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| VacaChat News | Vriends News | Zorro's Corner | Recommended Watching | Fun Stuff | Newsletter Archives |
Vaca Shopping |
March 6, 2016
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| Broadcast Schedule | Channel Links | Important News |
| Today!!! Sunday, March 6, 2016 |
| 3 PM PST/6 PM EST |
| No Story Writing! We'll write again on March 13. |
| 6 PM PST/9 PM EST |
| No VacaChat Broadcast. The chatroom will be open at 6:00 PM PST (9:00 PM EST; 8:00 PM CST) |
| Upcoming!!! Sunday, March 13, 2016 |
| 3 PM PST/6 PM EST |
| Story Writing! Join us for all the "behind-the-scenes" fun as we write the new story! |
| 6 PM PST/9 PM EST |
| VacaChat Broadcast. Time for more fun, frivolity, festivity, and fervent activity! |
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| Channel Links |
| The pop-out chat link no longer uses the old style chat.
However, it is still a nice way to save on memory and be able to refresh
without losing both chat and video. The easiest way to do this is to open the pop-out chat in a browser window. Log in. (Type a period in the chat line—hit enter. This will open the login screen.) Size this chat window to equal about 1/3 of your desktop space. Then open a new window or tab (Ctrl-T or Ctrl-N in most browsers) and use it to open the pop-out video. If you opened a new tab, you can then click on the tab and drag it to an open space on your desktop. Size it to about 2/3 of your desktop space beside the chat. Now you have both open and can refresh one without disturbing the other. You can resize either without resizing the other. I hope this helps. |
| VacaChannel |
| http://www.ustream.tv/channel/vacadude |
| Pop-Out |
| If you want to view the chat or video in pop-out screens, use the links below. Some find that this places less stress on their computer and/or its memory. |
| Video: http://www.ustream.tv/channel-popup/vacadude |
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| If you use the pop-out links, it is recommended that you open two browser windows. That way, if one needs to be refreshed, the other is not affected. |
| Our Furred, Feathered, and Scaled Babies |
| We will soon have a new feature on the VacaNews
website. Send us pictures of you and your pets. We'll have a page
featuring all our animal family members. Send them to
vacachatb@gmail.com. Make sure
you include your chat name and your pet's name. You can also include
your real name and location if you want to. I've only gotten photos from a few people. (The new page will be posted soon—just waiting on some graphics from TheDude.) Surely more chatters have pets that they'd like to show to the world! |
| It's ACTUALLY Happened |
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The 5th Anniversary International MOD Meet!!! Yes, photos have actually been posted!!! |
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Click on the title above to see the entire Laughing Outside the Box 2015 series. |
| VacaChat Broadcast Changes |
| Look here for any changes to upcoming broadcasts. |
| On Sunday evening, September 20th, Vaca hopes to broadcast either a recording of his Skype visit with the MOD meet or a brief chat about the MOD meet. |
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| A Note from the Dude | Chatter News |
Prayer Requests |
Vaca Blog |
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| Note from February 28, 2016 | ||
| Hello Vriends, | ||
| Happy Oscars day! This is the time that Mary and I
always observe our practice of popping some popcorn and sitting down to
the marathon that is the Oscar broadcast. I tend to like just about
every cheesy moment of it, just because I work just close enough to the
industry that I have a good shot at knowing somebody that wins. If
nothing else, at least in the documentary film or animation division. Just last night I made my selections of which of my photographs taken in 2015 that I was going to enter into the LightWriters' Photography Contest. Now I need to get them all printed up and mounted. I'm planning to use this contest as a sounding board to see if there are other county fair or state fair contests I might want to enter. And then this morning I picked up the president of our club and we went out to Lagoon Valley to try to catch the sunrise. Well, the sun came up, but then immediately ducked behind some clouds, where it stayed for the rest of the morning. I was hoping it would come out for a while and shine on the mustard weeds (which are blooming), but it never did. So I got lots of shots of dimly-lit mustard blossoms. I'm keeping an eye on the sun this afternoon. We also drove over the the Green Tree golf course in Vacaville, but were quickly kicked off the property by a security guard. The town here got quite a shock earlier this week when the owners announced they were closed for business. No warning whatsoever--just ropes across the driveway. I am particularly disappointed by this because that is where I go to get pictures of burrowing owls--there are several dens out there. I hope they are going to be okay... Wow, last week's StoryTime was fun, wasn't it? I have posted the video of it to YouTube and that way y'all can watch it without ads. Here's the link: https://youtu.be/sGZc-PPIZwo Well, the sun has been steadily getting stronger as the afternoon wears on, so I think I may make a drive back over to Lagoon Valley and see if I can get any good shots of the flowers. So have a good week, and we'll see you next weekend! |
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| Cheers, VacaDude | ||
| Note from March 6, 2016 | ||
| Hello Vriends, | ||
|
Real quick note this week--just wanted to let you know that the
next VacaChat will be next week, March 13th. This week and
weekend has been crazy, what with one thing and another. So I
need to keep working on some projects.
