Happy Mother’s Day!

Happy Mother’s day to all the Mom’s !

my mom skiing at mt cranmore, north conway, nh.

Mothers Day Prayer
May the blessing of the Divine
Be an especially bright benediction
Upon mothers everywhere
On your blessed day –
On Mother’s Day!

Funny Mother’s Prayer

Now I lay me down to sleep,
I pray my sanity to keep.
For if some peace I do not find,
I’m pretty sure I’ll lose my mind.

I pray I find a little quiet
Far away from my family’s riot.
May I lie back and not have to think
about what they’re stuffing down the sink.
Or who they’re with, or where they’re at,
or what they’re doing to the cat.

I pray for time all to myself
(did I just hear something fall off the shelf?)
A silent moment for Goodness sake
(was that the window I just heard break!)

Yes now I lay me down to sleep
I pray my wits about me keep
But as I look around I know,
I must’ve lost them long ago.

adam when he was ethan’s age

meme

meme and barney

my son with his son

Do it now. Put together your Go Bag.

May9

Hurricane season is around the corner for us folks here in Florida. There are plenty of other disasters to go around. Floods, earthquakes, tornadoes. Hopefully you’ll never need but like our Medical Reserve, its there if you need it.

You may need to survive on your own after an emergency. This means having your own food, water and other supplies in sufficient quantity to last for at least 72 hours. Local officials and relief workers will be on the scene after a disaster but they cannot reach everyone immediately. You could get help in hours or it might take days. Yes, it can take days. After one of the hurricanes it took two weeks for our electricity to go back on in our neighborhood.

Basic Supplies

A basic emergency supply kit could include the following recommended items:

Water, one gallon of water per person per day for at least three days, for drinking and sanitation
Food, at least a three-day supply of non-perishable food
Battery-powered or hand crank radio and a NOAA Weather Radio with tone alert and extra batteries for both
Flashlight and extra batteries
First aid kit
Whistle to signal for help
Dust mask to help filter contaminated air and plastic sheeting and duct tape to shelter-in-place
Moist towelettes, garbage bags and plastic ties for personal sanitation
Wrench or pliers to turn off utilities
Manual can opener for food
Local maps
Cell phone with chargers, inverter or solar charger

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G6_uzIWF0gk

Also important if you take prescriptions to make sure you have a least two weeks worth of medications. I tell this to all my patients in the summer.

Here is another list that I liked.

http://www.city.milwaukee.gov/ImageLibrary/Groups/healthAuthors/ADMIN/PDFs/e_go_bag_checklist.pdf

Here is another list so you compare and contrast and get what you want.

http://www.nyc.gov/html/oem/html/get_prepared/supplies.shtml

Copies of your important documents in a waterproof and portable container (insurance cards, birth certificates, deeds, photo IDs, proof of address, etc.)
Extra set of car and house keys
Credit and ATM cards and cash, especially in small denominations. We recommend you keep at least $50-$100 on hand.
Bottled water and nonperishable food, such as energy or granola bars
Flashlight
Note: Traditional flashlight bulbs have limited lifespans. Light Emitting Diode (LED) flashlights, however, are more durable and last up to 10 times longer than traditional bulbs.
Battery-operated AM/FM radio and extra batteries
Keep a list of the medications each member of your household takes, why they take them, and their dosages. Medication information and other essential personal items. If you store extra medication in your Go Bag, be sure to refill it before it expires. Get prescription preparedness tips from the NYC Department of Health & Mental Hygiene
First aid kit
Contact and meeting place information for your household, and a small regional map
Child care supplies or other special care items
Lightweight raingear and Mylar blanket

One more tip. Before the storm or even right now make a video of your house so just in case it gets blown away you have something to show the insurance guy. One year I did this for my friends. Now we all have phone and clouds and ways to store video and it’s very easy to do.

Now if your a true survivalist our list is the basic list but they get a little more detailed.

http://www.survival-gear-guide.com/go-bags.html

don’t forget the ammo. lol.

This one did have a good suggestion that I didn’t see anywhere else and that was do not forget the toilet paper.

