Northern Mocking Bird not Wren

I thought we had a Carolina Wren and was perplexed why it sang in the middle of the night then I looked up what bird would sing its heart out at night and I am 90% sure this is my little late night vocalist. I know the wrens song and I would think the voice I heard so loud in my grove sounded like a wren but then it didn't some how. This brilliant little guy is who was fooling me I do believe. You can listen to him sing at the Cornell site:

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northern_Mockingbird/id


The Northern Mockingbird, Mimus polyglottos, is the only mockingbird commonly found in North America. This species was first described by Linnaeus in his Systema naturae in 1758 as Turdus polyglottos.

The Northern Mockingbird breeds in southeastern Canada, the United States, northern Mexico, the Bahamas, the Cayman Islands and the Greater Antilles. It is replaced further south by its closest living relative, the Tropical Mockingbird. The Socorro Mockingbird, an endangered species, is also closely related, contrary to previous opinion.The bird is the state bird of Arkansas, Florida, Mississippi, Tennessee and Texas.

This bird is mainly a permanent resident, but northern birds may move south during harsh weather. This species has occurred in Europe as an extreme rarity.


Northern Mockingbirds eat mainly insects in summer but switch to eating mostly fruit in fall and winter. These birds forage on the ground or in vegetation; they also fly down from a perch to capture food. They mainly eat insects, berries and seeds. They’ve been seen drinking sap from the cuts on recently pruned trees. While foraging they frequently spread their wings in a peculiar two-step motion to display the white patches. There lacks consensus among ornithologists over whether this behavior is purely a territorial display, or whether the flashing white patches startles insects into giving up their cover.

Mockingbirds' willingness to nest near houses, their loud and frequent songs, and their territorial defense often annoy people. John van der Linden, author of the Eastern Birding Central FAQ, reported 25 to 50 percent of the e-mail questions he received were concerned with how to deal with annoying mockingbirds.

Habitat

Mockingbirds have a strong preference for certain trees such as maple, sweetgum, and sycamore. They generally avoid pine trees after the other trees have grown their leaves. Also, they have a particular preference for high places, such as the topmost branches of trees. Mockingbirds are often found in urban and suburban areas, where they perch on telephone poles, streetlights, or high points on buildings. While singing on a high perch they will often bolt several feet into the air in a looping motion, with wings outstretched to display their white underside, then land back on the perch without breaking a note. This has been studied and thought to be a courtship display.

Mating and nesting



Northern Mockingbird males establish a nesting territory in early February. If a female enters his territory, the male will pursue the female with initial aggressive calls and, if she becomes uninterested, with softer calls. Once the pair is established, their song becomes more gentle. Northern Mockingbirds tend to be monogamous, and the female may return to the same male from the previous season.

Both the male and female Northern Mockingbird are involved in the nest building. The male does most of the work while the female perches on the shrub or tree where the nest is being built to watch for predators. The nest is built approximately 3 to 10 feet above the ground. The outer part of the nest is composed of twigs while the inner part is lined with grasses, dead leaves, moss or artificial fibers. The eggs are a light blue or greenish color and speckled with dots. Approximately three to five eggs are laid by the female, and she incubates them for nearly two weeks. Once the eggs are hatched, both the male and female feed the chicks.

The birds aggressively defend their nest and surrounding area against other birds and animals. When a predator is persistent, mockingbirds from neighboring territories, summoned by a distinct call, may join the attack. Other birds may gather to watch as the mockingbirds harass the intruder. In addition to harassing domestic cats and dogs they consider a threat, it is not unheard of for mockingbirds to target humans. They are absolutely unafraid and will attack much larger birds, even hawks (see image on right). One famous incident in Tulsa, Oklahoma involving a postal carrier resulted in the distribution of a warning letter to residents.

Song and calls

Although many species of bird imitate other birds, the Northern Mockingbird is the best known in North America for doing so. It imitates not only birds but also other animals and mechanical sounds such as car alarms. As convincing as these imitations may be to humans, they often fail to fool other birds, such as the Florida Scrub-Jay.