We did, however, get a chance to go out last night to help celebrate VacaChick's birthday. A nice steak dinner at the Outback, and then coming home to watch one of her birthday presents--the movie "Trumbo." That was a REALLY good film! We might have gone out to a theater to see something, except the weather was pretty spirited. Yes, we have been getting hammered with rain and wind for the past few days! Great for our water situation, but not so good for birthday celebrating. Anyway, have a good week, and we hope to see you next weekend! |
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| Cheers, VacaDude | ||
| 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!" Today we have photos showing a fun bird and a fun project. |
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| Elsalynda | Elsalynda's latest column entitled Nature in the
City: Winter Contrasts, is available online here: http://waltham.wickedlocal.com/news/20160220/nature-in-city-winter-contrasts |
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| TheDaddyBird, DotRot and ChatterChopz | We're done moving. We're not done unpacking, but everything is moved. We found all kinds of stuff that we had forgotten we had. We've got a ton of stuff going into the "garage sale" boxes. We're NEVER moving again! | ||
| AnnSavage | On Oct. 27, I received three awards in the San Diego
Press Club Excellence in Journalism competition! I write for Ramona Home
Journal and Julian Journal, and was honored with two first-place awards
and one third-place award for my articles! Links to the articles: First-place stories: http://ramonajournal.com/years-of-daffodil-dedication-p6637-271.htm https://ramonajournal.com/doortodoor-solicitors-raise-concerns-p7315-271.htm Third-place story: http://ramonajournal.com/journalism-students-close-the-book-on-inaugural-class-p6975-275.htm |
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| Littleguys | We received this from Littleguys: For those of you that only know me via the internet, or have not seen me in years and years....I am the one in the turquoise blouse. http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/Residents-Donate-Artifacts-for-Cedar-Fire-Monument-314003781.html | ||
| 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.) | |||
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| Jes | Jes has requested prayers. She has lost a close friend and is also facing some rather daunting medical tests and procedures. She is, of course, worried and stressed, and in need of all our prayers and healing vibes. | ||
| KSBorn |
KSBorn has sent us an update. She writes, "I’m still in the midst of
chemo and hormone blocker every day. In 2008 I had breast cancer and it
returned July 2014 same breast cancer in my lung now and 2 lymph nodes
positive. I’m getting ready to have a surgery to get a port. I will
probably be on chemo for life. I have numerous tests monthly. Thank you so much for the prayers and please continue." |
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| Marilyn Crabb | UPDATE:
Hi! I survived six months of chemotherapy. I'll have my breast
tumor and left axillary nodes removed on Friday, Feb. 13. Radiation will
be next. Please pray that the surgeon does a good job and all my cancer
is removed! My screen name was/is MarilynLA on UStream. (Marilyn from Los Angeles) |
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| Littleguys | UPDATE: (as of
10/25/2015)
Amazing what an injection in the right place can accomplish! My back
started really hurting over two years ago, to the point I couldn't
show my horses "in hand" when I would have to walk beside them, etc,
and it was painful to lean over to harness them. I was diagnosed
with sciatica, meaning the hole in the vertebrae where the sciatic
nerve leaves the spine to go to the left leg was filling up with
arthritis.
