23 Mobile Things: Thing 1

I'm excited to be participating in 23 Mobile Things, as part of the Minnesota Multitype library systems.

The first task was to create a blog and register. In my case I reactivated a previous blog. I haven't touched it since 2011, so I had to make sure it was set up properly and edit old items. Seeing the improvements to blogger since 2011 is impressive.

What do I hope to get out of this? Well I have a Google Nexus for work, and want to push myself to use it more. Quite honestly after 40 hours a week of computer time as a distance librarian I just unplug all tech items and stop caring. Plus I get to read about how fellow librarians are using these tools, and what they think!

Let the games begin!

Wildcare Adventure

My entire life I have wanted to help injured animals, especially wild animals that are injured because of humans. My first career goal as a child was to be a veterinarian. I watched Grizzly Adams religiously, and had read as many James Herriot books as I could find before the 5th grade. Life steered me down a different path, though, so here I am: an online Librarian with much free time.

With my decision to stay in Bloomington for a while, and working from home with very little social life, I finally had the opportunity to volunteer with a Wildlife Rehabilitation organization. After my Alpaca Adventure, I knew I could handle more than I thought I could and set off with zeal.

My main concern was seeing the pain and suffering of injured creatures. But I had managed to push that to the side volunteering at the animals shelter. I tried to focus on what GOOD was being done, even if for a little while in a creature's life.

One of the first things I got to learn about was baby bunnies! (Eastern Cottontails to be specific)

Important things I never knew, which I will share:

1. American cottontails are not like European cottontails. They do not typically live in burrows (like Peter Cottontail), but have hidden nests in the grass.  This is why many tiny bunnies get injured/killed by lawn mowers. Ick.

2. The mother rabbit does NOT stay on the nest. She shows up twice a day to feed, make them poop, and clean everyone. Then she GOES AWAY, to draw predators away.

3. The cleaning before/after feeding time IS to stimulate digestion and clean out the intestines.

4. When the baby is 'full' it turns itself around and burrows nose first back into the nest.

5. These rabbits are pretty much 'food' for everyone. Their only natural defense is speed, and the ability to freak out and give themselves a heart attack. Which, if the option is staying alive long enough to feel a predator ripping you apart, seems a fairly logical adaptation. At least I think so.

I got the exciting (and a little frustrating) experience of trying to feed a VERY tiny Eastern Cottontail a little bit of rabbit formula, with a very tiny syringe. I did not take my camera, but here is a picture from a Minnesota Wildlife Rehab facility of such a baby cottontail.

Here is their site: http://www.wrcmn.org/pulse/archives/date/2010/03

The baby I got to feed was about the size of my finger; eyes closed and very squiggly. The first thing you do is get a cotton ball dipped in warm water to stimulate the peeing and pooping. This way the baby is ready for more food. :)

I was successful in getting the poop out of the tiny squiggly bunny. Mission Accomplished! You can imagine, such a tiny creature produces a very tiny poop. Like a small ant....

This is  an art, to hold the baby in a cloth with one hand, and empty the syringe of formula slowly, smoothly and gently into its mouth. You can't go too FAST or it all comes out the nose. You also don't want to shoot liquid into the lungs. 

I had just about gotten it, when my bunny turned its butt to me and headed into the 'burrow'.  WAIT, little bunny!!  There's more formula to go!! So I diligently balanced the syringe between fingers and turned the washcloth around, so baby bunny is facing the food again. Baby bunny immediately turned and burrowed back down!! This went on for about 4 minutes, until I asked one of the trainers. 

THAT was how I learned about them turning tail when they're full. In retrospect it makes sense, but I was very confused at the time and thought I had failed my baby bunny.

The mostly weaned bunnies were kept in cages in a 'quiet room'. These were the ones eating greens, but still getting formula in a dish.  I got to help in that room every Saturday, during peak bunny season. 

It seems I am very good at being sneaky and quiet and not traumatizing the freaked out litters of bunnies. Well, there's a new super power I must learn how to utilize! 

I was relieved that I only had to 'bag' one small bunny, who had died. They are very difficult to tend in captivity, and there's quite a high death rate. One I could handle, and it was dead when I arrived. Thank GOODNESS I did not kill it. I would be mortified if I frightened a bunny to death. 