The Northern Mockingbird's mimicry is likely to serve as a tool for increasing the size of its repertoire and thus its ability to attract females. The mockingbird is limited to imitating short units of sound, which it repeats several times before moving on to a new sound. As a result, the mockingbird sounds much better (to a human ear) imitating some species than others. Species with repetitive songs, such as the Carolina Wren, are effectively copied, but species with long, complex songs, such as the Song Sparrow, cannot be effectively imitated by the mockingbird.

The Northern Mockingbird, in addition to being a good mimic, is also one of the loudest and most constantly vocal of birds. It often sings through the night, especially unmated males, or when the moon is full. It sings year-round except sometimes for the late-summer molting season. Individual males have repertoires of 50 to 200 songs; females sing as well, but more quietly and less often than males. Mockingbirds usually sing the loudest in the twilight of the early morning when the sun is on the horizon.

In addition to its well-known song, the Northern Mockingbird uses a variety of calls to communicate specific information. As with its song, these calls are among some of the louder sounds produced by birds of its size. Mockingbirds make a harsh, raspy noise when chasing other birds out of their territory. A similar but distinct call is used when defending against predators like a hawk or falcon. Other calls include a wheezing noise, a "chuck" note, and a very piercing series of notes "high low" repeated twice.

Intelligence

In 2009 it was reported that mockingbirds could pick out a threatening person from a crowd. Researchers had one person stand near a mockingbird nest and touch it, while other people avoided the nest. Later on, the mockingbirds recognized the intruder and attacked him, while ignoring the other people.

Forget-Me-Nots

By Lee Bain

Forget-me-nots I’d press on your mind’s eye;
Bright silent messengers of sky’s wild blue…
That from your thoughts my name would never die,
I’d bid them haunt you with their heavenly hue.
Bold blooms would border every path you bent
In blue profusion, like a blossomed lea;
My fragrance would enhance their subtle scent
To blend their perfume with the breath of me.
And when, at end of day, you’d sip and sup
Or finely dine in stately pomp and grace,
You’d find forget-me-nots twined ‘round your cup
Or gaily patterned in the table’s lace.
Through such sweet sorcerers’ spell would I secure
Some memory of me that may endure.

A prayer for Memorial Day

Oh Creater, our one God and Father,
your love is stronger than death,
and your life-giving power has no end.
We commend to your eternal care
all who have died in the service of others,
even as we lament the violence of war.
Comfort and sustain all those who mourn.
Heal the wounded body, mind, and spirit.
Bring justice, freedom, and dignity to all people
and bring an end to war throughout the earth
so that all may know your promised peace;
through Christ, the resurrection and the life.

Lush Spring Pastures in NY.

Moonstruck

"I was unable to sleep much last night as the moon kept poking me and asking me to dance."
-Beth Maxwell Boyle

Facebook's Privacy Issues

PALO ALTO, Calif. – Facebook Inc. simplified its privacy settings Wednesday in an effort to assuage lawmakers, regulators and privacy watchdogs who have criticized the world’s most popular social networking site for being reckless with the personal information of its more than 500 million users.

But some analysts said the move may not temper heightened regulatory scrutiny of how Facebook and other Internet companies gather and use the huge volumes of information that people share online.

Facebook has found itself in the eye of a regulatory storm as it has pushed users to make more of their personal information public.

At Facebook’s Palo Alto headquarters, the company’s 26-year-old chief executive, Mark Zuckerberg, said the overhaul of the site’s settings would offer more privacy to users who want it. They will work retroactively to include all of a user’s content and will apply to all new services that Facebook introduces.

Facebook is also making it easier for users to block features that give third-party websites information about them. That includes the “instant personalization” feature Facebook rolled out last month that shares user data with music site Pandora.com and review site Yelp.com.

