Quote of the Day: “Many eyes go through the meadow, but few see the flowers in it.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
Photo: by scrappy annie, CC license, Flickr
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There is no better Christmas gift than being able to spend time with your loved ones – which is why JetBlue is surprising people with some very special deliveries.
The airline is holding an amusing holiday contest in which five people will win free round-trip plane tickets to a destination of their choice.
The winners can then be gift-wrapped and “delivered” in a variety of packaging styles.
The “Go Get Gifted” contest winners will be flown out to the homes of their friends or family on Christmas Eve. Interested participants have until December 12th to enter the contest with a description of why they believe they should be a contest winner.
The most creative or intriguing submissions will be selected as the winners and announced on December 15th.
(WATCH the amusing promo video below) – Photos by JetBlue
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The dedication of a 96-year-old citizen scientist has been an unparalleled lifesaver for his home state’s bluebird population.
Al Larson, also known as “The Bluebird Man”, first began his conservational labor of love after he read an issue of National Geographic that detailed how building bird houses could help to curb their declining populations. After seeing a bluebird going in and out of a dead tree on his property, Larson became inspired to start setting up little boxes that could serve as nests for bluebirds.
“I got carried away,” Larson told Audobon. “I settled on a simple design that [was] easy to build and easy to monitor. I kept adding more boxes on these trails, and these birds responded.”
What started as a hobby to pursue in his retirement turned into a full-time effort – and after almost four decades of devotion, he has banded and documented over 30,000 bluebirds, thanks primarily to the 350 birdhouses that he has built across southwest Idaho. He often travels over 5,000 miles to check on all of his boxes during the summer nesting season.
Since bluebirds reside in dead or nearly-dead trees, their population began to decline after the invention of the electric chainsaw in the early 1900s made it easier for homeowners to rid their properties of dead trees.
In addition to having their habitats destroyed, the implementation of pesticides spelled an uncertain future for the bluebirds of Idaho.
But the efforts of Larson have shown us that if we take a moment to understand the needs of a species, the solution will present itself in a practical and obtainable way.
MORE: Swiss Businessman is Contributing $1 Billion Towards Protecting 30% of the Planet
Now that he is nearing the age of 97, Larson shows no signs of slowing down. Additionally, his inspiring story has been turned into the Emmy award-nominated documentary “Bluebird Man.”
“Al is a living example of how much one person can achieve when they set their mind on a task. But he’s also an example of the benefits that a project like this can have for people,” filmmaker Matthew Podolsky told Audubon. “[Bluebirds] have given meaning to Al’s life, and they are truly the secret to his longevity.”
(WATCH the documentary below) – Feature photo by Matthew Podolsky
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Instead of ruining the fun for a couple of friends who were enjoying the new Nintendo video game, two police officers accepted their offer to join in.
Jovante Williams had been playing the newly-released “Super Smash Brothers Ultimate” game at his friend’s apartment in Minneapolis, Minnesota when they heard a knock at the door.
Local police officers had been called to the apartment based on a noise complaint from a neighbor. Since Williams says that the actual source of the noise was coming from somewhere else in the apartment complex’s hallway, however, the cops left.
The officers returned several more times to make sure that the noise wasn’t too loud, until finally, Williams’s friend told the squad they they were simply drinking beers and playing Smash.
WATCH: Watch the Heartwarming Moment a Man on the Subway Offers to Play Cell Phone Game With Curious Boy
When one of the officers asked “what is smash?”, Williams asked them if they wanted to play.
Two of the cops immediately accepted the offer and sat down for a few rounds. Amidst everyone sharing some good-natured banter, Williams says that he jokingly told one of the cops: “Just don’t fine me if I beat you.”
When asked who won the games, Williams replied: “We did. But they were pretty good [and] one of them was sick with Pikachu.”
MORE: Despite Local Racial Tension, Good Samaritan Leaps Into Action to Rescue Cop From Smoking Car
Williams posted a video of the exchange to Reddit where it was upvoted thousands of times, much to his delight.