I tried to find images of bunnies for you all, but most are copyrighted. So here is image search:

http://www.google.com/search?q=eastern+cottontail+baby&hl=en&client=safari&rls=en&prmd=ivns&source=lnms&tbm=isch&ei=aNFFToaMF6KHsAKVofCRCA&sa=X&oi=mode_link&ct=mode&cd=2&ved=0CBAQ_AUoAQ&biw=1437&bih=724

Coming soon: fawns and opposums (these will have pictures!)

Adventures in housing: rented room

Well, now. After the past two years, I must say I had lost hope that I would be able to afford my own housing ever again. Luckily, though, my new part time online Librarian job coincided with my need to move out of my friend's apartment.  A steady income?? Really? That helps with finding a place to live!

I had some odd criteria on this search:

1. Stay within a two-three block radius of where I HAD been living.
2. Find a short term lease.
3. Partially furnished would be great. (all my stuff is in Colorado)

Serendipity stepped in, and handed me exactly THAT!! I found a room right next to the Bakery/Cafe/TamaleLand, it was partially furnished, AND the landlord was willing to do a short term lease!

And yes, this is a COMPLETELY different atmosphere from my previous places. Landlord is a 25 year old law 2nd year law student with a puppy.

The view from the door.  Worrisome? Animal House? 

The land of couches!! There is one behind me, that is pretty much the dog's couch....

Kitchen: useful, with light.

The Big Backyard! 

 Construction begins around 7:00 a.m. right outside my window...

See those green apartments? That's where I lived for a month.
I can walk 1/2 a block and watch movies with my friend! Cool.

Adopt a Librarian: Garland turns me over to another friend...

As July came to a close, I still had no actual income. Temp jobs were few and far between, and my online librarian position hadn't started yet. Garland was ending his stay in Bloomington, and I was really stuck for what to do. In 2008 I couldn't get out of Bloomington quickly enough. NOW I didn't want to leave.

 Part of that is because I have a few friends here and can volunteer at the library. After a year in Colorado I never HAD been able to volunteer at either of two major library systems!! Having a small social network is a good thing. I've started over in new towns a few times, and it's hard. I had a few places I could stay, with family and friends across the country, but something told me I needed to stay here. (even though I miss my sister in Colorado)

Luckily, my friend decided I should stay with him for a month or two, while his roommate was out of town. I figured this would buy me another month or two to figure out my next step. Good plan!

I was only in the apartment for a month, though, since his roommate came back a month early. It's the newest, swankiest place I've lived. However, we spent most of the month fighting to get the internet connected. WHY oh WHY would you build a brand new property, advertise the cable/internet and then NOT LAY THE CABLE???  Why??  I am less than impressed, Choice Properties. Less than impressed.

His roommate returned a month early, so no sooner had I gotten a little settled then I had to find another place to live. LUCKILY, my hours at the online Librarian job had gone from 10 to 30, so I was expecting to have an actual livable income. I was only here for August 2010.

I've embedded a slideshow, but if you want to see bigger pictures, click on the title "Adopt a Librarian" and it will take you to the album.

GADD (Geographic Attention Deficit Disorder), 5 residences in 12 months

Well, this past year has given me many different experiences with housing. I never expected to be this 'ungrounded' and nomadic. My sister created a name for it: GADD (Geographic Attention Deficit Disorder)! I am truly grateful to people who have let me stay with them through this unemployment phase, and have learned so much about myself by living with different people. I thought I would share the different styles of housing, because they seem vastly different to me!

I am skipping my friend Doug's place, where I stayed for 11 months, because I don't think I have pictures. The same goes for someone's house where I stayed for 25 days, here in Bloomington.

1. Garland's Fabulous Apartment!

Garland took me in when my other friend said I couldn't stay. Everything for a reason, yes? We seem like unlikely housemates, but ended up having a wonderful time. If I ever have to go through unemployment, bankruptcy and food stamps again, I want my Garland there with me!! We spent a lot of time pulling each other up and looking forward. We also joked about his 'adopt a homeless librarian' program. Luckily, I was the only one he adopted. The apartment wasn't big enough for more of us!


