AllThingsForTheWin

A member of the Thrush family, the Western Bluebird or Rocky Mountain Bluebird can be seen in open meadows near trees, sagebrush prairies, pinyon-juniper woods as well as mountainous areas and Alpine zones above the treeline; in the vicinity of the Rocky Mountains of North America. Continue reading for photos, facts and footage of the beautiful Rocky Mountain Bluebird or Sialia currucoides.

The Rocky Mountain Bluebird often forages by perching or hovering and then darts out to catch flying insects once their prey has been spotted. Beetles, grasshoppers and caterpillars are also free game. In wintertime they forage for wild berries such as juniper berries, mistletoe, hack berries or anything else they can find. If you have ever caught a glimpse of one of these birds fluttering around, it is like a small piece of the most beautiful blue sky. The female pictured above is modestly dressed, while the male of the species is somewhat more decorated with more blue on it’s breast and darker blues on it’s back seen here:

The Rocky Mountain Bluebird dwells in high elevations during the summer months where insects are plentiful. They nest in empty hollows and crevices among trees, rocks, buildings or cliffs. Then as the weather begins to change, these breathtaking birds assume a slow, nomadic migration from high elevations down to the lower areas near the Rocky Mountains in search of better foraging grounds.

There are a few ways to attract these birds to visit your yard on their yearly migration routes. One way is to grow a garden, including some of their favorite berries mentioned above, so that they have a place to forage for food during winter months. Although apparently not everything they find is worth swallowing. I captured footage of several of these birds coughing up and spitting out tidbits of food here and there. However it seems like they are getting enough nutrition to keep them going. To show you that footage, I have made a short video on YouTube which you can watch here if you would like:

Another way to attract bluebirds is to install a birdhouse that is the correct size for the birds you wish to attract. You can purchase a kit and build your own or they also come fully assembled. To see these birdhouses for yourself and check out the current pricing, just follow this link to Western Mountain Bluebird Houses on Amazon – also for more in depth information about attracting Bluebirds, there is The Bluebird Book: A Complete Guide To Attracting Bluebirds also on Amazon.
These birds mate and raise young twice per year, having broods of between four and eight chicks at a time, usually during the spring months when they return to higher elevations.
If you live near the Rocky Mountains keep an eye out for these striking blue creatures of nature and let me know in the comments section if you have seen one – I really appreciate your interest in this segment; the internet and I would like to know what you think about it.

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nature

Ascaris Round Worms – Horse Worms

January 3, 2018October 18, 2018 AllThingsForTheWin

Do you suspect that your horses may have worms? Here are a few Ascaris Worm Facts: Parascaris equorum, also known as Horse Worms, are a type of Giant Roundworm which resides within affected horses. This article covers how they live and spread and symptoms to look for in horses – plus easy and cost effective treatment of affected animals.

Ascarids are one type of parasitic nematode worms. Also known as giant round worms, they affect the intestinal tract of vertebrates all over the world and can wreak havoc on livestock animals such as horses. Let’s examine the lifecycle, dangers and treatments of ascerids.

This jar of parasites is on display at my local veterinarian clinic. They came from one of the horses here in rural North America, where parasites can be a real problem. Ascerids usually trouble young horses whose immune system’s are not yet fully developed. They can lead to weakness, depression, stunted growth and potentially fatal colic.

Most ascerids are host specific, meaning that they will grow into adulthood and reproduce in only one single type of host animal. These equine ascerids known as parascaris equorum, occur in horses, donkeys and zebras but are not capable of infecting dogs pigs or humans for instance.

Equine ascaris are usually the size of a pencil, but the females can get much larger – up to 14 inches long. Healthy female ascerids can lay hundreds of thousands of eggs per day. These eggs are passed on into the open and can lay dormant in manure for up to ten years or longer, until they are picked up by other grazing horses. Adult equine ascarids usually reside in the small intestine, however freshly hatched larva will invade the gut wall and travel to the liver via the lymphatic system.

Then after about a week they will molt, reaching the next larval stage, when they migrate to the lungs, traveling through the bloodstream.

From there they are coughed up and swallowed, returning once again to the small intestine, where they can mature into adults, mate and begin laying eggs – typically within just 10 weeks from being ingested. It is common for adult horses to develop an immunity to ascarids; so they are more of a problem with young horses.

If your horse is under 2 years of age, keep an eye out for symptoms such as weight loss, poor growth, lethargy, a rough hair coat, coughing, nasal discharge, pot-bellied appearance and/or colic. This problem can be taken care of with an oral worming treatment by your local veterinarian; also available online if you prefer to take care of it yourself. I will post a link to oral worming treatments if you would like to compare prices on the best horse worming medicines available. Check the link below…

– Here is a link for you to compare the best prices for horse wormer medicine on Amazon: safe-guard horse dewormer on Amazon

This article is also available in a video format on YouTube here:

As far as long term prevention is concerned, it would seem like a good idea to clean up and remove any old manure from the your horse’s living area when possible. We have all seen horses nibble on road apples when they get bored, and that is where the eggs would be picked up. I hope that this has been helpful and informative for my fellow equestrians out there.

