Being a veterinarian, I was called to examine an ill Irish wolfhound named Balfour. The dog’s owners, Don and Mona, and their little boy, Sean, were very attached to Balfour and were hoping for a miracle.

My examination of Balfour found that he was dying of cancer. I told the family the sad news.
There was no miracle left to save Balfour so I offered to perform the euthanasia procedure for the old dog in their home. As we made arrangements, Don and Mona told me they thought it would be good for their four-year-old son to observe the procedure. They felt as though Sean might glean something positive from the experience.

The next day, I felt the familiar catch in my throat as Balfour’s family surrounded him. Sean seemed calm, petting the old dog for the last time that I questioned if he understood what was about to transpire.

Within a few minutes, Balfour slipped peacefully away. The little boy seemed to accept Balfour’s transition without any difficulty or confusion. We sat together for a while after Balfour’s death, wondering aloud about the fact that animals live such short lives compared to humans.

Sean, who had been listening quietly, piped up, “I know why.”

Startled, we all turned to him. What came out of his mouth next stunned me. I’d never heard a more comforting explanation.

He said, “When people are born they must learn to do what’s right– like loving everybody all the time and being nice, right?” The four-year-old continued, “Well, dogs are born knowing how to love and be kind to others, so they don’t have to stay as long.”

~Submitted by Ellen Goode of Alabama.

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by Farmers Almanac Staff
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©By Deborah S. Tukua
www.hollycreekbooks.com

Melons: Cantaloupe, honeydew and watermelon are a great summer treat and especially appreciated on the hottest of days. Eating melons is a great way to hydrate the body. Melons are nutritious, naturally low in calories, and sweet enough to enjoy freshly sliced.

Selecting the perfect melon doesn’t have to be mystery. Just follow these tips.

Cantaloupe~

Selecting – Should be firm, but not too hard and unbruised. Don’t select a hard green cantaloupe as it was picked too soon. Give it the whiff test. A ripe cantaloupe will have a nice fragrance.

Storing - Ripe cantaloupes should be stored in the refrigerator. If a cantaloupe has no fragrance and is still quite firm, leave on the kitchen counter for a day or two to ripen. Once the cantaloupe is ripe, slice open down the center. Scoop out the seeds with a large spoon and discard. Slice each half into sections, cutting away the rind. Store cubes or slices of cantaloupe in sealed containers in the refrigerator to keep fresh.

Honeydew~

Selecting – A ripe honeydew melon will have a pleasant fragrance at the blossom end. A ripe honeydew will feel heavy for its size and be the color of butter.

Storing – Honeydew melons should be refrigerated. Once the melon has been sliced or cut into chunks, it should be kept in a sealable container in the refrigerator to keep it from drying out.

Watermelon~

Selecting – It is hard to tell if a watermelon is ripe at first glance, but here are a couple of things to look for. A shriveled stem is a sign of ripeness. Look at the underside of the watermelon, the portion that lay on the ground in the field. This part of the watermelon should be light yellow in color. If it is white, the watermelon was probably picked too early.

Storing – Whole watermelons can be kept in the kitchen at room temperature until cut. When cutting a portion of a watermelon at a time, wrap the open end with storage wrap and stand upright in the refrigerator. Sliced watermelon can be served fresh sliced or chilled first. Store sliced or balled watermelon in a sealable container in the refrigerator.

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by Farmers Almanac Staff
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American Agriculture Trivia Quiz #3

©By Deborah S. Tukua
www.hollycreekbooks.com

The questions in this week’s Agricultural Trivia Quiz have to do with dairy cows. See how many of these questions you can answer before looking at the answers.

1. Which President’s mother died after drinking milk from their dairy cow after it had eaten poisonous mushrooms?
2. How many stomachs does a cow have?
3. How much water does a dairy cow drink each day?
4. Name some useful inedible products that milk are used to manufacture.
5. How much time does it take to milk a dairy cow by hand?
6. Which breed of dairy cows has the largest number of cows in this country?
7. About how many hours a day does a cow chew her cud?
8. What is a young female cow called?
9. How old is a cow when she has her first calf?
10. How many teeth does a cow have?
11. How many quarts of milk does a dairy cow give each day?
12. The average dairy cow supplies milk for how many people a year?

