afternoon/evening of excitement.

Again, it has been a few days since I have blogged, but summer has beckoned and when I get home I just want to crash out. I am glad that I haven't lost the want to take pictures at work, just the lack of time. Today I have some photos for you, but we will get there after we rewind a few days.

Sunday was a day of "rest" and man did I get restless. I was in a funk all day and finally at 8:45 went F*** I need to get out of my house. I ended my cell phone chat with a friend and headed south. Not that I can go all that far after all I am on a small island. But I got to redoubt at American Camp just a few minutes after sunset. I needed to run, and run I did. I cut about 10 minutes off my loop time which I am really shocked I was able to do since I run in almost a month. I didn't do it in one long stint but 2 moderate ones. I was highly impressed with myself. I then headed to town, caught up with a few friends before heading home. Here are a few pictures of the view I got to take in while running. It was very soothing.

Looking out to the Olympics

Looking Northish.

Mt. Baker light by the the sunset.

Now onto today. The day was pretty hectic at first but that is b/c I just couldn't seem to get in the groove this morning. It didn't help that the phone kept ringing, the answer machine tapes got all goofy so I had to rerecord 3 of them, and our fiesty raccoon decided to break out of his tub over night and I found him sitting on top of another cage this morning.. Not looking so good. I had many moves I wanted to get accomplished this morning and feared that it wouldn't get done. But we were able to get the starling groups together, the robins moved out to an aviary, some fo the coon kits vacinated and put in with others, and even getting the fox kits in together. I think the thing that actually caught me to stop and catch my breath was doing the otter swim. I have posted a video of this at the bottom of this post. Watch it... Soon after lunch I had to head to town for a meeting with the San Juan County Marine Mammal Stranding Network (SJCMMSN) to discuss this years seal season and the coordination we need to have maintain. Back to work I was able to get a small amount of paperwork done before starting the last afternoon feeds. I found out we had some animals arriving on the 5:15 flight and one was one that we haven't had a center since I have been there, Shona doesn't remember one at center ever. They generally go to mainland volunteers, but not to us (I know the anticipation is killing you but you will see when you get to the pictures).

Just when I think the day is over after checking in these guys, our seasonal Kailee went out on a fawn rescue. So I stuck around to help check it in; went back to our Quiet Room and started to pull up formula for the 6pm bunny feed. Our intern, Izzy came back and told me, "Kailee got the truck stuck, so I don't know what you want to do." Jimmy to the rescue!! I headed out, found her we used the tow rope I keep in my truck and pulled her out of the loose gravel she was stuck in (damn rear wheel drives with no weight back there!) Back at center we got the bunnies fed, I gave meds to the fawn and headed home... FINALLY.

Here are some work pictures for the day.

The barred owlet is now outside. I made one of the rookie moves in rehab. I was just mindless going into the cage without looking to see where the bird ones first. Next thing I hear is clack clack clack. I look up and here is the barred owl just above my eye level and about a foot away. That could have been disastous!

Some of the new arrivals. 3 Tree swallows- they are dirty here and will need some clean up. the finder thought it was a good idea to feed them bread soaked in milk! For anyone not in the animal world.. this IS a bad idea!

Three Tree Swallows.. say that repeatively fast

Oh the excitement!!!! Our new arrival. I know it looks like a bunny but it isn't. It is a hare, a snowshoe hare to be specific! I had to call PAWS Wildlife Center in Lynnwood to get their protocol!

Isn't that just the cutest thing you could ever imagine!! Has a small hole to the ear from being caught by a cat. And is close to the weight that it would be on its own. Just got to give it some meds and get it there without it keeling over from stress.

Okay, enjoy the video below. I want to get back to my chicken, bean, cheese, tator tot burrito.

Sorry video stuck in downloading... after 3 hours I am giving up and going to bed. I will try again tomorrow.

performance

I have had a three day weekend this week and even though I didn't go down to Seattle, I have treated it pretty mellow with little pops of excitement in there. Thursday night was filled with getting Margarita's at one of the local watering holes... b/c well Seth's margaritas rock... and then up to another one of the bars to play some Guitar Hero.. I know this sounds strange but it is very mellow and I really enjoy it, b/c I am addicted to the guitar based games!

