Some toys that attract cats the most will also be a health hazard for them. Consider ribbon, yarn and string. Although they’re a classic kitty play toy, and they often make for a perfectly idyllic scene to watch, they do pose some problems. If it’s long enough, for instance, a cat could roll around and get caught in a ribbon or yarn, which might strangle it. Plastic bags can also suffocate cats.

But the most common warning against ribbon, yarn and the like is that if a cat ingests it, it can cause blockage in the intestine. Ingestion is also a danger for rubber bands or feathers. And small balls and other objects are always a choking hazard. If you do find string that’s been partially swallowed (or coming out of the rectum) don’t try to pull it out, as it could cause fatal intestinal damage. Instead, take the cat to the vet as soon as possible. Source: AnimalPlanet

Today is a new day to uplift your heart and your spirit. Start each day with a positive affirmation and it will grow from the inside of you and blossom into something wonderful. The power is within you… ~George Jones

Chewy and flavorful yard long beans, also known as Chinese snake beans, are closely related to black-eyed peas. Its immature, tender, edible pods are one of the most popular pod-vegetables used in the Philippines and other East Asian cuisines. The beans are also grown in small scales in the home gardens in Southern United states, West-Indies as well as in the Mediterranean regions.

The yard long pods are actually legumes belonging to the Fabaceae family. The beans were thought to have originated in southern Chinese Yunnan province. Scientific name: Vigna unguiculata, sub. sesquipedalis. Some of the common names include asparagus-bean, string-bean or Chinese snake beans. The beans in general recognized by local names as bora (West Indies), dau gok (China), pole sitao (Philippines), etc.

Yard-long bean is a fast growing annual plant; require trellis to support its growth. Dwarf and tall climbing varieties exist. Depending upon the cultivar type, it bears blue to violet flowers after about 6-10 weeks of seedling. Numerous pencil thin, tender, light-green, flexible-textured pods appear after about another two to four weeks following flowering. These fleshy, pendulous pods are usually harvested while they are immature and eaten as green vegetables. The pods vary in length that ranges from 30 to 80 cm.

As in other bean varieties, harvesting may not be a time-guided event. The pods usually harvested early for young, immature beans, or they may left on the shrub to dry-out in order to obtain dried beans. Continue reading →

Fear feeds off ignorance, whereas compassion and lucidity
flower from understanding.~Thich Nhat Hahn

Have you ever watched a cat yawn? His mouth opens so wide, you can count every tooth. It has been estimated that a cat yawns on the average of 109,500 times in his life. Lots of animals yawn. Humans yawn; the earliest yawn often occurs 11 weeks after conception – that’s before the baby is born. The yawn becomes contagious somewhere in the first five years of life. Chimpanzees and apes yawn, and they yawn infectiously just like us. Fish and birds also yawn. ~Virginia Wells, PetPlace

If everyone demanded peace instead of another television set, then there’d be peace. ~John Lennon

Through all those times I lived in sorrows, I learned that grief isn’t the answer, but staying happy is what keeps life going.  ~Simphiwe Scientist Dumi