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News 2005-2006Holiday Celebration - December, 2006Rick and Nancee Moster Pontious traveled to Phoenix, AZ, to help Nancee's grandmother celebrate the holidays. They lucked out driving both directions -- no blizzard on the way there. And, because they delayed their return by visiting Las Vegas to ring in the new year with Norvel Patton, one of Rick's best men at their wedding, they avoided the blizzard on the way back. Rick and Nancee drove from Las Vegas to Phoenix via Hoover Dam. The highway was so packed with tourists, it took almost two hours to drive the last four miles to the actual dam site. It seemed as if every other car traveling the opposite direction had a Boise State flag. Too busy to stay on top of the college football schedule, Nancee guessed they might be headed to Phoenix for a bowl game. Little did she know... Nancee spent a great deal of time in Henderson, NV, during the mid 90s while consulting for Levi Strauss. She always stayed at the Flamingo Hotel so she could start and end each day visiting the penguins in the hotel's garden. Nancee was saddened to discover the penguins have a new home at the Dallas Zoo, but happy to report this oasis -- complete with both real and art deco flamingos -- is still beautiful and peaceful in this age of Vegas glitz, glitter, and gimmicks. Not wanting to play favorites, Rick and Nancee also visited Rick's other best man, Kip Hunter, and his family on their return trip through St. Louis. Place your cursor over each picture to view a short commentary. Click a picture to see a larger image.
Pontious Farm's Latest Canine Addition - December, 2006Say hello to Scruffy, a two-year-old Collie/Australian Shepherd mix Rick and Nancee Moster Pontious adopted from the Vermilion County Animal Shelter. He has the most amazing eyes -- one brown and one white!
Scruffy does just fine with Pontious Farm cats as long as they're stationary. If the cats are moving, get out of the way!
And it's apparent he was raised indoors. In fact, Rick and Nancee are hard-pressed to keep him off the bed.
Dusty -- an indoor/outdoor Pontious kitty you'll see in many pictures throughout this News page -- likes to cuddle up with Scruffy.
Sweet Dreams, Louise - November, 2006Rick and Nancee Moster Pontious miss you terribly. Buddy, please give her a big hug when you see her. P.S. Buddy, Dusty misses you too. Place your cursor over each picture to discover who's who.
Pontious Farm's Latest Canine Addition - September, 2006Meet Peanut Butter, a twelve-year-old cocker spaniel Rick and Nancee Moster Pontious adopted because they just couldn't resist that face!
Pontious Farm and Orchard Downs - September, 2006Rick and Nancee Moster Pontious were delighted to welcome to Pontious Farm the families from Orchard Downs/Goodwin and Green Family Graduate Housing at the University of Illinois. Thanks to Alyssa Nevin for arranging the outing to pick red raspberries, tomatoes, peppers, and herbs.
Pontious Farm's Newest Feline Additions - September, 2006This year (so far), Rick and Nancee Moster Pontious have adopted eleven abandoned cats and, much to Nancee's delight, two were pregnant! (Newborns are a rare occurrence at Pontious Farm ever since Rick and Nancee started working with the Prairieland Anti-Cruelty Society to spay and neuter all new acquisitions.) Say hello to:
Place your cursor over each picture to discover who's who.
Harley D on the Mend - August, 2006Rick and Nancee Moster Pontious were scared. Harley D, their six-year-old lab/shepherd mix, wouldn't eat, wouldn't drink, wouldn't move. Harley D's primary care veterinarians were stumped too, so they referred Harley D to the University of Illinois Veterinary Teaching Hospital in Urbana, Illinois. The hospital veterinary staff diagnosed the problem -- and confirmed their diagnosis -- within hours: Hypoadrenocorticism, also known as Addison's disease. Addison's disease, a rare disorder, is caused by insufficient production of critical hormones by the adrenal glands. The good news: Addison's disease is treatable. Harley D is now back home on the farm. She'll be on medication for the rest of what Rick and Nancee hope will be a long and happy life. Rick and Nancee extend their heartfelt thanks to Melissa Riensche, DVM, Jennifer Wiley, DVM, Nedra Barksdale, and May (whose last name we never knew), and everyone else who contributed to this happy ending. Interesting coincidence: Dr. Riensche also cared for Thelma and Louise at the Champaign County Humane Society before Pontious Farm adopted them.   
Buddy the Wonder Dog/Part 2 - July, 2006Good night, Buddy. Sweet dreams. You are missed.
