I Am Done

 Do you ever have those days where you just can not take any more.  Mine started about 2 months ago. I had finally got all the vet bills paid from last year and was gonna coast along and save up some money for my Personal Property taxes at the end of the year.  Well that was not to be.

First there was the cell phone that died, then the car needed a  valve, then my almost 24 year old a/c died, then I broke a crown, and then there was the annual vet bill.  As if that was not enough.....

Took the Murano in last week for a safety inspection, she is/was 18 years old.  She did not pass in fact she failed yugely.  A whole page of things for many many many hundreds of dollars into the thousands to get her past the inspection.  They had to order some parts and when I went home I was just done.  I seriously could not take any more.  As I sat there I decided I was not going to put more money in the car at her age and that I needed to go ahead and get a new one.  I got to the point where I did not really feel safe driving her cos everything was falling apart.

I went to the dealer the next morning and got a new car.  Well we all know you not only pay for the car but all those extras like processing fee, destination fee, etc etc etc.  You are at the mercy of what is on the lot so I had to pay a little more.  And now I have car payments for the next 4 years. On top of that is a down payment and sales taxes.

Now this afternoon my new a/c is leaking, the area where the condensation comes out in the pipe, so i am waiting for the tech, this better be a free visit cos I have no more money to give.

And our pastor is gone and we have a new one, I will not get into how utterly depressed I felt Sunday knowing our pastor was gone and we have no idea what is going to happen to us>  I have a feeling I may be looking for a new church.

I just want to get in the car and drive and drive and drive and just get away from all of it.  I seriously can not take any more.  

I made ice cream today and think I will drown my sorrows in it this evening.

Happy Fathers Day Dad

 I somehow felt you sitting beside me in church holding my hand because our pastor is leaving next Sunday.  This has hit me pretty hard.  He came during the lockdown of COVID, I just lost you and I was stuck at home by myself with my thoughts of dealing with your loss.  Once we went back to church the pastors's sermons felt like they were written to me, during the week I would often go back to something said and dealt with some things.  I was ready to completely leave the church, one organized religion has gone way too far left for me, like they have forgotten what we are all about, and the previous pastor.  I found a purpose in going to church again, dropped some of the groups that were a grief for me and joined a couple that speak to what we are to do be doing as a church.  

Dad, I think you would have liked Tim  and his sermons. We could have discussed them during the week.  I know you will be with me next week as I face another loss in my life.  

Some days the pain is barely there and others it hurts my heart so bad that you are not here on earth any more. I know you are always there for me, I talk to you daily and I know you often reach your arms down and give me the much needed hug from you.  

Some day we can sit and discuss the world and I am looking forward to it. I love you and miss you.  

June Already?

 This morning I noticed the bunny is back.  There have not been any ferals for over a year and I have a ton of clover so maybe they feel safe coming back to the yard.

My tom was up in the window where the mulberry tree was I figured he was bird watching, nope the little squirrel has found the ripe mulberries and is helping himself to it.  I best get out there and pick them so I have at least a few. 

The tomatoes are coming on, I sure hope the plant does not rot from too much rain. I could use some heat for them.  I love cherry tomatoes, they usually never make it into the house, cos warm tomatoes right off the vine, well there is nothing better.

RIP Tina Turner

 Tina Turner is on her way to heaven at the age of 83. She led a very hard life but managed to pull herself out of it and make an amazing career.  I was privileged to see her in concert a few years ago, and WOW she was so full of energy and the crowd went wild. RIP Ms Turner you deserve a long rest now.  I can only imagine God has booked you to give several concerts to those up there.  My dad always said she had great pipes and legs.  Dad, I hope you get a chance to meet her one day.

Deuteronomy 28

 You need to read this chapter as it foretells what is happening in our country right now. It is all part of the New World Order to destroy the US so we become a 3rd world country and we might be lucky to get bread and water.  Look up the 15 minute cities, look up coinless society, they track every penny we have and if we spend on what they do not want us to spend money on we get our money taken away.  No gas cars, no gas appliances, eating plant based (that stuff is NOT healthy), eat crickets and other bugs, etc.

 Wake up sheeple, they are about to come get us and it will  never be the same again.

 ⁴³The foreigners who reside among you will rise above you higher and higher, but you will sink lower and lower. ⁴⁴ They will lend to you, but you will not lend to them. They will be the head, but you will be the tail.

RIP D36

 From Raptor Resource Project:

We are beyond sorry to announce that bald eagle D36 has died. Bald eagles die and this isn't the first time we've had to announce it. But this feels especially tragic. For almost the first time since we started tracking eaglets from Decorah back in 2011, we won't be following one. We started tracking them to answer one of the most common questions that followers asked: 'Where do the Decorah Eagles go?'. They taught us a whole lot about their lives and deaths in the twelve years that we tracked eight of them.

D36 was eating road kill when he was hit by a car and died. Take it easy and watch for animals and roadkill. We don't know the exact circumstances of D36's death, but slowing down helps keep everyone safe and might have saved D36's life.

D36 hatched on April 8, 2020, fledged on June 21, and was fitted with a transmitter in July. During the lockdown, millions of people watched him and took solace in the little eagle family, high in a tree and safe from the human pandemic. He had far more aunties and uncles than he would ever know and we'll miss tracking him. He is survived by parents Mom and DM2 and preceded in death by sister D35, who died of lead poisoning in January of 2021.