But Facebook stopped short of making all user data private by default, as privacy watchdogs and U.S. lawmakers have urged it to do.

“Facebook made some positive changes today, but only because of political pressure from policymakers and privacy advocates on both sides of the Atlantic,” Jeffrey Chester, who heads the Center for Digital Democracy, said. “Mr. Zuckerberg’s failure to acknowledge the political realities don’t bode well for Facebook’s future approach to privacy.”

Chester said he would continue to press the Federal Trade Commission to investigate Facebook.

Last month, 15 consumer groups filed a complaint with the FTC.

Officials from 30 European countries also complained in a letter to Facebook.

“Those who said that ‘privacy is dead online’ were 100 percent wrong. This episode makes clear that users care very much about privacy. Facebook has learned that lesson,” said Marc Rotenberg, executive director of the Electronic Privacy Information Center, or EPIC.

Facebook is not the only Internet company under fire: Google Inc. is grappling with the fallout in the U.S and Europe after it collected private data from Wi-Fi networks on its Street View service. Yet these Internet companies remain wildly popular with Internet users around the globe.

Despite the pushback from staunch critics, Zuckerberg said Facebook had not seen any decline in users. Facebook had 519.1 million users last month, up from 411 million in September, according to ComScore Inc. Analysts said most users are wedded to Facebook and have no intention of leaving. Tens of millions of users would have to protest – not thousands – before having an effect on Facebook, they said.

Zuckerberg said he believes many users would still make their personal information visible to everyone on the Internet and they would use the instant personalization service, which customizes websites based on their interests and friends.

Facebook will begin rolling out the new settings over the next two weeks. The move comes after weeks of intense meetings at the company as executives plotted how to respond to complaints in the U.S., the European Union, Canada and Norway.

“It’s not true that we don’t care about privacy,” Zuckerberg said.

“What I am saying is that I think there is a balance. More and more people want to share information. As long as we have good controls over that, I think that’s really where the world is going.”

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2010/may/27/facebook-announces-new-privacy-settings/

Copper Toxicity in Sheep

NEVER feed pig, cow or horse feed to sheep it can result in sudden death or liver failure. Today companies formulate feeds very specifically for the species. Sheep are unique in that they cannot excrete accumulated copper and poisoning or death will be the result of a high intake of copper. Horse feed has killed many sheep because the owners mistakenly feed sweet feed or a grain mixture designed for equines to their sheep. Often the ram or the dominant ewe will be the first to show signs of poisoning from being fed too much copper as they dominate the feed trough and eat the lions share of grain. Sun sensitivity and sun burn is one of the signs your sheep may have liver damage from too much copper.Special Note: An easy test to confirm copper toxicity is to raise the animal eye lid, if the eye lid is yellow then the animal has an excessive amount of copper in their body.

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Copper toxicity in sheep is more often a problem of nutritional management than it is excess copper intake. The purpose of this paper is to look at such factors as nutrient interactions, animal management, and environmental conditions that may increase the risk of copper toxicity and how the sheep producer can minimize these risks.

The importance of copper as an essential nutrient has been known since the 1920's. Copper is required for normal iron metabolism, elastin and collagen synthesis, melanin production and integrity of the central nervous system. There are numerous metalloprotein enzymes, metalloporphyrin enzymes and non-enzyme metalloproteins in animals that require copper to be biologically active. More recently it has been shown that copper is one of the key trace minerals required for an effective immune response. The bottom line is that copper is essential for life. Consequently, most trace mineralized salt products contain 0.03 to 0.04% (300 to 400 ppm) of copper to prevent copper deficiency.

Sensitivity of Sheep

Like most nutrients, excessive concentrations can cause toxicity. However, sheep tend to be much more sensitive than other farm animals. For example, growing swine are often fed copper concentrations as high as 250 ppm in the diet to improve performance. Cattle can consume diets containing 100 ppm copper with no problem, while toxicities have occurred in sheep with concentrations as low as 10 ppm (Church and Pond 1988).