“Ultimately (badum-tssh), [I’m] just super happy to post wholesome content and have it go a li’l viral for the world to watch,” he wrote in a comment.
(WATCH the footage below)
Serve Up This Fun Story To Your Friends By Sharing It To Social Media – Photo by Jovante M. Williams
It has been one year since the world’s largest lithium ion battery was switched on in South Australia to combat costly statewide power outages – and this new report shows that it has performed astonishingly well.
The 100-megawatt Hornsdale Power Reserve, which was designed by Tesla, has saved over $40 million AUD in annual maintenance costs to the electrical grid, also known as frequency controlled ancillary services (FCAS).
The report, which was conducted by consultancy firm Aurecon and commissioned by Neoen, the energy company that manages the massive battery, goes on to say that this is a 75% reduction in annual maintenance costs compared to 2016 and 2017.
The data is especially impressive since the battery itself only cost about $66 million.
RELATED: Tesla Restores Power to Puerto Rican Children’s Hospital– And That’s Not All
The battery was built in just 54 days after Tesla CEO Elon Musk made a bet with state legislators, saying that if he was unable to finish the battery in 100 days, he would give it to them for free.
In addition to being a cheaper replacement to the fossil-fuel dependent system that was previously used by the energy market operator, the battery creates zero carbon emissions. It is also capable of responding to outages in a matter of milliseconds, which could not be achieved by previous backups.
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A heartwarming photo that is being shared across social media proves that even Saint Nicholas is humbled in the presence of US veterans.
Gina Wilbur had been sitting on a bench at the Concord Mall in Wilmington, Delaware last week when Santa Claus was greeting kids at his workshop.
Though there were many kids who still wanted to sit on his lap, he briefly stepped away from his chair so he could walk over to 93-year-old Bob Smiley, a World War II veteran who was sitting nearby.
As Wilbur looked on in astonishment, Santa got down on one knee and earnestly thanked Smiley for his service.
“I hear Santa telling the gentleman, in a soft voice, of others he knew who served,” said Wilbur in a Facebook post. “He shakes his hand with genuine gratefulness thanking him for his service and returns to the children. Best moment of my day.”
Wilbur quickly snapped a photo of the heartwarming moment and posted it to social media where it was later shared thousands of times.
WTXF later managed to reunite Santa and Smiley and introduce them to Wilbur so they could discuss the emotional encounter in person.
LOOK: 86-year-old With Dementia Snuggles Up to Mall Santa – and Makes Everybody Cry
Smiley, who has 10 children, 26 grandchildren, and over 26 great-grandchildren, says that he is always appreciative of when people thank him for his service.
“I try to show my appreciation when they do thank me,” he told Fox News. “I thank them for thinking about us.”
(WATCH the news coverage below)
Be Sure And Share This Heartwarming Story With Your Friends On Social Media – Photo by Gina Wilbur
Quote of the Day: “Vision is the art of seeing the invisible.” – Jonathan Swift
Photo: by David Unger, CC license, Flickr (Van Gogh painting, cropped)
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These Japanese robots might seem like something out of a spooky sci-fi flick, but they’re actually offering a new kind of freedom to disabled caterers.
The Dawn Ver café in Tokyo is testing a pilot program that allows people who are unable to work in a restaurant setting to continue pursuing their passion for catering by controlling robots.
The OriHime-D robots were originally created to help patients around their homes – but the developers are also now using them to explore how they can generate income and offer social interaction to the disabled.
“If the people operating the robots feel the joy of serving customers and working in a café, I think it’s wrong to leave that to AI,” said Kentaro Yoshifuji, the CEO of Ory Lab Inc.
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The Dawn Ver café robots are controlled by 10 workers, all of whom experience a variety of physically-limiting conditions, such as ALS and spinal cord injuries. The workers are paid roughly $9 an hour to pilot the robots around the restaurant, talk to customers, take food orders, and serve meals.
