Animals

If Noah had lived in the United States today the story may have gone something like this:

-- Author unknown

"It is always more blessed to give than to receive."

 -- Author unknown

Do you know the legend of the Cherokee Indian youth's rite of Passage?

His father takes him into the forest, blindfolds him and leaves him alone.

He is required to sit on a stump the whole night and not remove the blindfold until the rays of the morning sun shine through it.

He cannot cry out for help to anyone.

Once he survives the night, he is a MAN.
He cannot tell the other boys of this experience, because each lad must come into manhood on his own.

-- By a 6-year-old

Being a veterinarian, I had been called to examine a ten-year-old Irish Wolfhound named Belker. The dog's owners, Ron, his wife Lisa, and their little boy Shane, were all very attached to Belker, and they were hoping for a miracle.

I examined Belker and found he was dying of cancer. I told the family we couldn't do anything for Belker, and offered to perform the euthanasia procedure for the old dog in their home.

As we made arrangements, Ron and Lisa told me they thought it would be good for six-year-old Shane to observe the procedure. They felt as though Shane might learn something from the experience.

HOW  TO STAY YOUNG

1. Throw out nonessential numbers. This  includes age, weight and height. Let the doctors worry about them. That  is why you pay 'them.'

2. Keep  only cheerful friends. The  grouches pull you down.

3. Keep  learning. Learn more  about the computer, crafts, gardening, whatever. Never let the brain  idle. 'An idle mind is the devil's workshop.'

4. Enjoy  the simple things. 

5. Laugh often, long  and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath.

-- By Tom Reilly

The nest of young eagles hung on every word as the Master Eagle described his exploits. This was an important day for the eaglets. They were preparing for their first solo flight from the nest. It was the confidence builder many of them needed to fulfill their destiny.

"How far can I travel?" asked one of the eaglets.ÔÇ¿

"How far can you see?" responded the Master Eagle.

ÔÇ¿"How high can I fly?" quizzed the young eaglet.

ÔÇ¿"How far can you stretch your wings?" asked the old eagle.

ÔÇ¿"How long can I fly?" the eaglet persisted.

ÔÇ¿"How far is the horizon?" the mentor rebounded.ÔÇ¿

"How much should I dream?" asked the eaglet.ÔÇ¿

-- By Bill McCartney

We jog, run, camp, fish, and build furniture. But, do we ever cross the line?

I'm Bill McCartney... It's 4th and Goal!

I know men who can take raw wood and a few nails and create a family heirloom. And then there are those of us who can listen to a sputtering engine and pinpoint the problem without even popping the hood. Other guys fly fish or fry up a gourmet meal.

Some of us are music lovers, avid readers and huge pet fans. These interests help fulfill us, but sometimes we can get caught up filling our days... and evenings... and weekends... pursuing activities that leave our families in the dust.

-- By Author Unknown

A group of frogs were traveling through the woods, and two of them fell into a deep pit. All the other frogs gathered around the pit. When they saw how deep the pit was, they told the two frogs that they were as good as dead.

The two frogs ignored the comments and tried to jump up out of the pit with all of their might. The other frogs kept telling them to stop, that they were as good as dead. Finally, one of the frogs took heed to what the other frogs were saying and gave up. He fell down and died.

NAIROBI (AFP) – A baby hippopotamus that survived the tsunami waves on the Kenyan coast has formed a strong bond with a giant male century-old tortoise, in an animal facility in the port city of Mombassa, officials said. The hippopotamus, nicknamed Owen, and weighing about 300 kilograms (650 pounds), was …