HAPPY HALLOWEEN...BOOOOOO

TOmorrow is the big day....a big pagan holiday, but not only for pagans - kids, too...and some childish adults.

These are some rules for trick or treating that mush be adhered to if you want me to be your friend on Sunday morning...

1) Only trick or treater's under 10 years of age are allowable.
2) Just a mask is not a costume...show some effort, and don't hide your face...
3) Do not toilet paper my yard...it is a great waste - unless you are my mom, who recovers the toilet paper and USES IT!! That is the truth....
4) Do not eat candy without letting your parents inspect it (but don't let them pick out their favorites)...
5) Do not dress up as a food item. I detest these costumes...dress scary, or scarier than regular days.
6) Always carry a flashlight and walk with your parents or another responsible adult that your parents approve of...
7) Eggs are breakfast food, not Halloween tricks.
8) Ignore the Purple Man
9) Stay out of graveyards
10) Save some candy for me!

Halloween is supposed to be a scary holiday...I am particularly scared of the night between the hours of 11:30 pm-1:30 am and from 2:45-3:30...outside of those hours I am totally OK. Not sure why, but 3:00 am is just plain freaky.

I continued my tradition of dressing up as a fellow staff member for Halloween today...here's the historical facts of my costume...
2007- I dressed as Becky Ingalls
2008 - I dressed as Terri the Housekeeper - I wore Lime green cutoff "Daisy Dukes", a blood drive t-shirt, and white tennis shoes, and walked around saying things like "HOIDE CAINTY", "CHURL CAINTY", and "BAIT TOIME."
2009 - Today I fashioned myself as Charles Midgette...I cut my flowing beard into a goatee, wore some glasses, combed my hair, tight blue jeans, staff hoodie, and carabiner with 100 keys attached. He will strangle before the day is over.

I never dress up as anything else other than staff members..and it helps that they are are very scary. Lee always dresses up as a pirate, and on Halloween he dresses up as a cowboy....but he may not even know that it is Halloween.

Last night, me, Joe, Stephanie, and Sara went to Trick or Treat Under the Sea at the aquarium at Roanoke Island...We had an awesome time showing the costumed kiddies "fish" for goldfish crackers...the kids enjoyed it as much as we did, I'm sure...

Tomorrow is Community Fun Day...please come out and see us...activities are from 10-3...lunch is served, too.

Enjoy the day!

Advisory Boards Meeting Today

The Big Wigs will be intoday...albeit none of them where a wigm and none of them are big, either. Not sure what;s on the docket, but I am sure we will discuss Community Fun Day, our new recreation hall, maybe a bit about summer camp, and probably Dock of the Bay.

Yes, this means I wore a shirt with a collar and buttons.

Yesterday, after work, I spent some time in the deer stand (actually sitting in a shallow ditch in the middle of a beanfield). Deer were ready to move yesterday, especially since the rain and wind ceased for a bit. I saw 8 deer, most of them does and yearlings. Watching deer is a lot of fun...if they don't know you are there - because if they know you are there, they will leave. But if they don't know your watching, well just think of what you do when you think nobody is watching...like scratching.

This morning, the atmosphere was totally steamy and the temperature was a blistering 75 degrees. For the record, that's to durn hot form the last week of October. According to the weathermen and weatherwomen, the winter forescast calls for colder than average in lieu of El Nino, or as I like to call it, El Neeno. I love a cold winter...winter is a season of attrition, but of rebirth. Leaves, mosquitoes, and songbirds dissapear with the natural promise to return, and usually i droves.

According to "Thirtyfoot Terri", the swan migration is finally on...she had 3 swans in her field yesterday. Swans are fun to watch because they are the size of those tiny kit planes that beginner pilots like to build...swans will devastate a wheat field, though...if you google "swan migration" you can find a website that lets you track individual swans on their migration from tundral Alaska all the way to places like Kilkenny, Engelhard, Roper, and Pantego. Swans must love country livin' because those places are certainly in the country, if not past it a little bit.