Very Important.

Water is important.

http://www.survival-gear-guide.com/Emergency-Water-Supply.html

At Home:

You should always keep an emergency water supply in your home. FEMA recommends keeping enough water for every person for three days. If you have the room to store it, and you are going to go through the exercise of preparing an emergency water supply, why not make it 6 days ? 1 gallon of fresh water per person per day. The easiest way to do it: Go to the store and buy 6 sealed gallons of drinking water for every person in your home.

The only problem with gallon containers is possible contamination of the entire gallon after it is opened. For this reason a better option is to buy 2 cases of 24 16oz bottles of drinking water for each person.
1 gallon = 128 oz. That equates to 8 16oz bottles. So to have an adequate emergency water supply for 6 days will require 2 cases of bottled water for each person. Keeping the water in individual 16oz bottles greatly reduces the risk of contamination.

Hope you found this helpful. At the end of hurricane season is when we start collecting food for the food bank. So buy something good and hopefully you can donate it after Hurricane Season is over.

What’s your suggestion. What would you put in your go bag. With so many lists lets make one for ourselves. What’s the most important item that you think should go in the bag?

Volunteerism : Medical Reserve Corp : Here when you need us

May7

Volunteerism

44% percent of American’s volunteer.

I feel like all the work I do for the water is a full time job. It was great this week that I got to take a day off and do some training with my fellow Medical Reserve Corp volunteers.

http://www.floridahealth.gov/programs-and-services/emergency-preparedness-and-response/disaster-response-resources/mrc/

The Florida Medical Reserve Corps Network was established to effectively facilitate the use of private volunteers in emergency response.

What is the Medical Reserve Corps (MRC)?
The Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) is a national network of local groups of volunteers committed to improving the health, safety and resiliency of their communities. MRC volunteers include medical and public health professionals, as well as others interested in strengthening the public health infrastructure and improving the preparedness and response capabilities of their local jurisdiction. MRC units identify, screen, train and organize the volunteers, and utilize them to support routine public health activities and augment preparedness and response efforts.

Program Overview

The Florida Medical Reserve Corps Network comprises 33 Florida MRC units covering all 67 Florida counties.

Florida Medical Reserve Corps units are community-based and function to locally organize and utilize health professionals and other volunteers who want to donate their time and expertise to promote community health and respond to emergencies.

The following occupations represent some of Florida’s MRC Volunteer specialties.

Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner
Clinical Social Worker
Counselor, Mental Health
EMT-Basic
Licensed Practical Nurse
Marriage & Family Therapist
Medical Records and Health Information Technologist
Medical and Clinical Lab Technician
Medical and Clinical Lab Technologist
Paramedic
Pharmacist
Physician
Physician Assistant
Psychologist
Radiologic Technologist / Technician
Registered Nurse
Respiratory Therapist
Social Worker
Veterinarians

Also, the MRC needs non medical people to assist. By joining I’ve been able to go to some really interesting educational opportunities and some I even get credit for. I’d much rather go to active learning then sit in a chair all day and it gives you a good opportunity to meet other medical people in your community besides the ones you work with.

The Florida MRC has saved the state over 1 billions dollars.

Here is a map of the different MRC’s.

http://www.floridahealth.gov/programs-and-services/emergency-preparedness-and-response/disaster-response-resources/mrc/_documents/fl-mrc-network-map.pdf

Yesterday, I participated with my Martin County Medical Reserve Corp in a statewide Radiological Exercise.

Every time there is a disaster I ache to go there and help. The first time I did work like this was after Hurricane Andrew.

me in homestead after hurricane andrew

homestead after hurricane andrew

homestead after hurricane andrew

hurricane andrew medical team

The exercise was called the

Black Pearl Radiological Exercise.

cool swag t

Black Pearl is the name of the room at the really awesome Treasure Coast Public Safety Complex in PSL. The same training center the fireman complained about during the last election. Seriously great venue. I think if its good enough for the entire state to come to it should be good enough for the Martin County Firemen. Took me 35 minutes to get there from Jensen Beach

We hope it never happens but in reality we have to be ready if it does.

