Humpday Happenings...

If you prefer your Wednesdays a bit on the damp side, then you've come to the right place, as long as it happens to be the Midwest. It would appear that we're going to have such conditions hanging around for a day or two.
But, we will also have cooler conditions in the wake of the rain, so it's not a total loss.
Our Hoosierland weather for today brings us (as could be expected) cloudy skies, scattered rain showers throughout the day, and temps reaching to around 75 degrees, with some light breezes tossed in for good measure.
Dress accordingly, and take extra care when driving under rainy conditions.
And that umbrella might need to tag along...just in case.

Now, let's get that refreshing beverage to aid in the waking-up process, as we see what else has been going on...
*** First out of the shower is our "WHO SAID THAT?" quote for the week;

"Education is the point at which we decide whether we love the world enough to assume responsibility for it."
I think this quote is a good jumping off point for a few stories here today, and says much about our willingness to accept such responsibility...or deny ourselves that for which we are tasked.
So, who said that? The answer will be forthcoming at the top of tomorrow's post.
Meanwhile, back at the New School in Manahttan...
*** Next up, time for our "What the hell happens today, Bob?" feature:
OCTOBER 4 -
---It's National Golf Lover's Day

(not today, and certainly NOT for ME!)
---It's National Pumpkin Seed Day

(anyone remember those salt-coated ones we got as kids...for a nickel a box?)
---It's National Taco Day

(somehow, "taco-Tuesday" sounds better, doesn't it?)
---It's National Vodka Day

(which does make a good mix with Tang...trust me...lol)
---It's National Walk To School Day

(back in my day, we ALL walked...EVERY day)
*** Next, another body was found in the St. Mary's River.

Here's what's known so far:
http://www.wpta21.com/story/36515009/body-pulled-from-st-marys-river-after-two-day-search-for-missing-20-year-old

Now, this is more information than I heard on WANE, and since people came forward ro say who it might be, and why a relative had gone missing since Saturday, it might fit together as to the ID of the person.
*** Next, I'm not a huge fan of voucher programs, as I feel it saps the life blood (that would be green blood as in money) from our public school system,

Here's one story that addresses vouchers:
http://www.journalgazette.net/news/local/20171004/public-school-can-be-best-for-special-needs

To continue this train of thought - at the same time, I also feel the public schools need to get back to basics when it comes to teaching, as well as discipline, and when students are permitted to exit that system to go to other schools, it sends a clear message that what public schools have isn't working as intended.
So, in this case, we have to ask ourselves "What is meant by SPECIAL NEEDS?"
If you say deaf or blind children...fine.
If you mean autistic kids...okay.
If you refer to developmentally-handicapped kids...that works, too.
So, why place these kids in ANY "mainstream" environment when they can be placed in classes that are better attuned to specific needs, which usually is found in the public school system?
And why burden other schools that are not fully prepared to attend to these kids?

Back in those days when I attended school we had a special school JUST for those with special needs, and all the kids who fit the bill went THERE. And they did better than being mainstreamed with the rest of us.
Time to revisit the past...because what we had then worked (and a lot better than what goes on today).
*** Next up, here's a story about the Soarin' Hawk rehab facility for raptors:
http://www.journalgazette.net/features/20171003/space-to-spread-wings

Yep, these are the same folks we met at the Earth Day-Monarch Festival early last month out at Eagle marsh.
((Currently, many of the raptors are treated and rehabilitated on Funnell's property near Dupont Road in wooden sheds. The rest are in volunteers' homes. The sheds were meant only to be temporary and are now old and being affected by the elements. The group has outgrown it's current space and is in desperate need of bigger digs to continue its rehabilitative work.

The group is hoping to purchase a 17-acre property that will provide plenty of room. The 1858 homestead, according to Mike Dobbs, vice president of Soarin' Hawk, has two barns and a house. The property will give volunteers a better place to care for the birds. “It's hard to be out here cutting rats when your hands are cold,” he says, talking about the lack of heat in the winter as volunteers prepare food to feed the raptors.
Soarin' Hawk must raise about $500,000 to purchase the property, Dobbs says. If the group is able to do that, they could relocate in a year as the property is pretty much move-in ready, he says.))
And to think they're not all that busy would be incorrect.
They do some fantastic work, getting many of the birds back into the wild. Those that cannot be returned are utilized as "education birds" and taken to public venues where people cna learn about thm and their habitats.
I wish them well in the pursuit of the property...it's good for everyone.
*** Next , and peaking of critters, let's drop by "Kitten Corner"...

His feet are wet...not mine.

Our kids did well yesterday, in spite of them wanting to climb into the kitchen sink. And that's something you don't really want - a cat with wet feet climbing on you...lol. Funny, I don't FEEL like a towel rack.
Other than that, they danced for their food, followed us about, and got plenty of rubs and petting.
Oh, and the usual naps were shoved in between all this.
*** Next up, what say we drop in on "Midnight and Company"...

Lounging on the back steps.

Both of our community cat friends were wanting to get fed every time we went outside.
I like the not give into that. They get three meals a day (and maybe a snack or two).
I keep them in line with what we give to our indoor cats, an that seems to work well enough.

And lounging on the patio.

Guess with the rain today, feeding will be more of a chore, as it tends to be.
Under the patio table time, no doubt...and then off to find a dry spot near the house.
*** Last back to the linen closet...it's nice to have our community cats around.

But, there comes a price to pay, and not always at the grocery checkout counter.
We don't have the squirrels and birds coming by, and I do miss that.
Yeah, sitting out and handing peanuts to squirrels...used to look forward to that.
The birds never did brave enough to get hand-fed, but we did look for those other birds to add to our watch list over the years. Indigo buntings, nuthatches, titmouses (titmice?)...this is the kind of thing I would never see in a large city, and to me, it was like having a Natural Science Academy practically at our doorstep.
Critters come and go...I learned that at an early age, and although it never gets easier with time, there are always more critters coming along. And that means new "friends" to make.

To think that there was a time (not that long ago) when the black cat I named "Midnight" would run away if we even went to our patio door. Now, he practically lives here, so it must speak to the fact that we would want the best for any homeless creature.

Same goes for "Whiskers", now. She is part of our "scenery".
I always find it hard to imagine how people could turn out such cats (or dogs for that matter), but ti does speak a lot to why people treat one another in the manner they do.
Like I'm fond of saying...if we just took a few lessons from the animals around us and take notice of their situations once in a while, we might learn how best to serve each other as we journey through life.
Couldn't hurt any of us to at least try...right?

Be well, make a difference to someone, and...
Stay SAFE out there, America.