Pontious Farm and Japanese Beetles/Part 3 - July, 2006Rick and Nancee Moster Pontious hope the old adage that any publicity is good publicity is true because Rick's name is now forever linked with Japanese beetles. Yet another story -- Area vegetation becomes buffet for Japanese beetles -- appeared in The News-Gazette on Wednesday, July 12th. Pontious Farm and Japanese Beetles/Part 2 - July, 2006On Wednesday, July 5, Jim Paul, an Associated Press reporter, interviewed Rick Pontious about the havoc Japanese beetles are wreaking at Pontious Farm. Jim's story -- Japanese beetle ravages fruit in Midwest -- went international Thursday evening. By Friday evening, the Pontious Farm web site hit rate soared to over 2500 and Rick's email inbox filled to capacity. Rick and Nancee Moster Pontious thank everyone for their kind words, good wishes, and suggestions. (They were especially intrigued by the chicken remedy.) Some good news: The Neem oil -- see Pontious Farm and Japanese Beetles/Part 1 -- a natural vegetable oil extracted from the Neem tree, appears to be working. The beetles aren't gone, but they seem to be on the run. More good news: Experts are in agreement that the probability of Japanese beetles killing Pontious Farm blueberry bushes, some of which are almost 40 years old, is slim to none. Pontious Farm and Japanese Beetles/Part 1 - July, 2006Rick and Nancee Moster Pontious are sad to report that Japanese Beetles destroyed 60% of their 2006 blueberry crop. Even more distressing, Rick and Nancee are concerned the extensive damage will ultimately kill the blueberry bushes, some of which are almost 40 years old. The Milky Spore -- a naturally occurring bacterium that specifically targets Japanese Beetle grubs -- they applied in the fall of 2005 will take two to three years to produce any substantial beneficial effect. For more information, see http://www.milkyspore.com/msporefaq.htm. So starting July 1st, Rick sprayed all berry crops with the following natural, plant-based insecticides:
According to the manufacturers' representatives, sampling crops in the field -- a long-standing Pontious Farm tradition -- is still fine, but Rick and Nancee suggest you wash your crops when you get home. Pontious Farm and Earth Partners - June, 2006Nancee Moster Pontious was delighted to welcome Robbie Cessna Berg of Earth Partners and her group of kindergarten through 12th-grade teachers from a 15-county area. Earth Partners is an agriculture literacy program that establishes a link between education and agriculture by coordinating and facilitating interdisciplinary resources for teachers and students.
Rick Pontious and Deep Throat? - June, 2006Google is truly an amazing search engine. Just for grins, Nancee Moster Pontious entered "Rick Pontious" and discovered a PDF entitled 'Deep Throat' project getting attention for Watergate's 30th. Google links to the June 6, 2002 edition of InsideIllinois, a publication for the faculty and staff of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Page two describes an April, 2002, journey to Ground Zero. Rick and Nancee were proud to participate in that volunteer effort led by Susan Warsaw. In the photograph below of the Illinois Disaster Relief Team, Rick is the one with the mustache and the cowboy hat. Nancee is beside him, and Susan (who actually took the photograph but later added her image) is beside Nancee.
Buddy the Wonder Dog/Part 1 - May, 2006Rick and Nancee Moster Pontious have signs prominently displayed throughout the picking shed that say: Pontious Farm dogs are elderly (5 of 6), deaf (3 of 6), arthritic (2 of 6), and diabetic (1 of 6). Rick and Nancee try hard to not play favorites, but, when pressed, admit that Buddy is special. Perhaps because Buddy:
Grandma's 95th birthday - April, 2006Rick and Nancee Moster Pontious traveled to Phoenix, AZ, to help Nancee's grandmother celebrate her 95th birthday on April 28, 2006. Click a picture to see a larger image.                   
Thelma and Louise and the Pontious Farm - December, 2005It was late November. The picture in The News-Gazette was priceless. Rick Pontious showed it to his wife, Nancee Moster Pontious. The accompanying paragraph: Thelma and Louise...two nine-year-old collie mixes...some medical problems...must be adopted together...contact the Champaign County Humane Society. At the time, Rick, Nancee, and the entire Pontious Farm menagerie were in mourning for Ginger, a 14-year-old, blind, deaf, terrier mix. "Yes," said Nancee. "That's not why I showed it to you," said Rick. Three weeks passed. "What do you want for your birthday?" Rick asked Nancee. "Thelma and Louise." Rick checked; Thelma and Louise were still there -- not a big surprise to Nancee, a former Board member of the Texas SPCA. Not many folks want two older dogs with medical problems. Rick, Nancee, and Doug, Rick's son, had to cart all four Pontious Farm dogs (Buddy, Squirt, Mike, and Harley D) to the Society first to make sure everyone got along -- a Society requirement. And the Monticello Animal Hospital was kind enough to check out Thelma and Louise for free. Bottom line: Nancee had the best birthday ever. Place your cursor over each picture to discover who's who.
Hurricane Katrina and the Pontious Farm - September, 2005Rick and Nancee Moster Pontious just returned from Pascagoula, Mississippi, where they participated in a disaster relief effort to help Hurricane Katrina survivors. The disaster relief caravan, sponsored by the United Methodist Church in Monticello, Illinois, received enough donations in a two-and-a-half day period to fill a dump truck, heavy-duty pickup truck, and two trailers. The donations came from people of many faiths throughout east central Illinois. "My husband and I had already donated to the American Red Cross and the Humane Society of the United States," said Nancee. "But when I graduated from screaming at the television to throwing things at it, I realized I needed to do something more constructive. So I ransacked our home for anything I could send to survivors -- with absolutely no idea how I'd actually get the stuff there. Then Rick walked into the kitchen on Labor Day and said, 'My brother, Bill, just donated his dump truck to deliver supplies to Pascagoula, Mississippi, and I'm driving. Do you want to go?'" Nancee kept a diary, complete with pictures, for two reasons:
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