One of the best parts of the day is pets were included today and we had some awesome dogs.

I am pleased we are including pets and other animals. In case of an emergency we just can’t leave them and run. One of the issues we had after Hurricane Katrina is that a bunch of NGO’s went up there and created more havoc then good. One of goals of this team is to reunite pets with their families. That made me so happy.

A while back there was a huge fire in Boulder and people had relocate their horses to the fairgrounds. Once an area was evacuated there was no going back.

We have a lot different kinds of animals and they need to be dealt with. Cows, goats, chickens (I’m not sure if you can decontaminate a chicken.)

So I was really happy to see these guys there.

State Agricultural Response Team

http://flsart.org/

And so happy to see this guy.

Andy Bass

(sorry for the crappy photo Andy)

He is the Operations Assistant, Field Team Leader and Trainer for Florida State Animal Response Coalition.
Florida State Animal Response Coalition was formed by many diverse groups of highly qualified animal responders dedicated to protecting the entire family during disasters. When a hurricane, fire, tornado or other disaster threatens the state of Florida, we will be there to assist with teams of professionally trained volunteers dedicated to care for the animals that rely on us.

I felt like I was with my people! Andy made this – He called it SART Identification! LOL So good to know there are compassionate experts on the ground in case of a disaster.

I love the paw marks.

You don’t have to be an expert to be part of the team. I’m certainly not. Experts are provided. We had plenty of acronyms there today.

So if you have some time contact your local Medical Reserve Corp. I promise they will only call you when they need you.

Dorothea Dix Psych Nurse and Social Reformer

May7

There are wonderful nurses throughout history that have made changes that have benefited us all. Dorothea Dix is one of my favorite historical nurses.

http://www.biography.com/people/dorothea-dix-9275710

Dorothea Dix was an educator and social reformer whose devotion to the welfare of the mentally ill led to widespread international reforms.

Synopsis

Born in Hampden, Maine, in 1802, Dorothea Dix was a social reformer whose devotion to the welfare of the mentally ill led to widespread international reforms. After seeing horrific conditions in a Massachusetts prison, she spent the next 40 years lobbying U.S. and Canadian legislators to establish state hospitals for the mentally ill. Her efforts directly affected the building of 32 institutions in the United States.

Here are two I worked in as a mental health tech.

My first job as a Mental Health Tech.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metropolitan_State_Hospital_%28Massachusetts%29

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danvers_State_Hospital

It was a good idea to let the Mentally ill be separate from those who are in jail. Unfortunately, what happened next is not a pretty story leading up to the emptying of state hospital and now we are back to where she is now where people cannot get good mental health care and many people end up in jail instead of treatment where they belong.

http://womenshistory.about.com/od/civilwarnursing/a/nurses_circular.htm

The following is a document written by Dorothea Dix to lay out the requirements for women who would work in the nursing service for the Union Army during the American Civil War.

Circular No. 8., by Dorothea Dix

Washington, D. C., July 14, 1862,

No candidate for service in the Women’s Department for nursing in the Military Hospitals of the United States, will be received below the age of thirty-five years, nor above fifty.

Only women of strong health, not subjects of chronic disease, nor liable to sudden illnesses, need apply. The duties of the station make large and continued demands on strength.

Matronly persons of experience, good conduct, or superior education and serious disposition, will always have preference; habits of neatness, order, sobriety, and industry, are prerequisites.

All applicants must present certificates of qualification and good character from at least two persons of trust, testifying to morality, integrity, seriousness, and capacity for care of the sick.

Obedience to rules of the service, and conformity to special regulations, will be required and enforced.

Compensation, as regulated by act of Congress, forty cents a day and subsistence. Transportation furnished to and from the place of service.

Amount of luggage limited within small compass.

Dress plain, (colors brown, grey, or black,) and while connected with the service without ornaments of any sort.

No applicants accepted for less than three months service; those for longer periods always have preference.

Approved,
William A. Hammond,
Surgeon General.

