Friday, January 27, 2023

A Maui Cat Named Rusty


I came across a touching memorial for an orange tabby cat named Rusty,
and I thought a photo of Rusty's face would be a cute one for Nicole's Friday Face Off
But, as I tried to find out more about this beloved feral cat, I fell down a rabbit hole.

Since it took me a while to find my way out of the warren,  
I've postponed using the photos I have for Rain's
Thursday Art and Dinner Date theme Scarves until next week.

Into the Rabbit Hole ~ A Scarves Preview 
Waikiki, Oʻahu, Hawaii
January 23, 2023
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved

I stumbled across Rusty's memorial while walking through a gulch
between the Marriott Hotel and the Elua Condos on the Wailea Beach Path in Maui.

A Distracting View:  West Maui Mountain
Along the Wailea Beach Path, Wailea, Maui, Hawaii
January 23, 2023
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved





Trail Map Near Rusty's Memorial
Along the Wailea Beach Path, Wailea, Maui, Hawaii
January 23, 2023
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved
 
But the story behind Rusty and his memorial was much bigger than I knew.

Rusty the Cat
Wailea, Maui, Hawaii
January 18, 2023
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved


Curious to find out more about this feral cat who inspired the memorial,
I started searching online.
I quickly discovered that Rusty was one of Maui's many "community cats,"
a catchall term for all cats, including feral cats, 
that live outdoors and are unowned and free-roaming. 

I learned that Rusty had lived by the gulch for twenty years, 
and he was known to visitors from all over the world.
No one owned Rusty, but caretakers took him to veterinaries
for checkups or for treatment after fights with other cats.
One caretaker took Rusty home twice, 
but he always found his way back to the gulch.

Tributes to Rusty
Wailea, Maui, Hawaii
January 18, 2023
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved


Rusty was an informal ambassador for Maui,
because he greeted so many people who walked by,
many of whom returned year after year to see him.
Sweet and friendly, Rusty gave and accepted love from countless people.
He died on 9/18/22 from cancer of the jaw.

Rusty
Wailea, Maui, Hawaii
January 18, 2023
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved


Unfortunately, as I searched for information about Rusty,
I also learned that feral cats are a widespread ecological problem
for Maui and the other seven main Hawaiian islands.
Approximately two million feral cats inhabit these eight islands.



are one of the most devastating predators of Hawai‘i’s unique wildlife
and that even well-fed feral cats will instinctively hunt and kill prey.

Feral cats also spread a potentially lethal parasite (Toxoplasma gondii) 
which contaminates terrestrial, freshwater, and marine environments
and negatively impact birds and mammals – including humans.

Feral Cats at ʻĪao Valley State Park, Maui

As I read about organizations trying to address the feral cat problem
(Maui Humane Society,  University of Hawaii, Save Maui Cats, Maui Forest Birds, etc),
I realized what a complex and tragic situation the feral cats present
and that there is a lot of disagreement about how to deal with them.

Feral cats are not just a Hawaiian problem.
PETA estimates that between 60 and 100 million homeless cats live in the U.S.
Their lives are short and hard, and they do not die of old age
(Rusty was a rare exception).

PETA says that The American Bird Conservancy estimates that free-roaming cats 
kill millions of birds and small mammals in the U.S. every year,
including endangered species. 
And this is just in the U.S.  It's a worldwide problem.

This feral cat near Brisbane has caught a Pale-headed rosella.

Part of the solution begins with cat owners,
because feral cats are often the descendants 
of unaltered cats who were abandoned by their owners.

Cat owners anywhere can help to reduce the number of feral cats.  
They can spay or neuter their pet cats and keep them indoors or safely contained.
They can microchip their pet cats so the cats can be returned if they become lost.
Also, they should never abandon their cats if they can no longer care for them. 
Instead cat owners should surrender them to a local animal shelter
where the cats have a chance of being adopted.

Meanwhile, some of the people who loved Rusty have created 
a Facebook page, Rusty Mauicatin memory of Rusty.
They have formed The Rusty Cat Collective, a volunteer group dedicated to humanely addressing the feral cat overpopulation issue on Maui.

