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livvywrites · 6 years ago

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[I probably would have continued to add on this until it was twice as long as my holidays post, but I wanted to get it up today, so I didn’t. Perhaps one day I’ll come back to it, with all the ideas I’m brewing...]

Da’lia

The da’lia are a deerlike species native to the Myneran valley. Da’lia are generally golden brown, reddish brown, or white. Male da’lia have white or brown antlers, which come in not long after they begin to lose their spots. The female deer have small, nubby horns that are present from birth (and are what the male’s start out as). They’re a mammalian species, with a gestation period of 8 months. Female da’lia rarely give birth to more than one calf at a time, with a max of twins. Unfortunately, da’lia that have twins rarely survive, due to the strain.

Da’lia are herbivores, primarily feeding off grass. They tend to graze, nibbling here and there. They also enjoy fruits and vegetables, though individual taste varies. They cannot have lettuce, potatoes, hay, or corn. They drink water and can have the occasional bit of milk, though too much can curdle their stomach.

Da’lia are a very gentle species, with a lot of patience. Their natural lifespan is about a century, provided they aren’t eaten by predators or afflicted by illness. Bonding with an Elenai can increase that to two hundred years, or possibly more depending on the strength of the bond.

Despite their gentleness, da’lia are also very stubborn, and rarely listen to anyone other than their rider, once bonded. Unless that bond is broken—usually through the death of the rider. An Elenai (or other person) can only be bonded to one da’lia at a time.

Wild da’lia are rare, but can be found in the plains south of Mynera. These da’lia are leisurely creatures, who spend their days grazing and wandering the fields. However, they scatter easily, taking off like a shot the second someone tries to get too close. Some of them are hunted for sport by local humans, though the local volai generally discourage this. Whether out of respect for the Elenai or their own vegetarianism varies by person.

Vryska

Vryska are a two-legged race native to the Tierani deserts.

They’re a reptilian race, and have been compared to “giant, featherless chickens.” Their backwards bent legs end in three toes, each tipped with a talon. A fourth talon extends off of their ankle, which they lean on while resting. They have two short arms, ending in four fingers, each tipped with a small talon. Their heads are large, with small beady eyes and a great big beak. They have crests that flare out when they’re startled; raise when curious or intrigued; and flatten when scared or angry. They have long, thick tails—and a small place on their back perfect for sitting.

Male vryska generally come in vivid greens and blues, sometimes with yellow or green markings. Female vryska are brown, dull green, or sand colored to blend in with their surroundings. Males are typically quite docile, while females are very tempermental and known to bite at the smallest provocation.

Vryska reproduce by laying eggs, and usually have three eggs per clutch. These eggs are buried in the sand and watched over fiercely by mother vryska, who are brought food by the fathers. Once the eggs are hatched, the mother takes care of them until they’re able to hunt on their own, after which she leaves them to their own devices. Or would, if the vryska hadn’t long been domesticated and used as riding mounts. After this point is when they begin their training.

Vryska are a carnivorous race, primarily living off of rodents, birds, and whatever other creatures they can find living in the desert. They don’t do well with most plants, as it upsets their stomach. They can go up to a week without water and still remain healthy, and survive up to a week and a half, though this is very dangerous.

The average lifespan of a vryska is about two hundred years.

While many have been domesticated, you can still find wild ones roaming the desert. They tend to be solitary creatures, but you can occasionally find groups of three working together. They have somewhat loping, awkward gate that looks like it would be an uncomfortable ride—but riders have said they’re actually quite steady.

Gryphon

The body of a lion, and the head and wings of an eagle. A gryphon is a proud creature, coming in shades of gold, brown, and white. They’re native to mountain peaks in the desert, plains, and arctic areas… and are generally used as mounts by the Knights.

Some gryphons have live births, and others eggs. Warmer weather species typically lay eggs, and generally not more than four. Gryphons from colder climes, on the other hand, have live births. They also don’t have more than four, typically. It takes about two months for a gryphon to learn to fly, and still yet longer than that before they can do it properly. Landing is another matter, which varies by gryphon. Some never do that properly.

They aren’t old enough to ride until they reach about two years, and they can live up to one hundred in the wild. Domesticated, they live for far longer, with some of the oldest said to reach about five hundred years.