The Wonderful Bed 

This made me feel like I was in a fancy hotel.
I felt like a queen, and it was also a good safe place to nurture my wounded ego from job hunting.    
I still can't believe Garland put me in his room and slept on the couch for a year. A year....wow.


The Fabulous Dresser

Style, baby, style. Well, maybe not with all those boxes..
There usually wasn't this much stuff on it. This was taken during packing up/moving time.
Usually it was just those fantastically happy red poppies!!!


Lynn Boxes in the Corner....

Nobody puts Baby in a corner....but my stuff goes there....

I did actually have the hall closet, but these were in the room.

I made Garland watch George Carlin's routine on 'STUFF'. Every time I looked at my boxes, I could hear George Carlin talking about smaller versions of your STUFF. I have stuff in storage in Colorado. I took the most important STUFF with me to Bloomington. Then I left Garland for 3 months to go to the alpaca farm, taking only the MOST important STUFF.

It's all just stuff. Too much stuff. Yes, Mike, I know..."garage sale"


The Famous Red Flowers

This was on the counter the entire time I was in Garland's apartment. Every person who came in commented on it. Very striking. Very bold. Very Garland. :) It makes me smile to see them again.

So Garland took me in for a little bit, as a temporary measure. A year later, he left Bloomington and returned to New Orleans. I did not really have a good backup plan, and no steady work. But that's the next chapter.....

Life after Garland...a Lesson in Trust

Hi. This is about my hair.

Garland is gone to New Orleans.  He was my friend who let me live with him for a year, but he was also my stylist. The joy of living with your stylist is that every so often he looks at you with raised eyebrow and says "girl, get in that chair".  Usually this is accompanied by a sad shaking of his head, at what a mess is on my head.

Now, even though he did a final farewell cut/style on my hair in July, it was getting a little crazy on one side. That's the joy of curly hair. Just when you think it's all fine and looking good, one side (or piece) decides to do its OWN THING. It gets poofy, or it sticks flat to your head. Sometimes it grows out in a completely different direction, just because it can.

Very independent, this curly hair.

So. The right side of my hair was trying to stick close to my head. The left side has somehow gotten LONGER than the right. Garland suggested this is perhaps because I'm always tilting my head questioningly. Nah.....

I have a friend with curly hair who tried a new stylist. Her hair was cute and she liked the stylist, so I made an appointment. Let me tell you, I LOVE LOVE LOVE this salon!! It's very urban, like a man cave. The owner stylist is a straight guy (is that still what we call them?), and the salon has got some funky style. It feels like a garage, as he's using Craftsman tool carts at each station. There's 50's wood paneling, but with lots of funky art and a fun couch. It's all KINDS of retro chic, with a manly flair.

Anyhow. I really liked the stylist, and we had a great time laughing and talking. What I FAILED to remember, though, was that I had wanted him to just TRIM the cut that was in place. I liked talking with him and felt comfortable that I said the dreaded words:

I TRUST YOU

I forgot he had never worked with my hair. I told him I wanted it a little shorter and we agreed upon an amount, but I forgot he doesn't know how much my hair 'springs' back up. The only person (with scissors) to touch my hair for 5 years has been Garland.

Now, where there was one length, there are now layers. This makes it lighter, and hence curlier. This is not always good, especially when it is this short and independent.

For some reason, the left side still seems longer than the right, and the right side is still sticking close to my head. WHY?? Why, hair? What's going ON on the right side of my skull? Is there a party??  And YOU, random bit of hair on the LEFT side of my head....why are you still LONGER?? You were longer before the cut, and you are longer now. Are there growth hormones in that set of follicles? What gives?  Why still longer even after the haircut? AARRRGH.

The layers make it CURLIER, but not really in a controlled way.

And for the first time in years, I just want to cry when I look in the mirror.

I don't want to blame the stylist, because, really, I did not communicate what I wanted. I trusted too soon, and too much. Not a good idea in any relationship.

The funny part? I wanted it trimmed so it looked 'neater and cleaner' for a wedding I'm attending next week, as the guest of a friend. It's the first fancy thing I've done in a few years and wanted to look nice.

I may just take scissors to hand and try to even it up. Yeah. I'm sure that will go well. That's a whole different post....

