Photo By audrey_sel via Flicker.

This post is for English Setter, Golden Retriever, or Longhaired German Pointer breeders that are expecting puppies in the spring/summer of 2013.

On the off chance that the Internet may put me in touch with such a person, I was wondering if anyone would be interested in trading a puppy for a professionally made website.

We can work out the specifics, but I’m offering five years of hosting/domain renewal ($370 value), six content updates a year, and the creation of a custom site (5-8 pages, a $1200 value) under the WordPress publishing platform that you can update yourself. Site will be completed before puppy is received. Check out my portfolio here.

In an English setter we are looking for an Orange Belton, Lemon Belton, or Tri-colored Belton similar to the dog in the image, preferably with the Ryman/Old Hemlock look/genetics.

For the Golden we are looking for genetics without cancer and hip issues.

We want a dog that is intelligent, biddable and doesn’t have its prey instinct totally bred out of the line.

We wouldn’t be able to get the pup until May 2013. It will be hunted, but will mostly be a family dog. We would want breeding rights.

Please contact me if you’d be interested in such a trade. Thanks!

Wandering into the kitchen for my morning glass of OJ, I heard the familiar scratch on the door and went over to let the dog in.

He wasn’t there of course. Bear hasn’t been here for almost a week now.

I closed his eyes for the last time Wednesday night after a neighbor pulled up in our driveway to say that he thought he’d hit my dog. As I walked with him down to the road I held out hope that it wasn’t him. Another of my neighbors has a black dog too, and she’s usually the one in the road.

But it was him.

From what we’ve pieced together, he was chasing his nemesis when it happened. A dog in the neighborhood has been running his invisible fence to roam. He’s already killed a couple of our chickens, and Bear had decided that he hated him.

Every time that dog ran by, Bear would hurry him along by racing along the front of our yard. He was always very protective of our family, and in his mind our family included our chickens.

It’s really hard to get used to living in a home without a dog. We’ve lost our protector in a lot of ways. Not a single person came to our home without first being checked out by him. We always knew when a questionable person was around. He’d let us, and the neighbors know. Many suspicious characters (mostly salesmen) have pulled back out of our driveway because of his greetings.

He was ever vigilant at his self-appointed job of watchdog. He’d sit outside scanning the yard for hours, even letting snow collect on his coat in winter. He’d come in when you called him, but reluctantly. He preferred not to leave his post.

Bear was a shelter dog. Mostly black lab and part mutt, he had some major issues when we adopted him. He was terrified by tall men, especially a big guy wearing a hat. He also wouldn’t have anything to do with stairs. We assumed it was from some trauma in his past.

When we went to meet him he acted like he was going to take my head off. It put me off, but my wife must have seen some potential in him, because she talked me into it. I came to be very glad that she had.

He never completely overcame his fear of tall men, but he toned down his response to giving alert warnings without the growling and teeth baring he started with. After a few months of encouragement he would even go downstairs.

Bear became a fixture in our home, showing complete patience with our small kids as they grew into big kids. He excelled at his obedience training, even though he got a very late start. He was a loyal and loving companion and would come and console you if you were feeling down.

He was our constant companion, our guardian and our friend.

It’s not easy to lose your best friend. Sure, you might say he was just a dog. But a dog is no small thing, especially to those who loved him.

I like to think that while I’ve lost a dog, I’ve also gained a spirit protector. I know he will always be around in some way to take care of us. For that I thank him.

I don’t know if heaven exists or not, but if it does, I promise we’ll play fetch again buddy. And if they don’t let dogs in, I don’t want to go.

If you find yourself with honeybees that you’d rather not have, contact me at the link above or call 269-3400-BEE. I will be happy to remove them for you. Don’t wait until summer!

I cover a large area in southwest Michigan. Counties include: Van Buren, Cass, Berrien, Kalamazoo, St. Joseph, Barry, Allegan and Calhoun Counties.

Swarm removal is same day and free.

If the bees have taken up residence in a structure there is a charge ($50-120). Refer to my Bee Removal Services page for more info.

Taste of Bluegrass

Here’s my caveat: You have to give away at least one of your invites (you’ll get some) to someone in a random way. I will pick a random commenter to this post (on tanglewoodhollow.net).

Check out the guidelines for fund raising. And the FAQ.

This tool can make creative projects take off in a big way. One project raised almost a million dollars. I’ve seen some sweet ideas funded. Everything from albums, to books, to restaurant and brewery start-ups. It’s a beautiful thing.

Most people are at a loss to be able to identify any useful connections between arts and sciences. This ignorance is appalling. Arts provide innovations through analogies, models, skills, structures, techniques, methods, and knowledge. Arts don’t just prettify science or make technology more aesthetic; they often make both possible.

That cell phone or PDA you’re carrying? It uses a form of encryption called frequency hopping to ensure your messages can’t easily be intercepted. Frequency hopping was invented by the composer George Antheil in collaboration with the actress Hedy Lamarr. Yeah, really.

via The Art of Scientific and Technological Innovations : Art of Science Learning.

One of the hives failed in a cold snap this February. Last weekend we harvested the honey. We ended up with 2 ½ gallons of honey from one failed colony.

Watch the video to see what the inside of a natural beehive looks like.

Harvesting Honey from Jeremy Marr on Vimeo.

I am on my way to becoming a melissapalynologist. I’ve purchased a microscope and a bit of equipment for cataloging the pollen that is collected by my bees. I hope to be able to identify what flowers they are visiting by examining the morphology of the pollen they bring in. I’ve found several databases so far. If you can recommend any please send me a note.

I hope to eventually create my own database for southwest Michigan. Something that could be useful regardless of your scientific background or lack thereof.

Fun times to come!

Now I’m wondering if I can make a centrifuge into a car’s hub cap…

Monarch butterflies use medicinal plants to treat offspring | Michigan Today

Monarch butterflies appear to use medicinal plants to treat their offspring for disease, research by biologists at the University of Michigan and Emory University shows.”We have shown that some species of milkweed—the larva’s food plants—can redu

ce parasite infection in the monarchs,” said Jaap de Roode, the Emory evolutionary biologist who led the study. “And we have also found that infected female butterflies prefer to lay their eggs on plants that will make their offspring less sick, suggesting that monarchs have evolved the ability to medicate their offspring.”

via Monarch butterflies use medicinal plants to treat offspring | Michigan Today.

Aquaponics is a bio-integrated system that links recirculating aquaculture with hydroponic vegetable, flower, and/or herb production. Recent advances by researchers and growers alike have turned aquaponics into a working model of sustainable food production. This publication provides an introduction to aquaponics with brief profiles of working units around the country. An extensive list of resources points the reader to print and Web-based educational materials for further technical assistance.

via Aquaponics – Integration of Hydroponics with Aquaculture.