Dodger Stadium

 

#6

 From Raptor Resource Project;

We're sorry to let everyone know that six didn't make it. In reviewing the footage, it appears the gosling hit a branch on the way down and suffered a severe spinal injury. We can remove logs and dead wood from the bottom of the tree, but we can't do much about large living limbs and we aren't going to discourage nesting in N2B. Five out of six goslings survived the jump. This translates to a survival rate of 83%, which is higher than average. It is sad to lose one gosling - really sad! - but the geese we're watching benefit as a whole from nesting on high.

The rest of the family has left the nest area, but new geese are looking at N2B. We've seen them in the nest, floating below the nest, promenading up the stream, and foraging on the grassy banks on each side of the creek. We think that these might be the same geese that challenged HD in N1: of course HD eventually got annoyed and chased them away. We'll see what happens and if we can determine where the parents and goslings went after the leap of faith!

So often our birds make choices that seem incomprehensible to us, but they know their lives better than we do. For you, the broken-hearted nest watcher, I quote Kaeli Swift: “Please, rather than shutting down those deep feelings you have for wildlife…lean into them. Teach your friends and neighbors and children to feel those deep feelings. Because it’s from that space that we can do best by wildlife…”. Thank you so much for taking this journey with us. If you'd like to read Kaeli's blog, follow this link: https://corvidresearch.blog/.../a-letter-to-the-broken.../

Leap of Faith

 This morning once mom got around the 6 leapt out of the nest, unlike last year it went pretty quickly. One jumped off the back and was missing for a bit but finally made it's way to the water.  While he kept trying to catch up the current kept sweeping him back.  Boots on the ground caught him and the vet said he had a paralysis of some sort probably due to the fall and landing wrong.  He is in good hands now and the other 5 are busy swimming with mom and dad. 

About Time

 The geese are back on N2B at Decorah and today the first gosling hatched.  Remember last year they just jump out of the nest, so tomorrow or the next day they will start jumping.  4/6 made it last year and we watched the last one frantically try to find a place to jump. I know I kept talking to him to just go but nope he kept running around the nest.  I hope I get to see them jump.  Good luck little goslings, there are 6 again this year.

Missed But Never Forgotten

 

Missed but Never Forgotten...

Dad Decorah - April 18, 2018

April 18, 2018. Who could ever forget that tragic day? Day light had come, and it was time for Dad Decorah to come and give Mom a very much deserved break, but it wasn't to be. Mom Decorah started calling out for Dad but as we all watched in horror, Dad wasn't responding, and he was not being seen in the camera's sight.

The morning went on and the day went on and still no Dad. Mom Decorah's calls were heartbreaking... Mom & Dad Decorah had 3 eaglets on N2B, D29, D30 & D31. D29 hatched, 4-4/01/, D30 hatched, April 2 & D32 hatched, April 4, so they were not very old at all when Dad never came home. Night fell and we were all in shock...

Morning came and still no Dad. Mom's call was gut wrenching and she had called so much for Dad she had gotten hoarse.  People were coming in to town to search for Dad too. The whole weekend people   searched high and low for him. They walked on foot all around the nest area, drove by car searching for him even up the Upper Iowa River and there was a Drone Search on Sunday. Everyone in Decorah was searching for Dad Decorah. But there was never a trace found of Dad Decorah....

 There was a terrible snowstorm coming and Dad Decorah stocked the Pantry excessively. It snowed for a couple days, and Dad stuck by Mom and kept the babies fed, dry and warm and when the storm was over Dad left on his own accord. He had made sure that Mom and the babies made it through the snowstorm okay and now it was time to go.

 

 

If you were watching the nest that evening Dad came in and stocked the pantry for mom, he huddled with her so lovingly guarding the babies from the storm.  He looked like he was so tired.  I know we will never know what happened but we all know animals will go off and die alone.  I believe dad knew it was his time and so he spent one last time with his family and told Mom goodbye.  

 

We will always remember that awful day.  Mom has a new male and they have moved out of sight, people often see them so we know she is still around.  Perhaps she just could not stay at the nest without dad.  Soar high Dad Decorah, the world misses you.  

 

New Outfit, Happy Easter, and Frame

 I got a new outfit for Spring sure is better than all that green.  I love the yellow and all the other colors and the shawl feels good cos it is still cool out.

I got the Easter Bunny outfit going and my April rug is back.  Next year I hope the bunny outfit gets expanded a bit but right now the house is being worked on. 

The frame is put together and the first floor walls are in along with the ceiling.  I heard a lot of swearing this afternoon as the paper that was picked out does not go with the floor and so back to the store with samples to match to get it right this time.  

So my dresser put the walls and ceilings in to see how much room there was and start placing furniture in to see how much room there will be for other things.  

First floor from left to right:  kitchen, dining room, half bath, and elevator.  Second floor from left to right:  bedroom, full bath, laundry room, and elevator.  Third floor:  living room w/fireplace, craft room, half bath, and elevator.

There is a ton of work to do and once the walls and floors are in things will go quicker.  Most furniture has been purchased but a bed and sofa will need to be made and the bathroom tub and toilets will need to be made.  

The new goal is to have this done mid September for my birthday instead of year end. I know my dresser is tired of working on this but no turning back now.

Stay tuned for more progress.

RIP DH1

 I have not watched the Decorah nest because the original pair is no longer there.  A new pair moved into the N1 which was the original nest from Dad Decorah.  The new female laid 2 eggs and the first one hatched a couple of days ago.  Today we find it passed.  Do not know why but it sucks all the same.  Here is hoping the other egg survives and lives a long time.  Soar high DH1.