But the doctors wouldn't fix it in 2014 because the Stage Zero
Breast Cancer was more important. In 2015, cancer free, it was
time to fix the back. I did get that injection for the sciatica
last summer, and some relief, but that doctor told me something
no other doctor had told me. Half of the pain I was experiencing
as I walked, stood, etc was due to the sacroiliac joint where
the spine meets the left side of the pelvis. Got a shot, well,
three right in that joint Thursday and cannot believe how much
better it is to walk and stand. Why couldn't they do that two
years ago??? Not a magic wand, but so much better,
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| Elsalynda | (as of 1/03) Keep Elsalynda in your prayers. She has requested prayer for pray for companionship, being treated well, and good health for herself and her bird Nupi. | ||
| GentleDoe | Latest update from GentleDoe (as of 1/10).
GentleDoe gives us much more information on her situation and
struggles. To read her entire post, click
here.
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| Shari in Memphis | UPDATE!!!
We heard from Shari recently. She is now on the VacaNews mailing list,
so we'll be able to keep in touch with her more easily. She tells us,
"Hi guys! Shari in Memphis is alive. I've been having tons of health
problems, so that's tons of doc appointments! I have moved to northern
Arkansas, for health reasons, and looking forward to hub moving up here
in a couple of years, when he retires. It's gorgeous in the country, and
I love that we were able to find a place on a stream. Lots of wild
animals around! I miss you all. Shari (no longer in Memphis) (Shari Sides on FB)" |
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| 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. | |||
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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! (No recent updates) |
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| http://vacadude.wordpress.com/ | ||
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| Vaca YouTube | ||
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Be sure to check out the Dude's YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/user/splinesmith/videos NEW VIDEOS ADDED!!! |
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| A Message From Zorro | StoryTime News | StoryTime Archive | Recipe of the Week |
| Note from February 28, 2016 | ||
| Hello there, Everbuddy! | ||
| Gee, that time machine StoryTime sure was fun!
Thank you all for helping to write the story. I even convinced the Dude
to get the video for that and put it on his YouTube account. Here is the
link: https://youtu.be/sGZc-PPIZwo Today is a very lovely day, though I guess it was pretty cloudy this morning when the Dude was trying to shoot some flowers. Oh well--flowers are nice whether it is sunny or cloudy. They are just fun to go running through! Tonight is the Academy Awards--yay! I am looking forward to sitting in front of the TV and watching all the shiny statues get handed out. I am still hoping that they will instate a new category for Best Performance by a Rodent with a Skeleton Looking Very Much Like a Human Hand. I would be a shoo-in for that! In fact, they wouldn't even have to bother choosing any other nominees--I'll just take that shiny trophy right now, thank you very much! Well, time to get ready to make some yummy goodies for the Oscar show tonight! See you next weekend! |
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| Yours Most Whiskerly, Zorro |
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| Note from March 6, 2016 | ||
| Hello there, Everbuddy! | ||
|
Yup, pretty busy around here these days. And now there
is one more task to do--we need to build a more
permanent time machine! The first one was made from
temporary materials, and it just fell apart. Literally.
The Dude and I were watching TV in the other room one
day, and we heard a crash in the other part of the
house. Went back in to check, and the time machine had
literally fallen apart and fell off the desk. I guess
all that zipping around through history put some real
wear and tear on it! So probably the next version will
need to be made from wood and actual glue (instead of
duct tape).
Well, see you all next week for StoryTime again! |
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| Yours Most Whiskerly, Zorro |
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| Next StoryTime | Sunday, March 13 (delayed one week because of
workloads and computer/Ustream issues.) 3:00 PM PST/6:00 PM EST |
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| Title | TBA | ||
| 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. | ||
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If anyone wants to request a recipe or a recipe category, just email me.
