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Mountain Views-News Saturday July 26, 2025 


FOSTER NEEDED FOR TWO TINY 
WILDLINGS!

Meet Mr. Furley (all 
black) and his sister 
Meowlery (brown 
tabby)—two adorable 
kittens who 
were rescued when 
their mama never 
came back. These little ones have been through 
a lot in their short lives, and while they're safe 
now, they're still very scared and unsure of the 
world.

Right now, they’re a bit wild—more hiss than 
hug—but that’s only because they’ve never had a chance to learn how good it feels 
to be loved. They need a patient foster to help them feel safe, 
secure, and cherished. Someone who can move at their pace, 
offer gentle hands, yummy treats, and maybe a cozy hideaway 
or two.

Mr. Furley and Meowlery must be fostered together—they give 
each other courage and comfort. With time, trust, and TLC, 
we believe they’ll blossom into loving, playful companions.

Can you help these two frightened babies learn that the world 
can be a kind and gentle place? Apply to meet them at https://
www.lifelineforpets.org/sandis-kittens.html or use the qr 
code. 

CHRISTOPHER Nyerges 

 [Nyerges is an educator and the author of over two dozen books including “Urban Survival 
Guide,” “Extreme Simplicity,” “Foraging Californai,” and other books. More information at www.
SchoolofSelf-Reliance.com. ]

IS DOWSING REAL?


What is dowsing? Isn’t it a discredited 
method for finding water? Is there anything 
valuable or useful in this skill?

In 1977, when I had barely heard of “dowsing,” Timothy 
Hall and I were instructed by our Sensei to take a course 
in Dowsing at the nearby Los Angeles City College. 
This was a full semester course on Saturdays, where we 
learned the theory and the practice of the ancient art of 
dowsing.

Our class was a large science classroom at the college, 
run by members of the Southern California Chapter of 
the American Society of Dowsers. We were amazed that 
such an organization even existed. There were perhaps 
15 students, and the teachers had placed prominent 
posters describing dowsing on the blackboard.

Dowsers trace their art back thousands of years, and it is 
also called divining, water-witching, Rhabdomancy, and 
scanning. It is a method primarily for locating underground 
water using a forked stick (typically a Y-shaped 
piece of willow), or a pendulum, or two pieces of metal 
called “L Rods,” because they are shaped like the letter L. 
And besides underground water, the class was told that 
you could also dowse for underground oil, lost coins or 
keys, underground pipes (water or electrical), or even lost people. Anything!

The leader of my class was L.H. “Gory” O’Loughlin, who constantly referred to the many charts 
and posters around the room when he was introducing the concept of dowsing. “The light of 
dowsing shines brightest when helping humanity,” O’Loughlin would repeat over and over. 

TOOLS OF THE TRADE

At our first class, we were introduced to the tools of the trade. First and foremost was the forked 
stick, which is usually cut from a fresh Y of willow, though dried ones apparently will work as well. 
The two prongs are held with the palms facing upward, to create a bit of pressure on the stick. 
When you walk over whatever you’re looking for, the user detects a downward pull from the stem 
of the Y. 

Next was the more popular L rods, which can be made of old clothes hangers, or copper rods purchased 
at the hardware store. Two L shaped pieces are needed, with the handle section being about 
four inches in length, and the horizontal part about a foot or so long. You hold an L rod loosely in 
each hand by the short section, with the long sections stretched out before you horizontally. When 
you pass over the subject of your search, the two long section move together and cross. It’s an 
amazing thing to experience.

This is just the basics. We learned that it’s much more complicated.

RALPH W. HARRIS

One of the guest teachers of the class was Ralph W. Harris, a Los Angeles real estate man who had 
been dowsing for over 55 years, preferring as his divining rod a long metal spring with a magnet 
at its end. Harris’ dowsing began at age 9, and he postulated that a good dowser should strive for 
100% accuracy. Harris enjoyed sharing one of his greatest dowsing achievements. As a private in 
the U.S. Army, the geologists for Gen. George Patton said they could not locate water in the North 
African desert. Harris managed to get the message to Patton that he could dowse for water, and 
Patton had an entire willow tree flown to the site the next day. Harris cut a small Y-shaped piece of 
willow, and walked into the desert, being followed by Patton’s skeptical geologist colonel. Where 
Harris said to drill, they located a vein of water 300 feet wide which yielded 2000 gallons a minute 
from 400 feet below the surface. This provided the troops with their needed water, and Patton 
called upon Harris when more water was needed by the advancing troops were short of water. 
Harris was a colorful figure who added a unique character and background to the class. 

CONTROL YOUR THINKING

So how does dowsing work, assuming you believe it is valid. This was discussed many times at the 
class at L.A. City College. For the believers, there is no one answer. There are many speculations, 
and one that seems to be popular is that humans possess a “homing instinct” akin to that which 
allows birds to fly great distances and get to a given location. Researchers who have tried to scientifically 
understand dowsing determined that some working of the pituitary gland is the seat of 
what causes the dowser to get results with his instruments. 

And when someone like Ralph Harris uses a magnet for dowsing, scientists point out that ordinary 
instruments used to detect underground water, such as the gauss meter, utilize magnets. (In 
1971, the U.S. Department of the Interior, under the Water Resources Act of 1964, authorized a 
research project by the Utah Water Research Laboratory, which was published as “The Detection 
of Magnetic Fields Caused by Groundwater and the correlation of such fields with water dowsing,” 
by Duane Chadwick and Larry Jensen.)

RESOURCES

Yes, there’s a lot more to dowsing, and fortunately, there are some really good resources out there 
for further study.

A good source of information, and a way to find other dowsers, is the American Society of Dowsers. 
Contact them at dowsers.org.

An excellent, thorough book on dowsing is “The Complete Book of Dowsing and Divining” by 
Peter Underwood, published in 1980.


Pet of the Week


Meet Link, a 4-year-old black German Shepherd 
with a loyal heart and soulful eyes. Found as a 
stray, Link is now at Pasadena Humane and 
settling into foster care, where he's making great 
progress in gaining confidence. He prefers to 
stay close to those he trusts - often lying right at 
their feet – and is adjusting to home life with his 
amazing foster family. Although he is not super 
food- or toy-motivated, he’ll never say no to a 
good game of fetch or a squeaky toy.

Link is looking for a calm, patient home with 
someone who can help feel secure and loved. 
He thrives on companionship and would do 
best with someone who’s around often to help 
him ease into a routine. If you’re ready to build 
a meaningful bond with a sensitive, sweet pup, 
come meet Link at Pasadena Humane. Your 
loyal sidekick is waiting!

The adoption fee for dogs is $150. All dog 
adoptions include spay or neuter, microchip, 
and age-appropriate vaccines. 

Walk-in adoptions are available every day from 
10:00 – 5:00. View photos of adoptable pets at 
pasadenahumane.org.

New adopters will receive a complimentary health-and-wellness exam from VCA 
Animal Hospitals, as well as a goody bag filled with information about how to care for 
your pet. 

 Pets may not be available for adoption and cannot be held for potential adopters by 
phone calls or email.


Mountain Views News 80 W Sierra Madre Blvd. No. 327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.609.3285 Email: editor@mtnviewsnews.com Website: www.mtnviewsnews.com