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PRAYER REQUEST: My wonderful Dear Husband (Ron) is currently deployed to Iraq as a pilot with the USAF. I just received an email from his Commanding Officer, alerting me to the fact that my husband is "sick", is unable to fly or get to a phone or email, and that he wanted to let me know. Please pray for Ron's health, safety, and protection. And please pray for my peace of mind back here in California as I strive to NOT freak out and worry over this. My wonderful DH is in his 28th year of military service and this...

Environmentalism: Fresno, Calif., stands as the de facto capital of California's mighty Central Valley, the breadbasket of America. So why is that city preoccupied with winning a $1 million prize to stave off hunger? Local newspapers and Fresno County officials are trying to rally Facebook users to vote for Fresno in a corporate contest sponsored by Wal-Mart for $1 million in charity food donations for the hungry. Fresno, a city of 505,000, has taken the national lead because 24.1% of Fresno's families are going hungry. Civic spirit is good, but something big is wrong here. Fresno is the agricultural capital...

One of our backyard bird feeders (central California) has been very popular today with what looks to me like a giant sparrow, but I was wondering if anyone could tell me for certain? He's about 4-5 times the size of the goldfinches and housefinches that usually hang out on the feeder; in fact, he's about the size of the mourning doves we also get. Anyway, I snapped a few photos before he fluttered off. Thanks for your assistance in identifying this bird. CHIRP!

Freepers who know about trees ... your assistance please. These trees grow in central California, and right now are covered with pretty yellow blossoms. Can anyone identify this type of tree for me? Thanks! Photos to follow ...

Naval Air Station Fallon Executive Officer Cmdr. Luther Hook, 44, and three of his daughters are the confirmed victims of a plane crash that took place Friday evening near the Fallon Municipal Airport. Hook perished in the twin-engine Cessna crash along with daughters Kaitlyn Elizabeth, 15, Rachel Katherine, 12, and Mackenzie Elena, 9. The four were in route to Fallon from Fresno, Calif. Kelly Spicer, a representative from the airport, said Hook flew to Fresno every Friday afternoon to pick up his daughters from a previous marriage for weekend visitation. He returned his daughters to Fresno each Sunday afternoon in...

Every spring, we get a lot of goldfinches in our backyard, along with the house finches who stay here, year 'round. (I'm in central California.) This spring, I noticed a larger black-and-yellow bird on one of our feeders, and I don't think it's a goldfinch. He's fast, so I did my best to snap a few pictures. Any ideas what kind of bird he is? The yellow bird on our sunflower seed feeder. Goldfinches (for comparison) on a different feeder A visiting squirrel Our cat, Smudge, watching the birds and the squirrels.

My wonderful dear husband and I went for a drive yesterday (February 28) in the foothills around Fresno County in central California, and snapped a few photographs of blossoming trees and blooming wildflowers. Even thought it was a cloudy day, the colors were just magnificent and many trees were in bloom. And the hillsides were filled with orange and yellow flowers -- including poppies! Since much of the nation is still up to its ears in winter, I thought that some color would be a day-brightener for this first day of March. http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d145/Harvie_Ruth/VACATION%202009/Feb28157.jpg

MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM YOUR PETS Meowy Christmas from your loving cat. Aren't I cute? Now leave me the hell alone. --Ann Bartow We, your cats, at Christmas say, Thanks for caring for us each day. We love this season, all green and red, And by the way, the hamster's dead. --Peter Bauer As man's best friend, when you're in bed, I just sit and watch. For Christmas, so I can hump your leg, I've put mistletoe on your crotch. --Patrick Major I've always loved the Christmas Feast. I've heard this year it's ham. Too bad I've other plans this time....

Please forgive this vanity post ... but where oh where is my favorite thread, the FReeper Canteen?