Gryphons are primarily carnivores. A meal is typically a deer or other large herbivore, while snacks can range from rodents to snakes, to even birds. Gryphons can be temperamental, but do bond with riders easily. Once they’ve bonded to one, however, they don’t typically take another, even if that rider dies.

Drake

Drake are a draconic species about twice the size of your average horse. Their wingspan is about double their length, and they are capable of flight. Drakes come in dull colors—silver, dull blues, greens, browns, and reds—but have a shimmering look to their scales, often reflecting prisms of light. They have four toes tipped in talons, with a fifth, smaller talon on the back. Their heads are quite large, with expressive eyes. They have long horns, and several smaller spikes dotting down their neck and spine. Their tail ends in a pointed tip.

Drakes produced by laying eggs, though they generally don’t have more than two or three eggs per clutch. These eggs are large, and generally match the color of the dragon inside. Drake mothers are highly protective of their young, and won’t let anyone near them until they’re out of the awkward, gangly stage that comes after birth. Once they’re able to walk, the mothers relax enough to let their fathers and a few other trusted near. Once drakes are capable of hunting on their own, the mother relaxes more, and will even take them with her and the father out on trips. Drakes do not abandon their young unless killed or forced. They also tend to mate for life.

Drakes are carnivores. So long as they’re well-fed, drakes don’t have to feed often. They primarily subsist off of deer, mountain lions, goats, sheep, and pigs—and the particularly brave or foolhardy will try and take on a bear.

There are some drakes who have been domesticated and are used as mounts, typically by knights, rangers, magi, or other daring adventurers. An old, retired drake might get the job of pulling equipment at a farm, though it’s more likely they’ll lounge at a makeshift stable in a knight’s headquarters.

Drake tend to live around 500 years.

There are many wild ones, primarily living in the mountains. They mostly leave humans alone, but will go after livestock if they think they can get away with it. They cannot breathe fire, unless fed a special plant called ‘fireweed,’ or a kind of explosive powder. (The latter is not harmful for them, though not as nutritious as fireweed.)

Drakelings

Despite the name, these are not baby drakes, but rather a smaller subset of the species. Drakelings rarely grow larger than a medium-sized dog, though most stay at the size of a large housecat. They come in similar coloring to their larger counterparts and look very similar to them.

Drakelings typically only have one or two eggs in a clutch, and are just as protective over their young as a drake. Perhaps moreso, as the father is never allowed near the young at all—not until the baby is near fully grown. Drakelings do not mate for life, and outside of mating season, are quite unfriendly towards one another. They’re very territorial, and don’t hesitate to bite or snap at intruders.

Domesticated drakelings serve much the same purpose as a cat, catching mice and other unpleasant intruders. Once domesticated, some can tolerate others of their own kind, but typically prefer not to have them around at all. Drakelings like high places, nesting in the rafters and rooftops. They also like to curl up inside the hearth, preferably while a fire is going. Drakelings cannot breathe fire themselves, however, even with fireweed. Though fireweed works like catnip on them, and so prospective owners like to keep some on hand, just to watch the little creature go nuts.

Drakelings can live up to fifty years.

There are still plenty of drakelings out in the wild—including a breed that lives in the forest. These are more brightly colored, but also far more volatile. While their scales have made many want to have one of their own, they’re far too dangerous for anyone to take in as a pet.

Phoenix

Phoenixes are large, red-orange firebirds native to volcanic areas in the south. They range in size from the same size as a songbird to near-gryphon size. They are capable of lighting themselves on fire on a whim, and can survive temperatures that would melt a person. Perhaps literally. Phoenixes don’t do well in cold climes, however—while they can survive in them, they’re lethargic and slow.

A phoenix will live for about 500 years. After this time, they will begin to grow unhealthy looking—losing feathers left and right, losing weight, drooping. It’s a very sad sight. Then, one day, they will spontaneously burst into flames and burn until there’s nothing left but ash. Not even bone. These ashes will begin the process of forming into a new egg. This process can be disturbed if the ashes are scattered, but phoenixes generally try to make it back to their nests before combustion—which are often impossible for people to reach. After about a century, the phoenix is reborn again and takes flight once more.

A phoenix will lay one new egg in their life time, if they lay that many. The egg is laid in lava, where it incubates for an indeterminate length of time. When it hatches, the bird inside is fully formed and ready to take flight.

