Obedience training never ends

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TRAINING YOUR PERFORMANCE DOGTRAINING YOUR PERFORMANCE DOG

by Carolyn Fuhrer

It is generally accepted that a skill that is not maintained will gradually diminish. It doesn’t matter if you are referring to a performance dog or a pet dog. If obedience skills that a dog has been taught are not practiced and a consistent requirement of performance adhered to, these skills will gradually diminish in accuracy and reliability.

We hope to have our dogs for a long time; somewhere between 10-15 years. During that time many things in our lives may change. People come in and out of our lives, we may move, get another pet, get a new job, take up a new hobby. So many things can affect our lives in 10-15 years. New situations, strange situations or stressful situations may cause your well-behaved dog to test the limitations of the rules. Don’t be surprised or upset. Simply realize your dog is asking a question, which is: do the same rules of behavior apply in this new situation?

As a good owner/leader, you need to be clear, patient and consistent with your answers.

Do not let simple skills slide because you feel they are not as important as the dog gets older. The dog will begin to perceive lack of leadership and this may lead to more and more problems, resulting in a very anxious dog.

Always requiring sensible behavior and good manners will give the dog a routine in which they can find safety and security.

There are many fun ways to maintain and enhance skills learned in puppy or obedience classes. Work towards a Canine Good Citizen title or a Therapy Dog certification. Join a beginners’ agility class where following basic commands such as “wait” and “come” are important foundation skills. Join an obedience rally class and brush up on skills and learn some new ones.

If you know you are going to experience a major change in your life or your household, see if you can plan on spending some quality time with your dog to reinforce those basic commands. It will make any transition easier.

Just as with humans, dogs will live a longer and happier life when they are less stressed and have activities they can enjoy and where they can use their minds as well as their physical skills.

Playgroups and longs walks are a great form of exercise, but don’t neglect your dog’s mind. Learning new skills together or reinforcing and enjoying old ones can many times rejuvenate an older dog and also help calm a young, energetic dog. Working one on one with your dog will deepen your understanding of one another and broaden your communication skills with another species.

So, why not give your dog and yourself a treat and join a class in agility, rally or obedience to learn some new skills and reinforce old ones. See you in class!

Carolyn Fuhrer has earned over 90 AKC titles with her Golden Retrievers, including 2 Champion Tracker titles. Carolyn is the owner of North Star Dog Training School in Somerville, Maine. She has been teaching people to understand their dogs for over 25 years. You can contact her with questions, suggestions and ideas for her column by e-mailing carolyn@dogsatnorthstar.com.

Skimo races coming to Maine ski areas

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Dan CassidyINside
the
OUTside

by Dan Cassidy

The Maine Adaptive Sports and Recreation plans to celebrate the accomplishments of disabled athletes who participate year-round in adaptive sports at the 32nd annual Ski-a-thon, according to Deb Maxfield, marketing and development director.

“This year’s theme is Randonnée, recognizing that Maine Adaptive’s Founding Partner, Sunday River will host the “Something Bigger” skimo race on Ski-A-Thon morning, Maxfield said in a media e-mail.”

Ski mountaineering racing arrived in northeastern U.S. during the 2004-05 season. The NE Rando Race Series has been organizing races since the 2008-09 season at six different venues in four different states. “As the sport has rapidly grown here in the northeast,” according to race director Jonathan Shefftz. “The time has come for a race at one of the northeast’s biggest resorts, Sunday River,” he said. “All race proceeds will benefit Maine Adaptive.”

By far the most expansive course layout ever held in the northeast, the race will attract elite aerobic athletes from the fields of alpine racing, triathlon, road running, trail running, cycling, Nordic skiing and other endurance sports. The race will be scored for the national ranking points system of the U.S. Ski Mountaineering Association (USSMA), recognized as our nation’s governing body for the sport by the International Ski Mountaineering Federation (ISMF). The ISMF has been recognized by the International Olympic Committee as an official Olympic Federation in preparation for skimo racing’s inclusion as a demonstration sport at the 2018 Winter Olympics.

