Question:

Heather might have said: Now when it comes to electrical cords hanging out of the car’s grill, I’m not so sure…

Now now <g we need them too, presuming you’re talking about us down here. And yes, both for diesels and gas jobs. On the other hand, the gas job I needed it for was a ‘62 Bug, in six volt.  Two oil warmers, a battery charger, and an old 25A ‘puter power supply tweaked from 5V to 6V, and that thing still wouldn’t start. The diesels I’ve owned did better, especially when threatened with ether. —

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – x-no-archive: yes x-no-archive: yes Somehow I doubt that they believed you. Americans do know what humming birds look like. Now when it comes to electrical cords hanging out of the car’s grill, I’m not so sure… then you should’a seen them , when we showed then a magpie , and told them , cows fly . Oh get out! You’re pulling my leg. i’d love to , yes , i am . Oh good. I’m still on the turnip truck.

i like turnip if it’s done right .

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – x-no-archive: yes Somehow I doubt that they believed you. Americans do know what humming birds look like. Now when it comes to electrical cords hanging out of the car’s grill, I’m not so sure… then you should’a seen them , when we showed then a magpie , and told them , cows fly . Oh get out! You’re pulling my leg.

i’d love to , yes , i am .

Response:

Kaelwyn might have said: Alberta has a June and so do Saskatchewan, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Ontario, and Quebec.  That’s all the provinces I’ve been to I think, not sure if I was ever in BC.

Lucky. —

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – x-no-archive: yes x-no-archive: yes x-no-archive: yes x-no-archive: yes % might have said: it’s 3:30 here and it will be getting dark in about just over an hour. it won’t get light again here untill 9:30 tomorrow morning it won’t get light here again ’til June because of all the clouds. you have a June … lucky I think you do too, that’s when the mosquito carry away cattle, yes?  Or is it bears that they carry away? Oh that reminds me. The mosquito is our provincial bird. (They say it’s the owl, but they are wrong.) Heather i told some americans , that humming birds were mousquitos when i guded in ontario OMG….HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!! there was a feeder just outside the window , it was an american plan thing , we were all having breakfast by the window , just about to head out fishing OK. I’ll bite. And they said….? nothing , they just stared at the feeder Somehow I doubt that they believed you. Americans do know what humming birds look like. Now when it comes to electrical cords hanging out of the car’s grill, I’m not so sure…

then you should’a seen them , when we showed then a magpie , and told them , cows fly .

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – % might have said: the mosquitos carry on , the bears carry rifles I believe bears should be armed. I think they all are. I’ve never met one, but if I did? I’d use ‘Sir’ and "Ma’am" a lot I think. — i’ve only ever asked in a reall begging voice ,

go away bear , please just go away , and tried to look big .

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – % might have said: i told some americans , that humming birds were mousquitos when i guded in ontario No matter where those Americans came from, I think that they believed you. I think you can tell a tale, and make it sound not merely good, but believable. That is a talent, I think. —

well , they looked sort’a 50 / 50 in their belief , but they put on alot of bug repelent before we headed out .

Response:

% might have said: i told some americans , that humming birds were mousquitos when i guded in ontario

No matter where those Americans came from, I think that they believed you. I think you can tell a tale, and make it sound not merely good, but believable. That is a talent, I think. —

Response:

% might have said: the mosquitos carry on , the bears carry rifles

I believe bears should be armed. I think they all are. I’ve never met one, but if I did? I’d use ‘Sir’ and "Ma’am" a lot I think. —

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – x-no-archive: yes x-no-archive: yes x-no-archive: yes % might have said: it’s 3:30 here and it will be getting dark in about just over an hour. it won’t get light again here untill 9:30 tomorrow morning it won’t get light here again ’til June because of all the clouds. you have a June … lucky I think you do too, that’s when the mosquito carry away cattle, yes?  Or is it bears that they carry away? Oh that reminds me. The mosquito is our provincial bird. (They say it’s the owl, but they are wrong.) Heather i told some americans , that humming birds were mousquitos when i guded in ontario OMG….HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!! there was a feeder just outside the window , it was an american plan thing , we were all having breakfast by the window , just about to head out fishing OK. I’ll bite. And they said….?

nothing , they just stared at the feeder

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – x-no-archive: yes x-no-archive: yes % might have said: it’s 3:30 here and it will be getting dark in about just over an hour. it won’t get light again here untill 9:30 tomorrow morning it won’t get light here again ’til June because of all the clouds. you have a June … lucky I think you do too, that’s when the mosquito carry away cattle, yes?  Or is it bears that they carry away? Oh that reminds me. The mosquito is our provincial bird. (They say it’s the owl, but they are wrong.) Heather i told some americans , that humming birds were mousquitos when i guded in ontario OMG….HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!

there was a feeder just outside the window , it was an american plan thing , we were all having breakfast by the window , just about to head out fishing

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – % might have said: it’s 3:30 here and it will be getting dark in about just over an hour. it won’t get light again here untill 9:30 tomorrow morning it won’t get light here again ’til June because of all the clouds. you have a June … lucky I think you do too, that’s when the mosquito carry away cattle, yes?  Or is it bears that they carry away? —

the mosquitos carry on , the bears carry rifles

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – x-no-archive: yes % might have said: it’s 3:30 here and it will be getting dark in about just over an hour. it won’t get light again here untill 9:30 tomorrow morning it won’t get light here again ’til June because of all the clouds. you have a June … lucky I think you do too, that’s when the mosquito carry away cattle, yes?  Or is it bears that they carry away? Oh that reminds me. The mosquito is our provincial bird. (They say it’s the owl, but they are wrong.) Heather

i told some americans , that humming birds were mousquitos when i guded in ontario

Response:

% might have said: it’s 3:30 here and it will be getting dark in about just over an hour. it won’t get light again here untill 9:30 tomorrow morning it won’t get light here again ’til June because of all the clouds. you have a June … lucky

I think you do too, that’s when the mosquito carry away cattle, yes?  Or is it bears that they carry away? —

Response:

Alberta has a June and so do Saskatchewan, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Ontario, and Quebec.  That’s all the provinces I’ve been to I think, not sure if I was ever in BC. well there’s no June here , we kicked her out , for conduct unbecoming a month

What did you replace her with?

Response:

Alberta has a June and so do Saskatchewan, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Ontario, and Quebec.  That’s all the provinces I’ve been to I think, not sure if I was ever in BC. well there’s no June here , we kicked her out , for conduct unbecoming a month What did you replace her with?

heroin

Response:

not in B.C. , Toronto might have a June, all we get is a wet July , and the 4th means nothing Alberta has a June and so do Saskatchewan, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Ontario, and Quebec.  That’s all the provinces I’ve been to I think, not sure if I was ever in BC.

well there’s no June here , we kicked her out , for conduct unbecoming a month

Response:

not in B.C. , Toronto might have a June, all we get is a wet July , and the 4th means nothing

Alberta has a June and so do Saskatchewan, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Ontario, and Quebec.  That’s all the provinces I’ve been to I think, not sure if I was ever in BC.

Response:

you have a June … lucky you have a June too.  I know you do cause I been to Canada in June.

not in B.C. , Toronto might have a June, all we get is a wet July , and the 4th means nothing

Response:

you have a June … lucky

you have a June too.  I know you do cause I been to Canada in June.

Response:

it’s 3:30 here and it will be getting dark in about just over an hour. it won’t get light again here untill 9:30 tomorrow morning it won’t get light here again ’til June because of all the clouds.

you have a June … lucky

Response:

it’s 3:30 here and it will be getting dark in about just over an hour. it won’t get light again here untill 9:30 tomorrow morning

it won’t get light here again ’til June because of all the clouds.

Response:

because , in the winter time , i only get six hours of daylight it’s 3:30 here and it will be getting dark in about just over an hour.

it won’t get light again here untill 9:30 tomorrow morning

Response:

because , in the winter time , i only get six hours of daylight

Response:

because , in the winter time , i only get six hours of daylight

it’s 3:30 here and it will be getting dark in about just over an hour.

Response:

Question:

Before I go off to bed – which I should have done a while ago – I wanted to just think of a nice thing to write about, just in case someone wanted to read about a nice thing – or later write about their own nice thing. Saturday my son and I went to a movie.  There is one of those stores that has everything for a dollar near there, so we went there while we waited for the time for the movie.  I found a necklace rack – and we make lots of jewelry, so lots of times we get chains from those dollar stores to hold pendants that we create from stones or coral or shells encrusted w/wired strands of beads and semi-precious stones, etc.  Okay, so on this rack were also necklaces w/little openwork stars set in colored rhinestones, and also enameled dragonflies and enameled butterflies.  We got them all.  We like to take jewelries apart and put them back together in new ways with our own new components and it comes out to be a beautiful new things.  We thinks that some of you would like to see how they are.  If we knew what kinds of things you liked, we could even make some things for yous.  Yes, we could and even would. That is what we get enjoyment from – we gives our things aways.  Is it pretty to think of the stars w/rhinestones?  They are small, the stars, and the rhinestones are tiny.  Oh, and guess what?  We were at a party on Sunday and there were lots of babies there, and there was one tiny newborn girl who was only three weeks old and her name is Isabella and she was so beautiful and we liked looking at her and she just looked as if her life is going fine.  That’s a good thing, isn’t it?  And my son swam in the pool and made friends – even though he won’t see them again, because the party was far away – but we are so happy my son can do that, because we didn’t be able to when we was of his age. Thanks for your listenings.  Please to write nice things, too, if you feel like it – Beauty.

Response:

great post, Beauty. we, B and me (B being the fellow i care for), have had a busy week. he requested to go to several events this week, more than he ever requested before. one was a small festival by the river in a park that is low lying to the rest of the town since we have gentle mountians surrounding us. he requested a soft serve ice cream cone, and sat in his wheelchair beneath a tree as a local country band played music in the distance in an amphitheatre. we watched people walk by, and some who knew us stopped to chat a bit. the air this evening was warm and slightly humid, and the breeze from the river passing through the trees cooled us. as the sun went down, the lights from small children rides and food vendor’s wagons shown brightly, even with the ball field lights glowing high up above everything and everyone, high up on top of their poles. being a small community in this valley, i recognized many people walking by; people i knew over the past ten years. the younger folks looked so young and behaved in such a free spirited manor, some wearing clothes similar to the style i had worn in the seventies, but somehow more exaggerated. i noticed more jewlery, and piercings. the older women spoke of book reading clubs at the library, and cleaning crates of strawberries for the festival’s one day shortcake event. a few comments about ch*rch, and light humor were shared. B and me felt safe, and took in the varied sounds, and smells, and watched the world go by, as some would say. sometimes all is forgiven and forgotten, and life is breathed in and out of our lungs with welcome and ease. cliff  

Response:

Oh, e, I have always loved hearing about your cats.  There is a wonderful book I picked up on remainder called C*t K*ngdom, about a kind of experimental cat run some peoples created in Japan – I think it was Japan (I might be inventing that part).  The cats had a huge barn and also a huge fenced barnlot, and the peoples just watched – watched how their social structure worked, how they interacted, how their hierarchies worked, etc., over a few generations.  It is full of lots of pictures.  That’s kind of what your story made me think of – except that your situation is much more free-ranging and – purposeful.  And personal.  Again, much respect for what you do – and it did give me a lot of pleasure to read about all the cat friends, esp. Ty who growled his way into affection.  Oh, yeah, and Stella – that brave, wild queen. Beauty. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – thanks, Beauty. i liked hearing about the necklaces. and about Isabella and about your son having fun.  :-)   thanks. the main nice thing in my life now is that my "wild" cats have gone outside, along with most of the older "domestic" cats. they’re all between about 14 mos. old. and 2 1/4 years old. the semi-feral cats and the domestic cats have become good friends. they all seem to get along well and enjoy each other’s company. an almost completely untamed cat, Stella, is their ringleader. (Stella is another story. we got her too late to tame well but she’s such a sweet cat who loved to be petted in her cage and "mothered" most of the other cats, that we had high hopes that she’d tame up;  become our new "favorite, wonderful" cat; and sort of take the place of our old favorite, wonderful cat who died recently. but Stella never liked to be held and when she escaped from her cage late this winter, she was gone. except she comes in regularly to eat. anyway, the "house" cats have calmed down. the kittens are almost grown and so tear through the house much less frequently. they’re much calmer and quieter, although they still like to play. all the kittens are lap cats now except Becky who is afraid of the other cats and so mostly stays by the window. Puka, from the litter that came at the wrong time (i had too many other cats, some of them sick, and was out of it from the meds i was taking so i never paid enough attention to them when they were young and most tamable), is very friendly and follows me around like a puppy. but isn’t as yappy.  she still doesn’t like anyone else, though so adoption is still a long way off.  :-P~  her brother, Silver, was *very* friendly until i tried to get rid of his ear mites. now he only lets me pet him when he’s eating. but he had become so affectionate and he is so sweet that i still think he may eventually tame up better than Puka. we keep hoping that Sid (for Obsidian) will join the outside cats. he’s not at all tame and hides most of the time but i think he’ll be ok outside and will come in for food regularly. Ty, the formerly abused cat who’d lived outside or in our garage, is becoming a house cat. he still spends about half his time outside but he comes in often to be petted. he’s quite demanding.    :-)  when we first got him (as an adult) – right after he’d been neutered – i was afraid to touch him bc he growled so fiercely when i fed him or otherwise went anywhere near his cage. he kept it up the whole time i was near. after about a month or so, i decided i should let him go to become one of my outside cats. but i thought i should at least give him a chance at becoming domestic so i donned two pairs of leather gloves – he’s large and if he bit me i think it could have easily gone to the bone – and started to pet him. he backed up in the corner of his cage and faced me squarely. he was growling fiercely and loudly and looked poised to pounce. but i was determined to at least try to pet him. somehow i scruffed him and started petting his back. to my amazement, he started purring. when i stopped, he cried as if he wanted me to pet him some more. so i tried but as i reached for him, he growled and looked like he might attack me. but i tried again. and he purred again. this went on for a week or so. every time i’d get near his cage or feed him, he’d growl loudly and look like he was going to attack. but as soon as i began to pet him, he turned into a pussycat. and as soon as i’d stop, he’d cry for more petting. but when i’d try to pet him he’d growl and get in attack position as if he were thinking "if i can’t kill you, i’ll d*e trying." but as soon as i started petting him, he’d purr. after about a week of that (with both my kid and i taking turns petting him bc he was so demanding), he started crying soon before feeding time. and he’d cry for an hour or so after we’d left bc he wanted more petting. (we were usually good for around 30 min but rarely more. sometimes less.) but he’d still growl a LOT when we first began to pet him. it was funny. we’ve now had him around 10 mos. this week, he discovered the joys of laying on the sofa.  at first he kept jumping up and running away every time someone or something moved on the sofa (which is frequently when you have lots of cats and a big, pushy dog , but he’s much better about that now. and last night, when i got a toy – one of those flexible plastic sticks that has feathers attached at the end – to play with Puka and Silver (bc poor Puka, who hadn’t been played with in a couple of weeks, was so desperate that she’d been chasing the broom all around as i swept , Ty ran most of the 10 ft. from the sofa, where he’d been laying, to the open door. but i called his name and he stopped and turned around. he didn’t come back but he watched from maybe 6 ft away from the toy. he seemed fascinated but scared as he watched Puka and Silver play. i sat on the sofa, which was next to where i’d been playing with the cats, and called him. he came right away bc he loves to be petted, even if he’s still very skittish around ppl.  i petted him and put the feather toy next to him. he sniffed it a while then licked it. then he started batting it so i moved it a bit. he batted it more. then i moved it more and Ty started playing with the feathers. so did Puka.  :-) anyway, Ty is still skittish but otherwise you’d never know that he’d ever been anything but a very affectionate, sweet, and demanding cat. and my dog is calming down and not chasing the cats as much.  :-)  so a few of them actually like him now.  :-) he likes that. e Before I go off to bed – which I should have done a while ago – I wanted to just think of a nice thing to write about, just in case someone wanted to read about a nice thing – or later write about their own nice thing. Saturday my son and I went to a movie.  There is one of those stores that has everything for a dollar near there, so we went there while we waited for the time for the movie.  I found a necklace rack – and we make lots of jewelry, so lots of times we get chains from those dollar stores to hold pendants that we create from stones or coral or shells encrusted w/wired strands of beads and semi-precious stones, etc.  Okay, so on this rack were also necklaces w/little openwork stars set in colored rhinestones, and also enameled dragonflies and enameled butterflies.  We got them all.  We like to take jewelries apart and put them back together in new ways with our own new components and it comes out to be a beautiful new things.  We thinks that some of you would like to see how they are.  If we knew what kinds of things you liked, we could even make some things for yous.  Yes, we could and even would. That is what we get enjoyment from – we gives our things aways.  Is it pretty to think of the stars w/rhinestones?  They are small, the stars, and the rhinestones are tiny.  Oh, and guess what?  We were at a party on Sunday and there were lots of babies there, and there was one tiny newborn girl who was only three weeks old and her name is Isabella and she was so beautiful and we liked looking at her and she just looked as if her life is going fine.  That’s a good thing, isn’t it?  And my son swam in the pool and made friends – even though he won’t see them again, because the party was far away – but we are so happy my son can do that, because we didn’t be able to when we was of his age. Thanks for your listenings.  Please to write nice things, too, if you feel like it – Beauty.

Response:

This is a lovely post, too, cliff.  Thank you for sharing the beautiful evening.  Your words really brought it alive to us. Beauty. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – great post, Beauty. we, B and me (B being the fellow i care for), have had a busy week. he requested to go to several events this week, more than he ever requested before. one was a small festival by the river in a park that is low lying to the rest of the town since we have gentle mountians surrounding us. he requested a soft serve ice cream cone, and sat in his wheelchair beneath a tree as a local country band played music in the distance in an amphitheatre. we watched people walk by, and some who knew us stopped to chat a bit. the air this evening was warm and slightly humid, and the breeze from the river passing through the trees cooled us. as the sun went down, the lights from small children rides and food vendor’s wagons shown brightly, even with the ball field lights glowing high up above everything and everyone, high up on top of their poles. being a small community in this valley, i recognized many people walking by; people i knew over the past ten years. the younger folks looked so young and behaved in such a free spirited manor, some wearing clothes similar to the style i had worn in the seventies, but somehow more exaggerated. i noticed more jewlery, and piercings. the older women spoke of book reading clubs at the library, and cleaning crates of strawberries for the festival’s one day shortcake event. a few comments about ch*rch, and light humor were shared. B and me felt safe, and took in the varied sounds, and smells, and watched the world go by, as some would say. sometimes all is forgiven and forgotten, and life is breathed in and out of our lungs with welcome and ease. cliff

Response:

Hello, Beauty and J/c,    I think your jewellery making sounds wonderful, Beauty, and I would love to see what you do with the stars and things. Sounds lovely! And J/c, you have done some interesting things and seen some, too. My nice thing is that today my pottery class went to a potter’s studio to see his work and where he does it. He has a restaurant there, too, and we all had lunch together. We laughed, and shared food, especially the desserts, and we wandered with the potter in his fabulous gardens. The spring flowers were blooming, peonies bigger than dinner plates, and lupins and iris. The fish were swimming lazily in the pond, and the water lilies were in full blossom. We saw his wheels and the kiln and everything. We watched him throwing, and he showed us some special tools he has devised for certain purposes. It was an afternoon when DID didn’t. Not much. Driving there and back along the country roads where the green grasses and the gardens are lush was wonderful to see and smell. A nice thing today. jane – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – great post, Beauty. we, B and me (B being the fellow i care for), have had a busy week. he requested to go to several events this week, more than he ever requested before. one was a small festival by the river in a park that is low lying to the rest of the town since we have gentle mountians surrounding us. he requested a soft serve ice cream cone, and sat in his wheelchair beneath a tree as a local country band played music in the distance in an amphitheatre. we watched people walk by, and some who knew us stopped to chat a bit. the air this evening was warm and slightly humid, and the breeze from the river passing through the trees cooled us. as the sun went down, the lights from small children rides and food vendor’s wagons shown brightly, even with the ball field lights glowing high up above everything and everyone, high up on top of their poles. being a small community in this valley, i recognized many people walking by; people i knew over the past ten years. the younger folks looked so young and behaved in such a free spirited manor, some wearing clothes similar to the style i had worn in the seventies, but somehow more exaggerated. i noticed more jewlery, and piercings. the older women spoke of book reading clubs at the library, and cleaning crates of strawberries for the festival’s one day shortcake event. a few comments about ch*rch, and light humor were shared. B and me felt safe, and took in the varied sounds, and smells, and watched the world go by, as some would say. sometimes all is forgiven and forgotten, and life is breathed in and out of our lungs with welcome and ease. cliff

Response:

Oh, it sounds so beautiful, jane.  Gardens and food and pots and fish.  What more could anyone want? Beauty. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hello, Beauty and J/c,    I think your jewellery making sounds wonderful, Beauty, and I would love to see what you do with the stars and things. Sounds lovely! And J/c, you have done some interesting things and seen some, too. My nice thing is that today my pottery class went to a potter’s studio to see his work and where he does it. He has a restaurant there, too, and we all had lunch together. We laughed, and shared food, especially the desserts, and we wandered with the potter in his fabulous gardens. The spring flowers were blooming, peonies bigger than dinner plates, and lupins and iris. The fish were swimming lazily in the pond, and the water lilies were in full blossom. We saw his wheels and the kiln and everything. We watched him throwing, and he showed us some special tools he has devised for certain purposes. It was an afternoon when DID didn’t. Not much. Driving there and back along the country roads where the green grasses and the gardens are lush was wonderful to see and smell. A nice thing today. jane great post, Beauty. we, B and me (B being the fellow i care for), have had a busy week. he requested to go to several events this week, more than he ever requested before. one was a small festival by the river in a park that is low lying to the rest of the town since we have gentle mountians surrounding us. he requested a soft serve ice cream cone, and sat in his wheelchair beneath a tree as a local country band played music in the distance in an amphitheatre. we watched people walk by, and some who knew us stopped to chat a bit. the air this evening was warm and slightly humid, and the breeze from the river passing through the trees cooled us. as the sun went down, the lights from small children rides and food vendor’s wagons shown brightly, even with the ball field lights glowing high up above everything and everyone, high up on top of their poles. being a small community in this valley, i recognized many people walking by; people i knew over the past ten years. the younger folks looked so young and behaved in such a free spirited manor, some wearing clothes similar to the style i had worn in the seventies, but somehow more exaggerated. i noticed more jewlery, and piercings. the older women spoke of book reading clubs at the library, and cleaning crates of strawberries for the festival’s one day shortcake event. a few comments about ch*rch, and light humor were shared. B and me felt safe, and took in the varied sounds, and smells, and watched the world go by, as some would say. sometimes all is forgiven and forgotten, and life is breathed in and out of our lungs with welcome and ease. cliff

