Newsletter 08/24/2014

It is I, Zorro the mouse, wishing you greetings and hopes for a pleasant weekend. I would also like to thank you all for the cards and gifts to the Dude, because now he can go to the store and buy some nice cheezes!

Speaking of cheese, a lot of people like to have wine with their cheese, and that is going to be a problem for a lot of folks around here. You see, we had a pretty nasty earthquake here this morning. Now some would think it might be kind of silly to be worried about wine in a situation like this, but it is actually a pretty big deal for the folks around there. Some of the most premiere wines in the United States come out of wineries in the Napa-Sonoma area, and a lot of those wineries are reporting the loss of thousands of bottles their product. And that's just the finished product--there have also been damage to the production, as hundreds of barrels of fermenting product have been smashed and ruined. The wine industry is the biggest industry in that area, along with tourism. And unfortunately, the tourism is tied very closely to the wine industry. So I have all my fingers and toes crossed and hoping that those folks can recover. And of course, a speedy recovery is wished to all the peoplez who got hurt.

It sure got ME out of bed in a hurry last night!

So anyway, hope to see you all at the chat tonight!

			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 photo of a beautiful feathered friend

	Jes63	Jes has been trying for quite some time to get a glimpse of the International Space Station as it crosses the sky above her home. This week we got this message from her: *I actually timed it right, working with two web sites, to see the International Space Station pass over.It does go really fast and even at 9:20 pm the sun was still hitting it to view though it was dark here.* Took me forever to time it right. About a month.**

	ChatterChopz	After CC's great adventure last Sunday with all the utilities gathering in our yard, the Gas company finally finished their work about 2:00 AM. Bright and early Monday morning, the Water department was back to finish THEIR job. CC was up with the sun, threw on her clothes and ran outside. She greeted the Water department workers like long-time friends with a cheery, "Hi Guys!! Good Morning!" She stayed outside with them most of the morning watching their every move and loving the actions of the digger thingy. At one point she came running in to tell us, "Mom! Dad! That supervisor guy is a GIRL!!!"

	*Elsalynda*	Elsalynda's latest column entitled Nature in the City: Family Life in Nature , is available online here: http://waltham.wickedlocal.com/article/20140820/NEWS/140829966

	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.)

	*BugGirl*	We received this message from BugGirl: I have quite a story to tell! On was 7/24 I set off to visit my daughter in N. Carolina. I started having terrible headaches the night I got there, and a couple nights later I was in the hospital. But they couldn't figure out what was wrong (I've never had a migraine), so they sent me back to my daughter's house. A few hours later, I was unconscious, my daughter was distraught, and the paramedics were picking me up for the 2nd time. I was out for about 36 hours, while the Neurology Dept. at Duke University Hospital plugged me into everything they had and ran every test they could think of on me. When I returned to the world of the living, the language part of my brain wasn't working - I could understand very little and could speak only gibberish. My son from Seattle was also there by then, and in the course of the afternoon and evening, he had me talking again - not perfectly, but I could understand and make myself understood, and answer some of the doctors' questions. I still don't know how he did it. Anyway, I was in the hospital for 3 more days and then released. The worst thing is that the doctors could not figure out what was wrong with me! They did determine that I had had a stroke at some time that I didn't know about (maybe last November, but not necessarily), but that wasn't what happened this time. They said it appeared to be some kind of seizure, so that's all I have to go on. So I was due to go home on Saturday, [8/2] but I just got out of the hospital on Friday, and my kids are not allowing me to be home alone, so I stayed there until Sunday evening and then flew to Seattle with my son to stay until my older son that lives with me gets back from Sweden in a couple weeks. And I'm not legally allowed to drive for 6 mos, which is going to be very inconvenient and drive me crazy. Otherwise all I know of to do is not drive myself to exhaustion like I did before leaving home. I guess I'm older than I thought I was. Sometimes life seems surprisingly fragile. I thought I'd be able to join in chat last Sunday, but as it turned out, I was off exploring Mt. Rainier with my son until too late. But I'm doing fine and expect to chat tonight. See you then!

