Author: Paula Cas

I write fiction, non-fiction, verbiage for all our websites, and have been publishing my fan fiction on my various sites for many years. https://paulacas.com I am a Spiritual Medium and use Tarot cards as one my primary tools in doing readings. For 30 plus years have been doing readings in settings from my living room to truck stops. I tell you what Spirit wants you know for your betterment, not what you think you need to know. I’ve worked on computers since before there was such a creature as Windows. A Mountain Maryland native, but have spent years spent living in Oklahoma, Colorado, Texas, Oregon, California, Nevada, and Arizona. My husband, Oro Cas, and I spent 10 years driving tractor-trailer across the 48 contiguous states. Oro Cas and I produced and hosted Internet Radio shows on BlogTalk Radio, video productions on KDCL Media and Oro Expeditions YouTube Channels.

BLM Transfer Provision in Omnibus Outrages Advocates | Straight from the Horse’s Heart

by Scott Streater, as published on E&E News

“The provision in the latest omnibus bill was requested last year as part of President Obama’s fiscal 2017 budget proposal (Greenwire, Feb. 10, 2016).”

photo by Terry Fitch of Wild Horse Freedom Federation

The omnibus spending package the Senate approved today contains a provision that would make it easier for the Bureau of Land Management to adopt out or transfer wild horses and burros, reducing the growing number of animals under the agency’s care.

But the provision has angered animal rights advocates, who say it contains too many loopholes to protect thousands of wild horses and burros from being slaughtered.

At issue is a section in the omnibus package to fund the federal government through September — originally requested by the Obama administration last year — that would allow the Interior secretary to “transfer excess wild horses or burros” BLM has removed from federal rangelands “to other Federal, State, and local government agencies for use as work animals.”

The provision would authorize the secretary to “make any such transfer immediately upon request” of a government agency, such as the U.S. Border Patrol. The provision includes language stating that the animals cannot be killed or sold or transferred to any entity that would slaughter them “for processing into commercial products.”

But it allows transferred horses and burros to be euthanized “upon the recommendation of a licensed veterinarian, in cases of severe injury, illness, or advanced age.”

It’s that language that has wild horse advocates outraged.

Ginger Kathrens, executive director of the Colorado-based Cloud Foundation, said BLM “has a history of misinforming the public” about issues related to wild horses.

“Couple this with the vague ‘illness’ and ‘advanced age’ language” in the omnibus provision, “and the potential exists for the killing of thousands of horses,” said Kathrens, a member of the BLM National Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board…(CONTINUED)

https://www.eenews.net/eenewspm/2017/05/04/stories/1060054082

Source: BLM Transfer Provision in Omnibus Outrages Advocates | Straight from the Horse’s Heart

Ozark Encyclopedia – B – Buttons – Mountain Man Traditional Healing

Source: Ozark Encyclopedia – B – Buttons – Mountain Man Traditional Healing

Author: MMH

Used in wart buying ceremony – “Some specialists go through a kind of wart-buying ceremony, but no money actually changes hands. You show the man your wart, and he says: ‘Want to sell it?’ You answer ‘Yes, sir.’ Whereupon the wart taker produces a big safety pin with many buttons strung on it. He selects one of these and hands it to you saying: ‘Carry that there button in your pocket till the wart’s gone. Hit’s mine now, ‘cause I done bought an’ paid for it.’” ~Randolph OMF 127

Buttons kept for good luck – “A button received as a gift is always lucky, no matter what the color. Years ago, many an Ozark girl collected buttons from her friends and strung them together into a sort of necklace called a charm string. A charm string not only brought good fortune to the owner but also served as a sort of memory book for women who could not read one button recalled a beloved aunt, another a friend’s wedding, still another a dance or a quilting party or an apple-peelin’ or some other pleasant occasion.” ~Randolph OMF 61

White button for eye troubles – “When a foreign body gets into the eye, just press a big white button against the eyelid and wink repeatedly; the object which is causing the trouble will pass out through one of the holes in the button. Near Day, Missouri, a small boy got some sawdust in his eye. A friend cut a small pearl button off his shirt, washed it carefully, and somehow placed it under the boy’s eyelid. I was told that the poor chap walked about for several minutes, with the big bulge in his eyelid plainly visible. It must have been terribly painful, but he stuck with it until the tears washed the sawdust away.” ~Randolph OMF 139-140

“If you hold a big white button over your eye when something is in it, it will leave through one of the holes.” ~Parler FBA II 2167

In mouth for head pains – “A white bone button, held in the mouth, is recommended for any pain above the tongue, especially headaches and earaches.” ~Randolph OMF 145

Brass button in mouth for earache – “Some mountain folk cure the earache, it is said, by putting a brass button in the patient’s mouth and then unexpectedly discharging a gun behind his back.” ~Randolph OMF 145

