Oxymorons and Metaphors

If a phrase that contradicts itself is an oxymoron, then a beautiful flower that stinks must be Mother Nature's version of that same concept. I thought about this on the walk to Crofton Lake yesterday, as I came across this beautiful scene, where the sun filters through the moss-covered trees and reflects in the water, spotlighting the beautiful yellow flowers:



And the beautiful flowers, Skunk Cabbage, smell like....well....skunks. An oxymoron in nature.




But that's not all. The people who go into the woods to enjoy nature add another level to the oxymoron:




And that brings me to metaphors:

We can focus on the smell, which though unpleasant, we can do little about. We can focus on the beauty of the flower, and appreciate the joy it brings. Or we can focus on the can that someone so carelessly tossed aside. All three are reality, but our reaction to the scene depends on our focus.

Kinda like my post of yesterday. Nature as a metaphor for animal rescue work. What you choose to focus on will influence your description and assessment of the subject.

We can pick up the can and take it home, leaving the place beautiful once more even if the unpleasant smell still remains. Metaphorical on so many levels.

What If.......

In one of the blogs I visit daily, bikesbirdsnbeasts, the author asks readers for their thoughts on “the usefulness and significance of this day set aside for remembrance.” It got me thinking. A lot.

My blog is primarily about my critters, yet also about nature, biodiversity, the environment, life. And what has greater implications for life in all its forms than the impact of war?

I have always been bothered by the glorification of war, and my pacifism leads me to ask "What if...”

• What if the ONLY media image we saw today was the 1972 Nick Ut photo of naked 9 year old Kim Phuc, burned by napalm, fleeing her bombed-out village with other crying, terrifed children?

• What if the men and women of the armed forces marched today with their heads bowed in sorrow instead of held high with pride?

• What if those men and women wore signs around their necks that said: “I killed a little girl’s father”; “I dropped bombs that killed children”; “I saw my best friend’s head blown off” ; “War was a nightmare”; “The trenches were full of sewage” ; “I was so terrified I lost control of my bowels”; "We destroyed the habitat of millions of living creatures" ?

Is that not more honest than the images and stories of war that are served up with ceremony today? Would that not go further in promoting the slogan “Never Again !” than the glorification of war we see all around us all year long?

What if we raised our children to celebrate diversity, to resolve problems without violence, to be compassionate and humane to all living things?

What if we learned to live harmoniously, respecting our differences, and with true regard for the rights of all living things?

What if war was truly UNTHINKABLE?

I believe it is important to remember those who died - not because they "died for my freedom" but because they killed and were killed in horrible, frightening, terrifying circumstances. Civilians of all ages, and soldiers who were often hardly out of childhood themselves, have died needlessly because powerful men in powerful nations lacked the skills to sort out their differences peacefully.

We have to remember the ugliness of war so that we will be inspired to find a better way. All life depends on it.

Unhappy Remembrance Day. Lest We Forget.

Another critter from the bottom of my list

Fleas! Thankfully, I don't have them (touch wood, finger's crossed, oh my doG I hope I haven't just jinxed myself!!!). But I decided to do a blog entry in response to Dawnie's comment on my "confessions" post, since fleas are a common problem (or the threat of fleas a common concern) for animal lovers, and dealing with them in environmentally friendly ways is safer for us, our pets, and our earth.

From my American friends, I know that some parts of the States are currently dealing with one of the worst flea problems in years. Fleas like warm, humid conditions. Hot, damp summers means party time for the fleas.

The first line of defense is a healthy immune system. My dogs are not on any flea treatments whatsoever, and are out in the fields daily on the warm "wet" coast, yet have never had any problems with fleas (touch wood, fingers crossed and all that.....!). They are all on top quality foods and receive daily supplements of fish oil to keep their coat and skin healthy, as well as pro- and pre-biotics and digestive enzymes to make sure they get maximum benefits from their food and their insides are healthy too. And, of course, they are brushed fairly regularly and visit the groomer every six weeks (two of the three dogs have very thick long coats which are far beyond my capabilities to manage!).

But that doesn't help those who are dealing with fleas now. Even if your only pet is a goldfish in a bowl, you can still end up with fleas in your home. If you step outside your door, a flea may hitch a ride on your shoe or pants and travel back in....where it lays its eggs and before you know it, your clean comfortable home has become Flea City. Even if you are an obsessive-compulsive housekeeper (which I most certainly am not!) and catch the problem early, it can still take a month or more to rid the house of fleas.

One problem with fleas is their rate of reproduction. They are prolific reproducers and their eggs can be almost anywhere. So simply treating the animal or killing the visible adults doesn't solve the problem. The house and yard also need to be treated. Every piece of bedding washed, every stick of furniture vacuumed, every surface wiped clean - no wonder it is tempting to just call the bomb squad to come and spray poison all over the house.

And I confess - I once resorted to that, many years ago when I rented a house that I quickly discovered was infested with fleas, and at a time when I did not know to act quickly and had little awareness of alternative methods. And in severe cases, I can see that it might be the only option for some people even if it necessitates moving yourself and your pets to a pet-friendly motel for a few days.

But before going that route, here's a few other ideas - both preventative and for dealing with the problem. Diatomaceous earth (which is a dried algae, a chalk-like substance) sprinkled in cracks inside the house and around the perimeter of the house and yard (also useful for ridding yourself of ant infestations and detering mice)is probably one of the most popular solutions. In the house, sprinkle it on the carpets, wait a couple of hours, then vacuum. Reapply daily until crisis is over. (Note: it can be an irritant so keep away from eyes and try not to inhale clouds of the stuff!). You can even dust your animals with it - an online friend says she puts it in a cheese shaker and dusts it on while grooming the dogs, being careful not to get it in their eyes. She also suggests putting it in a pantyhose leg; just tie it off and pat it on your dogs and on the furniture, leaving the dust on the furniture overnight before vacuuming. Again, vacuum daily (emptying and cleaning the vacuum thoroughly after use)and reapply. I would also suggest washing all bedding (yours and the pets) daily in hot water and drying on a hot setting in your dryer.


Dr Stephen Blake suggests placing "one teaspoon of wintergreen essential oil - the same kind that you use in vaporizers for colds - into a quart of hot water in a mist sprayer. Mist carpets, upholstered furniture, pillows and anything where flea eggs can hatch. The mist will not kill fleas but it will kill the eggs. Spray about 3 times a year. The odor goes away in a few days and you are safe for months without danger of pesticides. Since oil of wintergreen is used on babies, I do not believe it can hurt cats or dogs. You don't spray the animals; just their environment."

He also recommends steam cleaning the carpet with Simple Green (after testing it in a small area, of course)to kill the adult fleas and then when the carpets are dry, raking a mixture of 1 part Borax salts to 3 parts salt into all carpeted areas of the house. He says to leave this for a week before vacuuming, and that the treatment will last years. However, as salts can be problematic for your pets' paws, I'd recommend doing it only as a preventative just before leaving on holidays!

And one other excellent source of further information is this Mother Earth link. In the five page article, it provides helpful hints and natural solutions which are environmentally friendly and pet-safe.

And that is the end of my lesson on Flea Prevention and Elimination 101.