Competitors with a chance to podium come from many New England ski resorts. Despite such talent at the top, the Someday Bigger race is open to everyone. There will be a shortened, noncompetitive course for those looking for a different challenge. On-line registration is available until midnight Thursday, March 23 at https://www.maineadaptive.org/ski-a-thon/the-something-bigger-event/. Limited day of registration may also be available. The race begins at 9 a.m.

Maine Adaptive provides free adaptive lessons in alpine and nordic skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, paddling, cycling, tennis and golf. The Ski-A-Thon raises over half of Maine Adaptive’s annual operating funds, which provides equipment and programming to nearly 500 adults and children annually. Throughout the winter, groups of five commit to supporting Maine Adaptive by securing donations and pledges as a Ski-A-Thon team.

For additional information, visit www.maineadaptive.org or contact Deb Maxfield, at dmaxfield@maineadaptive.org or call (617) 794-7104.

SCORES & OUTDOORS: Are robins truly sign of spring?

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SCORES & OUTDOORS

Roland D. Halleeby Roland D. Hallee

According to the calendar, spring is about 10 days away, as of this writing. Many people, as of late, have been telling me about robin sightings – a sure sign of spring. But… is that a fact or a myth? Let’s explore.

The American robin, Turdus migratorius, is a migratory songbird, belonging to the thrush family. It is widely distributed throughout North America, wintering from southern Canada to central Mexico.

The American robin is the second most populous bird in North America, behind only the red-winged blackbird, and just ahead of the European starling, in their numbers. With an estimated population of 320 million individuals, the bird is not threatened with population decline. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) evaluates the robin as least concern. At one point, the bird was killed for its meat, but it is now protected throughout its range in the United States by the Migratory Bird Act. So, look but don’t touch.

Its natural predators include hawks, cats, and snakes, but when feeding in flocks, it can be vigilant and watch other birds for reactions to predators. Brown cowbirds have been known to use robin nests to lay their eggs, but are generally rejected.

The robins’ diet consists of 40 percent small insects, to 60 percent wild and cultivated fruits and berries. Their ability to switch to berries allows them to winter much further north than most other thrushes. They love fermented berries, and don’t be surprised to see them fall over from intoxication should they consume large amounts of these berries. However, they are still attracted to the good old-fashioned earthworm.

The male and female resemble each other, with the female having the tendency for the red breast to be a bit duller in color.

Now that we have learned a little about the bird, what about that robin-and-spring correlation.

Robins breed throughout most of North America, from Alaska and Canada southward to northern Florida and Mexico. This is where the controversy begins. Although not backed by any scientific evidence, I have spoken with people who say they have robins in their backyards all winter long. Well, that is quite possible. Although robins prefer to migrate south of Canada to Florida, the Gulf Coast to central Mexico, they will occasionally overwinter in the northern part of the United States and southern Canada. Most going south will depart by the end of August, returning in February and March.

But, as much as we like to see these fellas toward the end of winter, and the anticipation of warmer weather, they can also be a hazard to humans. They are a known carrier of the West Nile virus. While crows and blue jays are often the first noticed death in an area, the American robin is suspected to be a key host, and holds a larger responsibility for the transmission of the virus to humans. This is because, while crows and blue jays die quickly from the virus, American robins survive the virus longer, thus spreading it to more mosquitoes, who then transmit the virus to humans and other species.

The robin also has a place in Native American mythology. The story goes how the robin got its red breast by fanning the dying flames of a campfire to save a Native American man and a boy. Also, the superhero Robin was so named by his mother because he was born on the first day of spring, with his red shirt suggesting the bird’s red breast.

The robin probably became a symbol of spring from a well-known poem by Emily Dickinson, titled I Dreaded That First Robin So.” Also, based on a Québec supersitition, by the wife of Dr. William H. Drummond, that whoever sees the first robin of spring will have good luck.

But the primary reason the robin is associated with spring is based on the fact that robins tend to follow the 37° F isotherm – a type of equal temperature at a given date or time on a geographic map – north in spring, but also south in fall. The sooner the temperatures warm, the sooner they begin their journey north.

Hopefully, that clears up the picture a little bit. Right?

Thank you, thank you!