History of Social Reform in Nursing

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dI4IFqHx1zA

Love a Nurse! Nurses week 2015

May6

http://nursingworld.org/NationalNursesWeekHistory-2015

National Nurses Week History

National Nurses Week begins each year on May 6th and ends on

May 12th, Florence Nightingale’s Birthday

http://www.biography.com/people/florence-nightingale-9423539#synopsis

In the early 1850s, Nightingale returned to London, where she took a nursing job in a Middlesex hospital for ailing governesses. Her performance there so impressed her employer that Nightingale was promoted to superintendant within just a year of being hired. The position proved challenging as Nightingale grappled with a cholera outbreak and unsanitary conditions conducive to the rapid spread of the disease. Nightingale made it her mission to improve hygiene practices, significantly lowering the death rate at the hospital in the process. The hard work took a toll on her health. She had just barely recovered when the biggest challenge of her nursing career presented itself.In October of 1853, the Crimean War broke out. The British Empire was at war against the Russian Empire for control of the Ottoman Empire. Thousands of British soldiers were sent to the Black Sea, where supplies quickly dwindled. By 1854, no fewer than 18,000 soldiers had been admitted into military hospitals.At the time, there were no female nurses stationed at hospitals in the Crimea. The poor reputation of past female nurses had led the war office to avoid hiring more. But, after the Battle of Alma, England was in an uproar about the neglect of their ill and injured soldiers, who not only lacked sufficient medical attention due to hospitals being horribly understaffed, but also languished in appallingly unsanitary and inhumane conditions.

These permanent dates enhance planning and position National Nurses Week as an established recognition event.

A Brief History of National Nurses Week

1953

–

Dorothy Sutherland of the U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare sent a

proposal to President Eisenhower to proclaim a “Nurse Day” in October of the following year.

The proclamation was never made.

1954

–

“National Nurse Week” was observed from Oct 11-16 in observance of Flo’s mission to Crimea.. Representative

Frances P. Bolton sponsored the bill for a nurse week. Apparently, a bill for a National Nurse Week was introduced in 1955 in Congress but no action was taken.

1974

In February of 1974, a week was designated by the White House as National Nurse Week

–

In February, the ANA Board

ANA Board of Directors formally acknowledged May 6, 1982 as “National Nurses Day.”

The action affirmed a joint resolution of the United States Congress designating May 6 as a National Day for Nurses.

–

The ANA Board of Directors expanded the recognition of nurses to a week long celebration declaring May 6 12, 1991 Nurses Week.

So you have a lot of time to say thank you to a nurse that you know and perhaps give them a wonderful gift.

Things nurses like:

Spa Days

Tropical Week long vacations with room service.

Spa Days

Don’t get us new scrubs, Blood pressure cuffs or stethoscopes. We buy that stuff. It’s a tax write off.

Home Health nurses I think would appreciate someone cleaning their cars.

I’d like to wish my fellow nurses a Happy Nurses Day! All these folks are very dedicated doing great work to keep our clients and patients healthy. I’m a blessed to work beside all of you.

Here’s to another great year of good compassionate nursing and great outcomes.

Keep on dancing!

May the fourth be with us! Toxic algae, discharging St Lucie locks. We must keep going!

May5

@JaxStrong

@BarackObama

@joenegronfl

@RepMurphyFL

@SteveCrisafulli

May the fourth be with you! Toxic algae, discharging St Lucie locks.

On May 4th our friend Katy Lewey, river warrior, founder of the River Kidz of St Lucie and Indian River County put together a gathering so we could all be there when the locks open.

st lucie locks may 4, 2015

They have been open but were recently closed due to the discovery of Toxic green algae at Port Mayaca.

In the past few years we are blessed to have great news teams that show up and we show up for them.

In between, the new’s cycle we decided to take a ride to Port Mayaca to see the green toxic algae for ourselves.

When we got there we found Ben, an employee of SFWMD. I have lots of friends who work or worked for them. Good People. Dedicated Scientists.

He was taking water samples of both sides of the locks.

This is what we saw on the inside of the locks.

Slime crimes.

We all documented.

Algae buster mammas.

