Newsletter 07/20/2014

We hope to have news later that the procedure went well.

She is still having massive computer challenges and misses her Vaca pals.

She wants everyone to know that she is thinking of us, even though she has limited ability to get on the interwebs?

Zorro the Mouse here. I hope everyone can come by the chat tonight! We will have photos and videos, that the Dude will describe as best he can. I may in fact attempt to present a music video in pantomime. Actually, I have no idea what we will be doing tonight. It looks like the Ustream thingie is kinda broken. Shadow puppets, maybe?

Oh well, it will be good to see y'all, anyway!

			Chatter News
	A Note from the Dude		Chatter News		Prayer Requests		Vaca Blog

	Sharoot	Sharoot's featured pictures can be found at the end of each newsletter, under Photos of the Week. She says that since they are located at the end, then "Sharoot's the Caboose!" Sharoot's Caboose today features a wonderful story of Sharoot and her granddaughter!

	*Elsalynda*	Elsalynda's latest column entitled Nature in the City: On a Backyard Safari in Waltham, is available online here: http://waltham.wickedlocal.com/article/20140708/NEWS/140708575

		We got word on Thursday (the 17th) that Elsa was headed to Massachusetts Eye & Ear (Boston) for an unexpected eye procedure. She asked us to try to get news to the gang. We hope to have news later that the procedure went well. She is still having massive computer challenges and misses her Vaca pals. She wants everyone to know that she is thinking of us, even though she has limited ability to get on the interwebs?

	We'd love to include more news of VacaChatters. If you have something you'd like to share (something about you or your family) or if you know of exciting news about another chatter that they're just too shy to share, please send it to us! (We won’t run it without that chatter’s permission, however.)

	*Littleguys*	LittleGuys had minor surgery on Thursday, July 17. She was at the hospital until 9 PM Thursday evening. She spent a few days at a friend's home, but is back at her home now. She sends her thanks to everyone for moral support, advice, suggestions, and just being there.

	*Caboval*	Caboval is in need of our prayers for her dog, Joey. You can read more about Joey and his struggles here: http://gfwd.at/1n8NU0h.

		UPDATE on Joey! Caboval writes: “Joey is in remission but the chemo almost killed him. He was in liver failure and the Dr gave him a 50/50 chance to live. He made it through that and we have had 3 really good weeks. He was so happy and acting like a puppy, but now he is starting to not eat again and he vomited today so I don't know… It's a rollercoaster. I have a feeling he is having liver issues again. I do really need those prayers!!!”

	*Elsalynda*	Elsalynda is also in need of prayers. She is asking for prayers for good care and caring from her primary care physician. Elsa reports that at her last visit, her physician "was at least civil and apologetic." She also reports that her back issues are improving and thanks everyone for their prayers and support. Continue to keep Elsa and her doctor in your prayers.

	*GentleDoe*	A brief update and again a request for prayers. She's still going back and forth between her house and her mother's, trying to care for her own pets and her mother. Her mother has heart problems and has had a difficult time since her father's stroke. Her father is still in Assisted Living and he longs to come home. He cries every time they talk to him. Due to transportation problems Doe and her mom have not been able to visit with him but a few times. A family member is adding to these difficulties. Doe is requesting prayers for her and her parents and for relief from the interference of this family member. She's struggling with Social Security issues and the daily transportation problems to her home to care for her birds. She does not want to have to give up the birds. Tory just turned 18! They have been together since he was 4 months old. She request that we please keep her and her family in prayer. She wants to thank all of the Vaca/Molly family for their love, support and prayers during this very difficult time. If you want to contact her, you can do so at faith.bun.2012@gmail.com

	*Jes and Miss Jonesy*	Both Jes, and her furkid, Miss Jonesy, are battling health issues and undergoing various tests and procedures. Let's keep both of them in our prayers.
	*Jes and Miss Jonesy*

	Shari in Memphis	UPDATE!!! Just received this from Shari: "So kind of you to keep prayers going for me. I was hospitalized in November for an event (that just yesterday my doc said was severe enough that it could have killed me) and have pretty much been sick ever since. I'm trying to be patient as doc said it would take 6 months to a year, to fully recover."
	Shari in Memphis


	Thank you for your prayers and good thoughts for owl our wonderful VacaFamily members! If you have any prayer requests, updates or news of answered prayers, please let us know. Email us with the information so it can be included in the next newsletter.

