Sunday, January 23, 2011

eagles

When I drove into the yard yesterday after work I saw an eagle go for a tree top with another eagle already perched on top. So that eagle moved to another tree and this eagle landed on the tree.
You can see how close to the house they were, right above the dog houses. I let the lab out of the kennel and the dogs were running around waiting for their walk, I had time to run in the house get my camera and get some pictures taken.

You can see an eagle on the tallest tree top. Look to the right and you'll see the other eagle.

This is very unusual the eagles fly over the property all the time, but this is the first time I have ever seen them land. The closest eagle was gone by the time I got back out of the house after I bundled up for our walk. The farthest eagle was still in the tree watching us. These pictures are taken from the back of the house.



Friday, January 21, 2011

did ya ever wonder?

where a moose gets a drink of water in the winter? Well I never thought about that, until I saw a place were the creek had some overflow as I was getting my boots wet while walking on the frozen creek. So I got off the creek in case I fell through the ice and there was a soft spot where it looked like a desert movie how they dig in the sand and hope some water trickles in the hole. The moose in the snow (not the desert) had dug a spot and it looked like the water had flowed in the spot he dug and he got a drink.
My last days off, on a 3 day weekend, I took a walk to the bird bath, which had no open water due to the cold weather for so long, but the birds were still hanging around there. So picture this (since I have no camera, but I will get a cheapo small one to carry on my walks I promise) nice snow cover land, evergreen trees, a huge full moon sitting just on top of the trees, beautiful bright blue sky, and 25 eagles sitting on tree's and flying through the air. It was such a awesome sight I actually had a tear in my eye ( and I don't tear up very easy).

Monday, January 17, 2011

snow

I came into work for a few hours today since it is a holiday, overtime pay, so only a little work needs to be done. But the nice surprise is SNOW, it started snowing, didn't think that was going to happen it has been so cold. I turned up the heater a notch just to keep the house a bit warmer, not to mention I was cold. Might have to break out a snogo if this keeps up. The lab turned up lame so we have been sticking close to home, want that leg to heal, no visible sign of injury she must have pulled something with all that running with the snogo.

The lab did catch a eagle, it was at the bird bath and the mechanic and lab were out on the trail, the lab does like to chase birds, so when she saw that eagle close to the ground she went after it and actually caught the eagle, of course the lab is going to lose in that event, the eagle gave her a few good pecks and she let it go, good thing the eagle didn't get talons on her. She did come to the mechanic when he called her back.

Sunday, January 16, 2011

snow machine ride

This adventure happened 2 weeks ago, was a nice sunny afternoon so about 3p I decided to walk the dogs, but the dogs got to walk and I got to ride one of the old skidoo elans. So told the mechanic we were going to the eagle watering hole. When I got to the watering hole I ran into a trapper so we chatted for a couple minutes he called that cool spot the "bird bath:. Said the eagles will get totally wet and then they can't fly until they dry off. Even in the winter they get totally wet in the open water. So I decided that since it was so nice out we would go a bit farther down the trail and do a loop and end up back home. So down the trail we went, well I missed the turn off and ended up going a long ways down the trail. About the time the sun was going down, I figured I better let the mechanic know where I was, so I stopped looked at my cel phone which is zipped up in my coveralls right, it's 430p, well I got to pee so I';; call him after I pee. Some how the cel phone fell out of my coveralls (could have been the unzipped pocket ha) I couldn't find the cel phone in the snow anywhere, it's getting dark and I got to keep moving. We went a few more miles down the trail and I realize that this isn't right I must turn back. Meanwhile the dogs are still running with me, the ole hound had caught up with us when were at the bird bath, I thought she had stayed home, so I have to let her ride with me on the snogo but it's hard to ride that old machine with a dog so I kept falling off it or the trail, make her run a while and then give her a ride. Well the 2 trappers had told me that day, they had lots of traps out, so then I worry about the labs getting caught in traps, if we keep moving then they won't be poking their noses or foot in a trap. Good think I had my headlamp with me because the elan has no headlight, so we are heading back home finally in the dark, and the elan quits running about 3/4 of a mile from home. So I start walking home. I hear a snow machine running and stops and someone is hollering well it's the mechanic, he has been out looking for me for the last 2 hours. He isn't very happy with me cuz I'm not where I said I would be and I didn't call. Well we went back and got the elan and drug it home, got it running again and sno go's in the garage, when I went in the house it was 8p. The mechanic went to look for the cel phone the next day but didn't find it so I got a new cel phone. The hardest thing about no cel phone, I don't know any phone number and no way to tell time.

Friday, January 14, 2011

lab vs moose

The mechanic has been home for the last 12 days and he does keep me busy. I do have stories to tell though...

The lab has a thing about moose they can't be in her yard, they can't be on her trail, they can't be where she is walking on the roadway or even by the road, she has to go bark at them. If the moose runs she will follow for awhile, figure she has did her job and then come back to me. If the moose decides that it can tolerate the barking dog and just stands there eating, she will continue to bark at it for who knows how long. So I go for a walk with the 2 dogs and there is a moose that decides it doesn't care if that dumb dog is barking. Of course the moose is out in the open and so I give it lots of room in case Mr Moose decides to run my direction. So the dog wouldn't come to me when I called, I walked away hoping she would follow and she doesn't, the dog barked at the moose for 1/2 hour. Well by this time it's getting late and darkness isn't to far away and I know the trappers will be coming out of the woods on their snogo's so I need to get the dog off the moose so they don't shoot the dog. I have walked about and extra 1/2 mile with the dog still barking at the moose, so by this time I am so mad I am going to get that dog, moose there or not. So I walk toward the dog and moose the moose runs off into the wood with the dog behind, once the moose is in the woods the dog comes back to me and here comes the trappers, at least the moose is gone, so I finally get up to the dog and hit her (gently of course). We'll that would be a lesson learned the shock collar is now on her for our walks and it works great a shock when she chases the moose and she comes right back to me without the moose. The moose count is up by my house 6 in a mile or less.