Mountain Views News, Sierra Madre Edition [Pasadena] Saturday, August 4, 2018

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BEST FRIENDS & MORE 

Mountain Views-News Saturday, August 4, 2018 


Happy Tails

by Chris Leclerc

BEST FRIEND


A handsome cat can add a touch of elegance to 
any home. Milo’s classic white fur coat with a 
splash of dramatic orange will fit in any decor. 
Milo is reserved with new people and asks to be 
approached calmly and be stroked gently around 
his head and ears. Flying toys and moving red dots 
catch his attention but he does not want to start 
a chase. He may become more playful in his own 
home. Right now he’s an observer not a player. His 
favorite activity like most cats, is napping. Milo 
will add beauty and calm to his forever home. His 
adoption fee is $99 and includes neuter surgery, 
vaccinations, microchip and a free wellness exam 
at a participating veterinarian. Please come meet 
him at San Gabriel Valley Humane Society. Call us 
at (626) 286-1159 for more information.

KEEP IT COOL WITH 
YOUR CANINE

If you are a dog owner in the foothills, you are likely 
among the many who’ve become quite concerned 
about how to protect their pets from heat‘s harm while 
maintaining a healthy exercise regimen for them. We 
all want to do what it takes to keep our four-legged 
furry friends cool during the summer months, but we 
don’t want them becoming calorie-collecting couch 
potatoes in the process, due to a lack of exercise.

 A client of mine told me about a unique and fun 
way she found to beat the heat and help keep her pup 
fit, and I was so impressed I decided to share it in 
this week‘s column. Jennifer is proud owner of three 
delightful and absolutely gorgeous dogs, Sid, Elijah 
& Utah. Her 3 ’boys’ sure got lucky when they found 
Jennifer. Living with her, they receive the respect and 
unconditional love they so deserve, and for that they 
are very grateful dogs.

 I always enjoy spending time with Sid, Elijah & 
Utah, and I consider it an honor to call them my 
canine companions. Some readers might remember 
a previous story I wrote about ‘Sid doing the twist‘. 
I must say, I have always been impressed with Sid’s 
dancing techniques, but I was even more impressed 
when I learned that this precious pointer/pit mix is 
an amazingly agile athlete both on and off the dance 
floor.

 As it turns out, Sid is not only a great dancer, he’s 
also a rather remarkable paddle-boarder! That’s right, 
he’s one cool canine whose paw-balancing act on a 
paddle-board is better than that of some humans 
you’ve see on the surf. Jennifer told me all about the 
time when she and Sid visited a marina in San Diego 
where they took a paddle-boarding class together.

 After hearing about Jen and Sid’s weekend water 
excursion, I was inspired to look into dog-friendly 
water sports, in hopes of finding a few fresh ideas 
for how we pet owners can help our dogs avoid the 
heat while ensuring that they still get the exercise 
they need. Apparently one of the most popular water 
sports for canines is dock diving. Sounds fascinating, 
but to me the most exciting canine water sport has 
definitely got to be surfing.

 I had heard about surf dogs before. I had seen a 
few highly skilled canine surfers on Animal Planet, 
and I’d even seen a surf dog featured on a float in 
the Tournament of Roses Parade. But I had no idea 
how popular dog-surfing was 
until I visited Youtube and found 
a few videos of dog-surfing 
events. I was particularly pleased 
to learn that the proceeds from 
most of the events go towards 
animal adoption and education 
programs.

 Even if such an event didn’t 
help rescue and place animals 
into loving homes, I’d still be in 
absolute awe of those darling 
dogs riding in on the waves with 
their surfboards gliding with ease 
beneath them. They really seem to get into it! I mean, 
some of those surf dogs have more attitude than the 
human dudes you see surfing alongside them.

 One video showed clips from the annual Purina 
Pro Plan Incredible Dog Challenge at Huntington 
State Beach. This event includes other contests 
such as Incredible Diving Dog, Incredible Freestyle 
Flying Disc and Incredible Fetch It, so dogs can 
qualify in a variety of activities, depending on 
their skills. The Purina Pro Plan Incredible Dog 
Challenge was in June so it’s too late to participate 
this year, but now’s a good time to start getting 
ready for next year.

 Here’s an upcoming event you won’t want to miss; 
the world-famous McKenna Subaru Surf City Surf 
Dog competition to be held at Huntington Dog Beach 
on September 23, 2018. This year’s event will actually 
include 3 full days of fun and fund raising, starting 
with a Pooch Party on the evening of Friday 9/22 at 
Bella Terra Beach.

