Robin Falls Magazine, Red River Writers Section, Artictles Page

“…Wishing his foot were equal with his eye”
by Phil Douglass,
Regional Wildlife Manager, Conservation Outreach
Utah Division of Wildlife Resources

Let's Play in the Poconos!
by Irene Brodsky
Author of "Poetry Unplugged"

My Trip to France
by Marcia Beck

Light My Fire

Art by Wendy Whittingham

It's 8 a.m. The car is packed and ready to go. We are on our way to Split Rock Lodge & Resort on Lake Harmony, Pennsylvania (in the heart of The
Poconos Mountains.) Traffic is light as we cross the George Washington Bridge via the top level. A beautiful panoramic view of the Palisades greets
us on the New Jersey side. I.S. 80 West is just up ahead and we have a straight drive all the way to The Delaware Water Gap. Look up ahead! The
Bushkill Mountains rise majestically above the Delaware River and the outline of the Alegheny Mountain tops can be seen in the very far distance.
Mother Nature is at her very best!

We move on to pass the spacious East Stroudsberg University Campus and The Crossings Outlets as we make our way to the
Blakeslee/Wilkes-Barre Exit of I.S. 80 West. Our lodge & resort is just a few feet down the road but it may as well be in another world; a world filled
with Boulder Mountain & Lake, Jack Frost Mountain and the landmark community of Jim Thorpe.

We can hardly wait to tour our new "home" away from home. We find an indoor movie theatre, bowling alley, ice cream parlor, water-slide, video
games, beauty salon, indoor & outdoor pool, gift shop and dining room. Down the hill leads us to a white-sand beach with bungalows and a pizza
parlor on the premises. On the lake, there are canoes and water-paddles! So exciting!

So much to see, lots to do, delicious food, tons of fun for all! Something for everyone - the kids, Mom & Dad and Grandma, too! So, give it a try.
See for yourself, tell your friends on Facebook, and ask your Mom and Dad to take you to The Poconos Mountains!

I believe that happiness is often having something to look forward to–

“Like one that stands upon a promontory, And spies a far-off shore where he would tread–wishing his foot were equal with his eye…”

-Shakespeare

Anticipation is a big part of any travel adventure for me. Several years ago I was working as one of the managers of Farmington Bay Bird Refuge in
Northern Utah. On one occasion I was doing a literature review of migration patterns of water birds and in the course of the review was reading about
shorebirds of the Copper River Delta in Alaska.

This review created in me a personal interest because as I read about this part of Alaska, I thought, “this sounds like my dream Alaska destination.” So I
created a file at home that I used to collect information for this area. And over the next several years, my file began to bulge with maps, clippings,
articles and notes from phone conversations with Forest Service and Wildlife Department people.

It has been said that your vacation begins the moment you push the confirm button for reservations! The magic day finally came when I was able to hit
that “confirm” button and truthfully that really was the next step on the anticipation trail. But the first steps came with the creation of the file and the
collection of materials that would fuel the fire of my imagination—a fire that burned with such intensity that nothing could prevent my dream vacation
from happening.

But the truly amazing part of the “trail of anticipation” came as the float plane edged around the mountain peaks, lakes and river drainages and I already
KNEW these peaks and rivers—they were familiar to me and I really felt as if I were going home. The study of the maps and other materials really
added to my excitement. This study of the area started as a practical exercise to be prepared for the safest and therefore most enjoyable trip possible.
The anticipation and familiarity it created was just great icing on a great cake!

The preparation concept took on another aspect for me recently as I watched wild tundra swans on their migration back to Canada and Alaska. Two
dozen swans came to a pond behind my home near the Great Salt Lake. Each day I would watch them feed voraciously on the abundant Sago pond
weed, sleep, then meticulously clean and preen their equipment—their feathers! The instincts of the miracle of navigating their migration are
fascinating to me, but included in their migration is gaining the proper nutrition, strength and “equipment care”, an another amazing aspect to their
journey.

