A Heartwarming Story

Colt, 'Windchill,' warms hearts in Wisconsin

More on Windchill, Rain Dance Farms

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A cold colt is warming hearts in northwest Wisconsin.

The colt was found near death but by Friday night he had a new home.

Even for the toughest of horses, a Midwest winter can take its toll.

The animals are left to bear the brunt of freezing days and below zero nights and occasionally they succumb to it all.

"His body heat had created a crater, you know he had melted down into the ice," said Jeff Tucker of Raindance Farms southeast of Duluth.

Two weeks ago Saturday, with the wind chill at 30-below zero, they attempted the rescue of a nine-month-old colt.

"People say his legs they must have been really stiff, they weren't just stiff they were frozen solid, you could knock on them, they were literally ice cubes," explained Tucker.

Now two weeks later thanks to legwarmers, plenty of blankets and prayers the once frozen colt is alive and recovering.

The support for him is worldwide.

The ranch has been inundated with phone calls, faxes and emails.

A webcam is even setup so well wishers can keep an eye on him.

Around 6:00 is the best time for viewing when he's hoisted in a sling to help him stand.

"He just intuitively seemed to know that we were trying to get him up," said Tucker.

Well below his normal weight it still takes six people to lift him.

All the warmth is a far cry from the cold afternoon the day he was found, but the memory of that day will stick.

"We should call him Windchill and it just caught on, his eyes lit up, he seemed to like it," Tucker said.

Windchill, the weather he refused to succumb to, is his name.

"I think he's living, breathing, hope on hooves."

It appears Windchill is on his way to surviving another Midwest winter.

No charges have been filed in the case.

In case your wondering, Windchill is a Walkaloosa part Tennessee Walker and part Appaloosa.

For the latest information on Windchill click here.

Brian and Dana

Gotta Love Minnesota

It’s winter in Minnesota
And the gentle breezes blow
Seventy miles an hour
At twenty-five below.

Oh, how I love Minnesota
When the snow’s up to your butt
You take a breath of winter
And your nose gets frozen shut.

Yes, the weather here is wonderful
So I guess I’ll hang around
I could never leave Minnesota
‘Cause I’m frozen to the ground.

Eclipse

We are in the middle of experiencing a total Lunar Eclipse. The next one...not until 2010

PET RULES

To be posted VERY LOW on the refrigerator door - nose height.

Dear Dogs and Cats,

The dishes with the paw print are yours and contain your food. The other dishes are mine and contain my food. Please note, placing a paw print in the middle of my plate and food does not stake a claim for it becoming your food and dish, nor do I find that aesthetically pleasing in the slightest.

The stairway was not designed by NASCAR and is not a racetrack.
Beating me to the bottom is not the object. Tripping me doesn't help because I fall faster than you can run.

I cannot buy anything bigger than a king sized bed. I am very sorry about this. Do not think I will continue sleeping on the couch to ensure your comfort. Dogs and cats can actually curl up in a ball when they sleep. It is not necessary to sleep perpendicular to each other stretched out to the fullest extent possible. I also know that sticking tails straight out and having tongues hanging out the other end to maximize space is nothing but sarcasm.

For the last time, there is not a secret exit from the bathroom. If by some miracle I beat you there and manage to get the door shut, it is not necessary to claw, whine, meow, try to turn the knob or get your paw under the edge and try to pull the door open. I must exit through the same door I entered. Also, I have been using the bathroom for years --canine or feline attendance is not required.

The proper order is kiss me, then go smell the other dog or cat's butt. I cannot stress this enough!

To pacify you, my dear pets, I have posted the following message on our front door:

To All Non-Pet Owners Who Visit & Like to Complain About Our Pets:

1. They live here. You don't.
2. If you don't want their hair on your clothes, stay off the furniture. (That's why they call it "fur"niture.)
3. I like my pets a lot better than I like most people.
4. To you, it's an animal. To me, he/she is an adopted son/daughter who is short, hairy, walks on all fours and doesn't speak clearly.

Remember: Dogs and cats are better than kids because they:

1. Eat less
2. Don't ask for money all the time
3 Are easier to train
4. Normally come when called
5. Never ask to drive the car
6. Don't hang out with drug-using friends
7. Don't smoke or drink
8. Don't have to buy the latest fashions
9. Don't want to wear your clothes
10. Don't need a gazillion dollars for college, and...
11. If they get pregnant, you can sell their children.

12.WELCOME TO OUR HOME.

Myspace Comments @ 123glitter.com

2008 The Year of the RAT

I happen to be the sign of the RAT

Chinese New Year

The Sign of the Rat

An opportunist with an eye for a bargain, Rats tend to collect and hoard, but are unwilling to pay too much for anything. They are devoted to their families, particularly their children. Quick-witted and passionate, they are capable of deep emotions despite their cool exteriors. Their nervous energy and ambition may lead them to attempt more tasks than they are able to complete successfully. Rats are blessed with one of the best intellects going.
The sign of the Rat is the first one in the cycle giving Rat people exude great leadership qualities and are good at taking the lead. They don't mind a lot of responsibility and they demonstrate a strong presence that other people respect. For those with the Rat nature, status and monetary satisfaction are the greatest motivation.
The affect of the sign of the Rat is energetic, and demonstrates enough endurance to fight most any sickness. Yet, all Rats tend to be tense, full of nervous energy, and prone to stress. Yoga and meditation would benefit Rats by calming their aggressive natures and helping them manage stress.

