Sunday Night Haiku

A million crickets
Fill the night with their singing
Late August is loud!

During the daytime
The cicadas are screaming
"Today will be hot!"

But then comes the autumn
And the first frost of the year
All becomes silent.

Dark will come early
Winter will be setting in
My spirits will drop.

How long must I wait
Till summer comes 'round again?
Will I last till spring?

A Cat's Eye View

Baxter here. Good Lord, when will my Female Human learn not to make Stupid Remarks on how she has such "Peace of Mind" lately. You would think she would Learn that just Jinxes her. A few days after she posted That Bit of Sentimental Drivel, she and the other Human were up in the Adirondacks at That Cabin of theirs and got a Phone Call that the Female Human's Aunt had hurt herself by Falling. She's OK but Once Again my Female Human has been very Tied Up this Week taking Care of Things for her Aunt.

On the Plus Side for ME (which of course, is the Most Important Thing), the Humans are spending this Weekend at Home for a change instead of going to That Cabin.

So, here I am, finally Blogging again. And may I say, it's About Time! I was overdue to Blog and was not Given the Opportunity until now.

Well, I don't even know where to start. All this Ruckus about the Health Care System is driving me up the Wall. On one hand, of course, it would be Nice if everyone had Health Care. I am certainly very Lucky that my Humans take me to the Vet when I need it and can afford to Pay for Me. There are plenty of Pets that don't have the Opportunities I have and I've seen that they don't live as long or as Well as Pets that get regular Care. I'm sure that is true for Humans too.

But I am becoming Very Concerned that the Way this has been handled has not been Ideal. I really thought the new President would be better at this than he has been. There have been too many Rumors that were allowed to get Out of Control, and not enough Pushback on those who are spreading them. Despite efforts to get the Truth Out, the rumors continue to spread and are Poisoning the Discussion.

And on top of that, Fellow Democrats aren't even all pulling for this. And then the Latest Thing is there has been a lot of Confusion over whether or not the "Public Option" is Dead or Alive!

This could really be a Bad Thing for President Obama; his Popularity is waning in a lot of places because of this Mess. If You want to read a Lot about the Subject, please go over to Watergate Summer. Enigma4Ever has been keeping track of this All Along and has done a Much Better Job of it than my Human or I can do. Not to be all Gloom and Doom - there are some Encouraging Signs out there - Barney Frank has really Pushed Back on the Protesters at his Town Hall meetings and now President Obama is Hosting a Forum (See Enigma's site for details). Maybe things can still Turn Around.

Onward to another subject - Fuel Efficient Cars!

In my Web Surfing, I just saw a video on CNN.com about the World's Cheapest Car. It's the Tata Nano, made in India - but soon coming to Europe and ultimately, the U.S. Here is the video about it:

Apparently the Base Model sells for $2,500 without the Amenities that the American Humans have come to Expect in a Car. It has a Manual Transmission, no Air Conditioning or Power Anything at that price. (Of course, for about $3,500 you could Have It All). It gets 50 miles per gallon and they're going to come out with a Diesel too.

Since the smallest cars in America still sell for Big Car Prices, if the Nano comes here, it will Revolutionize the Industry. For instance, the Smart Car starts at almost $12,000. And a Mini Cooper is even more, starting at nearly $19,000. Let's all keep our eyes on this one! For that price, even Gas Guzzling Die-Hard SUV Owners might be willing to shell out $3,500 on a Nano for at least driving Locally. This could be Good News for our Environment.

You may Wonder why a Cat would be so interested in Cars. But You have to Understand that I have Little to Do all day except stare out the Window. And I Notice Cars. They have become a Hobby of Mine. After all, One must keep Busy.

Of course, a News Roundup wouldn't be Complete without mentioning the release of the Lockerbie bomber. This was Way Before My Time, but my Humans remember when Pan Am Flight 103 blew up over Lockerbie, Scotland, back in 1988. Apparently the Perpetrator, who had been Serving a life sentence, is being released on compassionate grounds because he has Terminal Cancer. Some feel this is Terrible because his Victims didn't get to live out their lives with their Families. On the Other Hand, it depends on whether the purpose of Jail is Revenge or Deterrence. If the Latter, it is probably OK to let him out as he is Unlikely to do More Harm. If it's Revenge, that's a Whole Other Story. What do You All think about this?

