2015: Water in California

We need water in California, but do we really need to flood fertile valleys? Here's one story of the flooding of the beautiful Berryessa Valley (which included the city of Monticello) in California in 1957 (not to mention the loss of the Hetch Hetchy valley frown emoticon ). I think there must be a better way to provide water to residents, ranchers, and farmers in California--beyond reducing shower time, eliminating lawns, and flooding valleys. Who's working on sensible solutions? Apparently not Jerry Brown. See The Story image

Joaquin Miller

American frontiersman, novelist, and poet Cincinnatus Hinner Miller (aka Joaquin Miller) (September 8, 1837 – February 17, 1913).




Scout and Abby in front of Miller's old home place on Joaquin Miller Drive, Oakland, California. Photo taken May 2014.




Joaquin Miller in front of his old home place. Photo circa 1911.




Joaquin Miller with dog circa 1911. By the way, nobody in the history of the City of Oakland ever needed to wear a thick, looks-like-wool coat! You'll never need a thick coat like this one in Oakland; never ever!

John Muir National Historic Site

Asked the pups if they wanted to go "car bye bye" today. They did. I secured them in their crate in the back seat of my Ford Focus and drove from my home in San Leandro, California, east on I-580 to I-680 north with the mighty Mt. Diablo on my right. Then took CA-4 to Martinez where the John Muir National Historic Site is located.

Scout and Abby in front of the house John Muir lived in Martinez, California. Notice construction work going on (April 9, 2014).

It was 70 degrees Fahrenheit outside. Nothing unusual about that; it's almost always 70 degrees around here. What was unusual, the National Park Service ranger said dogs on leash are allowed on the grounds. Dogs are not allowed in the buildings, though. That was okay by me; I'll go back there some time and have a look at the "scribble den" and other interior spaces John Muir (April 21, 1838 – December 24, 1914) writes about. Today, the dogs and I just wanted to romp around the fields were Muir once walked.

John Muir's house and orchards, Martinez, California (circa 1910--photo courtesy National Park Service).

The 14-room Italianate-Victorian style house built in 1882 is mostly constructed of redwood. It originally belonged to Dr. John T. Strentzel, father-in-law of John Muir. After Strentzel's death in 1890, Muir and his wife Louisa, and their daughters Wanda and Helen lived there. When Muir wasn't managing the orchards and horticultural business, he was writing, sketching, or walking in the wild--that's the John Muir persona readers, hikers, walkers, and lovers of nature everywhere know and admire most.

Miner's lettuce (Calytonia perfoliata) at the site (April 9, 2014). Round bracts with small white flowers in the center are unmistakeable. The true leaves are thin and triangular, and, in mature plants, hide out in the basal rosette at the bottom of the C. perfoliata.

It had rained recently, so grasses on the grounds and surrounding hills were lush and green. A few golden poppies here and there among mowed native grasses mixed with dandelion, miner's lettuce, and thistle. In the orchards grew pear, quince, pomegranate, olive, and an assortment of other fruit trees. In the vineyard, tidy rows and columns of grapevines. Two tall palms bracketed the front of the house. Clusters of palm, redwood (Sequoia sempervirens), spruce, and cypress added to the biotic display.

John Muir's 116-year-old giant sequoia near the out building on the site is infected with the fungus Botryosphaeria dothidea. Photo taken April 9, 2014.

According to one of Muir's journals [citation needed], in about 1898, he took a trip to the Sierra Nevada and brought back a giant sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum) sapling, which he planted near an out building, down by the wind mill. Today it is about 116 years old and 70 feet tall and is considered the most monumental botanical specimen at the site. As evident in the photo above, the tree is infected with the fungus Botryosphaeria dothidea, a vascular disease that causes branches to die. Arborists have been carefully monitoring and treating the symptoms for decades. Good news is this giant sequoia with such an significant connection to John Muir has been successfully propagated from cuttings by Archangel Ancient Tree Archive.

John Muir with his dog in Martinez, California (circa 1900--photo courtesy National Park Service).