DO NOT FORGET about Community Fun Day on the 31st...think summer camp mixed with weenie roast, but with parents...it'll be fun!

Enjoy the day...

Certifiable, Community Fun Day

As I mentioned last week, The Eastern 4-H Center hosted the 2009 Fall Shooting Sports Training...of which I and Casper (we're both Nationally certified instructors - along with Lee) successfully graduated out first group of volunteers. We had an incredible time with archery...and it was good to see volunteers wanting certifications from the EASTERN part of North Carolina, so that they can effectively run and manage their clubs.

The weather has been a little poor around here...humidity is through the rough and temperatures are in the annoying range - to warm for a jacket, but too cold for only a short sleeve shirt.

This weekend will be our 3rd annual Community Fun Day! We have loads of activities including Rock Climbing, Archery, Horseshoes, Volleyball, Putt-Putt, and Arts and Crafts...we also have games for the tiny children and the parents - Bingo!

Community Fun Day is a tricky event for me...I have to bring in staff that are trained by me (or Lee)...most of the staff are away to college to get more knowledge. Alas, many love and adore me, so they return to volunteer. They really love meeting the locals...

The weekend will be awesome - we'll also have ice cream, a weenie roast, good weather, and fall foliage, which - by the way - is the best I have ever seen it down here on the coast...Oh yeah - the whole thing won't cost you a dime to attend...but children must be accompanied by an adult...and no pets...

Most of the Center staff will be here, too - so it is a good chance to put a face with a name of the folks I like to blog about.

The Tyrrell County DU Banquet is coming soon, too - it's the weekend after this...there are only two more days to buy tickets, though - and I have some. Tickets are $40 for a single or $55 for a couple. There will be loads of auction items...and you'll probably hear the patrons talking about our Camp Canvasback program. You should only support Ducks Unlimited if you enjoy hearing geese and swans honking in the sky every autumn or enjoy seeing migratory waterfowl like ducks at Lake Mattamuskeet. Ducks Unlimited funds go to purchase conservation lands that protect not only waterfowl, but shorebirds, eagles, and alligators - as well as the wetlands, migration routes, and wintering areas (about 1/2 of the Atlantic Flyway's waterfowl winter in north Carolina) the need to survive.

Enjoy the day...

Marie's Final Days

As I have metntioned on this blog before, program staff are a very unique brand of human. While upright in stature, like other humans, virtually everything else is different.

One of our own will be joining, what some program staff would call, the corporate world. While Marie never set out to be a camp staffer, she turned out to be pretty decent. Not only was she eager to learn about challenge course, she is also good at writing lesson plans, teaching, and even Food Service. Marie has many talents, and she is taking them with her, away from the Eastern 4-H Center, and to Fayetteville, NC to become a teacher. She is all grown up now.

We have enjoyed teasing her about the name of her apartment...it's whispering pine cove valley or peaceful lake creek or something stupid that is conjured up by some real estate developer who believes that you can name a place and then it becomes its name...

If that were the case, the Eastern 4-H Center would be called "Bay Shore Farms" or "Albemarle Pocosin"...and for those who have spent a summer here, it might be called "Valley of the Yellow Fly".

Anyway, Marie is going to be a "Panther" at her new school. The rest of us wish her well as she departs.

Last night Program Joe prepared Pumpkin Chilli (which tasted like regular chilli) and Pumpkin Mousse (for which I would walk a hundred miles to eat again). Good stuff Joey!

This weekend, The Eastern 4-H Center is hosting the 2009 4-H Shooting Sports Workshop...We have a lot of folks signed up and I am sure it will be fun!

Enjoy the day...

Food Service Lifestyle

Lately, I, along with Charles and Lee, have spent extended time in the kitchen, in the absence of a Food Service Supervisor. Charles supervises the Elderly Nutrition Program, I supervise general food service, and Lee screams at the Charles and I. Nevertheless, it is a part of our Center that I have always wanted to learn more about, and lately, have done so.

