Eagle Research

Ever wonder how little birdies are banded when living high up in a nest? This clip shows how! It also explains what they did with the eaglets I had in an earlier post, and why they do it. Interesting! --LKR

Bald Eagle Nest Cam

This won't be up all year long, but it's worth sharing! Come back often to watch this live viewing of a bald eagle's nest in central New Jersey.

After the eaglets have fledged, reading the observations of others in these comments will remain. You may also want to check out this post on the research done with eagles like these.

Enjoy!!! --LKR

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Let's Go for a Ride!

This trip starts out at the DMV, right by the Chippewa Valley Regional Airport. It is on the extreme north of Eau Claire, a truly beautiful area once you work your way out of the industrial section.

The trip to the DMV was a successful one, in many ways:

1) I was in and out of there in 45 minutes!!! NJ must be worse, by now, but in IL, one year, I stood--and sat--in line for three hours at the DMV in Villa Park!!!

2) Even though I had to have a picture taken for the renewal of my license, this has been the second time in a row I've actually really liked my headshot!!! Only in WI!!! Sorry to NJ and IL... .
Hummm--I wonder if the woman who takes these shots would like to volunteer on our school's yearbook staff! We could always use more help, and I'm looking for people to fill in for those of us who will be leaving once our children graduate on to middle school!

3) This new license is good for eight years, provided we don't do something silly, like change our address!!! I'm loving it!!!

This used to be Moulton's Skate America up until a year or two ago. It's still a popular place for kids to spend the afternoon!

When I'm up this way, I like to take a detour over and around the airport to take in the views. We won't go too far, as it's a "long" trip home, and my camera accidentally got set to a wrong setting.

It was an overcast and cloudy day, but still beautiful. These are scenes of where the Chippewa River cuts into the landscape. I was fortunate enough to witness a plane coming in for landing over the river. It's always a thrill!

--LKR

More White Fluffy Fun Stuff!

Mom was in for quite a surprise, she was. Running out the door in her shoes, holding me by my collar, she shrieked. "Waaaaait! Wait a minute! We're going back in! I need my boots!"

Well, we needed more than her boots, we did! My chain was buried under about 2 1/2" of snow, it was, so she slipped what Mom says Nagypapa called "necklaces" over my head, attached to my leash, and off we went. She grabbed her camera, of course, she did, and out into the white fluffy fun stuff we went.

Even at her age, Mom ran around the yard with me, she did. But she didn't want to for long. She does like the white fluffy fun stuff, she does, when it's falling and looks so clean and pure, she said. But not when it's mucky sloshy and slushy, or black or gray like it gets in NYC, NJ, and Chicago, she said.

It's the cold that really bothers her, it does. She told me if we ever move, she's praying it's to the tropics, she said. Wherever that is, I say.

Mom spoiled us when we got back inside, she did. After putting up water for hot chocolate, she gave me leftover rice stuffing from Thanksgiving that "needed to be eaten or thrown away", she did. I ate and was filled. I had been snacking all day, I had!

Turning on the gas fireplace, she handed me my bony bone, she did. I chewed chewed chewed, while she sipped her hot chocolatey drink. It was fun with me and Mom together until my kitty sister Rocky came out of hiding, jumping into Mom's lap. I had to one-up her, I did! I can't let my social order slip in my pack, I can't, so I tried to get into Mom's lap, too!

But I am too big, and Mom won't allow it, she won't. My brother Charlie used to curl up in her lap, he did, even when she was eight months pregnant with my sister Lizabeth. I'm only slightly larger than Charlie, I am, but Mom insists I don't know my size and am not mindful of my paws like all her other poochies.

Other poochies? She's comparing me to other poochies? Excuse me, please. I have to work on one-upping them too, I do! --Mister Poochie

What are Your Colors?

My colors are pink and purple, but my hubby informs me that there has never been a football team with such colors! Sniff!

But seriously, I root for the red and blue, the blue and orange, and the green and gold in that order, mainly because they are from places I've lived.

Years ago in NJ, we'd sometimes see ununiformed Giants roaming through our streets or at the Short Hills Mall, possibly before or after a practice session on the fields of Fairleigh Dickinson University the next town over. There was a certain amount of familiarity with that particular team back then. It was and still is something synonymous to home.

Without knowing much about the team, I also like purple and gold, merely based on their colors. But, when in Rome, do as the Romans do. So when we get together annually for our friend's combined Packer/Double Birthday Party in Chippewa Falls, I resist the temptation to wear another team's colors.

Our collective children, for the most part, are oblivious to the adult addict's passions. Instead, the girls this year disappeared to watch a Hannah Montana marathon while the boys took turns playing computer games on Game Cube before the siblings opened their gifts. A win-win situation for all. And even without my embroidery with me this year, as someone noted, I still had fun--too many people to talk to between plays!

This Sunday, the scores were: Packers 23, Vikings 16; Bears 27, Lions 37; Eagles 3, Giants 16. Well, two out of three ain't bad! --LKR