Wednesday, May 6, 2009 River News-Herald & Isleton Journal Page A7

In recent weeks a new virussimilar to influenza hasbeen detected in countries

around the world. This newvirus, H1N1, otherwise knownas “swine flu” has shown signsof spreading through largegeographic regions. As of May4, there has only been onefatality linked to this virus andit was a 22month old in Texas.The vast amount of mediacoverage of this virus hascaused many people in ourcommunity a great deal ofconcern. The Rio Vista FireDepartment would like topresent some simple steps forprevention and detection of theH1N1 virus to help ease thegrowing concern in ourcommunity. One of the morecommon questions is “Is the flucontagious?” The simpleanswer is YES. The H1N1virus is contagious in much thesame manor as the common fluwe experience every year.

There are some simplemeasures you can take toprotect yourself.

• Wash your hands withsoap and water, especially after

you cough or sneeze• Cover your cough• Do not re-use tissues;

throw used tissues awayimmediately

• Avoid touching your eyes,nose or mouth. Germs spreadthis way

• Avoid close contact withsick people

• If you get sick stay homefrom work or school and limitcontact with othersSome of the signs and symptomsof H1N1

• Fever over 100 degreesFahrenheit

• Coughing• Sore throat• Vomiting• DiarrheaIf you have a mild fever,

cough or sore throat you shouldstay home. The currentrecommendation is to care foryourself and treat this virus asyou would the regular flu. Rest,drink plenty of fluids and takeover the counter flumedications to relievesymptoms. You should contact911 or you primary careprovider immediately if you

have any severe symptomssuch as trouble breathing. Ifyou would like furtherinformation on this virus pleasecontact The Rio Vista FireDepartment at 374-2233 orvisit www.cdc.gov/swinefluwww.cdph.ca.gov

A Common Sense Approach toAvoid Illness

By: M. Etchieson Rio Vista Fire Department

HEEL ‘N’ PAWSBY JODY G

When is National Pet Week?This week, May 3rdthrough 9th.

Our Humane Society,shelters and animalsupport groups are

asking us to check in with themon volunteer opportunities.Volunteers are sorely needed atlocal shelters, and helping allgroups with communityoutreach for our nation’s catsand dogs. There are manychoices of hands on serviceswe can provide besides walkingthe dogs and socializing withthe cats.

Foster and/or permanentshomes continue to be verymuch needed and greatlyappreciated.

Did I hear someone say, Ihave allergies? If you want toprovide a home to a dog, youmay want to consider a poodlethought to be hypoallergenic.The Obama family’s dog, thePortuguese Water Dog, alsowon’t add to your sneezing andrunning nose.

You really like cats butcan’t take a chance on the furballs? I suggest you select acat with sleek and very shortfur. And, using an inexpensiveflea comb, it only takes acouple of minutes to run thecomb gently thru the cat orkitten’s fur to release loose fur,dander and remove flea eggs.

LANDING ON THEIRPAWSWhy try to help street cats?

The words ringing in myears are “cats are survivors.”Yes, cats are great in helping tokeep our city’s rodentpopulation down. They canhunt for food and seek outwater and shelter. Yet, not allcats and kittens are survivors.Why not?

Cats can find it verydifficult to try and mix with acolony of feral cats. Try tokeep in mind that cats you canpet were probably living in ahome with daily food andwater. Generally, dominantmales and aggressive femaleschase off domestic cats andkittens. Un-neutered cats thathaven’t been fixed may bebroken in spirit and angry. Arude reminder- nature is oftencruel within our animalkingdom.

Sometimes there isn’t anytolerance for new young bloodor adult guests in a colony.Look at us. We’re also fightingover personal space and feelingovercrowded in our now lessthan golden state of California.

Sadly, too many unwantedcats and kittens never get achance to land on their feet!Like us human critters, catswant to be given a chance to

live out their natural life havingtheir basic survival needs met.Love is a bonus. Again, howcan we help manage ourabandoned (sometimespersecuted) homeless cats?

We can speak UP for ouranimal friends. We can sign apetition to support our nation’sHumane Society TNR (trap,neuter, return) programs forhomeless cats. I’ll havepetitions available at keylocations and will let you knowwhen and where the first weekof June.

We can attend a city hallmeeting on TNR andbrainstorm on how to help cityresidents and our city’shomeless cat population.

The USA Humane Societyis actively pushing for allcommunities, veterinarians andCity officials to take action andsupport efforts made to providerescue and outreach toabandoned, at times abused,and unwanted felinepopulation.

Thank you for your help!Until the first week of June,

happy trails. Happy Mother’sDay!

(Many dogs and cats arewaiting for a new mom. Don’tforget- the gifts are many withpet ownership, including nonconditional love.)