Goodness Me, I'm being rather Too Serious today. When I Blog, I usually like to Post a few more Lighthearted Items. How about ending with this, from I Can Has Cheezburger? It pretty much Sums Up How my Female Human and I Feel Lately about the Political Scene!


see more Lolcats and funny pictures

Till Next Time, have a Great Week and don't forget to Share your Catnip. We can All Use Some!

Keeping My Peace of Mind is Easier Lately

As some of you know, we just got back from a long weekend up in the Adirondacks at our cabin hideaway, and today I made an interesting discovery. Some of the peace and quiet I experience up there actually lasts into the week.

I was sitting in a meeting today, and for a moment my mind strayed back to yesterday when we were sitting on the deck overlooking the pond and watching a Scarlet Tanager wend its way among the upmost branches of the aspen trees nearby. For that moment I wasn't in a conference room in New Jersey, but here:

And that experience reminded me of one of my favorite poems, by William Butler Yeats. If only I can continue to keep this image "in the deep heart's core," maybe I'll be able to keep calm longer when I'm home! I don't know if it will totally prevent immense frustration and aggravation about the crazy political scene, but it can't hurt.

THE LAKE ISLE OF INNISFREE
By William Butler Yeats

I will arise and go now, and go to Innisfree,
And a small cabin build there, of clay and wattles made;
Nine bean rows will I have there, a hive for the honeybee,
And live alone in the bee-loud glade.
And I shall have some peace there, for peace comes dropping slow,
Dropping from the veils of the morning to where the cricket sings;
There midnight's all a-glimmer, and noon a purple glow,
And evening full of the linnet's wings.

I will arise and go now, for always night and day
I hear the water lapping with low sounds by the shore;
While I stand on the roadway, or on the pavements gray,
I hear it in the deep heart's core.

Bill Maher Pretty Much Sums Up This Country's Problem: Teh Stupid

H/T to Lisa for posting this link on Facebook.

Here is the link to the article on the Huffington Post.

Maher goes through all the absurdities that many Americans believe and what they don't know, and then says,

"And these are the idiots we want to weigh in on the minutia of health care policy? Please, this country is like a college chick after two Long Island Iced Teas: we can be talked into anything, like wars, and we can be talked out of anything, like health care. We should forget town halls, and replace them with study halls. There's a lot of populist anger directed towards Washington, but you know who concerned citizens should be most angry at? Their fellow citizens. "Inside the beltway" thinking may be wrong, but at least it's thinking, which is more than you can say for what's going on outside the beltway."

He makes a lot of great points in this diatribe, and ends with the truth:

"Until we admit there are things we don't know, we can't even start asking the questions to find out. Until we admit that America can make a mistake, we can't stop the next one. A smart guy named Chesterton once said: "My country, right or wrong is a thing no patriot would ever think of saying... It is like saying 'My mother, drunk or sober.'" To which most Americans would respond: "Are you calling my mother a drunk?"

Go Bill! He nails it. This is one reason it is so frustrating right now for all of us on the left. We know Obama has better ideas and good intentions; but the stupidity of much of the American people and of a lot of Congressmen, sad to say, (to say nothing of the obstreperousness of the right) is preventing him from realizing his vision. Instead he has to tiptoe around contentious issues, compromise on what he'd really want to do, and try to make everything acceptable to everyone. Maybe he should be a bit more like Lyndon Johnson and shove things down America's throat because it's good for them, and not worry about whether he'll be re-elected.

What I've Been Thinking About While I Was Too Busy to Blog

I've been a bad blogger - over a week without a post. But that doesn't mean my mind was not fomenting opinionated polemics about various subjects all week. Just not enough to spur me to sit down at the computer and write about them.

As you know, Baxter tries to keep a relatively objective point of view when he reports the news; in fact, thanks go to Dave Dubya for kindly comparing him to Walter Cronkite! Baxter was "Very Pleased." He also thanks everyone else for their comments as well.

Unlike Baxter, I am more apt to let my feelings show about the news and so I'll subject you all to a short barrage of opinions on a bunch of different things that I've been reacting to this past week. So here goes:

The Birthers: I am sick to death of mainstream news outlets actually giving any air time to the ridiculous accusation that President Obama was not born in Hawaii on this date in 1961 or that he is not eligible to be President. It's just one more example of the right trying to distract from real issues and de-legitimize the President. This kind of thing has been going on since Bill Clinton was elected and this is just one more example of the kind of wing-nuttery this country has become prey to. At least when the Democrats claimed George W. Bush was illegitimately elected by the Supreme Court they had a reason to feel that way, since the Court overstepped its bounds.