Answers:
Abraham Lincoln; 2. four; 3. 35 gallons; 4. plastic, paint and glue; 5. about 20 min.; 6. Holstein; 7. eight; 8.heifer; 9. two years old; 10. 32 teeth; 11. an average of about 22.5 quarts of milk a day; 12. 40 people.

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by Farmers Almanac Staff
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©By Deborah S. Tukua
www.hollycreekbooks.com

Preparing dessert for a large party can be a daunting task, but hosting an ice cream social could turn out to be one of the most fun parties of all, even one the hostess will enjoy, no matter how large the gathering. To give your ice cream social that old fashion flair, use parfait glasses or banana split boats. Another way to add an air of days gone past would be to make your own ice cream in churns.

Whether you serve home churned or commercially made ice cream, assign two strong fellows to do the scooping. The ice cream attendants scoop up a bowl or parfait glass of ice cream as needed. If you’ve chosen an old fashioned theme, dress the servers in armbands and handlebar mustaches.

With a bowl of vanilla ice cream in hand, your guests will move to another table filled with bowls and jars of luscious toppings. There they will dress up their basic vanilla ice cream as they wish.

Here is a sample of ice cream toppings to include on the table:
Nuts, cherries, caramel syrup, m&ms, chocolate syrup, coconut flakes, chocolate chips, blueberry syrup, crushed pineapples, sprinkles, butterscotch chips, diced strawberries, mandarin slices, chopped bananas and sliced peaches.

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by Farmers Almanac Staff
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©By Deborah S. Tukua
www.hollycreekbooks.com

- To determine whether an egg is fresh, place it in a glass of water. A fresh egg will sink in water.

- When pieces of broken eggshell fall into the bowl of eggs, scoop them out with a large piece of eggshell. Works like a magnet!

- To prevent eggs from cracking when hard-boiling, place them in very warm water first and allow to come to a boil slowly.

- Eggshells peel most easily from hard-boiled eggs while they’re still hot. Quickly rinse in cold water first.

- It’s easiest to separate egg yolks from whites when the eggs are cold.

- The easiest way to separate egg yolks from whites is to crack the shell and drop the egg into your palm. Allow the whites to pass through the fingers.

- It takes about seven or eight egg whites to make 1 cup.

- Egg yolks can be kept fresh in the refrigerator for several days when covered with cold water.

Handy egg cooking tips excerpted from Deborah Tukua’s lovely, hardbound book, Pearls of Kitchen Wisdom: Tips, Shortcuts, and Recipes from a Country Home. For more helpful kitchen tips and delicious recipes this book is available at the FATV shop.

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by Farmers Almanac Staff
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©By Deborah S. Tukua
www.hollycreekbooks.com

While some of you just love getting up to your elbows polishing, scrubbing and shining your house from top to bottom there are those of us that need some incentive to do so.

Fortunately, there are many cleaning and dusting chores around the house that only have to be done about once a month. Cleaning once a month sounds manageable, doesn’t it? How about a system to help remind us when its time to do a chore?

Make a list of 28 different, washing, cleaning and dusting chores. Type them out on a sheet of paper leaving spaces between and cut them out. Glue the strips to index cards and place in a recipe box. When making your list, set it up, as you’d like. Do you want to go through the house and clean all overhead light fixtures or ceiling fans on the same day? If you do, then note each room as a separate entry and group them in sequence on your list. If you prefer to work on one entire room before moving into another, (see 1-4 on the sample list below) then list all the chores than need to be done in each room, in sequence on your list. On the 1st week of the month remove at least 7 chores on index cards from the box and accomplish those chores.

Items in the house that aren’t handled daily don’t have to be cleaned or dusted as often. Compile the list according to your household cleaning needs. To help you get started making that list, examples of household chores that can be accomplished once a month include:

1. Wash the mattress cover in master bedroom. (Make a separate entry for each bedroom in the house.)
2. Wash the bedspread and pillow shams in master bedroom. (Make another entry for each bedspread in the house.)
3. Dust the ceiling fan or overhead light fixture in master bedroom.
4. Dust the doorjambs in the master bedroom and bathroom. (Make a list of the rooms in the house that have doorways that need dusting.)
5. Clean the ceiling fans and overhead light fixtures. (Make one entry for each light fixture or ceiling fan in the house.)
6. Dust the top of the TV and computer.
7. Clean the top of the refrigerator.
8. Clean open cupboard or plate shelves.
9. Wash the plates and cups that are displayed openly on the walls or cupboards.
10. Wash the inside of the refrigerator.
11. Feather dust the high places in the house, ledges, corners, etc.