Where, you ask, are the photos of this hair silliness? Not here. Not now. Too much sadness. Maybe after it grows out a bit I'll share.

Off to find those scissors....

Oh, and yes, I DID wake up at 6 a.m. so upset about my hair that I could not go back to sleep and had to write about it.  So there.

OH, and THANK YOU

I forgot to post a big THANK YOU to all my friends who loaned me money this summer. I am truly truly grateful, and it allowed me to cover expenses for that month. I have been (not very patiently) waiting for my new salary to kick in so I can repay everyone.

Without our friends we are nothing. Thank you.

Life after alpacas

Well, as many of you know, I completed my alpaca internship on July 14th. A lot has happened since then, but I never really wrote a conclusion to that adventure. I was trying to keep it all in some sort of chronological order, but that went by the wayside with the extraordinary heat of the summer. I really lost my ability to put two thoughts together by the end of the day. I am going to try and add my ponderings here as I can.

The most important thing, though, is that I will never regret my decision to go learn about and care for alpacas. I very much needed to not be sitting at my computer, feeling the continued rejection of the job hunt. I also very much needed to be outside, doing something physical. I learned a lot about myself, and a lot about daily farm life while caring for alpacas. I did not become an alpaca fanatic, but I am not really fanatical about anything anyhow. I enjoyed working with them, and have a better understanding of how and why they are so popular. Do I need to own some? No, probably not. I have no land, and they need land. I'd forgotten how animals need daily care; especially exotic animals. That's a lot of commitment. I seem to be a nomad of sorts. I keep thinking I want to settle down in one place, but never seem to.  I don't think I'm 'running' from anything; I just haven't found a place to settle yet.

Here's the overview of what's happened since July 14:

August:
Garland (my roommate who took me in for a year), moved back to New Orleans to regroup.
Another friend let me stay with him, in his new place, while his roommate was out of town. The roommate came back a month earlier than planned and I had a panic to find a room to rent. I got a part time job in a kitchen (minimum wage!) making tamales for the gourmet tamale catering place that sells at the Farmer's Market. Even though I had re-registered with all temp agencies when I returned to Bloomington, I never got any calls. That means that this tamale job is the most reliable, steady work I've had in a while. Scary!!

I also finally got on at an online university's library and got started in August. I was supposed to only be 10 hours a week, but within two weeks turned into 30 hours a week. However, the paperwork has not caught up to the right people, so they've been paying me for 10/week. It should all be worked out this week, though. That will be a relief. It doesn't feel real until you see the money...

I found a room to rent in a house RIGHT behind the restaurant where I'm working. Talk about Serendipity! He also let me sign a short term lease, since I don't know how long I will be here. I may move with my friend to Ft. Wayne in January. It's all up in the air.

So my world has now shrunk down to two buildings. It's very odd. I've always been bad about leaving the house without a purpose. Now I really really need to find reasons to leave the house. I'm sure having a regular ('real') paycheck will help with that too.

Since I got sick the week after I moved in, that has made adjusting more difficult. I was working 70 hours a week between both jobs, with a sinus infection, ear infection and ruptured ear drum. Sheesh! But  HEY, at least I combined it all into one big stupid illness, therefore making it only ONE uninsured trip to the PromptCare place!  Only $110 instead of $310!  YEAH!!! Much better now, by the way. Yeah for antibiotics!!  Go SCIENCE!  :)

My new landlord is a 2nd year law student, with a fiancee in Ohio and a 7 month old Golden Retriever puppy named Bailey. Since I am home the most with Bailey right now, I have decided to try training him. We are working on walking on the leash, and going to the 'mat' (a carpet square). He's doing really good for only a few 'lessons'. He IS still a puppy, though, and distracted by things like....LEAVES!!! OMG, what IS IT?? Right now his owner has been gone for 4 days, and he keeps looking at the door and whining. I am no substitute for the Doggy Daddy,  Pack Leader. I do not play with the rope right, and I don't play rough enough. The Landlord will be home today, though, so Bailey should be happy.

Well I guess that takes care of September too. How did it get to be October?? I really feel like I am just in limbo, waiting for my paychecks and whatever is next. I am very glad to be working in my field.