“Some people believe you can cure an earache by putting a brass button in your mouth and shoot a gun unexpectedly behind your head.” ~Parler FBA II 2123

Parler, Mary Celestia Folk Beliefs from Arkansas (FBA)

Randolph, Vance Ozark Magic and Folklore (OMF)

Pied Piper – secretsoftheserpent

Source: Pied Piper – secretsoftheserpent

By gserpent

The Pied Piper of Hamelin is an example of just how brilliant the scribes were in preserving history. With Goethe and the Brothers Grimm involved, this myth holds some very astounding secrets. This myth is true, but it didn’t happen in the way that researchers think. It’s time to reveal the secrets of this myth that have been hiding for over 700 years.

The Pied Piper legends came out about the same time as the King Arthur legends. These legends came out when the Crusaders brought back ancient texts from Syria and Jerusalem. The stories of these ancient texts spread through Gaul, Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Scandinavia and Holland. Witty scribes got a hold of these ancient texts and preserved the history in stories of their local. The entire story of King Arthur is the story of the biblical Jesus, but they made him a King in Britain(See King Arthur). The story of the Pied Piper took place in Egypt, but the Germanic scribes placed it in Germany.

The first clue to this story is the Pied Piper shows up in a ‘coat of many colors’. This is the same thing Joseph, son of Jacob, wore in the Old Testament. In Patriarch Pharaohs, I showed that Jacob was the Lower Egyptian Pharaoh Yacobaam. He was kicked out of Egypt, but his son Joseph became a high priest to the Upper Egyptian Pharaoh. This ‘coat of many colors’ is what high priests wore in Egypt. This is telling the people ‘with eyes to see’ and ‘ears to hear’ that this is an Egyptian story. It was this Upper Egyptian bloodline of Joseph’s that was kicked out of Egypt twice. The first was his father Yacobaam(Jacob) and the second was a few generations later. We know this story as the story of Moses and the Israelites.

Using rats and cats is reinforcing that this was a dispute between Upper and Lower Egypt. The Rat Goddess was Tat-Taiut, she was always portrayed wearing a disk with horns and the Uraeus. The disk is the moon and the horns are for Taurus. These were symbols of Upper Egypt. The Uraeus is the cobra symbol of Lower Egypt. She was known as the “Goddess of the two lands”(Upper and Lower Egypt). The cats are symbolizing Bast or Bastet. She was the Cat Goddess of Lower Egypt. The Lower Egyptians were the ones forcing monotheism on everyone in Egypt. They wanted to get rid of all the gods except Aton, the sun. That is why all the cats are dead in this story.

The Piper tells the Mayor he will rid the town of rats for 1,000 florins. The mayor tells him if you get rid of the rats we will happily pay 50,000 florins. In just about every version of this story the Piper is playing a flute or some just say pipe. A piper is a person who plays the bagpipes. In Egypt they had the bagpipes, they just called it a skin bag. The Piper plays his pipes and all the rats follow him. He takes them to the river and the rats are all drowned or swept away by the current. This is confirming that this story is talking about the Moses story in the bible. In the bible the Pharaoh’s army is swept away or drowned. The Piper goes to get his payment and the mayor refuses to pay him the 50,000 florins. The Piper ask for at least the 1,000 florins he wanted. The mayor gives him 50 florins and says be happy you have that. The Piper tells the mayor “you will regret breaking your promise” and he vanishes. The people are not happy with the mayor for breaking his promise, but he exclaims “We saved 50,000 florins”!

The Piper returns that night and plays his pipes. This time only the children follow him out into the streets. The children followed him through forest and to the foot of a mountain. When the Piper came to a dark rock he played his pipes louder and a great door creaked open. The children followed the Piper into the cave. When the last child had entered the cave, the door creaked shut. A great landslide came down the mountain blocking the entrance to the cave forever. Only a little lame boy escaped this fate and he is the one that told the citizens what happened. Remember that word ‘lame’, there is a reason the Brothers Grimm used it in their version of the story.

This is exactly what the ancient texts say happened in Egypt. This is the true story the patriarch religions have been hiding. Upper and Lower Egypt were fighting about religion. The Lower Egyptians wanted one god. The Upper Egyptians said “No, we like all our gods and goddesses thank you”. The Upper Egyptians paid the Lower Egyptians to leave. They agreed on a price, but when it was time for the Lower Egyptians to go, the Upper Egyptians didn’t give them all the money. So the Lower Egyptians went through out Egypt and killed all the Upper Egyptian children. They tore up the Great Pyramid. All the white limestone came down like a land slide. They took the white limestone and used it to build things where they settled. In Judea!!!!!!! This is the story of Moses in the bible!(see Patriarch Pharaohs) Even the Koran says that because they were not paid their full amount of the money, they caused all this death and destruction. This is what the base of religion is built on. If I don’t get my way I will just kill people and destroy things!!! And we wonder why this world is so screwed up!