The trail of anticipation is complete for me when I complete the journey at what I call the pinnacle of gratitude—a place in my mind that is awash with
thankfulness for a safe and fulfilling trip for myself and those that I shared it with—the memories and images, sounds and smells woven into the fabric of
my life. Things like the laughs of Jason as he teased ten-pound silver salmon in the river and the unforgettable moment when the silence at dusk was
broken by a pair of trumpeter swans.

All these things lead me to that pinnacle on the promontory to spy that far off shore–that next adventure—near or far. Anticipation and imagination is
that first step getting to my destination and in making my “foot equal with my eye.”

HELP WANTED:
TRUSTWORTHY, COMPASSIONATE HUMANS NEEDED.
by VS Grenier
www.vsgrenier.com

You see a dog sitting in the median of a highway. The dog’s tail is between her legs, cars whiz by, and you observe the dog trembling with fear. What
are you going to do?

Jenny from Hearts United for Animals, located in Omaha, Nebraska tells me this was the scene Sharon saw on her way to work in Houston, Texas.
Sharon turned her car around to help the dog, only to find the dog gone upon her return. It was three days later when Sharon saw the dog again at a
rest stop forty miles from the first sighting. The frightened dog looked terribly emaciated and ill.

Sharon immediately contacted Hearts United for Animals, a “No-Kill” animal shelter. She asked how to win the trust of this abandoned dog so she could
bring her in. Armed with advice, Sharon coaxed the dog into her car.

The confused dog went with Sharon to her home and to the airport later that week. The dog flew from Houston to Omaha, accompanied by a
volunteer to the temporary home at Hearts United for Animals.

With patches of hair falling out, the dog met a small group of volunteers and shelter workers who brought dog treats, a warm blanket, and lots of love.
But the dog’s journey was far from over. Because she needed medical attention right away, a vet arrived at the shelter. He diagnosed her with
dehydration, heartworms, numerous injuries, and stress from long-suffering. With help from previous donations, she received much needed care.

After a few days rest, volunteers gave her a bath, took her for walks, played ball in the spacious dog yard, and even gave her a dog bed of her very
own. During this time the volunteers and works at the shelter decided to name the dog Rose because she came from Texas.

Rose became a “Shelter Buddy” (a sponsored animal) to Anne and Ken Bardell from England. They sent her this message: “Sweet Rose, we pray that
one day soon you will go home with someone and be their best buddy for the rest of your life. It will have to be someone pretty special to deserve
that! Meanwhile, lots of cuddles and love from your buddies in England, Ken and Anne Bardell, and friendly woofs from Henry, Minnie, Toby and
Jamie.”

Local volunteers and Rose’s shelter buddies sent donations of food, treats, dog shampoo, and toys. But it was love showered upon her by shelter
volunteers that gave Rose a sense of well being and restored her trust in humans.

Rose is still looking for an adoptive family to love and take her home. But until that day happens, Rose is safe from the fate most animals meet on the
streets or in regular shelters.
How many dogs need help?

Unfortunately, only one in four dogs stays with his/her first owner. The others are shuffled from owner to owner and some are eventually brought to an
animal shelter.

Animal shelters kill millions of animals each year, but some animals find their way to a “No-Kill” shelter.

These sanctuaries take in as many animals as they can hold. And they need your help!

How can you help?

There are many ways you can help a shelter or “sanctuary”.

1.   Make a small donation. Donations pay for food, vaccinations, treats, basic supplies, and the spaying or neutering of animals.

2.   Volunteer your time. Shelters need volunteers to walk dogs, clean cat boxes, feed the animals, interview potential adoptive families, take cats or
dogs to nursing homes for visits, help low income families with pet supplies, and basic clean up of the shelter.

3.   Become a foster family. Taking care of a needy animal would be a great way to show your mom and dad that you are a responsible person and
would take excellent care of a pet.

4.   Help your school organize an “Animal Outreach” program. You can help educate your community on animal care and the importance of spaying or
neutering your pet.

