South Jersey women knitting 'knockers'

for breast cancer survivors

Volunteers have distributed more than 100 pairs of prosthetic breasts since December.

The complaints are not unusual, nor do they vary too much.

Prosthetic breasts provide an important resource to many women who have had mastectomies. But they tend to be uncomfortable.

"Typically, when women go to a fitting place or a medical supply store, it's a heavy, breast-shaped, silicon form that goes into the bra," said Dr. Kristin Brill, program director for The Janet Knowles Breast Cancer Center at Cooper University Hospital's MD Anderson Cancer Center. 

"It's meant to go up against the skin, so it doesn't move around a lot. It tends to be heavy and hot."

Now, South Jersey women have an alternative, thanks to a group of 25 volunteers who are busy knitting and crotcheting hand-stitched prosthetic breasts, affectionately dubbed "Knitted Knockers." 

The group has distributed more than 100 pairs of Knitted Knockers since December to South Jersey hospitals, including those in the Cooper and Virtua health systems, according to co-chair Denise Weinberg.

Filled with Pol-Fil, the Knockers are softer than standard prosthetics and can be worn inside a traditional bra. They come in a variety of sizes and colors.

"Some people are dissatisfied (with standard prosthetics) because they're heavy, or sweaty in the summer, or they're expensive," Weinberg said. "Clearly, these knockers are light. They're washable and they're free."

The South Jersey volunteers are an affiliate of the national Knitted Knockers nonprofit founded in Washington in 2011. The volunteers are funded by the Saltzman Foundation Life Long Learning Institute in Cherry Hill. 

"Some groups are just knitting and sending them to a central location for distribution," Weinberg said of other affiliate groups. "We're knitting and trying to keep them in South Jersey, because our funding is coming from South Jersey. And we live in South Jersey."

'WE'LL KEEP KNITTING THEM'

The Knockers have been a hit with patients at MD Anderson Cancer Center, Brill said.

"I wasn't really sure how popular they'd be, or how well they wore," Brill said. "We offer this to put into the post-mastectomy camisole or post-mastectomy bra. It seems to make them comfortable and they're happy with them."

Some women even request different pairs for daytime and nighttime use, Brill said. 

"I would say in a month, we're probably giving out at least 20," she said.

And the group has no intention of slowing down. Weinberg guessed the group's members have another 100 pairs ready to be distributed.

"Once our knitters start knitting them, it's hard to get them to stop," Weinberg said. "As long as we keep feeding them yarn, we'll keep knitting them." 

Posted by tammyduffy at 3:19 PM EDT

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 When Is Enough Is Enough?

Falsifying documents” is a type of white-collar crime. It involves altering, changing, or modifying a document for the purpose of deceiving another person. It can also involve the passing along of copies of documents that are known to be false. In many states, falsifying a document is a crime punishable as a felony.

Punishment for forgery of symbols is a class A misdemeanor. This is the most serious misdemeanors and is punishable by up to a year of jail time and up to a $2,000 fine. Forgery of financial or official documents is a class C or D felony and subject to up to 10-year prison sentence and fines up to $10,000.

There was an OPRA request made as it pertained to the inspection status of the Hamilton animal shelter in Mercer County NJ. This request was sent to the Hamilton Clerk’s office on Sept 6, 2018.  See request below:

 To:      bcalderone@hamiltonnj.com; EGore@hamiltonnj.com

Subject: OPRA Request

1.   All the Shelter licenses for the Animal Shelter from 2012 to 2018.

2.   All Local Health Inspections for the Animal Shelter from 2012 to 2017.

3.   All Certificates of local inspections for the Animal Shelter from 2012 to 2018.

Please send these documents to this email within 7 days as required by law.

Response from Clerk’s office….

In reference to your OPRA request, please be advised per the Hamilton Township Department of Health has no responsive records.

Thank you,

'EiCeen (]ore, 'R;MC, C:MC, :M:MC

:Municipa[ cCerk,

How can this be, no records of inspections when the rules state…

Pursuant to N.J.S.A. 4:19-15.8 (a), operators of kennels, pet shops, shelters and pounds (animal facilities) must apply annually to the municipality for a license, and each license issued shall expire on June 30th of each year. Facilities that serve multiple functions (e.g., a kennel that also serves as a pound) should be licensed for each function that they perform. Prior to issuance of a license, local health department staff shall inspect the facility to ensure that the operation complies with all laws, rules, and municipal ordinances, including building code and zoning requirements. Specifically, the facility shall be evaluated to ensure that it is in compliance with the State rules governing the sanitary operation of animal facilities,

N.J.A.C.  8:23A-1.1 through 1.13. A copy of the satisfactory inspection report issued by the local health department should accompany the licensure application. Before any new construction or renovation, blueprint plans shall be submitted to the local health department for review and approval. Facility licenses are not transferrable upon sale of a business, or to another facility operated by the same owner.

Is the Township leadership saying with their response to this OPRA request that the shelter has not been inspected by our health inspector in at least 7+ years?  For Hamilton township to obtain a shelter license, the shelter is required to perform an annual health inspection. A recent turtle that was rescued from the shelter, who resided there for 5 years; the rescuing resident could not obtain any paperwork on the turtle from the shelter. She was told the turtle was male. When she took it to the vet after rescuing it, she quickly learned it was female. Female turtles even without the presence of a male turtle will annually lay eggs. When the resident called the shelter after the vet asked her to call them to understand her egg laying history, she learned the shelter never saw any eggs. The eggs are not small, they are the size of a robin’s egg. The turtle is a Red Ear Slider.

There is currently an investigation being performed by Councilman Rick Tighe and Councilwoman Ileana Schirmer that focuses on the failing animal Shelter.

Questions for the investigators could be….