Scholars don’t know much about the phoenixes, save that they’re a mischievous race who seem to enjoy thwarting every attempt to learn more about them.

Spinne

Spinne are giant spiders. They can be found in forests and caves. They typically reach the size of an average pony. The forest-type weave webs in the trees, which they use to catch prey—anything from deer to unsuspecting travelers—while the cave type prefer to stalk their prey.

Their venom is a mostly non-lethal paralytic. While an overdose could potentially stop a heart, a small amount (without dilution) is enough to simply hold someone in place. As such, the spinne are hunted frequently for their venom sacks, which are then diluted and sold on black markets. They are used in kidnappings and interrogations.

A spinne will lay several hundred eggs at a time, but not all of these eggs will make it to hatching. When they do hatch, there can still be dozens of survivors—which then descend on an all out free for all, eating each other; their dead siblings; and their former eggs. Of these dozens, only a handful will survive to adulthood. It takes around six months for them to reach full maturity.

Spinne typically live about 20 years, if that.

Kentrios

Kentrios are a giant scorpion race native to the deserts of Eldora. These creatures are about the same height as a horse, but double the length—and then yet again for their giant stingers. They’re covered in a red-black chitin, which is very glossy and shiny under the sun.

Their stingers can spit a deadly acid, which melts through skin and bone. As such, kentrios typically only use it as a last resort, as it doesn’t leave much food left for them to indulge in. They will nearly always use it on approaching people, however, as most of them have learned that it simply isn’t worth the fight.

Their acid, once diluted, is used for a variety of purposes—especially by thieves, who, when lockpicking doesn’t work, will simply melt their way through to what they want. The acid is less effective against metals, however, though it can corrode the weaker ones.

Kentrios will lay several eggs in the sand, though not all of these eggs make it to hatching. Those that do must then survive the deserts on their own. They reach full maturity within six months to a year.

They live about 20 years, if that.

Basilisks

Basilisks are giant snakes, generally colored deep green or blue. They have piercing red eyes. Meeting this gaze is your doom, as it holds prey paralyzed with fear. This allows it to get in close enough to bite down—and as if the giant maw and long fangs weren’t enough, the venom is sure to kill instantly.

The venom is a powerful agent. When diluted, it is capable of slowly slowing a heart down, and is often used in medical procedures—such as surgeries. It can also be used to fake one’s own death. When used in it’s full potency, however, a basilisk’s venom can stop a heart within seconds.

Basilisks are highly territorial creatures. They generally live in mountains or forested areas, building their nests underground. Usually in a cave, but a self-made burrow will do. They generally have about two or three eggs at a time, which then grow up and head off on their own.

Basilisks are known to live about 75 years.

Basilisks feed on the largest prey available—generally bears, deer, and wildcats. They are also not adverse to eating the odd human that wanders through, though they don’t go out of their way to. Basilisks don’t like fire, are deathly afraid of phoenixes, and can be paralyzed at the sight of their own gaze.

Cockatrice

A distant cousin of the basilisk, a cockatrice has the body of a snake and the head of a chicken or rooster. They don’t get nearly as large as their cousins, though they are just as territorial. They come in yellows, reds, and greens. They typically live in forests and mountains, nesting underground. They only have one egg, which they don’t even raise themselves—instead, they deposit it in the nest of a nearby avian species, and when the baby cockatrice hatches, it slaughters its nest.

Cockatrice have the same paralyzing glare that a basilisk does, however, they also have an additional ability—which can turn people to stone. They eat birds, rodents, snakes, and insects. They don’t eat people, but will turn them to stone if they come too near their territories.

A cockatrice can live for about 30 to 50 years.

Hydra

Hydra are a multi-headed draconic species that lives primarily in the Arctic Wastes. There, they compete with their cousins, the dragons, for food. Hydra come in black, white, and silver. They have anywhere from three to eight heads, and four to eight legs.

Unlike their dragon cousins, hydra are not a free-thinking race, and instead live on baser, animalistic insticts. They rarely venture down from the arctic, but when they do, it’s trouble. They can demolish entire cities in a handful of hours, as each head is capable of magic breath (fire, ice, acid, or lightning). Fortunately, the southern lands don’t have much in the way of food for them—but this is all that keeps them confined to the north.

A hydra’s lifespan is not known, though it is believed that they do have an expiration date.