But our whole country needs to get a grip and understand that "it is what it is" - once a President is sworn in, he's the President and that's that. Get over it and get a life. Also, stop saying he's the AntiChrist. It's just silly. Who ARE these people anyway? And why are we talking about them?

Michael Vick: NFL Commissioner Goodell reinstated Vick conditionally after Vick finished serving his sentence for running the horrific dogfighting operation, Bad Newz Kennels. (And he didn't just sponsor the ring monetarily - he participated in the abuse of innocent dogs. "Vick pleaded guilty after his three co-defendants had already done so. They told of how Vick participated in the killing of dogs that didn't perform well in test fights by shooting, hanging, drowning or slamming them to the ground.")

According to the conditions of Goodell's reinstatement of Vick, Vick "agreed to undergo psychiatric testing, which determined that he was capable of returning to the NFL but needed continuing counseling." In addition, Vick said he had matured as an individual, has re-evaluated his life and fully understands "the terrible mistakes I have made in the past and what type of life I must lead moving forward." He also happens to be bankrupt so has a great self-interest in being able to play again.

So far no NFL team has offered him a job since the reinstatement - but I'm sure it's only a matter of time. Some people feel the world should forgive Vick for his crimes and let him make a new start. Some have said there are guys playing who have done "worse" things than hurting and killing dogs (spouse abuse, drugs, DUI manslaughter, etc.) and are still playing. Well, maybe so. But maybe they shouldn't be playing either.

I am not convinced of Vick's remorse. I want to see him pledge to give an ongoing percentage of his future salary to pitbull rescue organizations or to help break up dogfight operations - or even go work for an animal rescue organization to truly make up for what he has done. I'm as forgiving as the next person but when it comes to exploiting and torturing an animal that is only trying to please its owners, or a child who is at the mercy of his torturer, these crimes I can't forgive. Why should Michael Vick go on with his high-paid career after what he has done? I know many will disagree but I can't help but feel this way.

Thankfully almost all of the dogs rescued from Vick's operation are doing well and will probably eventually find homes. Here is a video from the rescue organization BAD RAP, which has participated in rehabilitating some of the Vick dogs.



Healthcare Reform: So far the House Energy and Commerce Commission has passed one version of a healthcare reform bill and the Senate has another one in the works that is different. Neither of them will make everyone happy. According to the linked article, President Obama stated, "'The bill that they have passed will strengthen consumer protections and choice, while lowering costs and improving care, underscoring the broad consensus among all of the bills that have emerged in Congress,' he said.

The bill would make more low-income people eligible for Medicaid, the federal healthcare program; provide health insurance subsidies for middle class Americans; and offer a government-sponsored plan as an alternative to private insurance."

Of course, the concern on the left is that the public option will be stripped out in the final legislation once the rest of Congress has a go at this after the August recess. On the right there is continued fearmongering regarding "Socialism" and "government run healthcare," while on the left there is fear of a watered-down version of reform that just makes things worse without solving the real problems.

We don't know yet how this will turn out but my feeling is, it is likely at least some good will come out of it. We on the left may not get everything we want, but there will be improvements. Even President Bush's Medicare Part D prescription coverage, flawed though it is, was an improvement over no coverage at all. The "doughnut hole" system at least allows a good amount of prescriptions to be covered before the "hole" kicks in - and then picks up again when the expenses become more catastrophic. It's not perfect. But it's better than not having it. "The best (or perfect) is the enemy of the good" is one of my favorite sayings. Often good is accomplished in an incremental way. By holding out for the perfect, sometimes we don't get any good at all.

When these healthcare reforms get closer to final, let's all take a good look at what is truly being proposed and ask ourselves, "Is it better than what we have?" If the answer is yes, then it is worth doing.