1.      Did the Hamilton Township health Inspector knowingly and willingly made a conscious decision to not perform any of the required annual inspections. These inspections are required by law. (ie. NJAC 8:23A. 2)

2.     Did the Hamilton township health inspector knowingly and willingly falsely sign a Shelter License on May 21, 2018 and posted it in the Shelter, so it would be available for the WW health inspection which he coordinated?

3.     During the press conference at the shelter the Hamilton township health inspector stated he thought inspecting the Shelter was a conflict of interest, so he had West Windsor inspect our shelter.  If this is the case, why was this not done every year and why is there no record of that.

The Hamilton animal shelter needs an overall in its leadership, there is no question about that.  The animals in the shelter deserve better treatment than they are getting at the shelter.

Let’s continue with the turtle that was at the shelter. The resident who rescued this turtle had to go through quite the ordeal to get the turtle.  During the Clear the Shelter Saturday, the resident went to the shelter to see what she could do to help the animals. The news by that time was quite public on the failing shelters upkeep in the local newspapers and TV. The resident was really concerned. It was shared with her that the shelter had 2 snakes and a turtle at the shelter. She asked to see the turtle. The snakes were on display in the kitten room.  The turtle was in the back portion of the shelter, adjacent to the Animal Control officer’s office.  The animal control officer stated that they change the water every three months and showed the resident what foods the turtle was being fed. The resident stated that she would adopt the turtle. She went to Petco and obtained an aquarium double the size of the one at the shelter.  The ACO gave the resident his card and said she could call the shelter that day, Saturday, or even Sunday. They would respond and let her take the turtle.

But, this was not the case. The resident tried contacting the shelter via phone, text on Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday morning all to no avail. No return calls or return text message to the ACO and his team. She finally learned from an employee at the shelter who’s name was Anthony who said, “ I think you may need a permit for the turtle.”  The resident thought it was odd that the shelter did not know this for sure and asked for the contact info to learn about the permits. She then contacted the NJ Wildlife and Fish sector of the state and got a 9-page regulation document and the application for the permit. The State was extremely helpful and expeditiously sent the info.

Upon, filling out the permit application, the application stated, the applicant has the responsibility to ensure that their county and or municipality does not have an ordinance on the books that inhibits having an exotic pet.

The resident’s heart sank. Will she not be able to save this turtle from a continued life of squalor at the shelter? She contacted shelter, HAMSTAT, the Director of Public Health for the township, and the Director of Land Use in Hamilton. What she learned was interesting. No one knew if there was an ordinance on the books prohibiting an exotic pet.  How can this level of incompetence exist in a town she wondered?

Lack of appropriate water level for the turtle. 3 month water changes

That evening, there was a Council meeting on the animal shelter. The turtle rescuer attended the meeting to see if the council could help her. When it became her turn, she got up and presented what you just read above. As she presented the body language of the council was interesting. They were no doubt embarrassed, shaking their heads that this level of silliness existed in their town.   The resident asked this question,” It is not reasonable to expect the ACO, after 40 years of employment, should have known the rules on the permit. Even if he read one word a day of the 9-page regulation in NJ on exotic pets, he could have memorized the document after 40 years.”  When the resident finished her presentation, the business administrator asked for her cell phone number, so he could address this issue by the next day. They did, the resident picked up the turtle the next day and brought her home.  She had already made an appointment for the turtle to get a checkup from NorthStar vets in Robbinsville, NJ.

As she left with the turtle she could smell how bad the turtle smelled in the box she carried. Over a two-day period with the same level of filtration what existed at the shelter in her aquarium the water was filthy and smelled horrible. So, it was unthinkable that the shelter, with the level of filtration demonstrated in this photo, only changed the water every three months. The resident doubled the filtration, (which she learned from the vet that for turtles the filtration in the tank must be double if not triple the size of the actual tank to create a safe and clean environment for the animal).  Even, with doubling the filtration, she still does week water changes. It’s unthinkable what the Hamilton shelter was doing, ever 3 months for water changes. The noxious levels in the tank for the turtle are unthinkable. This turtle is a survivor and living an amazing life now with the new resident.  

Where does the accountability exist for all of this?  Why was the Director of Public Health for the town allowed to ignore his duties? It would appear he willfully ignored the regulations as did his staff, the DOH inspection and other information that has surfaced has shown this.

Where is the accountability? The State of NJ cannot allow this to continue.  Every one of the people involved from leadership in the town to the township employees who created this environment must be held accountable. The animals deserve a better place and atmosphere. Falsifying government records is a felony. If that is what happened, there needs to be full accountability for those who performed those actions. The dereliction of duties at the shelter were mentioned by the DOH in their inspection, but also what has surfaced after that inspection from OPRA requests.

What does it take to remove a health inspector who does not care about public health to be fired from their job? A death? Well, there have been innumerable due to this inspector’s leadership and the lack of leadership of the Mayor. The Hamilton residents and the animals in the shelter deserve better.

If this article has gotten to your heart…send a letter/complaint, maybe that will help invoke positive change. I sent my letter, we hope you will as well. Thank you!

The Public Health Licensing and Examination Board acts as an advisor to the Commissioner of Health for all matters related to the practice of public health, including disciplinary authority. The Board’s mission is to ensure that only qualified individuals enter the profession of public health, they provide services within the profession’s practice standards and that they maintain their competence through continuing education.

If you believe that any Health Officer or Registered Environmental Health Specialist has acted unprofessionally, you may submit a written complaint to the Complaint Unit. The Board requires that all complaints be in writing and signed. You may mail your letter and any supporting documents to:

PLEASE SEND YOUR LETTER TO:

New Jersey Department of Health

Office of Local Public Health

Licensure, Compliance and Enforcement Program

PO Box 360

Trenton, NJ  08625-0360

Posted by tammyduffy at 9:35 AM EDT

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 The Leicester Longwool Sheep

is Coming Out of Extinction

The Leicester Longwool is one of the “luster longwool” breeds, so designated for the sheen and brilliance of their wool. The sheep appear to shine just after shearing, when the clean wool next to their skin catches the sunlight and makes them glisten for a few days before the dust and dirt of their environment catches up to them and the glow is hidden for another year.