	A Message from Zorro		StoryTime News		StoryTime Archives
							Recipe of the Week


	*Next StoryTime*	TODAY!! Sunday, July 20, 2014 3:00 PM PDT/6:00 PM EDT

	*Title*	A Midsummer's Night Dream (with apologies to Mr. Shakespeare)

	*Invitation*	We need story writers! Please consider dropping in and checking out the fun we have writing the stories. Honestly, it's not at all difficult to join in and you'll surely be glad you did.
	*Invitation*

	Hello Vriends,
	Whewee!! I have been busy this morning trying to get "broadcast ready" for the first time in quite a while. Basically, since my hard drive broke down and I had to upgrade to the new operating system, I have been having to reinstall all new software, because my previous system was so antiquated, I was having to pass by many upgrades. Now I've had a lot of upgrades forced upon me, with mixed results. Well, it took me a while to locate my Logitech webcam, but I got that hooked up. So then I had to download the latest version of Ustream's Producer app, which is what I need to broadcast with. I've been making some dry-runs with it, and I have to say I am fairly alarmed. They have taken a lot of functionality from the program and put it into the set of functions that are locked unless you become a paid broadcast subscriber. As a result, the features available to me when I broadcast have been knocked down to the bare minimum. I can see that doing the VacaChat show is going to be a lot harder to do, and I think my options for showing photos and videos are not going to work. I'm going to keep testing it throughout the day, but I have my doubts. So I will broadcast this evening, but I'm afraid it may be limited to just a man and his Mouse, and not much show&tell. :( I wish I could afford to do the pro broadcasting, but their cheapest plan level is $99 a month. I just can't afford it right now. It seems strange to me--one would think you would charge based on the amount of broadcasting done. I mean, some folk get on Ustream and broadcast drivel every since day. I broadcast MY drivel for only and hour and a half per month. And yet, I have to pay the same rate they do. (Actually, I guess if you do a LOT of broadcasting, you have to go with their $500/month plan.) I get the sense that Ustream is struggling with finances, and I understand that. It's just that they have become more and more aggressive about trying to get people to pay for broadcasting. So I'm not sure what the future brings. Maybe looking at other services? Maybe looking at other means of communicating? I'll try to keep y'all in the loop. (Oh well, at least it means I didn't have to mention any missiles or bank robberies or anything in the notes.) ((oops!!)) Anyway, hope to see you tonight!
	Cheers, VacaDude

	Check out VacaDude's blog! Don't forget to send VacaDude your comments to let him know how much you appreciate him, his time & his talent!
	http://vacadude.wordpress.com/

	Hello there, Everbuddy!
	Zorro the Mouse here. I hope everyone can come by the chat tonight! We will have photos and videos, that the Dude will describe as best he can. I may in fact attempt to present a music video in pantomime. Actually, I have no idea what we will be doing tonight. It looks like the Ustream thingie is kinda broken. Shadow puppets, maybe? Oh well, it will be good to see y'all, anyway!
	Yours Most Whiskerly, Zorro