The name of the Pied Piper is also giving away that it is an Egyptian story. Pied means having various colors, but the scribes like using words that have more than one meaning. If you take the word pied in the mathematical sense, it refers to Pi or 3.14. The Great Pyramid was built using Pi, so this is showing yet again it is a story about Egypt and the Great Pyramid. The word lame can mean ‘crippled or physically disabled’, but it also means ‘a person who is out of touch with modern fads or trends’. The Brothers Grimm used this word for the latter meaning. Modern fad and trends has always been religion. I am the lame boy who is telling you what really happened.

One last thing that was bugging me that I finally found. Why would the scribes put this story in Hamelin? I know it was named after a Royal Saxon family, but a lot of towns were named after royalty. In a book about ancient Egyptian magic, I found that Hame means ‘great carpenters’. Lin is just what it says ‘line of or descendant of’. So Hamelin would be ‘line of the great carpenters’. Carpenters being Masons. It is why they call Jesus a carpenter in the bible.(See His Royal Jesus) Modern Masonry is from Egypt, so this is pointing once again to Egypt.

Lemongrass Benefits to Support Your Health – Crooked Bear Creek Organic Herbs

Source: Lemongrass Benefits to Support Your Health – Crooked Bear Creek Organic Herbs

Lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus) is a perennial herb with a distinct, lemony aroma and flavor. It’s a staple of both Vietnamese and Thai cuisine. Though the plant is native to India, it’s grown all over the world today. Lemongrass is a rich source of nutrients that offer many therapeutic benefits.

Lemongrass Quick Facts
Scientific Names There are over fifty different species of lemongrass including Cymbopogon citratus (ornamental lemongrass), Cymbopogon nardus (Citronella), Cymbopogon flexuosus (Cochin or Malabar grass), and others.
Family Poaceae
Origin India and other Asian countries.
Health Benefits Provides antioxidants, supports the immune system, deters insects and other harmful organisms.
Common Uses Cooking, tea, perfume, cosmetics, medicine, and aromatherapy.
Benefits of Lemongrass

Lemongrass is a source of beneficial phytochemicals and specialized nutrients that support the body’s response to harmful organisms, boost the immune system and promote overall wellness. Although the balance of nutrients may vary slightly from one variety to the next, in general, lemongrass provides antioxidants like isoorientin, orientin, caffeic acid, and chlorogenic acid; all of which help halt the damaging action of free radicals. Caffeic acid, in particular, may neutralize free radical action up to 85%.
1. Supports the Body’s Response to Harmful Organisms

Some of the phytochemicals found in lemongrass are resistant to harmful organisms. Two of which, geraniol and nerol, are effective against a broad spectrum of harmful organisms. Another citral targets candida, specifically.

Lemongrass may also be effective against entire colonies of organisms known as biofilms. A biofilm is a thin, slimy, continuous collection of organisms that adheres to a surface with the help of proteins and sugar. Dental plaque on teeth is a common example of a biofilm.
2. Promotes Normal Immune System Response

Lemongrass encourages a normal, balanced immune system response—not one that’s over reactive and ends up doing more harm than good. In that way, lemongrass may protect healthy cells and help soothe irritated tissue. Lemongrass contains two antioxidants, geraniol, and nerol, that belong to a class of phytochemicals called monoterpenes. These phytochemicals influence the immune response. Citral also affects immune response by discouraging the body from producing cytokines—proteins that cause inflammation. Geraniol and citral also work in tandem to discourage the proliferation of malfunctioning cells and encourage the body to detoxify itself of them.
3. Stomach Protection

Your stomach features a protective lining called the mucosal layer that prevents acidic, gastric juices from damaging the interior of the stomach. It’s not uncommon, however, for alcohol or over-the-counter pain relievers like aspirin to upset this protective layer. According to Brazilian folk medicine, lemongrass essential oil may help protect the mucosal layer of the stomach.
4. Encourages Normal Cardiovascular Health

Lemongrass offers a multi-tier approach for supporting cardiovascular health. First, as a source of antioxidants, lemongrass may disrupt the oxidation of fat in the arteries. Second, the citral in lemongrass helps to relax overstressed blood vessels. And, lastly, although more research is necessary to quantify the effects in humans, the results of some animal studies suggest that lemongrass promotes normal cholesterol levels.
5. Deters Insects

Topical or environmental application of lemongrass essential oil has long been used as a mosquito deterrent. You’re probably familiar with the outdoor citronella candles designed to keep mosquitoes at bay. The citronella in those candles is usually sourced from the Cymbopogon winterianus or Cymbopogon nardus varieties of lemongrass. In fact, the mosquito-deterring effects of lemongrass oil are comparable to many chemical repellants such as DEET.
6. Encourages Restful Sleep