Please feel free to leave a comment below, I really appreciate your interest in this segment; the internet and I would like to know what you think about it.

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Gardening

Propagating Raspberries and other Perennials

December 21, 2017February 21, 2019 AllThingsForTheWin

Every year I dig, divide and store my raspberry canes and other perennial garden plants, over the winter, in order to make more plants in the spring; Expanding the garden, and having enough to share, sell, or whatever I like. Why do I think it’s a good idea to dig them in the fall? Because digging up and transplanting raspberry plants in the spring seems to cause them stress; many of my trans-plantings have failed this way (about 90%).

So I harvest my canes in the fall and store them in a cool, humid environment. This gives them time to recover from being divided, and gives them a chance to grow roots and shoots. It basically gives them a better chance to get a head start, before they are transplanted and called upon to perform. This next image shows bare root raspberry canes which have been stored over the winter. Notice the white growth around the roots. If you dig and divide your plants in the spring, they will have to grow these white roots before they can proceed with leaves, and may be set back or die under the stress.

Here is the process that I use: first trim the Canes and remove the leaves, then dig up the roots, being careful not to damage them. You can remove the soil by pounding the clod until it breaks away, then separate the canes by pulling them apart or by cutting them apart. Each cane should have a section of roots and large roots can also be kept. Roots will grow their own cane.

Wrap the roots in a moist towel and store in a partially breathable bag for the winter. I use a dog food bag and store my roots in my cellar. You could keep them in a refrigerator or in a cool dark room. Just be sure to check them and don’t let them get too dry. On the other hand, don’t get them too wet either. Too much moisture will promote mold, slime and decay. I like to stay at about 50% humidity – you can achieve this by using a dog food or bird seed bag, folding the bag over on top, allowing a little bit of space for the roots and canes to breathe.

Five months later my stored roots have growth protuberances which is a great sign that they are alive and ready to grow. I dig a few holes in the backyard, water them in and plant my best canes. And there you have it: more raspberries than I could want. Below is the full video demonstration on youtube:

Get your Heritage Raspberry Seeds while supplies last and compare the best prices on Amazon here: Heritage Raspberry Seeds

Also available on youtube is a quick, full video demonstration of Rhubard Propagation:

It’s a lot easier than you think, just watch and see…

Get your Heirloom Rhubarb Seeds while supplies last and compare the best prices on Amazon here: Victoria Rhubard Seeds

And another quick full video demonstration on How to Propagate Comfrey on youtube:

Comfrey Seeds are hard to come by, but you can get started with the best Live Comfrey Roots and compare prices on Amazon here: Live Comfrey Root

Please feel free to leave a comment, I really appreciate your interest in this segment; the internet and I would like to know what you think about it.

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Spirituality

How To Raise Kundalini – Chakra Cleansing

December 18, 2017January 16, 2018 AllThingsForTheWin

When you Balance your Chakras, Kundalini Energy is able to flow freely. So what happens next? First of all, what is Kundalini and this talk about balancing Chakras?

Kundalini is a powerful spiritual energy believed to be located near the base of the spine. When Kundalini is raised, one Chakra at a time from the base of the Spine, all the way up to the top of the head, it can unlock miraculous human potentials and release your hidden genius. When you nurture your Energetic Spirit with Kundalini Energy, miracles can become commonplace, luck is on your side, and a mystical light glows within you. You can become Divinity.

This legendary energy can be awakened by cleansing your Chakras, one at a time, allowing them to open and let pure cosmic energy flow through you -connecting you to your higher self. Otherwise known as an awakening.

Each Chakra requires its own specific strategy to open the Chakra and clear the way for Kundalini energy to flow naturally and permanently. Stay with me here, as I explain what causes each Chakra to become blocked and how to cleanse and open each individual Chakra. Please be sure you are in good physical, spiritual and mental health before attempting to perform any of the techniques in this post.

Opening a random Chakra won’t do much good if there is no energy flowing to it. Kundalini energy lies waiting at the base of your spine in the Base chakra so that is where we need to start, to get that energy awakening.

The Base Chakra or Root Chakra is associated with primal energy and relates to your most basic survival needs. This Chakra can become blocked by fear. Energy becomes blocked in Chakras just like water in a stream can become blocked by debris. You must let go of your fears and allow them to flow downstream. What keeps most people down in life is that we are holding on to traumatizing emotional events. Everyone does it; after all it’s only natural to hold on to things. That is how we learn and grow. You can let go by identifying your fears and deciding to let go. It’s as simple as that: We are in control of our status if we want to be. Once your Base Chakra is clear, Kundalini will rise to the Sacral Chakra.

The Sacral Chakra is our energetic center of passion and pleasure and it can become blocked by guilt. If you, like many others, are holding on to some kind of guilt from sometime in your life, you will need to identify what event may have caused this guilt and forgive yourself. Life happens – and along the way we do our best. It’s time to forgive yourself and let go of your guilt so that it can flow downstream. Meditate on this if you need to, but know that it will be pointless to move on to the next Chakra if the previous ones remain blocked. Once your Sacral Chakra is clear and open, Kundalini will rise to the Solar Plexus Chakra.