5.   Fly with an animal to his/her new owner or temporary home. Sometimes an animal finds an adoptive family in another state or a local shelter has
no room so another shelter takes the newcomer. You’ll be a help to the shelter and a comfort to the animal.

6.   Plan a fundraiser. Most shelters have a wish list for donating items. You can either pick-up this list at your local shelter or from their website.

Can you really make a difference?

“Many people believe that in order to make a difference you need a lot of people, but it’s not true,” states Sarah Ponczek, a middle school student in
Florida who collected items for Make a Difference Day and donated them to her local shelter. These items helped save animals’ lives affected by the
Hurricanes.

In a report she wrote about the project she stated, “This task that I completed made a difference in the world. Just by donating one bag of food or
treats could save a couple of dogs’ and cats’ lives. If more than one person donates items to the Humane Society, several animal lives will be saved.”

Sarah ends her report stating, “Now I know how it feels when you help make a difference in the world; helpful, cheerful, excited, and touched. So I will
definitely help make more changes in the world more often!”

It just takes love, compassion, trust, and human time to make all the difference in an animal’s life.

LOOKING TO VOLUNTEER?
by VS Grenier

Many shelters need the help of volunteers to operate.
Here is a list of websites and links. Google--No Kill Animal
Shelters to find more.

Volunteer and feel the rewards.

•   Hearts United for Animals is a “No-Kill” shelter, located
in Nebraska. They do adoptions and rescues in both the
U.S. and Canada. For more information visit: www.hua.org

•   PETS ALIVE is a “No-Kill” animal shelter, located near
New York City. Their mission is to rescue and place
animals in need. For more information visit:
www.petsalive.com

•   American Sanctuary Association exists to assure
accreditation for sanctuaries and that they meet national
standards. You can locate an accredited sanctuary near
you by visiting: www.asaanimalsanctuaries.org

•   Operation Kindness is a “No-Kill” shelter, located in
North Texas. They take in about 150-200 animals. For
more information visit: www.operationkindness.org

•   Best Friends Animal Society, in Southern Utah is home
to about 1,500 dogs, cats, horses, rabbits, and other
animals. For more information visit: www.bestfriends.org

•   Fluffy Net for Pets has a list by state of “No-Kill” animal
shelters. Visit them at: www.fluffynet.com/shelter

•   Pets 911 lists a free network of animal rescue
organizations and services across the country. Visit them
at www.pets911.com

•   Pet’s In Need lists only “No-Kill” shelters throughout the
world. Visit them at: www.webring.com

My sister and I visited a friend in Paris from
5/2-5/8, 2009. The sites of things we've seen
in pictures all of our lives are so beautiful.
The Effile tower is so magnificent, that's the
only description. The Louvre is so full of the
most wonderful art. I love Renaissance art
and I certainly got a fill of it there. I guess the
most mind boggling thing is how large so
many of the paintings are. Mona Lisa still
looks sad but my very fav was Venus 'd Milo.
I can't even begin to describe Versailles. No
wonder there was a revolt. The place is
indescribable. Soooooooooooo beautiful. A
boat trip on the Seine was wonderful. Seeing
Paris from a different view. Notra Dame was
just as you would expect, again, magnificent.
There are not enough different descriptive
words to do Paris justice. Sitting at a sidewalk
cafe, watching the people is so much fun (be
prepared to eat lightly, a hamburger and fries
was $15. We did a tour of the Loire Valley
and visited three chateaus. It's unbelievable
that people lived in such an opulent manner.
But the best, we stayed in a Medieval castle
in the Normandy area that was the
headquarters for Gen Omar Bradley after the
allied invasion. The Count that owned it had
a fantastic museum. The 8th we took a car
trip to Normandy and stayed two days. I cried
quite a bit. A lady in the Museum put her
hand on mine and said "Normandy will never
forget." It was very, very moving. The
cemetery is just beautiful if, you can say that
about a cemetery. Very well kept. The
countryside is so pretty, the hedgerows pretty
massive. Back to Paris on the 9th and to Nice
on the fast train 5.10. The train is so
comfortable and travels 180 mph. The
country side is so pretty. Lots of agriculture.
We were in Nice six days, taking day tours to
Monte Carlo, so picturesque. We saw the
changing of the guard at the palace. Eze, a
Medieval town that overlooks the
Mediterranean. Cannes (we were there for
the first day of the Film Festival), Provance,
and Antibes. The Mediterranean was
unbelievable. We saw so many medieval
villages that were so interesting. The French
were so nice to us, helping us with our bags
when we needed it and generally
accommodating. Our flights both ways were
perfect!!!