The Leicester Longwool breed is also known as the English Leicester (pronounced lester). The breed was developed in England in the mid 1700s by innovative breeder Robert Bakewell, the first to use modern selection techniques to improve livestock breeds. Bakewell transformed a coarse, large boned, slow growing animal into one that grew rapidly for market and produced a higher quality fleece.

News of Bakewell’s ideas reached the colonies before the American Revolution and so intrigued George Washington that he made reference to them in several letters. Washington was particularly interested in Bakewell’s sheep, writing that he made the “choice of good rams from the English Leicester breed” for his own flock. In 1837, the agriculturist Youatt wrote that, “within little more than half a century the New Leicester had spread themselves to every part of the United Kingdom and to Europe and America.”

The Leicester Longwool was highly prized in America, especially for its use in crossbreeding to improve “native” stock. During the 1800s, however, the breed lost favor to the Merino and other fine wool breeds. After 1900, the Leicester Longwool fell into decline and was likely extinct in the United States during the 1930s or 1940s. A very small population remained in Canada. In 1990, Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, a historic site in Virginia, reestablished the breed in North America by importing sheep from Australia. Several conservation flocks have now been established, and the population of Leicester Longwool sheep in North America is increasing. This is important, given that the breed remains rare globally.

Leicester Longwools are medium to large sheep, weighing 180–250 pounds. The fleece is heavy, curly, soft handling, and lustrous with a spiral tipped staple up to eight inches. Fleeces weigh from eleven to fifteen pounds, occasionally up to twenty pounds. Leicesters are eager grazers, making good use of abundant pasture. When mixed flocks of Merinos and Leicesters are driven along road sides in Australia, all of the Merinos have their heads up, watching what is going on, while the Leicesters are busy with their heads down, chomping down the succulent roadside grasses. Leicesters are docile and easy to handle, but they do not care for herding dogs. Herding with dogs is likely to result in the whole flock proceeding to the barn backwards – facing down the dog!

The Leicester Longwool has been of great historic and genetic value, having a part in the founding or improving of many other breeds, including the Border Leicester and the Corriedale. While distinguished by its past, this breed’s future is far from secure, and it is a conservation priority.

 Depressed wool prices, desire for leaner carcasses, decline in consumption of mutton and the popularity of new breeds of sheep caused the Leicester Longwool numbers to decline and disappear in the 20th century in the USA.

In 1990, 10 purebred Longwools from Tasmania where brought to America in an attempt to revive the species.  There are now 1000 Longwools in the USA currently.   This incredibly rare species that are only found in Great Britian, New Zealand, Australia and now again in the USA. 

Posted by tammyduffy at 7:56 PM EDT

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The Loss Of The Leaders

Ever worked with someone who rarely responded to requests for input or approval, even when you needed a response to move your own work forward? Working with unresponsive colleagues can be incredibly frustrating and can stymy your own productivity if you don’t find a way to work around them. When one has to work around them, you end up doing their work for them, creating a horrible work life balance. 

During a recent performance review an employee was told, “I need to give you feedback that you do not need to contact people more than once on an issue. Going to them 6 times over the course of a month will not get them to react.”  The employee’s response was, “So you are telling me to remain silent and not have any expectation that others do not respond even after 6 times?  Why is there no concern for the people who are consistently unresponsive?”  The managers response, “You need to learn how not to care.”

In companies where leadership does not care and only worry about manageing up, these are companies set for large fallure. This is a company who has a broken corporate culture. Unresponsiveness is rude. Unresponsiveness bottlenecks decisions. Unresponsiveness wastes time and money. And the biggest of all, unresponsiveness causes good employees to leave and laws to be broken.

Unfortunately, this happens all the time. Just over a month ago a company procured a part for stock replenishment. The repairable part arrived in terrible condition. The new vendor they were testing has been unresponsive. They never reply to emails, their receptionist sent the company to voicemail, and the vendor never picked up their cell phone. They just do not care. The sad part is he's the owner.

Allowing members of your team to be unresponsive allows them to become less connected to their responsibilities. Any manager or leader that allows this should not be in their position. They are more concerned with managing up than managing the team.

But here’s how we can stop the unresponsive epidemic:

Let me just start off with a quick disclaimer. If you’re in sales and have an established client who needs you, being unresponsive is absolutely ridiculous.

No matter how mad they made you, no matter what’s going on at work or at home, you smile and reply as soon as you can. There is no other option.

If you cannot smile and reply, you just don’t care, and you shouldn’t be in sales. If you do not have the ability to be responsive, you should not be in sales either.  It’s as simple as that.

Posted by tammyduffy at 8:11 AM EDT

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Elbrus Denali Climbs To New Altitudes

Five years ago a Red Eye Slider turtle (seen above) was found at a hoarder house along with some snakes and other pets. The Animal Control in Hamilton Control took her to the shelter and there she lived until August  22, 2018. She lived there for 5 years in very shallow water. The control officer thought she was a he. A trip to NorthStar vets, brought the conclusion that she was a girl. It was the first time in her life ever being seen by a vet. The shelter had zero paperwork on her, even after her 5 year stint at the shelter. 

We have a house of rescues. Two dogs and now a RES turtle. They all have been rescued from horrible atmospheres. Each on has their memories of moments of their pas; t that reveal themselves at certain moments. All we can do as the rescuer;  is to console, love and have a high level of patience to help them.  Give them the love they never had. 

The love these animals all have to give is more than any other human can ever give you. Whether witnessed in the form of  interspecies friendships or foster parenting, compassion knows no bounds with animals. The relationships we foster with our companion animals also teaches us how to be compassionate as it forces to look beyond our needs and imagine those of another who is vastly different from ourselves. Compassion is all based in being able to understand the feeling of another. 