A friend of mine just sent me this link to a website selling Obama Pajamas (called "Ojamas") ... she suggested I get a pair and wear them for his coronation, er, inauguration. (Hmmm? Since I will be home sick that day?) Please try not to gag when you visit the site. Link ... http://www.ojamas.us/servlet/StoreFront

Fellow Freepers .... my wonderful husband (Ron) has been serving in Iraq for months, and has been traveling home to California since Friday night. Along the way he's encountered an amazing number of travel hassles and delays -- both on military transports from Iraq to Germany to the US -- and since then on commercial flights. (For those interested, he is a California Air National Guard pilot and this was his SECOND deployment to Iraq THIS YEAR!) Well, it's Monday morning and he's at the airport in Denver ... he arrives home in Fresno on United/Skywest at about 2pm ......

My wonderful DH and I have been married 5.5 years. He is currently deployed to Iraq, so I decided to take inventory and straighten out his dresser drawers, plus the drawers in the closet. (With his blessing and permission, mind you.) He has socks in 4 different drawers. He has over 80 pairs of socks. Most of his socks are black (work) or white (non-work), with a very few pair of other colors. Ummm.... is this normal? Socks in 4 different drawers? Over 80 pairs? Or am I just married to a guy who loves his socks? Molly

HELP! I want to add pictures to my profile. I have a photobucket account. I am clueless. Do I cut and paste .... the direct link code, the HTML code, or the IMG code? And do I have to add anything to that code to make the picture actually show up on my profile??? (And giving me the link to the HTML cheat sheet thingy doesn't explain to me how it works.) Molly

In the next few weeks, my wonderful husband, Ron, will be re-deploying back to Iraq with the USAF for his FIFTH time flying the not-so-friendly skies over there. He is a pilot, and volunteered for this redeployment. (He just returned home about a month and a half ago from his last deployment and I'd rather hoped to have him home longer.) Prayers for his preparation, protection, and safe return would be greatly appreciated, as always. (Please consider adding him to any prayer lists or prayer pings, please.) Molly in California

My wonderful husband (Ron) is in his last week of his fourth tour in Iraq with the USAF (he's a pilot with a special ops unit.) For some reason, I've just been very anxious / sleepless the last few nights worrying about his safety ... he is scheduled to come home in a week, by the way. * Please pray for his continued safety, for successful missions, and for his timely and hassle-free "out processing" * Please pray for his travel home, including connections and layovers. (He should be on military transport until he reaches the US East Coast, then...

My family won't forget the events of September 11, 2001. As I lay in bed (in California), listening to the radio and praying .... my husband Ron (we weren't married yet) was receiving a telephone call at home ordering him to report to his base. As an F-16 pilot tasked at the time to west coast defense, he spent hours in the air that day and evening (and in the following days) -- patrolling the skies over San Francisco and praying that he wouldn't be ordered to shoot down a civilian airliner in order to save lives. While the rest...

My wonderful DH Ron has been deployed to Iraq for months. He is especially in need of prayers for the next TWO days ... so may I humbly ask that you lift him up during this period of time? Please pray especially for his protection and safety.... and for my peace of mind. Thank you very much ... it eases some of my worry and anxiety knowing that other believers are praying for him.

Last Thursday evening, I was bitten in the hand while assisting my vet in pilling one of our cats. As I result, I sustained a dozen scratches, plus two very deep puncture wounds in my right (dominant) hand. Since then, I have made 4 trips (one per day) to the Emergency Room for IV antibiotics and related treatment (tetanus shot, oral antibiotics, topical antibiotics, pain meds) as well as minor surgeries. (The 4 trips were in lieu of being hospitalized, by the way.) I am an insulin-dependent diabetic, which complicates matters somewhat... it means I heal slowly and have a...

Please keep my husband in your prayers -- he deployed today for a fairly short-term mission (less than 3 months). I miss him already, but I know that he is in God's hands. He is career military and this is what he does... (sigh)

Tomorrow (Thursday April 7), my husband has his "check ride" for his upgrade to pilot-in-command of the military aircraft he has been co-piloting for two years. I would appreciate prayers for his safety, his peace, and for his ability to communicate well with those flying with him. (Oh, and I'd like him to pass his "check ride" with flying colors!) Thanks for your prayers. :)