The Solar Plexus Chakra is the center of willpower, confidence and self-discipline. This Chakra can become blocked by shame. Have you ever felt ashamed of something you have done? This shame can block your confidence and willpower. The path to cleansing this Chakra is acceptance. Accept yourself for who you are; accept yourself as you are and Kundalini will rise up to your Heart Chakra.

The Heart Chakra is our center of pure love. The Heart Chakra is the central Chakra out of our seven chakras. A unifying Chakra and a center of healing. This Chakra can become blocked by grief. Grief and loss can be tough to deal with and letting go of grief can take time. Keep in mind that love eventually heals all wounds; let love heal your grief and move on. If you succeed in letting go of grief, then Kundalini will be allowed to rise up even further to the Throat Chakra.
The Throat Chakra is the center of truth and can be blocked by lies. Whether we lie to ourselves or to others, it is a sure way to block your energy. If we accept ourselves then there are no need for lies. Positive affirmations of acceptance can be very useful for cleansing the Throat Chakra. Speak the truth and your Kundalini will rise to your Third Eye.

The Third Eye Chakra is our energetic center of deep insight. An open Third Eye Chakra can give us access to inner guidance and extra-sensory perception. This Chakra is blocked by illusion. It’s been said by many that reality is an illusion. Many have said that, because many have seen the truth: Reality is an illusion. We live in a
reality of separation, where we exist in a world as a complete unit, apart from everything else. Reality, according to those who have seen it, is that everything is connected. Not only is everything connected; everything is all one and the same. We are all part of one singular consciousness. We are all each other – we are everything. Realizing the true nature of reality will cleanse your third eye and safely open it for good. – More information on Opening Your Third Eye (blog post). Finally your Kundalini can rise up to the Seventh Chakra on the top of your head: The Crown Chakra.

The Crown Chakra is the energetic center of thought and is related to pure cosmic energy. The Crown Chakra is blocked by earthly attachments. If you wish to raise Kundalini fully and allow pure cosmic energy to flow through you, putting you in touch with your eternal self; then you must let go of your earthly attachments. This doesn’t mean that you have to give up your home and live on the street with nothing. You can still have things, just give up your attachment to them. This is why people on the spiritual path do sometimes give away their belongings – because attachments weigh us down. If you wish to fly, you must become light and fluid and our attachments slow us down.

If you liked this, then please share it. This blog post is also available in an audio-visual format on YouTube – Narrated by yours truly. Please do Check it out!

The internet and I would like to know what you think. Please leave your comments, experiences or advise for everyone to share. What is on your mind right now?

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nature

Why Did I Start An Observation Beehive?

December 15, 2017December 29, 2017 AllThingsForTheWin

Last year during the long winter months, I was daydreaming about how it would be cool to have an ant farm. The ants would prosper and get big enough that I could install a tube that would let them outside. They would bring things inside, and I would get to see all of their activities.

Later on, I was thinking about Honeybees and the tough time that they have been having lately. I wished that I could somehow do my part and thought about getting a backyard beehive and then – the two ideas clicked together.

Instead of an ant farm, I will have a BEE FARM! IN THE HOUSE! This will be so cool and I will get to see the inside of their hive and watch larva develop into adults and learn. I was so excited about this idea.

So I went for it. I Started putting pipes together and making things. I ordered a nuk of bees – A nuk of bees is usually about three pounds of worker bees and a freshly mated queen. Apiaries sell nuks once a year in the spring, so if you are going to make or purchase an indoor beehive yourself, then order the bees now, from your local apiary (honeybee distributors) before they sell out!

I learned so much about bees from doing this. I went from having a vague knowledge of honeybees, to looking up articles about honeybees pretty much every day for about the first month after I got them. Did you know that bees use yeast fermentation to make a pollen based, probiotic superfood known as “bee bread”? Or what about where do they get their wax? It turns out, they produce wax from several glands on their abdomen. These glands turn the honey into wax by way of fatty acid synthesis.

They bees made honeycomb and filled it with honey at an alarming rate. Be prepared to install an expansion is one thing I have to say. This is one of the coolest things that I have done in years and has made me feel very excited about being an active part of honey bee preservation. Plus I get to show it off to all of my friends! Below is a short video I made on Youtube about how to install your own aquarium observation beehive, plus a list of all of the supplies needed to build it – and also a link to some pre-made observation beehives, in case you want to check out the best prices on Amazon.

Here is a list of the supplies I used to build the beehive:

Light Duty Staple Gun

Or, you could check out pre-made Observation Beehives

Please feel free to leave a comment, I really appreciate your interest in this segment; the internet and I would like to know what you think about it.

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Author: AllThingsForTheWin

The Western Rocky Mountain Bluebird

Ascaris Round Worms – Horse Worms

Propagating Raspberries and other Perennials

How To Raise Kundalini – Chakra Cleansing

Why Did I Start An Observation Beehive?