Response:

That is amazing about the other ducks, and thank you for helping the duck and we holding the duck in thoughts for healing best.  And here is a strange and funny thing:  we was watching M*ts and Or*oles game on television and there was a pair of mallards which came during about the 2nd inning and stayed through the 8th inning!!!  They was just wandering around out on the field together all that time together, and we think that is so funny and amazing and funny and then they just flew off and the camera kept showing us them and they showed us them flying off together, too.  Isn’t that funny and odd??? Beauty. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – well i was at the park and i saw my daughter’s dog running along with someone, it was her friend who is dog-sitting.  she stoppedand we were talking a minute when some people were noticing an injured duck at the side of the pond.  no one wanted to help it so we took it to the emergency vets and they will see if it can be saved.  i haven’t called yet to find out but we felt really good about trying, duck had bad leg, couldn’t swim and would have suffered out in the heat tomorrow if the ants didn’t get it first.  what was really touching was how the other ducks were gathered around him and wouldn’t leave him.  wish the duck luck.   best, samantha

Response:

well i was at the park and i saw my daughter’s dog running along with someone, it was her friend who is dog-sitting.  she stoppedand we were talking a minute when some people were noticing an injured duck at the side of the pond.  no one wanted to help it so we took it to the emergency vets and they will see if it can be saved.  i haven’t called yet to find out but we felt really good about trying, duck had bad leg, couldn’t swim and would have suffered out in the heat tomorrow if the ants didn’t get it first.  what was really touching was how the other ducks were gathered around him and wouldn’t leave him.  wish the duck luck.   best, samantha  

Response:

hey – we had ducks too! i did forget all about them until now you say you had ducks. we lived in suburbs too, but there was a little bit of woods and a lake behind our house, and the ducks did live there. they would come quacking up through our back yard, and we would give them bread crumbs or something, and then they would go quacking home. what i remember as good about childhood was the lake behind our house. we would go there, and there was a tree with a little clearing that we could sit under and be lazy, and then there was cattails growing by the lake, and we could walk all around the lake on a little path, and sometimes go down to the water and watch little fishes. and sometimes go fishing too. and i think it’s not allowed now but we would whack the cattails open and it would be like little feathers floating and falling through the air. and then also we would pick the blackberries that did grow there. yum yum and sometimes ouch. i remember now i really did love the lake. tv

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – We had ducks, my sister and I, when we were little.  They grew up and got white and we gave them to a farm.  They were cute ducklings – we had suburbs so we couldn’t have big ducks, it would have been stupid.  Thanks for writing. Beauty. hi beauty,  those ducks at the game sound really cute!  i had pet ducks as a child, have always loved to watch them.  all i know about my duck so far is the vet sent him to animal rescue, which i think means he could be saved.  still trying to find out more.   best, samantha

Response:

We had ducks, my sister and I, when we were little.  They grew up and got white and we gave them to a farm.  They were cute ducklings – we had suburbs so we couldn’t have big ducks, it would have been stupid.  Thanks for writing. Beauty. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – hi beauty,  those ducks at the game sound really cute!  i had pet ducks as a child, have always loved to watch them.  all i know about my duck so far is the vet sent him to animal rescue, which i think means he could be saved.  still trying to find out more.   best, samantha

Response:

Thank you for the nice things.  We will tell you of one magical morning.  We woke up about 17 years ago in April to a freak blizzard of about four feet, and out of nowhere, perched all over our half a dozen bird feeders (we lived on a hill surrounded by deep woods) were scores of evening grosbeaks – do you know what they look like?  They are huge brilliant yellow birds w/parrot beaks and black markings.  We couldn’t believe it – we had never seen them before in our lives, and then there they were by the dozen.  The other thing we saw that was wonderful once was a group of newly-fledged scarlet tanagers:  when they are newly-fledged, they are not completely red yet – they are part red and part green – also like parrots.  Amazing!  I adore birds – they are the most incredible, incredible, beautiful creatures.  There are no words for how wonderful, delicate, unearthly they are.  But you know that.  Oh – and the unearthly, subtle, inexpressible colors of the mourning doves . . . Best – Beauty. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – well i was at the park and i saw my daughter’s dog running along with someone, it was her friend who is dog-sitting. she stoppedand we were talking a minute when some people were noticing an injured duck at the side of the pond. no one wanted to help it so we took it to the emergency vets and they will see if it can be saved. i haven’t called yet to find out but we felt really good about trying, duck had bad leg, couldn’t swim and would have suffered out in the heat tomorrow if the ants didn’t get it first. what was really touching was how the other ducks were gathered around him and wouldn’t leave him. wish the duck luck. best, samantha That was so kind of you, samantha.  The duck was very lucky that y’all came along.  Hope it’s doing better. My nice thing is that the other day I saw a Northern Oriole, and a wild parrot,  both within 5 minutes .  They were both so incredibly beautiful. mdove — For info about this service, see http://anon.twwells.com/help/ or e-mail:

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – well i was at the park and i saw my daughter’s dog running along with someone, it was her friend who is dog-sitting. she stoppedand we were talking a minute when some people were noticing an injured duck at the side of the pond. no one wanted to help it so we took it to the emergency vets and they will see if it can be saved. i haven’t called yet to find out but we felt really good about trying, duck had bad leg, couldn’t swim and would have suffered out in the heat tomorrow if the ants didn’t get it first. what was really touching was how the other ducks were gathered around him and wouldn’t leave him. wish the duck luck. best, samantha

That was so kind of you, samantha.  The duck was very lucky that y’all came along.  Hope it’s doing better. My nice thing is that the other day I saw a Northern Oriole, and a wild parrot,  both within 5 minutes .  They were both so incredibly beautiful. mdove — For info about this service, see http://anon.twwells.com/help/ or e-mail:

Response:

hi beauty,  those ducks at the game sound really cute!  i had pet ducks as a child, have always loved to watch them.  all i know about my duck so far is the vet sent him to animal rescue, which i think means he could be saved.  still trying to find out more.   best, samantha

Response:

Now we say funny – we had our ducks from when they used to have to be allowed to sell them in dime stores, back when the did still have dime stores, which they do not anymore, now they have dollar stores.  But one night we all did go to the dime store for something we don’t remember what because we were only maybe four years old and we did see ducklings and chicks under warm lights and going peepeepeep like they do and we were so happy to see them and all of a sudden the fthr said we would get two of them, for my sstr and me and the mthr argued no it was crazy but he did make it happen, and we could hardly believe it!!!!!  They did let us pick out our ones and we did, and they did get a shoebox with holes in the top for the ducklings to get air for us to take them home and then we couldn’t stand it for when we got in the car we just had to peek and of course out they did hop and all around the car and peep peep peep and under the seats and things but we did finally get them to get back to us and we got them back into the box and to the house and they did live there, inside and out, until they did get big and white. Beautys. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – hey – we had ducks too! i did forget all about them until now you say you had ducks. we lived in suburbs too, but there was a little bit of woods and a lake behind our house, and the ducks did live there. they would come quacking up through our back yard, and we would give them bread crumbs or something, and then they would go quacking home. what i remember as good about childhood was the lake behind our house. we would go there, and there was a tree with a little clearing that we could sit under and be lazy, and then there was cattails growing by the lake, and we could walk all around the lake on a little path, and sometimes go down to the water and watch little fishes. and sometimes go fishing too. and i think it’s not allowed now but we would whack the cattails open and it would be like little feathers floating and falling through the air. and then also we would pick the blackberries that did grow there. yum yum and sometimes ouch. i remember now i really did love the lake. tv We had ducks, my sister and I, when we were little.  They grew up and got white and we gave them to a farm.  They were cute ducklings – we had suburbs so we couldn’t have big ducks, it would have been stupid.  Thanks for writing. Beauty. hi beauty,  those ducks at the game sound really cute!  i had pet ducks as a child, have always loved to watch them.  all i know about my duck so far is the vet sent him to animal rescue, which i think means he could be saved.  still trying to find out more.   best, samantha

Response:

(trying to focus some, and hurting some too) writitng seems to be my salvaion, eventhough i don’t do it so well. good things, yeah, they happen. like last evening, watching the sunset from a higher point in the valley, before it dipped down low where fields, spotted with round bales of hey and cattle, little homes with white wooden siding and porches, barns and silos, rail and wire fences, and trees reaching the first mountain ridge, exposing the next ridge, and then the next, maybe four rows of mountains leading to the final horizon all in lighter shades of blue. warm air breezes carrying rich sweet smells of fresh cut alphalfa (sp) hey intoxicated my senses. i didn’t want to leave. thanks. oh, and Beauty. i sing everything, proudly, and badly! )) cliff    

Response:

cliff, I have read the place where you wrote how much you want to speak/write – how you yearn to reach for language.  Oh, you do have it, my friend.  Your prose does sing – proudly, proudly – and w/strength.  And the humility and pride, hand in hand, augment the strength. Peace – Beauty. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – (trying to focus some, and hurting some too) writitng seems to be my salvaion, eventhough i don’t do it so well. good things, yeah, they happen. like last evening, watching the sunset from a higher point in the valley, before it dipped down low where fields, spotted with round bales of hey and cattle, little homes with white wooden siding and porches, barns and silos, rail and wire fences, and trees reaching the first mountain ridge, exposing the next ridge, and then the next, maybe four rows of mountains leading to the final horizon all in lighter shades of blue. warm air breezes carrying rich sweet smells of fresh cut alphalfa (sp) hey intoxicated my senses. i didn’t want to leave. thanks. oh, and Beauty. i sing everything, proudly, and badly! )) cliff

Response:

Wow, what wonderful sightings, Beauty.  Magical indeed!   I love birds, too, as you might have guessed.  My most exciting sighting this year was a pileated woodpecker.  We get lots of red-bellied, Downy and Hairy woodpeckers, but this was a real treat.  He was magnificent (and noisy, even tho’ he was pecking very slowly and deliberately). mdove Thank you for the nice things. We will tell you of one magical morning. We woke up about 17 years ago in April to a freak blizzard of about four feet, and out of nowhere, perched all over our half a dozen bird feeders (we lived on a hill surrounded by deep woods) were scores of evening grosbeaks – do you know what they look like?