Also unlike their dragon cousins, hydra are not immune to magic. They are resistant to it, and hard to control, but it is entirely possible for a spellcaster to tap into a hydra’s mind and force them to do their bidding.

Tunnelers

Tunnelers are a subterreanean species that resemble a giant worm. They have thick hides that are very hard to pierce. It’s difficult to tell head from torso, though the torso thins out towards the tail—so you can at least tell which way is which. They have no visible eyes—perhaps none at all—and giant, gaping mouths. Inside these mouths are several rows of teeth, perfect for chewing through dirt and stone, creating perfectly round tunnels for them to speed through. And speed through they do, moving up to 60mph.

Tunnelers subsist on Terinavi, a giant mole-like species. They lay many eggs at a time, but these eggs are left forgotten in the dirt. Tunnelers hatch small, but fully formed and ready to start eating. However, the Terinavi can and will eat these eggs and babies if they find them, so there’s a constant give and take between the two races.

Tunnelers are rarely ever seen above ground, and the ones that are rarely have a visible reason to be there. They cause havoc for a bit—usually in the form of earthquakes and sinkholes—before disappearing back beneath the earth. While terrifying, they aren’t a huge issue on Eldora.

Arryth

There is only one arryth.

It lives in an area of ocean called ‘the Dead Sea.’ It rarely, if ever, ventures out of its territory. It resembles a sea serpent in some ways, though it is far larger. It’s a dark, dark blue and more or less blends in with the water around it.

It doesn’t reproduce—instead, every 10,000 years it sinks to the bottom of the ocean and sleeps. During its sleep, the Dead Sea calms. No wind blows. No life swims in that stretch of ocean. Ships cross it, using magic to do so, but find the experience draining enough that most don’t repeat it. (Unless, of course, they’re pirates, because pirates do many things that others do not.) When the arryth is awake, however, the Dead Sea is wracked with storms—and none, not even pirates, dare cross those. Unless they’re the most foolhardy of adventurers, of course.

While the legend of the arryth persists on land, most people dismiss it as simply that—a legend. No one believes that the arryth truly exists. Those of the sea, however, know it does—though they do little to dissuade their land-neighbors of that notion. For the merfolk have their own question: why does the arryth never leave the Dead Sea? What keeps it there? Is it bound by something… or is it protecting something?

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marckoren30 · 4 years ago

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The Secret Life Of Bed Bugs

Bed bugs are undesirable everywhere. They reside in beds, suck blood and cause stench and pollution in homes and hotels. People who suffer from bed bugs sometimes call our preofessionals in tears: that's how bad the plague can be. Don't linger in a suspicion, but tackle bedbugs by recognizing the insect in time!

What's a bed bug?

A bed bug is a very small pest. Officially, there is no such thing as a 'bed mite'. The term is mainly used to control bedbugs. This is not strange, because bed bugs and mites are often confused by laymen. What is certain is that bed bugs can be very persistent pests. If you suspect that you are suffering from bedbugs, you should go out and investigate as soon as possible and hire a professional to combat them.

How Do Bed Bugs Live?

An adult female lays up to about 10 eggs per day and about 200 in her entire life. After 2 weeks, the nymph hatches. The nymph molts several times until it is 6 weeks old and can be called an adult bedbug. Bedbugs love blood from humans, among other creatures, and this is what they feed on. The name of this little insect tells you where it likes to settle, namely in the bed.

So it likes to be in the bedroom and often has all the time to pierce your skin with its snout and suck your blood. At the snout there is a small tube through which the blood can pass. This also releases anesthetic and anti-coagulant substances into your skin, so you don't feel the bedbug bite and the blood doesn't clot as quickly. This allows the bedbug to continue until it is satisfied. Favorite place to sting seems to be the legs, but any place is up for grabs for this insect.

How do you get bed bugs?

Bed bugs are mainly spread by travel. For example, you stay in a hotel room where bed bugs are in the bed, nightstands or carpets. These insects dive into your suitcase unseen and you take them home. There, the critters crawl out of the suitcase. They then hide in the craziest and most difficult to reach places. This is where the misery begins.

When you lie in bed, you lose moisture. Your body temperature also makes it nice and warm in bed. Pleasant? That stops as soon as they crawl into your bed. The warmth and moisture allow their eggs and larvae to develop quickly. Moreover, the larvae and adults literally suck the blood from your body, which is far from comfortable.

