Mountain Views News          Saturday, May 21, 2016

11

JUST FOR BEST FRIENDS

BUSINESS NEWS & TRENDS

Mountain Views-News Saturday, May 21, 2016 

FAMILY MATTERS By Marc Garlett


Happy Tails

by Chris Leclerc

FIVE VALUABLE TRAITS A 
CHILD CAN LEARN FROM 
WORKING PARENTS

Those of us who work sometimes feel that we are 
doing our children a disservice (I know I struggle 
with that feeling occasionally). Sure, we bring home 
a paycheck that benefits our children, but we may 
also miss activities or other aspects of their daily lives. 
This can be especially true in two-earner families 
(like mine). But in addition to greater financial 
security, our jobs also provide opportunities for our 
children to learn many other life skills that they can 
use throughout their lives. 

#1-Responsibility

Being consistently employed and engaged in our 
work demonstrates an essential life skill to our 
children: responsibility. Duty and responsibility 
are implicated in every aspect of human life, from 
work and family to spirituality and community. 
Responsibility’s sister traits include punctuality and 
perseverance, both of which are transferable to all 
areas of our children’s future lives.

#2-Loyalty

Living successfully and happily requires loyalty and 
commitment. Many of our relationships expect 
loyalty from us: employers, business partners, and 
family members. Loyalty is a measure of respect 
given to those we care about and those with whom 
we are interdependent.

#3-Work-Life Balance

You’ve probably heard the phrase “work hard, play 
hard”. Our kids watch what we do every day. If we 
work responsibly but take out time to spend with 
our families and recharge, we set a good example for 
our kids.

#4-Money Management

One of the best skills we can pass along to our 
children is money management. With a paycheck 
comes the opportunity to teach our children about 
income and expenses. Kids need to understand 
the basic essentials of finance - especially concepts 
such as budgeting, income, expenses, and credit. 
Learning these lessons at an early age can help them 
avoid financial pitfalls later in life. Also, once they 
are old enough to understand, don’t be afraid to talk 
with them about the estate planning you’ve set up 
for them, in case anything happens to you. It’s a gift 
to them to know you love and care for them enough 
to handle your affairs in advance.

#5-Human Nature

When we talk about our jobs and the people we work 
with, our kids learn a lot about human relationships 
and coping skills. Many days, there are teachable 
moments in which we can use our work issues to 
model life skills such as successful communication 
and conflict resolution.

 Most of us spend the bulk of our waking hours 
at work. We can use these experiences to help our 
children learn valuable skills which can be translated 
to many areas of their lives. Of course, our children 
naturally want to emulate us so if we do not deal 
well with work challenges, our children can learn 
negative skills from us. 

 So I invite all you other working parents to let 
go of the guilt, take time to reflect on the effect our 
actions and behaviors have on our kids, and use our 
jobs as opportunities to help them build tools for 
successful futures.

 Dedicated to your family’s health, wealth, and 
happiness,

A local attorney and father, Marc Garlett is on a 
mission to help parents protect what they love most. 
His office is located at 49 S. Baldwin Ave., Ste. G, 
Sierra Madre, CA 91024. Schedule an appointment 
to sit down and talk about ensuring a legacy of love 
and financial security for your family by calling 
626.587.3058 or visit www.GarlettLaw.com for more 
information.

MIGRATION SENSATION

During a walk a few years ago with “Tatertotts“, my 
beloved bloodhound (may God rest her soul), we were 
enjoying the peaceful ambience of dusk with stars 
slowly beginning to show their light in the sky - not 
another soul in sight - when she suddenly engaged in a 
series of intense bays, taking me very much by surprise. 
You see, Tater rarely ever bayed or barked during our 
walks. She was typically too involved with sniffing 
out subtle scents, keeping her nose trained to the trail 
in hopes of tracking a furry critter or, dream-of-all-
dreams, finding a discarded bag of fast-food left-over’s 
thoughtlessly tossed out by a previous passerby.

 We were hiking along the short trail where Sycamore 
Street ends in Sierra Madre, between the ball parks and 
the city yards. It was a great evening for a walk; the 
moon was full above the eastern hills and everything 
seemed calm and peaceful. We were both relishing 
the solitude of the evening when all of a sudden Tater 
stopped sniffing the ground, threw her head back 
and pointed her nose upward sending her huge ears 
flopping wildly.

 She let out the loudest baritone bay I think I ever 
heard from her, shattering the silence and shocking me 
out of my peaceful state. Her first howl was followed 
by several more, before her voice slowly faded to a 
whimper as she became calm again and resumed her 
trail tracking endeavor. Naturally, I looked up to see 
what had excited her and I saw a skein of geese flying 
low, coming in for a landing on the water in one of 
the settling basins about 100 yards away. They were 
Canada Geese and there were about 12 in the gander.

 As the geese landed one by one on the surface of 
the water, they made a huge splash. I thought how 
happy they must be to have found a water hole where 
they could refresh themselves and rest a bit before 
continuing their long journey, and how lucky I was 
to have been in the right place at the right time to see 
them fly in and land so close. That rare moment with 
nature inspired me to learn more about the migratory 
habits of Canada Geese, so I took upon myself to 
conduct a little layman’s research online to share with 
my readers.

