Mission Impossible!

We've had lots of ice and even more snow on top of that, so far this winter. That makes it especially hard on all the wild creatures to survive here in Bluff Country. I do feed the birds with black oil sunflower seeds, mixed nuts, plenty of suet and the cheapo big box variety of mixed seed which gets tossed on the ground as well. There are two platform feeders, a prized green and yellow "John Deere" hanging one and another hanging variety that closes automatically when a squirrel, racoon or other large creature climbs on the perch. The amount of food being consumed each day has increased exponentially.

The large hole in an oak tree in the back yard (our house is surrounded by oak and white pine) is inhabited by a large family of squirrels. Although they are exercised daily by my large GSD, they still manage to spend much time grazing contentedly on sunflower seeds. I had for a few years tried various stratagems, other than armed violence, to deter them . Greasing the poles upon which the platform feeders sat was only one of the unsuccessful stratagems . The following video will demonstrate why I gave up on the deterence plan.


Oh and I forget to mention, of late a herd of deer have been joining the feast, and more importantly arousing the kenneled dog. Since he can't chase after them, he attempts to deter their intrusion upon his territory by insane barking, usually about 2 a.m. in the morning. Our human neighbors are all nice people but I'm getting worried about phone calls. Grrrrr.

Winter Road Trip

It wasn't a great adventure. It wasn't even a little adventure. It was more like a stupid adventure on the designated drivers (Troutbirders) part. The genesis began with the annual New Years Eve party.

Our guests, good friends Gary and Rosie, had arrived a few days early because of a threatened winter storm. The storm had somewhat fizzled into a day of fog, mist and then sleet. The next day looking to go outside for a "little fresh air" and a hike, we discovered sidewalks and streets with a veneer of ice. Senior citizens tend to be a little more cautious about walking on ice than average.

Still never one to give up easily, I proposed we all grab our binocs, hop in the 4 wheel drive truck and do a little "road birding" in a nearby state park. The goal would be to look for snow birds and hawks.

Things went quite well, on the sanded state highway, till I got the brilliant idea to take a shortcut through a wooded area with a gravel road. That road had often shown "snow birds" (horned larks, lapland longspurs and snow buntings) in the past. That day it showed mostly compacted snow and sheets of ice. I was doing well enough as we passed thru the beautiful woods, till I came to a short but fairly steep incline. I slowed down to avoid a barking dog that appeared from a nearby house. Big mistake. When I tried to speed up, to make the top of the hill, the wheels spun and then we began sliding backwards toward the ditch and a 15 foot dropoff. I had visions of the truck ending up upside down at the bottom. Fortunately, the roads edge had a snowbank, which we plowed into. Now the back end was stuck in a snowbank and I couldn't get any traction to pull out even with 4 wheel drive. Birding had never been so exciting! Grrrrr....

Assessing the situation.

All was not lost, however, as their were sand tubes (for weight) and shovels in the back

The mission now was to get the sand, for traction, under and around the wheels of the truck .... and hope for the best.

Getting ready to go..... maybe.
Luck was with us and we started up the hill. At the top there was a ninety degree dogleg to the left and a man standing in the road with his dog wanting to chat. Foolishly, once again, I stopped in the middle of the road. We talked for a few minutes and then I was unable to get going. And slid backwards stopping about 6 feet from his parked car. At which time, a road grader approached, blade down scrapping ice, slammed on his brakes and began sliding toward me.

At that moment, I was quite sure this was not going to be my day. The grader was only a few feet from my front grill when his tire chains on the back wheels gripped and enabled him to stop and then back up to go around me. Whew! Inspired, I was then able to get going and we headed off to Forestville Park. There across the valley, in the distance, Rosie spotted a rough-legged hawk. Just another exciting day here on tundra in Bluff Country.

Pictures taken by birder/photographer Rosie A.

Tiger Tiger

The Tiger by William Blake
"Tiger Tiger. burning bright,In the forests of the night;

What immortal hand or eye.Could frame thy fearful symmetry?