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I’m Just Curious

by Debbie Walker

This column is meant to thank the wonderful medical staff at Inland Hospital, in Waterville. I thank the staff that treated me but I also want the thank you to go to all medical staff that should get an acknowledgement for their services and may not get it. OOooops! I almost made a mistake. Yes, by all means I thank the medical staff but I also thank the food service people, the people who keep the hospitals clean and all the people who work at the hospital and contribute to its running.

I recently became a candidate for bionic woman by getting a new knee. It’s been a long time coming. I smashed my knee into a slippery concrete deck. Big ouch!

So anyway that is all in the past. I am not exaggerating when I tell you that every person I came in contact with treated me really well. I knew for a long time that this surgery was coming my way. Knowing all that it was still hard on the nerves, the waiting is the pits. So, all the wonderful people you come in contact with at the hospital at least allows you to relax a little (that and the happy juice they give you).

I do have a list of some names: Tina, Yvette, Nichole, Amanda, Erika, another Amanda (I think, drugs ya know!!), Tina, Mandi, Alicia, Katina, Jen, Rachel, Tina, I think, was in there for three tours of duty! If I missed any of my nurses’ names or a tour of duty I am sooo sorry.

Another personality at the hospital, physical therapist, had a voice that came through loud and clear as she walked through the door! Oh yeah, if you have ever had Amy (Unity office and Inland) you know the voice I am talking about. She was there to lead me through my first physical therapy session with my new body part! Truthfully, I couldn’t have asked for a better outcome, she’s a doll.

Okay, I do enjoy writing but I think tonight I have about run out. I know that’s hard for those who know me to believe this but it’s true for tonight. So give your best thoughts to those who care for us when we are not at our best, Thank you for reading. Contact me at dwdaffy@yahoo.com.

Film: Hangmen Also Die; Rock group: The Crystals

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REVIEW POTPOURRI

Peter Catesby  Peter Cates

Hangmen Also Die

starring Brian Donlevy, Walter Brennan, Anna Lee, Gene Lockhart, etc.; directed by Fritz Lang; United Artists; 1943; 135 minutes.

Brian Donlevy

Brian Donlevy

Hangmen Also Die was produced to depict the June, 1942, assassination of Reinhard Heydrich, the Nazi Protector of Czecho­slo­vakia, a major architect of the Final Solution and, in general, a rather loathsome villain of the World War II years.

Walter Brennan

Walter Brennan

Due to the timing of its completion, the production team did not have available the full story of the actual assassins and the reprisals carried out against the village of Lidice; instead it tacked a fictitious hero for the main thrust of the story in that Brian Donlevy portrays a Czech doctor who is Heydrich’s assassin and working with an underground resistance of good citizens, most of whom will be betrayed, arrested and shot by the end of the film. Meanwhile, the doctor and a few good friends set up a treacherous Nazi informer in a spider web of intrigue.

Even though I watched the entire movie through Youtube with cheap headphones, I was riveted – by the ominous black and white sets, the stark cinematography, Hans Eisler’s atmospheric soundtrack and director Lang’s astute pacing and phenomenal ability to draw out one great ensemble performance from the actors/actresses, right down to the bit parts. Highly recommended film noir!

Gene Lockhart

Gene Lockhart

Anna Lee

Anna Lee

The Crystals

He’s Sure the Boy I Love; Walkin’ Along (La La La)
Philles Records 109; seven-inch vinyl 45 record; recorded 1962.

Even though this record was produced under Phil Spector’s supervision, the women are not the same group that was releasing hit 45s for him between 1960 and ’62. In one of his more devious moments, he hired Darlene Love and the Blossoms to replace the original group while using their name. Whatever the ethics of his switch, this is a very good example of the symphonic Wall of Sound he had been utilizing in recording sessions since the mid-’50s, quite often with unprecedented commercial and artistic success.

He’s Sure the Boy I Love is a charmer by the Barry Mann/Cynthia Weil team, who has written more top quality songs than one can possibly count; a couple of examples – We Gotta Get Out of this Place and Somewhere Out There. The inspiring combination of the ladies’ heartfelt singing and the roaring Wall arrangement are, of, course, top notch, while the more sparingly arranged instrumental has a guitar solo worth careful discerning listening.

