Good Words, Good Deeds, Good News

Dolphin Stampede

Tourists off the coast of Dana Point in Southern California were amazed to see close to 5,000 dolphins swimming beside the boat they were on, and jumping and diving in and out of the water. Californians call it a Dolphin Stampede. Social media users were quick to post about it. One tour company said Dana Point has been known as the dolphin and whale watching capital of the world since 2019. Observers saw a group of about 400 dolphins on one stampede in 2022.

From the article, According to the Visit Laguna Beach website, dolphins are friendly, social creatures that travel in pods and frequently get close to boats.

“Perhaps one of the most breathtaking scenes to experience on the water is a dolphin stampede,” the website says. “This occurs when hundreds, even thousands of dolphins suddenly begin leaping in and out of the water at an astonishing speed in one direction, as if they are sprinting towards or away from something.”

The site says that why dolphins stampede is still a mystery, adding, “The leaping behavior is referred to as ‘porpoising’ and it allows the dolphins to travel at their fastest speed, as there is less resistance through air than through water.”

Neighbors Help After House Fire

A Michigan family had the tragedy of a house fire on Christmas Day. The family of six woke up to the fire, but all managed to get out of the house, which was a total loss. The two dogs made it out as well, fortunately.

Volunteers with the local Victims Services Unit came in to help the family. The fire chief thanked them for coming in on Christmas to help the family. The children’s grandmother set up a GoFundMe for the family. By December 28th, it had already raised over $19,000.

“We are beyond grateful for the outpouring of love and support from family, friends, and the community during this devastating time,” she wrote on the fundraising page.

“We know that the road ahead will be long, but with your help, Kayla, Jeremy, and their children will be able to take the first steps toward healing and rebuilding their lives,” she added.

Man Finds Childhood Christmas Present

Tim was remodeling his childhood home and removed a medicine cabinet from the bathroom, intending to put new sheetrock up. He glanced into the hole to make sure there was nothing there, and found a box, wrapped in gift paper. When he got the box out, he noticed that his name was written on the wrapping paper.

His mother doesn’t remember buying the gift, but he believes it was bought in about 1978. He said his parents used to hide the Christmas presents in the attic, and he thinks the present fell down inside the wall from the attic.

Man Reunited With Lost Dog

Casey lost his house in the LA fires, and thought he had lost his dog, too. He lived in the Palisades area, one of many that were evacuated, and his dog ran away when they were all evacuating the area. He had been searching for the dog, Oreo, for several days after they were allowed back in, and thought he had died in the fire. Oreo had been sleeping under some of the rubble in the neighborhood, and crawled out from under it to run to Casey.

“You’re alive! You’re alive!” Colvin shouted as he cuddled the dog. He then ran into the street and began dancing while carrying the dog on his shoulder.

Lost Dog Found With Drone

Kate’s dog Charlie went missing on December 30th and Kate was very worried. She thought Charlie, a two-year-old Bernese mountain dog, had been chasing another animal when he disappeared.

She and her family made flyers to help spread the word and get people searching, but he wasn’t found. Then they called companies named Dog Gone Pet Recovery and SmithicAir. SmithicAir used a drone that had thermal technology, and found Charlie in a ditch not far from the house. He had been hit by a car and broken a leg, so he was sitting there quietly. They took him to surgery to fix his femur, and he’s recovering.

Kate recalled, “The moment he was walking to us, we both just started ugly crying and had our arms out. It was just the best feeling ever.”

She also thanked the helpers who used technology in the search that had a happy ending. “They came out in the bitter cold for hours to help find him (with no leads at all even where to look) it’s truly a miracle,” she said.