Night owls rejoice! If you struggle falling or staying asleep, lemongrass can help. Studies have found that lemongrass may increase sleep duration, encourage dream remembrance, and promote restful sleep.
Tips for Growing Lemongrass

Lemongrass does best in regions 8-11, but you can still grow it indoors if you live in a colder region. Take a stalk of lemongrass and peel off the dry outer layers and discard. Place the skinned stalks upright in a tall glass or jar. Add about 1-2 inches of water to the jar to cover the base of the stalks. Place in a window or another sunny area to encourage root growth. Change the water frequently—about once a day—over the next month. Delicate roots should sprout from the end of the stalks. Once they reach 2 inches, they’re ready to plant.

To plant, dig a hole either in a container or the ground. Gently fill the space around the lemongrass stalk with soil, being careful not to break the roots. Make sure to keep the soil around the plant well hydrated, but not soaked. In 3-4 months, when the plant is well established, you can start harvesting. Cut fresh stalks as needed for tea or recipes. Keep your lemongrass well pruned to encourage consistent harvests. To store, peel off the tough, dry sheath around the harvested stalks, cut to size, and store in a plastic bag in the freezer until needed.
Using Lemongrass

Lemongrass is available fresh, dried, powdered, or as an essential oil. Your intentions will dictate the best form to select. Fresh lemongrass is best for cooking, extracts are commonly found in supplements, and the essential oil has many aromatherapy applications.
Lemongrass Tea Recipe

Lemongrass tea is an easy and excellent way to add lemongrass to your diet. To make a tea with fresh lemongrass stalk, roughly chop three whole stalks, pour 6 cups of almost-boiling water over the fresh lemongrass, and steep for at least 5 minutes. Add raw honey to taste if you prefer a sweet flavor. You can also use dry stalks if you smash them with a tenderizer first and steep for longer—about 10 minutes.

Ozark Encyclopedia – B – Butternut Tree – Mountain Man Traditional Healing

Author: MMH

Butternut tree – Juglans cinerea

Parts used: bark

Traditional uses: Infusion of bark taken to check bowels. Pills from inner bark used as a cathartic and compound infusion used for toothache. Pills prepared from inner bark and used as a cathartic.

“Butternut is a mild cathartic like rhubarb; it does not constipate and is often used as a habitual laxative, also for dysentery and hypatic congestions. It has been employed as a vermifuge and is recommended for syphilis and old ulcers. The expressed oil of the fruit removes tapeworm. The fruit when halfgrown is made into pickles and when matured is a valuable article of diet. The bark is used for dyeing wool a dark brown colour but is inferior to that of the black walnut for this purpose. It is said to be rubefacient when applied to the skin.” ~Grieve MH

Leaves used to repel insects – “Some Ozark women scatter fresh walnut or butternut leaves about their houses to repel insects…” ~Randolph OMF 68

As a laxative – “The inner bark of the white walnut or butternut is also a popular laxative; most people boil this down to a thick syrupy mess, then thicken it with flour and roll it into pills, which are allowed to dry with a little sugar on the outside.” ~Randolph OMF 97

“…take the juice from the inner bark of a butternut tree and make a laxative.” ~Carter and Krause HRIO

“Take the inner bark of a butternut tree root and boil it in water until about three-fourths of the water has boiled away. Give a teaspoonful for a purgative.” ~Parler FBA II 1906

Carter, Kay & Bonnie Krause Home Remedies of the Illinois Ozarks (HRIO)

Grieve, Margaret A Modern Herbal (MH)

Moerman, Daniel E. Native American Ethnobotany (NAE)

Parler, Mary Celestia Folk Beliefs from Arkansas (FBA)

Randolph, Vance Ozark Magic and Folklore (OMF)

Source: Ozark Encyclopedia – B – Butternut Tree – Mountain Man Traditional Healing

BLM offers whistle stop tour of wild horses imprisoned at Indian Lakes Rd. facility in Fallon, NV | Straight from the Horse’s Heart

Once wild horses at Indian Lakes Rd. facility in Fallon, NV (photo: Debbie Coffey)

Get ready to jump on the wagon for a BLM PR blitz…

Edited Press Release Source: BLM

RENO, Nev. —The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) will host two free public tours of the Indian Lakes Off-Range Wild Horse and Burro Corral in Fallon, Nevada, on Friday, May 12. Tour attendees will be taken as a group by wagon around the facility to learn about it, the animals, and BLM’s Wild Horse and Burro Program.

About a 90-minute drive east of Reno, the corral is located at 5676 Indian Lakes Road, Fallon, and is privately owned and operated. The public tours will begin at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. and each will last about one hour and accommodate up to 20 people. Attendees should wear comfortable shoes and clothes; hats and sunscreen are recommended, and photography is welcome. On-site portable toilets will be available.

