I know this is a bit late, but people obvuously still have access to it & thought it was super important for everyone to know... When you find a hummingbird that seemingly appears dead - double check to MAKE SURE IT'S NOT JUST SLEEPING!!! There's plenty of sources out there that explain SLEEPING HUMMINGBIRDS that APPEAR DEAD but are actually in a PSEUDO-HIBERNATION STATE alled TURPOR! You may even find them UPSIDE DOWN, as their death grip o lm a tiny branch may have also slipped them into that position - BUT NOTE - THEY ARE NOT DEAD! While in the sleeping state of TURPOR, everything slows down so extremely slow in order to survive colder night temps, that it is often mistaken (I've found them that way myself)... and they are oblivious to ANYTHING, including human touch - since it may take them anywhete between 20 MINUTES TO AN HOUR TO WAKE UP OUT OF A TURPOR STATE.... EASILY MISTAKING THEM FOR BEING DEAD! As I have found them upside down & appearing dead, not to mention how INCREDIBLY LONG IT TAKES THEM TO WAKE UP - I had no idea of/ ever hears of TURPOR at the time! As such, all these years later - I am now wondering if I had actually buried a perfectly fine, living, slow breathing Hummer all those years ago... and the thought sickens me! I try thinking back to my having it in a box for some time before that & double checking several times - but the fact that it takes them anywhere from 20 minutes to AN HOUR TO WAKE UP... I just want people to KNOW TO REALLY WAIT & DOUBLE, TRIPLE, QUADRUPLE CHECK BEFORE BURYING OR DISPOSING OF WHAT THEY PERCEIVE TO BE A DEAD HUMMER - AS IT MAY ONLY REALLY BE SLEEPING!

As a medical professional, it continues to frustrate me that we easily do heart transplants - but the treatment of depression is still very challenging. The incidence and prevalence of depression is significant. Many people will experience major clinical depression in their lifetime. Suicide is a complication of depression, just like infection is a complication of a laceration. Some get the complication, others don't. Yet talking about mental illness is so taboo. Depression is impaired brain chemistry - not a personal transgression. Insurance coverage for mental illness is so lacking. Insurance pays generously for for the complications of alcoholism, overeating, and smoking - things people have far more control over. Sorry for my soapbox rant, but in emergency medicine I see so many victims of suicide, both the individual and family & friends left behind. Hopefully his death will bring more attention to the need for better mental health care.

My sister has been a dog trainer for 35 years. She teaches both individuals as well as groups. She has experience with all types of dog breeds. She uses positive reinforcement along with clicker training. The one breed that she doesn't trust is a pit bull. While not all pit bulls cause danger, many pitbulls that she has had in a group training class have had to be removed from the training and asked to not come back. She said all of the owners of the pit bulls swear that their dog was raised around the children, wouldn't hurt a fly, is a very loving dog, etc., etc., etc. She has had many pit bulls, unprovoked, attack other dogs in class. She has seen a few pit bulls turn on their owners, again, unprovoked. The thing about a pit bull is their jaw strength. A pit bull has 2200 lbs of pressure in their jaws, and can crush bone. A human has about 10 lbs of pressure in their hands. Once a pit bull attacks, even if the dogs want to release, the formation of their jaw inhibits the ability to release. Often times pit bulls, when attacking someone, need to be shot in order to release the victim. Everyone says their pit bull is the best, kindest, most loving dog. The thing about a pit bull can be their unpredictable behavior. If you do a Google search on pit bull attacks, there are hundreds of articles. And I personally have been charged by a pit bull. Fortunately the owner was near and was able to call the dog back. I wouldn't go near a pit bull.

My sympathies for this heartbreaking turn, Nik, and I am glad you are seeking another love. Sissy was beautiful, as is Lara -- I think gold-colored dogs are especially beautiful. Funny about the "wrong color". My late uncle, Bob Zimmerman, among the last of the true cowboys, was renowned for his line of "yellow" McNabs. McNabs are a local (originating at the McNab Ranch) lineage of Scotch collies that are usually black and white, but he got a gold-colored one in one batch of pups ("Gyp"), who went on to father offspring where the occasional pup was that color, too (recessive mutation, I suppose). Gyp was an exceptionally good herder, who won sheepdog trials at the county fair, as were many of his yellow offspring, so rather than being shunned, the yellow pups were highly desired by local ranchers. They seemed to consider them a sure bet for a good dog, as well as being of that relatively rare and novel color that lent prestige. But, as Camps points out, not so practical, considering that most of lower-elevation California is the same color as these dogs in the summer and fall -- Gyp, son Teddy, and grandson Rowdy (the ones I knew best) were hardly visible at a distance, at all, on the range.