A commercial kitchen is made up of food, stainless steel, and heating elements. I am a fan of all of these things, especially in unison. I am a sucker for efficiency, and prefer not to waste food, time, or energy. Scheduling the cooks and servers is no big deal - I schedule a staff of 35 throughout our summer camp program, so I can keep up a schedule for 8 kitchen staff, at least I have so far. The biggest challenge is to ensure to customers that our food is hot, tasty, and nutritional - and to prevent any and all food waste. Our general rule is to prepare enough per guest, plus 10% - this is in the event of burning or any other food prep disaster. Well, I also learned that burning food can ruin a pot or pan and must be cleaned, then you have to have soap, or at least order some soap to clean the pot or pan with ...

I have also been able to learn about menu planning. Despite Lee's propensity for self-induced meat poisoning, he does a good job of putting starches, greens, and meats on a plate at the same time in a manner that "goes good together". Unfortunately, my refined tastebuds and whirlwind dining experiences go beyond our tasty soul food offerings, so Lee doesn't like my ideas of boutique pork with yukon mash and wilted arugala. When I tell most folks that I am truly a good cook, they laugh or assume I am talking about "grilling" instead of cooking. Personally, and my friends will tell you, that while I am a good "griller", that I only view the smoker (I make the world's best pork shoulder) and grill (my hamburgers truly taste like Kobe) as tools or methods of delivery. I don't like cooking, I like the food. I don't do spicy, spicy isn't a flavor. Spicy doesn't mean hot either...cinnamon is a spice. I also like preparing stuff for my friends when I know that they don't prefer certain foods - and telling them it is something else, watch them enjoy it, and them tell them the truth.

I really like preparing things that are out of the ordinary...pork loin with sweet potato, pecan and marshmallow stuffing is a favorite. The visual effects of white goo in a savory meat dish send most people running, but you have to keep an open mind...and an open mouth.

Nevertheless, my dishes, known by "normal" folks around here, are called weird. Maybe I'm ahead of my time...

Enjoy the day...

P.S. tonight is Program Joe's night to cook...it is either pumpkin themed, pumkin inspired, or pumpkin flavored, but all three are different.

Enjoy the day (again)...

Fall's First Frost

I woke up this morning, only to find the Eastern 4-H Center shrouded in frost...which means that flowers and other plants will began to die. As macabre as it may sound, it's only the natural process of things. Flowers die with the promise of a return - if it's a perennial, anyway. There are some things you can do to prolong the lives of your garden variety annuals and perennials. Cover them with warm fabric, newspaper, or a tarp. This will keep the dew from settling directly on them and it will prevent the air from freezing the droplets, which is death to many plants.

This morning on the news, a Jacksonville roadside stand reported a Mum Thief. The only person who would steal flowers, is the kind of person who would steal them and give them to his mother, which is double-bad. So if your a mom, and you have been getting Mums everyday for a month, please turn in your son.

Nevertheless, there are still additional things you can do to keep your plants toasty for a few more weeks...

1) When you cover your plants, do so during the day - and use a dark cloth to absorb the heat, and to trap the heat underneath.

2) I have never seen a frost in a hurricane...water can't settle if the wind is blowing, so try putting an electric fan around you plants...if it isn't raining outside.

3) If you have potted plants, the roots are susceptible, too. A frost freezes the cells in the plant, so warm the potted plant with a mink coat. If you don't have a "Mink", use bubble wrap or something less chic.

4) You could just go ahead and pour warm water on your plants...as the water evaporates around the plant, it will keep the air temperature above freezing (right around the plant). However, if the temp is below 25 degrees, you are only murdering your plants.

Since I currently file Single Status on my tax forms, I also have no garden. There are several reasons for this...the plants at the grocery store rarely freeze. This is where I pick my plants. I can also pretend that the produce department at Food Lion is my own private, yet cooperative garden that I share with others, and pay to retrieve my food.