Then we went to the overpass for a nice wide shot.

you can see the green by the gates. There is also a section off to the right that is not in the photo.

I was not there last week so I have no basis of comparison but I can say the weather has been cooler and this stuff thrives on two things according to my ORCA friend and past Indian RiverKeeper George Jones : Heat and nutrients. So I have no idea what will come next because of the the cool weather. Will it come down and just hang stagnant until it gets hot and then bloom? George said it sucks the o2 out of the water and at night it goes underwater so it just doesn’t sit on the top it goes to the bottom and it sucks the o2 thus killing everything underneath.

Everything.

A big green blob.

kinda like this

Harmful algae Blooms

A harmful algal bloom (HAB) is an algal bloom that causes negative impacts to other organisms via production of natural toxins, mechanical damage to other organisms, or by other means.

armful algal blooms have been observed to cause adverse effects to a wide variety of aquatic organisms, most notably marine mammals, sea turtles, seabirds and finfish. The impacts of HAB toxins on these groups can include harmful changes to their developmental, immunological, neurological, or reproductive capacities. The most conspicuous effects of HABs on marine wildlife are large-scale mortality events associated with toxin-producing blooms. For example, a mass mortality event of 107 bottlenose dolphins occurred along the Florida panhandle in the spring of 2004 due to ingestion of contaminated menhaden with high levels of brevetoxin.^[8] Manatee mortalities have also been attributed to brevetoxin but unlike dolphins, the main toxin vector was endemic seagrass species (Thalassia testudinum) in which high concentrations of brevetoxins were detected and subsequently found as a main component of the stomach contents of manatees.^[8]

Immune system responses have been affected by brevetoxin exposure in another critically endangered species, the Loggerhead sea turtle. Brevetoxin exposure, via inhalation of aerosolized toxins and ingestion of contaminated prey, can have clinical signs of increased lethargy and muscle weakness in loggerhead sea turtles causing these animals to wash ashore in a decreased metabolic state with increases of immune system responses upon blood analysis.^[10] Examples of common harmful effects of HABs include:

the production of neurotoxins which cause mass mortalities in fish, seabirds, sea turtles, and marine mammals
human illness or death via consumption of seafood contaminated by toxic algae^[11]
mechanical damage to other organisms, such as disruption of epithelial gill tissues in fish, resulting in asphyxiation
oxygen depletion of the water column (hypoxia or anoxia) from cellular respiration and bacterial degradation

so when we get upset there is good reason.

Toxic Algae is also harmful to humans.

This is from the cdc.

http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/hsb/hab/default.htm

Algae are vitally important to marine and fresh-water ecosystems, and most species of algae are not harmful. Algal blooms occur in natural waters used for drinking and/or recreation when certain types of microscopic algae grow quickly in water, often in response to changes in levels of chemicals such as nitrogen and phosphorus from fertilizer, in the water. Algal blooms can deplete the oxygen and block the sunlight that other organisms need to live, and some can produce toxins that are harmful to the health of the environment, plants, animals, and people.

Please also see this blog post about pets and toxic algae.

https://cyndi-lenz.com/2015/05/03/preview-of-coming-attractions-toxic-algae-and-your-pets/

When all else fails. When everyone has closed their doors to us. The legislators, the Governor’s Board of South Florida Water Management.

Rick Scott himself.

What choice do we have then to defend our selves and the creatures of the Indian RIver Lagoon?

Chalksy, the Eco Terrorist

May4

#buytheland

#sendcleanwatersouth

#saveflwater

#stopsaltwaterintrusion

#acoe

This is my friend Ezra.

I met him at our first rally. He was “Mista Big Sugar” You can see him here in this video and you can also see that the locks were closed that day and they have been closed every single time we go out there.

Except for when Rick Scott was there ( we were not allowed in but he was) and when we did the “Keep them closed “protest.