Animals have enemies too, but but at the end of the day, having each other's back is the key to survival.  Humans can learn a lot from the animal kingdom. The daily grind of work, no matter what you do, can put you in an atmosphere filled with slaying, back stabbing, lack of integrity, and loads of shenanigans. Animals know how to push through this way better than any human. They live lightly. 

It pretty much goes without saying that humans do not know how to live lightly.   In the wild, animals learn to live within their means – which for the most part means their natual environment. Animals live in tune with the planet and use its resources as needed. Learning to be attuned to our surroundings and how to live without causing mass destruction to our environment would serve humans well. 

Humans....act like the animals around you and you will be a better person for it. Our newly adopted turtle is named Elbrus Denali....after two of the 7 summits in the world. Her owner is a mountain climber and has gone up 4 of the 7 summits. Mt. Elbrus iin Russia is her next  climb in 2019.

Poetically, Elbrus has climbed her own summits at the shelter the past 5 years. She now only has to summit her basking perch to feel the heat on her back.  She is now set to zen out, get lots of love and pet care of the best vets in town, NorthStar Vets.   

Posted by tammyduffy at 4:17 PM EDT

Updated: Sunday, 26 August 2018 4:21 PM EDT

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 T

Shoppers in the Netherands will get the chance to visit Europe’s first plastic-free supermarket aisle on Wednesday in what campaigners claim is a turning point in the war on plastic pollution.

The store in Amsterdam will open its doors at 11am when shoppers will be able to choose from more than 700 plastic-free products, all available in one aisle.

The move comes amid growing global concern about the damage plastic waste is having on oceans, habitats and food chains. Scientists warn plastic pollution is now so widespread it risks permanent contamination of the natural world.

Earlier this year, an investigation that UK supermarkets were a major source of plastic waste, producing 1m tonnes a year. And for the past 12 months, campaigners have been calling for all supermarkets to offer a plastic-free aisle.

Sian Sutherland, co-founder of A Plastic Planet, the group behind the campaign, said the opening represented “a landmark moment for the global fight against plastic pollution”.

“For decades shoppers have been sold the lie that we can’t live without plastic in food and drink. A plastic-free aisle dispels all that. Finally we can see a future where the public have a choice about whether to buy plastic or plastic-free. Right now we have no choice.”

The aisle will open in the Amsterdam branch of the Dutch supermarket chain Ekoplaza. The company says it will roll out similar aisles in all of its 74 branches by the end of the year.

Ekoplaza chief executive, Erik Does, has been working with the campaign for the past month and said the initiative was “an important stepping stone to a brighter future for food and drink”.

“We know that our customers are sick to death of products laden in layer after layer of thick plastic packaging. Plastic-free aisles are a really innovative way of testing the compostable biomaterials that offer a more environmentally friendly alternative to plastic packaging.”

The aisle will have more than 700 plastic-free products including meat, rice, sauces, dairy, chocolate, cereals, yogurt, snacks, fresh fruit and vegetables.

Campaigners say the products will not be anymore expensive than plastic-wrapped goods and will be “scalable and convenient”, using alternative biodegradable packing where necessary rather than ditching packaging altogether.

They add the aisles will be a “testbed for innovative new compostable bio-materials as well as traditional materials such as glass, metal and cardboard.”

Sutherland said: “There is absolutely no logic in wrapping something as fleeting as food in something as indestructible as plastic. Plastic food and drink packaging remains useful for a matter of days yet remains a destructive presence on the Earth for centuries afterwards.”

Campaigners say the grocery retail sector accounts for more than 40% of all plastic packaging. 

The  investigation into supermarkets’ plastic footprint found that leading UK stores create more than 800,000 tonnes of plastic packaging waste every year. However Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons, Waitrose, Asda and Lidl all refused to divulge their plastic output, with most saying the information was “commercially sensitive”.

Last month Theresa May highlighted the challenge of plastic pollution while setting out the government’s environment policies. The prime minister singled out the role of supermarkets, calling on them to introduce plastic-free aisles. But she was criticised for failing to back up her call with any concrete measures.

Sutherland said campaigners were in ongoing talks with all the major UK supermarkets but, so far, none have committed to introducing a plastic-free aisle.

She added: “Europe’s biggest supermarkets must follow Ekoplaza’s lead and introduce a plastic-free aisle at the earliest opportunity to help turn off the plastic tap.”

Posted by tammyduffy at 7:58 PM EDT

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 Be A Voice for The Furangels of Hamilton

One of the most critical responsibilities of those in the animal care and sheltering field is to provide the most humane death possible for companion animals when euthanasia is necessary. In order to be humane, every euthanasia technique must result in painless, rapid unconsciousness, followed by cardiac or respiratory arrest, and ultimately death.

Sheltering personnel must consider many factors when choosing a method of euthanasia. The most important factor, of course, is the humaneness of the method. Other considerations include the number and types of animals handled, the number of employees available, the training available for euthanasia personnel, and legal limitations. Once an acceptable method has been chosen, shelter personnel must carefully maintain euthanasia equipment and keep an accurate inventory of euthanasia drugs to ensure both an adequate supply and the fulfillment of federal and state record-keeping requirements.

It is a binding obligation of shelter administrators to evaluate current euthanasia procedures frequently, ensure that animals are being properly handled, and verify that employees are competent, compassionate, and properly trained. Euthanasia should be entrusted to the most conscientious and qualified personnel only–never to a person who is careless, indifferent to animal suffering, or untrained in animal behavior and euthanasia techniques. Employees must be able to cope emotionally with euthanizing large numbers of animals while maintaining a concern for the well-being of each individual dog or cat.

There has been a lot of press on the recent inspection at the Hamilton Township shelter in Mercer County. The inspection demonstrated numerous infractions.  I spoke to vets and to the medical safety department of a pharma company that makes drugs and here is their input.