Personally I like a good frost. It begins to eliminate several parasitic insects that live within mammals, especially squirrels. Mosquitoes also fall back quite a bit with the first frost. This winter is expected to be rather brutal which is good for mosquito elimination. Last year's cold winter really bit into the biting fly population, for which my forehead is grateful. Other animals, not including humans, like frost, too. Frost will weigh down seeds, dropping them to the ground. They are much more accessible for ducks, songbirds, and deer. These vegetarians are then fattened for the carnivores of the swamp like the fox, red wolf, and bear.

You can control the world (actually just your garden), with a little research. Frost is natural, and Mother Nature has a plan for everything...and she always wins, too!

Enjoy the day...

Last Week, This Week...and maybe beyond

The mercury in out thermometers is closer to the bottom than the top - and I, for one, welcome the drop in temperatures. Sure it's cold(er), but you can always do something about that...just put on more clothes. If it's hot, well, there's only so much you can do.

The weekend saw a visit from the Albemarle Emmaus group...I did my dities in the kitchen and we did our best to deliver tasty meals to all.

This week, we have the "Quilter's", Morth Carolina Wildlife Resource Commission, and and Advisory Board, with a weekend visit from East Carolina Students and the North Carolina State Shooting Sports Training...of which I will be teaching in...

Over the weekend, I took Callie for a ride through Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge...it was a drive I had never taken - we went from Frying Pan to Lake Phelps...we didn't see any bears, but we did see "evidence" as Callie called it - big, stinky piles of evidence. We also saw a couple of tiny deer, about 50 wood ducks, and -I swear it to be true - an albino Mourning Dove. Nobody will ever believe me, but it was like seeing a bigfoot or a UFO. It happened, whether I wanted it to or not. I almost wish I hadn't seen it, because when I tell folks I saw it, they think I am a lunatic. I maybe a lunatic, but I'm a lunatic that saw a pure white dove...no glare, nothing...WHITE!

The temperatures will elevate throughout the week, slowing the waterfowl migration...good thing - the season isn't in right now...the ducks need to wait for the season...

Also - I should get my vehicle back soon. The collision mechanics are taking their sweet time and I am stuck with a rental not worth buying.

Also - Auburn got beat in football by Kentucky over the weekend...I hate to grip about 20 year old kids, but Auburn's 20 year old kids are more talented, physically fit, and nicer than Kentucky's 20 year old kids. Auburn should have won, and won handily. Next week is LSU - their good, and we had better be - the game is in Baton Rouge, LA - AKA Death Valley AKA "The place where dreams die"...

Enjoy the day...

As the holiday seasons approach, most of us start to get those feelings of wanting to be with family and tradition. In a world were everyone is running around, trying to keep up with a schedule, it can be difficult to plan activities for the entire family or maybe even for the entire classroom. Here are a couple of activities that can be done without much expense or planning at all.

When I was little we would always play kickball at our family get together. Kickball became a familiar tradition that each of us looked forward to even as we became older. In school, teachers could arrange a semester kickball or volleyball tournament for their grade. At my old middle school at the end of each year we would have a volleyball tournament, students against teachers. The school still does this tradition every year and the students love trying to beat their teachers.
State parks, such as Pettigrew State Park are great places for families to explore together. Children would enjoy biking or hiking through the trails that are provided. Camping is a great way for families to form a tradition and become closer. There are several places for picnics as well as fishing or canoeing. When I was about seven or eight my family started canoeing together. We lived close to Merchants Millpond in Gates County, NC and we would pick a Saturday a few times a year and go canoeing for an hour or two in the Millpond. We always had a great time and it gave us a chance to use a familiar resource that was just a few minutes down the road.

These activities are just a small amount of the number of things families can do together. As Halloween approaches, there are many fall festivals, haunted houses, ghost tours, and many more things that children love to go to that can be enjoyed by the entire family. Look for more ideas next week.

Have a great day!

O'er the weekend...

