Some everyday visitors

There are about a dozen bird species that show up at the Aerie's feeders ever day. We also get about a dozen gray squirrels each morning.

Gray Squirrel

White-breasted Nuthatch

Downy Woodpecker

Black-capped Chickadee

Best Team Ever?

I understand there's a football game being played this afternoon. The game has sure changed since it was first played ont he Banks of the Raritan between Rutgers and Princeton way back in 1869.



If you're new to the sport of Football and wish to learn how the game should be played, Goofy has a tutorial.

There's only ONE National Pastime.

For quite some time, it was a morning ritual on a New York radio station to play read the following poem on the morning of the Super Bowl. The reason was obvious: The program's DJ/host was not a great fan of football but was a fanatic of the Nation's Pastime. Time and distance have robbed me of the name of that host and of the station upon which he held court (although I believe it was WCBS). Even so, I would like to provide you with the iconic baseball poem: "Casey at the Bat".



Of course, it was made into a cartoon which was NOT faithful to the original poem but entertaining nonetheless: "Casey At The Bat"



Which brought about a sequel: "Casey Bats Again"

Back to normal

The temps dropped to 9.4 degrees overnight and the winds shifted to come out of the north and then the north-northwest. This has produced some light snow flurries here at the Aerie and the return of The Blob over Armenia Mountain although there's some blue sky between the clouds at the moment.

******

I mentioned yesterday that whenever Joe and I go to an outdoor show it seems to snow. Friday, he suggested we shift our planned date from Monday to Wednesday so as to give the folks in Harrisburg more time to clean up the parking lots. Well, now AccuHunch is forecasting 5-plus inches of snow for Harrisburg starting Tuesday night and continuing through Wednesday. Guess I'll have to give Joe a call later this afternoon.

Aerie Report, February 6, 2010

Just a quick mid-day note to say that there wasn't even a flake of snow here at the Aerie from this latest bout of Global Warming that cut a wide and deep swath across the southern boundary of PA over night and into this morning. I'll credit the cold air mass that's sitting over us for that. It was just 14 degrees at 7 AM today. We'll be getting more of that cold over the next few days with the overnight lows settling into the single digits. Daytime highs won't get above the 30 degree mark until mid-week. Given a choice of a foot of snow or 20 degree days, I think I'd settle for the cold...as long as the sun comes out as well, which it is struggling to do as I type.

******

The Eastern Sports & Outdoor Show has opened in Harrisburg. Joe was going to come out from NJ and meet me there on Monday but we've altered our plans since there's some concern that they will not have had ample time to clean up the parking lots. Instead we will meet there on Wednesday.

Seems we run into snow problems for these shows almost every year. And it doesn't matter whether we're going to the one at Rockland Community College in NY or the Garden State Expo Center in Edison, NJ. There's usually a snow storm just ending, just beginning or in progress.

Jeez, is there anything of substance in the IPCC 2007 report?

As if the numerous "climategates" that have already been exposed were not enough we now have this:

TREES WILL NOT BECOME UNSTOPPABLE KILLING MACHINES, ADMIT CLIMATE SCIENTISTS

(From a link at Maggies's Farm. A site that should be on your daily read list.)

Aerie Report, February 4, 2010

Things have been very quiet here at the Aerie the last few days. Terry's been going about her daily routine of visiting Curves every morning (aka Rumor Central) and bringing home her daily reports of what's happening in the Mansfield area. Things like when the new Tractor Supply will be opening (April), what progress is being made on the new Lowe's (they've started bringing in the steel for the building and will probably be breaking ground in a month or so), what's happening with the current spate of new gas wells and such. When she's home she's been stitching and beading like a mad woman as she prepares for a classes she's teaching or finishing things she started in previous classes.

I've been the stay-at-home for the most part. I got back to scanning all the slides from the past into digital format. That's been taking quite a bit of time. In the last two days I've done approximately 500 slides over nearly 10 hours. That in itself has cut into my blog surfing time immensely. The same computer I regularly use for surfing has the program for scanning slides and gets tied up for that purpose. I can get four slides done every five minutes or so. All the digital images have been going onto a portable hard drive attached to the computer. I've not spent any time trying to play with the quality of those images or even label precisely what they are of. They, instead, get a generic label of the general locale (Zion, Bryce, Yosemite, Yellowstone, etc.) to go with the month and year. Many of them are, quite frankly, awful photographs. But a few turned out very, very nice.