 The surf competition itself will be on Saturday 9/23, 
8AM-3PM, and from 6:30-9PM that evening, event 
sponsors will host the NY Dog Film Festival. Finally, 
to wind it all down on Sunday 9/24 from 11AM-1PM, 
Pirate Coast Paddle Co. will host a post comPETition 
meet-up for all surFURS to relax and enjoy some fun 
on a different kind of board. All are invited to bring 
their own set up or rent a paddle board and enjoy a 
relaxing day in the bay, keeping it cool with their 
canine companions.

 The Saturday morning surf dog competition is free 
for all who wish to attend. Spectators are welcome to 
bring their own pups along to watch as well. Tickets are 
required to attend the pre-event Pooch Party as well as 
the NY Film Festival and the post comPETition meet-
up. Visit surfdogevents.com for more information 
and to purchase tickets.

 There are lots of ways to keep it cool with your 
canine right here at home, too. Backyard doggie pool 
and sprinkler parties are a great alternative for beating 
the heat, if you are not up to taking a drive to the 
beach. Whichever method you choose to keep your 
canine cool, remember to take good care of your pets, 
give them lots of love & respect, and make the most of 
the time you have with them. And as always, love and 
let live.

BENNY, THE PURR-FECT “BOYFRIEND”


Looking for the 
purr-fect cat? Then 
here he is: 

meet BENNY! 
Benny is age 5, and 
is a very handsome, 
all black, with a 
beautiful double 
coat of fur, and 
gorgeous golden 
eyes.. He’s super 
sweet, super loving, 
super friendly, super cuddly—just a “Superman!” He 
gets along with other kitties, too! He’s FIV+ so needs 
to be kept indoors. Benny is the peacemaker and furry 
friend to all of our cats. All he wants is to be your best 
friend, follow you around the house, or hang with 
another kitty. Your search ends with Benny Boy! See 
more pictures, adoption info www.lifelineforpets.org, 
and see Benny’s cute “Boyfriend” video at http://www.
lifelineforpets.org/teens--adult-cats.html. ALSO, don’t 
miss our delicious restaurant fundraiser, Aug. 2, noon 
to 9, at Cabrera’s Mexican Cuisine, 655 N. Lake Ave, 
Pasadena. Just say you’re with Lifeline for Pets!


THE WORLD AROUND US


OUT TO PASTOR 

A Weekly Religion Column by Rev. James Snyder

CHRISTOPHER Nyerges

HEALING WITH MEDICINAL 

PLANTS OF THE WEST

Interviewing Dr. James Adams

I NEVER 
THOUGHT I 
COULD 

As a person gets older things change. By things, I 
am referring to my body.

When I was young, I never gave a thought to what 
it would be like when I got old. I was too busy 
enjoying my being young. What young person 
wants to waste their time thinking about what they 
are going to be when they are old?

However, as a person gets older there is more time 
to think about things. To think about your health 
and strength and is it time to go to bed yet?

I can remember as a young person my parents had 
to wrestle me into my bed to go to sleep at night. I 
never wanted to go to bed; I wanted to stay up all 
night and watch TV.

I tried to think of many reasons not to go to bed 
when I was younger.

Now that I’m older, I’m trying to think of many 
reasons TO go to bed early.

The problem is it is not feasible to go to bed when 
the sun hasn’t set yet.

“Is it time to go to bed?” I queried the Gracious 
Mistress of the Parsonage.

Looking at me she simply said, “Has the sun set 
yet?”

I understood what she was saying and it is hard to 
say that the sun has set when it is still light outside. 
For this reason, I like a very cloudy afternoon when 
it hides the sun. It is so dark that I’m trying to 
convince my wife that it must be time to go to bed 
because it’s dark outside.

I must not be a very good salesman because my wife 
never buys what I’m trying to sell.

So, sitting in my easy chair thinking about stuff like 
this, I often get a little bit discouraged. What I’m 
thinking about is the fact that I cannot do what I 
used to do when I was young.

“What are you,” my wife said one afternoon, “so 
gloomy about today?”

“You know,” I said very sadly, “I just can’t do what I 
used to do when I was young.”

I remember all the fun times I had when I was 
young. It seems I had more energy than I could 
waste in one day. Now, I don’t seem to have that 
kind of energy.