 Canada Geese are native to North America and best 
known for the distinctive honking noises they make as 
well as the “v” formation they assume while migrating 
over the continent. The “v” formation is by no means 
random. It is their instinctual way of utilizing the 
power of wind and air foil by following behind and 
slightly to the side of one another to make the most 
of their stored energy as they travel. Geese are much 
larger and heavier than most other types of migrating 
birds, requiring a lot more energy for them to fly. By 
using the “v” formation technique 
they reserve energy and increase 
their endurance while traveling.

 In the summer months, most 
Canada Geese reside in the 
Canadian region of the Arctic 
Circle, where they nest and 
raise their new-born goslings 
in the safety and solitude of the 
wilderness. Fresh, snow-fed 
waterways and reservoirs provide 
them with plenty of water and 
food resources for the season, as 
they foster the bonds within their 
growing family and prepare for the 
impending multi-mile flight south.

 By the time Fall comes around, the temperatures 
in the Arctic will have dropped dramatically, and the 
geese will have prepared themselves for the 2500 mile 
journey that will take them to the Gulf of Mexico, 
their seasonal destination. There they spend the 
winter months avoiding the frost of the Arctic north. 
The flight south can take anywhere from 3 weeks to 
2 months, depending on their point of origin and the 
route they follow.

 Male and female geese maintain a monogamous 
relationship with the same partner throughout their 
lives and raise their family as an integral unit, caring for 
their young until they are adults. Research has shown 
that familial geese will even fly closely together during 
the migration process, and communicate among 
themselves using honking calls that are unique to their 
own family, to keep from being separated along the 
way. Pretty fascinating, eh?

 We have all heard the term “bird brain” used to refer 
to someone who acted stupidly or used poor judgment. 
I remember hearing it as a kid, and I assumed that 
meant birds must be pretty dumb-witted. Of course, 
later in life I learned the true facts about birds and I 
realized that couldn’t be further from the truth. The 
next time someone calls you a bird brain, take it as a 
compliment!

Looking into the life of the migrating goose, I was 
able to draw a few parallels between their sensational 
migration and my own personal navigation through 
life on this earth. Let’s face it, life presents some pretty 
difficult challenges at times, but if we take a lesson from 
the goose by “flying” in a way that will make use of the 
momentum created by those flying before us, while 
allowing our own wind force to help those behind us, 
and if we support one another as a family unit and 
communicate clearly with each other as the geese do, 
I imagine we could handle the challenges of life more 
in the way the goose handles that 2500 mile flight; with 
unity, strength and determination.

 Observing animal behavior brings me to a higher 
level of understanding life as a whole. Some may think 
the most important things in life are to make a lot 
of money and collect a lot of toys. I feel that there is 
much more to this life than material gains. I certainly 
don’t claim to know a lot, but one thing I know for 
sure; I want to be in the right place at the right time 
to observe more close encounters with nature, such as 
the one Tater and I had that day with the migrating 
geese. Those rare moments can help teach us how to 
live life more fully and how to appreciate and better 
understand the part we play in the big picture, and I 
think that is truly sensational!


LOOKING FOR A BEST FRIEND?

Princess is a delightful 12-year old Staffordshire mix 
girl with precious looks that match her personality. 
She has a gorgeous tricolor brindle coat with black, 
white, and tan streaks that perfectly compliment 
her chocolate puppy-like ears. 
What can be cuter than that? Her 
soulful and loving brown eyes! 
Weighing about 48 pounds, this 
petite lady is built just right for 
cuddling. Princess also loves to 
cuddle with anyone willing to rub 
her belly and lend a lap to snooze 
on. She enjoys her walks around 
the park and is great on the leash 
as well as spending time relaxing 
next to her human friends indoors 
or out. See a cute video of Princess 
here - https://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=jw2fHtSVUMk

 Princess came to our shelter when she was 
surrendered by her previous owner because they 
moved to a place where no pets are allowed. . It must 
have been quite sad for this 12-year-old girl to lose 
her family after such a long time. Despite this loss, 
Princess is ready to love and feel loved again by a 
family who is willing to give her the best golden years 
a doggie could ask for. If you are that special family, 
please come by to meet this petite Princess and whisk 
her away to her happily-ever after. Her adoption 
fee is $145 and includes spay surgery, vaccinations, 
microchip and a free wellness exam at a participating 
veterinarian. Feel free to call us at (626) 286-1159 
for more information on Princess. She currently 
resides at the San Gabriel Valley Humane Society 
located at 851 E. Grand Avenue 
in San Gabriel. We are located off 
San Gabriel Blvd, north of Mission 
and south of Las Tunas Drive. To 
arrange a ‘Meet and Greet’ with 
Princess, please stop by any time 
from 10:30am to 4:30pm Tuesday 
through Sunday. Website: www.
sgvhumane.org 

 We are always looking for hard 
working, dedicated animal lovers 
to join our team to fulfill our 
goal of ‘Putting People and Pets 
Together’. If you have what it takes 
to succeed in our life-saving work, 
we want to meet you! Check out our employment 
opportunities at http://www.sgvhumane.org/
career-opportunities/ Have a great 
photo of your best friend? Enter our 2017 Calendar 
Photo Contest! Check out this link for more details 
http://www.sgvhumane.org/blog/calendar-photo-
contest/attachment/dog-2017-calendar-ad/. Send 
in your favorite pet photos and yours could be 
one of twelve lucky pets to be featured in our 2017 
calendar. Submission deadline is June 18, 2016! Email 
your photos to sgvhscalendar@gmail.com.