Merry Christmas

 Christmas was my dad's favorite holiday. On Black Friday he would get the tree out and find the right place in the house.  Out came all the ornaments and the lights and the tinsel.  The tinsel went on one piece at a time, never just throw it on cos you will be picking it all off and made to put it on one by one where dad told you to.  I finally convinced him not to have tinsel with a cat in the house.

When we lived in Carlsbad, New Mexico we would go to the rich part of town.  We had cocoa and cookies and we would look at the decorations< I drooled over the houses and dreamed one day I could live in one.  Before we went home we drove up to the top of a large hill and looked down on the city, it was so beautiful.  This was our Christmas Eve celebration.  

For the past few years I had bundled my dad up with cocoa and cookies and off we drove to the rich houses.  Rich people often have really cheap ugly decorations.  I had my favorite houses in the 2 places we went and dad would often comment on the decorations or if there was a house he really liked he would yell stop and we would just sit for a minute and watch the decorations.  

This is my 2nd Christmas without my dad and the first one that really has hit me hard.  Last year he had died in November and I was so busy moving my mom to a smaller apartment one she could afford and do all the paperwork and get my dad interred I did not really have the time to sit and think about what it would be like to not have him here for Christmas.  I did not put up much this year, I was going to go all out for dad but I just couldn't get past him not being here.  Maybe next year.

So dad, I hope you found some favorite decorations across the country and that grandma made you cocoa and cookies.  Merry Christmas Dad, I miss you and love you.

Oh The Smell

 There is nothing better than baking something with yeast in it.  The house smells good for hours first with the several risings of the dough and then the actual baking.  I needed to make some cinnamon rolls for a brunch tomorrow for knit group.  I have a book with nothing but cinn roll recipe in it.  I know I could go buy some but really when you can take 4 hours and make a batch.  I will put a slight cream cheese icing on them.  I hope there are one or two left for my breakfast the next couple of days.  I love to bake but hate to clean up the mess.  

My Dad Loved Christmas

 

Christmas Star

 

In the year when Jesus was born, there was violence, chaos, political and social unrest. It was dark.

The Magi found him by way of the star, which was the "meeting" of 3 stars: Jupiter, Saturn and Mars. They followed the star until it rested on where he was and they began to worship him. In a time where is was dark, Light was brought in to our world. Jesus stepped in to the chaos and brought peace.

Fast forward to this year, 2020. It's a time of violence, chaos, political and social unrest. It is dark. Winter Solstice, December 21st, being a time where the day is the shortest and night is the longest...it's literally the "darkest day" and is the beginning of what most would say the cold, dark winter season.

But on the darkest day this year, Jupiter and Saturn meet, giving us the Christmas Star! How fitting...that in the moment of time during the Christmas season that we get to see this beautiful reminder...that even in the darkest of times...Light will, and has, stepped in. In our chaos He is there. In our darkest time, He is there. He brings Light, and makes all things new.

So as you look out on Dec 21st for the Christmas Star, may we be reminded of His power, and His Light that he brings for all mankind. He is perfect at stepping into chaos and bringing it into peace. Trust him and He will carry you through.

I am a Great Aunt

 My niece just had her baby, she is early like Jan 9th early.  My niece has had quite a time with her pregnancy and Friday she was admitted to the hospital because her BP was stroke/seizure level.  Meds brought it down and she came home Monday only to be sent back this morning.  The baby was induced and she is here, at 32 weeks, so the due date is most definitely wrong.  All are well and I thought I had 2 more months to get all my knitting done, so I am off to do some marathon knitting.  Please send someone by daily to throw food at me.  I am beyond excited.  I know my dad was right there with her.  Thank You Lord for giving me someone  new to love and spoil.

WELCOME TO THE WORLD, TESSA MARIE

The Warrior's Prayer

 

THE WARRIORS PRAYER

Heavenly Father,

Your Warrior prepares for battle.

Today I claim victory over Satan by putting on

The whole Armour of God!

I put on the Girdle of Truth!

May I stand firm in the truth of Your Word

So I will not be a victim of Satan’s lies.

I put on the Breastplate of Righteousness!

May it guard my heart from evil

So I will remain pure and holy,

Protected under the blood of Jesus Christ.

I put on the Shoes of Peace!

May I stand firm in the Good News of the Gospel

So Your peace will shine through me

And be a light to all I encounter.

I take the Shield of Faith!