Though the café will only be open for a short period of time to test the program, the robotics company responsible for the initiative hopes to raise enough money through a crowdfunding campaign to launch a permanent robot café for the disabled by 2020.
(WATCH the video below)
Power Up With Positivity By Sharing This Interesting Story With Your Friends On Social Media – Photo by CGTN
For the last 40 years, Ron Elliott has been using a special pick-up truck to transport the bodies of dead Vietnam veterans to their final resting places free of charge – so when his faithful automobile finally started to break down, the community stepped up to help.
Elliott, who is a Vietnam veteran himself, had been driving the same 2000 Ford F150 for about two decades. It was the second vehicle that he had used for his labor of love, and it had wracked up roughly 150,000 miles before it started to die.
The side of the truck was emblazoned with the names of Vietnam veterans from Delaware who lost their lives in combat.
Elliott has been using the specially-decorated trucks to transport the remains of his brothers in arms since the 1960s. Though he is based out of New Castle County, Delaware, he says that he has offered his free services to veterans and their families in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, Washington D.C., and even Kentucky.
He guesses that he has made roughly 500 trips to cemeteries up and down the east coast.
“From losing so many brothers over there, I said ‘I’ve got to do something where they won’t be forgotten,’” Elliott told WDEL. “It’s not hard to me. I’m glad to do it for them.”
So when his truck started to show signs of wear and tear in August, he was worried that he would have to stop offering up his services.
Instead, community firefighters and veterans raised money to buy Elliott a lightly-used 2013 Ford truck that will soon be outfitted with modifications for carrying the veterans’ caskets and repainted to feature the names of the deceased veterans.
The truck was presented to Elliott earlier this week with the help of Mitchel Gauge, a retired Air Force veteran who led the fundraising effort.
“It’s all about Ron and what he does for veterans,” Gauge told WDEL. “Transporting deceased veterans at no cost to the cemeteries [or the veteran’s families] including Arlington Cemetery, and he’s been doing that for years. We just wanted him to keep that mission going.”
(WATCH the news coverage below)
Be Sure And Share This Heartwarming Story Of Kindness With Your Friends On Social Media – Photo by Ron’s Brigade GoFundMe
With the ever-declining demand for coal around the world, there are over 150,000 coal mine shafts that are abandoned in the UK alone – but they might soon be given new life in the form of ultra-efficient indoor farms.
Though it might seem counterintuitive, coal mines are actually an “almost perfect” environment for farming. These underground tunnels naturally maintain consistent temperatures, and they are unaffected by weather changes, seasons, or the unexpected symptoms of climate change.
Furthermore, vertical indoor farms use up to 95% less water than regular land farming and no pesticides.
In a former air-raid tunnel in London, scientists Richard Ballard and Steven Dring are testing their plans for future underground farms, and they are already seeing immense potential in their work. The repurposed World War Two bunker is currently providing healthy vegetables to supermarkets of the Clapham Common neighborhood, all while avoiding the dynamic – and sometimes harmful – weather conditions that most farms encounter on the surface.
LOOK: Engineer Creates Green Oasis by Growing Glaciers in the Desert
Thanks to the success of their undertaking, the concept is being expanded to other abandoned coal mines in the UK. The proposal has already garnered support from scientists and economists alike, as they foresee this venture as a means not only to provide a sustainable harvest, but as a measure that would create jobs in areas that have lacked economic stability since the closure of the mines.
“A lot of hill farmers in Wales are living hand to mouth so anything that helps diversity and brings a new form of income would be very welcome,” Land Trust Chief Executive Euan Hall told BBC.
MORE: World’s Largest Vertical Farm Near NYC Uses 95% Less Water and No Pesticides
Research regarding the new farming technique shows that, given the proper allocation of resources and farm design, coal mine farms can successfully generate up to ten times more food than surface level farms. This means that less land would need to be allocated to farmland, which would in turn drastically reduce greenhouse emissions and deforestation, as agriculturalists could use carbon-capture technology to trap and utilize the crop’s natural CO2 emissions.
