The Road To Llano

Our home in New Mexico is located in a fertile valley which used to be a swamp area 100 years ago. Thanks to over forestation and global warming, we are able to live in what I believe is one of the most spectacular places on earth. I wrote this poem when I was snow shoeing up the hillside in March. The Taos Horsefly, a left wing local rag, was planning to publish it in the June issue. Then they decided to discontinue the poetry section due to "the paper shrinking".

Road to Llano

Foraging the coyote trail to Llano
my boots sink into deep snow, thigh-deep.
Winter skies pale against translucent snow.

The pine leaves drop tiny blessings
like wishes or holy water,
they transform into dew as I hike.

An icy paw print
then bloody rib cage
leads to the half eaten beast.

I gasp
a hoof, then a gnarled furry leg
a horse’s head is frozen in ice.

Who could do this
Who could do this
Who could do this

My body is still with sadness
softness of quiet snow buffers my heartbeat
there is no witness to this outrage.

I will bridle you with golden rope
we will fly like winged conquistadors
above frozen hayfields

And when we glide far beyond
trout rivers and raspberry banks
we will sing

the broken song of the crow.
Wildly galloping through air
our bodies will become whole again.

Christine Wagner

Christine Wagner lives part time in Llano Largo near Penasco. She dreams of life there year round with an array of farm animals and fruit trees.

Bicycle Crash

OK, so I did it. It's that sort of thing that every triathlete or cyclist fears might happen one day. Most of us have had an accident or two, or three, but I pride myself on being careful Of course REALLY careful would be not to ride at all, but I mean watchful, vigilant and smart about riding in the city. So I was doing intervals on Spicewood Springs Road. 3 mins on, 3 mins recovery. This sort of entails looking at the Garmin like kid glued to the ipod. At least I wasn't hooked up to my ipod! So I have finished about 5 of these drills and I'm headed home. This means I have to cross 360, a notoriously busy highway with wide shoulders. Cyclists ride out there all of the time, despite cars whizzing by at 60+ . So I thought I'd just add a couple more reps and turned up 360 going south. There's are beautiful Korean or Chinese Temple there on the right hand side of the road with a strikingly large eye catching golden Buddha. I was admiring the Buddha when I looked up and saw to my shock, a car about 10 feet directly in front of me. There wasn't time to do much of anything except try to slow down and brace for the impact. Yikes! Slam! Fortunately or unfortunately, my rather large Bucky Beaver front teeth took a lot of the impact. Wham, my hands jammed into the back of the car knocking me over on the pavement. I was a bit stunned. My right foot was still locked into my pedal. Man. Who parks on 360? I thought I might be ready to get chewed out, but no one came out of the car. It was apparently stalled and abandoned. I stood up gingerly. Everything hurt, but I was in one piece. managed to get myself back on the bike and slowly glided on the shoulder back towards home. I felt my lip was cut and my right front tooth was pushed down about 4m lower than the others. IT was numb. Then I noticed my little finger was swelling bigger than my glove. It was starting to throb. I managed to get home and this is what I saw in the mirror. Humm, and nobody even stopped to help. Wow.
What a bad week to quit heroin!

So what CAN they eat?

Ike REALLY likes walnuts and we use them as a reward food.

Yahoo! Answers - My dog likes eating walnuts. Is this safe?

Grapes and Raisins: Grapes and raisins can cause kidney failure in dogs. As little as a single serving of raisins can kill a dog.

Onions: Onions destroy red blood cells and can cause anemia.

Chocolate: Chocolate can cause seizures, coma and death. Baker’s chocolate is the most dangerous. A dog can consume milk chocolate and appear to be fine because it is not as concentrated, but it is still dangerous.

Coffee, Coffee grounds, tea and tea bags: Drinks/foods containing caffeine cause many of the same symptoms chocolate causes.

Macadamia Nuts: Macadamia nuts can cause weakness, muscle tremor and paralysis.

Animal fat and fried foods: Excessive fat can cause pancreatitis.

Bones: Bones can splinter and damage a dog’s internal organs.

Tomatoes: Tomatoes can cause tremors and heart arrhythmias. Tomatoe plants and the most toxic, but tomatoes themselves are also unsafe.

Avocados: The fruit, pit and plant are all toxic. They can cause difficulty breathing and fluid accumulation in the chest, abdomen and heart.

Nutmeg: Nutmeg can cause tremors, seizures and death.

Apples, Cherries, Peaches and similar fruit: The seeds of these fruits contain cyanide, which is poisonous to dogs as well as humans. Unlike humans, dogs do not know to stop eating at the core/pit and easily ingest them.

Raw eggs: Raw eggs can cause salmonella poisoning in dogs. Dogs have a shorter digestive tract than humans and are not as likely to suffer from food poisoning, but it is still possible.

Salt: Excessive salt intake can cause kidney problems.

Food that most dogs can eat:

Some “human” foods are good for dogs. Most of these are healthier than the boxed treats you buy in the grocery store. This is just a small list of examples of foods dogs can eat, not a list of every food they should eat. Dogs won’t necessarily get all the nutrients they need if they eat these foods exclusively, so check with your veterinarian if you are interested in feeding your dog a home cooked diet.
Any food that causes stomach upsets or digestive problems in your dogs should be avoided. Like people, some dogs cannot tolerate certain foods

Meats:
Meats should be boneless and it’s best if the skin is removed. I don’t consider raw meat a good idea because of the small risk of food poisoning and parasites.
Skinless, boneless chicken breast
Skinless, boneless turkey breast
Boneless fish

Vegetables:
Dogs have shorter digestive tracts than humans and cannot digest most vegeta- bles whole or in large chunks. It’s best to put them through a food processor be- fore giving them to your dog
Carrots
Green Beans
Lettuce
Potatoes
Yams

Grains:
Grains should not be given in large amounts or make up a large part of a dog’s diet, but these foods are generally safe in small amounts
Rice
Bread

Dairy products:
Use caution with dairy products as they are high in fat and can cause pancreati- tis, gas and diarrhea. Usually,
nonfat plain yogurt is safe in small amounts





Other potential dangers
Pear pips, the kernels of plums, peaches and apricots, apple core pips (contain
cyanogenic glycosides resulting in cyanide posioning)

Potato peelings and green looking potatoes

Rhubarb leaves

Mouldy/spoiled foods

Alcohol

Yeast dough

Coffee grounds, beans & tea (caffeine)

Hops (used in home brewing)

Tomato leaves & stems (green parts)

Broccoli (in large amounts)

Raisins and grapes

Cigarettes, tobacco, cigars

Nuts