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The weather has been just gorgeous. While yesterday started with a bit of a snow shower, that ended before noon with little accumulation. The temperature never really rose above 30 degrees here on the hill but did get just above freezing down along Route 6. Today was even better with bright sunshine all day and a high of 38 degrees around 3 PM. The warm temperatures have nearly removed all the snow from the yard and driveway. When we get a few hundred feet down the hill, it is all gone. Only the ice that formed after the rains two weekends ago has survived but that's because it was just so bloody thick!

While the big story for the approaching weekend is the snowstorm that will hit the mid-Atlantic states, we will be spared all but a trace to an inch tomorrow night into Saturday morning. The bulk of the snow will be well to our south and will hardly cross Interstate 80. The heavy snow might just nip the southeast portion of Pennsylvania. Terry's Mom and our daughter in Linden, NJ will get more snow than we will.

******

The birds and squirrels have continued to put a sizable dent int he sunflower seed stock. I'm glad I purchased ten fifty-pound bags of the stuff when it was on sale last October. We've gone through five of those bags already and I'm working on number six. The same is true for the suet blocks. The woodpeckers, nuthatches and chickadees are all out there hammering away at the nut, seed and fruit laced fat but there are still five or six blocks in the freezer.

Abbott and Costello today

One more from Ruthann. It's been around for a bit but still good for a laugh.
She actually sent it last night but I held off posting it until this morning. Don't want her to think I'm totally dependent upon her emails. ;-) Besides, by delaying this post, I got to locate and post "Who's On First" before this one showed up.

You have to be old enough to remember Abbott and Costello, and not too old to REALLY understand computers, to fully appreciate this. For those of us who sometimes get flustered by our computers, please read on...

If Bud Abbott and Lou Costello were alive today, their famous sketch, 'Who's on First?' might have turned out something like this:

COSTELLO BUYS A COMPUTER FROM ABBOTT

ABBOTT: Super Duper computer store. Can I help you?

COSTELLO: Thanks. I'm setting up an office in my den and I'm thinking about buying a computer.

ABBOTT: Mac?

COSTELLO: No, the name's Lou.

ABBOTT: Your computer?

COSTELLO: I don't own a computer. I want to buy one.

ABBOTT: Mac?

COSTELLO: I told you, my name's Lou.

ABBOTT: What about Windows?

COSTELLO: Why? Will it get stuffy in here?

ABBOTT: Do you want a computer with Windows?

COSTELLO: I don't know.. What will I see when I look at the windows?

ABBOTT: Wallpaper.

COSTELLO: Never mind the windows. I need a computer and software.

ABBOTT: Software for Windows?

COSTELLO: No. On the computer! I need something I can use to write proposals, track expenses and run my business. What do you have?

ABBOTT: Office.

COSTELLO: Yeah, for my office. Can you recommend anything?

ABBOTT: I just did.

COSTELLO: You just did what?

ABBOTT: Recommend something.

COSTELLO: You recommended something?

ABBOTT: Yes.

COSTELLO: For my office?

ABBOTT: Yes.

COSTELLO: OK, what did you recommend for my office?

ABBOTT: Office.

COSTELLO: Yes, for my office!

ABBOTT: I recommend Office with Windows..

COSTELLO: I already have an office with windows! OK, let's just say I'm sitting at my computer and I want to type a proposal. What do I need?

ABBOTT: Word.

COSTELLO: What word?

ABBOTT: Word in Office.

COSTELLO: The only word in office is office.

ABBOTT: The Word in Office for Windows..

COSTELLO: Which word in office for windows?

ABBOTT: The Word you get when you click the blue'W'.

COSTELLO: I'm going to click your blue 'w' if you don't start with some straight answers. What about financial bookkeeping? You have anything I can track my money with?

ABBOTT: Money.

COSTELLO: That's right. What do you have?