Input from pharma company…Every drug has an expiration date. The activity of the drug decreases exponentially over time. There are separate drugs for cats and dogs for good reason. Their metabolisms vary. So, a drug made for a dog, may not be best used on a cat. The dose also would be different due to this metabolic difference in the event the same drug was used for a cat and dog. In the event an expired drug was administered to an animal, there is a possibility that the animal could still be alive when sent to incineration or buried.  The animal could wake up if the dosage was not correct. The question for the township would be, did anyone document whether the animals woke up during burial or incineration?  Is there any documentation that demonstrates this anywhere?

Input from vets…. It depends on the chemicals in the solution whether their shelf life can allow use after expiration. However, the drug may still work somewhat but take a larger quantity to be effective or they wouldn’t be able to use it.  The drugs are good for both dogs and cats. The intracardiac stick has always been used, but most vets use a vein to give the solution. Others give a sedative beforehand.  It depends on the person doing the procedure.  There are only guidelines, no set policy.  It differs from clinic to clinic. presently, in most practices, all pets are given sedatives beforehand and IV catheters are used for drug administration.  That is the most humane method, so the pets are not stressed or panicked.

The township several years ago disbanded the ethics board. What has happened at the shelter breaks the heart of any pet owner. The residents financed an addition that cost taxpayers $1.1 million dollars. It’s unfathomable how it could be built with a floor that could not be disinfected.

In Jan 2018, a new law on animal cruelty was signed. The new law requires the county prosecutor to establish “within the office of the prosecutor, a county prosecutor animal cruelty task force which would be responsible for animal welfare within the jurisdiction of the county and enforce and abide by the animal cruelty laws of the state.” It also requires all municipalities to have a humane law enforcement officer properly commissioned to enforce the cruelty laws.

In 2017, the executive director of the AHS shelter in Newark was charged with animal cruelty. There are similarities in the inspection reports from the AHS shelter and the report recently published on the Hamilton Shelter.

There needs to be an ethics committee established that immediately optimizes the shelter. Protocols that demonstrate humane methods of animal care need to be established. There also needs to be reviews of the protocols done on an elevated frequency to ensure the safety of the animals. We cannot entrust our leadership to do this. They have failed the animals, they should not be given a second chance to do it again.

Posted by tammyduffy at 7:56 PM EDT

Updated: Saturday, 11 August 2018 9:21 PM EDT

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An 8^th Summit

What’s a girl to do once she comes back to sea level from climbing to 20,320 feet? How does one soar to unmentionable heights and all the while be at sea-level? My friends and I are on a quest to climb all 7 summits of the world. We just finished our fourth summit.  This profound mountain girl got into her Cinquecento and drove to the Tom Bailey/Boy George Concert last night. The night was memorable.  Her dream is to interview both of these amazing artists. Maybe that dream will come true, like climbing all the 7 summits.

Last night, a concert of epic proportions occurred. I believe it can be viewed as an eight summit in the world. (maybe only mountain climbers will  understand this comparison but it’s the ultimate compliment) - Those who attended were blessed to hear the melodious talents of Tom Bailey and Boy George. I was transported back to the 80’s during portions of the concert. A time when the internet did not even exist yet. A time when all we knew about the artists was their amazing music. A time when there were no cell phones.

We would attend a concert and be transported by these artists. The interruption of a cell phone or someone doing a “Janet” (a woman who Boy George so delightfully called out in the front row of the audience for filming the show with her iPhone;  vs.  paying attention, her name was Janet) was unheard of. Musical transportation for humans is a glorious experience. To just listen is not enough. One must watch each singer, each musician, each flexion of a digit on a piano, keyboard, or guitar, the vibration of the singer’s vocal cords; elevates one’s senses to epic proportions. The best concerts I have attended in the last few years have been of those artists I loved as a youth.  These are the artists who can sing, are amazing lyricists, can write music and retch at the thought of lips synching anything, anytime. They can sing without having to have massive amounts or remixing done to make their voices tolerable to the human ear. There are too many young artists on the scene that cannot sing, write music, write lyrics or even play an instrument. I find them boring. The entertainers (Boy George and Tom Bailey) my eyes and ears were delighted to interact with last evening are the real deal. They have longevity in an industry that is highly competitive and extremely complicated.

Last nights concert allowed those who attended to dance like no one was watching, sing like no one was listening and listen and love the music like their hearts had never been broken. A glorious experience.  

The new music both entertainers have created is mesmerizing.  The new album by Tom Bailey, Science Fiction is radically enjoyable, a must purchase. Boy George’s new album due out Oct 26^th is going to be a moment we wait for in great anticipation.  The lyrics of Boy George’s new songs are romantically poetic.  When he sang this at his concert yesterday we were transported. (see lyrics below) This mentally stimulating song became available in iTunes July 31 , 2018.

"Let Somebody Love You"

I am a poet in New York City
You can see your face in my shoes
I'm young and I'm alive, I've got nothing to lose
A dream, a broken lie, a kiss, so much to resist
And then I find you

I am fire, you are water, nothing we can do
I walk into the room and light your fuse

Love is revolution
War and famine too
Feed the hunger in your heart
Let somebody love you
Let somebody love you

Now I'm in the wilderness, somewhere in the heart of Spain
Youth lights it up with a smile saying "Sing it again"
A dream, a broken lie, a kiss, so much to resist
And then I find you

I am fire, you are water, nothing we can do
I walk into the room and light your fuse

Love is revolution
War and famine too
Feed the hunger in your heart
Let somebody love you
Let somebody love you

Live [?] got a boy or a girl in your hand
Could it be something I did or something you said
Live [?] got a boy or a girl in your hand
When the two sevens come together
I'm gonna love you forever and ever

I am fire, you are water, nothing we can do

Love is revolution
War and famine too
Feed the hunger in your heart
Let somebody love you
Let somebody love you
(Let somebody love you)

A dream, a lie, a [?] kiss (Let somebody love you)
So much to resist, yeah (Let somebody love you)
Gotta let someone love you (Let somebody love you)
Need to let somebody love you (Let somebody love you)

Posted by tammyduffy at 8:21 PM EDT

Updated: Saturday, 4 August 2018 8:36 PM EDT

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 THE HIGH ONE: Denali

Obstacles are put in your way to see if what you want is worth fighting for. When you climb with a team of friends they are your soul animals. As a mountain climber one develops meaningful relationships with your fellow climbers and your own spirit or power animal. These relationships develop with several power animals that will guide your team during various phases of your life and climbing adventures.

