Depression

I try not  to delve into dark things here because well they are dark and the world is depressing enough.  Yesterday there was a posting on Facebook from Crochet Crowd about a crochet designer who took her own life.  I never heard of her but still it is sad that one felt they could no longer live with the demons in their head.  My mom's neighbors daughter-in-law took her life over the weekend for the same reason.  Our beloved weatherman Don Harman took his life a couple years ago for the same reason. 

The article is here to peruse if you wish:  http://www.crochetconcupiscence.com/2015/06/mandalasformarinke-crochet-project-in-memory-of-wink-from-a-creative-being/

 They are asking for each of use to make a mandala and send it in.  Read the article to see what will happen after they receive all the manadalas.  I have decided to participate and use this pattern:   http://www.acreativebeing.com/2013/04/24/i-love-holland/

Dead Camera

The Decorah area got hit with some severe lightning a few days ago.  Ever since the camera for the nests have been down, and as much as Bob Anderson and crew tried to fix it, it is no more for now.  Since the eagles are still using the nests they can not get up in the nest to fix things, so for now we have to rely on reports from those on the ground with facebook posts.  Meanwhile we can all get back to cleaning house, etc until the fall.

From RRP:

Bob did his absolute best, but the camera system is damaged beyond our ability to repair it. We will be installing new equipment this fall, so look for us to return sometime in October or November. In the meantime, we will post updates and information here, and chat will be open at 8-9 AM, 1-2 PM and 7-8 PM CDT

SQUEEEEEE ALERT!

http://www.littlecottonrabbits.typepad.co.uk/

This morning Little Cotton Rabbits introduced her latest knitted toy, a boy and girl cat.  I have made her bunnies and posted them here a few months ago.  I have the fox pattern and have started on the dress for Mrs Fox but she will be put aside while I start on the cats.  Her patterns are cheap compared to others and the detail:  well 20 pages of step by step directions with pictures, they almost knit themselves.  She has elephants, monkeys, hedgehogs, and mice as well.  My goal is to someday make them all and have a menagerie with interchangeable clothes.  There is also a pattern for 12 sweaters and 12 dresses.  Go get yourself a pattern and have fun while your animal comes to life.  The first bunny took about 40 hours but the 2nd one took about 14.  Once you get the hang of her patterns you can just walk through them and voila you have a new toy.

Off to find yarn for my kitties, see you soon with a finished pair of kitties. I am doing my girl in black and white as my girls are black and white and my boy in gray as my tom was gray. 

D20 Decorah

Decorah’s First Year

A perspective from SOAR Executive Director, Kay Neumann
 
As I look back at a patient’s history, I’m always amazed at all the people that are willing to give of their time and talents to help wildlife. Our Decorah is no exception. On the anniversary of his rescue, I’ve been thinking about his path so far and planning for the future.

...

Wrapped after 28 June 2014 surgery on right wing.Raptor Resource Project and thousands of eagle watchers were involved as our eaglet grew and fledged. RRP’s vigilance after fledging allowed this eagle to be found and rescued after some sort of major trauma caused a broken bone and cuts and scrapes. A volunteer transporter got him to SOAR, where we temporarily stabilized Decorah’s wing and treated his wounds. A trip to Dr. Dirks at Dickinson County Small Animal Clinic was needed. X-rays showed an obliquely fractured humerus, with the break very close to the shoulder joint and the bone pieces completely unaligned. Dr. Dirks did surgery to align the bone and inserted a pin to stabilize the fracture site.

With his wing wrapped up, Decorah needed food, fluids, antibiotics, and quiet rest in intensive care. After weeks of healing we took another trip to Dr. Dirks for assessment. An x-ray showed sufficient healing to remove the pin. A little more ICU time was needed, then into a medium sized flight pen to start slowly to exercise. The hope was for some nice flapping work and then into SOAR’s 100 foot long eagle flight area to build stamina, but it was not to be.
Decorah’s shoulder joint was not working. We tried physical therapy and more time. Another trip to Dr. Dirks and an x-ray showed that the fracture healing had caused a calcified lump to form impeding the shoulder joint. Decorah would not fly again.


First session of fist training for Decorah.All along this journey so many well-wishers followed Decorah’s progress. The many donations helped not only Decorah’s rehabilitation, but to house, feed, and care for all of SOAR’s wild patients. As with almost all of our patients, Decorah has inspired people to move beyond being concerned about one bird and to work to make things better for all of our precious wildlife. Some people took time to learn more about eagle habitat and natural history. Others started action projects to prevent eagle mortality from lead poisoning or electrocution. Hopefully everyone involved now knows how essential clean water and open spaces are for wildlife.

Decorah is in training and will be one of SOAR’s education ambassadors. Even though he will not fly free, he will continue to inspire people to care about and take action for wildlife and wild places.

This is My SunFlower, Get Your Own

We had quite a storm pass through and now the gold finches are out feasting on the sunflowers.  One of the sparrows decided he was a finch and got quite a scolding from Mr Gold Finch.

Loopy Academy Prizes

I competed my Fall and Spring Semester of Loopy Academy and my extra credit for the Spring Semester so here are my prizes.  I was more excited about the pencils cos you know I Love my pencils but the bag is cool and will definitely be used for my Loopy Academy projects.

Happy Father's Day

My dad will be here soon for lunch and gifts.  If your dad is still with you make sure you at least call him. 

Meanwhile one of my fav dads.