May I be ready for Satan’s fiery darts of

Doubt, denial and deceit

So I will not be vulnerable to spiritual defeat.

I put on the Helmet of Salvation!

May I keep my mind focused on You

So Satan will not have a stronghold on my Thoughts.

I take the Sword of the Spirit!

May the two-edged sword of Your Word

Be ready in my hands

So I can expose the tempting words of Satan.

By faith your warrior has put on

The whole Armour of God!

I am prepared to live this day in spiritual victory!

Amen

The Prayer

 This song was sung on the Masked Singer last night.  It is one of my favs and I love the Josh Groban and Charlotte Church version.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uUp_T71-g34

First Year

 A year ago my dad went home. It has been the toughest year of my life.  I miss him so much.  I talk to him daily but he is not physically here.  It is cloudy and the election has gone off the rails and I just wish my dad was here, for this day so we could go get fried chicken and forget the world exists for just one day.  I know he is well again and spending time with his mom and siblings. I hope he and his brother are behaving but I know they are not and my grandma has her hands full.  Someday dad we will have lunch again. 

Election Day

 It is election day, finally here but it just does not seem the same as previous years.  I do believe in only voting on that particular day.  Yes there will be lines and who knows what the weather will be like, but let's face it the rules change daily on how and who can vote.  Used to be you had to live somewhere for 6 months before you could vote there, now they register the same day and then vote, really?  Whatever happened to felons not being able to vote, you commit a felony you lose your rights.  I understand absentee voting, my parents did because my father was not able to stand in lines to vote and my mom did because she had to stay with my dad, same with the military they can not just fly home to vote and go back to the war.  HOwever these mail in ballots are a fraud and the way to sway the votes when needed by one party in particular.  We see them in the trash every state has different rules do you notarize your signature, or just drop them in a box and hope they get to where they should to be counted.  And now we have many states who won't report for 10 days, really this just puts more fuel on the "protestors" to destroy even more of our country.  We have lost all respect for law and order and the laws on the books that are all about voting legally and not having boxes of ballots in a car trunk waiting to trot out because the election is close the left can't let the right win too may seats.  

I got up early and got to the polls early to get in line and was home in an hour, and when i left the line was snaked around getting close to the main street out in front of the church.  Things that used to have meaning have been trashed and now who knows what is what and what the rules are anymore.  I want my law abiding country back.  

Transmitted Eagles, Where Are They?

 

Hello eaglets...thank you so much for phoning home! D35, D36, and D27 all sent airmails this week. D27 shifted a little northwest of Decorah, passing within a mile of Bob's old falcon breeding facility in Bluffton! She's currently about eleven miles north of the nest - the furthest she's been since arriving back in town.

D35 continues to explore east central Minnesota. I checked out her coordinates and was fascinated by the area she's currently staying in. Her forested bed and breakfast is on a beautiful, large parcel of land owned by Northrop Grumman. It contains several lakes - this is a large parcel of land! - and is nearly contiguous with the Rum River, which connects Minnesota's Mille Lacs Lake with the Mississippi River. The unseasonably cold weather is sealing lakes over with ice a little early up here in Minnesnowta, but I'm hoping she'll stay in the area long enough for us to go looking for her one more time!

Homebody D36 remains close to Decorah. Brett writes: "D36 has remained in the area between Postville and West Union, IA, for much of October focusing on the Turkey R. and, lately, Otter Creek.

His solar-powered transmitter has been working very well, despite the shorter days."

Who traveled the most in October?

- D27 traveled about 128 miles, although she never got over about ten miles away from her natal nests. Her short flights really added up!

- D35 traveled about 244 miles. She two long flights, three medium flights, and a whole bunch of short flights. She's a young eagle off her natal territory who doesn't tend to spend very much time sitting still.

- D36 traveled about 216 miles! He didn't have any long flights but, like D35, moved around a lot. Although we were hopeful that he and D27 might run into one another, they didn't that we know. We'll see what happens if D35 comes back to town.

Thanks again for checking in, everybody...fly high and stay fierce! A thousand thousand thanks to Brett Mandernack and the staff of Eagle Valley. We wouldn't be able to follow the eaglets without their hard work, knowledge, and expertise! If you'd like to explore the travels of any of the eaglets we've tracked, please go to https://www.raptorresource.org/learning-tools/eagle-map/.