ABBOTT: Money.

COSTELLO: I need money to track my money?

ABBOTT: It comes bundled with your computer.

COSTELLO: What's bundled with my computer?

ABBOTT: Money.

COSTELLO: Money comes with my computer?

ABBOTT: Yes. No extra charge.

COSTELLO: I get a bundle of money with my computer? How much?

ABBOT: One copy.

COSTELLO: Isn't it illegal to copy money?

ABBOTT: Microsoft gave us a license to copy Money.

COSTELLO: They can give you a license to copy money?

ABBOTT: Why not? THEY OWN IT!

(A few days later)

ABBOTT: Super Duper computer store. Can I help you?

COSTELLO: How do I turn my computer off?

ABBOTT: Click on 'START'.............

Who's On First

Regardless of what Punxsutawney Phil decreed this morning, spring is in the air. At least in Florida and Arizona where major league pitchers and catchers will be reporting next week for spring training.

In honor of the beginning of the rites of spring, I present:

One of the THE greatest comedy routine of all time!

Abbott and Costello were recognized by the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum with a plaque, gold record and transcript of this famous sketch included in the museum collection.

Lou Costello, the derby wearing, bat wielding foil in this routine was indeed a pretty fair athlete back in the day back in New Jersey. Basketball and boxing in particular were his sports, but he also did some catching in high school.

I dare you to watch this without laughing out loud.

The Great Backyard Bird Count

It's nearly time for the Great Backyard Bird Count to take place. On the weekend of February 12-15 just keep track of the birds coming to your feeder and submit them to the Cornell Labs. Click the button below or on the sidebar to learn more.

Water or Wine?

An email from my lil Sis, Ruthann. (I told you..pretty soon she'll be a full time contributor to this little corner of cyberspace.)

To my friends who enjoy a glass of wine... and those who don't..

As Ben Franklin said:
In wine there is wisdom, in beer there is freedom, in water there is bacteria.


In a number of carefully controlled trials, scientists have demonstrated that if we drink 1 liter of water each day, at the end of the year we would have absorbed more than 1 kilo of Escherichia coli, (E. coli) - the bacteria found in feces. In other words, we are consuming 1 kilo of poop..

However, we do NOT run that risk when drinking wine & beer (or tequila, rum, whiskey or other liquor) because alcohol has to go through a purification process of boiling, filtering and/or fermenting.

Remember:
Water = Poop,
Wine = Health

Therefore, it's better to drink wine and talk stupid,
than to drink water and be full of shit.

Aerie Birds: Pileated Woodpecker

I mentioned the Bluebird and Pileated Woodpecker in the last post as infrequent visitors to the Aerie. Well, today the Bluebird was back on the electric wires at noon. I attempted to get a photo but the auto focus kept zoning in on the trees 15 feet behind the bird and all I got was a little ball of blue fuzziness.

Earlier, as I went out to fill the feeders on the deck, I spooked a Pileated Woodpecker for the trees on the other side of the driveway/parking area. It didn't go far and I quickly retreated hoping it would return. It finally did several hours later. At that time it went to the fruiting bodies at the very tippy-top of the one sumac on the edge of the driveway. It was a long shot at a sharp angle out of the window. And, in my haste, I forgot to zoom in!

Pileated Woodpecker

I tried a second shot through the front door but as soon as I cracked the door open, it flew away. For a bird that perched in the same tree last year while I ran the snow thrower directly beneath, it sure is spooky this year.

Aerie Birds: Goldfinch & Titmouse

I've pretty much given up on the possibility of either the Redpolls or Purple Finches making an appearance at the Aerie this year. Both are far northern species that make their way south when food is scarce and snows are not. They were both abundant (along with the Evening Grosbeaks) over the last two winters but are near impossible to find in any reports this year. It's a shame really, since all three species (Redpolls, Purple Finches and Evening Grosbeaks) brought some much wanted and needed color to the feeders.

So I guess we'll have to make due with what we have on hand, namely Chickadees, Nuthatches, Morning Doves, Blue Jays, Goldfinches, Tufted Titmice, Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers and the occasional Blue Bird and Pileated Woodpecker.