Once a chore is done, return the index card to the recipe box, filing it in the back for next month’s prompting. Remember each week to remove 7 chores from the box and perform them. In four weeks you’ll have them all done and hopefully some time to spare.

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by Farmers Almanac Staff
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©By Deborah S. Tukua
www.hollycreekbooks.com

With the heat index soaring into the triple digits through much of the U.S. those working or playing sports outdoors need to take great precaution against heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Drink water hourly to keep the body hydrated. Starting work earlier in the morning and quitting early in the afternoon is advisable for those laboring in extremely hot temperatures.

Individuals who perspire a lot when working outside in severe hot weather may experience a cramping sensation in their legs, arms or stomach. If cramping occurs while laboring in the heat, it is most likely a sign of heat exhaustion. Heat cramps occur due to a lack of salt in the body. Other signs of heat exhaustion are paleness of skin, weakness, faint feeling and even nausea.

To treat heat exhaustion or heat cramps, follow these steps.

- Stir a teaspoon of salt into a liter of water and drink it. Repeat this once every hour until the cramps stop.
- The individual should sit or lie down in a cool or shaded place and gently massage the cramping areas. Individuals experiencing weakness or nausea as well as leg cramps should lie down with feet raised while someone rubs the legs.

Heat stroke is much more serious but less common than heat exhaustion. How heat stroke differs is that the skin becomes red, hot and dry. A high fever is present and the person will either feel very ill or become unconscious. In this situation, the body temperature must be lowered immediately. Professional medical help is necessary in cases of heat stroke. Move the heat stroke victim to shade and soak him with ice water, if possible and fan him until help arrives or the fever drops.

Taking a few wise precautions can help keep your time outdoors productive. This article is not intended to replace the advice of your medical professionals, especially if other medical conditions exist.

Source: Where There is No Doctor by David Werner.

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by Farmers Almanac Staff
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© By Deborah S. Tukua
Watermelon Pig design By Shelaine Michael
www.hollycreekbooks.com

Two must haves for any outdoor, summer barbecue are watermelon and pork. While this little piggy may not be suited for the barbeque spit, it will look adorable on the picnic table serving balled watermelon and other summer fruits.

Supplies:

1 watermelon with vine stem attached
Carving knife
Melon baller, if desired
1 cherry cut in half
2 limes, cut in halves
2 cloves
Toothpicks

Directions:
1. Place a 10” to 12” watermelon on its side and cut an opening at the top. Remove and save to cut out the ears and nose.
2. Using the top cutaway portion, cut out a 1 ½” round circle to serve as the pig’s snout. For the ears, cut two triangles, both 1” at the base and approx. 1 ¾” tall.
3. Scoop out the insides of the watermelon, using a melon baller. Discard any seeds. Place watermelon balls in a bowl in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
4. Rinse the entire watermelon under running water, inside and out.
5. Leave the natural, dried vine intact to serve as the pig’s tail at the rear.
6. Insert toothpicks through the empty watermelon on the opposite end of the vine just above front center to affix the snout into place on the pig’s face. Position the snout so the pink portion of the circle faces out.
7. Push two dried cloves into the pig’s snout to form the nostrils.
8. Push two toothpicks into the watermelon rind above the snout and over slightly to hold the cherry eyes in place.
9. Push additional toothpicks into the empty watermelon to attach the ears. Place the pink portion of the ears facing the front of the pig and the points of the triangles toward the top.
10. Affix the four lime halves with toothpicks into the watermelon to serve as the feet.
11. Keep refrigerated until ready to use. Add balls of chilled, fresh watermelon to the piggy bank and serve.

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by Farmers Almanac Staff
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©By Deborah S. Tukua,
co-author of Pearls of Garden Wisdom
www.hollycreekbooks.com

Hanging baskets of cascading flora add color, texture and shade to your outdoor living spaces. A row of hanging baskets full of lush fern evokes a feeling of coolness with its cool, green color palate.