	*Marilyn Crabb*	We received this message this week from a long-time Molly watcher: I don't join the online chats but I read the newsletter and was a Molly watcher from the beginning. Last week, I was diagnosed with stage 2B (or greater) breast cancer and am undergoing lots of further tests and will begin chemotherapy on Tuesday. Please add me to the prayer list. UPDATE: Thank you for your prayers. I'm doing really well after my first chemotherapy treatment. One week down - nineteen to go. Then surgery and radiation. I have more tests scheduled to see if the cancer has spread beyond my armpit but so far it does not look like it has. My screen name was/is MarilynLA on UStream. (Marilyn from Los Angeles)

	*Littleguys*	LittleGuys had a lumpectomy on Thursday, July 17 and has another procedure scheduled for tomorrow, July 28. She is still requesting prayers. Her doctor says she will probably do six weeks of radiation. She wants all to know that even when she can't make it to chat, she's thinking of everyone.

	*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*	We got this message from elsa last week: Hi all, Thanks for all your prayers. This computer is so hard to type on. I dislike it but will have to use it for now. I saw the MGH sleep specialist today for consult and got some scary news. My apnea is severe and REM behavior disorder is rare and correlated with parkinson's disease. There is not much treatment available for the REM but I will try what there is. Please pray for me again. I am worried. Your elsalynda

	*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!!! August 24 3:00 PM PDT/6:00 PM EDT

	*Title*	How Much is that Doggy . . . ?

	*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,
	Well, things are slowly getting back to normal out here, after our excitement in the early morning hours here. Mary was asleep, but I was at my computer--awake after seeing a very creepy Robin Williams film called "The Final Cut." So I was a little creeped out and was writing to a friend of mine regarding the film, which ended at 3am. Then at 3:20 the room started to move. It was a gentle, side-to-side motion, and my brain registered that hey--we're having a little quake. Then it kicked into a higher gear. Side-to-side with a bit of up and down component thrown in, and strong enough that I could hear things falling in the other rooms, and the house was groaning and creaking. I was in my office chair, which has wheels...I was rolling away from me computer! The power stayed on throughout, though a lot of folks closer to the epicenter lost power. They are calling it a 6.0 centered in the American Canyon area, which is about 12 miles southwest of here. There have been several dozen injuries, but only a few that seem really serious. And so far no reports of death. Most of the damage appears to be in Napa and the surrounding town, and mostly to their older buildings. Lots of fallen bricks, toppled chimneys, etc. Highway 37 has a huge crack running all the way across it. The ironic thing is that I was just in Napa on Friday--I went to meet with my client Norman Lloyd. (I immediately e-mailed him and heard back that he and his wife are fine, with no damage to the house.) I had just driven through American Canyon and on the stretch of road that has now been closed. Too close for comfort. However, everything seems fine here. I walked all around the house and inspected for gas leaks and structural damage, and everything looks fine. Just had to pick some things back up on the inside. Aside from that, and my client meeting on Friday--one of the things I got to do on Friday was to go check my mailbox. Wow!! I had so many cards from you guys for my birthday! I thank you all SOOOOO much. I am hoping to have time this afternoon to scan them in and make a little video presentation that I can share. So anyway, I hope to be able to see you all at the broadcast 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!
	It is I, Zorro the mouse, wishing you greetings and hopes for a pleasant weekend. I would also like to thank you all for the cards and gifts to the Dude, because now he can go to the store and buy some nice cheezes! Speaking of cheese, a lot of people like to have wine with their cheese, and that is going to be a problem for a lot of folks around here. You see, we had a pretty nasty earthquake here this morning. Now some would think it might be kind of silly to be worried about wine in a situation like this, but it is actually a pretty big deal for the folks around there. Some of the most premiere wines in the United States come out of wineries in the Napa-Sonoma area, and a lot of those wineries are reporting the loss of thousands of bottles their product. And that's just the finished product--there have also been damage to the production, as hundreds of barrels of fermenting product have been smashed and ruined. The wine industry is the biggest industry in that area, along with tourism. And unfortunately, the tourism is tied very closely to the wine industry. So I have all my fingers and toes crossed and hoping that those folks can recover. And of course, a speedy recovery is wished to all the peoplez who got hurt. It sure got ME out of bed in a hurry last night! So anyway, hope to see you all at the chat tonight!
	Yours Most Whiskerly, Zorro