Recognizing bedbugs: what should you pay particular attention to?

A bed bug is very small and can hide in anything. This does not make recognising bedbugs easy, but it is also not impossible. What exactly do you have to pay attention to?

White granules; in the seams and hems of your mattress, near skirting boards, bed legs and headboards can be eggs.

Pay attention to bed bug larvae. These are also called 'nymphs'. They are transparent, but turn bright red when they suck blood.

Also check your bed for adult bed bugs. A bed bug is only 5 mm in size and has a flat reddish-brown body that swells and discolours when blood is sucked.

Bed bugs can only crawl. If you see something jumping or flying, it is certainly not a bed bug.

Check your sheets and blankets for bedbug droppings. These could be red or black spots. These are best visible on light-coloured sheets.

Bed bugs are only active at night. During the day they only show themselves when they are very hungry.

At night, you're bitten by bedbugs. Often that's the first sign of their presence!

How do you recognize bed bug bites?

When you sleep in bed at night, you may be bitten by one or more bed bugs. You don't feel anything about the bites themselves, the more shocking it is when you wake up the next morning with an itchy skin. Was it really a bug? Did it even bite several times? Here's a little checklist for recognizing bedbugs bites!

The bites line up on your skin. This happens when the bed bug is disturbed during bloodsucking. It then bites again a few times.

You will see small round bumps, especially in your neck and on your hands, arms and legs. The bumps itch very badly!

Why are the bumps so itchy? If a bed bug bites, it leaves several dusts in your skin. These help the bug to suck up the blood more easily. Unfortunately, it's also these dusts that cause itching and redness.

Bed bug rash. How do you treat a bug bites?

Bed bugs are not known to cause or transmit disease. Allergic reactions can occur in people who are sensitive to insect bites. Doctors advise not to scratch the bumps in particular, otherwise you can leave nasty scars on the bites. You can use an ointment to soothe the itching. Bed bug bites disappear by themselves after a few weeks.

Controlling bed bugs

Fighting bedbugs in your house or hotel? Spraying an insect repellent yourself does not help: the bed bugs are often too numerous for that. Moreover, they know how to hide everywhere, even in places that seem almost impossible to you, such as mobile phones and power sockets. After all, the critters love heat and they find it in electrical appliances.

Our best advice for fighting bed bugs? If you (think you) suffer from bed bugs, contact us immediately. We can carry out an inspection and exterminate the bed bugs with insecticide, steam or heat. After the inspection, you will be offered a plan of action: in this plan, we explain what we can do for you and exactly what it will cost to get rid of the bedbugs. This is why you always want professional help against bed bugs.

Don't give bedbugs a chance. Call us!

Bed bugs can ruin your life, especially if they're in every room of your house or hotel. Don't give them a chance to spread: call now for a highly skilled professional in your area!

from Summit County Pest Control https://summitcountypestcontrol.blogspot.com/2021/06/the-secret-life-of-bed-bugs.html

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sussex-nature-lover · 4 years ago

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Tuesday 16th March 2021

Quizzing

Here we go, your starter for ten as the famous TV quiz* says...

This is the little bird who I can never manage to capture - any idea?

Have some thinking time (not You, Guru) and we’ll return to this later.

The scores on the doors** (another old quiz show reference) - door 1 on our left, door 2 in the middle and door 3 up the bank is more of an alley than a door 😃

I’ve always liked this tiny glimpse of the lower garden through a gap in the shrubbery and since I trimmed the straggly growth we have two ‘archways’ which are proving really popular with both the birds and M Flambeau who all clamber through, as opposed to coming up the bank at the side, or just stand surveying their surroundings or perhaps contemplating life in general.

(m) Pheasant was funny yesterday as he came up through the gap and literally limbo-ed under the branch. Actually, he didn’t really limbo in the true sense, he squished himself down very awkwardly though, when he could just have hopped over.

The new Romeo has been hanging around the garden a lot. I heard him this morning before I was up, he’s not crowing very loudly, more like a beaten up old car that’s struggling to start. Not that I should say anything, I’m not particularly a morning person either.

Here’s another clue to the mystery bird of the day.

I’m getting closer.

It's not the smallest British bird (that's the Goldcrest), but it is the shortest. It holds an estimated 8.6 million territories in Britain, making it one of our most abundant birds, so it’s a bit of a mystery why they seem particularly hard to spot in our garden. That said, like the Goldcrest it is very quick.