The Crystals

The Crystals

Since 2009, the 77-year-old Spector has been serving an 18-year prison sentence for second degree murder and his health has been deteriorating since a 2015 hospital stay.

IF WALLS COULD TALK, Week of March 9, 2017

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Katie Ouilette Wallsby Katie Ouilette

WALLS will now let faithful readers know what had been told about Redington-Fairview General Hospital’s being all that people should be grateful for. So, now, faithful readers, WALLS has spoken, and thanks go again to CEO “Dick” Willett and all staff members and volunteers at RFGH for the caring they exhibit in everything they foresee and do.

O.K., let’s switch to education. Rather, WALLS is repeating what was written a bit ago, namely, ‘’What goes around comes around.” Well, WALLS isn’t sure this subject of ‘education and money’ will come around, but those who were in school in the ‘40s, as Katie was, feel that this solution may have merit. Those were our World War II years and all students in Garfield and Lincoln schools in Skowhegan were given small American flags to wave as soldiers marched passed them on Water Street. Yes, those uniformed soldiers had marched from the VFW Hall on Main Street and were headed for deployment to war and our, then, passenger train would be waiting for them at Skowhegan’s Train Depot on Court Street.

But, what about the budgets for the schools? Well, we of Skowhegan and Madison learned the art of being very frugal in those years. Jean Finley and her family had moved from Pittsfield to Skowhegan and the frugal school boards of Skowhegan and Madison had hired her dad to be superintendent of schools in both towns. Oh, that was just one of the differences that we lived with in the ‘40s. The frugal school boards also had the sharing extend to the sharing of school music teacher, yes, remember Mr. Baraket? The towns also shared our school nurse Mrs. Wise. Oh, and lest we forget that Miss White became Mrs., since female teachers were to be their “students’ mothers” prior to World War II! We also were placed in two-grade rooms. Eight of us in the fifth grade shared the room with Mrs. Lewis’ foruth graders and, likewise, the eight of us shared Miss Weston in her sixth grade and the other desks in Miss Weston’s room were occupied by fifth graders. Well, do you faithful readers think this was a good idea? Frankly, some of the students in a lower grade learned from listening.

By the way, we Skowhegan students were all eager to get to junior high school on the island in Skowhegan. Yes, that building, once, housed Skowhegan High School, but a new high school awaited, when we were ready for it……..yes, the first Skowhegan High School was on Willow Street.

What happened to them? Well, the Skowhegan Junior High on the island burned down and the villages have replaced old Skowhegan High, but the memories linger on.

SOLON & BEYOND, Week of March 9, 2017

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Marilyn Rogers-Bull & Percyby Marilyn Rogers-Bull & Percy
grams29@tds.net
Solon, Maine 04979

Good morning, dear friends. Don’t worry, be happy!

The second quarter honor roll for Solon Elementary School is as follows: All A’s: Emily Baker, Jayden Cates, Gavyn Easler, Sascha Evans, Courtney Grunder, Cody James, William Lawrence, Macie Plourde, Desmond Robinson, William Rogers, Hailey Wyman and Dystany Young. All A’s & B’s: Karen Baker, Sarah Craig, Michael Crane, Cooper Dellarma, Reid Golden, Riley Graham, Zachary Hemond, Nevaeh Holmes, Summer Lindblom , Madyson McKenny, Aiden McLaughlin, Clara Myers-Sleeper, Abigail Parent, Cailin Priest, Paige Reichert, Mylee Roderick, Thomas Roderick, Gerald Rollins, Alyssa Schinzel, Aaron Soosman, Brooks Sousa, Fisher Tewksbury and Lucas Vicneire.

Again this year Solon Elementary School held some fun Valentine activities to brighten the winter season. The Solon Kids Who Care sponsored a Secret Cupid activity in which each of them decorated a heart with some kind words for another person in the school. The hearts are displayed on the bulletin board in the lobby.

Mrs. Keenan made red hearts in the new-fallen snow all around the school for Valentine’s Day week. There was a Hearts game held at the school on February 17. Students played the game (which is like Yahtzee) in multi-age groups in the gym. The winning team was Mrs. Hines’s team, made up of Brooks Sousa, Fisher Tewksbury, Isabella Atwood, Kaylynn Clark, Cooper Dellarma, and Paige Reichert. Winning the hearts drawing were Charlie Golden and Desmond Robinson.