Oh, yes.  But I’ve only seen one, many years ago. They are huge brilliant yellow birds – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – w/parrot beaks and black markings. We couldn’t believe it – we had never seen them before in our lives, and then there they were by the dozen. The other thing we saw that was wonderful once was a group of newly-fledged scarlet tanagers: when they are newly-fledged, they are not completely red yet – they are part red and part green – also like parrots. Amazing! I adore birds – they are the most incredible, incredible, beautiful creatures. There are no words for how wonderful, delicate, unearthly they are. But you know that. Oh – and the unearthly, subtle, inexpressible colors of the mourning doves . . . Best – Beauty. well i was at the park and i saw my daughter’s dog running along with someone, it was her friend who is dog-sitting. she stoppedand we were talking a minute when some people were noticing an injured duck at the side of the pond. no one wanted to help it so we took it to the emergency vets and they will see if it can be saved. i haven’t called yet to find out but we felt really good about trying, duck had bad leg, couldn’t swim and would have suffered out in the heat tomorrow if the ants didn’t get it first. what was really touching was how the other ducks were gathered around him and wouldn’t leave him. wish the duck luck. best, samantha That was so kind of you, samantha. The duck was very lucky that y’all came along. Hope it’s doing better. My nice thing is that the other day I saw a Northern Oriole, and a wild parrot, both within 5 minutes . They were both so incredibly beautiful. mdove — For info about this service, see http://anon.twwells.com/help/ or e-mail: message

GET INTERNET ACCESS FROM JUNO! Juno offers FREE or PREMIUM Internet access for less! Join Juno today!  For your FREE software, visit: http://dl.www.juno.com/get/tagj. — For info about this service, see http://anon.twwells.com/help/ or e-mail:

Response:

You would love it where we are – pileated heaven.  Someone once counted 26 pileateds at once in a single site.  And we have them living right around us – across the road mostly, in a big old rotten tree.  Also, our favorite thing – once we saw a nest of baby ones – just barely fledged – sticking their silly little baby necks all out of the tree squawking for the mthr – and then the next day – they had flown the nest!!!  We also had a phoebe who nested for years atop the light just outside our door, attached to our house – we passed w/in inches of her nest coming and going all spring and summer.  The last summer she was here she raised two broods – they were *darling*!!!! when they were just to the stage of standing on the edge of the nest ready to fly – looking down at us with this completely unfazed gaze – just too, too baby even to care that we were another species – darling. Beauty. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Wow, what wonderful sightings, Beauty.  Magical indeed!   I love birds, too, as you might have guessed.  My most exciting sighting this year was a pileated woodpecker.  We get lots of red-bellied, Downy and Hairy woodpeckers, but this was a real treat.  He was magnificent (and noisy, even tho’ he was pecking very slowly and deliberately). mdove Thank you for the nice things. We will tell you of one magical morning. We woke up about 17 years ago in April to a freak blizzard of about four feet, and out of nowhere, perched all over our half a dozen bird feeders (we lived on a hill surrounded by deep woods) were scores of evening grosbeaks – do you know what they look like? Oh, yes.  But I’ve only seen one, many years ago. They are huge brilliant yellow birds w/parrot beaks and black markings. We couldn’t believe it – we had never seen them before in our lives, and then there they were by the dozen. The other thing we saw that was wonderful once was a group of newly-fledged scarlet tanagers: when they are newly-fledged, they are not completely red yet – they are part red and part green – also like parrots. Amazing! I adore birds – they are the most incredible, incredible, beautiful creatures. There are no words for how wonderful, delicate, unearthly they are. But you know that. Oh – and the unearthly, subtle, inexpressible colors of the mourning doves . . . Best – Beauty. well i was at the park and i saw my daughter’s dog running along with someone, it was her friend who is dog-sitting. she stoppedand we were talking a minute when some people were noticing an injured duck at the side of the pond. no one wanted to help it so we took it to the emergency vets and they will see if it can be saved. i haven’t called yet to find out but we felt really good about trying, duck had bad leg, couldn’t swim and would have suffered out in the heat tomorrow if the ants didn’t get it first. what was really touching was how the other ducks were gathered around him and wouldn’t leave him. wish the duck luck. best, samantha That was so kind of you, samantha. The duck was very lucky that y’all came along. Hope it’s doing better. My nice thing is that the other day I saw a Northern Oriole, and a wild parrot, both within 5 minutes . They were both so incredibly beautiful. mdove — For info about this service, see http://anon.twwells.com/help/ or e-mail: message GET INTERNET ACCESS FROM JUNO! Juno offers FREE or PREMIUM Internet access for less! Join Juno today!  For your FREE software, visit: http://dl.www.juno.com/get/tagj. — For info about this service, see http://anon.twwells.com/help/ or e-mail:

Response:

P.S. – Did you know that pileateds are the only species of woodpecker who begin by pecking slow and get faster as they peck (that is, when they are pecking in rhythm, and not in that single-stroke, deliberate way you mention).  So that’s one way you can tell if there are pileateds around even if you don’t see them – their pecking sounds like a ten-penny nail being driven into a telephone pole by an accelerating hammer. W**dy W**dpecker is a pileated.  His crazy laugh is modeled on the actual sound they make, which really does sound like maniacal laughter.  You can tell the males from the females because the males have crests which are entirely red and the females have crests which are red only along the top of the tuft. You probably know most of that, right?  I’m just being excited, because I like to talk about birds.  One winter I worked to get chickadees to land in my hands and eat.  That spring, they still knew me, and they used to land on my head when I was sitting outside reading.  That was one of my most magical experiences ever – the feel of their little feet – I can’t even begin to describe it – and knowing that they would come to me, let their little feathers and bright eyes live so close to my seeing. Beauty. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Wow, what wonderful sightings, Beauty.  Magical indeed!   I love birds, too, as you might have guessed.  My most exciting sighting this year was a pileated woodpecker.  We get lots of red-bellied, Downy and Hairy woodpeckers, but this was a real treat.  He was magnificent (and noisy, even tho’ he was pecking very slowly and deliberately). mdove Thank you for the nice things. We will tell you of one magical morning. We woke up about 17 years ago in April to a freak blizzard of about four feet, and out of nowhere, perched all over our half a dozen bird feeders (we lived on a hill surrounded by deep woods) were scores of evening grosbeaks – do you know what they look like? Oh, yes.  But I’ve only seen one, many years ago. They are huge brilliant yellow birds w/parrot beaks and black markings. We couldn’t believe it – we had never seen them before in our lives, and then there they were by the dozen. The other thing we saw that was wonderful once was a group of newly-fledged scarlet tanagers: when they are newly-fledged, they are not completely red yet – they are part red and part green – also like parrots. Amazing! I adore birds – they are the most incredible, incredible, beautiful creatures. There are no words for how wonderful, delicate, unearthly they are. But you know that. Oh – and the unearthly, subtle, inexpressible colors of the mourning doves . . . Best – Beauty. well i was at the park and i saw my daughter’s dog running along with someone, it was her friend who is dog-sitting. she stoppedand we were talking a minute when some people were noticing an injured duck at the side of the pond. no one wanted to help it so we took it to the emergency vets and they will see if it can be saved. i haven’t called yet to find out but we felt really good about trying, duck had bad leg, couldn’t swim and would have suffered out in the heat tomorrow if the ants didn’t get it first. what was really touching was how the other ducks were gathered around him and wouldn’t leave him. wish the duck luck. best, samantha That was so kind of you, samantha. The duck was very lucky that y’all came along. Hope it’s doing better. My nice thing is that the other day I saw a Northern Oriole, and a wild parrot, both within 5 minutes . They were both so incredibly beautiful. mdove — For info about this service, see http://anon.twwells.com/help/ or e-mail: message GET INTERNET ACCESS FROM JUNO! Juno offers FREE or PREMIUM Internet access for less! Join Juno today!  For your FREE software, visit: http://dl.www.juno.com/get/tagj. — For info about this service, see http://anon.twwells.com/help/ or e-mail:

Response:

Hey Beauty Really enjoy reading your *bird* posts…..:o)) Thanx Those pileated sure are something aren’t they!! Don’t get to see very many of them up here.. In fact I think they are on the endangered list… Just a couple of years ago my p*rents stopped the government from building an access road to their secluded community because a mating pair had settled in the bush behind their place.. They live 20 miles to the nearest road and they like it that way..;)  Gov. regulations forbade any construction within the area….  :o)) Cool birds to watch… too!    :o)) J/c btw… we see a lot of evening grosbeaks up here too!! beautiful!!

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – You would love it where we are – pileated heaven.  Someone once counted 26 pileateds at once in a single site.  And we have them living right around us – across the road mostly, in a big old rotten tree.  Also, our favorite thing – once we saw a nest of baby ones – just barely fledged – sticking their silly little baby necks all out of the tree squawking for the mthr – and then the next day – they had flown the nest!!!  We also had a phoebe who nested for years atop the light just outside our door, attached to our house – we passed w/in inches of her nest coming and going all spring and summer. The last summer she was here she raised two broods – they were *darling*!!!! when they were just to the stage of standing on the edge of the nest ready to fly – looking down at us with this completely unfazed gaze – just too, too baby even to care that we were another species – darling. Beauty. Wow, what wonderful sightings, Beauty.  Magical indeed!   I love birds, too, as you might have guessed.  My most exciting sighting this year was a pileated woodpecker.  We get lots of red-bellied, Downy and Hairy woodpeckers, but this was a real treat.  He was magnificent (and noisy, even tho’ he was pecking very slowly and deliberately). mdove Thank you for the nice things. We will tell you of one magical morning. We woke up about 17 years ago in April to a freak blizzard of about four feet, and out of nowhere, perched all over our half a dozen bird feeders (we lived on a hill surrounded by deep woods) were scores of evening grosbeaks – do you know what they look like? Oh, yes.  But I’ve only seen one, many years ago. They are huge brilliant yellow birds w/parrot beaks and black markings. We couldn’t believe it – we had never seen them before in our lives, and then there they were by the dozen. The other thing we saw that was wonderful once was a group of newly-fledged scarlet tanagers: when they are newly-fledged, they are not completely red yet – they are part red and part green – also like parrots. Amazing! I adore birds – they are the most incredible, incredible, beautiful creatures. There are no words for how wonderful, delicate, unearthly they are. But you know that. Oh – and the unearthly, subtle, inexpressible colors of the mourning doves . . . Best – Beauty. well i was at the park and i saw my daughter’s dog running along with someone, it was her friend who is dog-sitting. she stoppedand we were talking a minute when some people were noticing an injured duck at the side of the pond. no one wanted to help it so we took it to the emergency vets and they will see if it can be saved. i haven’t called yet to find out but we felt really good about trying, duck had bad leg, couldn’t swim and would have suffered out in the heat tomorrow if the ants didn’t get it first. what was really touching was how the other ducks were gathered around him and wouldn’t leave him. wish the duck luck. best, samantha That was so kind of you, samantha. The duck was very lucky that y’all came along. Hope it’s doing better. My nice thing is that the other day I saw a Northern Oriole, and a wild parrot, both within 5 minutes . They were both so incredibly beautiful. mdove — For info about this service, see http://anon.twwells.com/help/ or e-mail: message GET INTERNET ACCESS FROM JUNO! Juno offers FREE or PREMIUM Internet access for less! Join Juno today!  For your FREE software, visit: http://dl.www.juno.com/get/tagj. — For info about this service, see http://anon.twwells.com/help/ or e-mail:

Response:

You would love it where we are – pileated heaven. Someone once counted 26 pileateds at once in a single site.

Yes, I would love that.  I can’t even imagine a sight like that!  About 11 years ago I saw a pair, but hadn’t seen any since, until this one. And we have them living right around us – across the road mostly, in a big old rotten tree. Also, our favorite thing – once we saw a nest of baby ones – just barely fledged – sticking their silly little baby necks all out of the tree squawking for the mthr – and then the next day – they had flown the nest!!!

Oh, wow!!  I’ll bet they were cute (or so ugly they were cute.) – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -We also had a phoebe who nested for years atop the light just outside our door, attached to our house – we passed w/in inches of her nest coming and going all spring and summer. The last summer she was here she raised two broods – they were *darling*!!!! when they were just to the stage of standing on the edge of the nest ready to fly – looking down at us with this completely unfazed gaze – just too, too baby even to care that we were another species – darling.