Happy Halloween

 It is that magical day of the year where you can play or not, be whoever you want and there is candy.  It is a bittersweet day for me as it would have been my parent's 66th wedding anniversary.

I found this picture on FB and she reminds me of my Bucky cat, so cute.

We Haz a Sad

 April's second son with Oliver has passed away. He lived in Texas.  RIP Azizi.  So sorry April and Oliver.

https://www.wesh.com/article/zoo-calf-of-april-the-giraffe-azizi-dies/34514107

Finally We Win

 

Who Needs an Easy Christmast Gift

 https://misswish.com/diy-gifts-in-a-jar?fbclid=IwAR2C5U44WdFWv39IXAeyFfqhG5jwoClzj7i9WCgKdnG7AOgMFZpdCG5y6OI

 I saw this on Facebook and thought some of them are pretty easy and everyone always needs one of those last minute gifts. You can buy jars through the year when they go on sale and make some up to have on hand.  I see several I am going to make.

 

 

Going to the World Series

 OH how I wish I could go to just one game but alas I can't so I will just have to watch the game on TV>  The Dodgers are going to the WS again. Let's home this year we can win.  It is time.

Hello God

 

Me: Hello God.

God: Hello...

Me: I’m falling apart. Can you put me back together?

God: I'd rather not.

Me: Why?

God: Because you're not a puzzle.

Me: What about all the pieces of my life that fall to the ground?

God: Leave them there for a while. They fell for a reason. Let them be there for a while and then decide if you need to take any of those pieces back.

Me: You don't understand! I'm breaking!

God: No, you don't understand. You're transcending, evolving.

What you feel are growing pains. You're getting rid of the things and people in your life that are holding you back. The pieces are not falling down. The pieces are being put in place. Relax. Take a deep breath and let those things you no longer need fall down. Stop clinging to pieces that are no longer for you. Let them fall. Let them go.

Me: Once I start doing that, what will I have left?

God: Only the best pieces of yourself.

Me: I'm afraid to change.

God: I keep telling you: YOU'RE NOT CHANGING! YOU'RE BECOMING!

Me: Becoming, Who?

God: Becoming who I created you to be! A person of light, love, charity, hope, courage, joy, mercy, grace and compassion. I made you for so much more than those shallow pieces you decided to adorn yourself with and that you cling to with so much greed and fear. Let those things fall off you. I love you! Don't change! Become! Don't change! Become! Become who I want you to be, who I created. I'm gonna keep telling you this until you remember.

Me: There goes another piece.

God: Yes. Let it be like this.

Me: So... I'm not broken?

God: No, but you're breaking the darkness, like dawn. It's a new day. Become!! Become who you really are!!"

Cotton Candy Sunrise

 Today was a cotton candy sunrise, the pink glow across the city was just gorgeous.  Don't blink cos it is a fleeting scene but I managed to get a few pictures.

Trees

 

Bright yellow, red and orange,

The leaves come down in hosts;

The trees are Indian princes,

But soon they'll turn to ghosts.

–William Allingham (1824–89)

Happy 8th Birthday

 Seems like you just helped yourself to living in my house a few days ago but here you are in for about a year and a half now.  I am glad you chose my house to live in.

Where Are They?

 

D35 is still enjoying east central Minnesota, although she has made her way a little south from Princeton/Cambridge to the Elk River area, passing within a mile of our Great River Energy peregrine falcon nestbox. Breezy and Brooklyn could have easily seen her from their vantage point high atop their new nest pole! Unsurprisingly, she's also spent some time at the large landfill on the north end of town. We might cringe a bit at the idea, but the landfill is rich in food resources and has a very distinct footprint from on high. Perhaps she saw other birds circling and wanted to check it out! Vultures are known to track bald eagles in search of a meal, so it wouldn't surprise me at all if eagles did the same.

D27 is back in Decorah, just a few miles south of the hatchery! She and D36 haven't crossed paths that we know: they've been in similar places, but not at similar times. She's hanging out in Bald Eagle paradise (Decorahdise?) - plenty of steeply folded hills, cold trout creeks, and wide open pastures for soaring. We hope to get a chance to go look for her this week!

How about D36? Everyone's favorite little homebody continues to hang out in the Decorah area, although he's made trips as far south as Claremont and as far north as Harmony, Minnesota. We just missed seeing him, since he left the hatchery area two days before we started camera work! Brett writes: "After D-36’s loop trek from Bluffton to Strawberry Point to north of Decorah on the Upper Iowa River, he has shifted northwest just across the IA/MN border where he is at peace just south of Harmony, MN." We hope he enjoys it!