American Goldfinch

Tufted Titmouse

Grooving Owlet

This baby owl is really getting into the groove!



(From the LOL Cats folks.)

A Palindromic Message

One more from Sis. (I'm going to have to add her as a contributor soon!)

A palindrome reads the same backwards as forward. This video reads the exact opposite backwards as forward. Not only does it read the opposite, the meaning is the exact opposite.

This only runs for 1 minute, 44 seconds and it is brilliant. Make sure you read as well as listen…forward and backward.

This is a video that was submitted in a contest by a 20-year old. The contest was titled "u @ 50" by AARP. This video won second place. When they showed it, everyone in the room was awe-struck and broke into spontaneous applause. So simple and yet so brilliant. Take a minute and watch it.

(I may not agree fully with everything she says but I do find this piece to be extremely well done.)

A Look Back In TIme

Another email from my younger sister. Who, for some reason, seems a little more nostalgic than I.

HEY,WASN’T THAT US ?

SURE WAS!

A little house with three bedrooms, one bathroom and one car on the street.
A mower that you had to push to make the grass look neat.

In the kitchen on the wall we only had one phone,
And no need for recording things, someone was always home.

We only had a living room where we would congregate.
Unless it was at mealtime in the kitchen where we ate.

We had no need for family rooms or extra rooms to dine.
When meeting as a family those two rooms would work out fine.

We only had one TV set, and channels maybe two,
But always there was one of them with something worth the view.

For snacks we had potato chips that tasted like a chip,
And if you wanted flavor there was Lipton's onion dip.

Store-bought snacks were rare because my mother liked to cook,
And nothing can compare to snacks in Betty Crocker's book.

Weekends were for family trips or staying home to play.
We all did things together even go to church to pray.

When we did our weekend trips depending on the weather,
No one stayed at home because we liked to be together.

Sometimes we would separate to do things on our own,
But we knew where the others were without our own cell phone.

Then there were the movies with your favorite movie star,
And nothing can compare to watching movies in your car.

Then there were the picnics at the peak of summer season,
Pack a lunch and find some trees and never need a reason.

Get a baseball game together with all the friends you know,
Have real action playing ball and no game video.

Remember when the doctor used to be the family friend,
And didn't need insurance or a lawyer to defend?

The way that he took care of you or what he had to do,
Because he took an oath and strived to do the best for you.

Remember going to the store and shopping casually,
And when you went to pay for it you used your own money?

Nothing that you had to swipe or punch in some amount,
Remember when the cashier person had to really count?

The milkman used to go from door to door,
And it was just a few cents more than going to the store.

There was a time when mailed letters came right to your door,
Without a lot of junk mail ads sent out by every store.

The mailman knew each house by name and knew where it was sent;
There were not loads of mail addressed to "present occupant."

There was a time when just one glance was all that it would take,
And you would know the kind of car, the model and the make.

They didn't look like turtles trying to squeeze out every mile;
They were streamlined, white walls, fins, and really had some style!

One time the music that you played whenever you would jive,
Was from a vinyl, big-holed record called a forty-five.

The record player had a post to keep them all in line,
And then the records would drop down and play one at a time.

Oh sure, we had our problems then, just like we do today,
And always we were striving, trying for a better way.

Oh, the simple life we lived still seems like so much fun,
How can you explain a game, just kick the can and run?

And why would boys put baseball cards between bicycle spokes,
And for a nickel red machines had little bottled Cokes?

This life seemed so much easier and slower in some ways,
I love the new technology but I sure miss those days.

So time moves on and so do we, and nothing stays the same,
But I sure love to look back and walk down memory lane...

I have to admit though, everything does look a little rosier through the rear view.

Six more weeks. **Sigh**

Weather.com said it was cloudy and there were snow showers in the area this morning as ceremonies commenced in Punxsutawney, PA this morning, but that didn't stop Phil from seeing his shadow and forecasting another six weeks of winter. Of course, it's something he does around 80% of the time (meaning you've only got a 1-in-5 shot at his saying early spring) but still it would be a nice change.

My guess is that Phil is an AGW denialist and is in league with Jack Frost and Frosty the Snowman.