It was really something to stroll around with my dogs on sacred ground where Muir once lived. Touching the giant sequoia and knowing Muir planted it was amazing! Even though the traffic noise, construction work, and views of high-voltage towers, Valero gas station, and Chase bank were a bit of a distraction, there was a definite sense of Muir's presence. Seeing a marvelous piece of architecture preserved for future generations to enjoy is a good feeling. The John Muir National Historic Site is a treasure to the community of Martinez, to the world at large, and to all who visit.

John Muir's 14-room Italianate-Victorian style house in Martinez, California. View from maintenance access gate (April 9, 2014).

Scout and Abby near wind mill at the site (April 9, 2014).

Bronze statue of John Muir with Abby and Scout (April 9, 2014). John Muir Memorial Park, Alhambra Valley Road and Alhambra Avenue, Martinez, California.

Stickeen

Stickeen is a short memoir by American naturalist John Muir (April 21, 1838 – December 24, 1914). It describes (in heart-pounding-nail-biting-edge-of-your-seat detail) a hike he took across a glacier in Alaska with a little black dog named Stickeen. It is a prime example of the profundity of the human/dog bond.

The adventure takes place in 1880, but Muir didn't write the memoir until 1897. And it was revised many times for decades after that. Muir once stated "in all my wild walks, seldom have I had a more definite or useful message to bring back."

I live less than 30 miles from the John Muir National Historic Site, Martinez, Calif. The 14-room Italianate Victorian mansion he lived in from 1890 until his death in 1914 is still there, but much of the open space Muir and his family enjoyed has been developed. Now Muir's home projects its original splendor on a small plot of land at the intersection of a major state highway and a busy city street.

I'm aware of Muir's significant contribution to the creation of the Sierra Club and to the establishment of the national park system here in the United States. I know he wrote a lot of books about hiking and wilderness adventuring. While I've read plenty of famous quotes from John Muir, Stickeen is the first work of his I've ever read. From a reader's perspective, his words transported me into the world of glacier hiking, vicariously from the safety and comfort of my armchair. Now I want to read all his books. I think his experiences will inspire me to develop a boldness of character when I venture out on wild walks with my two dogs.

Here's a link where you can read Stickeen online and explore a list of various versions: Stickeen: John Muir's adventure with a dog on a glacier

Why we will hike alone

This morning, my Parson Russell Terriers Scout and Abby and I were excited about meeting new friends for an arranged hike at Anthony Chabot Regional Park, Proctor Staging Area in Castro Valley, California, with the meetup.com group Hikers and Hounds.

Regrettably, my pups and I wound up hiking alone. Yet the result was I discovered confidence and courage I never knew I had.

The hike started off badly. During introductions, Scout growled, snapped, and lunged at the other dogs. After about 10 minutes, Scout settled down and played nice, but it was too late. The vibe turned seriously sour. I didn't have much to say at this point, though the others kept a constant banter going among themselves. Then, to add to the tension, my hiking pace was about 2 miles per hour while the other hikers' pace was about 3 miles per hour (even their 12-year-old mini-dachshund Greta was faster than me). The hikers and hounds jetted up Brandon Trail at a break-neck pace without us, putting a good mile or so between us in a matter of minutes.

At first I felt abandoned and rejected. Then it occurred to me that a wilderness hike is enhanced when you slow down and when you stop on occasion to watch vultures soar, ants crawl, and lizards slither. Now touch the wheat-like foxtails, sit with ancient coastal oaks, hear a crunch and see a puff of dust at each foot step, and contemplate how nature effortlessly choreographs this eternal dance. Even when witnessing a red-tail hawk snatch a sparrow from the sky, there is a majesty to wilderness hiking that, when given sufficient time, enters into the soul and delights and elevates it, and fills it with kind regard.

The hike on Brandon Trail today was disappointing on some levels--no new friendships were formed and Scout's outburst embarrassed me. But, it built my confidence and courage to hike alone with my dogs and to embrace nature on my own terms, at a leisurely pace, without the distraction of forced conversation and awkward situations.

