This story was emailed to me from a friend.  You can find the story linked to: All-Creatures.org - The Animal Story Page: Cat Mothers Orphaned Skunks

One week after being born, six baby skunks were orphaned when their mother died.

Luckily, we had just weaned five kittens off of our resident farm cat a day before and hoped that perhaps she might take them on as her own. She was reluctant at first, but she let them nurse - a positive sign. Two weeks have gone by and the six little "Stinkers" are thriving and their new mom couldn't be happier. 

The farm cat has become quite devoted to them and even carries them around to show them off to visitors.

This is another of those wonderful stories that prove that Isaiah's prophecy of a peaceable kingdom (11:6-9) can exist in the here an now.  We just need to help it happen.

Emailed to me from a friend.  Verified at Truth or Fiction.Com

NAIROBI (AFP) - A baby hippopotamus that survived the tsunami waves on the Kenyan coast has formed a strong bond with a giant male century-old tortoise in an animal facility in the port city of Mombassa, officials said.  The hippopotamus, nicknamed Owen  and weighing about 300 kilograms (650 pounds), was swept down Sabaki River into the Indian Ocean , then forced back to shore when tsunami waves struck the Kenyan coast on December 26, before wildlife rangers rescued him.

"It is incredible. A-less-than-a-year-old hippo has adopted a male tortoise, about a century old, and the tortoise seems to be very happy with being a 'mother'," ecologist Paula Kahumbu, who is in charge of Lafarge Park , told AFP.

"After it was swept away and lost its mother, the hippo was traumatized.  It had to look for something to be a surrogate mother. Fortunately, it landed on the tortoise and established a strong bond.
They swim, eat and sleep together," the ecologist added.

"The hippo follows the tortoise exactly the way it followed its mother. If somebody approaches the tortoise, the hippo becomes aggressive, as if protecting its biological mother," Kahumbu added.

"The hippo is a young baby, he was left at a very tender age and by nature, hippos are social animals that like to stay with their mothers for four years," he explained.

This is a real story that shows that our differences don't matter much when we need the comfort of another.

Save the Earth ... it's the only planet with chocolate.

Technorati tags: hippo, giant tortoise, lafarga park, kenya, Tsunami Survivor, hippopotamus, nature, human interest, humanity

The Wooden Bowl

I guarantee you will remember the tale of the Wooden Bowl tomorrow, a  week from now, a month from now, a year from now. 

A frail old man went to live with his son, daughter-in- law, and four-year old grandson. The old man's hands trembled, his eyesight was blurred, and his step faltered. The family ate together at the table.

But the elderly grandfather's shaky hands and failing sight made eating difficult. Peas rolled off his spoon onto the floor. When he grasped the glass, milk spilled on the tablecloth. 

The son and daughter-in-law became irritated with the mess. "We must do something about father," said the son. "I've had enough of his spilled milk, noisy eating, and food on the floor." 

So the husband and wife set a small table in the corner. There, Grandfather ate alone while the rest of the family enjoyed dinner. Since Grandfather had broken a dish or two, his food was served in a wooden bowl! 

When the family glanced in Grandfather's direction, sometime he had a tear in his eye as he sat alone. Still, the only words the couple had for him were sharp admonitions when he dropped a fork or spilled food. 

The four-year-old watched it all in silence.

One evening before supper, the father noticed his son playing with wood scraps on the floor. He asked the child sweetly, "What are you making?"

Just as sweetly, the boy responded, "Oh, I am making a little bowl for you and Mama to eat your food in when I grow up." The four-year-old smiled and went back to work . 

The words so struck the parents so that they were speechless. Then tears started to stream down their cheeks. Though no word was spoken, both knew what must be done. 

That evening the husband took Grandfather's hand and gently led him back to the family table. For the remainder of his days he ate every meal with the family. And for some reason, neither husband nor wife seemed to care any longer when a fork was dropped, milk spilled, or the tablecloth soiled. 

On a positive note, I've learned that, no matter what happens, how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow. 

I've learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she 

handles four things: a rainy day, the elderly, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights. 

I've learned that, regardless of your relationship with your parents,

you'll miss them when they're gone from your life. 

I've learned that making a "living" is not the e same thing as making a  "life.."

I've learned that life sometimes gives you a second chance. 

I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with a catcher's mitt on both hands. You need to be able to throw something back.

I've learned that if you pursue happiness, it will elude you. But if  you focus on your family, your friends, the needs of others, your work and doing the very best you can, happiness will find you. 

I've learned that whenever I decide something with an open heart, I usually make the right decision.

I've learned that even when I have pains, I don't have to be one. 

I've learned that every day, you should reach out and touch someone. 

People love that human touch -- holding hands, a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back. 

I've learned that I still have a lot to learn.! 

I've learned that you should pass this on to everyone you care about.

I just did.

NOTICE AT THE END, THE DATE 

THE CANDLE WAS STARTED.

GONNA GIVE YOU GOOSE BUMPS.

I am not going to be the one who lets it die. I found it believable -- angels have walked beside me all my life--and they still do.

*********************

This is to all of you who mean something to me, I pray for your happiness. The Candle Of Love, Hope & Friendship

This candle was lit on the 15th of September, 1998. 

Someone who loves you has helped keep it alive by sending it to you.

Don't let The Candle of Love, Hope and Friendship die! Pass It On To All Of Your Friends and Everyone You Love! 

May God richly bless you!

Please keep this candle alive

Don't walk in front of me, I may not follow. Don't walk  behind me, I may not lead. Just walk beside me and be my friend.

Courtesy of The Arizona Republic

By Betty Reid, The Arizona Republic

Students at Carl Hayden Community High School were stunned when a baby shark appeared in one of their fish tanks.

More amazing was that the mother shark had been in the tank alone for nearly four years.
Teacher Fredi Lajvardi and his Phoenix science students investigated and discovered that the birth is rare.

"As far as we know, we are the third case worldwide," Lajvardi said.

This type of birth is known as parthenogenesis, in which an unfertilized egg develops into a new pup, said Lajvardi, program manager for the Carl Hayden Center for Marine Science.

"The mother's gene divides in half and recombines with its own collection of genes to create a new individual," Lajvardi said. "Normally, it would recombine with the father's half of the gene. But because there is no father, the mother provided the other half."

It was a learning moment for students who saw firsthand last week how through parthenogenesis a species can reproduce when a mate isn't present.

The week-old pup, whom students have named Dawn, was born to a white-spotted bamboo shark named Twilight, who has lived in one of the school's marine-science classrooms. .

"When we found out it hatched, everyone rushed the tank," said Kristen Shriner, a 17-year-old senior who has overseen the care of the mother shark.

She and other students have been e-mailing scientists to find out how to properly care for Dawn.

For now, Dawn will remain at the school; outside scientists have been invited to visit.
About 200 students study in the marine center at the high school at 3333 W. Roosevelt St.

This poem was blogged from  The Marines..The Few and the Proud

Here is a permalink to that poem: Two Wolves

A very wise grandfather!

Two Wolves

One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson about
a battle that goes on inside people. He said, "My
son, the battle is between 2 "wolves" inside us all.

One is Evil. It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow,
regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt,
resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride,
superiority, and ego.

The other is Good. It is joy, peace, love, hope,
serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy,
generosity, truth, compassion and faith."

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then
asked his grandfather: "Which wolf wins?"

The old Cherokee simply replied, "The one you feed."

- Author Unknown