Tag Archives: eagles

A Couple of Things…

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1. A few blogs ago I shared about how I detach my camera from my desktop computer and that I would cover the lens on my laptop to avoid any possible malware spying called camfecting or camhacking. I was checking my texts recently when I broke out in a cold sweat and realized my phone also has a camera, and after a quick search, yes, the commie rat bastards can also spy via your phone’s len.
And while Norton wants to sell you their anti-virus software, they do provide tips on what to look for on their blog (click here).
My tip, never leave the camera in “selfie” mode.

2. Sunday, June 28, one of the Big Bear eaglets, Sandy, accidentally fell from the nest. I saw a video showing the fall where the eaglet landed on a lower branch and then one of the parents quickly arrived to monitor the situation to make sure she is protected and fed. It was reported Sandy took flight to a nearby tree so she is fine.

The next day, the second eaglet, Luna, took flight to a nearby branch, where one of the parents kept tabs.

The eaglets return to the nest nightly for now. See story: https://youtu.be/6sKl7bQ_JNc?si=pvl3qw3yXW9UBq9N

Nature is brilliant!

3. As I’m sure with everyone who saw the report, I’m extremely sad to learn that actor Danny Glover was given an Alzheimer’s diagnosis. If you check out his resume of films and television, you can’t deny he had a full life and has been one of our most prolific actors with over 200 credited roles. Some of my favorites are Death at a Funeral, the Royal Tenenbaums, Angels in the Outfield, the Color Purple, and of course the Lethal Weapon series. IMDB.com has a career retrospective you can watch. I was surprised to see he was in the movie Saw. Too scary for me.

I wouldn’t wish this disease on anyone.

photo from City of Ventura FB page

4. The Fourth of July was a hoot. The City of Ventura held a fireworks show on Friday, July 3 atop the downtown parking garage. The actual holiday featured their annual Pushem/Pullen parade which I contend is the only parade with more people in it than watching it, followed by the Downtown Holiday Street Fair. Both days brought thousands of people downtown.

5. I went kayaking in the Channel Islands Harbor with Maggie. Saw a dozen or so sea lions lounging in the sun, tons of birds including a Blue Heron and a very large pelican whom I called you’re majesty as we paddled by.

6. I’ll admit I caught a bit of the World Cup fever until “He who won’t be named” intervened. I thought it would have been classy for the red tagged USA player, Balogun, to still not play even though FIFA overturned the penalty. But alas, he did. Some call it Karma, others say USA just didn’t play with heart; regardless, they lost to Belgium.

Side note: the FIFA World Cup trophy is made of solid gold and is kept at the FIFA World Football Museum in Zurich, Switzerland but leaves for special occasions. Wikipedia states, “Only a selected few are officially allowed to touch the trophy with bare hands, including players and managers who have won the competition, heads of state, and FIFA officials.”

7. I’m excited to see The Odyssey when it comes out which I’ll try to see on an IMAX screen. Meanwhile I guess I’ll take in Toy Story 5. #CravingPopcorn

8. I’ll be visiting my daughter in Portland soon. Stories to follow!

9. From my favorite quotes file: “Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience.”
— Ralph Waldo Emerson

A Couple of Things…

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  1. I may have hit a nerve on my last post regarding my Public Service Announcement message about talking at concerts. A few friends were concerned with my “sassiness” because I’m usually well-mannered (LOL!!!), and others because they may have been the target for my rant. Rest assured, I keep all conversations to a minimum at concerts, so no, my friends are not the target and perhaps I should rephrase? So instead of “So please take your conversation elsewhere or just shut the fuck up!” I should say, “Please take your conversation elsewhere so others may continue to enjoy the show” (Yawn, Eyeroll). #SorryNotSorry
girl holding sign saying sorry

2. I go back and forth with my hate/love relationship with GoDaddy. On one hand, the company continues to nickle and dime us small businesses, but on the other hand, 80% of their tech help are remarkable! The other 20%, not so much.

3. I don’t go back and forth with my hate/hate relationship with Ticketmaster. I hope someday there is a class action suit against them. They do not allow single tickets to be purchased up near the stage! I’m happy to go to a concert solo and pay that price! I’ve looked into traveling to see one of my favorite bands, but again, I don’t want to sit solo in the nosebleed seats. Turns out, I’m not the only one with disdain for this conglomerate. #HateTicketmaster

4. I have on occasion been sucked into reading articles with intriguing headlines. One had to do with clothes women should no longer wear after a certain age according to a fashion expert. Apparently I already break most rules, though “Avoid massive makeup” is strictly adhered to as is “Opt for comfortable footwear.”

5. I tend to keep rudeness by others filed “closely” away. Like elephants, I rarely forget. I do try to understand those random acts of impolite/insulting/vulgar non-kindness…but then I get bored and file it away for future profiling.

Wiki definition of “Offender Profiling: Investigative tool used by law enforcement agencies to identify likely suspects and analyze patterns that may predict future offenses and/or victims.”