That's why we will hike alone.

Abby and "bad boy" Scout on the no-name trail overlooking Lake Chabot,
Anthony Chabot Regional Park.

::

Geocaching at San Leandro Marina

Scout and Abby, the Jack Russell Terriers, enjoy walking anywhere, anytime. Here they are at San Leandro Marina, Calif.

Bye, bye, Casey

Had to put Casey the Westie to sleep. The Vet and I agreed Casey was just too sick (diabetic, blind, deaf, not eating, miserable) to continue another day. She was a great dog. I miss her so much. My heart fills with grief whenever I think of her.

Rest in peace, my precious friend.


Casey -- January 30, 2001 ~ June 28, 2013

Scout 2009

Scout 2009
Originally uploaded by Fiddler2B

Folks agree that Scout is a cracker Jack!

Geocaching sounds like fun

The terriers three (Casey the Westie, Scout and Abby the JRTs) and I think it would be fun to explore the concept of geocaching.

See geocaching.com

I'll keep you posted.

Miniature Dalmatian?

Scout (the Jack) is developing tan spots all over. At first glace, the spots appear to be ticking showing through his coat, but with closer inspection, you can see the coat has color pigmentation. He looks like a miniature Dalmatian.

Speaking of miniature, today, I threw a tennis ball at least a thousand times for Scout to fetch. He likes the little miniature size tennis balls--won't even look at a standard size. The game lasted for about three hours. I didn't get much exercise though. I was sitting, reading, and tossing the tennis ball between page-flips.

I'll have put an pedometer on him to find out how many miles he runs when playing fetch.

Snip, snip

Scout, the mighty Jack Russell Terrier, got his balls snipped today.

I worried about him all day.

However, Scout's got too many doggy girl friends to remain intact. His little nuggets had to go.

Trust me on this (else do your own research), there are already way more puppies available than there are good homes for them. While Scout is as cute, smart, and healthy as can be, in today's reality, I don't want him reproducing. So, at some calculated risk, he's been neutered.

The little guy is recovering nicely. He gobbled up his dinner and then curled up under his blanket to sleep. It's weird that he's not jumping all over me, begging for a game of fetch. I want his old self back!

::

Budding buddies

Finally, Casey (the Westie) let Scout (the Jack) lay his head on her to sleep.

Their relationship has always been amiable. They liked each other from day one, but until now, Casey wouldn't let Scout lay next to her. This as a positive step forward in their relationship. And it was so cute!

Terriers: The poor person's Thoroughbred

Terriers are the poor person's Thoroughbred.

Have you ever seen a Thoroughbred run free in an open pasture? It's one of life's most magnificent sights.

However, keeping a Thoroughbred requires acres of land and globs of financial resources, both of which are beyond the average person's means. You could, of course, visit a ranch that raises Thoroughbreds. If you're lucky the owners might grant you the privilege of watching their horses run about.


Five-day-old Thoroughbred running. See original photo here.



Mature Terrier running with a ball. See original photo here.


On the other hand, have you ever seen a terrier run free in an open field? It's another of life's magnificent sights. And it's a spectacle even a person of average means can experience.

Not that keeping a Terrier is cheap, but keeping a Terrier is a lot less expensive than keeping a Thoroughbred--and yet Terriers are just as thrilling to watch run.

Terriers are the poor person's Thoroughbred.

Squeeky clean

Now that Scout is house trained, I'm more comfortable with him. House training is a human expectation not necessarily shared by canines. A clean house matters to me, but, without training, my dogs wouldn't care where they peed and pooped.

That's not true of pot-belly pigs.

As a volunteer at the Oakland Zoo, I fed the pot-belly pigs, fluffed their blankets and pillows, and swept the dust out of their indoor living quarters. Those pigs never messed indoors, not once in the three years that I observed them. And furthermore, pigs don't need house training--sanitation comes natural to them. In fact, pigs purposely establish designated areas outdoors to do their business, well away from their shelter, bed, and food.