Plaxico Burress: The former NFL player for the NY Giants was indicted for gun possession stemming from an incident in a nightclub last year when he accidentally shot himself in the leg with an unlicensed gun. According to the linked article, "Burress was at the Latin Quarter nightclub Nov. 29 when a gun tucked into his waistband slipped down his leg and fired, shooting him in the right thigh." On the radio I had also heard this, and that he was wearing sweatpants at the time. Sweatpants. Not even a real pair of pants with a belt that might have held the gun in place. Someone could have been killed and he's lucky he wasn't more badly wounded himself. My main reaction to this story, however, was WTF? Who goes into a nightclub with a gun loosely stuck in their sweatpants WITH THE SAFETY OFF? Hello?! How stupid is that? This is the reason people shouldn't be allowed to carry concealed weapons. Because some of these people don't have the common sense the good Lord, if there is one, gave them.

OK, I'm done now. I'll be back with any further diatribes if the mood strikes!

A Cat's Eye View

Baxter here. It's been Some Week around here. My Humans have been Very Busy, so they left Me in charge of paying Attention to the News.

The Big Story of the Week, of course, was the Henry Louis Gates, Jr. Arrest, which Unfortunately eclipsed what President Obama wanted us to be talking about.

In case you have been Living Under a Rock, Mr. Gates, an African-American Professor at Harvard, was arrested by Cambridge police when he had been sighted trying to get into His Own House by a Passerby...who happened to be White...and she called the Police. A Cambridge Policeman, who also happened to be White, showed up, and because Mr. Gates got Understandably Annoyed at being Accused of being a Burglar of his Own House, arrested him for "disorderly conduct."

Not sure who is right or wrong in this Mess, I'm sure there may be Blame on Both Sides, but there is a Tendency among Humans to still harbor Racism even if they don't believe they feel that way. Ask any African-American and I'm sure he or she will Regale you with Many Tales of being treated unfairly by Humans Who Are White, I'm Sorry to Say. This analysis shows how both sides may have interpreted everything Differently because of their Different Backgrounds. But in My Opinion, this situation would not have happened had Mr. Gates been an older White Man.

Be That As It May, President Obama had an Unguarded Moment during his recent Press Conference and happened to let slip what he REALLY felt about the case - said the Cambridge Police acted "Stupidly" - and all Hell broke loose. Suddenly the Conversation about Health Care became a Non-Issue and the Henry Gates thing became The Big Issue of the Week.

I think Jon Stewart explains both the Health Care Issues and the Gates debacle all in one good clip:

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
White House M.D.
http://www.thedailyshow.com/
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Joke of the Day

Of course, the Loyal Opposition known as the GOP (and their Minions) are Making a Big Deal out of this to Distract the Public from wanting Health Care. And in the Meantime they are trying to Scare Everyone by talking about Bureaucracy and the Government Making Your Health Care Decisions for you - as if the Insurance Companies don't do that already.

I'm glad, as a Cat, that my Humans make all my Health Care decisions. But as my Female Human's mother likes to point out, she has a Government Health Care program - called Medicare - and she's never been denied anything she needed done.

Moving On. My Female Human's mother told her about an Ad she just saw against taxing Soft Drinks. So I searched on Youtube and found it, being an Enterprising sort of Cat. Sure enough, there it is; an ad by "Americans Against Food Taxes," whoever They are, complaining about Congress plotting to take our "Simple Pleasures" away. I wonder who Really Paid for that ad? Lobbyists for soft drink manufacturers is My Guess. No one is trying to take anyone's Simple Pleasures away. They're just trying to think of ways to pay for Health Care so Poor People don't die in the Streets from lack of care. Anyway, what more does Anyone need than to have a Purring Cat in their Laps? That is the kind of Simple Pleasure that is always free! Here is the Ad in case you are Interested.

Let's see, what Else can I tell you about? Oh yes, my Humans went up to that Place they call the Cabin again a couple of Weekends ago and while they were there they bought and had delivered a Propane Refrigerator and a Propane Stove. They also put up some Shelves and other stuff. Then this Past Weekend, the Male Human and That Dog went up there By Themselves to await delivery of some Rustic Furniture that the Humans had ordered. I am a Suburban Cat so am not sure what Rustic means but I think it means the stuff is made out of Logs or something.

My Female Human stayed home because her Aunt had an operation on Friday. She is doing well but my Female Human had to visit her and also take care of my distant cousin, Geoffrey, who is the Cat that owns her.

Anyway. My Female Human and I had the House all to Ourselves on Friday night. It was Wonderful. I slept on the Bed with her all night and That Dog wasn't there to chase me off. We had a Lovely Time and I Purred a Lot. Unfortunately the Male Human (who is fine by himself but he usually has That Dog next to him) and That Dog came back the next Night.