So now I can write about making tamales, in what we call "TamaleLand"! This is also something I never  had in the plans (like AlpacaLand), and yet am enjoying it quite a lot.

Will try to post pictures too.

Alpacas and caulking guns

What, you may wonder, does one do when an alpaca needs medicine? Is it EASY to give them medicine? Well, I guess that depends on your definition of 'easy'.

This past month there were two pens of animals that needed medicine, so out came the caulking gun!

That's right, they use a caulking gun to shoot the meds down the animal's throat. As you can imagine, the alpacas aren't all jumping into line for this experience. It worked out well with four people, though. You get all the animals into the pen, with the false promise of grain, and then catch and 'caulk'.

One or two hold the animal
One holds caulking gun
One has the paper with list of animals and number of 'clicks' it should get of medicine

Sadly I have no photos because there really was no practical way to take pictures as a participant.

A cria is born at White Violet Farm Alpacas

This was added a few weeks ago to the YouTube channel. This little guy is one of the ones we moved to the "Little Boys" pen in late May. I won't be here for any births, but they have two crias (baby alpacas) due in the fall. :)

Day 65. 14 days left: I work in the garden and forget I'm a redhead

One of the garden volunteers wanted to work with the alpacas today, so I switched with her and got to work in the Garden!! So while I did NOT rake poo today, I DID get to do the following:

1. Help make 9 rows of 11 mounds of dirt, in which to plant pumpkins.
2. Weed the onions
3. Weed the onions some more.
4. Harvest things for the Farmer's Market (some squash, tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplant and peppers)
5. Weed the onions again
6. Help pick up compost from the bins around the property

In the course of the day, I had many gnats fly into my ears/nose/mouth. Almost as many as during alpaca duty! Ack! I also got compost juice on my shirt, which is ultra-sexy. And smelly.

AND I got to see the worms rotated from the 'old' compost bin, to their new digs, in a new bin. I was very happy. I love worms.

However, somewhere in there it seems I FORGOT I am fair-skinned. I wiped my face off with a wet towel before lunch, in order to get the anti-bug stuff off me. It really wasn't working on the gnats, since I had so many in my ears and up my nose.  After lunch I merrily went out to pick and weed things, completely forgetting to REAPPLY the sunscreen.

Why? Why does this happen at least once a year? You would think that by now I would remember. I dutifully slather every area of exposed skin every morning before leaving the house.

Here's the thing: I think there is still some inner core of my being that refuses to recognize that I am a redhead and burn. That same core insists I should be able to work outside in the sun for 8 hours, and not get sunsick. Perhaps that core is the 1/36th (or whatever) amount of Native American blood in me, insisting the fair-skinned redhead can DO THAT.

Now, since I was wearing a hat, and a long sleeved shirt, I now have a weird sunburn on 1/2 of my face and some of my collarbone/chest area. Oy. Seriously, I have to just roll my eyes at myself. I should know better by now. Oh well. Aloe is a good friend of mine. You should buy stock in that aloe company.

Dueling alpacas

I happened to have my camera one day when the 'boys' were at it. It's been hot. Everyone's a little testy, and getting in each other's space. This really only leads to face freeze and drool.
Kinda glad I'm not an alpaca.


Note the laid back ears, narrowed eyes, and frozen jaw

The advesary: similar stance, but more drool

Even after the fireworks have passed, there is a stand-off. 

Best not to be in the line of fire, they're usually still trying to spit on each other!

Alpaca breeding

One of the male alpacas has gone away for a month to another farm, for breeding. It's like a mini vacation from the normal routine, but with the lady alpacas.

I have deemed this a 'conjugal sabbatical'.

Day 57 of alpaca adventure

Well here's something I never thought I'd hear myself say: "We moved cattle fencing today, and it was about 90 degrees outside". Tasks need to be done, regardless of the weather.

I am, oddly, not completely wiped out. It wasn't as humid as it was yesterday, which I think has a lot to do with it. Yesterday I was a mess. I had a huge knot in my shoulder yesterday, which led to a headache. That, combined with the 80 degree temps and all the humidity made me really not happy. I basically came back to the room and sat in front of the fan until the sun set and I deemed it acceptable to go to bed. I tried to talk to a friend on the phone, but really had no coherent thoughts.