Acold blooded killerstalking the town/Copcars blinkin’, something

bad going downBuildings are crumbling in

the neighborhood/But there’snothing to worry about, ‘causeit’s all good

It’s all good, I say it’s allgood. Whoo!

So rings the penultimatestanza of Bob Dylan’s newalbum “Together ThroughLife.” The apocalypse is insight, and he’s made peace withit. Whatever happens is part ofa plan that ultimately ends well,as in the Book of Revelation,where God sets up HisKingdom on earth after chaosand mayhem, after the beast,after sickness and womenrunning for the hills. They allget their place in the newalbum. Dylan has been“lookin’ the world over/lookingfar off into the east,” and hesees his baby coming with thevillage beast.

Women often stand assurrogate for Jesus or Satan inDylan’s songs, well, at leastsince his late seventiesconversion to Christianity(think of the recent ModernTimes song “Someday Baby”).In the late seventies, his lyricswere transparent. Since theeighties, they have becomemore veiled. He doesn’tprofess/confess his faith asoften or as unequivocally. Ashe sang on the Love and Theftalbum, “Already confessed noneed to confess again.”

Don’t look for Dylanplaying characters in thesesongs. According to Bob in hisrecent interview with BillFlanagan, “Wait a minute, Bill.I’m not a playwright. Thepeople in my songs are all me.”Keep this in mind as you’relistening to the sometimeswoeful revelations that willsurely burn the ears of aspiringyoung Dylanites, like the one in“I Feel a Change Comin’ On.”

“Dreams never did workfor me anyway even when theydid come true.”

“I Feel a Change Comin’On” is the real masterpiece ofthe album, though “This Dreamof You” comes in a closesecond. David Hidalgo of LosLobos lends his accordion tothe songs. He gives the wholealbum a dusty, boarder townfeel. Many of the songs wouldbe at home in a Sam Peckinpahscore. Maybe Dylan is hopingfor a Pat Garret and Billy theKid remake.

The 67-year-old payshomage to the greats on thisalbum as he has been doing fora while now. The song “MyWife’s Home Town” uses themusic from Willie Dixon’s “IJust Want to Make Love toYou.” On “I Feel a ChangeComin’ On,” Dylan’s voicebrightens as he sails on top ofthe accordion, “I’m listening toBilly Joe Shaver and I’mreading James Joyce/Somepeople tell me I’ve got theblood of the land in my voice.”For whatever reason, the bestphrase on the album. It’s aperfect juxtaposition. Shaveris known to be the leastpretentious writer while Joycemay be the most- two giants onopposite ends of the spectrum.Yet, both embody their endemicregions better than theircounterparts. Joyce wantedreaders to be able to pieceDublin together solely from hiswritings, if they ever had to,and few question Shaver as theAmerican South incarnate.Some folks say Dylan has theblood of the land in his voice.In his autobiography, Dylantells us that he learned what heneeded to know about writingreading newspaper clippingsfrom Civil War Era America.

In “Life is Hard,” thesecond song on the album,Dylan strains his voice toclosely follow the guitarmelody, which is

complemented by someexcellent mandolin playing.Imagine Charles Aznavour atthe end of his life crooningbitter sweetly to the barflies in“The Iceman Cometh.” It’s asad tune. “I passed the oldschoolyard/Admitting life ishard/Without you near me.” Italso brings to mind Yeats’s“Among School Children,”with the exception that thisweary traveler knows exactlywhat it all meant.

“Forgetful Heart” isanother gem on the album,which sounds similar to “Ain’tTalkin’” from the ModernTimes album. Some are sayingthat “Forgetful Heart” comesfrom The Works of JohnBunyan Volume I: “Wouldestthou grow in the grace of fear?then take heed of aFORGETFUL HEART.” Theconnection here is a littlevague, but Dylan often borrowsfrom antique poetry. Some ofModern Times was taken froman obscure Civil War poet.

There’s a lot of Texas inthe new album. It plays out ina last chance saloonsomewhere. Outside the barare post apocalyptic“boulevards of broken cars,”which would not be unusual inpre apocalyptic small townTexas. According to theDouglas Brinkley interview,Dylan told French Pres.Sarkozy, “I’m from the LoneStar state.” He later gave himan antique Texas belt buckle.

The anthem of the albumis the pre-released “BeyondHere Lies Nothing,” whichplays unlike anything elsethat’s been recorded in the pastthirty or forty years. JackKerouac said that the only timehe’d heard music played loudenough was in Mexico. Youmay want to head down thereto plug it in.

Together Through Life:Play the Accordion while the Cities Burn

By Jesse Lanum