Copper toxicity in sheep usually results from the accumulation of copper in the liver over a period of a few weeks to more than a year with no clinical signs followed by a sudden release of liver copper stores to cause toxicity. In these situations, chronic copper poisoning may result from excessive copper intakes or from low intakes of molybdenum, sulfur, zinc, calcium or following liver damage (Kimberling, 1988). Sheep accumulate copper in the liver more readily than other farm animals and over a period of time, 1000 - 3000 ppm on a dry weight basis may be achieved. During the accumulation phase, blood copper levels are normal in the 0.10 to 0.20 mg/dl. Toxicity results when stress conditions cause the liver cells to die and release the stored copper into the blood. Plasma copper levels then increase 10 to 20 fold. These elevated blood copper levels (500-2000 mg/dl) usually precede clinical signs by 24 to 48 hours (Kimberling 1988). The most common symptoms are anorexia, excessive thirst and depression. These are accompanied by severe hemoglobinemia, anemia, icterus and methemoglobinemia. Most sheep will die within 1 to 2 days of the onset of these signs (Merck Veterinary Manual 1979).

Molybdenum Ratio

The ratio of copper to molybdenum is the most important dietary factor affecting copper toxicity in sheep. Ratios of 10:1 or less will prevent toxicity in most cases. The exact mechanism by which molybdenum prevents copper toxicity is poorly understood. However, it is known that an insoluble complex, CuMo04, can be formed in the gastrointestinal tract thus reducing copper absorption. This theory is substantiated by the fact that increasing dietary copper is an effective treatment of molybdenum toxicity.

Molybdenum concentrations in most feeds are in the range of 1 to 3 ppm in the total diet. If molybdenum concentrations are low (less than 1 ppm), diets containing copper in the range of the normal requirement (8 - 11 ppm) have been known to produce toxicity (NRC 1975). Sheep producers who live in or buy feed from molybdenum deficient areas should pay close attention to dietary copper levels. Such feeds as distillers dried grains and soybean meal which are normally high in copper should be limited in the diet. Trace mineralized salt should not be removed from the diet because it contains zinc which also reduces copper absorption. Diets containing high concentrations (100 ppm) of zinc have been shown to reduce liver copper stores. In addition, eliminating all trace mineral supplementation may actually worsen the situation by creating an even greater mineral imbalance.

Although prevention is much preferred, there are times when mass treatment is indicated. The most common treatment is to give a drench daily containing 50 to 100 mg of ammonium molybdate and 0.5 to 1.0g of sodium sulfate per animal for three weeks. To reduce labor, an aqueous solution of the two salts can be sprayed onto the feed. This approach is recommended as a treatment procedure only if all animals are eating regularly.

Animal Management and Environment


Besides nutrition, animal management factors can affect the incidence of copper toxicity in sheep. For example, although this disease can occur in both sexes of all breeds, mature ewes of British breeds seem to be the most susceptible. In the United States this disease is most common in the western states of the intermountain region. Although the disease can occur anytime, peak incidence usually is in the fall and winter.

Environmental factors and stress can also affect the susceptibility of sheep to this disease. For example, grazing sheep in areas containing certain potentially toxic plants may predispose them to copper toxicity. Plants such as lupines, which contain toxic alkaloids, produce copper toxicity by impairing the liver's ability to metabolize ingested copper. Chronic toxicity is also common in sheep grazing subterranean clover and is associated with normal levels of copper, low levels of molybdenum and no apparent liver damage. The stress associated with shipping ewes from mountain ranges to pastures some distance away appears to make ewes more susceptible.

