Rachael included a box of Good Earth tea in the Christmas gift basked she gave us. Each tea bag comes with a quote on the little piece of paper that's attached to the string. I always read them and the one this morning said this:
Advertising may be described as the science of arresting the human intelligence long enough to get money from it.
Unknown
How true, I thought. Then my thoughts started to wander across time, to the 1980s when there was a Good Earth restaurant in Westwood. I used have lunch there often with my friends, who worked with me at UCLA. Then I started to think about those friends, so many of them gone now, victims of AIDs in the early days when little was known about the disease. I remembered my friend Tony, who was also my boss for a time when I helped him straighten out a big mess in his payroll department.
Then I remembered how one evening, Tony and I walked on the boulevard in Westwood and ran into Sidney Poitier with his wife and family. And how Mr. Poitier gave Tony a big smile and said hello, didn't even give me a second look, and leaving me sort of green with envy.
Then I thought of race in America and how very angry I have been since the GOP presidential campaign landed in South Carolina. For the first time since I arrived here in 1962, did I fear for this country when I heard the audience in that debate agree with this blatantly racist candidate who is running for president of the United States. I won't go into details here, either you heard or you didn't. Either you agree with me or you don't.
When I got angry, I started to think about my heart rate and BP. Which made me think about the meeting of the Diabetes Support group that I attended yesterday. The meeting was about food. I learned that the food pyramid has now been replaced by a food plate, divided into four sections, with instructions for how much of the four food groups (fruits, vegetables, meat/fish/nuts, and grains) one should eat every day. And a round circle for some low-fat dairy.
That was about it for my thoughts. Then I came in here and found a comment from Rachael on my post about the deaths in the canyon. Rachael and I met when we both worked at the donkey rescue and she lived in a cabin at the rescue.
Rachael has, as she mentions in her comment, worked with a wide variety of animals and knows them and understands them well. I know you wouldn't go back and read comments, so I am publishing it here as well:
I concur with the other opinions that it is far more likely that the donkeys were killed by a person. Having spent a lot of time working around a huge variety of animals -- including: bobcats, mountain lions, bears AND donkeys -- I find it really hard to believe that a bear or cat took out 3 donkeys, unless they were picked off one at a time and they were really old and sick (or young), like you stated. IF any animal brought about their demise, I would think a pack of coyotes would be the biggest suspect. Even then, it would take extraordinary circumstances for coyotes to take on donkeys -- the donkeys would have to be half-dead first. Donkeys are some of the most agile and protective animals out there. They are pack animals that stand up for each other. Now, on the other hand: that canyon has had a reputation over the years of mysterious deaths (by people). I've never heard of anyone getting caught for the suspicious deaths, so please be extra careful! You have 3 wonderful protectors with you that will scare off most predators - including the 2-legged kind -- thank God! I pray for your safety and ask the angels to protect you and yours:)
My husband and I saw this foal being born. A circle of jennys (female donkeys) surrounded the mother during the birth. If it had taken place in the wild, they would have defended her. The donkey to the left was a constant companion as the little foal grew up.
Thank you, Rachael. I know of only one other murder in the canyon. When we first moved here, another murder occurred. It was a snitch, just released from prison, who moved in with his girlfriend up somewhere above us in the canyon. Years later, what remained of his bones were found not far from our north-eastern property line. I don't mean to scare you, we do have a very long, long road to our house and only one way out. So it's difficult to get here and to get away. As long as we have Angel and Soldier, we have guards and protection. However, our young dog, Samson, the Samoyed, oh well, he barks after the others start, but doesn't initiate any guarding or barking on his own. Not the breed for it, I'm afraid.
Isn't it interesting how your thoughts will take you places and most of the time you have no idea where they took you or why?