Syd's starter
Syd teaching me about sourdough bread making
sourdough bread
An early attempt at sourdough bread

6. Have I mentioned I went down the rabbit hole of sourdough bread baking? It all started when my evil daughter sent me home with a Christmas present of her sourdough starter. I’m embarrassed to say, I promptly, but accidentally killed it. I would soon learn that chlorine in our water was the culprit, so I only use bottled spring water and my starter is 100% homemade…her name is Betty Boop. I still haven’t nailed the process of baking the sourdough which is a two-three day ordeal, but I’m incredibly close. So yeah, it’s been six months and I’m still learning.

photo of Otzi mumified body
A trove of prehistoric microbes have been found in the mummified body of Ötzi the Iceman.

7. On a related note. The website, AllThatsInteresting.com had an article called, “Scientists Just Used Yeast From Otzi, The Iceman’s 5,300-Year-Old Corpse to Make Sourdough Bread.”
Otzi was discovered in 1991 in Italy’s Otzal Alps and scientists have been studying him ever since. In 2019 a team from Eurac Research Institute began studying Otzi’s microbiome and discovered yeast along with various types of bacteria, so why not make sourdough bread?
My question, “Who was brave enough to try it?” Next they hope to make beer from the yeast….which seems more realistic.
https://allthatsinteresting.com/otzi-the-iceman-yeast

8. Eagle watch update: The eaglets, Luna and Sandy, are now fledglings. They earned the new title once they developed feathers necessary for flight…which I have not witnessed yet. But they look ready to go! It has been noted that both youngsters “branched” for the first time earlier this month, which is to say they hopped/flew to a nearby branch outside their nest.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4-L2nfGcuE #FlyLikeAnEagle

9. If you love me, then do me a hard favor when introducing me to a friend. Use their name at least five times. I suck at remembering names. Example: This is my friend Joe. I’ve known Joe for years. Joe is a Fireman. I understand that Joe thinks you’re hot and Joe wants to date you. This I would remember. #BadAtNames

From my favorite quotes file: “I fall in love just a little, oh a little bit every day with someone new” – Hozier, Someone New

Thanks for listening!

A Couple of Things…

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  1. I’m going to just assume moving forward that photos of all beautiful people are either AI generated or airbrushed. #BetterForTheEgo

2. I changed Alexa’s voice from female to British male and ask him to give me a compliment.  He said I was sweet, like the corner piece of a brownie. #TrueStory

3. Who is a fan of the colonoscopy?  Everyone dreads them.  I dread the process leading up to it rather than the procedure itself. In fact, my last one, I was totally awake and watched the whole process on the monitor (I don’t think the anesthesiologist was checking on me).
In any case, I received a positive result from my Cologuard test and as a result I needed to do the dreaded colonoscopy. Now if I hadn’t done my routine every 10 year colonoscopy, then the precancerous polyps found, would most likely have evolved into cancer.  No telling how quickly, but still glad it was caught early. And just so you know, not all polpys are precancerous.  Some are beign, and some are cancer, and some have spread into the lining and to other parts of the body.

I guess what I’m trying to say is don’t put them off and …”Just do it.”

4. The biggest lesson the pandemic taught me is just how disgusting blowing out candles on one’s birthday cake really is. After spraying your spittle all over the icing, you then slice it up and serve it to others? This really needs to stop! Ew!!!

5. I still think about those first few months of the pandemic and following all the press conferences and being totally amazed about how closely the people behind the speaker where gathered, and how they all shared the same microphone.  WTF, right?
This one was held on March 11, 2020.

6. Fascinating fact. There are two items you can legally drop out of a car in California, according to the state’s vehicle code, 23114. A driver can technically spill clear water onto the roadway or feathers from birds; however, the law stipulates the birds have to be alive.

7. Great Blue Heron sightings take my breath away. I took this photo a quarter mile from where I live. It’s quite a thing when it becomes mating season. We use to have a dozen or so nests all in one tree two blocks away from the back of my house; they can be quite noisy. I’m sad to report the tree was cut down a few months ago after mating season ended. I will miss them dearly.

8. I found this image on Reddit of a nest here along Pierpont 2021:

9. As I get older, I’m a little surprised by how much I love birds. My dear friend Linda gifted me an owl release for my birthday this a few years back. Part of the package was being able to invited a few friends, so along with Linda, I brought Maggie and Steve & Sally Williams. It was one of those “I’ll-never-forget-this” moment.
Photo below with Kim from the Ojai Raptor Center.
This is a wonderful organization which rescues wild injured birds and rehabilitates them. Make a donation if you can: https://www.ojairaptorcenter.org/

10. Sticking with the bird theme for one more time…I am a huge fan of the Big Bear Lake Eagle Cam. If you haven’t checked it out, please do so! Jackie and Shadow have been nesting here for years and again this year they hatched two chicks who were recently named Sandy and Luna via a 3rd grade classroom competition. You can view via the official website: https://friendsofbigbearvalley.org/eagles/ or just click YouTube video below.

11. From my favorite quotes file:

“I don’t like country music, but I don’t mean to denigrate those who do. And for the people who like country music, denigrate means ‘put down’.”  – Bob Newhart

It’s been a hot minute since my last post. Hope to get back into the swing of posting more often.

Thanks for listening!