Rusty ~ Facebook


There are no easy solutions for dealing with the feral cat problem.
I hope that effective and humane solutions can be implemented,
sooner rather than later.

Terry and I don't have pets, because we like to travel,
and we feel it's unfair to keep leaving an animal behind 
in a pet care facility or with a pet sitter.
I have donated to an animal shelter in Denver for many years,
and I had representatives visit my class annually to discuss caring for pets.

I'm going to pick one of the charities working on the feral cat problem 
in Maui and start making donations to it as well.
It's a start.  
I'm not going to forget a Maui cat named Rusty 
or the impact cats like him have on their environment.
My eyes have certainly been opened.

Rusty ~ Facebook

🐈   🐈   🐈   🐈  🐈  🐈   🐈   🐈  🐈 
 
Wishing you fascinating rabbit holes to fall into.
You never know what you might learn. 





Till next time ~
Fundy Blue

  My next post will be on 
Wednesday, February 1, 2023  🤞



On the Bay of Fundy
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved







🐈   🐈   🐈   🐈  🐈  🐈   🐈   🐈  🐈 


Community Cats:
“Community Cats” is a term used to describe outdoor, unowned, free-roaming cats. These cats could be friendly, feral, adults, kittens, healthy, sick, fixed and/or not fixed. They may or may not have a caregiver. These cats also may have 1 or more people in the community who feed and watch over them but are not household pets. This definition, the only outdoor free-roaming cats who are not community cats are those who have an owner. Community cats are cats that may be social or unsocial, but cannot be traced back to any one owner.



Friday, January 20, 2023

Aloha

Aloha from Honolulu!
Terry and I made it to Hawaii, after a long trip that gifted us with 
an atmospheric riverPacific Ocean expanses, and beautiful clouds.

I was curious to see what an atmospheric river would look like in Cloud Land
I caught my first glimpse as our plane left Las Vegas and headed for Honolulu.

A Broad Band of Cloud ~ An Atmospheric River
 ~ with Cumulous Clouds in the Foreground
Over Jean, Nevada USA
January 10, 2023
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved



As we flew closer, the broad band of cloud looked more ominous.

An Atmospheric River ~ with Cumulous Clouds in the Foreground
‎⁨Mojave National Preserve⁩, ⁨Nipton⁩, ⁨Southwest Extreme Triangle⁩, ⁨United States⁩
January 10, 2023
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved


The pilot announced that it would be bumpy
and instructed the flight crew to strap in as we flew into the wall of gray.
The cloud enveloped our plane, and we bumped and jittered up through a thick gray fog,
until we broke through the roof of the atmospheric river.


Emerging Through the Top of an Atmospheric River
‎⁨Newberry Springs⁩, ⁨Mojave Desert⁩, ⁨United States⁩
January 10, 2023
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved





Flying Above the Top of an Atmospheric River
‎⁨Fontana⁩, ⁨California⁩, ⁨United States⁩
January 10, 2023
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved



After more than an hour flying over the North Pacific Ocean toward Hawaii
we finally cleared the atmospheric river and saw blue ocean below.

Fair Weather Over the North Pacific
January 10, 2023
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved


An hour and a half later I actually spotted container ship below.

A Container Ship Somewhere on the North Pacific
January 10, 2023
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved


It's hard to grasp how vast the Pacific Ocean is, 
water as far as you can see as you fly for hours and hours.
Cloud Land relieves the aching ocean blue with its endless patterns of evaporation.

Cloud Land Over the North Pacific
January 10, 2023
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved





Cloud Land Over the North Pacific
January 10, 2023
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved






Cloud Land Over the North Pacific
January 10, 2023
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved






Cloud Land Over the North Pacific
January 10, 2023
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved






Cloud Land Over the North Pacific
January 10, 2023
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved



And, then, like something out of a dream, Maui appears, followed by Molokai and Lanai.

