I don't know how true this is, but its the funniest story I've read in a long time, had to share the laugh with all you animal lovers!
I had this idea that I was going to rope a deer, put it in a stall, feed it up on corn for a couple of weeks, then kill it and eat it. The first step in this adventure was getting a deer. I figured that, since they congregate at my cattle feeder and do not seem to have much fear of me when we are there (a bold one will sometimes come right up and sniff at the bags of feed while I am in the back of the truck not 4 feet away), it should not be difficult to rope one, get up to it and toss a bag over its head (to calm it down) then hog tie it and transport it home.
I filled the cattle feeder then hid down at the end with my rope. The cattle, having seen the roping thing before, stayed well back. They were not having any of it. After about 20 minutes, my deer showed up - 3 of them. I picked out a likely looking one, stepped out from the end of the feeder, and threw my rope. The deer just stood there and stared at me. I wrapped the rope around my waist and twisted the end so I would have a good hold. The deer still just stood and stared at me, but you could tell it was mildly concerned about the whole rope situation.
I took a step towards it, it took a step away. I put a little tension on the rope and then received an education. The first thing that I learned is that, while a deer may just stand there looking at you funny while you rope it, they are spurred to action when you start pulling on that rope.That deer EXPLODED.
The second thing I learned is that pound for pound, a deer is a LOT stronger than a cow or a colt. A cow or a colt in that weight range I could fight down with a rope and with some dignity. A deer - no chance.
That thing ran and bucked and twisted and pulled. There was no controlling it and certainly no getting close to it. As it jerked me off my feet and started dragging me across the ground, it occurred to me that having a deer on a rope was not nearly as good an idea as I had originally imagined.
The only upside is that they do not have as much stamina as many other animals. A brief 10 minutes later, it was tired and not nearly as quick to jerk me off my feet and drag me when I managed to get up. It took me a few minutes to realize this, since I was mostly blinded by the blood flowing out of the big gash in my head. At that point, I had lost my taste for corn-fed venison. I just wanted to get that devil creature off the end of that rope.
I figured if I just let it go with the rope hanging around its neck, it would likely die slow and painfully somewhere. At the time, there was no love at all between me and that deer. At that moment, I hated the thing, and I would venture a guess that the feeling was mutual.
Despite the gash in my head and the several large knots where I had cleverly arrested the deer's momentum by bracing my head against various large rocks as it dragged me across the ground, I could still think clearly enough to recognize that there was a small chance that I shared some tiny amount of responsibility for the situation we were in, so I didn't want the deer to have it suffer a slow death, so I managed to get it lined back up in between my truck and the feeder - a little trap I had set before hand... kind of like a squeeze chute.
I got it to back in there and I started moving up so I could get my rope back. Did you know that deer bite? They do! I never in a million years would have thought that a deer would bite somebody, so I was very surprised when I reached up there to grab that rope and the deer grabbed hold of my wrist.
Now, when a deer bites you, it is not like being bit by a horse where they just bite you and then let go. A deer bites you and shakes its head - almost like a pit bull. They bite HARD and it hurts.
The proper thing to do when a deer bites you is probably to freeze and draw back slowly. I tried screaming and shaking instead. My method was ineffective. It seems like the deer was biting and shaking for several minutes, but it was likely only several seconds. I, being smarter than a deer (though you may be questioning that claim by now) tricked it.
While I kept it busy tearing the bejesus out of my right arm, I reached up with my left hand and pulled that rope loose. That was when I got my final lesson in deer behaviour for the day. Deer will strike at you with their front feet. They rear right up on their back feet and strike right about head and shoulder level, and their hooves are surprisingly sharp.
I learned a long time ago that, when an animal - like a horse - strikes at you with their hooves and you can't get away easily, the best thing to do is try to make a loud noise and make an aggressive move towards the animal. This will usually cause them to back down a bit so you can escape.
This was not a horse. This was a deer, so obviously, such trickery would not work. In the course of a millisecond, I devised a different strategy. I screamed like a woman and tried to turn and run. The reason I had always been told NOT to try to turn and run from a horse that paws at you is that there is a good chance that it will hit you in the back of the head.
Deer may not be so different from horses after all, besides being twice as strong and 3 times as evil, because the second I turned to run, it hit me right in the back of the head and knocked me down.
Now, when a deer paws at you and knocks you down, it does not immediately leave. I suspect it does not recognize that the danger has passed. What they do instead is paw your back and jump up and down on you while you are laying there crying like a little girl and covering your head. I finally managed to crawl under the truck and the deer went away.
So now I know why, when people go deer hunting they bring a rifle with ascope so that they can be somewhat equal to the Prey.