Summary

In summary, sheep producers should become familiar with copper and molybdenum levels of feeds grown in their area. If the area is deficient in molybdenum or high in copper, feed samples should be analyzed routinely to monitor the copper: molybdenum ratio in the diet. Supplemental feeds which are known to be low in copper should be used whenever possible. Feeding a properly fortified trace mineralized salt is essential to the health and production of the sheep flock.

by Larry L. Berger, Ph.D.
Professor, Animal Sciences
University of Illinois

Literature Cited

Church, D.C. and W.G. Pond, 1988. Basic Animal Nutrition and Feeding, 3rd Edition. Published by John Wiley and Sons, New York. pp. 196-199.
Kimberling, C.V. 1988., Jensen and Swift's Disease of Sheep, 3rd Edition. Published by Lea and Febiger, Philadelphia, PA. pp. 372-374.
Merck Veterinary Manual, 1979. 5th Edition. Published by Merck and Company. Rahway NJ. pp. 977-978.
NRC., 1975. Nutrient Requirements of Sheep. 5th Edition, National Academy Press. Washington DC.

Shearing at Castlereagh

The bell is set a-ringing, and the engine gives a toot,
There's five-and-thirty shearers here a-shearing for the loot,
So stir yourselves, you penners-up, and shove the sheep along --
The musterers are fetching them a hundred thousand strong --
And make your collie dogs speak up; what would the buyers say
In London if the wool was late this year from Castlereagh?
The man that "rung" the Tubbo shed is not the ringer here,
That stripling from the Cooma-side can teach him how to shear.
They trim away the ragged locks, and rip the cutter goes,
And leaves a track of snowy fleece from brisket to the nose;
It's lovely how they peel it off with never stop nor stay,
They're racing for the ringer's place this year at Castlereagh.

The man that keeps the cutters sharp is growling in his cage,
He's always in a hurry; and he's always in a rage --
"You clumsy-fisted mutton-heads, you'd turn a fellow sick,
You pass yourselves as shearers, you were born to swing a pick.
Another broken cutter here, that's two you've broke today,
It's awful how such crawlers come to shear at Castlereagh."

The youngsters picking up the fleece enjoy the merry din,
They throw the classer up the fleece, he throws it to the bin;
The pressers standing by the rack are watching for the wool,
There's room for just a couple more, the press is nearly full;
Now jump upon the lever, lads, and heave and heave away,
Another bale of golden fleece is branded "Castlereagh".

Andrew Barton Paterson ('Banjo')

Whit Monday

Whit Monday in England, Wales and Northern Ireland used to fall anywhere between 11 May and 14 June, as it was the Monday after Whit Sunday (the seventh Sunday after Easter.) In 1971, Whit Monday was formally replaced by a fixed spring holiday on the last Monday in May.

Ladies Go Dancing At Whitsun - Alun Rhys Jones

It's fifty long springtimes since she was a bride,
But still you may see her at each Whitsuntide
In a dress of white linen with ribbons of green,
As green as her memories of loving.

The feet that were nimble tread carefully now,
As gentle a measure as age will allow,
Through groves of white blossoms, by fields of young corn,
Where once she was pledged to her true-love.

The fields they stand empty, the hedges grow (go) free--
No young men to turn them or pastures go see (seed)
They are gone where the forest of oak trees before
Have gone, to be wasted in battle.

Down from the green farmlands and from their loved ones
Marched husbands and brothers and fathers and sons.
There's a fine roll of honor where the Maypole once stood,
And the ladies go dancing at Whitsun.

There's a straight row of houses in these latter days
All covering the downs where the sheep used to graze.
There's a field of red poppies (a gift from the Queen)
But the ladies remember at Whitsun,
And the ladies go dancing at Whitsun.

on Bok, Trickett, Muir record. FSI- . Also Redpath Philo
and Tim Hart and Maddy Prior on Summer Solstice

Whitsun Carol

Now Whitsuntide is come you very well do know
Come serve the Lord we must before we do go
Come serve him truly with all your might and heart
And then from heaven your soul shall never depart.

How do you know how long we have to live
For when we die oh then what would we give
For being sure of having our resting place
Since we have run our simple wretched race.