Here we are, the best photo I’ve managed to date - and frankly, even that retains an air of mystery about it.

The answer is Wren ( Troglodytes troglodytes - apparently named as they were observed near to caves. Troglodyte - ‘cave dweller’ )

FUN FACT: In proportion to its size, the Wren has the loudest song of any British bird.

The loud song from such a small throat is possible because birds have an organ called a syrinx with a resonating chamber and membranes that utilise virtually all the air in the lungs and can produce two notes at the same time.

Length:9-10cm

Wingspan:13-17cm

Weight:7-12g One male mute swan weighs the same as 1,400 wrens.

Wrens are a garden regular and can also be found across the UK in a wide range of habitats. Looking them up, they like deciduous woodland, farmland, heathland and moorland. They can also be found out on the islands, but are least abundant in Scotland and northern England, with the smallest numbers found in upland areas. Wrens usually eat close to the ground, using their pointed bill to snack on larvae, insects, spiders and other small morsels. They will eat seeds or berries and apparently also like tadpoles.

The breeding season for Wrens takes place during early spring, with males establishing their territories during this time. Each male uses moss and twigs to build a selection of domed nests for females to consider when they enter the male’s territory. If a female chooses a certain male’s nest, they will begin breeding once the nest has been lined (moss, lichen, other plant material and feathers) Nests are usually built in sheltered areas, including in nest boxes.

Usually around 5-7 eggs are laid, hatching after approximately two weeks. Both parents feed the young, which will fledge a further 15-20 days later. Second broods are common, and males often mate with more than one female.♦

Woodland Trust Org

♦ several of the nests constructed by the male may be taken by different females at the same time. Wrens, being such tiny birds are at high risk during harsh weather, but this breeding technique helps keep numbers buoyant and stable.

The eggs by the way are small (obviously) smooth white ones, with red splodges, kind of similar to some Tit eggs but with a greater density of markings at the blunt end.

The Wren is often described as a dumpy little bird. M’lud, I object. Just because a being isn’t rangy and lithe, it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s dumpy. I think its compact shape adds to the cuteness factor and they’re very much in proportion, with the ‘cocked’ tail adding to that sweet impression.

It’s all a massive contrast to yesterday’s White Tailed Eagle isn’t it.

Weight: 3 to 7 kg Eagle / 7 to 10g Wren

Most importantly I’m just pleased to have photographic proof that the Wren is here in our garden, especially as I didn’t manage to spot one for the survey in January.

GARDEN NOTES:

No Wren or Eagle while I sat typing this. I did hear Buzzards overhead earlier this morning though. We’ve had numerous visits from GS Woodpecker, a vast number of House Sparrow and Dunnock; Blackbird; Great, Marsh, Coal and Blue Tits have been; Robins, of course and two Nuthatch at the same time. The female Pheasants came briefly and it goes without saying that the Rooks are very evident both in the woods and the garden too. I’m expecting to see Long Tailed Tits, Stock Dove and Wood Pigeon later and most likely the male Pheasant. Crow has seen a Magpie, but I missed it.

Late Edit: male Pheasant, Wood Pigeons and Stock Doves here now and a Bee!

WHAT DID I LEARN TODAY:

Sir Christopher Wren architect, 1632-1723 (external link)

The surname ‘Wren’ really does derive from the bird

The English surname Wren (the Irish equivalent is Rinn, the Welsh is Uren) derives from an Anglo-Saxon word meaning lascivious, but was apparently applied to people who were small, busy, quick and energetic just like the little bird. Today, there are an estimated 22,500 individuals worldwide with the Wren surname, the USA having 13,000 of them, with Britain second at something over 5,000.

