Sunday, February 19, 2012

EAGLE WATCH 2012 BEGINS!!

Heidy-Ho, Blogging Buddies!!

Well, I know some of you were interested in the Decorah Eagles when I provided information on the nest cam last year.

It's time again!  In fact, Mother Eagle has already laid the first Egg (D12) of the year... arriving at 7:47 p.m. CST on Friday, February 17th.  This is actually nearly a week earlier than the past two years.  It also means there is a great probability that Egg D13 will be laid sometime Monday, 2/20!!  The "naming" will be alphanumeric with "D" for Decorah (nest site) and "12" for this egg which is the 12th one since the nest cam was set up a few years back.  I believe this pair has hatched and fledged 11 little eagles... 2 in 2008, 3 in 2009, 3 in 2010, and 3 last year (2011).

A little extra information for those who are not familiar with the Decorah Eagles.  The nest is VERY perfectly located with a fish hatchery quite nearby.  :)  You will see a LOT of large fish being devoured and shared with the eaglets!

There are a few different ways to view the nest cam.  I would suggest you try each site to determine which one may provide you the best experience.  Remember to click on the "screen" at the lower right of any of these video streams to get a full-screen view!

U-Stream provides coverage and there is a live chat available for those who wish to discuss the nest happenings.  :)  The other sites below actually pull their streams from U-Stream.

Sportsman's Paradise Online is available and is where I typically have the best luck.  There is also a live chat stream for those who like to keep an "eagle eye" on the happenings!  (Sorry... couldn't help myself.)  These folks also have other live wildlife cams which are easily found via the menu.

Finally, a new site I am not familiar with is at http://www.decoraheaglecamalerts.com/.  Looks like they will offer alerts as the action takes place.  I have no experience here.

All of this is done through the Raptor Resource Project.  Take time to visit their site and see what they have to offer in terms of viewing not only this nest but others.  Fascinating stuff.

I do hope you will visit the nest a few times during the season.  The eggs should begin hatching about the end of March/first of April and the babies will fledge about mid-June.

Happy Eagle Watching!!

Until next time...

Friday, February 3, 2012

ANOTHER GREAT LOSS - DR. E.R. BROWN

Hello again, Blogging Pals.  Glad you're with me today.

This town has lost yet another wonderful individual who had a profound impact on my young life as well as that of many of my family and friends.  On January 23, 2012, we all lost Dr. Etienne Roman Brown, known as "Lu" to those close to him.  (He was ALWAYS Dr. Brown to me!)  He had an extensive history and the lengthy obituary covered all of his wonderful accomplishments.  But his history and accomplishments have nothing to do with why I will always remember him fondly.

Dr. Brown was a kind and soft-spoken man.  He always had a smile for us, even though we were just kids.  He was one of those doctors that actually listened to his patients, nodding his head and occasionally asking a question to probe a bit further.  He was a doctor that even children my age were happy to visit.  No fear for us there.  His history will tell you he moved here in 1953.  So did I.  Of course, he was a doctor... and I was a newborn.  *chuckle*  Other than that, we didn't have a lot in common.

I remember falling ill when I was about 8 years old.  I was rarely sick so this was something unusual.  I was apparently quite ill as I do not recall Dr. Brown's "house call" to check up on me at my mother's request.  I don't remember the ambulance that I think they told me took me to the hospital after he checked me out.  I don't remember the 2 days I was in the hospital here, getting over double pneumonia.  Heck... I don't remember much.  I DO remember waking up and being incredibly hungry!!  That was the day Dr. Brown visited my hospital room and told my mother I was ready to go home.  Didn't have to tell me twice!!

Another very well-remembered event was when I decided I wanted to get my ears pierced.  There were no "piercing kiosks" in the mall (what was a mall?!?) when I was about 13 years old.  The standard way to have one's ears pierced included a slumber party at someone's house (never one's own!), a willing piercer, some ice cubes to "deaden" the ear lobe, and a large needle (or the occasional ice pick) for the piercer to wield.  Oh... and one would have had to find a way to score a pair of earrings that would be suitable during the healing process.  At any rate, I mentioned to my mother that I really wanted to get my ears pierced.  I was going to begin high school soon and had gotten my first pair of contact lenses.  Guess I figured the pierced ears were just one more thing I needed to start high school!!

Well, my mother had taken a lot of chemistry while obtaining her home economics degree at LSU.  She had also gathered a lot of information about things like germs, bacteria, etc.  She was not convinced that a cube of ice and an ice pick through the lobe was really the most sanitary way to have one's ears pierced.  So... off we went to Dr. Brown's office.  Yep.  I was likely the only one of my friends to actually have my ears pierced by a Medical Doctor.  He found it incredibly funny and laughed out loud when he asked my mother if the pierces were "even" only to be met by the side of her face shielded by her hand and her response "Yes!"  You got it.  She couldn't look.  Thank goodness Dr. Brown had a good sense of straight and level!!

There are so many things this man did for this town.  I can't mention them all here nor would I want to do so.  Those who grew up here will have their own memories.  Those of you who never knew him... well, just trust me on my judgment of good and honorable.  That is the kind of man he was.  He will be missed.

Until next post...