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The Dude's Fortune Cookies |
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2 egg whites |
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| Directions: | |||
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In advance, prepare your fortunes. You can use your favorite word
processor or layout software, or write them by hand. Then cut them
out--you want to end up with individual slips of paper a half-inch wide
and 2.5 to 3 inches in length. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Generously grease one or two cookie sheets. (I used a combination of cooking spray and margarine). Mix the egg white and vanilla until foamy, but not stiff. Sift the flour, salt, and sugar and blend into the egg white mixture. The consistency should end up being a bit like molasses. Place teaspoons of the batter at least 4 inches apart on one of the prepared cookie sheets. You want to tilt and/or shake the pan in such a way as to get the batter to spread a bit and to be as perfectly circular as you can—about three inches in diameter (they will spread a bit more in the oven). You’ll want to only do about 2 or 3 when you start, until you get the hang of it. The reason for this is that they cool quickly when they come out of the oven, and if they cool too much they will crack in an unsightly way when you try to fold them. But once you get the rhythm down, you can increase to 4 or 5 if you like. Bake for around 5 minutes, or until the edge of the cookie turns brown about a half inch in from the edge all-around (the center stays pale). If you are using two sheets, you can prepare the other while the first one is baking. When you pull the cookies out, you need to work quickly (so make sure you have everything laid out to where you can grab it easily). Use a wide spatula to lift each cookie in turn (leave the others on the sheet as you work—it will help them stay hot longer). Lay your cookie upside-down on something like a wooden breadboard. Take a fortune and lay it down near the middle of the cookie, then fold the cookie over in half (so that you end up with a half-circle). Then lift the cookie and press the straight, folded edge down on a non-porous edge of something (I used the rim of a Pyrex measuring cup). Push the two ends down until the whole thing is folded. Now pull the cookie off—it is going to want to spring back to its flat shape, so you want to press it down into something to help it hold its folded shape until it cools. A muffin pan or empty egg carton works well for this. And that’s it! Let them fully cool, and then let the yummy prognostication ensue! |
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Bunny Butt Cupcakes |
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White Cupcakes |
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Cupcakes Prepare cake mix as directed on package, adding the lemon extract. Spoon approximately 3 tablespoons of batter into each of the 24 paper-lined muffin cups. Bake as directed for cupcakes. Cool cupcakes on wire rack. Whipped Vanilla Buttercream: Beat butter and vanilla in large bowl until light and fluffy. Gradually add confectioners' sugar, beating well after each addition and scraping sides and bottom of bowl frequently. Add milk; beat until light and fluffy. If frosting is too thick to spread, gradually beat in additional milk. Bunny Butt Cupcake Colors Remove half of the frosting and place into medium bowl. Add 10 drops green food coloring. Mix until combined and then place into pastry bag. Of remaining frosting, remove half and add 1-2 drops red food coloring. You want a light pink. Mix until combined and then place into a pastry bag. Remaining white frosting will be used for bunny tail. To Decorate Take a piece of parchment or wax paper and place on a cookie sheet. You are going to pipe out bunny feet, so have in mind the general shape of the foot you want to pipe. Place white chocolate or almond bark in a plastic sandwich bag. Melt in the microwave (no more than 20-30 seconds at a time). Cut a tiny portion of the corner of the bag and begin to pipe out the bunny feet with the melted white chocolate. Try to make pairs or two feet that are the same size. You will want to make 24 sets of pairs. If you have any remaining white chocolate, pipe out more sets just in case of breakage. It is a good idea to have a toothpick nearby to smooth out any bumps or rough edges. You can also gently tap the cookie sheet on the counter to help the chocolate settle. Allow chocolate to harden. (2 minutes in the freezer or 15 minutes in the refrigerator) Place the pink buttercream into a pastry bag and cut off a very small portion of the tip. Pipe out three toes and the padding of the bottom of the bunny foot. Once the frosting has set (about an hour) you can go back and gently press down on pink frosting with your