This past weekend was fll of excitement for the crew at the Eastern 4-H Center...a lavish 200-guest wedding, parade, and Scuppernong River Festival kayak clinic kept most of us busy. Also, the first "split" of North Carolina Waterfowl season closed...

It all started Friday night with the Spear/Adams Wedding...with an autumnal theme, the place was decorated really well - probably the best I have ever seen it, but I have a soft spot for burnt orange, cool temperatures, and pumpkins. Props to the wedding party for a great job.

Since part of my duties recently have revovlved around Food Service Personnel supervision, I was able to be around and help cook (yep, with a hair net...) the prime rib, crab cakes, and other less important stuff like beans and rolls. Turned out to be pretty awesome - Marie and Stephanie, part of the program staff, waited tables and did a marvelous job, proving that anyone, especially tiny Stephanie, if possible, can see over the edge of the table to deliver food and drink.

Saturday, Lee, Casper, and I went on a waterfowl hunt at the Lantern Acres Gameland...the impoundment had no water, lots of briars, and some ducks. There were a few million short of a billion mosquitoes in there, though.

After the hunt, we paraded, along with others, down Main Street in Columbia at the Scuppernong River Festival. We passed out candy to Great grandparents, grandparents, parents, children, grandchildren, and yes - great grandchildren. We also pushed our Community Fun Day (October 31st)...hopefully to have a record turnout.

Afterwards, my crew split to the Visitor Center to unload out boat trailer and create a small flotilla of paddlecraft...parking was pretty miserable, so we had quite a walk with the boats, pfd's, and paddles. Nevertheless, a crowd gathered, we taught novices how to paddle and reminded established canoeists about how to remain safe in the windy waters.

Soon enough, I began jockeying back to the 4-H Center to ensure that meal service was underway. On the menu was a beef tenderloin carving station, a mashed potato bar, pork loin, etc., etc. I also peeked in on the Auburn - Arkansas game which was going the way of Arkansas and not the way of me and my Auburn Tigers.

I returned to town for the back half of the kayaking/canoeing clinic, only to require Joseph to hail me a funnel cake...and he came up in the clutch. Jo-Jo brought back the "Caramel Delight" funnel cake...a deep fried tendril of pancake batter, coavered in confectioner's sugar and heavy caramel...we all ate the masterpiece and wore the remnants on our staff shirts...

Eventually we loaded all of the boats back on the trailer...what a gruelling attempt...

I made it back to the Center, just in time to ensure the buffet was enroute. The wedding party and guests gobbled up dinner and hung out for a while...

Everything went really well over the weekend...next weekend we have the Albemarle Women's Emmaus Walk. The action may never yields at the Eastern 4-H Center...

Enjoy the Day...

Ecology 104

Ecology 104 is about the great pumpkin...

The pumpkins are a squash-like fruit. They are orange or yellow and have many ridges running from the stem to the bottom. They have a thick, smooth shell on the outside, with seeds and pulp on the inside. They can range in size from 1 pound all the way up to 1000 pounds. They typically weigh 9 to 18 pounds. The main nutrients are lutein, and both alpha and beta carotene, the latter of which generates vitamin A in the body.

Pumpkins are grown all over the world except Antarctica, but not because they don't celebrate Halloween down there... Pumpkins are used for a variety of different reasons. They can be served as animal feed to commercial outfits or just seasonal ornamental sales. The pumpkin is the state fruit of New Hampshire...that figures...

The U.S. produces 1.5 billions pounds each year. Pumpkins are a warm-weather crop that is planted in early July. To make a pumpkin grow, the temperature needs to be above 60 degrees and in a soil that holds water. Pumpkins can grow back if some plant is removed or damaged...this is called regeneration.

Pumpkins can be used for cooking. From the shell, to the seeds, to the flower, it's nearly all edible. The pumpkin is popular around Halloween and is a Thanksgiving staple. When ripe, the pumpkin can be boiled, baked, steamed, or roasted. In it's native North America, it was a part of the autumn harvest. It would make its way into soups and purees. In Mexico and the U.S., the seeds are roasted and eaten as a snack. It is made into a pie which can make an appearance at Thanksgiving.