Horses at the Indian Lakes facility are made available to the public for adoption or purchase throughout the year at off-site adoption events and through BLM’s Internet Adoption program. For more information on adoption opportunities, visit https://on.doi.gov/2iByqXD.

To register for the tour or to get driving directions to the facility, please contact the BLM at (775) 475-2222.

Source: BLM offers whistle stop tour of wild horses imprisoned at Indian Lakes Rd. facility in Fallon, NV | Straight from the Horse’s Heart

Ozark Encyclopedia – B – Butterfly Weed – Mountain Man Traditional Healing

Author: MMH

Butterfly Weed, Pleurisy Root – Asclepias tuberosa

Parts used: root

Traditional uses: As an antispasmodic and expectorant the root is great for helping to clear chest congestion, hence the name “pleurisy root”. Also good for stomach issues and in remedying diarrhea. It’s sometimes combined with other diaphoretics like sassafras or dittany to reduce fevers. Caution should be taken with this plant as high doses can act as an emetic and purgative. Also, the plant should be harvested responsibly. Since you’re taking the root, only what is needed should be gathered and the rest left to go to seed.

“Antispasmodic, diaphoretic, expectorant, tonic, carminative and mildly cathartic… It possesses a specific action on the lungs, assisting expectoration, subduing inflammation and exerting a general mild tonic effect on the system, making it valuable in all chest complaints. It is of great use in pleurisy, mitigating the pain and relieving the difficulty of breathing, and is also recommended in pulmonary catarrh. It is extensively used in the Southern States in these cases, also in consumption, in doses of from 20 grains to a drachm in a powder, or in the form of a decoction. It has also been used with great advantage in diarrhoea, dysentery and acute and chronic rheumatism, in low typhoid states and in eczema. It is claimed that the drug may be employed with benefit in flatulent colic and indigestion, but in these conditions it is rarely used. In large doses it acts as an emetic and purgative.” ~Grieve MH

*** Cautions: All plant parts toxic in large quantities ***

Used for lung trouble – “A tea made from the roots of butterfly weed (Asclepias), also known as pleurisy root, is used for ‘lung trouble,’ which usually means the late stages of tuberculosis.” ~Randolph OMF 94

“Butterfly roots…is good for pneumonia. Butterfly roots are also known as pleurisy root.” ~Parler FBA III 2868

For nervousness – “A tea made from the roots of the butterfly weed (Asclepias) is supposed to be good for nervousness and restlessness.” ~Randolph OMF 113-114

Butterfly root, Virigina snakeroot, and senega snakeroot for colds – “The juice from butterfly root (Asclepius tuberosa), black snake root (Serpentaria), and Senca root (Polygala senega), mixed together and made into a tea.” ~Parler FBA II 1831

Root used for coughs – “Dig Butterfly root…Boil it in a little water. Drain water off and sweeten a little. This made a good cough syrup for children.” ~Parler FBA II 1965

Used for fevers – “To cure the fever Mrs. Landy’s cure differed from her son’s. She said the best way to cure it was to boil down pleurisy roots…and make a tea out of it and give and adult a dose of 2 tablespoons.” ~Parler FBA II 2206

Root used for measles – “Butterfly root…was used for measles.” ~Parler FBA III 2693

Tea for typhoid – “Butterfly weed…tea will break typhoid fever.” ~Parler FBA III 3483

Grieve, Margaret A Modern Herbal (MH)

Moerman, Daniel E. Native American Ethnobotany (NAE)

Parler, Mary Celestia Folk Beliefs from Arkansas (FBA)

Randolph, Vance Ozark Magic and Folklore (OMF)

Source: Ozark Encyclopedia – B – Butterfly Weed – Mountain Man Traditional Healing

Flowers That Heal – Good Witches Homestead

Source: Flowers That Heal – Good Witches Homestead

Garden flowers offer us more than their beautiful colors and smell; many contain healing properties that have been used for thousands of years. As we begin planning our gardens, we reflect on the relationship between the plants to which we tend and our own bodies.

— Tieraona Low Dog, M.D.

We often conceive of flowers as a dazzling aesthetic addition to our home or garden. We take the time to smell the roses, reveling in their centering scented offerings. Practiced gardeners and hobbyists alike can reap impressive health benefits by way of incorporating medicinal flowers into their gardens. In this way, your garden is both a wondrous green altar, as well as your own personal medicine cabinet.

Trembling with potential energy and encapsulated in a small seed are all the nutrients and structures necessary for the growth of the flower it contains. When provided with the right conditions, a seedling soon flourishes and attracts insects that are beneficial to other plants in a garden. This spring is the perfect time to create a healing ritual around the plants you tend. While you commit to caring for your bountiful blossoms, you can simultaneously tend to the soil that lies within you.