Down in those gardens where flowers grow in ranks
Down on your knees and to the Lord give thanks
Pray unto the Lord that angels he may bring
And then in heaven your soul shall sit and sing.
(repeat the tune for the last two lines on the following two lines)
Down on your knees and pray both night and day
Pray unto the Lord that He will lead you the right way.

Both young and old, both rich and poor, give ear
Don't allow your children to lie, boast curse nor swear
Do not allow them to keep ill company
For that will surely bring them to shame and misery.

Come all those children all in the streets we meet
All in their pastimes so even and complete
So its how you may hear them lie, boast, curse and swear
Before they do know one word of any prayer.

Now we may bring you the royal branch of oak
God bless our King and Queen and all the royal folk
God bless our King and Queen and all the world beside
Then the Lord He will send us all a merry Whitsuntide.

Today is the birthday of Christ's Church

by Annie Karto

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Pentecost (Ancient Greek: πεντηκοστή [ἡμέρα], pentekostē [hēmera], "the fiftieth day") is one of the prominent feasts in the Christian liturgical year, celebrated on the 49th day (7 weeks) after Easter Sunday - or the 50th day inclusively, hence its name. Pentecost falls on the tenth day after Ascension Thursday. Historically and symbolically related to the Jewish harvest festival of Shavuot or the day, fifty days after the Exodus, on which God gave the Ten Commandments at Mount Sinai, Pentecost now also commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles and other followers of Jesus as described in the Book of Acts, Chapter 2 in the New Testament. For this reason, Pentecost is sometimes described as "the Church's birthday".

In the story recounted in the Acts of the Apostles, the apostles went out into Jerusalem prophesying and speaking in languages that all the visitors to Jerusalem could understand ("God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven... each one heard them speaking in his own language."). This is where the name of the Pentecostalist Church denomination comes from, since Pentecostalist worship often includes the practice of speaking in tongues.

Pentecost is also called Whitsun, Whitsunday, Whit Sunday, Whitsuntide, especially in the United Kingdom.

A depiction of the Descent of the Holy Spirit in the Rosary Garden of San Carlos Seminary, Guadalupe Viejo, Makati City, Philippines.

According to legend, King Arthur always gathered all his knights at the round table for a feast and a quest on Pentecost.

So ever the king had a custom that at the feast of Pentecost in especial, afore other feasts in the year, he would not go that day to meat until he had heard or seen of a great marvel.

Cameron calls for Scots 'respect'

David Cameron said he wanted to govern with respect

Prime Minister David Cameron has called for a "fresh start" in relations between the Scots and UK governments, as he met First Minister Alex Salmond.

During a visit to Holyrood, Mr Cameron said he was open to a request from the SNP administration for a £700m package to boost the economy.

But he warned the UK spending deficit had to be tackled.

Mr Cameron also called for an "agenda of respect" between the Westminster and Edinburgh parliaments.


David Cameron said this was his first visit as prime minister to a parliament anywhere. He has yet to go to Westminster.

His talks with the opposition leaders were held in Queensberry House, where the second Duke of that ilk crafted and propagated the Union Treaty in 1707.

And the PM had to enter Holyrood via a side door because of a noisy protest outside against public sector cuts.

Alex Salmond said after the talks that he had been surprised that the new PM was ready to engage, seriously, about financial issues such as new borrowing powers or Scotland's demand for a comparable share of the money currently being spent in the east end of London in association with the Olympics.

As the prime minister spoke inside the parliament, a group of protesters gathered outside to campaign against spending cuts and questioning the Tories' mandate to govern Scotland, after the party returned only one Scottish MP at last week's general election.

But Mr Cameron, who was accompanied by Scottish Secretary Danny Alexander, a Lib Dem MP, said the contest had been "a UK election and a UK result".

The prime minister, who also met Holyrood opposition leaders, said: "I want a real agenda of respect between our parliaments.

"I want to see Scottish ministers able to appear in front of select committees in Westminster and I believe that, if the Scottish Parliament would wish it, I would appear every year at the Scottish Parliament to answer questions."