During, Halloween, pumpkins are usually carved into a decorative lanterns called jack-o’-lanterns. Britain and Ireland used to carve lanterns out of turnips. In 1837, jack-o’-lanterns was used as a term for a carved vegetable lantern, for the first time in history. In 1866, the carved lantern became associated with Halloween.

Pumpkin chucking is a competitive activity where a team has to find various mechanical devices designed to throw a pumpkin as far as it can. Pumpkin chucking competitions occur in the fall when pumpkins are harvested. The most common devices found at a pumpkin chucking are catapults, trebuchets, ballistas and air cannons.

Pumpkins have made guest appearance in books and films. The Great Pumpkin by Charles M. Schulz. Linus believes the Great Pumpkin, which is like Santa Claus, will come visit the pumpkin patch on Halloween. The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving, the headless horseman throws a jack-o’-lantern. In the second Oz by L. Frank Baum, a character is named Jack Pumpkinhead. He has a pumpkin for a head and a wooden body. In The Nightmare Before Christmas, Jack Skellington declares himself as the “pumpkin king.”

Pumpkins are definitely relevant...

Enjoy the day...

Welcome back! This is Marie again. Today I’m going to talk about a few ways to help children stay interested in school and maybe even enjoy it. I have said before that I have been in several different classrooms, ranging in grade levels from Kindergarten to 8^th Grade. The students that I worked with in Kindergarten classes loved school and sometimes didn’t even want to leave at the end of the school day. Last year I student taught in a Kindergarten classroom and some of the students in there would get so upset on Fridays because they wouldn’t be able to come back to school for two days. Anyone that steps into a classroom of older students however would probably not get the same reaction. Most of the older students live for the weekends and 3:00 when the bell will ring for them to leave. Along with the lack of love for school that most students have they start to stop caring about school altogether. School becomes something that they have to do in order to move on to something else, rather than taking the opportunity to try to learn something new. I think as teachers we can help students begin to enjoy school and to become more interested in what they are learning. These are a collection of things that I have heard from a number of teachers that I have worked with and some of the professors that I had in college. Enjoy!

Hands on Learning

The most common vision that people seem to have when they think about a school is classroom after classroom of students sitting in neat rows of desks, and taking notes as the teacher stands at the front of the classroom and talks. Personally, I don’t know many children that will take those notes home and read over them until they have learned the material. Hands on Learning means that we should let students participate in their learning. This might be through experiments or any activities where the students can actively participate in the lesson that is being taught.

Outdoor Learning

Students spend so much time inside, whether at home or at school. Teachers can expand their classrooms to the outdoors. I know several schools that have outdoor classrooms that are hardly ever used, but if a resource is available and open to students then they should be put to a positive use. If there are any activities that will get students out of their regular desk that they sit in every day for hours, then why not let them enjoy a few minutes doing something different.

Teaching to the Students

Many times you will hear teachers say that they have to teach to the state standardized testing. In college all of my teachers and professors would lecture us on how wrong this was and how we shouldn’t do it, so why should we still do it. We can teach students the test material but use information that will interest them. Find out from students what they like to do outside of school and then use those things that the students like to teach the material that has to be taught.

These are just a couple of things that I have heard of or experienced over the years and I think students truly enjoy just doing something different from the average day to day lessons. Students will enjoy pretty much anything that actually makes them think “outside-the-box” rather then just listening to someone else lecture them all day long. Well hopefully this will someone, have a great day!

Conservation Friday and Teambuilding Tuesday are a bust...

Staff musings were absent the last couple of days, so i'll do the noble deed of filling in for Casper and Joe...but they were busy with good reason...here's the rundown of what's been going on at the Center - and what's what's coming in...