	Orange-Vanilla Monkey Bread
	Ingredients
	3 cans (7.5 Ounces Each) Buttermilk Biscuits (not The Flaky Kind), Cold 1 cup Sugar 2 whole Oranges, Zested 1 dash Salt 2 sticks Salted Butter 3/4 cups Brown Sugar 1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract
	Directions
	Preheat the oven to 350°F. First, make sure all the biscuit cans are very cold. Open all the cans of biscuits and cut the biscuits into quarters. Fill a large Ziplock bag with the granulated sugar, the orange zest, and the dash of salt. Seal the bag and shake it around until the zest and the sugar are totally combined. Add the biscuit pieces to the bag, seal it and shake/toss it around until all the biscuit pieces are coated in the orange sugar. Pour the pieces into a bundt or tube pan and set it aside. In a medium pan over medium heat, melt the butter then stir in the brown sugar and vanilla until just barely combined. Pour the mixture all over the biscuit pieces, scraping the pan to get all the butter/brown sugar out of there. Let it settle for a second, then place the pan in the oven. Bake for 25 minutes, or until the top of the biscuits are golden brown. Then remove the pan from the oven and set it on a rack. Let the pan sit for at least 10 minutes (but no more than 15), then turn the cake out of the pan onto a cake plate. Note: When it first comes out of the pan, the melted sugar/caramel will be a little on the hot side. Wait a few minutes after turning it out before serving.


	4 Ingredient Nutella Cookies
	Ingredients
	1 cup Nutella ½ cup granulated sugar 1 cup all-purpose flour 1 egg
	Directions
	Preheat your oven to 350°F. Blend all ingredients together well. Form into 1-inch balls and place onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Press down firmly with the bottom of a glass. (Spray glass with cooking spray to prevent sticking.) Bake for 7-8 minutes or until set. Let cool and enjoy!

	Owl Cams				Other Nature Cams		Video Picks of the Week		Inspiration
			Other Bird Cams

Barn Owls
	Nicassio Owl Box Salt and Pepper	http://www.ustream.tv/channel/nicasio-owl

	HOP - MAGC Barn Owls	http://www.ustream.tv/channel/magc-owls

	Owlceanside Mel and Sydney	http://www.ustream.tv/channel/owlceanside

	Felix Neck Owl Cam Martha’s Vineyard	http://www.ustream.tv/channel/felix-neck-owl-cam

	The Owl Cam	http://www.ustream.tv/owlchannel

	Barn Owls in Minden, Nevada	http://www.ustream.tv/channel/barn-owls-in-minden-nevada

	Port of Stockton Barn Owl Cams	http://www.portofstockton.com/owl-cams

	Hosted by Cornell Lab of Ornithology Located in Texas	http://cams.allaboutbirds.org/channel/42/Barn_Owls/

Other Owls


	The Caring Owl in South Africa	http://www.thecaringowl.co.za/

	PPO (Potted Plant Owl) in South Africa	https://www.facebook.com/pages/Pot-Plant-Owl/148721154229

	Alessondra’s Owl Cam in Oklahoma City	http://ustream.tv/okcowlcam The three owlets have fledged.

	Rusty and Iris in Houston, Minnesota	http://www.internationalowlcenter.org/ourowls/rustyandiris/livecams

	Burrowing Owls Tri-Cities, Washington	http://wdfw.wa.gov/wildwatch/owlcam/video_burrowing2.html

	Project Snow Storm	http://www.projectsnowstorm.org/

Puffins
	Shetland Islands Puffins	http://www.shetland.org/puffincam/

	Sea Island, Maine Puffin Burrow	http://explore.org/live-cams/player/puffin-burrow-cam

	Sea Island, Maine Puffin Loafing Ledge	http://explore.org/live-cams/player/puffin-loafing-ledge-cam These pages also contain links to numerous other nature cams.

Eagles
	Black Eagle South Africa		http://www.africam.com/wildlife/black_eagle_webcam The first egg hatched on June 6!.

	Decorah Eagles Decorah, Iowa	http://www.ustream.tv/decoraheagles

	Berry College Eagle Cam Mt. Berry, Georgia	http://www.ustream.tv/channel/berry-eagle-cam

		http://www.pixcontroller.com/eagles/index.htm

Peregrine Falcons
	PA Falcon Cam Harrisburg, Pennsylvania	http://www.pacast.com/players/falcon.asp

	Commerce Tower Peregrines Kansas City, Missouri	http://mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/wildlife-cameras/peregrine-falcon-web-camera Cam not live now but should be returning soon.