More unusual facts about the Wren from this Countryfile article Here (external link)

* University Challenge

** The Generation Game

#wren gardenbirds naturephotography

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emoceanevolution-blog · 7 years ago

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RIP Vine

1. Do you ever wonder what other people think of your survey answers? I really enjoy reading what the previous person wrote, and it never dawned on me that other people read mine when they copy and paste these. Hello, whoever you are! *waves*

2. Are there any survey-takers that you simply do not like because of their answers? Hahahah no

3. Has anyone ever said anything in response to a survey question that offended you? I’m offended no one has said anything in response to my surveys ;P lol

4. Which of the following sounds more appealing at the present moment : a bag of chips, a handful of cookies, a slice of pie / cake, or some crackers? Any particular kind? I ate too many cheesy ruffles earlier, those are my weakness. I could go for some cookies, CHOCOLATE CHIP OMG i love chocolate

5. How many pets have you had in your household at one time? When I was growing up there was Max, Simon, and Frankie: dog, cat, fish

6. Do you know anyone that works for a cable company? Not that I’m aware of

7. What was the last thing you heard / read / saw that made you want to face-palm? An episode of Friends

8. Have you ever watched the show Raising Hope? If yes, what did you think of it? I thought the premise was clever in the first episode but it lost me real quick. It was nice to see Tig though

9. Name one person on Xanga that you would be interested to be friends with. Or, if you are uncomfortable doing so, is there even anyone on Xanga that you find interesting & that you think you could be friends with? I don’t know anyone, I get all these from badsurveyshit. She seems nice, I think I’d like being friends with her

10. Is it cold enough to comfortably wear pants where you are, without getting too warm? Sure

11. What do you / does your family pay for rent? Do you think that your home is worth that amount? It’s just short of 2000 for a 3 bed 1 bath. The house wasn’t put together very well but it’s nice to not be living with my parents.

12. Are your walls pretty sound-proof or is it easy to hear other people talking even if they’re several rooms away from you? Ughh my room is not soundproofed at all. >.> Wood floors throughout carry the sound too. I can hear people talk in their bedrooms if they aren’t using hushed tones. Oh god, they must know I’ve watched an entire season of Friends today..

13. Have you ever had family portraits done? Is this something you are fond of doing, or do you dread it? We did some family photos in 2007, also had head shots done in 2008. I’m fond of it.

14. When was the last time you had oatmeal, if ever? Do you use milk or water in it? OOOOOOOO I introduced my boyfriend to Dinosaur oatmeal last week!! There are dinosaur eggs in the dry oatmeal, then pouring hot water will “hatch” the eggs to reveal little candy dinosaurs!! It’s the best!!

15. Do you have anything on your bedroom door? Have you ever? I almost always have something on my bedroom doors. In most recent years it’s been “The Little Mermaid” poster from the playroom at my grandma’s house. These days I’m keeping a clean polished look for the door - we’ll see how long this lasts. My Uncle did a custom build of the door, as we were converting the back room into a bedroom and the doorway is not a standard size.

16. Have you ever worked hard on something, only to have someone ruin it [whether literally or figuratively]? HAHAHAHAH IT’S CALLED LIFE

17. Does taking medication make you nervous? Is it something you avoid as much as possible? Depends on the side affects really. I try not to become reliant on medication but I take it when I need to.

18. Do you ever learn new words [or even “remember” old words] that you become addicted to saying & repeat them in almost every sentence? Nah, I’m not like that

19. Who do you know that suffers from bad dandruff, if anyone? What an odd question? no?

20. Do you think that after the age of 90 you should stop caring so much about what you intake & just eat / drink whatever you want because you might as well since you’d be on the verge of death anyhow? Be good to yourself, whatever than means for you.

21. Are the bottoms of your feet dirty? Yes

22. What do you do with your gum after you are done chewing it? Use it for arts and crafts

23. Do you know someone that [unintentionally] types in caps a lot & then afterward apologizes for it? Do you watch what you are typing to ensure that you don’t make mistakes like that, or do you tend to stare down at the keyboard as you type? Hahahaha I know people that intentionally type in caps with no apologies. I usually watch for mistakes, but half the time I don’t care.

24. Are you at all interested in the lives of celebrities? Why do you think people care so much about the lives of people that they don’t even know? I’m not too concerned. Though, I do have an emotional attachment to Hilary Duff cause I loooved her when I was a kid. I’m also interested in Brendon Urie. He’s a defining musical influence and I’d love to know more about him. I don’t want to stalk him at his favorite fast food restaurants, but rather learn how he interprets his life into his music.

25. What is a site that you go to when you need a good laugh? YouTube. Vines. Repeat

#survey #questions #myspace #myspace survey #bulletins #bulletin #vine #youtube

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kittenrescuer · 6 years ago

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The First Kittens

Originally, the plan was to become a nonprofit and then start taking in kittens. As usual, things didn’t go to plan. Currently, I’m fostering six kittens. They’re the sweetest little babies. They were rescued from a horrible 30+ cat hoarding situation. I got them when they were sick little four-week-old babies. Now they’re seven weeks old and still dealing with health issues.