It’s time to begin the preschool application process for the fall of 2017. If your child will be four years old by October 15, 2017, you can apply for enrollment into the RSU #74, 2017-18 preschool program. The program is open to all four-year-olds regardless of family income.

Applications can be picked up at any of the elementary schools. You can have one mailed to your home by calling the school at 643-2491, or you can download one from the district website.

You will need to provide income verification and a copy of your child’s birth certificate, MaineCare card, and immunization record.

If you have any questions about the preschool program, please contact Family Services Coordinator Jennifer Hebert at 696-3753 (office) or 649-2347 (cell).

The PTO Father-Daughter Dance will be held on Saturday, March 18, from 6 – 8 p.m., at the Solon Elementary School. Open to all district PreK-5 students and their dads or another significant man in their lives. A $10 donation per family suggested.

Must apologies for not attending the annual town meeting on Saturday, it is only one of a very few that I have missed over the years. It didn’t seem to me there was much that some people might vote against, (if you read this column last week, I had reported on most of the articles). The ones on the ballot for return to office had no competition and were re-elected. There were 46 people in attendance. Lief and I did attend and enjoy the dinner and good company which preceded the business meeting on town meeting day. There were only 16 of us who supported the Solon Pine Tree 4-H Club members efforts to put on this dinner every year. I’m very proud of them and their leader Eleanor Pooler.

Received an e-mail from the Hannaford store at 100 Fairgrounds Marketplace, in Skowhegan, about their Hannaford Cause Bag program. This started on March 1 and it will be focusing on supporting the Margaret Chase Smith Library. It is called The Hannaford- Bags 4 My Cause Team where you can find out more about it at info@bags4mycause.com.

Percy’s memoir is titled “Be Calm My Soul:” Be calm my soul – Tho’ all around, Nations may fall – Thrones tumble down. E’en in the midst Of life’s troubled sea – Have faith in God, And know he keeps thee. Be calm my soul – Be firm and stand fast! He’ll keep thee now He has in the past. He rules the wind – And calms the great sea; Be calm my soul – God will keep thee. (words by JoAnn Carlson.)

GARDEN WORKS: EXTEND SUCCESS! Start long-season plants now for best results

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GARDEN WORKS

Emily Catesby  Emily Cates

Part 1 of 2

Are you really, really looking forward to the promise of springtime? I am. The biting cold wind battering the frozen ground has given way to a warming breeze beckoning in aromas of thawing soil. As the heady scent of freshly defrosted mud entices my nostrils, I am hurled into an awakened state where I feel an urgent need to start seedlings. If you find yourself similarly inclined, why not read on? Since our area has a limited amount of frost-free days, plants that take a while – such as tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, leeks, onions, artichoke, and many more herbs, flowers, and the like – will have a greater chance of success if started indoors now. In this two-part article, let’s explore a few practical suggestions on starting long-season plants. This time we’ll look at lighting setups, substrate, suitable containers, watering, and climate-control.

First, the lighting setup. This could be as simple as a sunny, south-facing windowsill, a unit of grow-lights, or the luxury of a sun room or heated greenhouse. To prevent seedlings from becoming leggy once they’ve sprouted keep the containers as close to the lights as possible without burning the plants.

A second ingredient to successful seedlings is the substrate. Always remember to use organically-produced, fresh, pest and disease-free planting medium, whether purchased or homemade. Products that support germination are fine-textured and oftentimes do not contain soil. (These are especially helpful for starting small seeds.) Examples are peat, coir, vermiculite, etc. When purchasing bags of medium, look for those specifically formulated for germination. (Later on, when transplanting, we’ll use a coarser mix with organic matter to provide nutrition for the growing plants- but for now we’re just interested in germination.)

