Meet Forrester, The Foster Dog

After the short, two-week stay by our last foster dog we were ready for another (our 6th) foster dog from the Triangle Beagle Rescue. Meet Forrester.

All pictures are courtesy of the Triangle Beagle Rescue

Forrester is a 10 year old beagle. He came through the Triangle Beagle Rescue when he was just a puppy. He was adopted and lived with his family for almost all of his 10 years. Unfortunately he wasn’t a very good fit for their small children in the home, so they returned him to the rescue.

Here is the description from the TBR website:

Forrester is a really affectionate and adorable guy – loves to be petted, loves to sit on laps and loves to be near his people at all times. He enjoys going for walks and loves to spend time outside, though not so much in the cold. He loves to sit by the window and watch every person, animal, and car go by. He is just a sweetheart and knows how to win you over. He lived with another larger dog for 8 years and loved it but is sometimes nervous about new dogs. He would probably be happy with another friendly dog or as an only dog. He would be perfect for someone quiet who is looking for a dog to love, snuggle, and pet. He would be best in a home with no kids or with older kids (10 and up). Sponsor: Please Sponsor Me!

That pretty much sums him up. We’ll keep you posted on his life at our house. Senior dogs usually don’t get adopted as fast as the young ones, so we might have him for a while. However, he is really sweet and is a cute old pup so he may get adopted faster than usual.

Here are some more pics:

Smokey Finds a Home

Our 5th foster dog from the Triangle Beagle Rescue, Smokey, found his forever home. We had him for only two weeks before he got adopted – a record for us and a big change from having our previous foster dog, CD, for 9 months.

Smokey was adopted by a Mother and Daughter from New Jersey who moved to North Carolina not too long ago. They had a 16 year old Cocker Spaniel that had passed away in 2011 and were looking for a new addition to the family.

We took Smokey there for a home visit before we finalized the adoption. They had a ton of stuffed animals in their collection, so I think Smokey might just be in his own little doggy heaven. We hope his adoption and new life go well.

We wish you the best Smokey!

Meet Smokey, The Foster Dog

Tonight we picked up our new foster dog. Smokey is approximately 1 year old, and is a mix of beagle and something else. He’s incredibly cute and is very curious. He’s pretty much the same size as Maisie, just a bit taller but not as wide-bodied. He’s very energetic, but is also obedient so his energy shouldn’t be a problem. He was getting a little rambunxious tonight so we took him and Maisie on a 2-mile walk. That pretty much wiped him out and he’s been laying down ever since we returned.

Smokey posing for the camera. Photo courtesy of the Triangle Beagle Rescue of North Carolina

He’s well along with his training. He’s already 100% house-trained, and he knows sit and fetch. Since he’s still a puppy he likes to mouth things, but so far that has been limited to his toys and raw hides.

His adoption profile can be found on the Triangle Beagle Rescue of North Carolina website here. Here’s what they have to say about him (note that this was written while he was in a different TBR foster home):

Smokey is one handsome boy.  He is almost a year old and is loving and sweet.  He was found abandoned as a puppy with several female siblings. The girls got new homes and Smokey is still waiting for his Family to find him. He gets along very well with the other female beagle in his foster home and loves kids.  He is a big boy, so older kids are probably best. He walks well on a leash and is currently fostering in a home without a fenced in yard. He is a healthy, happy dog, just larger than a beagle. Hey, more to love!

Smokey Close-up. Photo courtesy of the Triangle Beagle Rescue of North Carolina

Smokey is our 5th foster dog (all 5 have been from TBR). We really enjoy fostering. It’s been good for Maisie as well as she has really opened up since we started with our first foster dog in 2010. You can read about our previous foster dogs here.

Colby Launches a New Website

Over the last year I’ve been thinking about science communication, including: communication of science among scientists, the teaching of science to college students, or the communication of science to the general public. The two former kinds of communication come naturally to many graduate students and professors. The later… not so much.

I attended a presentation given by Mooney at the Soil Science Society of America conference in San Antonio in November. The presentation was superb… so I bought the book and was equally impressed. The book is Unscientific America by Chris Mooney and Sheril Kirshenbaum. It is an assessment of the current state of science as perceived by the general public (which is poor), how we got there, who’s to blame (everyone), and what to do from here on. One point that Mooney raises repeatedly is “Just 18 percent of Americans personally know a scientist to begin with, and exceedingly few can name a living scientist role model.” That surprised me, and I felt I should do something about it.

I also became aware of a related book during a guest lecture in my Watershed Hydrology class by a United States Geological Survey scientist. That book is Don’t Be Such a Scientist by Randy Olson. It focuses on some observations and recommendations from the author, a tenured professor of marine biology turned Hollywood film director. Don’t be Such a Scientist starts where Unscientific America leaves off – with suggestions on how scientists should, and should not communicate with the general public with many examples of how Hollywood does it. Both are excellent books and are definitely worth the read, regardless as to whether or not you are a scientist. That’s about as detailed a book review that I will present for now. However, I am now acting on what was discussed in the books.

I’ve launched a new website called Colby Digs Soil (like the double meaning?… clever eh?). My first post on the website describes the motives behind the website. However, it is mainly to communicate soil and wetland science to a general audience through blogging, Twitter, and links to and discussion of current (soil and wetland) news in the media. In addition, I plan to market myself with the website in the future by presenting my qualifications, teaching philosophy, and frequent research updates. Those parts of the website will be in the works, but I expect to have much of that information posted to the site within a month or so.

Science is crucial to progress in America and the world. I hope to do my part to communicate it well to the general public. I’d appreciate it if you stopped by my new website from time to time to see what I’m up to. As for this website (Colby and Stacy) I plan to post about as frequently as I have in the past, but posts regarding my research will be at ColbyDigsSoil.com.