Being a veterinarian, I had been called to examine a ten-year-old Irish Wolfhound named Belker. The dog's
owners Ron, his wife, Lisa, and their little boy, Shane, were all very attached to Belker, and they were
hoping for a miracle.
I examined Belker and found he was dying of cancer. I told the family we couldn't do anything for Belker,
and offered to perform the euthanasia procedure for the old dog in their home.
As we made arrangements, Ron and Lisa told me they thought it would be good for six-year-old Shane to
observe the procedure.
They felt as though Shane might learn something from the experience.
The next day, I felt the familiar catch in my throat as Belker 's family surrounded him. Shane seemed so
calm, petting the old dog for the last time, that I wondered if he understood what was going on. Within a
few minutes, Belker slipped peacefully away.
The little boy seemed to accept Belker's transition without any difficulty or confusion. We sat together
for a while after Belker's death, wondering aloud about the sad fact that animal lives are shorter than
human lives. Shane, who had been listening quietly, piped up, "I know why."
Startled, we all turned to him. What came out of his mouth next stunned me. I'd never heard a more
comforting explanation.
He said, "People are born so that they can learn how to live a good life -- like loving everybody all the
time and being nice, right?" The six-year-old continued, "Well, dogs already know how to do that, so
they don't have to stay as long."
Live simply.
Love generously.
Care deeply
Speak kindly.
Remember, if a dog was the teacher r you would learn things like:
When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.
Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride.
Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure ecstasy.
Take naps.
Stretch before rising.
Run, romp, and play daily.
Thrive on attention and let people touch you.
Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.
On warm days, stop to lie on your back on the grass.
On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree.
When you're happy, dance around and wag your entire body.
Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.
Eat with gusto and enthusiasm. Stop when you have had enough.
Be loyal. Never pretend to be something you're not.
If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it.
When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by and nuzzle
them gently.
Be always grateful for each new day
Today, I wish you a day of ordinary miracles: May joy dance in your
soul, may love fill your hea rt and may peace reign in your home.
Saturday, December 8, 2007, 11:45 AM CST [General]
Yule is one of the Quarter Sabbats and is a Sun and fire festival. This
is the longest night of the year, known as Solstice Night, Winter
Solstice or The Festival of lights, it is the first official day of
winter and from this day until Mid-Summer or Litha, the days will grow
longer, banishing the darkness and bringing the light that brings
warmth and life to the land and all that dwell there. According to
old folk customs, hanging holly over doorways or windows will ward off
any evil spirits who dared to try and enter, lest they be snagged on
its sharp, prickly leaves. Bonfires were lit in the fields, and crops
and trees were "wassailed" with toasts of spiced cider to bring forth
new growth. The evergreen tree has also been central to this season
since ancient times, considered sacred because it is immortal,
evergreen. The wreath of evergreen symbolizes the ever- turning wheel,
the endless circle, and the unending nature of life. The Winter
Solstice had been associated with the birth of a "Divine King" long
before the rise of Christianity. Many pre- Christian cultures had tales
of Gods and heroes whose births to a Mother Goddess bear striking
similarities to the later story of the birth of Jesus. Pagan
celebrations in this season of the return of the Light were so popular
and pervasive that in later times, this highly popular festival became
Christianized as Christmas, the birth of the Son. Unless the
gospels are wrong, it is highly unlikely that Jesus actually was born
in December, for one thing, shepherds and their flocks would not have
been out in the fields at midwinter. But no matter, the symbolism of
Winter Solstice is so completely fitting, that the December 25
"birthday" prevailed. Whether one celebrates the birth of the Son
of Mary, or the birth of the newborn Sun to the Mother Goddess, or the
return of new Light in any other tradition, the core meaning is much
the same, harmony is held between everyone, and all are focused on
celebration, family, feasting, honoring the Ancestors, making holy
oaths, and peace. Yule can be a very special celebration shared
with family and friends of varied spiritual paths. With the passing
away of the longest day of darkness followed by the birth of the Child
of Light come joy, hope and the promise of new life, a new beginning.
For
me, I focus on the rebirth of the Sun God, with him comes the promise
of rebirth here on earth, not only in the land, but also within myself.
I remember to rejoice in the discovery of light and new beginnings as I
start my new goals on this first spoke of the wheel!
(this Lore is a mix of Yule Lores I had found on the net for a ritual I wrote, too many to remember for the list of credits)
The Star is one of the great cards of faith, dreams realised
The Star is a card that looks to the future. It does not predict any immediate or powerful change, but it does predict hope and healing. This card suggests clarity of vision, spiritual insight. And, most importantly, that unexpected help will be coming, with water to quench your thirst, with a guiding light to the future. They might say you're a dreamer, but you're not the only one.