Nothing is prettier on a porch than hanging baskets of lovely, healthy, thriving plants and flowers. As with all container plants care must be given to keep the plants from drying out, especially in the summer. Essential care tips for hanging baskets follows.

- Determine how much sun the plants will receive in the area you wish to hang a basket before making your plant selection(s). Baskets hung in the lawn from a shepherd’s hook or post in full sun must contain only plants suited for a full sun exposure. Lantana is a lovely annual that thrives on direct sunlight and will nicely trail over the sides of a hanging basket. It will also attract beautiful moths and butterflies.
- Sun loving plants require at least six hours of sunlight a day.
- Shade plants cannot tolerate the hot afternoon sun but are well suited for an easterly sun exposure on the porch.
- Plants that can handle partial shade or partial sun are perfect for hanging on the edge of the porch where the overhang of the roof lends some protection from the direct heat of the sun.
- Trailing plants well suited for planting around the edges and sides of hanging baskets are fuchsia, ivy, ivy-leaved geranium, lantana, lobelia, dragon wings begonia, petunia, sweet potato vine and verbena.
- Bushy annuals well suited for planting in the center of hanging baskets are begonias, fuchsias, impatiens and geraniums.
- Rotate hanging baskets on the porch daily to keep the plants growing uniformly all around. An easy way to do this is to hang all the baskets with the hooks pointing in the same direction, left. The next day, turn each plant so the basket hooks face right.
- Plant baskets hung in full sun may need watering twice a day in extreme heat.
- Water plants in the morning or evening to avoid quick evaporation.
- To water while hanging, use a watering wand for a gentle, yet thorough soaking.
- To water wire hanging baskets filled with porous materials such as moss, lower the basket into a tub of water and allow to soak. Drain a few minutes before returning basket to its hook.
- Generally, plants should be fed a liquid fertilizer about once every month during the growing season.
- Remove dead blooms and leaves regularly.

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by Farmers Almanac Staff
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© By Deborah S. Tukua
www.hollycreekbooks.com

Getting a restful night’s sleep is a real challenge for many people. Those suffering from serious medical illnesses such as arthritis, anxiety disorder, muscle aches or depression are prone to insomnia. This article will focus on those that have trouble getting to sleep without any apparent medical problem and hopefully offer some successful solutions.

There are things you can do to prepare yourself for sleep each evening and there are things to avoid prior to bedtime as well. Let’s consider the ways you can alter your routine and lifestyle to promote restful sleep without the use of medications.

Things to Avoid Two Hours Prior to Bedtime:
· Avoid stimulating substances and beverages, which include: alcohol, tobacco, caffeinated beverages, cold medicines and nasal decongestants.
· Don’t consume these stimulating foods near bedtime: bacon, ham, chocolate, sausage, wine, cheese and tomatoes which all contain tyramine, a brain stimulant.
· Don’t exercise close to bedtime.
· Avoid eating heavy, late meals and spicy foods.
· Don’t take your work to the bedroom. Your bedroom should be reserved as a place of rest and relaxation.
· Avoid having serious family discussions and activities that are stressful or cause tension just before going to bed.

Promoting Restful Sleep:
· Take a walk or exercise earlier in the day or in the early evening. If you spend most of your time indoors, take the stairs whenever possible. A sedentary lifestyle encourages sleep disorders. Regular exercise improves the quality of your sleep.
· Establish a routine time for going to bed and waking up each day and stick to this healthy habit.
· Foods that are high in trytophan, promote sleep. Consuming turkey, bananas, grapefruit, yogurt, milk, tuna, dates, figs and whole grain crackers and nut butter encourage sleep. These foods are okay to eat close to bedtime.
· Take a warm or hot soak in the bath or hot tub to unwind. Listen to relaxing, soothing music while bathing instead of watching TV.
· Drink herbal teas such as chamomile or catnip to help you relax.
· Read an inspirational article or other uplifting writings such as poetry or the Bible before retiring. Prayer is soothing to the body and soul.
. The elements in your room, a quality and comfortable mattress and pillow will help you sleep well. The room itself should be quiet, dark and cool. Your bedroom should be a haven for rest and relaxation.

Note: If you have trouble getting to sleep or staying asleep regularly instead of on occasion, keep a log of your sleep problems and consult a doctor.

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by Farmers Almanac Staff
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