My wife got us coffee and came, sat down in the 
living room with me, and was just quiet for a few 
moments.

Then she said, “Sure, there’s a lot of things you 
can’t do that you did when you were young.” She 
snickered after she said that and then said, “Why 
don’t you think about the things you can do now 
that you couldn’t do then?”

As far as I was concerned, there was nothing on that 
list. I know many people have what they call the 
“Bucket List” but I certainly don’t have such a list. 
My list only contains things that I used to do that I 
can’t do now. I cannot do them now because of the 
time element and my energy or lack thereof.

“Don’t worry about what you can’t do,” she 
explained. “Focus on some of the things that you 
can do and that you enjoy doing.”

That was a real challenge for me. I never thought 
of it that way before. I was willing to give it a try 
though.

“Remember how you acted when you were young?”

That got me thinking. I do remember when I was 
young I could not sit still for very long. I had to be 
up doing something all the time. I could not walk, 
I had to run. I would run so vigorously that when I 
got home, I would collapse in exhaustion.

I cannot do that now, but what I can do is pace 
myself out so that I do not collapse in exhaustion.

When I was young, I didn’t have any excuses or 
didn’t try to think of any. Now that I am older, I do 
have some good excuses.

“I can’t do that, I don’t have the energy, I’m too old.”

“I’m sorry; my memory isn’t quite like it used to be.”

I now have a lot of excuses that I didn’t have that can 
benefit me. When young, I was too proud to say I 
couldn’t do something. Now that I am old, my pride 
has disappeared and it is easy for me to say that I 
cannot do something.

My wife and I discussed this and at the very end, she 
looked at me and said, “What’s that smile all over 
your face?”

I had to explain to her that she got me to thinking 
in the right direction. I never thought I could do 
certain things, but now I have the time to do them. 
There are books that I have always wanted to read; 
now I have the time to read them.

I always wanted to just sit and relax in my chair and 
dream about the impossible dream. Now that I am 
older, I can do that and nobody objects, particularly 
me.

I am beginning to understand what Jesus said. “I 
must work the works of him that sent me, while it 
is day: the night cometh, when no man can work” 
(John 9:4).

I cannot relive my past, but I certainly can enjoy the 
work that is before me for the glory of God.

The Rev. James L. Snyder is pastor of the Family 
of God Fellowship, 1471 Pine Road, Ocala, FL 
34472. He lives with the Gracious Mistress of the 
Parsonage, in Ocala, Florida. Call him at 352-687-
4240 or e-mail jamessnyder2@att.net. The church 
web site is www.whatafellowship.com.

[Nyerges is the author of “Guide 
to Wild Foods” and other 
books on self-reliance and the 
outdoors. He conducts regular 
wild food classes. He can be reached at www.SchoolofSelf-
Reliance.com. ]

 Dr. Adams says that the medical profession is mistaken 
when it comes to how to treat pain. Adams explains that 
although the brain processes pain, all pain in the body is felt 
mostly in the organ of skin. However, pain in the mouth 
and other orifices is felt at the site of the pain, such as a 
tooth. Therefore, based on his western medical training, 
and supported with his Chumash healing training, Adams 
always treats the skin for all pain conditions. Further, he 
states that everyone can do such self-medicating “for free,” 
for any pain, with no harmful side-effects.

 Dr. James Adams is a man on a mission. James Adams 
teaches pharmacology at USC, and also teaches medical 
students Chumash healing as part of regular classes. Adams 
earned his PhD in Pharmacology in 1981 at UC San 
Francisco in comparative pharmacology and toxicology, 
and is now an Associate Professor of Pharmacology and 
Pharmaceutical Sciences at USC. He’s written over 200 
articles.

 Adams got very interested in the medicinal uses of native 
plants back in 1994. He had been taking his son out on Boy 
Scout walks and began to realize that all the local plants had 
been used by the local Native Americans. Adams then set 
out to find a Native American herbalist to learn from and 
after about two years, he met Chumash medicine woman 
Cecilia Garcia. Adams then became Garcia’s student, and 
spent 14 years studying the intricacies, and underlying 
belief structures, of the Chumash healing traditions.

 Adams and Garcia eventually collaborated to produce 
the book “Healing with Medicinal Plants of the West,” 
which was published in 2005. It’s a fully illustrated book 
which describes the chemistry and uses of the plants that 
were used by the Chumash for medicine, and generally 
used throughout the west. Since their collaboration, Adams 
and Garcia have led nearly 100 walks and workshops to 
teach about the Native use of healing herbs, until Garcia’s 
untimely death in 2012. 

