A1	Vineyard Mountain Gazette

INDEX: A Main Story…A1 Classified Ads…A2 Weather…B2 B Cooking…B1 Gardening Tips…B1 May 29, 2001 Issue #7

Cougars in our Neighborhood “Dining In, or Take out?” Last week at the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Open House I learned about Cougars in our area. Yes, we have them here. Last year my Girl Scout camp (Whispering Winds) was closed in August because there was a cougar spotted. There was just too much “bait” around that the Cougar could eat. At the Open House the speaker told us about how the State of Oregon has been protecting the Cougar 27 years. The ODFW (Oregon Department of fish and wildlife) job was to bring back the populations and monitor the Cougar. The Cougar is doing well, and populations have increased all over the state. ODFW has seen a big increase in Cougars in the Willamette Valley, but it is hard to tell because it is not very easy to count cougars. As the Cougar has expanded in forested areas these areas have become “full” and more cougars have moved into inhabited areas. The Cougar populations will continue to increase until biological controls take over. Only when they run out of food or places to live will the population level off. As we have more Cougars there will be more conflict with people. ODFW works to manage this conflict through hunting and trapping. Hunting has not been a good way to keep the population down because there are not enough hunters to shoot Cougars, it is hard work. You may hunt three years and only shoot 1 cougar. Trapping is also limited because Cougars only catch and kill things that are alive. Bait does not bring Cougars to the traps. In 1994, there was a ban on dogs for hunting. This was one way that ODFW could get rid of the Cougar in populated areas. Without this tool, it has been harder to control Cougars. There have been Cougar attacks of people in all the other states in the West, and it is only a matter of time before there is one in Oregon. But Cougar normally do not hunt people, they only eat small game.

A2	Classified Ads

Help Needed	Guinea Pig	NEWorld Foods Inc	VMSC Has Openings
Any Responsible young person who would be willing to feed and pet a cat while we are gone. Call the Hoffman’s at 745-5956	FREE guinea pig. Silky male, named silver. He has been to the Benton County Fair and won a blue ribbon. You can buy a cage for 10$ if you don’t all ready have one. Call Debbie at 745-7544 please leave a message.	Italian Calzone (Frozen) Four Zesty Flavors For More information Call New World Foods Inc. (A USDA Mfg. Facility) 541-758-8331	The Vineyard Mountain Swim Club has openings. For families to join the pool-We also need helpers with the pool maintenance! Call Anne Delander at 745-7314
Yard Work		Days till school is out!
I need help with yard work- Please call Paula at 745-5304.		14-school days till school is OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Weather

Tue May 29			Partly Cloudy		68 °F		48 °F
Sunny after patchy morning clouds. Highs near 70. Southwest wind 10 mph.		UV Index: 7 High

Wed May 30				Sunny	79 °F		50 °F
Mostly sunny. Lows 45 to 50. Highs near 80		UV Index: 8 High

Thu May 31				Sunny		82 °F		49 °F
Mostly sunny. Lows 45 to 50. Highs near 80.		UV Index: 8 High

Fri Jun 1				Partly Cloudy	77 °F	45 °F
Chance of showers. Lows 45 to 50. Highs in the mid 60s.		UV Index: 8 High

B1

Cooking

Quick and Easy Peanut Butter Chocolate Cookies

1 cup peanut butter

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1 cup chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350

2. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl

3. Roll batter into small balls

4. Dip a fork in sugar and press cress cross fashion onto cookie

5. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown, let cool and Enjoy!

Basic Fruit Smoothie

Ingredients
	1 quart strawberries, hulled 1 banana, broken into chunks 2 peaches, sliced and pitted 1 cup orange-peach-mango juice 2 cups ice

 Directions

1	In a blender, combine strawberries, banana and peaches. Blend until fruit is pureed. Blend in the juice. Add ice and blend to desired consistency. Pour into glasses and serve.

B1	Gardening Tips

Bring Birds to Your Landscape

Attracting birds is easy if you remember an old saying and add a twist: The way to a bird's heart, it seems, is through its stomach. Top on the temptation menu is fruit. Songbirds of all sorts love the same fruits we do: sweet and sour cherries, blueberries, grapes, elderberries, blackberries, and raspberries -- bite-size for beaks -- are prime avian attractors. Many fruits that our human palates find disagreeable or indigestible are also manna for birds: poison ivy berries are always a great hit. Of course, you have to live in your backyard, too, so you're not likely to be encouraging poison ivy. Luckily, the list of bird berries is long, and other favorites, like hollies, pyracantha, and viburnums, are great for the backyard bird garden. All of these fruits and berries are fast-growing and quick to bear a crop, so keep your binoculars ready.

Coming Soon tips for growing Bonsai!

Please send any comments or questions to:

Cory La Mont

Or See me on the Web:

cory@redthermos.com

www.RedThermos.com/Gazette