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Palace @ Monaco

Omaha Beach, Normandy

Beautiful Mediterranean

Château where they stayed

The Louvre

Effile Tower

Arc de Triumph

Venus 'd Milo

Wandering Pam
Travel the World
with Pamposh Dhar

A Garden Immortalized in Monet's Paintings

Claude Monet’s House and Gardens in Giverny, France

"My garden is my most beautiful masterpiece." – Monet, 19th century French painter

I have long loved Claude Monet’s fabulous impressionist paintings, especially his water lilies, so beautifully displayed at the Musée de l’Orangerie in
Paris. Many of these were painted in Monet’s own gardens in the village of Giverny, where the artist lived and painted for the last 43 years of his life.

Many years ago, I decided I wanted to see the natural beauty of the gardens that Monet himself had planted and tended, and which had then
inspired some of his best work as a painter.

In Paris, I hopped on a train moving towards Rouen – of Rouen Cathedral fame, painted by Monet in his inimitable style – and got off at the small and
picturesque town of Vernon. A short bus-ride along the Seine brought me to Giverny.

I checked into the B&B, dumped my overnight case in a small but beautiful converted loft and rushed off to explore the gardens.

I entered the first garden and a medley of colours hit me. Different kinds of flowers everywhere, vines making arches over the paths. And an elegant
house forming a backdrop to the gardens. I was more or less prepared for the colours, but I hadn’t counted on the fabulous scents of the flowers.

There was more to come, of course, because there is a second garden reached through an underground passage. Across the passage, a Japanese-
style garden bursts upon you in all its glory. This is the part of the garden with the famous lily pond and Japanese bridge, immortalized in many of
Monet’s paintings.

The water in the pond was still, reflecting the surrounding trees so perfectly that you might think they were growing under the water as well as
hanging over it from the land, with the clusters of water lilies suspended in the centre of this mirror image. Fantastic.

The Japanese bridge was full of people. In fact, there were busloads of tourists all along the paths in both parts of the gardens. Many had come
across from England, via Paris, for the day. About half an hour before the garden was to close, the crowds started moving out. Suddenly, I had the
garden to myself – just me and the lilies and the trees and the breeze passing gently over the water and through the trees… Immediately I twigged
that I had to get there early every morning, as soon as the gardens open and leave just before they closed! The day tourists took a while to get in
and had to leave a bit early to make sure they didn’t miss their buses back to Paris.

I spent the next two days in Monet’s house and garden, enjoying especially the half-hours immediately after opening and before closing when I was
queen of the gardens. The sights, scents, the breeze… Oh, so lovely. And the changing light, which Monet has captured so beautifully in his series of
paintings of the same scene at different times of day. (Click here to see photos or leave a comment.)

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HIDDEN
A new treasure in Prague

Beth Elliott

Prague in March meant it was cold and the days were short.
Scurrying from bridge to church to museum to take in all the
glorious monuments, all the famous sights, the last thing I needed
was rain. But the sky darkened and the downpour caught me in a
long, busy street, Jindrisska, as I was making my way from the
Mucha Museum to the Powder Gate.