 I asked Dr. Adams whether or not he was just cynical 
of the medical profession, as I am, or perhaps he believes 
that doctors are more concerned about making a buck than 
actually healing a patient.

 Neither, he told me. “Doctors are simply working on a 
false preconceived notion that herbs are not strong enough 
to deal with certain physical conditions. But believe me, 
some herbs are just as strong as any patent medicines out 
there.” He adds that there is a lot of good medicine being 
practiced, but not with the use of opioids for pain.

 He points out that there are currently at least 67,000 
people who die in the U.S. every year from prescription 
opioids, and that figure is rising. According to Adams, 
doctors work from the premise that you should try to 
control pain by using the drugs that affect the brain. They 
tell the patient, let’s try x, or y, or z, and when those don’t 
work, they try opioids, like Vicodin. 

 Adams explained that opioids are compounds 
synthesized based upon opium’s chemistry. This is highly 
addictive, and has not been shown to work.

 But why have doctors gotten this so wrong, I ask. He 
tells me that the prevailing theory is still that the brain is the 
center of all pain, and that pain can be combatted by giving 
the patient drugs that suppress pain detectors in the brain. 
“That’s the prevailing notion. But the pain comes from the 
skin,” he tells me. The brain might process that pain, but 
you still need to treat the pain in the skin. “When a child 
skins their knee, do they quickly grab their brain, or do they 
grab their knee?” he asks wryly.

 Dr. Adams learned Chumash healing from Cecilia 
Garcia, and she taught him – among other things – the 
traditional ways to deal with pain. “Cecelia taught me how 
to make and use linaments from black sage and sagebrush. 
And as a result of working with several hundred patients 
over the years, I have seen that these are great pain killers, 
which also have the ability to deal with chronic pain.” Dr. 
Adams added the science to his corroboration with Garcia, 
by explaining medically why the Chumash systems work.

 “Western trained people do not want to believe that 
the Indian medicines are efficacious,” he explains. “I have 
learned how these herbs worked. It took me a lot longer 
to learn how they cure chronic pain,” adding that he has 
written several academic papers on this topic.

 “We need to learn how to treat pain correctly, and we 
are not doing that correctly with oral medicines,” says 
Adams. “When I was a boy, everyone knew how to take 
care of themselves when it came to the most basic everyday 
medical issues, like using sassafras, yerba santa, and other 
common herbs. But no one seems to know any of this 
anymore.” 

 Through his writings and teachings, Dr. Adams hopes 
to bring back the notion that the body can heal itself if we 
allow it to do so, and that everyone should take charge of 
their health, and not assume that the doctor can “heal” us.

 Adams readily admits that there are some cases that 
his black sage or sage brush liniment doesn’t entirely cure, 
though there are no side effects either, as in the case of 
opioids.

 “Healing with Medicinal Plants of the West” is now in 
its third printing, which includes many of Garcia’s recipes 
for how to use the herbs. Unlike many books on medicinal 
plants, this one attempts to present the full picture of what 
it means to be healthy, including the spiritual aspect. There 
are some prefatory chapters on what’s wrong with modern 
medicine, and how the body must be allowed to heal itself.

 

 

RECIPES [more details are found in Adams’ book]

BLACK SAGE SUN TEA: FOOT SOAK FOR ALL 
BODY PAINS

Soak about . pound of black sage leaves and stems (Salvia 
mellifera) in two quarts of water, and set in the sun for 
several hours until the tea is dark red brown. Strain. 

Pour the sun tea into a pan, and soak feet for 15-20 Minutes 
a day for 7 days. Refrigerate after each use. Wait one week to 
see what happens to your pain. Repeat process after second 
week. This is for any body pains.

 

SAGEBRUSH LINIMENT: ELDER’S WINTER 
MEDICINE

Into a container [he typically uses an 8 ounce Mason 
jar], place one leaf of white sage. Add 4 to 6 pieces of 
avocado pits (for their oil). Fill the container with as much 
Sagebrush (Artemisia californica) as you can. Fill the jar 
with 70% isopropyl alcohol. Some use either tequila or 
vodka instead. Let sit for at least 6 weeks. Decant, and use 
the liquid sparingly, as a spray or rub, on those painful parts 
of the body.

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