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Things that make you feel good


Ilunga

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I have been chipping away at a giant pile of wood on my property.

At one point I thought I would just burn it where it is but it's too near trees for how big it is. So, for the last few weekends I have been driving my lawn tractor and trailer back and forth with loads of wood from the big pile to burn in my fire pit in the orchard. 

 

Now, this weekend I finally got it small enough to burn the rest in place. Under the heap is a massive old arbutus stump. Stands about 6ft tall and must be at least 8ft in circumference. Before I lit anything, I climbed on top of the stump to notice the centre had a hole. The tree must have been rotten on the inside which is why I imagine the previous owner cut down such a big tree.  

 

I walked above the hole and had a gander. I'm glad I didn't set it on fire...

 

Lying on his back looking up at me, down in the hole of the stump, was a very cute Raccoon. He had on his face a look of ...'I think I'm screwed, you're standing over my only exit.' It looks like such a nice den, the entire stump is hollowed out. He just lay there, his hide out had be found. I think of how much chainsaw work I did around his lair for the last few weeks while he must have been sheltering in place. 

 

I was thinking about building a shed in that area, once I burnt the pile. 

 

Now, I will clean up the area, leave the stump and maybe put a little sign post on top stating 'Rocky's Place'

 

 

 

Animals, taking care of animals makes me feel good. 

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1 hour ago, bishopshodan said:

I have been chipping away at a giant pile of wood on my property.

At one point I thought I would just burn it where it is but it's too near trees for how big it is. So, for the last few weekends I have been driving my lawn tractor and trailer back and forth with loads of wood from the big pile to burn in my fire pit in the orchard. 

 

Now, this weekend I finally got it small enough to burn the rest in place. Under the heap is a massive old arbutus stump. Stands about 6ft tall and must be at least 8ft in circumference. Before I lit anything, I climbed on top of the stump to notice the centre had a hole. The tree must have been rotten on the inside which is why I imagine the previous owner cut down such a big tree.  

 

I walked above the hole and had a gander. I'm glad I didn't set it on fire...

 

Lying on his back looking up at me, down in the hole of the stump, was a very cute Raccoon. He had on his face a look of ...'I think I'm screwed, you're standing over my only exit.' It looks like such a nice den, the entire stump is hollowed out. He just lay there, his hide out had be found. I think of how much chainsaw work I did around his lair for the last few weeks while he must have been sheltering in place. 

 

I was thinking about building a shed in that area, once I burnt the pile. 

 

Now, I will clean up the area, leave the stump and maybe put a little sign post on top stating 'Rocky's Place'

 

 

 

Animals, taking care of animals makes me feel good. 


I like animals as much as the next guy but…

 

Last fall my front lawn was probably in the top 1/3 of nice lawns in the neighborhood but is now the single worst and looks like Russia has de-nazified it. Completely destroyed by raccoons digging up the turf in search of my massive crop of succulent lawn grubs. Now beyond repair I’m faced with at least a week of hard labour to tear the rest of the sod out, do a bunch of levelling, bring in new topsoil, and seed or re-sod.

 

Racoons (and grubs) no longer make me feel good!

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5 minutes ago, 4petesake said:


I like animals as much as the next guy but…

 

Last fall my front lawn was probably in the top 1/3 of nice lawns in the neighborhood but is now the single worst and looks like Russia has de-nazified it. Completely destroyed by raccoons digging up the turf in search of my massive crop of succulent lawn grubs. Now beyond repair I’m faced with at least a week of hard labour to tear the rest of the sod out, do a bunch of levelling, bring in new topsoil, and seed or re-sod.

 

Racoons (and grubs) no longer make me feel good!

That's what you get for being so pretty.

 

I have one area where my lawns are nice. I fenced about 1/4 acre with some fruit trees. Keeps the deer out and a place that my dog can run....without chasing said deer. Lawn in there has been doing great.

 

Until lately.

My dog has taken to doing a little dig every time she does her herding run.

She's a healer cross with lots of energy. I throw a stick and she turns it to a whole performance, including digging.

 

Moral?

Even domesticated fur babies can be the enemy. 

 

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On 5/6/2022 at 5:28 AM, Mj2345 said:

Nice weather makes me feel good…something we haven’t had much of this Spring so far..

There are a few reasons for this.