The issue of “civil disobedience” comes up every one in a while. It usually results in all of getting upset. I personally think if people want to do this then its a issue of free choice. If you want to do this then you tell people about it and you give them a choice of what they want to do. I can’t. I won’t. Because I think if you want to do this, really want to do this ,then you have to be prepared to go to jail. I’m not. I cherish my nursing license too much and I couldn’t do what I do every day with out without it. All of us that are credentialed have worked to hard to be able to stay credentialed. For those of those don’t believe me you can go read the nurse practice act.

I also wonder about why anyone would want to do it. I just get never got it as a viable way to do things. I think its born out of frustration and we have so many incredibly smart creative people that are so supportive of each other that we can think better smarter ways to do things as we have in the past. JMHO You have yours. i have mine. RESPECT.

Except this time.

The best things that happen to us happen organically.

Ezra keeps chalk in his car.

So on Sunday, May 3 ,he went to the locks and he wrote

“Buy the land along with his fish symbol that he created.”

Boy did he get in trouble. This upset the policeman so much (our babysitter which is so funny because we have never ever ever ever done anything close to civil disobedience and really insist on being well behaved.

Here he is on government land drawing away with chalk.

photo by Darrel Brand

Photo by Darell Brand

Photo by Darrel Brand

photo by Darrel Brand

A Discussion ensued. It’s Government land. It’s Graffiti.

It’s hysterical. and its ironic if its anything.

The chalk will wash away when we get huge amounts of rain tomorrow. (It would wash away with a little sprinkle)

The green toxic the ACOE is going to send us. Well that’s another story.

This is what Ezra said.

“ I was told to stop what I was doing or face being arrested, as it was considered graffiti on Federal Property. Using sidewalk chalk to draw an image of a fish and the words #SENDTHEWATERSOUTH is apparently a no no. Meanwhile toxic algae was deliberately released into our rivers today. Yet for over 60 plus years, no arrests or fines have ever been made: 1972 Clean Water Act, 1996 Fl Polluters Pay Amendment, Our “Lost Summer” of 2012, dying marine life and sea grass beds, real estate values plummeting and economic losses in the millions. Okay I get it. Next time I’ll just draw images of $ and sugar cane fields!”

So today we went out there because the discharges were starting and someone at ACOE actually had to gall to say that the gate was locked due to yesterdays “Eco terrorist” activities. Seriously. Are you kidding me?

apparently there is an issue with sidewalk chalk. Who knew?

http://www.care2.com/causes/the-american-war-on-sidewalk-chalk.html

While these charges are clearly political (chalk, after all, washes off sidewalks harmlessly) – a scary article from Mother Jones reported recently that at least 50 people have been arrested across the US in the last five years for drawing on sidewalks.

Many of these aren’t political protestors. They’re the parents of four and six-year-old children engaging in fun and harmless summer activity. One mom in Richmond, Virginia was arrested and sentenced to 50 hours of community service for letting her child draw on rocks in a local park – and reports that her daughter is now “very nervous around cops” and “very scared of chalk.”

Apparently writing with Chalk is a gateway crime. Please people keep the chalk away from your children.

Thousands of us have been at these locks. We have had numerous events,

renting out the campgrounds, leaving it cleaner than what we found it, and like I said before the locks have been closed to us every time but once. Which really sucks because the best shot it from the other side. Camera shots people. Don’t get your panties in a bunch.

Toxic Algae Eve : Protest: Buy the land! May 3. St Lucie Locks

May4

@JaxStrong

@SteveCrisafulli

@JoeBiden

#buytheland #sendcleanwatersouth #nomoredischarges #saveflwater #savetheeverglades

On May 3 we had a protest.

https://www.facebook.com/events/831962766840242/

***VIDEO CHALLENGE AND PROTEST*** DEMAND CLEAN WATER! Meet us at Phipps park and we can all stand together! Ask your elected officials to CANCEL THE DISCHARGES and BUY THE LAND! This Sunday, make a video on your phone, make sure to include those two messages in a peaceful video and submit it on to FB. Tag 3 of your friends and ask them to make their own video and do the same about why we want to stop the discharges and buy the land. Time is running out! Enough is enough!

We came! We Marched! We uploaded video all at the same time.