Wonderful!!!!!   Once we had the privilege of watching a chuck-will’s-widow nesting in our yard (actually, there was no visible nest at all-she just laid her eggs on the ground.  It was a wonderful treat because we had heard them at night for many years, but had never seen one.  We got to see her and her three young ones up close and personal.  An amazing bird–really put on quite a display if anyone got to close to the nest. mdove — For info about this service, see http://anon.twwells.com/help/ or e-mail:

Response:

P.S. – Did you know that pileateds are the only species of woodpecker who begin by pecking slow and get faster as they peck (that is, when they are pecking in rhythm, and not in that single-stroke, deliberate way you mention). So that’s one way you can tell if there are pileateds around even if you don’t see them – their pecking sounds like a ten-penny nail being driven into a telephone pole by an accelerating hammer.

Didn’t know that….or if I did, I forgot W**dy W**dpecker is a pileated. His crazy laugh is modeled on the actual sound they make, which really does sound like maniacal laughter. You can tell the males from the females because the males have crests which are entirely red and the females have crests which are red only along the top of the tuft.

Yep, knew that….this one was a male. You probably know most of that, right? I’m just being excited, because I like to talk about birds.

Several years ago I used to lurk at rec.birds……lots of bird talk there.  At least there used to be.  I used to know a lot more about birds than I do now.  I kind of lost interest while I was really depressed, and have forgotten quite a bit,  but my enthusiasm for birdwatching has been returning during the past couple years.  I need to get some new binoculars and get back out there..   One winter I worked to get chickadees to land in my hands and eat. That spring, they still knew me, and they used to land on my head when I was sitting outside reading. That was one of my most magical experiences ever – the feel of their little feet – I can’t even begin to describe it – and knowing that they would come to me, let their little feathers and bright eyes live so close to my seeing. Beauty.

Oh, that is so cute…..<broad smile  what a wonderful experience. Thank you for sharing this. mdove — For info about this service, see http://anon.twwells.com/help/ or e-mail:

Response:

thanks so much to tv, Beauty, samantha, mdove, and others who’ve talked about their experiences with birds.  :-)  i like watching birds but try to discourage them from being in my yard, partly bc of my cats and partly bc of the neighborhood dogs, including mine. but to have birds land on your head would be magical!  :-) i can’t imagine how much work it must have taken. i’m reminded of Beauty from the story "Beauty" (IIRC) which was a retelling of "Beauty and the Beast". oh, and D*sney’s and others’ versions of the story, too.  :-) e You would love it where we are – pileated heaven.  Someone once counted 26 pileateds at once in a single site.  And we have them living right around us – across the road mostly, in a big old rotten tree.  Also, our favorite thing – once we saw a nest of baby ones – just barely fledged – sticking their silly little baby necks all out of the tree squawking for the mthr – and then the next day – they had flown the nest!!!  We also had a phoebe who nested for years atop the light just outside our door, attached to our house – we passed w/in inches of her nest coming and going all spring and summer.  The last summer she was here she raised two broods – they were *darling*!!!! when they were just to the stage of standing on the edge of the nest ready to fly – looking down at us with this completely unfazed gaze – just too, too baby even to care that we were another species – darling. Beauty.

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -One winter I worked to get chickadees to land in my hands and eat.  That spring, they still knew me, and they used to land on my head when I was sitting outside reading.  That was one of my most magical experiences ever – the feel of their little feet – I can’t even begin to describe it – and knowing that they would come to me, let their little feathers and bright eyes live so close to my seeing. Wow, what wonderful sightings, Beauty.  Magical indeed!   I love birds, too, as you might have guessed.  My most exciting sighting this year was a pileated woodpecker.  We get lots of red-bellied, Downy and Hairy woodpeckers, but this was a real treat.  He was magnificent (and noisy, even tho’ he was pecking very slowly and deliberately). mdove Thank you for the nice things. We will tell you of one magical morning. We woke up about 17 years ago in April to a freak blizzard of about four feet, and out of nowhere, perched all over our half a dozen bird feeders (we lived on a hill surrounded by deep woods) were scores of evening grosbeaks – do you know what they look like? Oh, yes.  But I’ve only seen one, many years ago. They are huge brilliant yellow birds  w/parrot beaks and black markings. We couldn’t believe it – we had never seen them before in our lives, and then there they were by the dozen. The other thing we saw that was wonderful once was a group of newly-fledged scarlet tanagers: when they are newly-fledged, they are not completely red yet – they are part red and part green – also like parrots. Amazing! I adore birds – they are the most incredible, incredible, beautiful creatures. There are no words for how wonderful, delicate, unearthly they are. But you know that. Oh – and the unearthly, subtle, inexpressible colors of the mourning doves . . .

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Response:

Sometimes we pretend that when they say "dee dee dee" they are really advertising the latest in video recording technology (DVD).  It’s funny when you think of it in chickadee talk. Beauty. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – P.S. – Did you know that pileateds are the only species of woodpecker who begin by pecking slow and get faster as they peck (that is, when they are pecking in rhythm, and not in that single-stroke, deliberate way you mention). So that’s one way you can tell if there are pileateds around even if you don’t see them – their pecking sounds like a ten-penny nail being driven into a telephone pole by an accelerating hammer. Didn’t know that….or if I did, I forgot W**dy W**dpecker is a pileated. His crazy laugh is modeled on the actual sound they make, which really does sound like maniacal laughter. You can tell the males from the females because the males have crests which are entirely red and the females have crests which are red only along the top of the tuft. Yep, knew that….this one was a male. You probably know most of that, right? I’m just being excited, because I like to talk about birds. Several years ago I used to lurk at rec.birds……lots of bird talk there.  At least there used to be.  I used to know a lot more about birds than I do now.  I kind of lost interest while I was really depressed, and have forgotten quite a bit,  but my enthusiasm for birdwatching has been returning during the past couple years.  I need to get some new binoculars and get back out there.. One winter I worked to get chickadees to land in my hands and eat. That spring, they still knew me, and they used to land on my head when I was sitting outside reading. That was one of my most magical experiences ever – the feel of their little feet – I can’t even begin to describe it – and knowing that they would come to me, let their little feathers and bright eyes live so close to my seeing. Beauty. Oh, that is so cute…..<broad smile  what a wonderful experience. Thank you for sharing this. mdove — For info about this service, see http://anon.twwells.com/help/ or e-mail:

Response:

Oh, yes, the pileateds were purely cute.  And we do love those ground-nesting "willow" birds – nightjars, are they called, as a type?  Our favorite is the whip-poor-will – what a beautiful, beautiful haunting sound, which echoes from mountain to mountain through the early pre-dawn mists.  And if you hear one close enough, you hear a tiny cough just before the call.  Also reminds me – have you see the woodcocks do their mating dance?  Or hummingbirds? We’ll explain, given the slightest excuse.  Never did see a chuck-will’s-widow.  Our other favorites are the little screech owls we get to hear in our riverine woods, and the pair of great horned owls also nesting along the river.  The female of the species has the deeper voice of the two. Oh, and once a barred owl got tangled in some fishing wire and we got to help rescue her –  and her eyes – oh the solemn depth of blackness – and the soft depth of feathers. Beauty. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – You would love it where we are – pileated heaven. Someone once counted 26 pileateds at once in a single site. Yes, I would love that.  I can’t even imagine a sight like that!  About 11 years ago I saw a pair, but hadn’t seen any since, until this one. And we have them living right around us – across the road mostly, in a big old rotten tree. Also, our favorite thing – once we saw a nest of baby ones – just barely fledged – sticking their silly little baby necks all out of the tree squawking for the mthr – and then the next day – they had flown the nest!!! Oh, wow!!  I’ll bet they were cute (or so ugly they were cute.) We also had a phoebe who nested for years atop the light just outside our door, attached to our house – we passed w/in inches of her nest coming and going all spring and summer. The last summer she was here she raised two broods – they were *darling*!!!! when they were just to the stage of standing on the edge of the nest ready to fly – looking down at us with this completely unfazed gaze – just too, too baby even to care that we were another species – darling. Wonderful!!!!!   Once we had the privilege of watching a chuck-will’s-widow nesting in our yard (actually, there was no visible nest at all-she just laid her eggs on the ground.  It was a wonderful treat because we had heard them at night for many years, but had never seen one.  We got to see her and her three young ones up close and personal.  An amazing bird–really put on quite a display if anyone got to close to the nest. mdove — For info about this service, see http://anon.twwells.com/help/ or e-mail:

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – And, p.s., we also have wild turkeys in abundance around here, and I saw a baby turkey once and it was *funny* *funny* *funny* looking. And we do love those ground-nesting "willow" birds – nightjars, are they called, as a type? Yep… Our favorite is the whip-poor-will – what a beautiful, beautiful haunting sound, which echoes from mountain to mountain through the early pre-dawn mists. And if you hear one close enough, you hear a tiny cough just before the call. Chuck-will’s-widow sounds very similar to the whip-poor-will, I think, except there is a little "chuck" sound before the call. I didn’t realize the whip-poor-will had the cough sound. Interesting birds. Maybe the cough was a chuck. Seems likely. Or a cluck. Or something. It was a very, very, very small sound, only audible because the bird was practically sitting on my windowsill. Well, under it. Also reminds me – have you see the woodcocks do their mating dance? I’ve never seen a woodcock in RL, only on television. They are pretty cool looking. That must be quite a sight. Here’s what they do. They like to live near wetlands that have adjacent meadows – they go into the meadows at twilight. The males fly straight up like rockets and then come spiraling down – and as they come down, special feathers in their wings cause a whistling sound!!! I’ve seen the females sitting on the ground, too – kind of looking like, "Get off it." You know.

Too cool.  I’d love to see that. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Or hummingbirds? Have seen many ruby-throated, but none doing a mating dance, unfortunately. They are amazing. Male hummingbirds also have special feathers that cause a humming sound when they do their mating thing – which is a wide, swinging, pendulum motion in flight, before the seated female. We’ll explain, given the slightest excuse. Never did see a chuck-will’s-widow. Our other favorites are the little screech owls we get to hear in our riverine woods, and the pair of great horned owls also nesting along the river. The female of the species has the deeper voice of the two. You know, we have one of those bird clocks, and the 12:00 bird is the great horned owl. That is fine for noon, but if I am working at the computer at night, I need to remember to dim the lights in here prior to midnight, or the hoot resounds throughout the house. When we first got the clock, my son used to imitate the owl incessantly. Once I was awakened at 3:00 am by the sound and was just about to yell out at him to knock it off (I wasn’t quite fully awake), when I realized it was the actual bird, very close to our house. We had never heard one before we purchased that silly clock, and were wondering if perhaps the clock had attracted one (it is a really loud clock!) They have about five or six hoots per call – hoo! hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo . . . hoo – I never knew that until I read Peterson’s guide and then heard them.

Yes….this clock is very accurate, as was my son’s imitation.  Now we call all do it, but my son’s hoo-ing is by far the best. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Oh, and once a barred owl got tangled in some fishing wire and we got to help rescue her – and her eyes – oh the solemn depth of blackness – and the soft depth of feathers. What an incredible experience that must have been. Was she calm as you helped her? They’ve got some pretty sharp talons. She was calm as a lamb. I think she was so frightened – she had been up there so long – and probably weak – that she had no fight in her. We have pictures of her, because the local newspaper was there and got color photos.

