How to Predict the Weather Without a Forecast

Red Sky at Night -- sailor's delight and many more

"How to Predict the Weather Without a Forecast
Long before technology was developed to predict the weather, people had to rely on observation, patterns and folklore to avoid being caught off guard by the elements. If your plans, livelihood or even your survival depend on the weather, it certainly wouldn't hurt to become familiar with some of these methods, especially since you never know when you might be out of touch with the local weather report. These methods aren't foolproof, but they have their usefulness, and if you don't have a forecast on hand, what do you have to lose by trying them?"

More... How to Predict the Weather Without a Forecast - wikiHow:

Oscar the cat predicts patients' deaths

By RAY HENRY, Associated Press Writer
Wed Jul 25, 7:25 PM ET



PROVIDENCE, R.I. - Oscar the cat seems to have an uncanny knack for predicting when nursing home patients are going to die, by curling up next to them during their final hours. His accuracy, observed in 25 cases, has led the staff to call family members once he has chosen someone. It usually means they have less than four hours to live.

"He doesn't make too many mistakes. He seems to understand when patients are about to die," said Dr. David Dosa in an interview. He describes the phenomenon in a poignant essay in Thursday's issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

"Many family members take some solace from it. They appreciate the companionship that the cat provides for their dying loved one," said Dosa, a geriatrician and assistant professor of medicine at Brown University.

The 2-year-old feline was adopted as a kitten and grew up in a third-floor dementia unit at the Steere House Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. The facility treats people with Alzheimer's, Parkinson's disease and other illnesses.

After about six months, the staff noticed Oscar would make his own rounds, just like the doctors and nurses. He'd sniff and observe patients, then sit beside people who would wind up dying in a few hours.


More...Oscar the cat predicts patients' deaths - Yahoo! News:

DoD Press Release

"DoD Increases R&R Policy


The Department of Defense approved today a policy change to the U.S. Central Command Rest and Recuperation Leave Program, increasing the time provided to military service members for rest and recuperation in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.

The policy change, signed by David S. C. Chu, undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness, increases the R&R leave period from 15 to 18 chargeable days for those service members deploying to the OEF and OIF area of operations for 15 months.

The amended policy became effective July 13, 2007, applies to military personnel only and is not retroactive. Only service members who took leave on or after July 13, 2007, may take 18 days of leave. '"

Back Home

It has really been a great week and it was exciting to find out it had rained while we were away. Jim's lawn survived and my vegetable garden, along with a daily watering, well -- it really did great. (Beans? What beans?)










It was a breathtaking view crossing the rocky mountains and the San Juans in Northern New Mexico. We took highway 64 and stopped in at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial at Angel Fire.

























We camped at Trinidad Lake State Park and traveled the Highway of Legends as well as exploring the Ludlow Massacre site and some of the old mining towns in the area. We left for home a day early and made it a 2 day trip. We drove east to the Capulin Volcano site in NM and camped up in the Sangre de Cristos. We visited the Earthship homes and stopped at Hopewell Lake.



The heat hit us at about Chama and even the A/C had little effect by the time we got to Farmington... a real shock after our week of highs in the 70s.

Most of my pictures are at Webshots

How to Make Empanadas

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Empanada de Carne - Argentine Recipe
Empanadas are a very popular street food in South America and Spain. Essentially, an empanada is a crescent-shaped turnover made with puff-pastry, with a filling. Empanadas can be fried or baked, and may use a variety of fillings from beef, chicken, turkey, cheese to seafood. While this recipe uses the traditional Argentine filling (beef) you can fill an empanada with virtually anything, so you are welcome to experiment."
How to Make Empanadas - wikiHow:

How to Do an Indian Head Massage

"How to Do an Indian Head Massage
Massages can be given to aid the process of injury healing, relieve psychological stress, manage pain and improve circulation. The effectiveness of Indian head massage, also known as Champissage (champi is an Indian word for head), is based on alternative medicine principles, specifically those surrounding energy flow, or chakras. It's an ancient technique that Ayurvedic healers have been using for thousands of years, and it's becoming more and more popular in the Western world. Why not add it to your repertoire of talents? "

More... How to Do an Indian Head Massage - wikiHow:

Online Chat

Click on View Show above for the chat pics I took yesterday.

Happy 4th of July

Happy Independence Day -- Happy Freedom Day

Memorial honors firefighters

"Ben Travers - The Daily Iowan
Issue date: 6/25/07 Section: Metro
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Media Credit: Rebecca F. Miller/The Daily Iowan

A vast American flag hung over the First Avenue entrance in Coralville for the Iowa Firefighters Memorial Service on Sunday morning. Supported by two fire trucks, the red, white, and blue colors flew as a beacon to firefighters honoring their fallen brethren.

The 13th-annual memorial service began on June 23 with a candlelight vigil for 76 recently deceased firefighters from across Iowa, though none of the honored firefighers died in action. The strong winds yanked out power cords and blew out many of the candles held by more than 200 guests. But the men, women, and children who participated in the vigil stayed until the hour-long event was over. "

More... Memorial honors firefighters - Metro:

Happy Canada Day