The technique could also result in the revitalization of many species that are endangered by farming practices.
The proposal has garnered support from the Chinese government as well as UK locals and officials; and though there are still many hurdles that need to be cleared before the plans for these mines can be fully realized, the initiative could become a landmark stepping stone to a more sustainable global future.
THROWBACK THURSDAY! Remembering a very special visit down on the farm earlier this year from @MONKEY_47 Looking forward to celebrating something very special with these guys soon. Stay tuned! ???#minesagin #undergroundfarm pic.twitter.com/ycAevlNaP8
— Growing Underground (@GrownUnder) September 27, 2018
Plant Some Positivity Amongst Your Friends By Sharing The Good News To Social Media – Photo by GrownUnder Twitter
Kelsey Rae Zwick could not contain her emotions when a compassionate stranger in first class insisted on switching seats with her – and though she did not get to thank him properly on the plane, she finally got her chance on social media after her Facebook post went viral.
Zwick had been flying from Orlando to Philadelphia with her 11-month-old daughter Lucy earlier this week. Since the baby suffers from chronic lung disease, the two of them were heading to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) for treatment.
“I was pushing a stroller, had a diaper bag on my arm and also lugging an oxygen machine for my daughter,” wrote Zwick in an open Facebook letter to the passenger. “We had smiles on our faces as we were headed to see her ‘friends’ at CHOP.”
As they settled into their pre-boarded seats, however, Zwick was stunned to be approached by a flight attendant who said that a man in first class wanted to switch seats with her.
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“Not able to hold back tears, I cried my way up the aisle while my daughter Lucy laughed!” wrote Zwick. “She felt it in her bones too… real, pure, goodness. I smiled and thanked you as we switched but didn’t get to thank you properly.
“Sooo… thank you. Not just for the seat itself but for noticing. For seeing us and realizing that maybe things are not always easy. For deciding you wanted to show a random act of kindness to US. It reminded me how much good there is in this world.
“I can’t wait to tell Lucy someday. In the meantime… we will pay it forward.”
Zwick’s Facebook letter was shared hundreds of thousands of times until American Airlines finally tracked down the mystery flier: 46-year-old Jason Kunselman.
Kunselman, who is an Executive Platinum frequent flier, says that he himself was brought to tears when he saw Zwick and Lucy boarding the plane with all of their medical equipment in tow.
“I expected to see her in the front since she had the oxygen machine with her but when I boarded she was in the back,” Kunselman told The Daily Mail. “So I asked the flight attendant if she thought the young lady with the baby would be more comfortable in my seat.”
Kunselman says that he did not think much of the good deed until his wife saw Zwick’s Facebook post days later. American Airlines has since connected the two passengers on social media so they could express their appreciation for each other, and the airline says that they soon plan on formally thanking Kunselman for his generosity.
Be Sure And Share This Sweet Story Of Kindness With Your Friends on Social Media – Feature photo by Kelsey Rae Zwick / Jason Kunselman
One year after California’s worst wildfire tore through Santa Barbara county, stripping bare the hills which quickly collapsed in mudslides and deadly flooding, the community celebrated its resilience by renewing a longtime Christmas tradition.
In 2017, the 31st annual Parade of Lights was canceled due to toxic air quality and evacuations during the Thomas Fire, so this year residents flocked to the seaside to watch boats lit with Christmas lights parade down the beaches, as if rising from the ashes.
The annual boat parade featured 30 vessels motoring and sailing in festive colors—and even a lone guy who decorated himself and his paddle board to regale the visitors along the Santa Barbara Coastline.
A five minute fireworks display topped off the night with a bang.
The region, which has suffered from a multi-year drought, was also recently blessed with a two-day rain event that broke one county record and dumped more than four inches of precipitation on some county mountains.
With the fresh memory of last year’s fire evacuations that left many searching for shelter, and businesses starved for customers during the normally busy holiday season, Santa Barbarians have regained their gratitude amidst their beautiful enclave aptly known as “The American Riviera”.