Another important component is a clean, well-drained container that holds the substrate. Possible candidates could include free and abundant used yogurt cups from home or the recycling center. Wash them well and poke holes in the bottoms, label them, fill with planting medium, and they’re good to go! Also, there is this handy dandy little tool called the “pot maker” which you can use to make countless amounts of pots out of plain newsprint. If expense is not an issue and the desire is aesthetic, go for the plastic flats and 6-packs and such found in seed catalogs and gardening centers. Seeds can be individually or collectively sown in smaller containers, but the resulting seedlings are easier to transplant if they are in flats or containers with a larger surface area. With this in mind, you might want to check out soil block makers, which form blocks of soil which can be placed next to each other in a tray and seeded. They are easy to work with, as the roots are “air pruned” as they grow long, making transplanting the seedlings a cinch.

Besides containers, we’ll also want to think about an acceptable source of water. Watering with plain tap water is fine as long as it’s not chlorinated or softened; use filtered water if there is any question. Keep the seeds and seedlings moist, but not waterlogged. If necessary, additional draining holes in the container can be poked through or drilled. Conversely, a clear cover of some sort can be placed over the container to conserve moisture – just check daily to make sure it can breathe.

Temperature is another factor of importance. 80 degrees F and above are necessary for proper germination, so a heat mat or other source of warmth could be used in a cold room. Elaborate climate-controls are highly effective, but potentially expensive. These are especially advantageous in a greenhouse or grow-light systems where the temperature has the tendency to fluctuate or get too hot. A simple oscillating fan is a useful, low-cost possibility. Get even fancier by hooking it up to a thermostat switch that flips it on when it gets above a certain temperature!

So, I hope this is enough info to get you started. I should mention that you can find as much of these indoor-gardening supplies as you’ll need at LaVerdiere’s General Store in China Village. Also, check out FEDCO and Johnny’s as well. Stay tuned for next time!

TECH TALK: Who are you again? How to be anonymous online, Part 1

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ERIC’S TECH TALK

by Eric Austin
Computer Technical Advisor

Part 1

Much of the convenience we get from the Internet comes from the fact that it stores so much about us online. This is both a positive and a negative. Sure, it’s nice to be able to order more laundry detergent without leaving the house, or to check on our bank balance without going to the bank. But the price for that convenience is personal exposure.

And that’s what it really comes down to: personal exposure versus convenience. There is no secret formula that will provide you with the latter without sacrificing the former. Any precautions you take online are guaranteed to impact what makes the web so convenient in the first place.

And as with most things in life, the answer to this conundrum is different depending on the person and the situation. How much exposure can you tolerate? Which is more important to you: personal privacy or convenience?

Because truly, the only way to be completely anonymous online is not to go online at all.

But knowledge is power. And knowing the risks, as well as how to protect yourself from them, is as essential to having a successful life online as anywhere else.

In this, and subsequent articles, I’ll discuss a few ways that you can limit your exposure while still getting the most from the benefits of online convenience.

Know your online behavior: Some online activities are riskier than others. Be aware of your level of risk before engaging in anything online, and limit your exposure based on the risk level of what you are doing.

How do you know which activities are risky and which aren’t? Easy. Just ask yourself: “Do I want everyone in the world to know what I’m doing right now?”

If the answer is “No”, then it’s risky.

http:// vs. https:// Every web address begins with “http,” which stands for “Hyper Text Transfer Protocol”. This is the data protocol that dictates how information is transferred across the web. The “s” in https stands for “secure” and means that the data is encrypted before being transferred. This is not such a big deal in 2017, as almost all websites now use the “secure” hyper text protocol for nearly everything. However, it’s worth noting that you should never transfer personal information across a non-secure “http” link.

Private Browsing: One of the easiest tools in your belt for staying anonymous online is “private browsing.” This is a feature in most modern browsers that automatically changes your settings to prevent your browser from saving information about your activities, including: which pages you visit, a record of your searches, cookies, passwords and cached content (like images), among other things. This is called “Incognito” in Google Chrome (Ctrl+Shift+N), and “Private Browsing” in Microsoft Internet Explorer (Ctrl+Shift+P) and Apple Safari (CMD+Shift+N).

While this option won’t safeguard any information you are sending over the Internet, it will prevent you from leaving any trace of your activities on the computer you’re using, which can be used by other websites and advertisers to track you. And you should always activate this feature when using a public PC.