Calendula (Calendula officinalis)

Growth and care: Start with real Calendula officinalis seeds (not one of the many hybrids) in flats or sow directly into the outdoor soil. Enjoying cool temperatures, calendula does well with a layer of mulch which traps moisture for use by this showy flowering annual. It is deer-resistant, non-invasive and the butterflies love it! And by the way, the flowers are edible and will remind you of saffron in both taste and color. They can be used in salads or in cooked dishes.

Medicinal uses: Boasting lasting benefits for oral health, calendula is known to reduce gum inflammation and gingivitis. Teas are soothing to the stomach and can help soothe a sore throat. Calendula flowers are anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial, which is why they have been treasured for centuries for soothing rashes and helping mend wounds. I keep small containers of calendula ointment around the house and up at the barn. It works as well for irritations and scrapes on the chickens and horses, as it does on us!

Harvesting: Harvest calendula as soon as flowers are fully blooming. Pick them in the morning hours on bright sunny day and harvest regularly to encourage flowering. You can use the flowers fresh, as mentioned above, or you can dry the flower heads in a warm, shaded place for use in salves, ointments or teas throughout the year.

California Poppy (Eschscholzia californica)

Growth and care: Native to California, the Golden or California Poppy can be sown directly into the rich soil. Golden poppies prefer full sun and sparse watering. They are annuals in some parts of the country, though our California poppies are perennial here at our ranch. These beautiful flowers are such a beautiful addition to the garden. The flowers are edible and look wonderful in salads.

Medicinal uses: California poppy is one of my favorite herbs for relaxation and relief of minor aches and pains. It is useful anti-inflammatory and antispasmodic, and is a life saver for those nights when I have overdone it in the garden. California poppy helps me fall asleep and stay asleep. It can be used to ease muscle cramps and spasms and soothe anxiety in someone who is feeling overwrought and irritable. It combines nicely with passionflower, valerian, and other relaxants.

Harvesting: The entire plant is used as a medicine, so it is best to harvest it when there are both flowers and the long seedpods present. Take a small spade or shovel and dig straight down in a circle about 8-10 inches from the plant and lift up the root and entire plant. Rinse off any dirt from the roots, chop the root, leaves, stem and flowers into small pieces, put in a mason jar and completely cover with vodka. Steep a few weeks covered, strain, and you have your tincture. I generally use 50-80 drops at night before bed or a few times per day for minor pain.

Echinacea AKA Coneflower (Echinacea Angustifolia, E. purpurea)

Growth and care: Echinacea, also known as coneflower, appreciates well-drained soil in full sun or light shade. These perennials are plants of the open woodlands and prairie and send out deep tap roots that allow them to tolerate periods of low rainfall. They flower throughout the summer. You can scatter seed in the fall or propagate from root cuttings. Echinacea is fabulous in the garden; the butterflies and birds love them!

Medicinal uses: Echinacea is celebrated for its ability to ease colds, sore throats, and respiratory tract infections. I have used the tincture for both my family and patients for more than 35 years. As a matter of fact, many patients told me it was the first herbal medicine that they had ever used that made them really believe that “this stuff works.” Topically, Echinacea is used for cuts and minor abrasions.

Harvesting: You can prune the leaves and flower heads throughout the summer to enhance the health of your plant, as well as encourage blooming. Cut the flowering stem above the node or the place where the leaves/stem emerges from the stalk. The leaves and flower heads can be dried or made into a tincture. Wait for at least two years before harvesting the roots. Harvest in late summer. Sink your spade down about 24 inches from the stalk. Go deep and lean back on the spade to lift the root ball. Take the entire plant. You can dry or tincture the leaves and flowers. Trim some of the roots that you are going to use for medicine, leaving some roots with the crown, so that you can replant it in the garden. Washing the roots that you are going to dry with a good scrub brush. Use a sharp knife to cut the roots into small pieces. These can be set aside in a warm but shaded place for a week to dry and then stored, or you can make a tincture from the fresh roots. (Healthy at Home contains all the information you need for making fresh and dried herb tinctures).

Hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis)

Growth and care: Hyssop is a popular aromatic perennial member of the mint family that displays beautiful purplish blue flowers (or sometimes pink) and boasts a large root system beneath the earth. This is a great flower to plant in your garden to attract pollinators and prefers well-drained soil and partial or full sunlight.

Medicinal uses: Hyssop possesses antiviral properties and promotes the expulsion of mucus from the respiratory system. The use of hyssop flower tea has long been used to ease colds, coughs, and congestion. The tea is quite pleasant and I have found to be a very good expectorant when taken in small doses throughout the day. When diffused, hyssop essential oil is often used to purify the air indoors. Hyssop leaves can be added to soups and salads.