	Pitt Peregrine Falcon Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania	http://www.aviary.org/PF-NestCam1

	Gulf Tower Peregrine Falcon Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania	http://www.aviary.org/PF-NestCam2

	Emily Falcon Cam Caloundra, Australia	http://www.ustream.tv/channel/emily-falcon-cam

	RFalconCam Rochester, New York	http://rfalconcam.com/rfc-main/

Talking Birds
	Watch the Birdie Bibi, the African Gray	http://www.ustream.tv/channel/Watch-the-Birdie

	Disco Talking Parakeet	https://www.youtube.com/user/MsJumpinJude/videos

Other Birds

	California Condor San Diego Zoo Safari Park San Diego, California	http://zoo.sandiegozoo.org/cams/condor-cam

	KC Zoo Penguin Cam Kansas City, MO	http://www.kansascityzoo.org/penguincam

	Whidbey Island Back Porch Whidbey Island, WA Rufous hummingbirds and other assorted birds	http://www.ustream.tv/channel/katersch

	Hellgate Ospreys Missoula, Montana Sponsored by Cornell	http://cams.allaboutbirds.org/channel/27/Hellgate_Ospreys/

	Ostrich Chicks (Live Again! New Chicks!)		http://www.ustream.tv/channel/ostrich-egg-cam-live

	Streaming Bird Cams List of many cams	http://www.beakspeak.com/

Pandas
	San Diego Zoo Pandas	www.sandiegozoo.org (click on live cams) or http://www.ustream.tv/sandiegozoo. Zoo's blogs: http://blognew.sandiegozoo.org/category/animals-and-plants/giant-pandas/

	Twin Pandas at Zoo Atlanta	http://www.zooatlanta.org/1212/panda_cam#ff_s=aDIEl

	Giant Panda Cam National Zoo Washington, DC	http://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/webcams/giant-panda.cfm

Bears
	Kansas City Polar Bears Nikita and Berlin	http://www.kctv5.com/category/244581/nikita-berlin-polar-bear-cam

	Brown Bears and Salmon Katmai National Park Alaska (off season- will return)	http://explore.org/#!/live-cams/player/brown-bear-salmon-cam-brooks-falls (lots of other cams at this site, as well)

	Black Bears Ely, Minnesota	http://www.bear.org/website/live-cameras/live-cameras/holly-bears-den-cam-live.html

Other Animal and Nature Sites
	San Diego Zoo and Safari Park	http://animals.sandiegozoo.org/

	The Pet Collective (many live cams)	http://www.thepetcollective.tv/livestreams/

	Critter Chat Cams Multi-Critter Site with Chat	http://critterchatcams.org/

	Friends of Felines Rescue Center Defiance, Ohio	www.ustream.tv/ffrc

	Little House Prairie Village, Kansas	http://www.tomnliz.com/Livecam/

	CC's Page of Links (scheduled for updating)	http://chatterchopz.com/links/camslinks.htm

Other Sites of Interest

International Space Station Links
During a recent broadcast the Dude talked about the websites where one can view the spacestation and the view that the astronauts have. Here are the links: This one has the map, but no chat. http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov/HDEV/ This site has a chat room. http://www.ustream.tv/channel/iss-hdev-payload

Trees
Jes shares with us this wonderful page of photos illustrating nature's wonders. Trees \| Dusky's Wonders

Intricately Carved Bench
Jes also shared with us this photo of an intricately carved bench. Can you imagine how many hours of labor went into this creation? Hundon informs us that the sculptor works in the UK and if you follow this link you can see the bench from all sides. You can also see many more of his works. They are all incredible. http://www.treesculpting.co.uk/g_oakowlbench.html

			Fun Animations and Pictures		Photos of the Week		Zorro's Word of the Week
	Just for the Fun of It