The last couple of weeks have been a little hectic...your's truly, Lee, and Charles have taken over Food Service duties since Becky's retirement from the Center. I have learned a whole lot about food ordering, food cooking and food serving...so as luck would have it, only the largest groups of the year attend now...

A gigantic wedding, an Emmaus Walk, another gigantic wedding, and another Emmaus Walk will fill the month of October, with day-use groups sprinkled in for good measure. It has been exciting learning the ropes and trying to streamline the kitchen operations...but I have learned one thing...serve good coffee, and have plenty of it...

Coffee could possibly be the most important food/beverage on the planet...have you ever heard anyone say "I can't get going without my coffee!" I am the same way, too. I guess I go tthis from my dad...my mom drinks a little, but daddy drinks it by the gallon. Coffee is defintely the most expensive fuel on the planet, atleast normal folks fuel...a gallon of gasoline is about $2.50, depending on where you are...a gallon of Starbucks Coffee would run you about $10.00. Thankfully, we can make our own coffee, and save a lot of money...If we could only make our own gasoline...and some people have perfected making gas (not THAT kind of gas....).

Switchgrass and corn are used to make ethanol, which appears in virtually every tank of gasoline now...while it is cleaner than traditional gasoline, it is not quite as efficient. 30 Gallons of ethanol E-10 Gas is equal to about 24 gallons of regular petrol...

Gasoline isn't the only thing utilized to power a car...obviously there are electric cars...you may not recognoze one when you see one, but it'll probably have a celebrity or hippie in the driver's seat...there just a tad to expensive for regular folks to purchase.

The Eastern 4-H Center tries to conserve energy at every step...we recycle more trash than we send to a landfill...that's nothing to brag about, though...I'm sure we could do more. We have compost heap that we use to dispose of raw vegetable, coffee grinds, tea bags, and egg shells, too. We also like to turn out the lights and unplug all of our devices. These things are just responsible, we can always do more.

"Going green" takes some green. But going "green"' will also save green, and turn friends "green with envy."

Enjoy the day...

ecology 103

I have worked at a zoo and a science center educating the public about animals. The one thing I really dislike is when the public mistakes one animal for another animal.

The prosimians, made up of lemurs and similar animals, are the more primitive of the primate group. They have lower intelligence. They resemble other mammal groups by having whiskers and longer noses. The prosimians split off from the evolutionary line leading to humans relatively early.

There are some similarities between apes and monkey. Monkeys and apes are called the "higher primates." They vary in size, geographical range and behavior, but they all have flat faces, small ears and relatively large, complex brains.

­There are some differences between apes and monkeys. The easiest way to distinguish monkeys from the apes is to look for a tail. Most monkey species have tails, but no apes have tails. Monkeys are much more like other mammals than apes and humans are. For example, most monkeys cannot swing from branch to branch, as apes and humans can, because their shoulder bones have a different structure. Instead, monkeys run along the tops of branches. Their skeletal structure is similar to a cat, dog or other four-footed animal, and they move in the same sort of way. On the evolutionary line leading to humans, monkeys split off long before apes did. Monkey and human have 93% identical DNA. While apes and humans have 99% identical DNA. Some people would say that Chase and apes match 100%.

Another example of mistaken identity is Frogs and Toads...

Toads have warts. They have dry skin. They live mainly on land. Toads are short and stocky. They mainly walk. Toads lay their eggs in a long chain. Also, toads are poisonous.

Frogs have wet, smooth, and slimy skin. They live mainly in the water. They have 2 bulging eyes. They have strong, long, webbed feet that have been adapted for swimming and leaping. Frogs tend to lay their eggs in a cluster.

You may wonder why this important. What if someone called you the wrong name, race, origin, or whatever. Most people, for some reason or another, are going to get offended. That’s why it is important to me. If you go to a zoo, read the sign and don’t assume. The media, especially television shows and commercials are not reliable information, unless it is a documentary. Understanding things are important, especially things like WHO WE ARE and WHERE WE LIVE!

Enjoy the day...