Harvesting: Cut the flowering tops of hyssop. Harvest and dry the herb at the peak of maturity to assure the highest possible potency of active ingredients.

Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia)

Growth and care: Lavender enjoys full sun and well-drained, slightly alkaline soil. This gorgeous and fragrant perennial does not like to be overwatered and will not tolerate excessive moisture. While there are many different types of lavender, I admit that I am very partial to English lavender or L. Angustifolia. You can grow from seeds but cuttings are quicker. Lavender makes a beautiful border in the garden but also does great in pots.

Medicinal uses: Lavender flowers are often put in small cotton bags and put in linen and clothing drawers for their wondrous aroma. You can make an infusion and add it to a bath to soothe itchy skin or help relax before bed. Lavender essential oil touts many impressive benefits and can be used as aromatherapy to ease insomnia, headaches, and anxiety. Topically, diluted lavender essential oil can help ease sunburn, bug bites and mend wounds. I put ¼ cup of dried lavender flowers in 1 cup of honey and let it steep for 2-3 weeks. This lavender honey can be used on minor wounds to help them heal. And it serves double duty when drizzled over Manchego cheese and served with some grapes on a warm summer evening. Delicious!

Harvesting: To harvest, cut the stems just above the first set of leaves, as soon as some of the flowers just begin to open. Bundle your stems together (no thicker than the opening on a soda pop bottle), tie with a string and hang upside down in a cool, dry place for 3-4 weeks.

BLM’s Wild Horse & Burro Program in a Death Spiral | Straight from the Horse’s Heart

Open Letter by Author Terry Farley

“BLM’s wild horse and burro math is statistically bizarre…”

As a journalist, I first interviewed BLM Wild Horse and Burro Program staffers in 1976, shortly after I moved to Nevada. Since then, I’ve followed the program’s death spiral.

Those who say wild horses and burros ruin the range claim there are too many of them, and yet there’s little agreement about how many wild equines remain on America’s public lands.

BLM’s wild horse and burro math is statistically bizarre. Even the National Academy of Sciences, charged by BLM to analyze the program (2013) concluded: “The Wild Horse and Burro Program has not used scientifically rigorous methods to estimate the population sizes of horses and burros …”

NAS warned “continuation of business-as-usual practices will be expensive and unproductive for BLM and the public it serves.” Worse, NAS pointed out that BLM’s lack of science has actually backfired on its stated goal of protecting the range.

BLM’s reaction? Keep paying independent contractors to chase, trap and corral the West’s remaining wild horses and offer $10 million to anyone who found a new means of mustang birth control.

BLM asked for a new method because PZP “didn’t work,” ignoring recent science and BLM personnel who admitted that — counter to instructions – contraceptives are not always kept frozen or even cold in the field.

Can contraception change wild horse band dynamics, cause swelling or abscess at the injection site? Yes, but these impacts must, sadly, be compared to BLM round-ups.

Band dynamics: During round-ups, family bands are shattered, routinely divided into stallions, mares and contractor-determined weanlings. Horses are prey animals. They know safety is with the band and the resulting cacophony and blood of these separations is haunting. Fewer than 2 percent are ever reunited.

Injury: Compare injection site abscess to BLM documentation of a single round-up in which 113 mustangs died. Death from shattered pelvises, broken necks, skulls and spine were sometime attributed to natural causes or pre-existing conditions. Those diagnoses would strain my credulity even if I hadn’t been there.

If you still oppose contraception, please consider this: Proponents of selling wild horses without limitation have made in-roads at BLM and those who’d destroy mustang captives as they stand in government pens have visited the White House.

The extermination of a Western icon is near, and your choice can hasten or slow its approach.

PZP is reversible. Death is final.

Terri Farley

Source: BLM’s Wild Horse & Burro Program in a Death Spiral | Straight from the Horse’s Heart

Euthanasia drug found in dog food « Jon Rappoport’s Blog

By Jon Rappoport

From WebMD (4/28/17): “Party Animal is recalling dog food that tested positive for a pet euthanasia drug…The voluntary recall affects the company’s Cocolicious dog food brand…The affected products include 13-ounce cans of Cocolicious Beef & Turkey dog food (Lot #0136E15204 04, best by July 2019) and 13-ounce cans of Cocolicious Chicken & Beef dog food (Lot #0134E15 237 13, best by August 2019)… Party Animal is working with distributors and retailers to find out if any other beef-flavored foods are still being sold, and if so, to recall them immediately, the company said.”

KDVR (FOX) reports: “Party Animal is recalling two lots of its Cocolicious dog food because it might contain pentobarbital.”