finger. This can help create a smoother, cleaner look. When you are ready to assemble the cupcake: Place green frosting into a pastry bag fitted with a grass tip (#233). Pipe green grass onto the cupcake. Cover the top of the cupcake completely. (You can also just frost the cupcake with green frosting and then sprinkle with coconut that has been tinted green.) Take a large marshmallow and cut it in half. Place the cut side down onto the upper portion of the cupcake. (You want to make room for the bunny feet to stick out.) Now take a very small dollop of white buttercream (about the size of a dime and drop it into a bowl of white nonpareils. Roll the buttercream around until it is completely covered in nonpareils. Dab some pink (or white) buttercream onto the marshmallow and gently place the nonpareils tail onto the marshmallow. Now place one of the bunny feet against the base of the marshmallow. Finish the Bunny Butt Cupcake by placing the final bunny foot on the cupcake. |
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| Owl Cams | Other Bird Cams | Other Nature Cams | Video Picks of the Week | Inspiration |
| Barn Owls | |||||
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CARRI Colorado Avian Research and Rehabilitation Institute |
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http://www.carriep.org/ http://www.carriep.org/nest-cams/ Update—October 22nd: The cam has been switched off. It appears that the adult Barn Owls have abandoned their owlets. The owlets have been taken into captivity to finish growing. They will be released back into the wild as the weather permits. This may be next spring. |
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Nicassio Owl Box |
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/nicasio-owl | |||
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HOP - MAGC Barn Owls | http://www.ustream.tv/channel/magc-owls | |||
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Owlceanside |
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/owlceanside | |||
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Felix Neck Owl Cam |
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/felix-neck-owl-cam | |||
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The Owl Cam | http://www.ustream.tv/owlchannel | |||
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Barn Owls in |
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/barn-owls-in-minden-nevada | |||
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Port of Stockton |
http://www.portofstockton.com/owl-cams | |||
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Hosted by Cornell Lab of Ornithology |
http://cams.allaboutbirds.org/channel/42/Barn_Owls/ First Owlet hatching: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MimLJZYHkXY&feature=youtu.be |
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| Other Owls | |||||
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OwlGuy Lake Okeechobee, Florida |
OwlGuy is now broadcasting again as Mrs. Barred Owl laid her first egg
of the season on January 18. http://www.ustream.tv/channel/owlguy |
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Savannah Bird Cam @ The Landings |
http://landingsbirdcam.com/
https://www.facebook.com/LandingsBirdCam?fref=nf |
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Athena Eastern Screech Owl Houston, Texas |
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http://www.ustream.tv/channel/mark-s-owl-cam http://www.facebook.com/groups/AthenaOwlcamFollowers/ |
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The Caring Owl in South Africa |
http://www.thecaringowl.co.za/ | |||
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PPO (Potted Plant Owl) |
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Alessondra’s Owl Cam |
http://ustream.tv/okcowlcam Three owlets: Java, Malaya and Caspian have all fledged. Old style chat link: http://www.ustream.tv/channel-room/10626225 |
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Rusty and Iris |
http://www.internationalowlcenter.org/ourowls/rustyandiris/livecams |
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Burrowing Owls |
http://wdfw.wa.gov/wildwatch/owlcam/video_burrowing2.html | |||
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Project Snow Storm | http://www.projectsnowstorm.org/ | |||
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| Puffins | |||||
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Shetland Islands Puffins | http://www.shetland.org/puffincam/ | |||
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Sea Island, Maine |
http://explore.org/live-cams/player/puffin-burrow-cam | |||
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Sea Island, Maine |
http://explore.org/live-cams/player/puffin-loafing-ledge-cam These pages also contain links to numerous other nature cams. |