 

https://www.tricitymed.org/2018/08/5-ways-the-sun-impacts-your-mental-and-physical-health/

 

Here is an article that delves a little bit deeper into the science 

 

https://www.pbsnc.org/blogs/science/sunlight-happiness-link/

 

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Fresh flowers; 

Afternoon walks in the sun; 

Walks on nature trails and along the water, as well as checking out cute little shops in the neighborhood; 

Nice warm weather; 

My sweet precious cat - George; and

A nice clean apartment. 

 

It's been a nice day here is Seattle. Enjoyed an afternoon walk while checking out the cute little shops in the neighborhood. 

Edited by brilac
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Some good news regarding Alzheimer's and Autism research:

https://www.msn.com/en-ca/health/medical/mechanism-of-gene-mutations-linked-to-autism-alzheimer-s-found-by-tau/ar-AAXCHUB?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=U531&cvid=942fd3faf1714971bf8f9adc8140e544

Amechanism that causes autism, schizophrenia, Alzheimer’s and other conditions and is shared by mutations in the genes ADNP and SHANK3 has been unraveled by Tel Aviv University researchers who developed an experimental drug they found to be effective in animal models.

 

The drug could also be suitable for treating a range of rare syndromes that impair brain functions, said the scientists. The researchers were led by Prof. Illana Gozes from the Department of Human Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry at TAU’s Sackler Faculty of Medicine and the Sagol School of Neuroscience. The experimental drug, called Davunetide, had previously been developed in her lab.

The paper, which the team called a “scientific breakthrough,” was published in the scientific journal Molecular Psychiatry under the title “SH3- and actin-binding domains connect ADNP and SHANK3, revealing a fundamental shared mechanism underlying autism.”

“Some cases of autism are caused by mutations in various genes,” Gozes said. “Today we know of more than 100 genetic syndromes associated with autism, 10 of which are considered relatively common, though still extremely rare. In our lab, we focus mainly on one of these – the ADNP syndrome [activity-dependent neuroprotective protein] – caused by mutations in the ADNP gene, a condition that causes a wide variety of signs and symptoms. Its hallmark features are intellectual disability and autism spectrum disorder, which is characterized by impaired communication and social interaction.”

“Today we know of more than 100 genetic syndromes associated with autism, 10 of which are considered relatively common, though still extremely rare.”

Prof. Illana Gozes

The mutations disrupt the function of the ADNP protein, leading to structural defects in the skeleton of neurons in the brain. These two mutations are thought to be responsible for thousands of cases of autism around the world.

The chronic, debilitating form of autism called ADNP syndrome affects about 3,000 to 5,000 patients around the world ages one to 17 years. Davunetide is patented, safe, non-toxic and has already been tested in more than 300 adult patients.

 

As there is no treatment for ADNP Syndrome, the experimental drug was recognized by the US Food and Drug Administration as an “orphan drug” and a “rare pediatric drug” for future treatment of the developmental syndrome. It is protected by patents through Ramot, TAU’s technology transfer company, and exclusively licensed to ATED Therapeutics Ltd.

To begin, the researchers obtained cells from patients with ADNP syndrome. They discovered that when the ADNP protein is defective, neurons with faulty skeletons (microtubules) are formed, impairing brain functions. They also found, however, that ADNP mutations take different forms, some of which cause less damage.

Gozes, who is also director of the Adams Super Center for Brain Studies at TAU, said she and her team discovered that in some mutations, a section added to the protein protects it and reduces the damage by connecting to a control site of the neuron’s skeletal system.

“We know that this same control site is found on SHANK3 – a much-studied protein that has mutations associated with autism and schizophrenia,” she explained. “We concluded that the ability to bond with SHANK3 and other similar proteins provides some protection against the mutation’s damaging effects.”

At the next stage of the study, the researchers found additional sites on the ADNP protein that can bond with SHANK3 and similar proteins. One of these sites is located on NAP, a section of ADNP that was developed into Davunetide in her lab. The researchers also showed that extended treatment with their drug significantly improved the behavior of model animals with autism that was caused by SHANK3.

“In previous studies, we showed that Davunetide is effective for treating ADNP syndrome models,” concluded Gozes. “The new study has led us to believe that it may also be effective in the case of Phelan McDermid syndrome, which is caused by a mutation in SHANK3, as well as other syndromes that cause autism through the same mechanism.”

 

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Wasn't sure where to post a video of a breastfeeding mother rescuing her pet goose from an eagle attack.

 

So I posted it here.

 

(And note how fast the goose get his butt away from danger once he's rescued.) 

 

 

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