Why? To create awareness because apparently even after we were dumped on, had our estuary and economy destroyed, had multiple protests with up to 7,000 people, went to DC, went to Tallahassee, had dozens of events, took thousands of hours of video, took a gazillion photos, wrote hundreds of letters, emails and tweets we are at this moment in time right back where we started from at the very beginning.

Toxic Algae Eve.

Why?

Because the ACOE thinks this stuff will dissipate when it hits the brackish water because that worked so well before. We have been rejected by our own legislators, our water management district. Everyone. Poisoning us is ok with everyone. Except us.

The Speaker of House

@SteveCrisafulli

does not want to buy any conservation land. He won’t even discuss it. He won’t even let us know if he understands why this particular piece of land is important. Senator Alan Hay, the same thing. We’re paying attention.

@SteveCrisafulli

You want to make all the people behave and listen then you are responsible for the destruction of the St Lucie River and the Indian River Lagoon. This is on you.

@JoeBiden

We need you. Please come quickly

@JaxStrong

The lake is at 13 ft. Seriously are you kidding me.

Two years ago I bought that we had issues with dike. Millions of dollars later how can there be an issue?

This is whats coming.

This is what we need to do.

Here we are today.

Preview of coming attractions: Toxic Algae and your Pets

May3

http://www.petpoisonhelpline.com/poison/blue-green-algae

Alternate names: Cyanobacteria, algal, Microcystis, Anabena, Aphanizomenon, cyanotoxin, anatoxin

There is no antidote for the toxins produced by blue-green algae. Immediate veterinary care is imperative. If you suspect your dog was exposed to blue-green algae, contact Pet Poison Helpline immediately for guidance.

Very small exposures, such a few mouthfuls of algae-contaminated water, may result in fatal poisoning.

Common signs to watch for:

Vomiting
Diarrhea
Blood in stool or black, tarry stool
Pale mucous membranes
Jaundice
Seizures
Disorientation
Coma
Shock
Excessive secretions (e.g., salivation, lacrimation, etc.)
Neurologic signs (including muscle tremors, muscle rigidity, paralysis, etc.)
Blue discoloration of the skin and mucous membranes
Difficulty breathing
Death

Please keep your dogs out of the water.

Green Toxic Algae. Poison Poised and ready to kill us.

May2

@BarackObama

@joenegronfl

@RepMurphyFL

@SteveCrisafulli

@JaxStrong

Green Toxic Algae is poised and ready to be sent down our water ways that will result in the horrible destruction of our Estuary, our sea grass, our oysters, our health and the health of all life that lives in the St Lucie River and the Indian RIver Lagoon.

You can go back and read this blog especially here.

https://cyndi-lenz.com/2014/11/03/a-river-warrior-gets-out-the-vote

I brought the issue up to date and included the video from the Sugarland Rally when we went to Clewiston with open hearts and the Sugar Rulers instead of seeing that one day we would need a solution to this issue basically blackballed our good efforts. Maybe if back then the people would have come and thought for themselves we could have come up with a solution.

and you can go here and read our documentation of this issue for the past 2 1/2 years

https://www.facebook.com/SaintLucieRiverofLight

and you can go here and read Jacqui’s blog

http://jacquithurlowlippisch.com

and you can go here and get some incredible insight into why this is happening. I think between these three blogs you can read all you need to know.

http://eyeonmiami.blogspot.com

We have truly done everything possible. We have confronted the ACOE, Rick Scott, the South Florida Water Management District, our legislators. All have fallen on deaf ears.

On a positive note we have educated thousands of people to this issue.

We have documented these issues so no one can say this never happened.

We could write a book. ( and then leave town lol)

We, not being one or two individuals but an entire community of the most dedicated people I have ever met. We are all part of one big puzzle. No one greater than the other. Without the pieces we are incomplete. We all have our jobs. Organically. Not manipulated. And hopefully we’ll stay that way.

We all sit here today and worry about what’s going to happen on Monday when the locks open up.

I come back to my original question when this happened in 2013. How can the intentional destruction of the most diverse estuary in North America be legal? How is the intentional poisoning of our St Lucie River and Indian River Lagoon allowed in the United States of America?