To date, D35 has traveled about 611 miles, D36 has traveled about 499 miles, and D27 has traveled an incredible 12,358 miles - although she has had a little over three years to do it! We wish all of our eagles favorable winds and fair skies. Stay fierce and fly high!

What To Do

 I have wanted a life size skeleton for Halloween to dress up and put in the window.  While I would love to hang it outside we have a little thief in the block who thinks everything belongs to her.  So it would have to be in the house somewhere.  I am not paying the price they want so I have gone to plan B.  Yesterday at work they had these mannequins priced from $80-$100 for only $30.  Because I work I get a 20% discount.  So I picked this up.  I want to do something for Halloween with it, but have not decided what yet.  So off to Pinterest to look for some costume ideas and see what I can come up with or I may work on it all year long and put it up for next year. I am thinking maybe in the corner window in the living room with some lights so those who drive through can see him.

So I popped over to Pinterest to see what costumes they might have and Medussa kept popping up. I have a head that can be redone with a black wig and makeup and I have a snake wreath that I can incorporate into the outfit. I know it is a male mannequin but who cares?

Wrens

 I love the wrens.  I rarely see them but this morning the tom cat was in the sitting room and started attacking the window.  There is a hole in the screen by a tree scratching that I am going to remove and the poor thing got in between the screen and window.  So I put the cats up and opened the window hoping I could grab him, nope he flew to the dining room and tried to fly out the window then into the kitchen into 2 windows and finally landed on top of the fridge. I could see he was stunned as his eyes were closed and he let me pick him up with a fight. I carried him out the deck rail and put him down and petted him and talked to him. He finally opened his eyes and sat for a minute and flew off. I hope he will be ok, isn't he gorgeous?

You Never Know What You Are Going to FInd

 Friday at Scraps I did a lot of shelf stocking as Saturdays are busy, so you need plenty of merchandise for customers to buy.  Plus my boss was not there so I just stocked shelves.  I saw so many patterns that I wore in High School.  While I did not wear my dresses this short, my father would never have allowed that, I did wear maxis, this one is 1971 and was only $1.00 which was expensive in those days.

At the checkout there is a box of free magazines, well this is not a magazine but they gave it to me for free cos it was in the box. I would have gladly paid for it. It is men's socks from 1953, there are several I will make and there is one vest pattern in there as well. I wonder if my dad wore socks like this.  The book has $.50 on it for the price.

I love working here for a few hours a week, it is like being in my grandmother's sewing room and you never know what you are going to find.  You can tell by the contents of each box I unpack and price and set out what generation the person donating was from. 

Halloween Season has officially begun

 

65 and Medicare

 I turn 65 today, how did I get here? I should not be this old, should I?  It snuck up on me for sure.  However there is nothing I can do but realize I start Medicare now and I am on the downhill third of my life, so I best make sure I use every minute to get all things done I want to.  I was trying to come up with a post for today and one of my friends posted this on FB and I think it is perfect for today.

Thank you Lord for the rain this morning, it is much needed and a great birthday gift.  I don't want to do anything today as it is the first birthday without my dad, so I will go visit him later and sit a while and talk and come home and just veg, clean off the DVR, go through some pics of my dad and I and knit.  I don't care to celebrate just spend a quiet day at home remembering all the great birthdays before with my dad.  There was always a package of fig newtons, maybe I will go to the store after visiting him and get some fig newtons.

Barely the day started and... it's already six in the evening.

Barely arrived on Monday and it's already Friday.

... and the month is already over.

... and the year is almost over.

... and already 40, 50 or 60 years of our lives have passed.

... and we realize that we lost our parents, friends.

and we realize it's too late to go back...

So... Let's try, despite everything, to enjoy the remaining time...

Let's keep looking for activities that we like...

Let's put some color in our grey...

Let's smile at the little things in life that put balm in our hearts.

And despite everything, we must continue to enjoy with serenity this time we have left. Let's try to eliminate the afters...

I'm doing it after...

I'll say after...

I'll think about it after...

We leave everything for later like ′′ after ′′ is ours.

Because what we don't understand is that:

Afterwards, the coffee gets cold...

afterwards, priorities change...

Afterwards, the charm is broken...

afterwards, health passes...

Afterwards, the kids grow up...

