Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Rascal the cat with a Facebook page and Cattatude!

I have had so many people ask why Rascal my cat is so spoiled...he get angus steak bits as a treat and has a plush heated sage green bed and beachcrunch any time he wants....and now a Facebook Page...so I decided to write Rasc's story.

On the Fourth of July many years ago now -  Mike Curtis came to my house and said that he and his daughter stopped at the top of Hamilton HIll on his motorcycle to view the scene and out of nowhere came a mother cat and a bunch of little kittens someone had dumped. 

He couldn't pick them up because of being on his bike and having his daughter with him.. so Mike and I jumped into my car and went up on the hill.  By the time we got there we saw no cats....as the wind whipped we called and walked the field, but could not find them.  Suddenly Mike's "kitty, kitty" was answered by a faint meow..and Mike search a hole near the road and found this ity, bity little grey furball.  We took it back to my house and gave it to my friend Chris (who was dying of Cancer) and she held it and tried to feed it while we went back to find any more that might be there.

The next day I learned that a couple stopped up on the hill and picked up the strays and had them..and we had Rasc.

Rasc became Chris' companion night and day... even the nurses that came to visit said Rascal would come in the house and jump right up on the sofa where Chris was and watch them intently....and slap at them if Chris seemed in discomfort.  After Chris' death Rascal's attitude toward me changed and the vet said she might not understand where Chris went when she died, and blamed me for taking her...so a progression of me spoiling her started.

Then Rascal became attached and extremely bossy to me..an alpha female that I refer to as "Mr. Cat" sometimes..... 

In December 2 years ago I became ill with the flu, caught it no doubt at the college where I had been using the computer.  I was staying between Syracuse and my families house that I was cleaning and fixing (since my parent's had both died)  and Eaton.  I laid down that night and had only the wood stove for heat..was very sick....did not wake up to stoke the wood stove and the temperature bottomed out somewhere in the 20 belows....all I remember is PAIN...Rascal had been scratching my face and chest..digging trying to wake me up. (I was bleeding) I remember not being able to function, and to this day I have no idea how shoeless I got Rascal and myself to my car and turned on the heat..I was confused... shaking and my feet were quite frozen but I somehow made it to Syracuse and the heated house there......My feet are still quite bad today...but the fact is Rascal SAVED MY LIFE and hers.

Today she sleeps next  to me for the most part...and should the house dip to 59-60 degrees she wakes me up.....relentless in her efforts.

So I spoil her and put up with her bad attitude..but somehow everyone likes her spunk and single mindedness ...and the truth be known they spoil her with little treats and gifts too..

PS..... for all those who like steak..Rascal will only eat Wegman's sandwich steaks (Angus) Top Round.  Cathy Nagle could not believe it..one night I was making steak on the grill for a summer treat and I proved Rascal's gourmet taste..I offered Rasc the sirloin we had..she sniffed and walked away..I then gave her some Angus I had in the Refrigerator for her treat and she gobbled it down......maybe we should think about that...she also will only eat Asiago Cheese......

Visit Rasc's Facebook Page, she is History Star's Mascot....  send a picture and story of your favorite pet to post..I have been receiving more input on Rasc's Page than mine....go figure!

PSS..she also loves her picture being taken.....

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Rascal-Messere/122877904487921

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Frick'n and Frack'n questions continue but.....

The question about hydrofracking reached the DEC today with an input session for citizens....the Eaton area has been home to this type of gas exploration for years.  As a matter of fact a well that was put in about 1940 in Lebanon, just over the hill from Eaton, has produced gas since that time.....

As historian I have written a number of articles on the discovery of gas in the town of Eaton and one story is actually quite humorous.  It seems in the mid 1800's it was noticed that an oily slick laid on top of a marshy area in a place between Eaton and Morrisville.  The owner of the land and oil company speculators were sure it was oil...

Drilling  started and one ninght the well blew up and created quite a fire..visible for miles and miles...they had hit natural gas.....to live'n things up bands came from the surrounding communities to celebrate the oil discovery..that turned out to be gas....humorously to this day only Morrisville..(most likely because of the college)..has gas..the rest of us do not....though we have tons of new gas wells all over the town..something I tried unsuccessfully to bring to the publics attention.

I tried to get a site that could be used to feed Eaton and or a developement site that we could use to attract a small company.  Another thought I had was to make it an agricultural project that could use the gas as gas for heat and to generate electricity for lights and fans... this to start a hypropnic gardening produce center like one in Ithica.  This was in the 1995-98 time frame.  I also suggested that we charge these companies for the use of our poor rural roads.

To a meeting I scheduled the company (Then Nornue) sent big time attorney's disguised in flanel shirts and blue jeans... to assure us of their project being safe and friendly......I surmised eventually that their local target was to supply gas to the pipeline and to Colgate University.

A few years later I was visited by some people from the University to see what I knew about the company...which was actually more than one company with different names.....

All said and done one well has caught fire and burned for some time out of control, another in Brookfield fouled the wells of locals and my house shook when their detonations go off....

It has however...led me to solve a mystery of sorts that plagued the locals for years..stories of lights that would arrive on the hills at night..especially on hot summer nights.....thought to be UFO's....well..those lights are right where the majority of Eaton's gas wells are today!.....

The Case for UFO's closed........bsm

Sunday, January 8, 2012

The site is launched.......

Well this has been a special day for History Star Productions...we officially launched our business and website......Cathy went out selling and the website went to where ever websites go...there may be typos and little errors but...this is not a perfect  world or..company....just one that is trying to get up and running...

To celebrate this endeavor the "motley crew" went bowling...the girls can hardly walk and throw a ball..Cathy's bad back Barbara's too short..Mike won but almost threw his back out..James our webmaster the youngest tried and the fearful leader did terrible after 35 years but had a good time and ..could have bowled 2 or 3 games after stacking a cord or two of  wood....that got me warmed up!

Then we picked up a pizza and headed back to old Eaton..excitement like this I can ...not stand, or is it after bowling and stack wood I cannot stand..but either way..this was our special day and we hope that you will follow us and enjoy the history and a bit of humor in this year..2012.....

If you know someone that likes history, travel or fun..please recommend us....my books are available on line at our store front. bsm

PS For a real laugh go to this link below and see the "crew" in action....
http://youtu.be/ZfhA1EBpBMY