In what distant deeps or skies.Burnt the fire of thine eyes?

On what wings dare he aspire?What the hand, dare seize the fire? "

It was a Christmas vacation outing for the grandkids. Thus, we were heading an hour south and east of Greeley, Colorado to the Rocky Mountain Wildlife Sanctuary, where large exotic carnivores like tigers and lions were rescued from lives of misery and abuse and given a place to live in peace. As we turned off the graveled road and entered thru a gated cyclone fence, large signs proclaimed the rules. This was not a zoo. You should not slow down nor stop along the fences leading up hill to the buildings. The animals should not be disturbed or approached in any way. We knew right then that it was going to be different..... It was.

It wasn’t a natural setting for these neglected and unwanted animals but they were well cared for, allowed to roam the landscape with others of their kind and each ones history was described in the visitor center, which was part of the viewing platforms, high above the animals.
The Wild Animal Sanctuary is the oldest and largest nonprofit Sanctuary in the US dedicated exclusively to rescuing captive exotic and endangered large carnivores, providing them with a wonderful life for as long as they live, and educating about the tragic plight faced by an estimated 30,000 such animals in America today.
Established by Executive Director Pat Craig in 1980, Rocky Mountain Wildlife Conservation Center, DBA The Wild Animal Sanctuary, is a state and federally licensed zoological facility and a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

A shocking statistic about America’s Captive Wildlife Crisis…the illicit exotic animal trade is the third largest source of illegal profits in the world today, just after illegal drugs and weapons! In the U.S. alone, there are an estimated 30,000 captive large carnivores living outside the zoo system. There are 4,000 Tigers living as "pets" in private homes in just the state of Texas – more Tigers than exist in the wild throughout the world. Countless other Great Cats, Bears, Wolves and other large carnivores live in abusive conditions in roadside stands, circuses, magic acts, traveling shows, and other substandard situations. Untold numbers of animals suffer and die each year due to neglect, abuse or because they are abandoned and left to die, starving and alone.

In spite of the huge costs of maintaining this facility (thousands of dollars a day for food alone), more space is being added all the time. There were over 200 tigers plus other big cats, bears and wolves (some half dog).

As we finished our visit, the kids were taking a potty break, supervised by son Tony and Gramma. I headed out to the parking lot to warm up in the car. It was deserted, as we were the last to leave. Spotting some trash on the blacktop, I picked it up (Minnesotans do that sort of thing) and headed for a dumpster along the fence. As I approached it, I saw two tigers sleeping in the grass. Not wanting to disturb their sleep, I set the lid down very gently. At that instant both tigers raised their heads and turned to look at me. Now, cutting to the chase, I've crossed sandbars on remote rivers in Montana (flyfishing) and seen fresh grizzley tracks. I've heard wolves howling in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area and almost collided with a bull moose coming down a portage in the same area. Still, when the tigers began to approach me, a primal moment occured. I looked at the cyclone fence between us (forgetting for the moment that the top was electrified) and thought "my god a deer could jump over this baby." I started backing up before my wits returned and I could breathe. I'm sure I will be able to conjur up that image the rest of my life..... and hope that their cousins can remain free in the wild. And that people will give up the silly idea that these magnificent carnivores make "good pets."

Stiff Goldenrod

It was time for the annual "leaf tour" with our friends Gary & Rosie. This year we also worked in a hike along the Shooting Star bike trail. Baron led the way. It has been an absolutely stunning Oct. The essence of what we Minnesotans call "Indian Summer." Warm and sunny. No rain. And the knowledge that our Artic type winter cannot be far away.

Rosie, the intrepid photographer, spots a butterfly on the trail and manuevers for the right angle.

While the prarie landscape surrounding the bike trail has that drab late fall brownness about it, I'm alert to patches of color here and there. The fall trifecta of New England Asteers, White Asters and Stiff Goldenrod makes their appearance here and there along the trail.

It's the Stiff Goldenrod that catches my attention this time. Knowing that its was some kind of a late season goldenrod, I couldn't quite put a name on it. Checking my wildflower books turned up the corect I.D.