Given an appropriate living space, contrary to the popular saying, "Dirty as a pig sty," pigs are the cleanest mammals on the face of the earth.

One hundred percent

Scout is finally 100% house trained. He's five-months seven-days old. Don't know why it took so long.

What a relief though! Up until this, raising Scout was a full-time job. I had to constantly keep my eye on him. "Aught, aught, aught!" "Bad, bad, boy!" was about the only thing I had to say to the little squirt all these months. Now, finally, we are getting to know each other, having meaningful conversations, such as "How are you today?" to which Scout smiles. Speaking the words "Want to go car bye-bye?" sends Scout running to the garage in anticipation of a road trip.

Oh, but he doesn't run exactly. He bounds, soars, hurdles, leaps. His tiny, pink-padded paws rarely touch the ground.

And it's curious the way he holds his left ear upright instead of flopped over in the standard Jack Russell Terrier style. I've been told that when JRTs are teething, their ears sometimes stick straight up. But my theory is Scout's trying to imitate Casey the Westie's ears.

At night, when the inside lights are on and it's dark outside, Scout is fascinated with his reflection in the sliding-glass doors. He sniffs it, pounces at it, and raises his rear end in an attempt to get the reflection to react and come in and play.

I wonder if he's aware that he's looking at himself?

What is science?

Science is the process that takes us from confusion to understanding in a manner that’s precise, predictive, and reliable. –Brian Greene

My Dad, a furniture upholsterer, sparked my interest in science. I remember one time when I was a little kid visiting his shop, he sketched a big circle on a piece of fabric using chalk and a yardstick as a compass. Then he showed me how to calculate the area of a circle, he said “The area of a circle equals pi times the radius squared.” I was amazed, and remained interested in science--especially mathematics-- ever since.

Now, while I'm not a professional scientist paid for doing research, I am an amateur astronomer and math enthusiast (with a bachelor of science degree in math). At work, I'm part of a group assigned to communicate my company's activities for the Year of Science 2009.

All this got me thinking that I've never really answered the question, "What is science?"

Of course, you may be wondering what this has to do with the theme of this blog. In future posts, I intend to explore the profundity of the human/dog bond using scientific methods, so it'll be good to define science and describe what scientists do.

Scientists (professional or amateur) formulate problems, collect information from observations and experiments, draw conclusions based on analytical principles, and document their findings and methods used. The documents are important resources used by others to validate or debunk the findings, and advance peoples’ knowledge and understanding of the subject studied.

There are many skills required to perform the work of science, including:

• Observing


• Classifying


• Measuring


• Using numbers


• Communicating


• Inferring


• Predicting


• Collecting, recording, and interpreting data


• Identifying and controlling variables


• Documenting what is done and what is observed


• Developing hypotheses


• Experimenting


• Making and using models--physical, mental, mathematical, and computer

These skills are used in science to expand our understanding of the universe.

The U.S. Department of Energy considers the following as being among the greatest questions of physics: What is dark matter? What is dark energy? Are there additional dimensions? How did the universe begin?

These skills are also used to find answers to questions about pressing human needs.

Can we extend the human life span? How can we increase food production? Is the earth's ecosystem self-correcting? Can we develop synthetic replacements for the body's organs? Can we direct evolution? What causes the human/dog bond?

In the future, advances in materials science will help engineers and architects build structures that can better withstand earthquakes, storms, tsunami, terrorist attacks. Innovative techniques in DNA testing and manipulation will enable dog breeders to design breeding programs that identify and control aggressive tendencies in dogs.

That's a little bit of what constitutes science.

Brian Greene said it best:

Science is the greatest of all adventure stories, one that's been unfolding for thousands of years.

Visiting Abby

In this video click, Casey (7 years old) and Scout (4 months)
are introduced to their new little pal Abby (8 weeks).
Shot in Castro Valley, California. To download a high-
resolution copy, click here. (0:00:56)

My dogs Casey and Scout were introduced to my parent's puppy Abby at my parent's house tonight.