My Humans did want me to share a few pictures taken up at the Cabin so you can see how it is all coming along. So Here they Are.

The Bedroom - with new corner shelves added (the only Things that Fit in that Little Space).

Bathroom - with Propane-Powered Lights, new Medicine Cabinet with Mirror, and new Shelf over Toilet.
Views of new "Rustic" Furniture Below and farther Below:
Propane-Powered Refrigerator and Stove:
That Dog relaxing on the Deck:

From what I Understand, the Cabin still does not have Running Water. The Humans brought Water with them last Weekend when they stayed there. The only step left is to have the Generator hooked up to the Well Pump and then they can Stay There for a Long Time. They keep telling Me that if they go for a Week they will bring Me up there too.

I have Mixed Emotions about this. I am a Cat that likes Routine and does NOT like to have it Disrupted. However, I might enjoy looking out the Windows at Strange Birds that may come by the Cabin. We shall See.

In the Meantime, enjoy your Catnip and I will see you Next Week. Let's all hope that President Obama can get Congress and the Nation back on Track to finalize some Health Care before the Autumn sets in. I think he is at a Precarious Moment in his Presidency and needs to get a Victory. I am hoping that he has been Playing with the Opposition the way we Cats like to play with Mice and that in the end he will get what he Wants.

Death Never Takes a Holiday

In fact, lately Death seems to have become a work-a-holic. It seems as if everyone is dying left and right this summer.

As everyone has already noted, we lost Walter Cronkite over the weekend, who was the voice of the news for so many of us in my generation. The NY Times had a fitting tribute to him in today's paper.

"Some deaths end only a life. Some end a generation. Walter Cronkite’s death ends something larger and more profound. He stood for a world, a century, that no longer exists. His death is like losing the last veteran of a world-changing war, one of those men who saw too much but was never embittered by it. Walter Cronkite’s gift was to talk to us about what he saw, and we are very lucky to have been able to listen."

Then it was Frank McCourt, cut down at 78 by melanoma. Another sad loss; I'm sure he had many more stories to tell and more teaching to do.

I also read of the death of the world's oldest man, Henry Allingham of Great Britain. He lived to be 113, but should be remembered for much more than that, as he was Britain's last WW I veteran of the RAF, and on top of that he made it his mission that no one should forget those lost in the Great War, as it was called back when he served.

"He was the last survivor of the Battle of Jutland in 1916, a survivor of the Battle of Ypres in 1917, and the sole survivor of the original RAF.

Henry's astonishing stamina, determination and loyalty to lost comrades saw him work constantly to ensure his memories - and their sacrifices - were not forgotten.

Blind, almost deaf and gnarled with arthritis, he made scores of personal visits each year to tell his stories to young people and spread a message of peace."

And at the personal level, the mother of one of my closest childhood friends, whom I've known since I was only 14, passed away over the weekend. She had been ill for quite awhile with cancer, and was in her late 80s, so it was not a shock, certainly not for her children who had been watching her decline. But she was their only remaining parent and now both of them are gone. It must be a strange feeling to suddenly stop being someone's child, no matter how old you are. I lost my dad in 2005 but still have my mother. I know that could change at any time, since she is 90, and I try not to think how that will feel.

To quote John Donne,

"No man is an island entire of itself; every man
is a piece of the continent, a part of the main;
if a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe
is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as
well as any manner of thy friends or of thine
own were; any man's death diminishes me,
because I am involved in mankind.
And therefore never send to know for whom
the bell tolls; it tolls for thee."

I am feeling very diminished today.

Haiku Tuesday

Today's News in Haiku

It's no easy road
To get on the Supreme Court
But so far so good.

Sonia's responses
Have been calm and reasonable;
She's one smart cookie!

She had good answers
And she really knows her stuff;
She follows the law.

Health care reforming
Is on the House agenda
The bill's been laid out.

It would tax the rich
To pay for others' health care
I'm OK with that.

This is not the end
But it is the beginning
And it's about time.

Cheney's pet program
To kill al Qaeda leaders
May be investigated.

Pet Airways has launched
Your pet flies in luxury
Without any risk!

Barack Obama
Threw the first pitch from the mound
At the All-Star Game.