‎⁨Kula⁩, Maui⁩, ⁨Hawaii⁩, ⁨United States⁩
January 10, 2023
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved


 
‎⁨Maui⁩ (lower right), Lanai (upper left), Molokai (upper right)
January 10, 2023
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved








In no time at all, we were over Honolulu and landing.

‎⁨Flying Over Diamond Head and Waikiki
January 10, 2023
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved





‎⁨Heading for Our Gate
January 10, 2023
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved


It's bliss to be back!

Back on Our Lanai on the 28th Floor
Royal Kūhiō, Waikiki, Honolulu, Hawaii
January 10, 2023
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved


Rain's Thursday Art Date theme for this week is Collage.
I don't have a collage piece, but I do have a grouping of sculptures
which includes what I thought was Donatello's famous sculpture 
of David, the boy who defeated the giant Goliath.
But this statue is not the famous Donatello sculpture in the Bargello, 
and I can't figure out where I took this photo (possibly an Eduardo Secco gallery).
Below this "collage" is the actual Bargello sculpture.

 
A "Collage" of Sculptures 
Florence, Italy 
September 18, 2018
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved





Donatello's David in the Bargello
Florence, Italy 
September 19, 2018
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved


For Nicole's Friday Face Off, I chose two closeups of Donatello's sculpture:
the shepherd Davids' face and the head of the giant Goliath.

Donatello's David in the Bargello
Florence, Italy 
September 19, 2018
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved






The Slain Goliath
Bargello, Florence, Italy 
September 19, 2018
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved



Happy creating! 





Till next time ~
Fundy Blue

  My next post will be on 
Friday, January 27, 2023  🤞



On the Bay of Fundy
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved







🇮🇹 🇮🇹 🇮🇹 🇮🇹 🇮🇹 🇮🇹 🇮🇹 🇮🇹 🇮🇹
A Few Italian Funnies




















🇮🇹 🇮🇹 🇮🇹 🇮🇹 🇮🇹 🇮🇹 🇮🇹 🇮🇹 🇮🇹


Wednesday, January 4, 2023

IWSG Day: Wednesday, January 4, 2023 ~ My Word for the Year

 




It's the first Wednesday of the month,
the day that members of the
Insecure Writer's Support Group
share their writing struggles
and writing successes
and offer their encouragement
and support to fellow writers.






To visit the IWSG website, click here.

To become a member of the IWSG, click here.

Our wonderful co-hosts who are volunteering today,
along with IWSG Founder Alex J. Cavanaugh are Jemima PettDebs Carey, Kim Lajevardi,  Sarah Foster, Natalie Aguirre, and, T Powell Coltrin!

I hope you have a chance to visit today's hosts and thank them for co-hosting.
I'm sure they would appreciate a visit and an encouraging comment.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Every month the IWSG announces a question that members can answer
with advice, insight, a personal experience, or a story in their IWSG posts.

Or, the question can inspire members
if they aren't sure what to write about on IWSG Day.

Remember the question is optional.
This month's featured question is: 
Do you have a word of the year? Is there one word that sums up what you need to work on or change in the coming year? ... What is your word for 2023? Why?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Happy New Year, Everyone!
Wishing you all the best in 2023: happiness, health, creativity, fulfillment,
and most of all love!  May the new year be good to you and yours!

A Favorite Photo of Terry and Me in 2022
Aurora, Colorado, USA
March 10, 2022
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved


Do I have a word for the year?
You bet I do!  It's Healthy.
It's the foundation I need to make progress on anything else I want to do.

And I have a lot I want to do:  from spending time with Terry, my family, and friends,
to writing, traveling, photography, learning, and reading, 
and to becoming a strong and powerful gym rat again.

Another Favorite Photo of Terry and Me in 2022
Yellowstone National Park
Wyoming, USA
September 15, 2022
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved

  
I hope you have a great day visiting your IWSG friends.
I'm keeping my post very short today.
Happy writing in January!



Till next time ~
Fundy Blue

https://selkiegrey4.blogspot.com

My next post will be on Friday, January 13th.