Rats make good homemakers who are always willing to do household chores. Because this is a sign of acquisition, the Rat person's house is presumably bursting with various knick-knacks collected over the years. Most Rats are cheerful, domesticated individuals who find happiness at home with their family.

The Chinese say others should always listen to the advice of the Rat. Because of their intellect and observatory powers, Rat people possess prudence and perception. They can anticipate problems, and are always able to see the big picture. Status, money, title and recognition are important to the Rat. They have keen sense of observation that allow them to foresee upcoming business opportunities as well as potential occupational problems. The Rat makes a better boss than an employee. Rats work better in flexible situations where they can be freely creative.
Cunning and thrifty, Rats have a knack with money and are apt to save for rainy days. When capable, the Rat is a great money saver, and in strapped times he knows how to make something out of nothing or how to make things advantageous for himself.

Generally friendly and sociable, the Rat is one of the extroverts of the 12 Animal signs. They have a special gift for easing the minds of others. It is not surprising that Rats have a lot of friends. To the people they love, Rats can be amazingly charitable, popular and supportive. Although Rats like to be in the driver's seat, they do need partners who can keep up with their active lifestyles. Rat people are romantic, and are always happier to have someone to share with.

February Birthdays

Ooops...I better get this out:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JEFF (today)!

AND to any other family and friends who have birthdays this month:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to YOU!

This is SO sad!

Foreclosures in MN now affecting family pets, horses too

The increasing problem of home foreclosures has led to more abandoned pets as families are leaving their dogs, cats or horses behind as they move from houses they can no longer afford, animal rescue volunteers said.

"I'm getting skinny horses in here that people have walked away from," said Drew Fitzpatrick, director of the Minnesota Hooved Animal Rescue Foundation in Zimmerman.

Fitzpatrick said that in the past, abandoned horses were usually due to an owner's mental illness, divorce or cancer.

"Now it's bankruptcy and ARM foreclosure. Rural America is really starting to get punched," Fitzpatrick said.

Over the last two months, at least 51 of the 150 animals brought to the Rice County Humane Society were because of foreclosure, said Michelle DeWeese, who works at the shelter.

"We have owners who are so upset that they have to give up their animals because of foreclosure," she said.

More than 13,600 Minnesotans lost their homes to foreclosure last year, double that of 2006, according to RealtyTrac. The Humane Society of the United States issued a statement this month urging pet owners to take their animals with them.

Sadie Wakal, director of the Safe Sanctuary in Faribault, said the number of animals coming in due to foreclosures has pushed the shelter to its limit.

"We're foster based, so we're stretched for foster homes. We're begging and pleading and poking dogs in corners," Wakal said.

For horse owners already facing high feed costs, the problem is particularly acute. A federal ban on horse slaughterhouses in America recently shut down that option -- which once paid owners about $600 per horse when there was nowhere else to turn.

There have been reports of horses wandering the Florida Everglades and coal mines in Kentucky, where owners set them free to forage on their own.

A horse owner recently euthanized more than 80 horses, mostly Shetland ponies, in Grey Eagle, northwest of St. Cloud, because of rising feed costs and her own poor health.

"I loved my horses, I was their mother," said the owner, Gail Carlson, who said she was spending $2,000 a month on hay. "I couldn't just keep doing that."

Others are seeking help.

"All of our rescue groups are overwhelmed with horses," said Stephanie Valberg, director of University of Minnesota equine center.

Fitzpatrick said she got a call this week from the sheriff in Morrison County, who reported a herd of horses running free in the area.

"He just said it looks like another foreclosure," she said.

State officials say they plan to launch a series of round-table discussions later this winter to look for answers.


Pets are hidden victims of foreclosures


Hidden inside foreclosed homes across the nation are thousands of hidden victims of the mortgage crisis: Pets abandoned by their owners. As banks seize more and more properties, families are being forced to leave behind cherished animals which is overwhelming area shelters.

We visited S.A.F.E. (Saving Animals From Euthanasia) in Rice County today and found at least 10 dogs from families that went through foreclosures.

In Rice County alone, there were 270 mortgage foreclosures in 2007 that authorities handled. That is up from 150 foreclosures in 2006.



Pets suffer foreclosure pain

The mortgage foreclosure crisis is chasing more than people out of their homes. In Rice County Minnesota, animal shelters are seeing an extraordinary number of homeless pets.

At the Humane Society in Faribault, in December and January 51 out of 150 pets that arrived came from homes facing foreclosure. The pets include cats, dogs, ferrets and guinea pigs.

"We've had a few that were so upset at their foreclosure and having to give up their pet, that they actually came and visited their pet while it was here until it was adopted," said
Michelle DeWeese, Animal Health Care Manager.

The Rice County Sheriff's Department sees the number of foreclosures growing rapidly.
In 2007 there were 237 mortgage foreclosure sales. That's up more than 50% from the year before. And judging by the pace so far this year, the Sheriff's Department expects this year to be worse.

Back at the Humane Society there's a similar suspicion. "Probably going to get worse before it gets better," said DeWeese.