Ever since I got Scout, Mom wanted a puppy too. She's always had terriers, as you can see under Generations of terriers past. Now she's got Abby, an 8-week-old Jack Russell Terrier. Yep, that's right, she got a baby to care for while Dad's at work.

Mom is enjoying raising the puppy. She loves the cuddly puppy stage. At her age, though, you'd think what she'd like best is a grown-up Abby--a sturdy gardening buddy and weed puller, ball fetcher, silent listener, and all around faithful companion.

Dad's being a really good sport about the whole thing. He mended the fence in the backyard so Abby is safe, assembled a crate for her, and attached a gate to the kitchen doorway so Abby can play in the kitchen where they hang out the most, and where the flooring is puppy-proof linoleum. When I asked, "Dad, how do you like Abby?" He nonchalantly looked up from his newspaper and said, "She's okay." And then, when he thought no one was looking, he smiled, pat her on the head, and slipped her a piece of cheese.

As for me, I'm hoping raising Abby gives Mom some delightful experiences to share with the family. Mom never has been very good at having fun.

After their first visit with Abby, Scout and Casey didn't want to go home. They liked playing with Abby. That's good because it'll be up to Casey, Scout, and me to make sure the little gal gets plenty of exercise to grow strong.


Abby (born April 7, 2008. Photo taken July 13, 2008.)

Generations of terriers past

My mom Louise at age 4, pushing Pal (the first) in a baby buggy in 1930, Oakland, Caifornia.


My grandma Dena Elsie holding Pal II in 1942, Oakland, California.


My mom Louise holding Pal II in 1942, Oakland, California.



Gigi in 1960, Castro Valley, California.


Duncan in 2007, Castro Valley, California.

Better than staying home

Anna wearing a muzzle so she can ride a tram in Italy. In Italy, dogs must wear a muzzle to ride on trams, trains, and other public transportation. While being a nuisance, it's better than leaving your dog at home.


Like so many other dog owners in the good ole U.S.A., I think my little West Highland White Terrier and Jack Russell Terrier are the most free, most lucky, most liberated puppies on the face of the earth. But, that's simply not true. Anna, a Greyhound in Europe, is really the liberated one.

Have a look at Anna's adventure photo blog, and you'll see she's been everywhere, is loved by many, and has experienced so much!

Anna goes on trams and trains in Italy, as long as she wears a muzzle. Can your pup go on a tram up the Colorado mountains? No! Can your pup ride the train from Emeryville, California, to Reno, Nevada, and beyond? No! They're not allowed on government-owned AmTrak--not even with a muzzle. I'd be happy to muzzle my dogs so they could travel with me on the train. Of course, if the dogs wear muzzles, they won't be able to carry on their own luggage.


Two dogs with their luggage at train station.
For poster, see posters.com.

The Farm-fox Experiment

It is a well established fact that domestic dogs (Canis familiaris) are capable of forming strong social bonds with humans (Homo sapien). When raised as pets, dogs are friendly, devoted, affectionate, eager to please, and voluntarily seek out human contact. These traits are missing in wild canine species.

In the late 1950s, Russian geneticist Dmitry Belyaeve began the Farm-fox Experiment to show that the silver fox (Vulpes vulpes) could be selectively bred to produce people-friendly offspring. The decades-long study revealed some interesting results.

Foxes for the breeding program were selected for their calm behavior, so it is no surprise to learn that trait was passed to offspring. The most unexpected change was the change in coat coloration that appeared in the eighth to tenth selected generations. A few pups had large areas of white on the head, chest, and tail--profoundly different from their wild relatives. The researchers also observed changes in reproductive cycle, skull size, and ear carriage (some pups had floppy ears).

Learn more:
Wikipedia
Cornell University
Video clip from Nova TV broadcast about dogs (04:22)
Video clip about tame foxes (01:55)


A tame fox with tennis ball demonstrating dog-like behavior and showing dog-like coat characteristics. Photograph courtesy of Anna Kukekova.