Afterwards parents get old...

Afterwards, promises are forgotten...

afterwards, the day becomes the night...

afterwards life ends...

And then it's often too late....

So... Let's leave nothing for later...

Because still waiting see you later, we can lose the best moments,

the best experiences,

best friends,

the best family...

The day is today... The moment is now...

We are no longer at the age where we can afford to postpone what needs to be done right away.

So let's see if you have time to read this message and then share it.

Or maybe you'll leave it for... ′′ later "...

And you'll never share it....

Sit Quietly

 

Around the Yard

 Flowers are kind of on their last life, beginning to die back.  The Zinnias are turning and seed will be dropped in the pots hopefully to come up next year.  I brought in a small sunflower head to seed and plant next year in a new spot and the milkweek pods are being collected to be buried later this Fall and hopefully produce even more milkweed plants next year.  I have yet to have caterpillars again this year but I am still hopeful.

I love marigolds, i have some vibrant oranges as well and the seed is being dropped in the post hopefully to have new plants next year. 

One of the neighbors trees is starting to turn. It is too early does that mean early Fall and then early Winter? I hope not.

I always seem to have 2 sunflower plants here that come up volunteerly probably from the gold finches dropping seeds.

The Naked Ladies were gorgeous this year.

This will be the 3rd summer for these Vinca, bringing them in again this Winter to see if they survive only to be set out again next year.

The portulaca (aka moss rose) is all abloom this morning, seeds brought from Powell Garden.

This lavender is for a friend building a new house, part of her House Welcoming gift.

This beautiful moth had a nap on the porch behind the Naked Ladies. He was here for several hours.

My female feral, Smudgey, sleeping in the asparagus barrel

The hummingbirds have been large in number this year, this one is quite chubby.

More like the Locusts singing

And from the hot field's farthest edge

The cricket's soft refrain

With mellow accent tells the tale

That August's here again.

–Helen Maria Winslow (1851–1938)

Summer is on the downhill side

Summer declines and roses have grown rare,

But cottage crofts are gay with hollyhocks,

And in old garden walks you breathe an air

Fragrant of pinks and August-smelling stocks.

–John Todhunter (1839–1916)

Where Are You?

I have an electric ice cream maker.  I don't use it very often but a friend of mine posted the ice cream she made from hers and got me to thinking, I need to make some.  I know the bowl is in the freezer downstairs and the book is in one of the drawers in the work center in the Kitchen.  But where is the base?  I looked all the places I thought it could be and nope.  I tore the kitchen apart and nope not there, how about the laundry room where I keep appliances on top of the shelves, nope not there either.  OK I give up where can it be?  I would not give it away or throw it away so where is it?  I bet the cats hid it.

The more I thought about it the more I decided I wanted to make ice cream it was in the 90's with heat index of over 100.  SO I went online and was amazed at how much they cost these days, I sound like my dad.  I found one at Kohl's half price and another half off with rewards and percents off.  It is cute and small and makes a cup which is ok.  It is really bothering me that I can't find the base of mine, so I went looking online to see if I could just buy the base. Nope I can buy the bowl but not the base. 

SOOOOO..... I ordered a whole one and figured now I have a spare bowl cos they have to be in the freezer for 24 hours in between batches and I can always have ice cream on hand when I want it.  It will be here Tuesday and I can start making ice cream.

Peaches and berries are on sale so I see some summer ice creams and sorbets on my list of things to do.  Afterall we are stuck at home, we may as well eat ice cream.

Sunrise, Rose of Sharon, and Lemondrop Melon

Around here if you see a breathtakingly beautiful sunrise you best grab a picture cos 5 minutes later it will change or be gone as these 2 were 5 minutes apart. 

My Rose of Sharon has finally started filling in with lots of blooms.  At least those nasty little beetles have not found her yet, they seem to be next door.  Hopefully they stay next door. I know not a great picture I need to wash my windows.

Sprouts had these lemondrop melons the other day.  Sounded good so I bought one. This morning I cut it open. I was expecting more of a cantaloupe than a honeydew.  I tasted it, no no no never again.  It tasted like a sour lemonade powder in need of  some sugar. It was very overpowering.  I set it out for the racoons, we shall see if they eat it.  It was nasty.  I tried it and I am done.

Found the Milkweed

I just happened to be looking out the window at my flower bed and this beauty flew by. I quickly grabbed my phone and got a couple pictures while on the milkweed.  How beautiful are the colors.