Since the Hudson party first climbed to the summit of Denali in 1913, over 30,000 climbers have attempted to reach Denali’s summit. More than 80% of the climbers go up the West Buttress route. The route is technically easy but should never be underestimated.  It is rated at a level 2 difficulty. Success in mountaineering should not be measured solely by whether or not you reach the summit. But also, by achieving the satisfaction of carrying out a safe and well-planned exhibition on one of the most extreme mountains on earth.

There are no books that supply the judgement, experience and safety you need to climb the 7 summits. Each individual climber must bring his or her own resources and capabilities to the climb.  Conditions are constantly changing, and climbers needs to be prepared for the unknown. Everything can get cold on the mountain, including one’s soul.  The perseverance, intense physical exertion, teamwork and patient acclimatization are all necessary for this climb. Many climbers find this to be the most challenging thing they have done in the mountains.

From the town of Talkeetna, you fly to the Southeast Fork of the Kahiltna Glacier Basecamp situated between the spectacular peaks of Foraker and Hunter. From there the route is undertakend "expedition style" - carrying high and sleeping low, in a series of four camps. This unforgettable climb has long been regarded as a world-class expedition challenge, comparable to the Himalayan giants, and must of any high-altitude climber.

We arrived in Talkeetna and checked in with the friendly folks at Talkeetna K2 air taxi.  They told us they could fly us on the glacier in one hour.  After a check in at the ranger station, we did a final weigh-in and loaded our gear onto the plane.  It takes about thirty minutes to fly from the airport in Talkeetna to the Moose’s Tooth.  As we approached our landing site, our pilot banked the plane hard and circled us in for landing.  He set the plane down on the hanging glacier just a five-minute walk from the start of Ham and Eggs.  

After getting the duffels out of the plane we started setting up camp, digging in our cook tent, and building snow walls.  We were all feeling good with our initial bump in altitude, due to the hypoxic tents we had been sleeping in. We decided we would wake up early the next morning and climb to Camp 1.  After a 2:30 alarm sounded we cooked up some breakfast, drank some coffee, and by 2:45 we were off to the races.  After a half hour we had crossed the bergschrund (A bergschrund is a crevasse that forms where moving glacier ice separates from the stagnant ice or firn above ) and made our way through the steep snow slabs that guard the first pitch.  “Ham and Eggs” is primarily a 50-degree snow climb with a handful of steeper rock and ice sections to add to the excitement... and exposure.  The summit ridge requires careful traversing on a heavily corniced ridge.  From camp to the summit is 3,000’ of vertical gain.  We made good time up the route finding it in favorable condition. We even stopped at the col for thirty minutes to brew up some coffee.

The following day we lounged around camp, looked up at the route we had climbed, and soaked in the views of Denali and Mount Huntington.  We contemplated climbing another route, but with some uncertainty in the forecast we decided that we had done what we came to do and it would be best to get out before we got stuck.  In order to fly in and out of the range, pilots need ideal conditions with good visibility most of the way from Talkeetna to the glaciers.  Sometimes with large storms it can be up to a week where no planes fly.  Fortunately for us, despite a cloud bank in the foothills the next day, a plane came to pick us up and brought us back to town.

The Kahiltna Glacier is renowned for giant crevasses and I wondered how it would feel juddering over them as we landed, but we hardly noticed. The glacier is smooth with plenty of fresh snow cover – not one of those dry glaciers containing a jumbled mass of ice and moraine. Base Camp is right next to the airstrip at 2400m, right underneath the impressive 4442m Mount Hunter, the third highest peak in the Alaska Range, whose easier summit slopes appeared to be guarded by a 1500m wall of rock and ice. At the far end of the airstrip 5304m Mount Foraker, a massive triangular bulk of snow, rose above a junction of glaciers. 6194m Denali is more of a giant whaleback and peered out between two smaller peaks to the north. Although it’s clearly much bigger than everything else around it, it appears less forbidding than its two neighbors and is a less technical climb. Patience and a sense of humor are often as valuable as technical climbing skills, and the team must be filled with endlessly cheerful characters who can keep people motivated and entertained when things aren’t going to plan.

As well as the new experience of perpetual daylight, that first day out of Base Camp was my first experience of towing a sledge. With 20kg on my back and 30kg in the sledge behind me I had some concerns about how I would cope with the physical exertions I would be putting through muscles I don’t usually use. In the end I didn’t find it at all bad. Towing a 30kg sledge is an order of magnitude easier than carrying a 30kg pack, and although I sometimes arrived in camp with aching buttocks, I never did tire of hearing some of the American members of the team complain of having a “sore fanny” (This wasn’t the only time the nuances of British and US English caused entertainment. I remember the ski tourers in the group being puzzled by my expression during a conversation they were having about “skinning up”. I had to explain that skinning up can also mean rolling a joint, an activity more closely associated with snow-boarding than skiing.