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| Eagles | |||||
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Southwest Florida Eagles
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mi6DdvVbbi8 | |||
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Black Eagle |
http://www.africam.com/wildlife/black_eagle_webcam |
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Decorah Eagles |
http://www.ustream.tv/decoraheagles | |||
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Berry College Eagle Cam |
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/berry-eagle-cam | |||
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http://www.pixcontroller.com/eagles/index.htm | ||||
| Peregrine Falcons | |||||
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PA Falcon Cam |
http://www.pacast.com/players/falcon.asp | |||
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Commerce Tower Peregrines |
http://mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/wildlife-cameras/peregrine-falcon-web-camera Cam not live now but should be returning soon. |
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Pitt Peregrine Falcon |
http://www.aviary.org/PF-NestCam1 | |||
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Gulf Tower Peregrine Falcon |
http://www.aviary.org/PF-NestCam2 | |||
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Emily
Falcon Cam |
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/emily-falcon-cam | |||
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RFalconCam |
http://rfalconcam.com/rfc-main/ | |||
| Talking Birds | |||||
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Watch the Birdie |
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/Watch-the-Birdie | |||
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Disco |
https://www.youtube.com/user/MsJumpinJude/videos | |||
| Other Birds | |||||
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Hummingbird University of Arizona |
Marmou (Marilyn) sent this from her new home town in Arizona. This
little lady built a nest on the end of a data cable for a future
wireless access point. http://www.pdc.arizona.edu/webcam/ENR2_HummingBird.aspx |
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California Condor San Diego Zoo Safari Park San Diego, California |
http://zoo.sandiegozoo.org/cams/condor-cam | |||
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KC Zoo Penguin Cam |
http://www.kansascityzoo.org/penguincam |
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Whidbey Island Back Porch other assorted birds |
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/katersch | |||
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Hellgate Ospreys |
http://cams.allaboutbirds.org/channel/27/Hellgate_Ospreys/ | |||
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Ostrich Chicks |
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http://www.ustream.tv/channel/ostrich-egg-cam-live | ||
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Streaming Bird Cams |
http://www.beakspeak.com/ | |||
| Pandas | |||||
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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/ |
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Twin Pandas at |
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Giant Panda Cam |
http://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/webcams/giant-panda.cfm | |||
| Bears | |||||
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Kansas City Polar Bears |
http://www.kctv5.com/category/244581/nikita-berlin-polar-bear-cam | |||
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Brown Bears and Salmon |
http://explore.org/#!/live-cams/player/brown-bear-salmon-cam-brooks-falls (lots of other cams at this site, as well) |
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Black Bears |
http://www.bear.org/website/live-cameras/live-cameras/holly-bears-den-cam-live.html | |||
| Other Animal and Nature Sites | |||||
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Golden Paw-Prints Classic Golden Retrievers Oshkosh, Wisconsin |
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/golden-retriever-puppy-cam The puppies have all gone to their forever homes. |
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San Diego Zoo and Safari Park |
http://animals.sandiegozoo.org/ | |||
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Wild Earth Safari Cam | http://www.ustream.tv/channel/wildearth-safaris | |||
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The Pet Collective |
http://www.thepetcollective.tv/livestreams/ | |||
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Critter Chat Cams |
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Friends of Felines Rescue
Center |
www.ustream.tv/ffrc | |||
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Little House |
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CC's Page of Links (scheduled for updating) |