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Quote of the Day: “Do what you fear, and the death of fear is certain.” – Anthony Robbins
Photo: by Brainbitch, CC license, Flickr
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A new way to provide cooling without power
Device developed at MIT could provide refrigeration for off-grid locations.
Written by David L. Chandler
MIT News
MIT researchers have devised a new way of providing cooling on a hot sunny day, using inexpensive materials and requiring no fossil fuel-generated power.
The passive system, which is primarily being hailed as a way to preserve food and medications in hot off-grid locations, is essentially a high-tech version of a parasol.
The system allows emission of heat at mid-infrared range of light that can pass straight out through the atmosphere and radiate into the cold of outer space, punching right through the gases that act like a greenhouse. To prevent heating in the direct sunlight, a small strip of metal suspended above the device blocks the sun’s direct rays.
The new system is described this week in the journal Nature Communications. In theory, the system they designed could provide cooling of as much as 20º Celsius (68º Fahrenheit) below the ambient temperature in a location like Boston, the researchers say. So far, in their initial proof-of-concept testing, they have achieved a cooling of 6º C (about 42º F). For applications that require even more cooling, the remainder could be achieved through conventional refrigeration systems or thermoelectric cooling.
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Other groups have attempted to design passive cooling systems that radiate heat in the form of mid-infrared wavelengths of light, but these systems have been based on complex engineered photonic devices that can be expensive to make and not readily available for widespread use, the researchers say. The devices are complex because they are designed to reflect all wavelengths of sunlight almost perfectly, and only to emit radiation in the mid-infrared range, for the most part. That combination of selective reflectivity and emissivity requires a multilayer material where the thicknesses of the layers are controlled to nanometer precision.
But it turns out that similar selectivity can be achieved by simply blocking the direct sunlight with a narrow strip placed at just the right angle to cover the sun’s path across the sky, requiring no active tracking by the device. Then, a simple device built from a combination of inexpensive plastic film, polished aluminum, white paint, and insulation can allow for the necessary emission of heat through mid-infrared radiation, which is how most natural objects cool off, while preventing the device from being heated by the direct sunlight. In fact, simple radiative cooling systems have been used since ancient times to achieve nighttime cooling; the problem was that such systems didn’t work in the daytime because the heating effect of the sunlight was at least 10 times stronger than the maximum achievable cooling effect.
But the sun’s heating rays travel in straight lines and are easily blocked — as we experience, for example, by stepping into the shadow of a tree on a hot day. By shading the device with the figurative umbrella, and supplementing that with insulation around the device to protect it from the ambient air temperature, the researchers made passive cooling more viable.
“It’s kind of deceptively simple,” says department head and study collaborator Evelyn Wang. “By having a separate shade and an emitter to the atmosphere — two separate components that can be relatively low-cost — the system doesn’t require a special ability to emit and absorb selectively. We’re using angular selectivity to allow blocking the direct sun, as we continue to emit the heat-carrying wavelengths to the sky.”
This project “inspired us to rethink about the usage of ‘shade,’” says Yichen Shen, a research affiliate and co-author of the paper. “In the past, people have only been thinking about using it to reduce heating. But now, we know if the shade is used smartly together with some supportive light filtering, it can actually be used to cool the object down.”
While most research on radiative cooling has focused on larger systems that might be applied to cooling entire rooms or buildings, this approach is more localized. Wang says: “This would be useful for refrigeration applications, such as food storage or vaccines.” Indeed, protecting vaccines and other medicines from spoilage in hot, tropical conditions has been a major ongoing challenge that this technology could be well-positioned to address.
Even if the system wasn’t sufficient to bring down the temperature all the way to needed levels, “it could at least reduce the loads” on the electrical refrigeration systems, to provide just the final bit of cooling, Wang says.
The system might also be useful for some kinds of concentrated photovoltaic systems, where mirrors are used to focus sunlight on a solar cell to increase its efficiency. But such systems can easily overheat and generally require active thermal management with fluids and pumps. Instead, the backside of such concentrating systems could be fitted with the mid-infrared emissive surfaces used in the passive cooling system, and could control the heating without any active intervention.
