Posted on 12/10/2015 1:17:32 PM PST by ArGee
Raqqa, Syria
Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant, also known as ISIS, announced today that he would be disbanding all forces and returning all land to Syria and Iraq. The move was prompted by the ongoing Climate Conference in Paris.
"This is one thing we could not have anticipated," Mr. al-Baghdadi said in prepared remarks. "When we see the world coming together like this on such a dangerous subject as Global Climate Change, we realize that our Caliphate will never survive. It's only a matter of time before Climate Change is no more and the world's attention turns to us. At that point, we will have no chance. For the sake of the men, women, and children who have supported us, I can not continue a doomed campaign."
An emotional al-Baghdadi did not take any questions.
Sources close to al-Baghdadi who spoke on the condition of anonymity told us that it was becoming more and more difficult to recruit new fighters. "Even our existing people are extremely demoralized," one said. "The words of Donald Trump himself can not overcome our dispair."
According to their press release, surrender is total and immediate. Fighters are being paid and sent home by division. Any remaining money will be put into a fund to resettle Christians and Yazidis who have been displaced by the war.
"We thought the world was fragmented," one strategist was overheard saying to himself. "Who knew it could come together like this? This is a stinging rebuke."
So far there has been no comment from Damascus, Baghdad, Moscow, or Washington. One source inside the Kremlin said, "We are waiting to see if there will be any follow-up action. We want to make sure this is real before we decide on our next steps."
I haven’t had problems with my gold fish but my brother had a raiding raccoon.
A great blue heron ate my friend’s koi out of her backyard water feature when the local ponds were frozen over. The herons are Federally protected.
As to The Great Blue Herons haunting ornamental, well of koi's they do, nice fat lazy goldfish, good eating there.
And the rentention ponds have snakes, frogs, and peripatetic turtles, Heron food. Amazing to watch them, staring down intently until the lighting strike. Then beak to the sky, neck straightened a bit comes the juggling act, getting the prey into the gullet. Sometimes the prey escapes, but rarely. Then it's much like watching a snake feed but faster down the long neck.
First time I saw a Heron foot print in the mud along side a big pond's edge, it was bigger than the span of my hand. For a split second I thought velociraptor.... naaah... still until I saw the bird....;>)
LOL!
Keep in mind that an adult GBH will have a spread about six inches between the left and right toe/ talons. The fourth rear talon, not seen in the photo is a least as long as the one on the left. Bob cat prints are smaller and I've come across small black bear prints not as big.
I’m impressed! I generally see them from the car, so I haven’t had a chance to look for their prints.
These aren’t ornamentals, just regular goldfish. It’s a farm pond that once was a watering hole for the dairy bovines when this was a working farm. I’m guessing some previous occupant dumped them there who knows how long ago. Glorified carp survive rather well over winters in these parts.
When we moved here eight? years ago we noted on the Googleearf view that there was a pond looking thing back behind the before-it-collapsed-barn so we went esplortin and found it in the years of overgrowth. In that esplortin adventure we noted flashes of red and other colors in the water and determined the source to be pretty carp.
Last summer our pond was visited almost daily by the big heronlike birdcreature and when I investigated I did not see the prettycarp so I assumed they had been gulletized. That doesn’t seem to be the case. And so far we haven’t seen the heron this year.
We have ‘coons but haven’t seen any of then since the Coy O’Tays have been circuiting past with greater frequency. Possums either for that matter.
Problem with the Coy O’Tays is they don’t hang around long enough to dig up an assault weapon from the field where whatever survived the boating accident got buried so they can be suitably perforated and pelt-itized..
Now I must retreat to the interior spaces as my combined thermal image and carbon dioxide emissions have revealed my location to a squadron of socialists who want a free lunch.
We came home late one night, and as we came up the lane, I happened to look over at my illuminated Koi pond and there, in the half shadow, stood an “Alien Grey”, peering intently at my pond.
I nearly had a heart attack.
I jumped out of the car and ran to the back yard, just in time to see a huge Heron fly away.
Damn things.
I know it at least snatched some of my over-friendly Comets and probably a Koi or two.
Who knew they hunted at night?
:-\
The next day, I bought a fake alligator thingy to float in the pond.
It never came back.
𝕋yranosaurusrex!
Something to remember if we ever have a pond!
It was nice of you to drop by ...
That’s a good one!
Good morning, all.
Another night of tossing and turning, and I finally decided it was just time to get up. My thoughts wander too much if I stay in bed, and then I get angry with myself for being so gullible and idiotic, even though, in the cold light of day, what I was thinking in the wee small hours was not so idiotic. In fact, some of it is rather humorous.
It’s only supposed to be 90 today, but 105 by Friday again. Life is good.
Another week and we will be having less daylight per day, and I always dread that. It means winter and C-O-L-D is on the way.
*Yawn* ‘Scuse. Mornin’.
Sorry about the loss of your fish.
From the bird's point of view, there it is quietly gliding in the night, looks down and sees your pond lit up like a 24hr fast food joint.
Morning, y’all. I’ll be getting most of the Offspring up in a few minutes to start getting ready for the trip to Tom’s camp.
Picture didn’t load...from your title I really missed something.
I don’t think there’s a picture at 9430, just a weird alphabetic character.
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