Wonderful… Thanks for reading. I like this talking about birds – they make me happy when nothing else does.

me, too.  I like butterflies, too.  I used to have 2 butterfly gardens, but surrendered them to the weeds during a couple years of depression. One is totally gone, but the other is probably salvageable.  Maybe I’ll go out there one of these days and try to start rehabilitating it. Today, too, we saw a beautiful butterfly – I don’t know what kind – yellow and black on top with yellow and black and aqua underneath!

Sounds beautiful.  I have a butterfly book around here somewhere. Haven’t looked in it in ages. And the black raspberries suddenly turned ripe – as my son discovered. He wrote a beautiful poem called The Garden: Like the garden of Eden it is. So vast, like the ocean. The hours fly like a bird in the air, when I am there.

Oh, that is beautiful beyond words! Can you see why I love him so much?

Absolutely!    Oh, shoot….it’s midnight, and I forgot to dim the lights.  There goes "Hoots"….. g’night mdove Beauty.

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Response:

snip Thanks for reading. I like this talking about birds – they make me happy when nothing else does. me, too.  I like butterflies, too.  I used to have 2 butterfly gardens, but surrendered them to the weeds during a couple years of depression. One is totally gone, but the other is probably salvageable.  Maybe I’ll go out there one of these days and try to start rehabilitating it.

do you have any recommendations for plants (for next year)? i love butterflies. i have since i was a kid. i used to know quite a bit about them but i’ve forgotten most of it. i’ve never known which plants attract butterflies. TIA (thanks in advance), e — For info about this service, see http://anon.twwells.com/help/ or e-mail:

Response:

What mdove said and also – bergamot, beebalm, monarda (all names for the same thing) – hummingbirds love those, too. Beauty. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – snip Thanks for reading. I like this talking about birds – they make me happy when nothing else does. me, too.  I like butterflies, too.  I used to have 2 butterfly gardens, but surrendered them to the weeds during a couple years of depression. One is totally gone, but the other is probably salvageable.  Maybe I’ll go out there one of these days and try to start rehabilitating it. do you have any recommendations for plants (for next year)? i love butterflies. i have since i was a kid. i used to know quite a bit about them but i’ve forgotten most of it. i’ve never known which plants attract butterflies. TIA (thanks in advance), e — For info about this service, see http://anon.twwells.com/help/ or e-mail:

Response:

snip do you have any recommendations for plants [that attract butterflies]? Well, keep in mind that I’m no expert, and it probably depends on where you live.  You might try some verbena, buddleia (butterfly bush), pentas,

what are pentas? do they take much water? asters, and even marigolds.  In my yard I have blue porterweed, pentas, day lilies, passion flower, lantana, and some other stuff I can’t identify.  

i have day lilies. they grow well, although the ones in shade don’t flower much. is passion flower the same as passion vine (Passifloraceae)? thanks for the recommendations. i’ll try some of them. I know monarchs like milkweed, but I’ve never seen it growing around here, and haven’t tried planting any.  Your local cooperative extension could probably provide you with information about what to plant for butterflies that are inhabitants of your area.

thanks. e — For info about this service, see http://anon.twwells.com/help/ or e-mail:

Response:

Question:

Do you get paid for the number of post you make?

Shit, if this were a payin’ gig, then Wolfgang would be posting from a beach cabana on Moorea, with a topless Polynesian babe taking dictation on one hand and another topping up his drink on the other. Kevin, filling out my application for the executive assistant position.

Response:

Do you get paid for the number of post you make? Shit, if this were a payin’ gig, then Wolfgang would be posting from a beach cabana on Moorea, with a topless Polynesian babe taking dictation on one hand and another topping up his drink on the other.

Not much interested in the Pacific islands.  If this were a paying gig I would donate the proceeds to the Help Jeff Find a Poor Person Foundation. Wolfgang no charge for this one

Response:

Do you get paid for the number of post you make? — Op "Look, strange women lying around in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government.  Supreme executive power is derived from a mandate from the masses, not from some  farcical aquatic ceremony.  I mean, if I went around saying I was Emperor, just because some moistened bint had lobbed a scimitar at me, they’d put me away. -Dennis the (Bloody) peasant-

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – There are LOTS of reports and info on the Salmon River here: http://www.FishUSA.com/FishSalmonRiver/ Weeks of planning, rod building, fly tying, and preparations came to fruition on Thursday evening as Craig rolled up my driveway for a quick dinner. We’d been trying to stretch this weekend trip into three days, and this year SWMBO had conceded a Thursday night departure to allow us a full day of fishing on Friday. All systems were "go".   I was a bit apprehensive about the 6-hour, high-speed drive in Craig’s Ford Explorer with Firestone Wilderness AT tires; but throwing caution to the wind, we headed for the interstate.   By 1 a.m., we’d made N. Syracuse and found a cheap motel for a few hours of shuteye after taste testing a couple fine bourbons and draining a Sleemans or two.   So far, so good. Thanks to two travel alarms and a beeping wristwatch, we headed north before dawn and made Altmar, NY around 7:30.   Dave (ND#1) was to be just upstream from the Altmar bridge (same spot as his ROFF Faces photo), and after rigging the rods & suiting up, I walked out on the bridge to look for him.   Lots of fishermen, but I couldn’t make out anyone with a "roff on the Rapid" hat. In the river below, however, I could make out a few nice salmon holding in the pool above the bridge.   I’ll look for Dave later. Craig & I fished the pool for about a half hour with no luck.   My casting elbow was sore, and I took a break to walk upstream and checked for Dave again. Still no Dave; and I walked back down to the bridge.   I shouted downstream to Craig that I didn’t see anyone with a matching hat when someone says, "excuse me?" from across the river. It’s Dave.   We exchange greetings and introductions across the water; but not until we break for lunch do we get to shake hands and say hello.   After coaxing a few leftover chili dogs out of the lunch shack women, we sat and chatted a while in the 70 degree sunshine along the Salmon River.   It’s a beautiful day. Dave gives me a hint ("Wait ’til you get home") but is unspecific about some roff goings-on I’ve missed the evening before.   I have a pretty good idea about who’s at the center of it. After lunch, Dave takes me upstream to one of his "good spots".   The river joining from the left tumbles over a wide, rocky shallow into a fast rapid on the main stem.   At the confluence, a long narrow seam of slow water runs along the mouth.   Salmon heading upriver move through and hold in this area, and you can stand in the riffles above and watch them.   Dave’s using a sink tip, and he can skillfully place his orange comet right in their faces.   He gets a lot of hookups and lands a couple before I manage to get into the action myself. We’ re standing so close to the fish, I actually have to stand back from the flow and keep only about 18 inches of line past my tip top.   I’m using a floating line with a couple bb’s, and I have trouble getting down to the fish before the current sweeps my fly past. Eventually I figured out the right combination of location and drift, and I got a good hookup on an orange egg pattern.   After a relatively short and (thankfully) local fight, the salmon ended up in a snapshot before resuming its thoughts of reproduction.   In the last hour before sunset, the action got hot, and Dave and I had at least one double header going.   It would have made a nice roff picture, but with both of us leaning on bent-over rods, we couldn’t enlist another photographer before we lost the fish. Sundown and darkness came too soon, and we had to call it a day.   At Dave’s car, there was just enough light for me to check out his self-made cane rod. Damned nice.   I was sorry it was too dark to try it out.   Day one of the trip ended with us saying goodbye and hoping to meet again in the future. Day two…. Joe F.

Response:

There are LOTS of reports and info on the Salmon River here: http://www.FishUSA.com/FishSalmonRiver/ – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Weeks of planning, rod building, fly tying, and preparations came to fruition on Thursday evening as Craig rolled up my driveway for a quick dinner.   We’d been trying to stretch this weekend trip into three days, and this year SWMBO had conceded a Thursday night departure to allow us a full day of fishing on Friday. All systems were "go".   I was a bit apprehensive about the 6-hour, high-speed drive in Craig’s Ford Explorer with Firestone Wilderness AT tires; but throwing caution to the wind, we headed for the interstate.   By 1 a.m., we’d made N. Syracuse and found a cheap motel for a few hours of shuteye after taste testing a couple fine bourbons and draining a Sleemans or two.   So far, so good. Thanks to two travel alarms and a beeping wristwatch, we headed north before dawn and made Altmar, NY around 7:30.   Dave (ND#1) was to be just upstream from the Altmar bridge (same spot as his ROFF Faces photo), and after rigging the rods & suiting up, I walked out on the bridge to look for him.   Lots of fishermen, but I couldn’t make out anyone with a "roff on the Rapid" hat.   In the river below, however, I could make out a few nice salmon holding in the pool above the bridge.   I’ll look for Dave later. Craig & I fished the pool for about a half hour with no luck.   My casting elbow was sore, and I took a break to walk upstream and checked for Dave again. Still no Dave; and I walked back down to the bridge.   I shouted downstream to Craig that I didn’t see anyone with a matching hat when someone says, "excuse me?" from across the river. It’s Dave.   We exchange greetings and introductions across the water; but not until we break for lunch do we get to shake hands and say hello.   After coaxing a few leftover chili dogs out of the lunch shack women, we sat and chatted a while in the 70 degree sunshine along the Salmon River.   It’s a beautiful day. Dave gives me a hint ("Wait ’til you get home") but is unspecific about some roff goings-on I’ve missed the evening before.   I have a pretty good idea about who’s at the center of it. After lunch, Dave takes me upstream to one of his "good spots".   The river joining from the left tumbles over a wide, rocky shallow into a fast rapid on the main stem.   At the confluence, a long narrow seam of slow water runs along the mouth.   Salmon heading upriver move through and hold in this area, and you can stand in the riffles above and watch them.   Dave’s using a sink tip, and he can skillfully place his orange comet right in their faces.   He gets a lot of hookups and lands a couple before I manage to get into the action myself.   We’ re standing so close to the fish, I actually have to stand back from the flow and keep only about 18 inches of line past my tip top.   I’m using a floating line with a couple bb’s, and I have trouble getting down to the fish before the current sweeps my fly past. Eventually I figured out the right combination of location and drift, and I got a good hookup on an orange egg pattern.   After a relatively short and (thankfully) local fight, the salmon ended up in a snapshot before resuming its thoughts of reproduction.   In the last hour before sunset, the action got hot, and Dave and I had at least one double header going.   It would have made a nice roff picture, but with both of us leaning on bent-over rods, we couldn’t enlist another photographer before we lost the fish. Sundown and darkness came too soon, and we had to call it a day.   At Dave’s car, there was just enough light for me to check out his self-made cane rod. Damned nice.   I was sorry it was too dark to try it out.   Day one of the trip ended with us saying goodbye and hoping to meet again in the future. Day two…. Joe F.

Response:

I’d promised odd & interesting, but left one oddity out of my day 1 report. Tail hooking the sucker was odd enough, but I demonstrated another example of amazing fly fishing skill on this day.   I caught a rock. I know what you’re thinking, everybody catches rocks all the time.   True enough; but I actually managed to lasso a two-pound rock, reel it in, and land it with a fly rod.   On drifting my fly though a pool, I was able to masterfully swing the fly around the rock and hook it on the tippet in a perfect loop around the center of the rock.   Dave P. was kind enough to document this (actually, I couldn’t stop him) in one of his pics on ABPF. Joe F.

