Easy Like Sunday Morning

Well friends, after what seemed like a terribly long four day week, today my weekend officially starts. The pets have been fed, the dog has been walked, and the coffee is hot. I look forward to the day that I start every day just like this, working from my home office and feeling as relaxed as a Lionel Richie song. It doesn't hurt either that the rest of the house is still sleeping.

Another reason this day seems so pleasant, I am working on my new computer my wife bought me. I think now my book "The Omars," will finally get finished. Writing had become such a chore on my old laptop that I was starting to dread getting started. Not any more, this new one is very fast and has enough memory to run NASA I think. Well, maybe not that much, but you get the picture.

For all my friends and followers that read my different articles and blogs, I thank you very much. Without readers a writer is nothing. My writings to me are like little boats sent out onto the sea; some float high and proudly while others flounder, wallow, and eventually sink. Whatever the case, I thank each of you for taking the time and interest to read my stuff. You are all much appreciated.
Lowell Henderson
lowellhenderson65@yahoo.com

It was a day that changed lives forever.

Four years ago today, Alabama like much of the southeastern states was hit by a terrible tornado outbreak. It was a day that changed lives forever. This outbreak gave people that usually were not too bothered by storms a whole new respect for Mother Nature. These storms which were extremely powerful happen during the daylight hours giving many a first time, first hand, look at what tornadoes can do. The generation before us could tell you exactly where they were when President Kennedy was shot. Unfortunately for many, the storms of 2011 carried the same kind of significance.

People are more weather alert now that at any other time in history. Thanks to the internet we have access to radar on our phones at any time, day or night, and most people know how to read them. Had the same storm system passed through this area 20 years ago the death toll I’m afraid would have been much higher. Technology is definitely saving lives.

Using Cullman Alabama as an example, it will simply never look or feel the same again. Each time I ride out 278 east, I get a sick feeling in my stomach as I look at the landscape that was once so beautiful and now looks so barren. Landmarks that defined our town were destroyed and are forever gone. But, with every tragedy that occurs there is always a bright side if you look hard enough for it. The people of Cullman County, Alabama and the rest of the southeast pulled together that day. There was no prejudice, no black or white, and no rich or poor, only people helping people. That day, April 27, 2011, we were all reminded how precious life really is and how fast it can be taken from us. It would do us all good to remember and reflect on that day often and keep that same spirit in our hearts.

                                                                                  Lowell Henderson

 

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Our Phobias and Greed are Destroying the Planet

Every spring here in Alabama the weather warms and the plants and wildlife burst forth full speed ahead. It’s a beautiful time to live here for sure. It’s also a time I look forward to and dread at the same time. I guess you can say spring is a bittersweet time for me.

It is true that I love the warm weather. I enjoy fishing and riding my motorcycle without layer upon layer of clothing. But, along with the joys of spring, come the stories and pictures of snakes, fish, and other animals killed for no good reason.

Already this year I have read the comment “the only good snake is a dead snake,” many times. The ignorance doesn’t stop there. Many fishermen I know often catch turtles by accident, kill them and drop them back into the water. Drum, Carp, and Gar are considered trash fish by most in our area and often suffer the same fate. Either that or they are simply thrown up on the bank and left to die. What a waste. These fish are highly sought after in other parts of the world and considered tremendous sport as gamefish. Carp, Gar, and turtles are thought to be a delicacy and provide food to millions.

All across the world many species of plants and animals are going extinct because of the ignorance of humans. We consider ourselves the most intelligent species on the planet, but we don’t always act like it. There are less than 60 Javan Rhinoceroses left. These magnificent beasts are being poached for a single horn. 

The Cross River Gorilla is hunted for meat and being crowded out by human development. There are fewer than 600 of these left in the world. There are about 600 Sumatran Tigers left. Only around 100 of these still live free and in the wild. They are hunted for their skins.

The beautiful lovable looking Giant Panda is also being lost to due to human encroachment. These stories are sad and heartbreaking. They are also only a small number of the ones I found while doing research.

Every plant and animal on this earth is special and has a purpose. Each plays an individual part in our delicate ecosystem. When nature selects a species for extinction it is sad. When humans kill off a species before their time it is a tragedy.

I fully understand people have phobias and are afraid of certain animals, bugs, and even certain plants. Does this give us the right to exterminate certain species simply because we don’t like them or are afraid of them…I don’t think so. I have been fascinated by snakes since I was very young so I will use them to help tie all this together and wind this blog up.

Most people classify snakes as either good are bad. This is usually determined by whether they are venomous or not. People with a snake phobia simply say they are all bad. No matter how you see snakes they are all part of the great big food chain. If by chance we removed all snakes the food chain would soon become completely out of balance. We would be overrun by rats, mice, and some insects in a very short time. These pests would infest our homes, ruin food supplies, and spread diseases. The hawks, foxes, and other animals that prey on these pests wouldn’t be enough to keep them in check.

Best advice in dealing with unwanted wildlife is to leave them alone. Most likely they will just go away. If you have a wild animal that is a nuisance, call someone with experience and have it relocated somewhere safe for it and other humans. Killing is not the answer to everything. God put animals on this earth and yes he did give us dominion over them, I don’t think he meant for us to kill any of his creatures just because we don’t like them.

                                                                                 Lowell Henderson