What I'll be pondering this Labor Day weekend ...

How do the Blue Angels do that?

Why do chickens have to fly at the Great Geauga County Fair?

Why do adult felines have 30 teeth and I have only three?

Where has Mischief, the neighbor cat, been the last week?

Wasn't the Tribe in first place at one point this season?

Why do I care about any of this when I could be napping?

Later, P.

Just had to share this super cute video.




-- Cheryl Sadler | CSadler@News-Herald.com | @nhcheryl

I'm taking the week off.

I had two teeth yanked from my mouth Friday morning and I'm in no mood to ponder.

Thank God for painkillers.

Later, P

Caroline’s Kid Cat Sanctuary, home to 270 cats in Concord Township, is in urgent need of everyday cleaning supplies.

Those include bleach, laundry detergent, dishwashing liquid, paper towels and 33-gallon trash can liners.

The food cupboard is in need of dry and canned food, especially canned food and Temptations Treats (not dental).

Scoopable-only litter also is on the wish list.

Donations can be dropped off from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily at the sanctuary, 7394 Morley Road, at the corner of Morley and Hoose roads.

The sanctuary also is offering reiki appointments for cats.

For details, call Denise at 440-487-8511.

For more information on the sanctuary, call Judie at 440-449-3496.

-- Robin Palmer
rpalmer@news-herald.com

I just don't get you humans, at least the destructive ones.

Someone ripped the top of our mailbox right from its bolts the other day.

Sure, they were  kind enough to leave it several houses away, tossed on a driveway.

Really, what can you possibly get from such a misdeed?

Talk about stupid human tricks.

I don't even use that mailbox or let alone get mail and I'm still ticked off.

You humans are always quick to note when a deer has eaten your flowers or a cat has peed in your yard, or a dog is barking too loud.

Maybe it's time to take a good look in the mirror, humans, and see who really is acting like an animal!

Later, P.

Geauga Humane Society's Rescue Village has introduced a new program to help end pet overpopulation.

The "Spay Your Mama" program is geared toward individuals with a pregnant female dog or a female dog with her new puppies.

Involvement in the program consists of agreeing to surrender 8-week-old puppies to Rescue Village, where they will be fixed, vaccinated and put up for adoption. The "mama" will then be spayed at no cost to the participant through Petfix.

To participate, call Erin Hawes at 440-338-4819, ext. 14, or email programs@geaugahumane.org.
Participation in program will be based upon Petfix qualifications. To learn more, visit www.petfixnortheastohio.org/qualifies.htm.

A lot of people keep asking me, "Picasso, are you going to ponder about the Olympics?"

Sorry, I haven't tuned into London, but I did run around the house with a world-record cat crazies time of 4.3 seconds.

GOLD!

Later, P.

The Lake Humane Society's 18th annual Mutt Strut is from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturday at Mentor Municipal Center, 8500 Civic Center Blvd. The event brings together community members and their dogs to raise money "to help the injured, abused and abandoned animals at LHS."

Following is information from Lake Humane Society's Mutt Strut page:

Mutt Strut is our annual pledge walk we host each summer. Our proud supporters bring their dogs along for a very eventful day with an itinerary full of fun activities. Some of these activities include: the one-mile walk, canine games and contests, prize raffles, an agility course and rally training course provided by our friends at PetWorks, a Chinese Auction, food available for purchase from MotorMouth Food Truck, shopping at the Mutt Mall which includes a bunch of stores and so much more!
Attendees who raise $20 or more in pledges will have the admission fee ($15 for adults and $10 for children) waived! Walkers who raise the most pledges win prize packages and are recognized in our newsletter, website and Facebook page!
Help make a difference in the lives of the animals at Lake Humane Society. It's so simple, yet means so much! Create a fundraising page of your own on FirstGiving and raise pledges by sharing your page with your friends, family and co-workers. To create your page, click here, then click the green "Fundraise" button.  You can personalize your page and make it your own! To collect donations, share your page via e-mail, Facebook, Twitter, etc. Please help us reach our goal. We cannot do it without you! For step-by-step instructions on how to create your fundraising page, please click here. If you prefer raising money the old-fashioned way that works, too! Just print out a pledge form and ask everyone you know for pledges!
If you're interested in being a vendor in the Mutt Mall, please submit a Vendor Contract.
If you're interested in sponsoring Mutt Strut, please submit a Sponsor Contract.
Help spread the word, print out a flyer!