Do Not Track option: The Do Not Track (DNT) option is a fairly recent addition to the settings in your browser which alerts websites and advertisers not to track you. While its effectiveness is entirely dependent on whether the website or advertiser chooses to pay attention to this flag, I still recommend you keep this set to “No” in your browser settings.

Well, this is the end of my column and I’ve barely scratched the surface of this topic. We haven’t talked about Proxies/VPNs, Firewalls, passwords and password managers, virus and malware protection and avoidance, alternative browsers and search engines, or ad blockers! Phew! Tune in next time for part two.

Have a question or idea for a column? Email me at ericwaustin@gmail.com, subject line “Tech Talk!”

SCORES & OUTDOORS: How do birds keep warm during cold winter temperatures?

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These eastern bluebirds huddle in an attempt to stay warm. (photo courtesy of Massachusetts Audubon Society)

Roland D. Halleeby Roland D. Hallee

My wife purchased a new bird feeder for our home. The old one had kind of played out its time. They hadn’t had one for a while, so I was curious to see how long it would take for them to find this one. So, while standing at the kitchen window, keeping vigilance, I started thinking. Oh, oh, that means trouble.

It has been a relatively mild winter, save for a cold snap at the beginning of February, and one predicted for this weekend, but I started to wonder how birds keep warm during the deep cold of winters past. I remember some winters when the temperatures didn’t go above zero degrees for an entire month. These poor little creatures must have some kind of inner warming mechanism.

Birds are warm-blooded animals that have a much higher temperature than humans, usually in the range of 105 degrees, as compared to our 98.6 degrees, or there about. Body temperatures can vary during daylight hours but it can challenge the birds during the night to maintain such a high body heat.

Smaller birds run more of a risk of body heat loss since they have a proportionately larger surface area on their bodies to lose heat but a smaller core volume to generate it.

Birds have different ways to maintain body heat during cold weather. Their feathers provide remarkable insulation, and many species will actually grow extra feathers as part of a late fall molt to give them thicker protection in the winter. Oil also coats their feathers to provide, not only insulation, but waterproofing.

Their legs and feet are covered with scales to minimize heat loss. By constricting blood flow to their extreminities, they can also reduce body heat loss even further.

Then, there is the old standby: adding body fat reserves to serve as insulation and extra energy for generating body heat. They will gorge themselves in the fall when food sources are abundant.

Another way to produce insulation from the cold is to fluff their feathers. That enables air pockets to be created, keeping them toasty warm. Also, it is not unusual to see birds standing on one leg or crouched to cover both legs with their feathers to shield them from the cold. They also tuck their beaks into their shoulder feathers for protection, and to breathe air warmed from their body heat.

On sunny days, they will perch with their backs to the sun to maximize the exposure area of their body.They raise their wings to allow the skin and feathers to absorb as much of the sun’s heat as possible, even spreading or drooping their wings while sunning.

If you see a bird shivering, don’t worry. They do this to raise their metabolic rate and generate more body heat as a short term solution in extreme cold.

Many small birds will gather in large flocks at night and crowd together in an attempt to share their collective body heat. Even individually, they will roost in places that may contain residual heat from the day’s sunlight.

But, there is something called torpor that birds will use to conserve energy during the cold nights. Torpor is a state of reduced metabolism when the body temperature is lowered, therefore requiring fewer calories to maintain the proper heat. Birds can lower their body temperature from 22 to 50 degrees. Torpor, however, can be dangerous as reduced temperature also leads to slower reactions and greater vulnerability to predators.

Even with all of these Mother Nature-built in safeguards, mortality rate among birds can run high during extreme winters. You can help.

During winter, keep your feeders cleared of snow and filled with good food, offer liquid water, and provide shelter. You can build brush piles or protective boxes if you have no natural shelters. I think one of the reasons we have as many birds during winter as we have is because birds are attracted to coniferous trees. My wife and I have three rather large pine trees in our backyard, providing them with plenty of protection from the weather.

Mother Nature, again, provides for its creatures, large or small.

Oh, by the way, it’s been a week now since the new feeder went up, and the birds have yet to locate it.

Roland’s trivia question of the week:

Name the two women to have been in the starting grid for the Daytona 500.

Answer can be found here.