Author Archives: maryjane

Life of Pi

Have you read the book-now-turned-movie, Life of Pi? A few years ago, it was one of my favorites. It’s about a 16-year-old Indian boy’s passage to start a new life in America aboard a freighter that shipwrecks in the Pacific. (He’s traveling with his family to move their zoo to another country.) He manages to secure himself on a life raft … but with an orangutan, a zebra, a hyena, and a Bengal tiger. (You’ll have to read the book or see the movie to see how it ends.)

It seems a bit like this story I found on the Helped by Animals Facebook page featuring INCREDIBLE inter-species relationships that are formed when one (usually young and helpless) animal is put in life or death circumstances. (Make sure you visit their page because the photos and stories will warm your heart to its very core.)

This one below is udderly amazing. Not only does a predator quit being a predator, but its prey quits being afraid and in fact shows the predator care and love.

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Pet Project

When it comes to unconditional adoration, nobody does it better than our pets. That’s why most of us just can’t leave the lil’ critters out of holiday gift giving. But there are better ways to thank your pet than with a mass-produced toy made who-knows-where or a store-bought treat full of who-knows-what. Nothing says love like homemade—and even the furriest and most feathered among us will notice the difference.

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Luna the Leaping Cow

This girl from Germany wanted a horse, so when her parents said no, she set about to ride the next best thing—Luna, her cow. (Check out the last name of the neighbor they interview.)

Have you heard?

There’s still time to solve your gift-giving dilemma. For the person who has everything, how about giving them peace of mind? Here’s how …

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Big ol’ Apple

Now, that’s a BIG apple.

Ace found this behemoth at our local co-op the other day.

A 4″ Honeycrisp. The apple of that farmer’s eye, no deny.

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Farm Match

Matchmaking for farmers?

I don’t know about you,

But I’m picturing …

a fellow in his finest overalls,

a gal in gingham,

Cupid’s …

pitchfork?

Come what may …

(dare I say?)

A roll in the hay!

Okay, enough, enough!

As it turns out,

Matchmaking for farmers is all about land:

Who needs it?

Who has it?

And, can we create a connection?

The Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture (PASA) is determined to make it happen via their new website, Farm Lease Connection.

“When we started this program, we did sort of jokingly refer to it as ‘eFarmony,'” Marilyn Anthony, PASA’s eastern region director, told NPR.

Anthony is something like,

well …

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Reindeer Cam

You know Dasher and Dancer
And Prancer and Vixen,
Comet and Cupid
And Donner and Blitzen.
But do you recall
The most famous reindeer of all?

Rudolph, of course!

… click here to see the live web feed of Santa’s reindeer! This is his live camera, at the North Pole of course, operational all day. Santa comes out to feed at 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. EST. See the nice list in the background? Want to get on it? Well come on over here …