Stiff Goldenrod (Hard-leaved Goldenrod)Oligoneuron rigidum (Solidago rigida)
Stiff goldenrod is a common plant in midwestern prairies.
• Family: Aster (Asteraceae) • Habitat: open, dry, rocky or sandy areas• Height: 1-5 feet• Flower size: small; arranged in flat-topped clusters 3-5 inches across• Flower color: yellow• Flowering time: August to September• Origin: native

For us northerners late fall can be a special season. A hint of cooling wind from the North. The warm rays of sun. And the "last roses" of summer. Enjoy it while you can!

Then and Now

They were having a reunion after 40 years and all were looking healthy and amazingly well... Remember the 7 children of the Von Trapp family? The Sound of Music' won the Academy Award for Best Picture of 1965 and is one of the most popular musicals ever produced.

40 Yrs Later: The 7 Children in 'The Sound of Music'.

CURRENTLY..... It wouldn't be funny if it weren't so true.. Julie Andrews turned 69 and to commemorate her 69th birthday on October 1, actress/vocalist Julie Andrews made a special appearance at Manhattan 's Radio City Music Hall for the benefit of the AARP. One of the musical numbers she performed was "My Favourite Things" from the legendary movie "The Sound Of Music."

Here are the actual lyrics she used: "Maalox and nose drops and needles for knitting, Walkers and handrails and new dental fittings, Bundles of magazines tied up in string, These are a few of my favourite things. Cadillac's and cataracts, and hearing aids and glasses, Polident and Fixodent and false teeth in glasses, Pacemakers, golf carts and porches with swings, These are a few of my favourite things.. When the pipes leak, When the bones creak, When the knees go bad, I simply remember my favourite things, And then I don't feel so bad."

Ms. Andrews received a standing ovation from the crowd that lasted over four minutes and repeated encores.

Deep Waters

There is a rather large lake adjacent to one of my favorite dog/hiking birding venues - Myre Big Island State Park. The name of the lake is Albert Lea as in the nearby town. There has always been a mystery surrounding this big lake for me. The mystery, quite simply, is this. Why do I rarely see any kind of boaters there. I mean really! Minnesota has tons of fishermen, water skiers, jet skiers, canoeists and kayakers.

Recent rains had flooded many nearby towns earlier that week but I took a chance anyway. Sure enough the dock at the launch area was a least a foot under water. The ramp was still functional though, and with Mrs. T hopping up and over the bow into the boat, we launched out into the lake.

Of course, we were the only watercraft on the water. We cruised the shoreline, bays and middle of the lake for several hours. We saw plenty of ducks and some submerged backyards. Also some beautiful shoreline as the leaves had begun to change color.

I kept the depth finder running so as not to run aground. That proved to be the key to the mystery. With the lake at least two feet above normal, judging by the flooded docks and yards, the deepest spot on the lake I could find was 6 feet. Hmmmm. Mystery solved.

A Regular Customer

He and his family are regular, and I might add voracious, visitors at my bird feeders.


"Hey Troutbirder! Supplies are looking rather low here today. I expect better service than this. Now get on it!"

The Biker

I was standing on the bike trail bridge looking down at the recently flooding Upper Iowa river, when a biker zipped on by behind me.

She looked vaguely familiar so I hurried to catch up. Coming around a bend there she was standing in the trail.

"Hi Sweetie," I hollered. Ok time to fess up. It was Barb, my wife, a.k.a. Mrs T.

This was a special day for us. She hadn’t been biking for several years. It had been a rough period actually. First, there was cancer surgery. This was immediately followed by a serious wound infection, where I had to learn how to "pack it." Then came gall bladder surgery. Then a year later an artificial knee replacement. She had carried on bravely and with great resolve thru all of this. We continued to travel, go for lots of "rides" etc. but biking seemed a little much. This day the tide turned. The sun was shining and after getting our sea legs, we raced down the trail together. Life is good.