The Gobi Oasis
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| Byamba Tseyen |
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| Almond blossom |
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| Saxual Haloxylon ammodendron |
Hearing Dogs for Deaf People
This is Onyx - gorgeous isn’t she? Anyone who loves dogs will know what a positive impact a canine friend can have on their lives. Imagine then how much more special one would be if you were deaf or hard of hearing and you relied on that friend to alert you to key sounds in your life and helped bring you out of the darkness which so often comes with hearing loss.
Onyx loved kids, raising money or just chilling with her mates
Hearing Dogs for Deaf People is a National Charity & centre of excellence in training dogs to alert deaf people to important sounds & danger signals in the house, work place & public buildings.
Onyx came into our lives, as volunteer socialisers, at the age of 9 weeks and spent most of her first year with us. Our job was to introduce her to all and everything and to do some basic training with her (there is a commitment to take the puppy to classes every fortnight). The role can be tiring at times but it is also great fun, a good way of socialising and learning new things - and incredibly rewarding. It’s also a great way of having a dog around if you are unable to take on the long term commitment of your own dog. Yes there is the heartbreak when pup goes off to college and then hopefully later their recipient - but focussing on the bigger picture sees you through and there is always the option of getting another puppy to start again with!
After living with us Onyx spent 4 months at college and then went home with her recipient in January this year. She has apparently settled in and is doing very well.
Although funds are always needed the charity cannot continue its work without volunteer socialisers so if you live in the Cambridge area (within approx 15 miles N & W), Bucks, Berks, Herts, Devon, Hampshire, Oxon or Yorkshire please consider becoming a socialiser - for more details see People www.hearingdogs.org.uk/get-involved/Volunteering (Nationwide section).
Or if you don’t feel able to do so please consider helping Hearing Dogs for Deaf people in some other way - you can donate through our Just Giving page at Hearing Dogs for Deaf by clicking on this link www.justgiving.com/carolandmikegoeast (where you can see Onyx in her uniform) or check out their website www.hearingdogs.org.uk/get-involved for other ways of helping. Our intial target of £500 will provide a puppy socialising kit for a new recruit, including toys, food, bedding & grooming equipment. Every contribution is valued so please give what you can.
Coeliac UKAt least 1 in 100 people may currently living with coeliac disease, many without knowing it yet. Coeliac disease (pronounced see-liac) is not an allergy or simple food intolerance. In fact it's an autoimmune disease, where the body's immune system attacks its own tissues. In people with coeliac disease this immune reaction is triggered by gluten, a collective name for a type of protein found in the cereals wheat, rye and barley. A few people are also sensitive to oats.
Any person with coeliac disease will know how long it can take to be diagnosed with the condition and what a painful process it is then having to eliminate all those favourite foods from your diet. It is a genetic disorder & can be diagnosed at any time My mother, brother and myself all have the condition - my mother was not diagnosed until she was in her late 60's and my brother & myself in our 40's. A family affair - as it often is - at least when we visit each other we are well catered for! Thankfully the risks associated with coeliac disease, which include osteoporosis & cancer, are minimised by maintaining a gluten free diet although even on the diet coeliacs are particularly prone to other conditions such as impaired Thyroid function and Diabetes.
In my case the "family tummy" I grew up with only became a real problem after a bout of Delhi belly which never went away. I was told by my doctor at the time that this would sort itself out eventually and it was only when I took it upon myself to do an elimination diet that I was then told I was probably a coeliac and just not to eat gluten. Hopefully not the advice that would be given now as a positive diagnosis cannot be obtained once gluten has been omitted for some time. By this time not only did I have chronic diarrohea, pain & bloating, I was getting very tired and run down through lack of absorbed nourishment and, one of the worst things for me, constant mouth ulcers. Leaving out the gluten was amazing - although for many the effects are not quite so dramatic and it symptoms may persist for a long time. I managed to put on a stone in weight and keep it on - not something most people would relish but I was far too skinny for some years - the stomach problems dramatically reduced and I started to feel notably better. It was only when my mother and brother were diagnosed that I finally went to my doctor again and asked for an official diagnosis myself. Since then life has been much easier as I feel more confident about asking for gluten free food and other people take me more seriously.
Once diagnosed - although often a relief to know what is wrong with you - it can be a bewildering time wondering what on earth you are going to eat and where to get it from. Coeliac UK provides a wealth of information and support at all stages as well as funding research and campaigning for things such as better access to gluten free food and labelling. Things have come a long way since my first attempts to eat gluten free food - there were no Free From sections in any of the supermarkets & finding something to eat when out was virtually impossible.
As many coeliacs I also have various other food intolerances, some of which result from my also having a liver disorder called Gilbert’s Syndrome - which makes this trip quite a challenge for me. Please, if you possibly can, make a contribution to Coeliac UK through www.justgiving.com/mikeandcarolgoeast. Our target of £500 will help Coeliac UK develop medical research into all aspects of coeliac disease and maintain their support to those of us diagnosed with the condition.
For more information on coeliac disease and the work of Coeliac UK see their website Coeliac UK www.coeliac.org.uk
The Ornithological Society of the Middle East, the Caucasus and Central Asia
by Mike
OSME is a registered UK charity, it was set up in the late 1970s to encourage the study of birds in the Middle East region. In recent years the society’s area of interest has been extended to include southern Russia and the ‘stans’. This extended region has, in common with the Middle East, a generally arid environment and landscape and a community of birds which includes many which are mainly restricted to this arid region and found through most of it.
The society publishes a twice annual journal, Sandgrouse, which presents scientific papers on birds, their habitats and conservation, in the region. It also sponsors research and projects by members and other individuals in these subjects. In addition OSME maintains a web site on a wide range of subjects and sponsors the MEBirdnet, a discussion and information group on related subjects. The society also holds a meeting one day a year which includes numerous talks and presentations for members and guests. Membership is open to all. For more details see http://www.osme.org/ .
You can support the society by taking out a subscription or sending a donation, to; OSME c/o The Lodge, Sandy, Bedfordshire, SG19 2DL, UK.
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