The team has applied for patents on the invention and hope that it can begin to find real-world applications quite rapidly.
Reprinted with permission from MIT News
Be Sure And Share This Cool Piece Of Research With Your Friends On Social Media – Photo by Bikram Bhatia
While some towns rally around high school athletic teams, this community has found common ground in their care and appreciation for a homeless man named Steve Arnold.
Enamored by his kind ways, the people of Blue Springs, Missouri have been regularly offering gifts and services to Arnold. Although the 66-year-old veteran never asks for anything, out of principle and personal conviction, he has accepted their kindness and appreciates their willingness to help. Most recently, the local residents gifted Arnold a new sleeping bed, a cot, a new tent, socks, and food. Some made kind offers to do his laundry and give him car rides or a place to shower.
The origin of the community’s fascination with Steve is somewhat of a mystery, even to the residents themselves. But the town’s Facebook page, Blue Springs Community Awareness, primarily became a place to talk about Arnold, what he is up to, and how he is faring.
Sella Minker, a manager of the Woods Chapel QuikTrip where Steve is often seen, told the Kansas Morning Star: “The Facebook page for Blue Springs has been blowing up about him for months.”
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Minker first became familiar with Arnold because he would regularly pick up cigarette butts and trash in front of her store. When asked why Steve became so popular she said: “You know I don’t know; he’s very down to Earth. He’s very quiet, very polite. He doesn’t ask people for money. Just very humble. Very thankful all the time. Gives people hugs. He’s such a sweet guy.”
“That’s just it. He doesn’t ask for anything,” resident Laura Booker told the Star. “Me and some friends gave him $100. He started crying. He didn’t know where his next meal was coming from.”
Steve had been living with his daughter prior to becoming homeless, but due to financial difficulties, had to resort to living in a makeshift tent near the highway. Fortunately, his daughter is currently working on getting a place of her own so he can move back in with her.
MORE: Customers Keep Buying Up All of Donut Shop’s Pastries So He Can Go Home Early to Be With Ailing Wife
Afflicted with mental illness, Steve finds difficulty holding a job and survives with his social security benefits, which don’t offer enough to provide him with rent, and all that goes with that.
Thanks to the local support, however, his quality of living has increased dramatically.
(WATCH the interview below) – Photo by WDAF
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Danny Hayden has just proven to his son that he might be the closest thing to a real-life Santa Claus.
In this sweet Yuletide video, dad can be seen holding his son, Bo, while he performs a Christmas magic trick—and while it isn’t necessarily rising up the chimney with a nod of his head, the child’s delight is contagious.
(WATCH the cute clip below)
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Quote of the Day: “Christmas isn’t a season. It’s a feeling.” – Edna Ferber
Photo: by Mike Hipp, CC license, Flickr
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In Brazil, it is very common for slum residents or homeless people to collect recyclables on the streets to sell and make a living—but it’s not so common to see them sit down in a restaurant where the average meal costs $100.
But that’s exactly what happened when a man walked into Benvindo, a high-end restaurant in Belo Horizonte, the capital of Minas Gerais State.
According to the staff, a customer who appeared to be homeless approached the waiters at the front door and asked for a meal.
The 21-year-old waiter, Felipe Rodrigues Fontes, said that this request was particularly strange because the man also insisted that he wanted to pay for the meal with the money he had made by working decently: a single $50 bill.
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Fontes thought this was peculiar, but he proceeded to serve the man as he does every other guest.
The man chose an executive lunch, which includes an appetizer, main dish, and dessert. According to Fontes, the bill came to a final tally of $121.80 – but when the man asked for the bill, the owners of the restaurant asked the waiter to waive the charge.
Instead of accepting the free meal, however, the man politely refused and insisted on paying for the meal with the money he had earned from collecting the cans.