I only stopped because of the balcony overhead. As shelter from
the rain it wasn't ideal because passing cars threw up a relentless
spray. I shrank closer to the wall, where bricks showed through
the crumbling plaster. Now I was right by the door. Inside I could
just make out a step down and a dark, worn floor. It seemed
gloomy in there, like a cave.

The shop front was drab and unappealing, the display dingy.
That row of soft drinks bottles had stood there for some time.
Their labels had faded. The massive jars of pickled cucumbers
would look more at home in a school Science laboratory.

As I stood there, I was surprised by the number of people going
into the shop. What could be hidden behind such an
unprepossessing façade? When they came out again they
brought a certain fragrance with them. At each sniff I became
more intrigued. It was spicy, smoky, appetisingly savoury. Hunger
stirred.

The next time the door opened I took the plunge - and was
astonished. The dark cave was revealed as a treasure store. An
L shaped counter ran round the back of the shop, topped by a
tall and well-lit glass display window. This was crammed with rosy
hams and pork dishes, set off by green salads jewelled with bright
tomatoes, olives and peppers and tempting arrangements of
exotic pickles.

Loops and garlands of dried sausage hung from the ceiling.
Every variety of salami was festooned there, cascading down in
an aromatic fringe. Next to the cash desk glinting green bottles
were arranged around enormous baskets of crusty rolls.

Three stalwart butchers in white jackets cut and carved, smiled
and served endlessly. The long and patient queue confirmed the
quality of the goods. The shop window display was irrelevant. In
any case, they were obviously too busy to change it.

By the time I reached the counter, my mouth was watering and my
stomach rumbling to taste these Eastern European delights - as
much part of Prague as the monuments and the music. I thanked
the rain for giving me the chance to discover this truly hidden
treasure of the city.

Druk Yul, Land of the Thunder Dragon
Visited 1988, 1992, 1995

By Pamposh Dhar

My first visit to the beautiful mountain nation of Bhutan happened partly by
design and partly by accident. Back in 1988, I had taken two weeks off from
work to travel in Sikkim, in northeastern India; and Bhutan, a small country
nestled in the Himalayas between India and China.

Bhutan and Sikkim share a similar culture, influenced largely by Tibetan
Buddhism. They border each other and the Indian state of West Bengal,
which was the starting point for my trip.

From New Delhi, where I was living at the time, I flew into Bagdogra, a small
town in the verdant tea-growing hills of West Bengal. The Sikkim tourism
office in New Delhi had assured me I could take a helicopter from Bagdogra
airport to the Sikkimese capital at Gangtok.

When I reached Bagdogra, I discovered that the helicopter tours had been
cancelled six months earlier! There was a road link, but a large part of the
road had been swept away in recent heavy rains. I would have to wait “a few
days” for the road to be repaired. Further inquiry revealed that the few days
could well stretch to a week.

I decided instead to take a bus to Phuntsholing, across the border in Bhutan.
I would turn my holiday around, traveling by road to Bhutan for the first week
and then finding my way to Sikkim from Bhutan.

I never did make it to Sikkim. It remains on my travel list. But I found an
unbelievably beautiful Shangri La-like mountain country in Bhutan and couldn’
t tear myself away until I absolutely had to. I returned to Delhi with 50 rupees
on me – and no credit card – on the day my leave ended. Fifty rupees back
then was equivalent to about two dollars.

I missed the last bus to Phuntsholing, but managed to hitch a ride in a
Bhutanese police jeep. I immediately fell in love with the charming little border
town – not knowing what splendours awaited me in the rest of Druk Yul, the
Land of the Thunder Dragon.

I went on to the towns of Thimphu, Paro, and Punakha. I marveled at high
mountains and low valleys; admired the unique architecture of the zhongs,
Buddhist temples and stupas; was driven through treacherous passes and
along partially swept away roads; made friends with the environment minister,
whom I ran into in two of the four towns I visited, and restaurant staff in the
gorgeous hilltop hotel in Paro. Everywhere I went, people befriended me and
showed me immense courtesy as a fellow human being, a guest in their
country, and a foreign woman traveling alone. This last was quite obviously a
novelty in what was then an extremely remote Himalayan country.