The position of Denali’s airstrip on an elevated section of the Kahiltna Glacier, means you have to start climbing the mountain by walking downwards on a section of glacier called Heartbreak Hill, a name whose significance only becomes obvious on the return journey at the end of a tiring expedition. Walking downhill with a sledge has its own difficulties, but we walked roped together, with the rope passing through carabiners attached to the sledges. This means it’s possible for the person behind you to keep the sledge from crashing into the back of you by keeping the rope tight. The first day from Base Camp to Camp 1 is mostly along the flat, and is good terrain for all, and to become accustomed to our burdens.

Camp 1 is located at the very foot of Denali, at the point where the glacier steepens, and the true ascent begins. Beyond it the slope climbs steeply to the Kahiltna Pass, a col between Denali and the ridge linking it to Mount Foraker. Our plan was to spend two nights there and do a carry of equipment on the first day and cache it in a snow hole at the pass before coming back down again. This follows the standard high altitude mountaineering dictum of climbing high and sleeping low which assists with acclimatization as the body gradually becomes accustomed to the altitude.  Everyone was in good shape and keen to go up the Kahiltna Pass and get the additional acclimatization that came with it.

At the Kahiltna Pass the route turns west and begins climbing the West Buttress on a relatively gentle snow ramp which leads between shoulders of mountain all the way up to Camp 3 at 4300m. Camp 2 lies in a flattish area of the ramp a couple of hundred meters above the Kahiltna Pass at 3300m (Americans still measure mountains in feet rather than meters, and Camps 2 and 3 are often referred to by their altitudes as 11,000 ft camp and 14,000 ft camp, respectively).  We expected to experience meant a daytime ascent would be preferable, and the carry went without a hitch, although Windy Corner certainly lived up to its name. Expecting to complete our climb up to Camp 3 the following day with the rest of our equipment, we awoke to news that two teams were abandoning the mountain and others were thinking of following. The park rangers were said to be advising teams not to advance to Camp 3 until conditions improved. The incident which sparked this panic was a large rock falling from the West Buttress at Windy Corner and landing between two climbers attached on the same rope. News was spreading around camp that the unprecedented warm temperatures were causing the ice to melt and produce unacceptable rockfall danger. But we had been round Windy Corner the previous day during the heat of the afternoon sun, and while we could see some rocks had fallen, far from being unacceptable we could see clearly enough the level of risk was relatively small. Mountaineering is not without risk, but neither is driving. To abandon the mountain purely because of a reported near miss seemed akin to avoiding a road just because the last time you drove down there you passed an accident site. But hearsay was proving more powerful than hard evidence. Our mountaineering instincts told us it was safe to do continue. Phone calls were bouncing backwards and forwards between rangers, guides and their offices, and some team leaders were being advised by their bosses in Washington to exercise caution. In this context our desire to push on appeared bullish; other guides were looking at us with horror, and it’s not good for a mountain guide to acquire a reputation for being reckless. We stayed put while other guides made tentative forays around Windy Corner to see for themselves.

Even so, we were still making good time. We established ourselves in Camp 3.  Many people say Camp 3 is the most beautiful camp on Denali, and it’s not hard to see how it acquired this reputation. It rests on a huge plateau directly underneath the steep walls of the West Buttress. It’s the highest point you can drag a sledge, and behind camp the climbing proper begins as a wide snow gully leads up to a notch on the crest of the buttress. Looking the other way, you appear to be on a balcony overlooking a giant cloud theatre. The crinkled summit of Mount Hunter peeps just a few hundred meters above, while Mount Foraker is still quite imposing. Between them the Kahiltna Glacier provides an alleyway to the far horizon, viewed across miles of green swamp. Arriving at camp is a memorable experience. It’s Denali’s last hospitable location, and people often spend days there waiting for a weather window. To guard against the high winds tent platforms are sunk into deep pits, and walls of snow are built around them. We arrived late in the season when many of these sites had been abandoned, and I felt like I was approaching some lost city in the desert.

After a rest day at Camp 3 our progress continued when we climbed up the snow gully to the crest of the West Buttress. Just below the ridge line the snow slope steepens to an angle of nearly 50 degrees and a series of fixed ropes have been installed. Using elegant climbing I hauled myself up these Himalayan-style using a jumar. It’s almost the most technical part of the entire West Buttress route and purists would wince, but most of us are here for different reasons. Behind me the view was breathtaking, and far beyond the Kahiltna Glacier I could see another distant line of mountains which was so far away it appeared to hang in the clouds. When we reached the ridge it was in and out of mist and gusting strong winds every few seconds. We cached our equipment a short way above in snow that was as hard as stone and tiring to dig. The climbing was becoming more difficult.

There were signs the weather was also changing. Until then it had been almost too good: clear skies and mild temperatures. It was so warm it had induced an unnecessary panic at Camp 2. There was a lot of snow at Camp 3 the following day and we listened to the sound of thunder. Up at Camp 4 climbers were a bit more frightened. They were experiencing a lightning storm, and hurriedly depositing ice axes, shovels and anything else that might conduct as far away from their tents as possible before huddling inside and trying their best to sleep through it all. We were ready to move up there ourselves and listened to the weather forecast being broadcast from Base Camp. It wasn’t encouraging.

We had to consider the wind chill, and with wind speeds in excess of 25 mph frostbite became a genuine risk. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again now: a summit is never worth losing digits for.   We really had just two options:

1.     We could wait at Camp 3 and ascend to Camp 4 on the 2nd, hoping there would be a suitable summit opportunity.

2.     We could ascend to Camp 4 the next day, and hope the forecast was wrong and hold out for a possible summit opportunity on any of the four subsequent days.

If we were in the Himalayas climbing an 8000m peak with plenty of days left to wait for our opportunity, then there was no doubt no.1 would be the favored option. It was comfortable at Camp 3. We had two to a tent, plenty of good food available, and it was reasonably sheltered. All we needed to do was rest, eat well, bide our time, then strike for the summit on the next favorable weather window. At Camp 4 we would be three to a tent at the end of an exposed ridge, and surviving on a diet of dehydrated food. Lying in a storm up there for days would grind us down physically and mentally.