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“He truly wanted to pay for it,” Fontes told Correio Braziliense.
When it became apparent that the man was not budging in his position, the waiter agreed to charge him $10 – although, he says that he “had to lie, saying it was an ongoing promotion, because the man had $50 and was refusing to get the $40 change.”
A customer having lunch with her friends took a picture of the man and the waiter and posted it to a private Instagram, saying: “We just watched a great example of compassion and synergy. The ease of this guy made me think about the many paths we choose in life trying to be happy … and many times, it’s in the simplest and most truthful and unexpected way that is is closer and more accessible than we realize.”
The photo was later reposted to a Facebook group about restaurants in Belo Horizonte where it garnered over 2,400 shares and dozens of comments praising Fontes and the customer.
Currently, nobody knows any further details about the homeless man—or whether he is even homeless; but Fontes said that he simply wanted to perform an act of kindness for an honest hard-working man.
Be Sure And Share This Inspiring Story Of Kindness With Your Friends On Social Media – Photos by Rafael Salazar
Luxembourg will soon become the first country in the world to offer free public transportation to everyone.
The European nation suffers from some of the worst traffic congestion in the world—and scores the highest cars-per-capita rate in the European Union.
Though its population is small, some 560,000 residents, the number of international commuters from France and Belgium has nearly doubled what it was two decades ago.
According to the New York Times, the 180,000 commuters are attracted to Luxembourg by jobs that offer substantially higher annual salaries than those in neighboring nations.
Previously, trams, buses, and trains have offered free fare to children, students, and senior citizens, but starting in 2020, public transit will be free for all.
Prime Minister Xavier Bettel, who was just sworn in for his second term earlier this week, hopes that the initiative will benefit the environment by cutting down on greenhouse gas emissions while simultaneously freeing drivers from such infuriating traffic jams.
Be Sure And Drive This Story To Your Friends On Social Media – File Photo by Ex 13, CC
Never was there a story of true love like Jack and Diane: an emu and donkey that have been given a loving new home courtesy of a television star who couldn’t bear to see them separated.
Animal rescue organization Carolina Waterfowl Rescue first found Jack and Diane on an abandoned farm in South Carolina.
Though the owner of the farm had skipped town and left the animals to fend for themselves, Jack and Diane found comfort in each other, resulting in an unshakeable bond of friendship.
The Waterfowl Rescue, which is based out of North Carolina, took the emu and donkey back to their sanctuary and posted photos of the dynamic duo to social media in hopes that they could find a home for both of them, saying that “where one goes, the other follows.”
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Though Jack and Diane received plenty of social media traction, they happened to catch the eye of Jeffrey Dean Morgan, an actor on the critically-acclaimed TV show The Walking Dead.
Morgan and his wife, actress Hilarie Burton, own a farm in Hudson Valley, New York that is already home to a “menagerie” of donkeys, cows, and other unusual critters.
— Jeffrey Dean Morgan (@JDMorgan) November 3, 2018
So when the couple read about the plight of Jack and Diane in November, they were more than happy to welcome the star-crossed animals.
Earlier this week, Morgan made a Twitter post saying that Jack and Diane had successfully been transported to their new home where they are settling in nicely and enjoying nighttime treats of apples and berries.
Hey there... read the story... if you are looking for a forever home for jack and diane? Happy to take them, and keep them together at our farm. They would be a welcome addition to our menagerie of happy creatures. Xojd
— Jeffrey Dean Morgan (@JDMorgan) November 11, 2018
Morgan has promised to post pictures of Jack and Diane once they have grown more comfortable at the farm, but as further testament to the love between his new animal companions, Morgan wrote a final anecdote about their journey to the farm.
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“When they got here today… in a 3 or 4 stall trailer… Diane had crawled underneath the door separating them and rode for god knows how many hours, laying beneath/between Jacks legs,” said Morgan. “Made me smile big. Love is an amazing thing.”
(WATCH the footage of Jack and Diane’s new home below) – Feature photo by Carolina Waterfowl Rescue
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