Hi Annie, thanks for fixing the attachments and the tutorial. I will learn by practicing.

The photos that people post here are very beautiful.

And what a hoot those little eagles are. I'm posting a thread with links and still shots for our local internet bulletin board.
People love the pictures and the fact (I think) that they are seeing them from the very beginning.
When I look in on the Decorah nest they look like big toughs by comparison.

Are these parents extra diligent, do you think? You know, compared to other nesting pairs?

Hi Claire!

IMHO I think Mom and Dad White Rock are super careful. Each nest tends to be different and as they get older it is a bit safer to leave them for a bit of time, but not yet. Now, that being said......I await Annie and all the other's thoughts? Great question, by the way.

It is a special thing to watch them from itsy bitsy to "toughs". I love you calling them that - adorable! In reality an eagle's first year is pretty tough so they had better know how to watch out for themselves, sneaking in food from others who did the hard work, and finding places to be safe.

Thought you might enjoy a picture taken in Alaska in the Fall of a humpback breaching right next to our whaling trip boat. Pretty cool, eh? Most of the others have seen this but it bears repeating as it is such a leap of joy.


carolyn

Hello everyone! I have been enjoying all your news and pictures. I know I have been promising some pictures in return and I finally have some for you. I spent the day with eagle friends at the OWL open house and then lunch later with some HWF friends. It was the first time I have gone there and was really excited to see these lovely birds up close. They released an eagle today but unfortunately I was unable to get a picture. Wow, they do fly away fast! So the pictures I have for you are not that eagle, but some from OWL. I have also added one from my yard now that things are starting to bloom here. I hope you like them!

Jean, Wonderful pictures! Thank you and good night everyone,
carolyn

Annie, Jean, Carolyn, Karen, Sarah, Lana & welcome Claire
Happy Sunday evening everyone, great photo's and poems (Carolyn) The photos of the flowers are amazing as are the wildlife ones Jean. Lana can't wait to see the painting.

Annie this is for you...Peter and Miss Winston hard at work under the loveseat. New material and stapled so much no one can get through

Jo, and little Winston sitting there saying "It was fun in there!".......

That should do the trick - what we do for our pets?
Trust me, I have scratching posts that my husband made here and there in the house.

Have a great Monday ELFs.......
carolyn

Just wanted to plop in and say "Hi" before my busy weeks starts.

Claire, these are amazing pictures of the bees. Do I remember correctly that you just broke off that branch and put it in the box? We need a smiley for a "shiver". I just had one thinking about getting that close to them.

Carolyn, sorry Miss L is sick. I hate it when babies/children are under the weather. Hope she is much better today. Love seeing that whale again. They are so amazing.

Lana, looking forward to seeing your picture. You are so talented.

Anna, we did have fun at the bowling party. Lots of fun for all of us. I'll be starting back with another league for the summer first of June, then back to our league in the fall. I think it was you who asked about my average. It's 128. Not great, but these are just fun, handicap leagues. We have people with 60s and all the way up to over 200 out of the 24 bowlers. I have bowled at high as 183, but that was really just a fluke. The league this summer is called "No Tap". If you bowl a 9 on the first ball it counts as a strike. I should be bowling 300 games with this. But probably will start doing 8s on ball 1 They also will do crazy things like bowling from a chair, or sitting on the floor. Throwing backward or between your legs. Whatever the MC decides to do. We have a bout 15 from our group doing it and I don't know how many from other leagues. Should be fun.

Jean, what fun to see the eagle release. Love your pictures.

Mimi, hope this takes care of Winston. I'm glad he didn't have any long term or major problems from the foam he ate. You just have to wonder what he will find to play with next.

I have been having problems with Scardy cat bringing chipmunks in my house. I know they are supposed to be a present, but no thanks. When I got the one out over the weekend, I took all the cat's freedom to come and go away from him. Back door will stay closed and he has to ask to go out and be let back in. He can still get onto the back porch, so out of the weather, but his mouth will be checked before he is allowed in the house. When you break the rules, you loose priviliges just like with the children. He isn't really happy, but such is life.

Gotta head out to work. Hope everyone has a great week.

Carolyn, that photo of the breaching whale is incredible. What joy, for sure!
Thanks for sharing. I see whales along the coast here but I have yet to see a breach. (on my life list...)

Sara, yes this swarm was a breeze. we snipped the branch and put the whole gob in the new hive. We made it easy by putting a hollow box on top of the one with the honeycomb frames. Now we have to get in there and get the dried branch out and fix things up. LOL I so enjoy just leaving them alone.
I do have a photo of my husband without the bee suit standing next to that swarm. They were in a very friendly mood. He is braver than I, but he was also telling me to hurry up and take the danged picture.

Jean, your tree is a splendor. Crab apple, right? When I go back to my native Illinois I see them everywhere. As blessed as this climate is here, I think they are showier in Illinois. I love the abundance and the various shades.
I'll be taking my mom around town today so we will see crab apples and dogwoods and lots of apples in their full blooms. Cherries, too.

About 5 years ago a little tree sprouted from the compost. At first it looked like an apple, then like a cherry or plum. We moved a couple of times but I brought that baby with me in a pot. It is just so elegant in its little form I couldn't leave it behind. I've been waiting for it to bloom and finally this year it did, just a few. As it is coinciding with the cherry blossom time and looks like one, I do believe it is one. hehe. I'm very pleased. We have loads of wild plums around here from the earlier days of the prune industry here, before the wine grape monoculture took over the "prune trees". Yep, that's what they call them!

Well, have a good everyone. Springtime is such fun.
Claire