Today, we hauled fencing all over AFTER the morning chores, and I'm still fairly lucid. Who knows? Maybe I'm getting used to this lifestyle. Only took me 2 months!

When the boy parts meet the hose

Alpacas aren't from this climate, and they can get overheated, with all this heat and humidity. Since the breeding males need to keep cool to stay fertile, it's extra important to hose down those boy parts. When it's HOT like it has been, and will be all this week, all the alpacas get some water time, also known as 'tummy baths'. Sometimes they just get a sprinkler to stand in (or sit on, as they often do), but sometimes it's easier to hose them down directly.

Gotta keep those boy parts cool and functioning. An infertile male can't be sent out for breeding....

When we check the pastures after lunch, if it's hot outside, the alpacas know it's 'tummy bath time' and usually come running. They fight like little kids to get to the hose first, and it's quite a display of dominance (both males and females). They spit and huff at each other, and are very vocal. It's quite amusing. Oh, and ALL genders of alpacas get 'tummy baths', it's just the males that get their parts hosed down. The females we just turn on the sprinklers and let them argue about who goes first.

Typically 'tummy baths' are done by the full time staff, but one day I got to do the hose down.

Thankfully, another volunteer had a camera, so I can share with you!

Everyone comes running from the pasture to get their 'cool down' time.

They all stand with their butts to the hose, tails lifted in anticipation.

There's some snippiness when one alpaca feels another is invading his space....

But in the end, all the boy parts get a cool down. 

Why did they not eat the vegetables???

As a reminder why I do not like shared kitchens in group situations: someone ate my pint of ice cream. It was there the other day, it is not there now. I am very sad, because it is very hot. Just another reminder to never have anything somebody else wants. And if you do, do not put it in the shared area, even if your name is on it.  They did NOT eat the frozen vegetables. Huh. I wonder why.....?? They are cold. What's the deal?

Well, I guess I don't need any ice cream anyhow. I'm still trying to get my pants to fall on the ground (due to weight loss, people....weight loss).  And I certainly won't buy any more while I'm here. Bummer, because there's only about 6 people on this floor. ::sigh::  It's the same everywhere.

23 days left. 88 degrees at 8:00 p.m., and just as hot in my room. Alpaca poo at 8:00 a.m.

Not alpaca related, but freaking me out...my article's download stats..

The article I had published in Indiana Libraries has been downloaded 967 times!!!
And I think it's been cited. F-R-E-A-K-Y because there's no way I downloaded it that many times.

It's really more of a resource guide and comparison of World of Warcraft with Information Literacy standards. I did not set out to get published, but there ya go.

https://scholarworks.iupui.edu/handle/1805/1502

Hound of the Baskervilles?

Ever since I moved in here, there has been a nightly noise that I cannot identify. It is very eerie, and sounds like it's coming from outside the building as well as inside. It sounds like a dog barking, but very hollow, like a ghost dog, or the Hound of the Baskervilles. Of course, I've watched enough horror movies that it can ONLY be the Hound. The Hound, hanging out in the Woods, waiting to pounce.

Then the other morning, in the bathroom, something white slammed against the window screen. A-HA!!! (I thought) Instead of the Hound of the Baskervilles, it is MUCH more likely that sound is a dove. If they are in the inner courtyard, that would account for the eerie hollow echoing sound. Much more logical, but a lot less dramatic. I'll let you all know if it turns out I was wrong....

Green Festival: Project Onward (artists)

The only thing I purchased at the Green Festival were some notecards. One, I will send to my mother. The other two are mine for keeping. 

I was very impressed by this artist: Blake Lenoir. He is with Project Onward, which "supports the creative growth of visual artists with mental and developmental disabilities. Project Onward provides studio space, art supplies, and professional guidance to emerging artists in a communal workshop environment."

His beautiful flower picture was on the cover of the program. I wish I could cut/paste it here, but will have to be satisfied with the link. I like this group, they make me happy. What a bunch of good people.

http://projectonward.org/blakelenoir/

Alpaca hay dive

We all know the best hay is at the BOTTOM 

 It's very disconcerting to come up from a hay dive to find someone with a camera....

And someone who is trying to eat your hair decor

She obviously was not interested in this photoshoot!