is more aggressive and will out-compete the Spotted Owl. Barred Owls have even been known to kill Spotted Owls. Interbreeding is also suspected.

In 2007, White House officials announced a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposal to shoot Barred Owls in order to reduce the threat to the Spotted Owls. If implemented, it was estimated 2,150 to 2,850 Barred Owls should be taken over a five to 10 year period. It is feared that increased populations of Barred Owls could eventually render the Spotted Owl extinct. Environmentalists fear increased blame on Barred Owls for declining Spotted Owl numbers will result in less attention being paid to territorial protections and resumption of logging in protected Spotted Owl habitat.

According to the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Office, the experiment is ongoing and results are still being studied.

An adult Barred Owl can be anywhere from 16 – 25 inches long and weigh 1.1 to 2.3 pounds, with a wingspan of 38-49 inches. The Barred Owl is the only true owl of the eastern United States which has brown eyes. All others have yellow eyes.

The upper parts are a gray/brown, the underparts are light with markings. The chest is barred horizontally while the belly is striped vertically. The legs and feet are covered with feathers to the talons, and the head is round with no ear tufts.

Even though they are primarily nocturnal, they generally hunt near dawn or dusk, swooping down from a high perch, to take their prey.

We haven’t heard them in over a week, but I know they are still out there. I can’t wait for the next concert.

Roland’s trivia question of the week:

What Red Sox player was hit by a pitch an American League record 35 times in the 1986 season: Carl Yazstremski, Don Baylor, or Jim Rice?

Answer can be found here.