Each town I visited was different. Phuntsholing was quite definitely a “border
town.” I doubt it would even have existed as a town if it hadn’t been for the
border. Thimphu, the capital, has a magnificent zhong. Every town in Bhutan
has a zhong, which includes both administrative offices and the largest
Buddhist temple in the town.

In 1988, Thimphu was a town of one a half streets. Rather surprisingly, there
were two good hotels in town. The favored breakfast place of the few
foreigners living in Thimphu was the Swiss Bakery, which was quite a
landmark.

Paro turned out to be a slightly larger town – the only one with an airport.
The town is located in a green valley surrounded by mountains, some above
the snow line. The valleys seem low in Bhutan because the surrounding
mountains are so high, but in fact the valleys are at fairly high altitudes
themselves.

There is invariably a river at the bottom of these gorgeous valleys, named
after the town they run through. The word for river is cchu. The river in
Thimphu is called Thimphuchhu, in Paro Parochhu, and so on. On my
second trip to Bhutan, I visited a town called Ha, near the border with Tibet.
The river here is called – yes, it is – Hachhu. Gesundheit.

But back to Paro and my first trip. Beautiful white peaks, green hills, an eighth
century temple in the valley, rice fields along the hillsides, and not one but
two zhongs. The old zhong has, unusually, a prominent circular tower and is
situated on top of a rock half-way up a mountain. Up in the mountains near
Paro is a fantastic monastery literally clinging to a rock – the Taktshang
Monastery, or "Tiger's Nest."

I had traveled from Phuntsholing to Thimphu by “luxury” mini-bus, with only a
few adventurous moments when we went over a bridge that looked like it
could fall into the ravine below any second. It had obviously been damaged in
the rains. The driver asked all the passengers to get off, but insisted that I,
the honored guest in his country, not sully my feet by actually walking across
the bridge. He was so polite, I couldn’t bring myself to say I’d really rather not
risk going down with him… Needless to say, the bridge held and we survived.

In Thimphu, I had dropped in on a colleague at the United Nations. When he
learned I was planning to go to Paro by bus, he insisted I go in a UN vehicle,
which was going to Paro the same day.

On my way back to Thimphu from Paro, there was no convenient UN vehicle
to hitch a ride from. So I took a local bus. There were novice monks – as
there are everywhere in Bhutan – a peasant with a basket full of (live) hens
and chickens and, generally, an incredible number of people. By the time I
boarded the bus, there was standing room only. Which was fine until I found
myself pushed more than half onto someone’s lap! I apologized but really
couldn’t do anything about it. He was polite and did not seem too bothered.

In Thimphu, I hired a car to take me to Punakha. This town, much lower than
Thimphu and Paro, has a fabulous zhong, situated at the confluence of two
rivers. The zhong has a beautiful temple, with a fabulous view from the top
of it.

http://wanderingpam.blogspot.com

Can it be TOO big?
by F. Jay Robins

I talked to several people who had one to gather their thoughts on
size and how to determine what the best size might be. As you might
imagine some have small one’s, some have medium sized one’s,
some have what most would call large ones and a few have really big
ones. I got lots of opinions on the subject, ranging from the pro’s and
con’s for wide or narrow one’s and for long and short one’s. There
were a lot of good ideas on the smallest details that should be
considered and included when ranking the options and features most
admired. Structure is important since this is probably the most
important feature to keeping it erect for the long term. Probably the
most often repeated phrase that I got from almost everyone is that
“you can’t build them big enough”. I am talking about options for my
new metal building of course. It seems from almost everyone I talked
to that you just keep finding things that need to be secured and
protected from the elements and before you know it the space is too
full to move around in.

So take a look at my new barn which is about ready to load.

So -
Can it be too big? No! I am already wondering if mine is big enough
to get the job done when fully loaded.
.