RIP Bucky

I had to let Bucky go this morning. I did not want to but sometimes we don't always get what we want.  She had not been eating and just laying around, she would try to eat and then just walk away.  I thought maybe she had an abscessed tooth. So off to the vet yesterday morning. She had just been there in May for her annuals.  She has aggressive liver cancer that just seemed to come on like a freight train rolling over everything. She has lost 1 1/2 pounds since May and this started over the weekend.  Based on where she is she does not have that long and would more than likely have such an awful life that I won't do that to her just to keep her around.  So I give her back to God.  She was 16 in April, so she had a good long life I just wanted more.

One day I was in DC for a meeting and my mom called me that night and said there are 12 cats on your deck, WHAT?  There was a momma cat along with 2 of her offspring who all had 4 kittens each.  So when I got home mom and I rounded up the kittens, I could not deal with them and no one wanted a kitten so I took them to the vet to have them humanely put down.  One of the last ones I caught was Bucky.  It was muddy and there I was in the back yard sliding around chasing her and when I finally caught her she bit me through my leather glove and pooped all down the front of me. I decided I needed to keep her and so I did.

She was the most onery cat I ever had and so I named after Get Fuzzy Bucky cat.  Her full name is Bucky Crookshanks cos my niece said that was Hermione's cat's name and I already had a Harry and Hermione, so keep it all in the family.  She leaves a huge hole in the house and it will be quiet because she won't be on the counters pushing things off.

She would eat anything she could get in her mouth. She loved to go out in the garage and forage for whatever she could find.  She ate plants and got sick so I got rid of all the ones she ate and that was not good for cats. She once tried to eat a worm in the garage.  She was my get on the counter and knock stuff off girl.  She would often get on top of the fridge and when I went to look for her that paw would come swinging down and smack me on the head and scare the crap out of me.  There was never a dull minute with the Buckster in the house.

She once broke a bone in her foot jumping off the kitchen island and had a cast for 6 weeks, did that stop her jumping on things, no. She would go running off clomping the let with the cast and swing it around and bonk people.  

Thank you Lord for giving me 16 wonderful years with her but now I give her back to you.  She can be with her buddy Harry again and I know my dad will watch over her along with all those who have gone before her.

Around the Yard

My tomatoes are coming along, lots of blooms and it is getting hot so I should be seeing some red coming on.

 My Zinnias are small.  I borrowed some seed from Powell Gardens and they are a happy mix of color.  Zinnias are one of my fav flowers, they just seem to make things happy.  I want a whole yard of them.

 This pot had my lavendar which you can see tucked inside.  I thought it had died so I planted these seeds in the pot, I don't know what they are but I see a yellow bloom coming on.  And the lavendar is growing so we shall see what it does.

I had a bunny in the yard this morning when I got up, there is a lot of clover so he should be happy.

 The 2 pictures above are what I call The Beast.  This flower bed got way out of hand and the grass was so bad in it I had to dig the shoots out, this took about 3 weeks to get here.  So now it can easily be maintained and on around the corner of the house I go.  I have the side of the house to take care of and the bed under the deck where I have planted 4 hostas that need to be taken care of as well.  Then I can continue to work around the yard and take care of things.  I have spent the past 4 years taking care of things for my parents and now I finally get to spend some time on my home and yard.  You can see my female feral Smudgey. The concrete blocks are from my dad's garden, so I have a touch of him in there to guard the flowers. 

D35 has a Transmitter

This morning at 5:45AM, RRP Board Members Brett Mandernack (of Eagle Valley Nature Preserve) and David Lynch, John Howe (Executive Director, RRP), and Carole Mandernack and Ryan Schmitz (both from Eagle Valley Nature Preserve) captured D35 for the purpose of applying a GPS tracking transmitter and leg band. D35 was found to be in great health, and was determined to be female (using measurements of the beak, tarsus, and hallux talon) with a weight of approximately 10.3 pounds. The capture process went very smoothly and D35 was released back at the Decorah Fish Hatchery at approximately 6:50AM and has since been observed flying well around the nesting area. If you have questions about the transmitter, please read this post: https://www.raptorresource.org/2020/07/01/your-transmitter-questions-answered/.