	Zucchini Parmesan Crisps
	Ingredients
	½ cup vegetable oil 1 cup Panko (or seasoned bread crumbs) ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese 2 zucchinis, thinly sliced to ¼-inch thick rounds ½ cup all-purpose flour 2 large eggs, beaten
	Directions
	Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. (Or preheat oven to 450°F.) In a large bowl, combine Panko and Parmesan; set aside. Working in batches, dredge zucchini rounds in flour, dip into eggs, then dredge in Panko mixture, pressing to coat. Add zucchini rounds to the skillet, 5 or 6 at a time, and cook until evenly golden and crispy, about 1 minute on each side. (Or place on greased baking sheet and bake until crispy—about 12-15 minutes.) Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Serve immediately.


	Baked Parmesan Zucchini
	Ingredients
	4 zucchini, quartered lengthwise ½ cup grated Parmesan ½ teaspoon dried thyme ½ teaspoon dried oregano ½ teaspoon dried basil ¼ teaspoon garlic powder Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves
	Directions
	Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a cooling rack with nonstick spray and place on a baking sheet; set aside. In a small bowl, combine Parmesan, thyme, oregano, basil, garlic powder, salt and pepper, to taste. Place zucchini onto prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with Parmesan mixture. Place into oven and bake until tender, about 15 minutes. Then broil for 2-3 minutes, or until the crisp and golden brown. Serve immediately, garnished with parsley, if desired.


	Zucchini Fritters
	Ingredients
	1 medium zucchini 3 tablespoons grated onion 1 egg 3 tablespoons all purpose flour 1/8 teaspoon baking powder 1/8 teaspoon salt 2-3 tablespoons butter, for frying desired toppings: cheese, sour cream, onions, etc.
	Directions
	Grate zucchini into large bowl. Squeeze excess water out of zucchini. Stir in onion, egg, flour, baking powder and salt until combined. Over medium to medium high heat, melt 1 tablespoon butter in large skillet. Drop batter by the tablespoonful into hot pan, flattening out to be 3-4 inches in diameter, 1/4-1/8 inch thick. Cook 1 minute until bottoms are deep brown and flip. Cook 30 more seconds, remove to plate and sprinkle with salt. Melt more butter into hot pan and repeat until no more batter remains. Serve fritters warm with desired toppings.


	Parmesan Zucchini and Corn
	Ingredients
	2 tablespoons olive oil 2 cloves garlic, minced 4 zucchinis, diced 1 cup corn kernels, frozen, canned or roasted ¼ teaspoon dried basil ¼ teaspoon dried oregano ¼ teaspoon dried thyme Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste Juice of 1 lime 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan, or more, to taste
	Directions
	Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add garlic to the skillet, and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add zucchini, corn, basil, oregano and thyme. Cook, stirring occasionally, until zucchini is tender and cooked through, about 3-4 minutes; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Stir in lime juice. Serve immediately, sprinkled with Parmesan.


	Bacon Stuffed Zucchini
	Ingredients
	3 zucchinis 1 large onion, chopped fine 1 tablespoon butter 9-12 slices crispy bacon, chopped fine 1 tablespoon sour cream Salt, to taste ¼ teaspoon curry powder 1 Roma tomato, seeded and chopped, juice drained 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, roughly chopped Freshly grated Parmesan cheese Fresh cracked black pepper Kosher salt
	Directions
	Give the zucchini a quick wash for good measure. Slice in half lengthwise. Leave the ends on to keep the filling in. Scoop out the flesh with a melon baller or a spoon. Leave a rim of zucchini around the edges. Arrange the zucchini boats in a baking dish. Chop the zucchini flesh as small as you like. Saute the onion in the butter until soft and translucent. Add the bacon. Season with the curry powder and salt. Cook until desired doneness of onions and remove from heat. To the zucchini flesh, add sour cream. Mix in chopped thyme. Mix the cooked onion and bacon mixture with other ingredients. Taste and adjust seasoning. Stir in the tomatoes. Refill the zucchini shells with the filling mixture. Grate some good aged Parmigiano Reggiano cheese on top and sprinkle with fresh cracked black pepper. Bake uncovered at 375°F for 30 minutes.

	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

A San Francisco Owl
Molly chatter, Owlsome, shares with us this photo taken by Bill Carey via San Francisco Street Photography on FaceBook. This is Post Street in San Francisco.

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