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| Other Sites of Interest | |||||
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Fascinating Information about the Jeweled City | ||||
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John has talked about the 1915 Panama Pacific International Exposition
(PPIE). Tzunamie found us this link: |
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| http://home.comcast.net/~sgsanders/index.html | |||||
| Mother Owl Takes On Snake—and Wins | |||||
| Ketaki sent this in. She says, "I saw it live when it happened and it was so fast. It's too bad she didn't kill it and feed to the owlets. They could have used the food, and the snake, a rat snake, is non-venomous. But she was intent on protection. They run it in slow motion at the end so you can see her, and the inset window shows the snake coming down from the top." | |||||
| http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2015/05/150514-owl-snake-video-animals-fight/ | |||||
| This Bird Song Collection Will Get You In Tune With Nature | |||||
| http://www.ba-bamail.com/content.aspx?emailid=15112 | |||||
| Help in Identifying Birds | |||||
| Try www.whatbird.com It's helps identify lots of birds. | |||||
| Meet Zeus | |||||
| http://kittensdaily.com/meet-zeus-blind-owl-gorgeous-eyes/ | |||||
| Some Interesting Information About Someone We All Know Well | |||||
| http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1511369/ | |||||
| 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 |
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Meet Porter. The World's First Driving Dog
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BWAK0J8Uhzk&feature=youtu.be
The Dancing Deer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0UapMLF2UY
Dad Joke
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbwsTPluOmg
Wild West Music
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rZf87l02UU
Baby Announcement
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjuwkGXXy4Q
Elvis and Martina
(Some incredible editing)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3KK6sMo8NBY
Staff of Honor
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GqHMb0eO1oY
Photographing The President
Well, not THE President, but the President
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNCH6uhB_Bs
Fishing in Fiji
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDMOL9O_vu0
A Tribute to Old People
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSTTuD2p1cQ
Basketball Cop
The Rematch
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=el4qyJFJmbI
The Recital
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eoyq9pcp4Cg
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| Just for the Fun of It |
Fun Animations | Photo of the Week | Zorro's Word of the Week |
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Snowy Owl Ornaments
http://www.pamspartyandpracticaltips.com/2013/12/snow-owl-ornaments.html
Another Time Machine for Zorro
http://www.tamasoft.co.jp/pepakura-en/gallery/gallerydetails.php?id=71
A Time Machine for Zorro
(includes all printouts and instructions)
http://uhu02.way-nifty.com/blogpapercraft_ver2/2010/02/20timemachine-5.html
Free Book of Stuffed Sewing Patterns
http://ideas.stitchcraftcreate.co.uk/toy-sewing-patterns-free-ebook/
Tauntz and Kyle Wreath
http://www.hometalk.com/7616480/no-sew-fun-bunny-and-carrot-wreath
Felt Snowy Owl
http://www.downeastthunderfarm.com/2012/04/a-downeast-thunder-farm-snowy-owl/
From the Dude
Here's a couple of photos I took this last week.
One I took as I walked around in San Francisco last week,
and another is from a news story--somebody vandalized
one of the signs to have it say "Superb Owl"
Sharoot's Caboose
Sharoot shares,
"
And this is a pix of my latest. For my Granddaughter’s room.
| Kyle's well known among his friends for his "triple
groaner" riddles and jokes. Now he shares them with VacaFamily. Enjoy! |
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Why do they have fences around cemeteries?
Because everyone's dying to get in! |
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It's Halloween and this woman has nothing to wear. She puts a
sheet over her and sticks horns on it and goes to work.
A co-worker asks her what she is dressed as. She replies, "Bull Sheet". |
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A teen was standing in front of a soda machine muttering, "You're a
dumb-looking button. You don't have much of a future, either. You're
going to be replaced by a much better looking button." Why? Because
it said, "Depress Button to Receive Soda."
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Several women, each trying to one-up the other, appeared in
court, each accusing the others of causing the trouble they were
having in the apartment building where they lived.