D35 will now join the other Bald Eagles in the Eagle Valley Nature Preserve Bald Eagle migration and travel study that has been ongoing since 1999, providing valuable data that will help ensure the preservation of Bald Eagles within the Mississippi Valley flyway, and other areas. This study had been previously funded by Kohler/Eagle Valley Nature Preserve, but the funding expired on the original study in 2019. The RRP Board of Directors and staff then voted for RRP to further fund for the purpose of gathering more migrational data from birds with a known origin/natal nesting area. We are very excited to compare a male and female eagle sired by DM2 with male and female eagles sired by Dad Decorah…and of course we are excited to compare siblings. Studying the eagles helps us to identify and eventually preserve habitat and resources and also provides valuable insight into their lives and behaviors, which is very valuable to people who rehabilitate and care for bald eagles.

Brett Mandernack and RRP have NO further plans for anymore captures for the 2020 nesting season.

We would like to thank all of the RRP fans for their support and we look forward to learning more about the travels of D35 and D36 along with you!

David Lynch

Raptor Resource Project, Board of Directors

D36 has a Transmitter

Raptor Resource Project (RRP) would like to announce the successful banding, transmitter application, and release of the juvenile Decorah Bald Eagle known as D36.

This morning at 5:50AM, RRP Board Members Brett Mandernack (of Eagle Valley Nature Preserve) and David Lynch, and Carole Mandernack (from Eagle Valley Nature Preserve), Ryan Schmitz from Eagle Valley Nature Preserve) and Kolton Loeffelholz (of Eagle Valley Preserve), captured D36 for the purpose of applying a GPS tracking transmitter and leg band. D36 was found to be in great health and was determined to be a male (using measurements of the beak, tarsus, and hallux talon) with a weight of approximately 8 pounds. The capture process went very smoothly and D36 was released back at the Decorah Fish Hatchery at approximately 7:00AM and was observed flying well later in the morning.

D36 will now join the other Bald Eagles in the Eagle Valley Nature Preserve Bald Eagle migration and travel study that has been ongoing since 1999, providing valuable data that will help ensure the preservation of Bald Eagles within the Mississippi Valley flyway, and other areas. This study had been previously funded by Kohler/Eagle Valley Nature Preserve, but the funding expired on the original study in 2019. The RRP Board of Directors and staff then voted for RRP to further fund for the purpose of gathering more migrational data from birds with a known origin/natal nesting area.

 

 D36 is my fav from this year. He came out spunky and remained so. He did not take anything off of the older ones.  This is a surprise that he got banded as the last one was D27.  I love him almost as much as D14 who will forever be my fav.  FLy high and we look forward to those postcards you send home via your transmitter.

It's a Girl

My niece is having a girl. Do you know how much knitting I have to do before January 2021?  There are so many cute patterns out there it is hard to pick one.  My dad always bought my niece girly dresses for Christmas, so I am going to make one for my great niece from my dad.  I found one I think he would approve of.  I will be posting pics as I get things done.  Babies need so many things, where do you start?

D27 has reacher her summer home

D27 has reached her summer grounds on the shores of Lake Severn in Northwestern Ontario! Over 750 miles passed beneath her wings as she journeyed north into Canada's great boreal forest. We wish her the best summer vacation ever: cool waters, plenty of fish, and other eagles to play with and steal meals from! Fly high, D27, and don't forget to write!

As always, a thousand thanks to Brett Mandernack and the staff of Eagle Valley for sharing their data, expertise, and maps with us! To follow the travels of any of the eagles we've tracked, visit our interactive maps at https://www.raptorresource.org/learning-tools/eagle-map/.

What is the boreal forest and why is it important for all kinds of birds? You can read more about that here! https://www.borealbirds.org/boreal-forest

This Is All We Can Do Right Now

My grandmother once gave me a tip:

In difficult times, you move forward in small steps.

Do what you have to do, but little by little.

Don't think about the future, or what may happen tomorrow.

Wash the dishes.

Remove the dust.

Write a letter.

Make a soup.

You see?

You are advancing step by step.

Take a step and stop.

Rest a little.

Praise yourself.

Take another step.

Then another.

You won't notice, but your steps will grow more and more.

And the time will come when you can think about the future without crying.