-- Cheryl Sadler | CSadler@News-Herald.com | @nhcheryl

I think I need to get back to my Native American roots this weekend with a stop at Riverfest in Eastlake.

Led by Ron Ironhorse, the four-day event kicked off Thursday at the corner of Lake Shore Boulevard and Erie Road with a “no-rain dance."

Ironhorse is of full-blooded Comanche heritage.

I, on the other hand, am known as Wise Owl by my Indian friends.

My sister cat, 'Lil Girl, who was born with a deformity, is known as Wounded Paw.

Our elder sister cat, who passed in 2009, was known as Gentle Cub.

We take this seriously in our household.

See you by the totem pole.

Later, P.

Earlier this week I learned about an animal cause dear to the heart of one of my fellow Twitterers, Jamie Lynn Natole. She told me she found out the wildlife rescue and rehabilitation center Back To The Wild is nearing closing because of a lack of funding, so she created a page on indiegogo to help.

"Many residents in the surrounding areas depends on Back To The Wild for a variety of reasons and it would be a complete shame if she were to have to close doors and re-home all her animals," Natole wrote in an email.

Information from Natole's indiegogo fundraising page:

WHO ARE THEY?
BACK TO THE WILD® is a Wildlife Rehabilitation & Nature Education Center located in Castalia, Ohio that is currently receiving over 2,500 injured, orphaned and displaced wild animals each year. Every effort is made to return an animal "back to the wild," however, if the animal is permanently disabled and not releasable, it may be kept for use in educational programs under special Federal and State permits. However, there are no tax moneys or government funds available to assist the center, so our costs and the success of the center are possible thanks to many volunteers, gifts, and donations.

Since 1990, Back to the Wild has rescued more than 40,000 animals, returned more than 26,000 to the wild and have admitted more than 50 bald eagles. The center has educated more than 1 million children and adults since opening its doors 22 years ago.

WHY IS AN ORGANIZATION LIKE BACK TO THE WILD® NEEDED?
Wildlife rehabilitation is a much-needed service in our community, as there are very few licensed centers throughout Ohio. Calls are received daily from frustrated citizens who are relieved to finally find someone who can help in a wildlife crisis. Before reaching this center, they have first contacted local police and fire departments, veterinarians, wildlife agencies, and park districts; only to find that none of these places are equipped to care for an injured wild animal.

WHAT HAPPENS IF THEY DON'T GET FUNDING?
If Back To The Wild® doesn't receive funding they will be forced to shut down operations. This means not being able to care for any more animals or educate us and our children about these great creatures. This is not an option. Animals need our help more than ever. They don't know how to avoid cars, or what to do if they get hurt. Do you know what to do or who to call when they get hurt? Or when they move into our homes when they can't find their own? That's why we need an organization like Back To The Wild® to help educate, and assist us with our local wildlife.

WHERE WILL THE MONEY GO?
All money donated from this campaign will go directly to help Back To The Wild® and they will use the funds at their discretion.

OTHER WAYS YOU CAN HELP:
There are other ways you can help! Volunteer!
You can also donate straight from their website via Paypal!
Other items that can be donated:

• Birdseed
• Grain (for ducks and geese - no corn, please)
• Dog & Cat food (dry only)
• Formula (non-human)
• Pine Bedding (no cedar - cedar is toxic to some animals)
• Paper Towels (Bounty is preferred)
• Bales of straw
• Cleaning Supplies (Clorox, Rubber gloves, Brushes)
• Zip-lock bags (quart & gallon)
• Trash bags (39 gallon)
• Dawn dish soap
• Medical supplies
• Hemp Rope (for wrapping perches)
• Hardware
• Incubators
• Picnic tables

Full wishlist can be found here.
_____________________________________________________________________
Personal Note:
I remember them have a HUGE impact on us as grade school kids bringing in all they had to educate and teach us to respect and care for animals, nature, and their natural habitats.

I think raising a few hundred dollars is the least I can do to help out this very imporant program in our community.

Please read the news article which inspired me to even start this campaign. Please share with everyone in your community. http://www.sanduskyregister.com/features/back-wild-faces-desperate-times

Natole's campaign ends on Aug. 11, and she's only raised 15 percent of her goal. If you have the means to donate and are looking for a cause to support, check out Natole's fundraising page and consider clicking the pink contribute button. 

-- Cheryl Sadler | CSadler@News-Herald.com | @nhcheryl