The judge, with Solomon-like wisdom decreed, "Okay, I'm ready to hear the evidence...I'll hear the oldest first." The case was dismissed for lack of testimony. |
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The little cabbage in the field was consulting its mother about life. "Life," said the mother "is a gamble; you've got to withstand storms, drought, wind, animals--not to mention bugs, lice, mold, rot. But, if you don't give up, you'll thrive and grow." "Life certainly is a gamble," agreed the little cabbage, "but there's one thing you haven't made clear: when do I quit growing?" "As in any other gamble," said Mother Cabbage, "Quit when you're a head!" |
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| Antiques enthusiast Mary spent all her
free time haunting second-hand stores, flea markets, and other likely
spots where she might encounter the odd find: a valuable antique of some
sort, whose seller was unaware of its value and was offering it for a
low price. On most of her expeditions she came up empty, but she enjoyed the thrill of the hunt, and felt amply rewarded when she did manage to purchase a valuable old something-or-other from its unwitting seller. On one such expedition, buried in the back of a thrift shop, Mary encountered a small, old-fashioned kerosene lighting device. Her heart leapt at the sight of it; she was sure it was worth considerably more than the dollar on the price tag. Unfortunately, though, her newest find was infested with small albino insects that had jumped from the store’s feline. She bought it all the same, though. Now Mary had a little lamp. Its fleas were white as snow. |
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| Upcoming Holidaze! | |||
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February 28 National Public Sleeping Day Floral Design Day Rare Disease Day National Tooth Fairy Day (also on August 22) February 29 Leap Year Day March Umbrella Month Music in Our Schools Month National Craft Month National Frozen Food Month National Irish American Heritage Month National Nutrition Month National Peanut Month National Women's History Month Red Cross Month Social Workers Month 1st Friday in March - Employee Appreciation Day 1st Friday in March - National Salesperson Day 2nd Thursday in March - Popcorn Lover’s Day 2nd Week in March - National Bubble Week 2nd Week in March - Crochet Week March 1 National Pig Day National Peanut Butter Lover's Day March 2 National Old Stuff Day National Banana Cream Pie Day March 3 National I Want You to Be Happy Day Peach Blossom Day National Anthem Day If Pets Had Thumbs Day |
March 4 Holy Experiment Day Grammar Day Hug a GI Day National Pound Cake Day March 5 National Multiple Personalities Day National Cheese Doodle Day Fun Facts About Names Day March 6 National Frozen Food Day Namesake Day Dentist’s Day March 7 National Crown Roast of Pork Day Cereal Day Alexander Graham Bell Day March 8 National Be Nasty Day Proof Reading Day International (Working) Women’s Day March 9 National Panic Day National Crabmeat Day Barbie Day March 10 Festival of Life in the Cracks Day Day of Awesomeness National Blueberry Popover Day March 11 Johnny Appleseed Day National Worship of Tools Day Middle Name Pride Day Plumbing Day March 12 National Alfred Hitchcock Day Napping Day Girl Scouts Day Plant a Flower Day |
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ZAFTIG
Pronunciation: \ZAHF-tig\
adjective
Definition of DEASIL
having a full rounded figure : pleasingly plump
EXAMPLES
"… Marilyn is lucky that … the Hollywood powers at least had the smarts not to
put her on a diet. She looked plenty good zaftig."
— Bookwormroom.com, 31 May 2012
"But Oprah—now there's a woman who has run the dieting gauntlet over the years.
In 1988,
she pulled a wagon full of 67 pounds of quivering fat onto the stage to show what
she had lost on a liquid diet. Then she ballooned up to 200 pounds after a thyroid malfunction,
before running the Marine Corps Marathon at a healthy zaftig size."
— Leah McLaren, The Globe and Mail (Canada), 23 Oct. 2015
DID YOU KNOW?
Over the centuries, some women have been approvingly described as full-figured, shapely, womanly,
curvy, curvaceous, voluptuous, and statuesque. Such women are, in a word, zaftig. Zaftig has been
juicing up our language since the 1930s (the same decade that gave us Yiddish-derived futz, hoo-ha, and schmaltz,
not to mention lox). It comes from the Yiddish zaftik, which means "juicy" or "succulent"
and which in turn derives from zaft, meaning "juice" or "sap."
TEST YOUR VOCABULARY
Name That Synonym
Unscramble the letters to create an adjective that can mean "notably plump".
rotund
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VacaShopping for the Holidays
A NEW VacaShopping Site!!!
Vaca is now posting new items to Zazzle!
His new store is at: www.zazzle.com/Vacadude
The first item available is a note card or greeting card with an all new
Vaca drawing on the front.
Check it out at:
http://www.zazzle.com/owl_igloo_holiday_card-137686885203006237
Don't you need some new decorations for Valentine's Day?
Just think of all the VacaDude gifts!
Check them all out at VacaDude's CafePress store! Support our beloved
artist/broadcaster/friend!
http://www.cafepress.com/vacadude
MollyTheOwlBooks
Eric has discontinued the sales of all his books and merchandise.
of that and want one, let DotRot know
and she'll do what she can to make it available to you.