- Elena Mikhalkova

D20 and Current

Hard to believe 6 years ago this handsome boy was rescued never to fly again. He is an Ambassador now and an adult already.  He is called Decorah now but he will always be D20 to me.  My fav has been D14 who is no longer with us and my niece's fav D18 was D20's nest mate.  If you want more information on this handsome raptor check it out here:

https://soarraptors.org/2018/05/decorah-faq/?fbclid=IwAR0QjL0d1mSrDJ-nbBYFxTbu3FvzgVvwRZFKj0hxPwPiVCWhBKMcF9b87H8

So this morning we had an oops per RRP:
A quick update - we've found some number of fledglings, although we're not sure who or how many since ID at a distance is really, really tough! One of the eaglets was seen briefly hanging upside down this morning! That most commonly happens when a fledgling either blows a landing or slips off a perch. Bald eagles have a ratcheting mechanism in their feet that they can't always unlock right away. We're not sure who it was, but they were able to disconnect and fly away safely!

I Have Lost My Mind

Every so often a pattern comes along that I just have to try.  Several years ago it was an Alice Starmore Fair Sweater, Water Lily. Her patterns are so garish in color and I don't have the skill to re-work the colors to make them look good that I did Lily because they are colors I would wear.

Next thing you know this cross stitch patterns comes across my FB feed.  Several of my online friends received it as well so now we are thinking of doing a life long stitch along.  I can't decide which color to use. I was going to do periwinkle and white for my bedroom but putting this much work into a piece deserves to be seen. So I have a wall in my living room where it will just perfectly fit, so what color now?  My current color is terra cotta but I want to go teal, so I am going to look for teal thread to use.  I actually had a yard of white 16ct aida in my stash, I wanted 18ct but hey I have this so I will use it.  I am thinking maybe I want to go off white with the teal instead of white thread.  I am gonna go look at colors this week and see what I like.  I could do teal and gold as I like those 2 colors together and I did make the IC gala shawl in those 2 colors this year.

Here is the piece, yes I have lost my mind. 
https://www.longdogsampler.com/?fbclid=IwAR0nnRTFyBsZ058i-HLJIq5P-5mkB79tpynk-Y7ZVf3DD5cfi6044o3-b7g

Downey, Zinnias, and Rock

I love the little Downeys and caught this one on the suet feeder on the deck, he had a good meal.

My Zinnias are starting to bloom, they are one of my favorite flowers.

I have no idea what this yellow flower is.  2 years ago i bought a hanging basket with petunias, and other flowers and planted it in my whiskey barrel.  This made it through the winter and just grew last summer, this year is has filled the barrel and is blooming.  The leaves have a velvety white coating on the sage green leaves.  It is a Dusty Miller of the Silver Leaf Family.

 Dusty Miller is an interesting landscape addition, grown for its silvery gray foliage. Lacy leaves of the dusty miller plant are attractive companions for many blooms in the garden. Dusty miller care is minimal when the plant is established. Dusty Miller Care Although the dusty miller flower blooms in mid-summer, the small yellow blooms are small and not considered showy. Foliage of the dusty miller plant, however, is long lasting and drought resistant. As with most silvery, furry plants, growing dusty miller helps the garden remain attractive through the heat of the summer. It will also tolerate frost. The dusty miller plant is often grown as an annual and discarded after the first season; however, it is an herbaceous perennial and may return in USDA plant hardiness zones 8 to 10. Growing dusty miller can handle the heat, but is best planted where afternoon shade is available during the hottest months of summer. The dusty miller plant is adaptable to many soil types, thriving in acidic clay to sandy loam soils. Soil must be well draining to avoid root rot. Water regularly right after planting and withhold water once roots have developed and the plant is growing. Dusty miller care may involve a midsummer trim if the plant becomes leggy. The dusty miller flower may be removed to keep the plant compact. This specimen can grow as tall as 1 foot, but often remains shorter. Leave a few flowers to bloom in late summer if you wish the plant to self seed.

I have been working on the "beast" flower bed.  I started 2 weeks ago and the grass was waist high, this is where I am today.  Channeling my dad and putting down black plastic and then cardboard and then pebble rock.  Instead of planting in the ground I am doing container planting.  I hope this helps me keep this large bed under control.  Container gardening allows me to change pot locations, add new pots or take them away and just cover up the space with rock.  The salvia in the front is in the ground and too big plus I have had it too many years to disrupt it and lose it.  So for now it stays.  I did accidently tear off a piece so it is in one of the small clay pots and has bloomed.  I also accidently broke off a stem and it was blooming and is in water to see if it will root so I can have another start.  Now if I can only get that ugly stump in the front of the picture out of the blocks. That may be an all day project involving the chain saw.