Response:

I hear they tast like chicken

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I’d promised odd & interesting, but left one oddity out of my day 1 report. Tail hooking the sucker was odd enough, but I demonstrated another example of amazing fly fishing skill on this day.   I caught a rock. I know what you’re thinking, everybody catches rocks all the time.   True enough; but I actually managed to lasso a two-pound rock, reel it in, and land it with a fly rod.   On drifting my fly though a pool, I was able to masterfully swing the fly around the rock and hook it on the tippet in a perfect loop around the center of the rock.   Dave P. was kind enough to document this (actually, I couldn’t stop him) in one of his pics on ABPF. Joe F.

Response:

Weeks of planning, rod building, fly tying, and preparations came to fruition on Thursday evening as Craig rolled up my driveway for a quick dinner.   We’d been trying to stretch this weekend trip into three days, and this year SWMBO had conceded a Thursday night departure to allow us a full day of fishing on Friday. All systems were "go".   I was a bit apprehensive about the 6-hour, high-speed drive in Craig’s Ford Explorer with Firestone Wilderness AT tires; but throwing caution to the wind, we headed for the interstate.   By 1 a.m., we’d made N. Syracuse and found a cheap motel for a few hours of shuteye after taste testing a couple fine bourbons and draining a Sleemans or two.   So far, so good. Thanks to two travel alarms and a beeping wristwatch, we headed north before dawn and made Altmar, NY around 7:30.   Dave (ND#1) was to be just upstream from the Altmar bridge (same spot as his ROFF Faces photo), and after rigging the rods & suiting up, I walked out on the bridge to look for him.   Lots of fishermen, but I couldn’t make out anyone with a "roff on the Rapid" hat.   In the river below, however, I could make out a few nice salmon holding in the pool above the bridge.   I’ll look for Dave later. Craig & I fished the pool for about a half hour with no luck.   My casting elbow was sore, and I took a break to walk upstream and checked for Dave again. Still no Dave; and I walked back down to the bridge.   I shouted downstream to Craig that I didn’t see anyone with a matching hat when someone says, "excuse me?" from across the river. It’s Dave.   We exchange greetings and introductions across the water; but not until we break for lunch do we get to shake hands and say hello.   After coaxing a few leftover chili dogs out of the lunch shack women, we sat and chatted a while in the 70 degree sunshine along the Salmon River.   It’s a beautiful day. Dave gives me a hint ("Wait ’til you get home") but is unspecific about some roff goings-on I’ve missed the evening before.   I have a pretty good idea about who’s at the center of it. After lunch, Dave takes me upstream to one of his "good spots".   The river joining from the left tumbles over a wide, rocky shallow into a fast rapid on the main stem.   At the confluence, a long narrow seam of slow water runs along the mouth.   Salmon heading upriver move through and hold in this area, and you can stand in the riffles above and watch them.   Dave’s using a sink tip, and he can skillfully place his orange comet right in their faces.   He gets a lot of hookups and lands a couple before I manage to get into the action myself.   We’ re standing so close to the fish, I actually have to stand back from the flow and keep only about 18 inches of line past my tip top.   I’m using a floating line with a couple bb’s, and I have trouble getting down to the fish before the current sweeps my fly past. Eventually I figured out the right combination of location and drift, and I got a good hookup on an orange egg pattern.   After a relatively short and (thankfully) local fight, the salmon ended up in a snapshot before resuming its thoughts of reproduction.   In the last hour before sunset, the action got hot, and Dave and I had at least one double header going.   It would have made a nice roff picture, but with both of us leaning on bent-over rods, we couldn’t enlist another photographer before we lost the fish. Sundown and darkness came too soon, and we had to call it a day.   At Dave’s car, there was just enough light for me to check out his self-made cane rod. Damned nice.   I was sorry it was too dark to try it out.   Day one of the trip ended with us saying goodbye and hoping to meet again in the future. Day two…. Joe F.

Response:

Question:

The only sports are mountain climbing, auto racing and bull fighting.  All the rest are games according to EH.  fwiw Dave L.

when did ernie harrison say that? walt — Ezflyfish.com:  http://www.ezflyfish.com http://auctions.yahoo.com/booth/ezflyfish_com Used, Rare, & Out-of-Print Books: http://users.boone.net/wgw/brbg.html

Response:

Salmon Fly writes: (snip) From then on it’s been 22 dancers and a couple of zebras and It’s rather funny to watch. But’ it’s not a sport. The only sports are mountain climbing, auto racing and bull fighting.  All the rest are games according to EH.  fwiw Dave L.

Auto Racing. Now there is the all american sport. It Loud, Senseless and wastes fossil fuels. It doesn’t get any more american than that.

Response:

I thought the officials on the field signaled the play to be a completed catch. Isn’t the rule that in the last 2 minutes of a 1/2 or the game, only the ‘upstairs re-play reviewers’ can call for a time out for a replay?

yup. and funny how the most "inconclusive" (it was a gd clean catch) replay of the year gets overturned…. like i said, FIX! WALT — Ezflyfish.com:  http://www.ezflyfish.com http://auctions.yahoo.com/booth/ezflyfish_com Used, Rare, & Out-of-Print Books: http://users.boone.net/wgw/brbg.html

Response:

Auto Racing. Now there is the all american sport. It Loud, Senseless and wastes fossil fuels. It doesn’t get any more american than that.

You’ve never fished Lake of the Ozarks, have you? Opt out == cop-out. What’s so hard to understand?

Response:

go vikings, they are like the steelhead runs on lake superiors north shore, slowly going downhill     tony of mn

I hear ya tony.  I’m not a vikes fan, but I really wanted them to go this year.  They deserved to go last year, but got screwed by those flash-in-the-pan falcons that ruined the superbowl. — Levi "who’s counting the days to the superbowl, even if waldo does think it’s fixed." Life is anything that dies when you stomp on it.                                                         — Dave Barry

Response:

Would impeachment work?  It wasn’t effective on Clinton, but then Jerry Jones doesn’t have perfect hair.

Jimmy Johnson had perfect hair, but it didn’t do him any good. Tom Landry had no hair so he wore a hat, but it didn’t help. He’s gone. I hate the frigging Cowboys. I saw Any Given Sunday today. Definitely worth the price of a ticket, even if the script was formulaic. Stone really knows the the technique of movie making. One funny thing was that the NFL refused to cooperate with Stone so he had to make up all the names of the football teams. They all sounded like the names of condoms. — visit my web site: http://home.earthlink.net/~royalwulff/ something bogus to avoid spam)

Response:

go vikings, they are like the steelhead runs on lake superiors north shore, slowly going downhill    tony of mn

        only on roff:  a haiku written about a losing football team. how good is that? wayno

Response:

Snipped for no real reason…. r, no quandry for me, everyone knows i drink busch, oh, ummm, guess i’ll have to switch to pabst

Someone actually READS my stuff?  Sorry, I basically just ramble on in my own little world…..I thought I’d already made most killfiles…. <G R

Response:

school quarterback being booed by his pastor. The NFL no longer generates this kind of interest in the game. Big Dale

Response:

Salmon Fly writes: Auto Racing. Now there is the all american sport. It Loud, Senseless and wastes fossil fuels. It doesn’t get any more american than that.

When EH said that, he wasn’t speaking of American racing, but of European and international. Dave L.

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – am i the only one who witnessed the big fix on tv? I don’t think I’ve ever been so angry in my life. Reversing a call on the field, by the NFL refs upstairs. FIX! From this moment in my life, I will never watch nor support another NFL game or anyone that sponsors the NFL. Walt Walt – I’m with ya 100% on replays plus I’ll go further and ban timeouts and plays called in from the sidelines.  Let the players on the field decide the outcome of a game – that’s where the drama is. Do you want to see a quarterback disect a defence?  A linebacker corps panic a QB into jelly?  Or watch a coach think or a ref peer into a monitor?   Nothing worse than watching an offence ram the ball down field late in a close game and some f****er calls a time out or a replay.  Is this a spectator sport or a snooze fest?    Last year Flutie ran the offence in Buffalo and win or lose, they were fun to watch.  This year, the ego weenie coaches ran everything and ZZZZZZZZZZ.  The CFL used to have games that worked this way but the f***ing brain trust running it, decided that declining fan support meant that they had to imitate the NFL  Now we have timeouts, probably replays next season, and ego weenie coaches trying to run everything. Talk about f***ing up a great game.  Play the f***ing game on the field!!!! disgruntled football fan Peter

i’m with ya peter. i just hope subaru doesn’t sponsor nfl stuff or i’m in deep ka-ka with marie. it would be kinda hard explaining a yugo to her b/c of some silly football game. dale, no one else wants him paul, rugby? r, no quandry for me, everyone knows i drink busch, oh, ummm, guess i’ll have to switch to pabst allan, "and this was, called correctly by the officials" … on the field? levi, go back to sleep walt ps… i thought this group was rough…let me tell ya, we’re pussies compared to those boyos over at the tampa bay buc newsgroup this eve — Ezflyfish.com:  http://www.ezflyfish.com http://auctions.yahoo.com/booth/ezflyfish_com Used, Rare, & Out-of-Print Books: http://users.boone.net/wgw/brbg.html

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Salmon Fly writes:

(snip) From then on it’s been 22 dancers and a couple of zebras and It’s rather funny to watch. But’ it’s not a sport.

The only sports are mountain climbing, auto racing and bull fighting.  All the rest are games according to EH.  fwiw Dave L.

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No, Walt you’re not the only one. After college I started playing Rugby. A much saner and safer sport. For years I wouldn’t watch football because it was so rediculous. I started playing rugby about the same time as the instant replay wich made it seem even worse. A few years ago a friend invited me over to watch a game and I went. Sometime during the game the topic got to the state of the sport to which he replied. This isn’t a sport. It’s made for TV sensationalism to generate revenues for the network. Kind of like 60 Minutes or pro wrestling. From then on it’s been 22 dancers and a couple of zebras and It’s rather funny to watch. But’ it’s not a sport. Paul And this has nothing to do with the local team.

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – am i the only one who witnessed the big fix on tv? I don’t think I’ve ever been so angry in my life. Reversing a call on the field, by the NFL refs upstairs. FIX! From this moment in my life, I will never watch nor support another NFL game or anyone that sponsors the NFL. Walt

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am i the only one who witnessed the big fix on tv?  snippings < FIX!   . Walt

AMEN brother. If that was an incomplete pass then so was the goddamn St. Louis touchdown reception. Tampa was robbed, and I’m a Redskin fan. In the Tampa/Skins game Dan Turks’ blown snap was a little funny too. Didn’t think about that till I saw a tape of the game and the shot of the Turk brothers on the sideline grinning. Bob Before you buy.

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[whining snipped] <g From this moment in my life, I will never watch nor support another NFL game or anyone that sponsors the NFL.

Well, gee, let’s hope Hardy, Lamson, Courtland et al don’t ever decide to be the official fly-fishing gear provider of the NFL. Talk about yer conflict of interest… –Steve

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am i the only one who witnessed the big fix on tv? I don’t think I’ve ever been so angry in my life. Reversing a call on the field, by the NFL refs upstairs. FIX! From this moment in my life, I will never watch nor support another NFL game or anyone that sponsors the NFL. Walt

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am i the only one who witnessed the big fix on tv?