American Eagle Day

It is American Eagle Day.  Celebrate the beauty of these amazing raptors.  http://www.eagles.org/programs/American-Eagle-Day-2015.php

Y Branch

The camera operators have panned to N1 for the Decorah eagles and found D21 and D22 hanging out.

 

 

D 23 a day before fledging and his talons.

Bittersweet End

D21 and D22 were seen in the old nest yesterday which is good news because we had not heard about any D22 sightings after her strange branching before fledging.  This morning at 5:41am D23 joined his siblings and soared out of the nest.  Godspeed to you three and may you soar high with the thermals.  If you have watched mom lay the eggs through hatching, the dandelion heads to getting feathers to growing to adult size and now fledging.  It is a happy and sad day all in one.  But don't worry next season will be here before we know it.

Godspeed D21, D22, and D23.

And Then There Was One

D22 hopped up on a branch late on Tuesday evening around 9pm.  She then seemed to disappear, but this is from RRP:

Raptor Resource Project

After several on the ground reports, we've decided to declare a fledge for D22. It would have been nice if the fledge was as magnificent - and obvious - as that... of D21, but it didn't happen. Piecing together what reports we have, it appears D22 spent the night in the branches above N2, leaving the tree for parts unknown some time today.

Several people are worried about whether or not D22 is okay. We have no reason to think something is wrong. D22 appeared quite healthy and the weather was very cooperative. An awful lot of people are keeping an eye out for D22 and we will keep our ears to the ground and our eyes on the skies, but there isn't a reason to think that something has gone wrong. Mom and Dad almost certainly know where D22 is even if we don't.
We will let everyone know as soon as we hear or see anything! And tomorrow we will have a photo report from Robin. The eagles tend to get out of bed early, so we'll be checking the cam first thing in the morning. I'm looking forward to seeing what tomorrow brings!

Fly safe D22, find D21 and learn all you can.  May you soar the thermals and have a long happy life.

Can You Complete the Quiz?

It's harder than you think! Every answer must start with the first letter of your first name:

 Name : Abby
Animal: Antelope
Boys name : Andrew
Girls name : Ashley
Occupation: Accountant
Color: Azure
Something you wear: Ascot
Drink : Alcohol
Food: Asparagus
Something you find in the bathroom: Ajax
Place: Atlanta
Reason to be late: Ambulance blocking the street
Something you shout out: AAAARGH!

D20

As you know D20 can not fly so he is to become an education eagle.  SOAR has an excellent write-up on what it takes for him to get there.  Check it out.  His name is Decorah and is well on his way to becoming a superstar.

http://www.soarraptors.org/DecorahTraining.html#June

And Then There were 2

Yesterday D21 was flapping and hopping up on the branches and camera, and today he fledged at 1:11pm.  Godspeed little one, I wish you well, may you fly high and soar and have a great life.  Don't forget to come back to the nest for one last view.  BTW he lost feather 9 on his right wing but SOAR assures us he can still fly fine and it will grow back in by next summer.

Camp Loopy June Fabric Project

 

I kept the giraffe theme going.  I love Charley Harper's depiction of animals and he has this great giraffe fabric with a bright pink down the neck of the giraffe.  I used a log cabin pattern and lined the bag with the giraffe fabric to keep the giraffes intact as much as possible.  I am so not a quilter.  Not for me. 

Camp Loopy June Yarn Project

We had to make something out of at least 400 yards of yarn that we would like to see on a safari.  Giraffes are my fav animal so I designed a pair of giraffe socks.  I call them:  Come on a Safari With Me.

The Rain Won't Keep Me From Blooming

We have more rain than ever.  May had 14" and only 5 days without rain.  June is looking like May.  Not much sun usually doesn't produce flowers but mine are determined to bloom.  I don't know what the little purple flowers are, they are wild and the plant looks like a huge radish plant.  Don't know what the yellow orange ones are but my milkweed is blooming and there has been a white butterfly all week feasting on the nectar.

My hen and chicks has become a giraffe.

 

 

 

Babies

The baby birds are learning to fly and where all the feeders are.  The baby squirrels are out and about learning which plants they should feed on.  Need to get more chili powder sprinkled.  A baby flicker was on the deck this afternoon, kind of shaky and kept cocking his head to look up for parents?  He still has some down on his head and is a bit wobbly and not real good at flying yet. 

Mrs Wilson's Knitting Circle

Today we had a Lt Col talk about the importance of socks during WWI.  There were so many socks needed that the soldiers never got enough pairs to last or be able to wear a clean pair daily.  They had light and heavy weight socks.  Most soldiers had 8 pair but no place to clean them or get them dry if they got wet.  The Red Cross gave citizens wool that was given by the government to knit articles of clothing to keep the soldiers warm and dry.  The government needed so many socks that they turned any machine that made clothing into sock knitting machines.  They needed millions of pairs of socks to provide the soldiers.  Can you imagine how many pairs of socks were needed to be made daily for the soldiers?  The government did a study and came up with 90 various size of shoes along with socks sizes.  Next time you put on a pair of socks think how much they meant to the soldiers in WWI. 

Going On a Sea Cruise

Next year some of my family is going on a cruise.  I remember my first cruise on Carnival they gave us a bright pink lanyard to keep our room key on.  So I thought some lanyards were needed.  I have no idea why I bought this fabric other than it has cats on it but it is scuba diving cats.  Some of the family scuba dives and some like cats, so what better fabric to use.  It takes longer to find the fabric than to make them up.