They came with upper respiratory infections and very bad eye infections. After a week of treating that, they were doing just fine. Their fecal came back clean, which shocked me. I reached out to the rescue to find out that they had been dewormed after they’d been pulled from the house. The next afternoon, I noticed something stringy and white on one of the kittens’ butts. I pulled it off with a wipe and examined it. It was a tapeworm. Normally kittens are dewormed once to kill adult worms and then again two weeks later to kill the eggs. I didn’t know about the first deworming until a day prior to finding the tapeworm, so they missed their second deworming and the worm eggs hatched. I emailed my vet with a picture of the worm in question and got them a prescription for tapeworm medication. I also noticed that they were scratching their ears and shaking their heads a lot. I decided to look inside and lo and behold, their ears were filled with something that looked dirt or coffee grounds: a clear sign of ear mites. So, I emailed my vet again and sent her that picture and was able to go in and pick up both ear mite and tapeworm medicine. They were also having very loose stools, something I attributed to the tapeworms. But I decided to take in a fecal sample anyways. To get rid of the mites, I had to flush out their ears with a medicated solution, clean out all the mites/mite dirt, and apply a miticide. For three days I had to mix in their dewormer with their food and feed each kitten separately to ensure they all got the correct dosages. The day after I had finally finished administering the tapeworm medication, I get a call from the vet. The kittens have giardia (also known as giardiasis, a parasite rarely found in cats and kittens—lucky me!). If you don’t already know this (like me before I frantically googled giardia after receiving the phone call), but giardia is a single-celled organism that is most commonly found in dirty water and causes diarrhea, malabsorption, dehydration, and a whole host of other symptoms that can kill a kitten. So yesterday I went back to vets to pick up Flagyl, the medicine used to treat giardia. Apparently, it is extremely bitter, and the poor kittens absolutely hate it. But I do not want them to have giardia, so they just have to suffer and take the medicine twice daily. Giardia is pretty easily spread so my room is on lockdown. They need daily baths, everything in the room needs to be washed daily (including my bedding), and the whole room has to be disinfected daily. Wednesday (2/27) was the first day of starting this new extreme cleaning regimen. I have taken comfort in counting down the days until it will be over, and they will be giardia free. Although I do have to admit, deep-cleaning my room the other day was very comforting. My room is probably cleaner than it has been in years. But to cut down on the daily cleaning, I have confined them to a spacious corner of my room (I had to get rid of my desk to make room) that is much easier to disinfect. The kittens were scheduled to have their FIV/FeLV tests and spay/neuter surgeries on the 6th but they will still be on medication then and probably not big enough yet. So, I will probably have to reschedule that.

As someone with OCD tendencies, it has been quite a lot to deal with so much dirtiness, fear of contamination, worms literally hanging out of kitten butts, and constant disease, but I have somehow been able to manage it. I seem to have an override where if these kittens need something, no matter how disgusting or dirty, I am able to do it for them because they need me. And I am so happy that I was able to take them in. I can’t imagine the filth they must have lived in to contract so many diseases/parasites. I’m glad that they were pulled from that environment and are able to get healthy and eventually find forever homes.

Their names are Blue (M) Bean (M), Bug (F), Binx (M), Billie (F), and Banner (M) and despite their horrible beginning they are some of the sweetest, most social kittens I have ever met. All they want is love and attention (and to attack your toes) and will swarm anyone who enters their room. Five of them are all black with several white hairs sprinkled over their bodies. Binx is mostly black with some white on his chin, chest, belly, and tips of his paws. They all look like they’re going to have green eyes. I put soft colorful collars on them so that they can be identified. If several of them were to slip out of theirs at the same time, I would have a hard time telling them apart. Maybe I could do it based on size and personality, but it would be extremely difficult and there’s no guarantee I’d get it right.

Long story short, even though they have been disease-ridden, stress-inducing, money-hemorrhaging kittens, they are still one of the best decisions I have ever made.

#kitten #kittens #cat #cats #animalrescue #foster #fosterstories #kittenrescue #catrescue #neonatalkittens #neonatalkittenrescue

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