CNN: “Party Animals, a California-based pet food maker, is recalling two lots from its line of Cocolicious dog foods after some cans in Texas tested positive for pentobarbital — a chemical that’s used to euthanize animals. In a statement on its website, Party Animal said a customer in Texas had given Cocolicious samples to a lab and the dog food tested positive for pentobarbital. Party Animal is asking for those test results, and ‘out of an abundance of caution’ is recalling the two lots of dog food sold nationwide. The company is also sending cans of its dog foods to an independent lab for testing.”

How would this drug, used to euthanize animals, find its way into pet food? The suggestion is: the pet food contains meat from previously euthanized animals (not cows).

Concerning a previous recall by another company, Evanger’s, the Detroit Free Press stated: “In researching the supply chain, Evanger’s learned that ‘pentobarbital is very highly controlled, and that, if an animal is euthanized, it is done so by a veterinarian. Once this process has been done, there is absolutely no regulation that requires the certified vet to place any kind of marker on the animal indicating that it has been euthanized and guaranteeing that product from euthanized animals cannot enter the food chain’.”

If this is true, we would be talking about euthanized dogs and cats somehow entering the pet-food manufacturing process—and pet dogs would end up eating dog and cat meat.

Veterinarians are selling euthanized animals to middle men, who in turn supply meat to pet-food manufacturers?

There is another possibility. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) states, on its website: “Approximately 6.5 million companion animals enter U.S. animal shelters nationwide every year… Each year, approximately 1.5 million shelter animals are euthanized (670,000 dogs and 860,000 cats).” Are shelters selling the euthanized animals? Do a few (or more than a few) animals end up in pet food?

Knoji.com states: “Cremation allows for the shelter to burn the bodies of pets. However, not all animal shelters can afford this so many send the bagged bodies of animals to a special part of the city landfill (garbage dump). The third option is not as common as it use[d] to be, and generally not done in the charity run shelters, but more common in city run ‘pounds’ – this is when the bodies are sold to research labs, dissection supply companies, or rendering facilities where they may actually be rendered down and put into pet food.”

“It might surprise some dog owners to know that dog meat has been used in dog food. This practice was relatively common until the late 1990’s. Even today there are no laws preventing man’s best friend from ending up in dog food.”

“Please note the below information on dead dogs being used in dog food is true to the United States but may also occur in Canada and possibly other countries.”

“At some time or another pet food companies realized there was a cheap source of meat available… Dog Meat, and it could be purchased cheaply from animal shelters and the dog pound. These were places where dogs were euthanized weekly and there was always a need to dispose of the bodies. Nobody said anything and there were no laws preventing such from happening.”

“However what started to tip the scales was that the veterinarians who performed the euthanasias at the animal shelters started noticing it was taking more and more drugs to put these animals to sleep. They realized that somehow pets in animal shelters were building up an immunity to the medications used to end their lives. Typically veterinarians are called to shelters every week to euthanize between 10 and 200 animals (or more in larger centers) so this was where they saw the problems develop quite easily.”

“As such several investigations were launched to see how pets were building up immunities to the drugs. The FDA (Food and Drug Administration) launched an investigation. They found that sodium pentobarbital (the drug often used to euthanize pets) passed through the rendering process and ended up in pet food. They admitted finding the drug in some pet foods and stated ‘several retail feeds were confirmed for the presence of phentobarbital which could only have come from euthanized animals.’ Most of these investigations were exposed by television news groups such as Seattle’s King 5, and KMOV in St. Louis, Missouri.”

“What they exposed was something that many people already knew – dead dogs were being used to make dog food. Many animal shelters are government run. These poorly funded shelters found a way of generating extra income and disposing of the animal bodies all at once—Sell them cheaply to a [pet food] rendering plant. You will note your local SPCA probably does not do this.”

This account suggests that the FDA already knows dog meat in dog food is an ongoing problem, and the FDA also knows that euthanized dogs, whose bodies contain the euthanasia drug, are used for dog food. This is not a new discovery or a puzzling problem.

If the FDA is scratching its collective head and trying to solve a mystery, that would be a pose.

It would be like saying, on a human level, “Well, we know several companies have been polluting the water and soil of a town for years, and the chemicals are exceedingly toxic and dangerous, but we’re not sure where the cancer clusters are coming from. Much more investigation is needed.”

It appears we’re looking at a situation where all the parties—government animal shelters, veterinarians, pet food rendering plants, pet food companies, and the FDA—know exactly what’s going on…and say nothing, or pretend surprise when a new case of dogs eating drug-poisoned dog meat shows up.

The FDA is famous for ignoring their own responsibility, when a medical drug they’ve approved, as safe and effective, starts killing people.

Apparently, this same know-nothing attitude applies to pets and the euthanasia drug they’re ingesting.

I wonder how many humans, living on the extreme margins, eating pet food, have succumbed…

Source: Euthanasia drug found in dog food « Jon Rappoport’s Blog