It was a day to cast summit dreams aside and enjoy the moment as we climbed along a knife edge ridge above the clouds with the whole of Alaska beneath us. We picked up our cache on the way and carried double loads for much of the climb, every buckle and strap loaded down with pendulums of loose kit. It didn’t matter to me, though. Rarely have I felt such a combination of exhilaration and exhaustion. On the latter part Denali Pass appeared in the distance, the col between Denali’s two main summits. A snowy trail known as the Autobahn led to it from Camp 4 hidden behind a rocky promontory in front of us. To Denali Pass is much of the climb on summit day and it seemed within touching distance. The weather was as good as it gets with clear skies and barely a breath of wind, and we dared to hope the weather forecast was wrong and we could ascend tomorrow.

We were exhausted when we staggered into camp at 5250m in a broad snow basin at the end of the ridge with the main summit rising gently above. It was 8pm and we still had to carve out a tent platform, pitch the tent with extra pegs and pickets and build a wall around us. It was another three hours before we could crawl into my sleeping bag. Consequently, I wasn’t too upset when I woke up to wind and snow the following day, and knew I had a rest day ahead of me. We gathered in a gloomy mist that afternoon and spent a few hours mining blocks of snow with saws and shovels to strengthen the walls around us. Waking up and finding a layer of snow on our sleeping bags, we closed the ventilation up again and we repeated the process throughout the night. By morning the inside of our tent was beginning to resemble Narnia. I’ve never seen so much snow inside before. We were lucky though. The other climbers woke up to find themselves suffocating, and had to go outside and rebuild a wall that had collapsed on top of them.

But we didn’t have much time and would be taking a great risk if we stayed at Camp 3. We needed a two day window at least in order to reach the summit from there, and we didn’t know if there was going to be a single day. We would be wagering everything on good weather on Wednesday.

The next day, the weather was glorious, and we made the decision to climb to Camp 4. We were taking a risk either way, but by spending up to four days at Camp 4 I felt we were giving ourselves the greater opportunity.

The following day, Wednesday, was our last realistic opportunity if we hoped to catch our flights home in time to return to work when we promised we would. We left at 9.30am, reasoning that this time we would be climbing into the warmth of the afternoon sun. A couple of hundred meters after setting off we realized we were struggling into a howling blizzard. My snow goggles had iced up already, and it was insanity to go on. We all voted for insanity..

Nine hours after leaving camp we stood on the summit.  There was no wind, and it was warm enough to hang out without wearing gloves.  I was surprised that my phone had full service on the summit, so we made phone calls to the one person we love the most. We enjoyed the view and started making our way down the summit ridge.  After reversing the summit ridge, 15 or so (we lost count) rappels got us back across the bergschrund and only about five minutes from camp.  We arrived back in camp about 14 hours after we left.  After eating some pizza and enjoying some beer we called it a day.

The distances one travels on Denali are actually quite short, less than a marathon. The first day at basecamp (elevation of 7800 feet) one only travels 5.5 miles. The next step is to climb ski hill, turn east below Kahilta pass and then north to 11,000 feet.   That distance is only 4 miles. Next, another 2.8 miles climbing motorcycle hill, traverse north of squirrel point and finally navigate to windy corner to 14,200. The next day brings you to 17,200 feet by climbing a moderate slope to the base of 55-degree headwall (15,400). There are two fixed lines to assist climbers. Then turn right to the east (you turn left on the way down) to climb the headwall and gain to the west buttress. This is the steepest section, the crux of the entire route.  We used our ascenders to assist us up. Then the final push to the summit. It’s only 2.5 miles and took 9 hours. One has to ascend just south of Denali pass (18,200) follow the ridge SSE to the football field (19,500) to climb Pighill to Kahilta horn. The final walk along the summit ridge gets you to the 23,320 marker and you think, this is the best $350 I have ever spent. (for the permit).

Washburn’s thumb should not be ignored on route to high camp. It’s 60-degree slope at 17,200 feet is quite the challenge. Rappelling the fixed lines on the ridge to high camp with 70lbs Packs is quite an amazing task.

My favorite moment --descent from high camp to base camp. We navigated in a disorienting white out winds that howled so hard, I was certain it would knock someone over into the unknown. The hail and snow pummeled our faces as we rounded windy corner. We had to use our GPS and travel wands like a long game of connect the dots.

The success of getting to the summit is overwhelming as a team. Only 50% get to the summit on Denali that try. Many are overtaken by frostbite or altitude. We took the West Buttress route which is the easiest route. The brutal weather, crevasses and 60-degree slopes can bring the most seasoned climber plummeting to their deaths.

Your team is your life line. We love our team and its members. We constantly are in support and motivating each other to take the next step. There is a level of respect we all have for the mountain. The focus on person health is critical for a successful and safe climb. All climbers must ensure they are hydrated the entire way. Like Rod Perry (the founder of the Iditarod) we study the pioneers prior to every climb.

The views we see are climbers are the most magnificent panoramas in the world. Frostbite awaits you, ready to jump on you at the slightest demonstration of arrogance to the mountain.  The climate is tough. We drew heavily from our Himalayan, Aconcagua and Killimonjaro experiences to survive. It is a respectful team that gets to stand on the summit. The success is rewarding. It’s like looking out the windows of heaven.  This was a tiny polar expedition in 3 dimensions. The wonderful companions we have with whom we lived, struggled and climbed are epic.

Posted by tammyduffy at 5:00 PM EDT

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By Tammy Duffy

https://www.iri5.com/ is Erika’s website. Go buy yourself a piece of her art. IT’S AMAZING and will transform your home into Parts Unknown. 

Posted by tammyduffy at 7:05 AM EDT

Updated: Saturday, 7 July 2018 9:54 AM EDT

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