Huh?  I assume you are talking about the St. Louis/Tampa Bay game?  I dozed off in the second half of the fourth quarter.  You do realize that part of the new instant replay policy is that the refs upstairs can challenge a call on the field in the final two minutes of the 2nd and 4th quarters?  Is that what happened? — Levi Life is anything that dies when you stomp on it.                                                         — Dave Barry

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am i the only one who witnessed the big fix on tv? I don’t think I’ve ever been so angry in my life. Reversing a call on the field, by the NFL refs upstairs. FIX! From this moment in my life, I will never watch nor support another NFL game or anyone that sponsors the NFL. Walt

That solves your Budweiser quandary…. <G R

Response:

am i the only one who witnessed the big fix on tv? I don’t think I’ve ever been so angry in my life. Reversing a call on the field, by the NFL refs upstairs. FIX! From this moment in my life, I will never watch nor support another NFL game or anyone that sponsors the NFL. Walt

Walt – I’m with ya 100% on replays plus I’ll go further and ban timeouts and plays called in from the sidelines.  Let the players on the field decide the outcome of a game – that’s where the drama is. Do you want to see a quarterback disect a defence?  A linebacker corps panic a QB into jelly?  Or watch a coach think or a ref peer into a monitor?   Nothing worse than watching an offence ram the ball down field late in a close game and some f****er calls a time out or a replay.  Is this a spectator sport or a snooze fest?    Last year Flutie ran the offence in Buffalo and win or lose, they were fun to watch.  This year, the ego weenie coaches ran everything and ZZZZZZZZZZ.  The CFL used to have games that worked this way but the f***ing brain trust running it, decided that declining fan support meant that they had to imitate the NFL  Now we have timeouts, probably replays next season, and ego weenie coaches trying to run everything. Talk about f***ing up a great game.  Play the f***ing game on the field!!!! disgruntled football fan Peter

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another NFL game or anyone that sponsors the NFL. Walt

That sucked almost as much as being a Cowboys fan. Since it appears you are getting totaly out of the NFL could you please advise as to how we can fire the Cowboy’s owner? Big Dale

Response:

As I understand the re-play rule, to overturn a field call, the reviewer must see clear evidence that the play was called incorrectly. If the re-play official saw clear evidence he/she must have seen something that no one else did, not even Madden & Summerall. Don’t know if any one call alters the outcome but that review was b.s. No I’m not a Tampa Bay or a St. Louis fan (actually, I root for the Giants). Just a fan who enjoys a good game, and this was, called correctly by the officials.

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I thought the officials on the field signaled the play to be a completed catch. Isn’t the rule that in the last 2 minutes of a 1/2 or the game, only the ‘upstairs re-play reviewers’ can call for a time out for a replay?

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Would impeachment work?  It wasn’t effective on Clinton, but then Jerry Jones doesn’t have perfect hair. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – another NFL game or anyone that sponsors the NFL. Walt That sucked almost as much as being a Cowboys fan. Since it appears you are getting totaly out of the NFL could you please advise as to how we can fire the Cowboy’s owner? Big Dale

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go vikings, they are like the steelhead runs on lake superiors north shore, slowly going downhill     tony of mn – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – am i the only one who witnessed the big fix on tv?  snippings < FIX!   . Walt AMEN brother. If that was an incomplete pass then so was the goddamn St. Louis touchdown reception. Tampa was robbed, and I’m a Redskin fan. In the Tampa/Skins game Dan Turks’ blown snap was a little funny too. Didn’t think about that till I saw a tape of the game and the shot of the Turk brothers on the sideline grinning. Bob Before you buy.

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am i the only one who witnessed the big fix on tv? I don’t think I’ve ever been so angry in my life. Reversing a call on the field, by the NFL refs upstairs. FIX! From this moment in my life, I will never watch nor support another NFL game or anyone that sponsors the NFL. Walt

I was wondering if a certain Floridian-by-birth-if-not-by-nature was blowing his cookies this afternoon ;^) I think they blew that call, but I’m not as sure that it would have made any difference. They were struggling and I don’t think they had enough time (or momentum) to score. /daytripper (we might get a decent Superbowl for a friggin’ change!)

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Question:

I remember reading that at an FFF conclave in Alberta, the keynote speaker, Lefty, was nearly late because he had been out on the river giving casting lessons to some kid he had met.  I too have not been impressed with all the folks trying to make a buck on the sport I love, and would not give lefty a dime for his web site–however, the story I read leads me to believe that his heart may be in the right spot. Eric Oden Boise

I think that lots of people in the fly fishing world are very talented but only the good guys like Lefty get popular with the public. When they hire him to work at a sport show they are getting a bargain. William Kiene Kiene’s Fly Shop Sacramento,CA,USA 800/4000FLY

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I remember reading that at an FFF conclave in Alberta, the keynote speaker, Lefty, was nearly late because he had been out on the river giving casting lessons to some kid he had met.  I too have not been impressed with all the folks trying to make a buck on the sport I love, and would not give lefty a dime for his web site–however, the story I read leads me to believe that his heart may be in the right spot. Eric Oden Boise

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Question:

I just fished the PM on the 6th and 7th of this month. Lots bof fish in the river. Most were old but on Monday, Kelly Galloup, the guide if you know him said he saw fresh ones come up. There had been no rain for a long time but it did rain on Monday. After that I don’t know. If there was rain there has been rain in the last few days things should be good. The bottom line is it is worth the trip. Be prepared for lots of foul hook ups. My advice fish the deep holes and pray. Try different kinds of flies. They have seen lots of cadis emergers and stone flies. Try bright wooly buggers, black and yellow. Good luck. David

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Path: magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu!math.ohio-state.edu!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!news-pe er.gsl.net!news.gsl.net!hunter.premier.net!feed1.news.erols.com!howland.ero ls.net!cam-news-hub1.bbnplanet.com!uunet!in3.uu.net!pravda.aa.msen.com!not- for-mail Newsgroups: rec.outdoors.fishing.fly Organization: Msen, Inc. — Ann Arbor, MI. Lines: 11 NNTP-Posting-Host: conch.aa.msen.com X-Newsreader: TIN [UNIX 1.3 950824BETA PL0]

Yeah, we just got back two weeks ago many of the fish were redding. johnson’s will lead you to them but you’ll pay for it. We brought our own canoe and floated every day from m-37 to green cottage and caught more fish than any of the guides. Hope this helps. An aside, the guides were not to pleasant. Brad – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -Anyone know of the stream status in Northern Michigan? Johnson Lodge on the Pere Marquette says there are ’some’ fish being caught by them. I just found out that I can get out of Detroit this weeekend,  October 12, and am looking to wet a line somewhere. Thanks in advance  and Tight Lines Henry

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Anyone know of the stream status in Northern Michigan? Johnson Lodge on the Pere Marquette says there are ’some’ fish being caught by them. I just found out that I can get out of Detroit this weeekend,  October 12, and am looking to wet a line somewhere. Thanks in advance  and Tight Lines Henry

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Question:

Hello,   How can I find out more about flyfishing rivers in Middle Tn.?

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Hello,  How can I find out more about flyfishing rivers in Middle Tn.?

Hi Kevin You will probably get an answer from someone on this newgroup.  However if you do not don’t dispair, call the Federation of Fly Fishers and ask about a club in your area.  Get the contact info from the FFF and call the club contact person (usually the president).  From there you can get information, join the club, make new fishing friends, etc. Tight Lines Al Beatty BT’s Fly Fishing Products Bozeman, MT (96 catalog)

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Question:

<snip but it also has these heavy nylon cord loops on both sleaves and on the back.  What are these used for?  I think it’s some kind of fly-fishing kind of thing.<snip

The loops are for little cable retracter thingys to attach to, which in turn attach to yer fly floatant and nippers, etc…. (:-) Jim

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I just bought a really coool Columbia shirt with all kinds of niffty pockets with Velcro closures and stuff, but it also has these heavy nylon cord loops on both sleaves and on the back.  What are these used for?  I think it’s some kind of fly-fishing kind of thing. We don’t know much about fly-fishing down here in Texas.  In fact, our idea of fishing is to set a tub of clean water down by a muddy creek and wack the fish on the head with sticks as they wiggle up on the bank trying to get to the clean water. Thanks, Gary Joe

Gary,         Those are called ’stringers’, and are used to ’string up’ the guy wearing the shirt for being an elitist, yuppie flyfisherperson.  You’ll notice that the location of the loops prevents the wearer of the shirt from reaching the attaching harness to get loose.  Once the elitist, yuppie flyfisherperson (EYF) is strung up the rest is like shooting fish in a tub of clean water!  :^) Charley

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I just bought a really coool Columbia shirt with all kinds of niffty pockets with Velcro closures and stuff, but it also has these heavy nylon cord loops on both sleaves and on the back.  What are these used for?  I think it’s some kind of fly-fishing kind of thing. We don’t know much about fly-fishing down here in Texas.  In fact, our idea of fishing is to set a tub of clean water down by a muddy creek and wack the fish on the head with sticks as they wiggle up on the bank trying to get to the clean water. Thanks, Gary Joe      <Opinions expressed and/or implied are not necessarily those of UPR         "I don’t know why I do stuff…I just do it."  - Bart Simpson

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Question:

Anybody have any suggestions on river/stream fishing for trout within an hour or so of Dublin?  I’m planning a weekend trip, and would love to know who to talk to or where to go. Thanks! –Preston

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Hi a freind of mine is going over there in two weeks I could info after that.PS I sell rods to a flyclub in Cork Ireland I don’t know if that is – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Anybody have any suggestions on river/stream fishing for trout within an hour or so of Dublin?  I’m planning a weekend trip, and would love to know who to talk to or where to go. Thanks! –Preston

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Anybody have any suggestions on river/stream fishing for trout within an hour or so of Dublin?  I’m planning a weekend trip, and would love to know who to talk to or where to go. Thanks! –Preston

Hi Preston, Try the River Boyne, it has some great fishing for trout with the dry fly specially. It is about 1 hour north of Dublin and the area also has some great archaeological sites including the famous Newgrange monument. If you are in the area then be sure to get to see Newgrange. The August edition of "Trout and Salmon" has an article on the Boyne and included info on permits etc. If you can’t get a copy then the addresses that they printed for permits are as follows:- Navan Angling Club waters Permits 10 Punts per day from The Sports Den Trimgate Street Navan Trim, Athboy and District Angling Club waters Permits 5 Punts per day from Tourist Office Mill Street Trim or Gerard Lee Loman Street Trim I hope that this helps. Regards, Philip Blair. *** Nation Shall Peak Six Unto Nation. ***

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Question:

Hi out-there ! I’m an fly-fisher from Northern part of Sweden and i’m looking forward to discuss the wonderful waters and wilderness areas that we can enjoy, here round the arctic circle. I hope to read from you ! / A.Ronnback

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(Anders Ronnback,9558,1xxx-xx) writes: I’m an fly-fisher from Northern part of Sweden and i’m looking forward to discuss the wonderful waters and wilderness areas that we can enjoy, here round the arctic circle.

I am curious how northern european water rights work. I know that most waters in the British Isles and France are private, is it the same in northern Scandinavia?. I wonder because the videos of the Alta, for example, show a very sparcely populated terrain ( I know the Alta is in Norway but I assume that there might be simularities in water usage). Thanks for the info. Rodrigo

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(Anders Ronnback,9558,1xxx-xx) writes:

I’m an fly-fisher from Northern part of Sweden and i’m looking forward to discuss the wonderful waters and wilderness areas that we can enjoy, here round the arctic circle. Hi, from a third generation Swede in Seattle.  My family was in Sweden the previous Summer, & although time was short I would have loved to try out some of your Atlantic Salmon fishing.  I had just come from Scotland where I had tried Slamon fishing on Islay. Larry Johnson

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