Mr Cameron added: "This agenda is about parliaments working together, of governing with respect, both because I believe Scotland deserves that respect and because I want to try and win Scotland's respect as the prime minister of the United Kingdom."

On government relations, he said: "I also want to see a fresh start in the relationship between the British prime minister and the Scottish first minister.

"This relationship is important - however much we disagree about issues, we should try to work together for the benefit of the whole of the United Kingdom and for the benefit of Scotland as well. That is what I'm determined to do."


Alex Salmond was "impressed by the Prime Minister's awareness of the issues"

Turning his attention to the SNP government's planned independence referendum, the prime minister added: "We will have our arguments - I will never give ground on my commitment to the United Kingdom and keeping our United Kingdom together, but it's a relationship I want to try to make work well."

Mr Salmond called on the Tory-Lib Dem coalition government to bring forward £350m of capital spending to aid Scotland's economic recovery, and also argued Scotland was owed £165m over five years in "consequential" funding, as a result of public spending in relation to the London Olympics.

The SNP leader also requested the Treasury released cash for Scotland held in the fossil fuel levy, worth £180m, and will press the case to give enhanced borrowing powers to Holyrood, as recommended by the Calman Commission review of devolution.

Mr Salmond, said: "I think it's a good thing that the prime minister fulfilled his commitment to come to the Scottish Parliament and to meet the Scottish government, with the secretary of State for Scotland, in the first week in office.

Tories 'rejected'

"But, as I've said before the meeting and I'll say again now, a respect agenda has to be carried forward in deeds and actions.

"I'm certain the prime minister, as we all are, will be judged by your deeds, and therefore what I would articulate is I'd like to see that respect agenda, which I welcome, to be carried forward into concrete action."

Scottish Labour leader Iain Gray said Mr Cameron must recognise Labour as the "voice of Scotland" if he was sincere about a new spirit of co-operation.

"David Cameron's visit should not be just a photo-opportunity," said Mr Gray, adding: "He knows the Tories were overwhelmingly rejected by the Scottish electorate as were the SNP.

"I told him there is widespread fear his plans to cut £6bn will throw the economy back into recession, and that Scotland wanted him to drop those plans.

Later, Mr Cameron met soldiers of the Black Watch on a visit to Fort George at Ardersier, near Inverness, which is in Mr Alexander's Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey constituency.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/8680816.stm

Dani Graduated May 8 from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania

This is a video slide show with bagpipe music of Danielle Lynn Matthews' Graduation from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania, May 8, 2010 . Photos were taken on campus and at the Riverside Inn in Cambridge Springs. PA. The Field House was packed with 949 graduates and their families for the commencement ceremony. Dani recieved her Bachelor of Science in Education-
Special Education/Elementary Education

May Song

We've been a-rambling all of the night
And the rest part of the day.
And now we are returning again;
We've brought you a branch of May.
We have been wandering all this night
And almost all of the day.
And now we're returning back again;
We've brought you a branch of May.

A branch of May so fine and gay,
Up at your door it stands;
It's nothing but a sprout but it's well budded out
By the work of our Lord's hand.
A branch of May we have brought you,
And at your door it stands;
It's nothing but a sprout but it's well budded out
By the work of our Lord's hand.

Wake up, wake up, you pretty fair maid,
Wake from your drowsy dream
And step into your dairy house
And fetch us a cup of cream.

Remember us old mayers here,
And now we do begin
To lead a life in righteousness
For fear of death in sin.

Repent, repent you wicked old men,
Don't die before you do.
And when the day of judgement comes
The Lord will think on you.

The hedges and fields are clothed all round
With several sorts of green;
Our heavenly Father waters them
With his heavenly showers of rain.

I have a purse here in my hand
Rolled up with a silken string,
And all that it wants is a coin or two
To line it well within.


The clock strikes one, it's time to be gone,
We can no longer stay.
God bless you all both great and small
And send you a joyful May.