It wasn't perfect
But it made it to the plate
That's what really counts!

A Cat's Eye View

Baxter here. I am finally able to Blog again. My Humans have been Hightailing it off to That Place they call The Cabin so many times I haven't had my Time to Blog and I am Quite Annoyed. So much News has happened since I last posted that I just don't see how I can Catch Up. However, I will try.

First of all, how could even I ignore the Death of Michael Jackson. It is truly the Gift that Keeps on Giving for those News Programs. One breathless account after another. First, he's Dead! Oh My God. Then, why? Why did he die? We still don't know. So it will continue to Fuel the Controversy and Morbid Curiosity for a couple more weeks until we find out the results of the so-called Toxicology Tests. As a Cat, I'm not quite sure what it's all About, but something to do with Too Much Catnip I guess.

Personally, I can't Imagine any Cat being so Notorious as to generate that much interest among Fellow Cats. Sure, we are sad if one of our Number goes to that great Catnip Field in the Sky to be with Ceiling Cat. But hey, that's Life. Or Death. Whatever. We don't make a Big Deal about it. Oh well, Humans are different from Cats I guess.

Moving on. President Obama's approval rating among Independents is starting to Slide. It's hard to tell whether It's the Economy in General or his handling of Things that is disappointing them. There has also been a Lot of Outcry among Liberals and the LGBT Community about his not Keeping Promises he made during his Campaign. Personally, that bothers Me more. The Economy wasn't Broken in six months and won't be Fixed in six months. But some of his Promises could be Kept very quickly.

Be that as it may, it is not unusual for a President's approval level to Wear Off a bit after the inauguration. That's why they talk about a Honeymoon Period. I guess his is over. Let's see what Happens next.

On the Plus Side, President Obama is in the midst of a worldwide Trip which should help distract Folks from some of the other Stuff that is going on. He met with Putin in Russia, the Pope in Italy and is now in Africa. Thank Goodness we now have a President that people abroad actually Respect.

Well, what else has happened since I last Spoke to You? Oh yes, the whole Sanford thing. The guy who Up and Disappeared from his duties as Governor of South Carolina to be with his Mistress in Argentina and then got caught on his way home. It's not so much the Sin as the Hypocrisy and Stupidity, in My Opinion. We Cats are not known for our Faithfulness, but then again, we never Profess to be all Honorable and Goody-Twoshoes about Sex. But this Human did Profess to be all Upstanding and Moral. Then he thinks he can Get Away with running off for five days without anyone knowing where he was. Hello? You're the Governor? Someone might miss you? Sheeesh.

Speaking of Republican sex scandals, I won't get into the Ensign thing but just in case you want a little Help in figuring out Who did What recently, TPM posted a nice chart to help you Keep Track.

And of course there was Sarah Palin quitting being the Governor of Alaska. (Things having to do with Sarah Palin always seem to Happen when my Humans are in the Adirondacks. They were there last year when that McCain guy announced he was picking her for VP Candidate too.) At any rate, that was a Shocker indeed. Here was this "possible Presidential Candidate" with almost no Experience deciding to give herself even Less Experience by quitting the first Big Political Job she even had. Beats the heck out of Me why she did it. All kinds of Theories Abound. But Columnist Ellen Goodman has a theory of her own - Midlife Crisis anyone?

That was about It for the main News that I have missed talking to you about. If I think of anything Else, I'll be Back. In the meantime, have a great rest of the Weekend and enjoy some Catnip (responsibly, of Course). And with that, I'm outa here!

Interesting Wildlife Sighting in the Adirondacks

Will write more later now that we're back from our trip to the Adirondacks. And of course, it's Baxter's turn to do a news update. But I just wanted to show you what we came across right on the side of the road that goes past our property up near Lake George.

We first came across him while we were walking the dog and saw him when he was coiled up and he looked mostly black with a few goldish X's on him. But later we drove back to take another look, and he had uncoiled. And you can clearly see, on the end of his tail...a rattle. Yes, he (or is it a she?) is a timber rattlesnake.

They are supposed to be endangered. Apparently not in our neck of the woods. We read that their range extends up into the southeastern Adirondacks - which happens to be where our cabin is located. Looks as if we'll need to be a little more careful when we walk around in the woods! We had tromped all through this area a couple of months ago putting up "Posted" signs. Luckily we lived.