This has got to stop.

We have two events. One on Sunday and one on Monday.

Sunday:

https://www.facebook.com/events/831962766840242/834768046559714/

Sunday 2 pm Phipps Park

Monday:

Say No to the Toxic Flow 7 am 2175 SW Locks Rd, Stuart, Florida 34997

https://www.facebook.com/events/1563265363925897/

http://www.tcpalm.com/franchise/indian-river-lagoon/health/orca-bluegreen-algae-in-canals-poised-for-big-blooms_47535634

Thank goodness for Orca and the Killroys and Edie Widder.

“Lead scientist Edith “Edie” Widder noted that high concentrations of algae are being found in canals that stretch into agricultural areas of western St. Lucie County but not in the creeks that run from suburban areas into the river and lagoon.”

Lake O May 1 facts:
1) 581 million gallons a day released to the St Lucie River.
2) 1.3 billion gallons a day released to the Caloosahatcee river
3) The discharges waste water that would replenish the Everglades.
4) The discharges strips our basic human right to clean drinking water.
5) The discharges will destroy water quality by moving a toxic into our homes resulting in massive fish kills and making the water unsafe for human contact.

Other things that you can do. Thank goodness for our wonderful Maggy!

http://contextflorida.com/maggy-hurchalla-keep-fighting-until-legislature-buys-land-for-everglades-restoration/

Every one of us here needs to:

1. Call YOUR legislator. They mostly don’t care if you don’t vote in their district. Other than grabbing them and shaking them, nothing is more effective than a phone call. You can get the phone number of your representatives and senators from several websites – Audubon, cleanwater.com, the Everglades Foundation. The message is simple. Use Amendment 1 money to buy land. Exercise the US Sugar option.

2. Get two other people to do the same thing.

3 Send emails to your legislators. That’s not “instead of.” Call them AND send them emails. Get two other people to do the same thing.

4. Get the Dade County Commission and the Dade legislative delegation to take a strong public stand.

4. Email and call the governor, the president of the Senate and the speaker of the House.

5. Sign every online petition you can find that says, “Buy the land. Send the water south.” Get two other people to do likewise.

6. Go to rallies and wave signs.

7. Write letters to the editor.

8. Take names. Most legislators care only about their home district. Those running for higher office are aware that the rest of us matter. They think we are forgetful.

and sign these petitions:

If you haven’t signed all these petitions, sign ’em and pass them on to others.

PETITIONS

http://www.sccf.org/content/298/Sign-the-Everglades-Trust-Petition.aspx

http://www.evergladestrust.org/petition

http://act.progressflorida.org/sign/everglades/

http://www.savingflwater.com/

https://www.causes.com/actions/1777289-sign-the-petition-to-florida-state-governor-scott

https://www.flsenate.gov/Media/Topics/wlc

cyndi lenz

psych nurse, documentary filmmaker, photographer, crazed river warrior of the Indian River Lagoon.

Monthly Archives: May 2015

Happy Mother’s Day!

Funny Mother’s Prayer

Do it now. Put together your Go Bag.

At Home:

Volunteerism : Medical Reserve Corp : Here when you need us

Program Overview

Love a Nurse! Nurses week 2015

May the fourth be with us! Toxic algae, discharging St Lucie locks. We must keep going!

@JaxStrong

@BarackObama

@joenegronfl

@RepMurphyFL

@SteveCrisafulli

Chalksy, the Eco Terrorist

Toxic Algae Eve : Protest: Buy the land! May 3. St Lucie Locks

@JaxStrong

@SteveCrisafulli

@JoeBiden

@SteveCrisafulli

@SteveCrisafulli

@JoeBiden

@JaxStrong

Preview of coming attractions: Toxic Algae and your Pets

Green Toxic Algae. Poison Poised and ready to kill us.

@BarackObama

@joenegronfl

@RepMurphyFL

@SteveCrisafulli

@JaxStrong

Funny Mother’s Prayer

At Home:

Program Overview

Synopsis

Circular No. 8., by Dorothea Dix

@JaxStrong

@JaxStrong