The Evidence Mounts- More About the Frogs

RICHIE'S "DEAD FROG" EXPERIENCE

Dog food, shelled corn, bird seed, and seed potatoes, these are some of the things that me and this Richie fella deal in. We generally find things fer minor bullshit sessions, too.

I don't know what his politics are er, if he's got one, what religious persuasions he holds. Environmental issues, mostly, seem ta fill our talk sessions. Here, we're pretty much on the same page.

He's a fan of the EcoVig and us members of COTEFers, Washington Grove Chapter. After this Mother Jones article was passed to me from Brother Tom, I was explainin’ ta Richie how relevant it was, and how it might work inta this issue.

I gave him the 100% frog kill info attached to the Headline fungicide, when used at recommended dosages, info.

He sets inta tellin' me this story about a wet spot he's got by his house, which, for as long as he can recall, bursts forth in chorus of amphibian music that he found delicious, somethin' he and his family looked forward to come springtime. I assured him that I certainly understood, us havin' creek bottom and wetlands not far from the cabin. That mixed with the night insects is a symphony I love ta drift off to sleep with. Spring peepers, toads, bull frogs, yeah, what music!

Well, he proceeds ta tell me that that rite-of-spring, for the past two years, simply didn't happen. And not because it wasn't wet enough.

BELLY UP, LOTSA DEAD FROGS

And they stopped seein' frogs around the house, out in the garden and yard too. He goes on to tell me that he and his son, while out on their dirt bike rides, here and there, were findin,' belly-up, dead frogs, lots of 'em. They couldn't piece together the reasons why. Too, they couldn’t figure why their dog kept runnin’ off inta neighboring corn field, stayin’ in there for a long time and didn’t want ta come when they called, highly unusual behavior which caused them to investigate. Not dead yet, dazed frogs that the dog could easily catch, that’s what Richie says they found. The corn was like a foot high. Not much leaf cover yet. And them frogs musta been real stupid ones, not understandin’ that they were supposta be hidin’ durin’ the time of chemical application.

I made it a point ta give Richie a copy of the 'Mother Jones' article. We promised we'd get together later, and talk more about this. Which I'm pretty sure we will.

Richie’s property is surrounded by row crop monoculture, which he claims gets aerial sprayed on a yearly basis. Years ago, because of concern for his then young son, he’d asked the sprayin’ company to please notify them when spraying was going to take place, so they could be sure to protect their son, give them a chance to get him the hell outta the area. The spraying outfit said they would but then never did! Richie got upset, is upset, frustrated by their lack of concern.

Since starting this Eco Vig campaign, we’ve had many, many similar complaints. A total lack of concern from applicators who act like they’ve got some sort of special right-away. “Disgusting in their arrogance,” that’s a line that’s been used numerous times.

HEY!HEY! A RESPONSE FROM WOODLEY AVIATION

Ruby May tells us that we finally got a response from Woodley aviation. Well, sorta. 

This is from Craig Woodley, whom, I’m assumin’ is related into ownership/management. Maybe the owner’s kid?

“Are you an Obama fan? My guess is yes.” His total statement.

“Got even a clue as ta what this Craig kid is tryin’ ta get across?” I questioned. For several rare moments us COTEFer’s just set there in quiet contemplation. “What on earth,” Marques comes forth, 

 “Does Obama have to do with our concern here for some local protection from being unwittingly affected by deadly chemical poisoning?" 

No one could figure how this could be a left verses right issue, or a racist one, either.

“Maybe,” Tom comes on, “in his mind there’s the remembrance of the eyes-closed, see-no-evil, don’t get in the way of chemical ag. biz attitude that previous administrations have had.”

“You sure are right on that one, Tom, old buddy. That last bunch of morons just about gutted most eco legislation. Them and their damn lob….”

“Ok, M&M, cool yer jets. Our cause is a-political. Let’s not chew up this lovely star studded night jawin’ more about that.

“As long as we’ve got Craig’s interest, maybe he wouldn’t mind commentin’ on some of the questions I was hopin’ ta ask poor-sighted Stan, me tryin’ ta reach him by phone.

CRAIG, ANY OF YOUR PILOTS HAVE ANY ECO TRAINING?

“Do you, Craig, or any of your pilots, have any type of environmental training? Er do ya just know how ta fly a crop duster? If yer answer is ‘No,’ to the first question, well then I’d be glad to invite one and all ta lessons I’m teachin’ my six year old great-grandson, T.J. I’ve a feelin’ you all don’t have much of a clue as ta what yer achieving; a more and more dead general ecosystem. And you’re infringing more and more on our ‘collective environmental commons’.”

“You guys have got to take a look at this fellas facebook page!” Ruby May cuts in, somewhat excitedly. “It’s a ‘look-what-kinda-toys-I’ve-got’ kinda thing. Shiny car, big 4-wheeler, and lots of crop dusters. He’s obviously enamored with his stuff.”

Kendra comments about that picture of him, er somebody else, low flying that crop duster. “Look at the plum of particulates spray that’s being kicked up into the air behind it. An impersis science of death deliverance is what that looks to me.”

“Ok. Ok. Enough pickin’ on this clown. It’s good ta know that Craig’s payin’ attention. And if he’s got anything even reasonably intelligent to say in reply, well, we’d be more than happy ta print it.

“We're gettin' more and more respondents to the facebook work that Kendra has done such a good job with,” comments Ruby May, who pretty much keeps tabs on what Kendra's doin'.

Ruby May then hands me a list of those respondents that she thinks I should make more direct contact with....