Friday was a very quiet day, I had to run out to work for a few minutes and then found out my trip was completely unneeded and it could have been resolved with out me trekking out there on my day off. I was then off to the grocery store. After that I was in and out of nap land the rest of the day. I don't know what it was but I just couldn't seem to keep awake.

Saturday was a little more active, I thought when I got up in the morning I should go for a run, but just couldn't drag my out of bed for that, but did go out and play a round of disc golf with a friend in the afternoon. Then I went home to relax before a friend was playing at Pazzo Vivo. Tony, aka T:FLO, starts out his sets pretty mellow, just him and his acoustic guitar. After a short break and hour in, he adds to his band, a basses named Dylan and a drummer, Tawm P. This is where he really starts to jam. Tawm even had some friends that were up here for his birthday so they came up at the very end of the evening with their electric guitar and trumpet. It was really fun time.

Tony on guitar, Bob joins in for a few songs

Bob sings on out.

Dylan, Tony, and Tawm

Really jamming out!

rock on!

After that it was to the local water hole of Herb's where their were some wedding partiers there, making for an interesting night. Soon, it was time to go home, I watched some tv and then I off to bed for me. Today has been another lazy day- I am currently working making some dehydrated mango pieces; we will see how that turns out.

Hope you all had a good weekend!

U/G, Intakes, and just all around.

We sure were busy this week, with trying to get animals moved around. We have been playing musical raptors trying to get everyone accomidated for a larger enclosure. These photos may end up out of order since I am uploading from 2 different cameras and once again am going to be ubber lazy and not move things around.

We got 2 of our eagles upgraded to new enclosures this week, and also got our eaglet onto eating food on his own. We have also taken in quite a few animals and we have 78 animals in care at this point. that is close to 10 more animals than we had in care last year on this date! So even if our intake number looks lower we are sure trying to play catch up.

So I have loads of pictures I have taken with both cameras over the past few days!! Yeah!! So let us get started!!!

Shona is drying wings of a Canada goose in her office.. aww her office.

A garter snake chilling on a log to sun himself. He was about 2 foot long.

Our last year female deer that released... look how beautiful her coat is now!

The little boy that broke free last year and wouldn't get in the trailer.

A pretty flower in the eagle flight cage.

New intakes::

This picture is of my favorite newest intake!!!! haha

Jen sits in the eagle carrier to get the front scrubbed free while I stood off to the side holding the eagle and an intern got my camera out of my pocket and took this photo.. Love it!

6 Cottontails with their eyes shut.. and yes I have colored their ears.

Upgrades::

aww.. what is this you may ask. The eagle that was in our heron cage on the previous posts was moved. The first resident of our eagle flight cage!! This is one of the ways they test the cage. I have never seen it, but have heard about it. After taking off the eagle flew up and landed on the roof to test the netting.. this is his bat impression. I am sorry it isn't a better pic, I accidentally deleted the better photo :(

In flight this was right before the bat impression.

Testing the side of the cage.

Right after Shona let go, was giving the stressed face.

Shona sets the eagle down!

Otters!!!

Our new otter, very people skittish. I hope he teaches that to the two we have raised from being tiny.

Great horned owl Fledgling got moved to an outdoor enclosure.

The mallard ducklings are just a few days away from being released.

The fledgling Red-tail hawk moved to an outdoor enclosure.

Taken with my Nikon D60!

Our Eaglet.. now is upright, standing on a perch, and eating on his/her own. Now it is time to put some weight on this feller.

The evil eye b/c I didn't have food for the eaglet.

The Bald eagle after being in the cage for a day.

Much calmer.

Okay, I hope you feel somewhat caught up. If so you are doing better than me. Okay time for me to catch up on a few other things. I am lucky to get a three day weekend end so I can finally breath!

okay, I will finally write something!

Okay I know I haven't written anything in a while so I am going to actually put a little effort in tonight and give you something a bit more than pretty pictures to look at. I have been very busy with work, we are hitting our swing now and we have been getting loads of animals in. Some years we see a lot of a certain type of animals and then then some years we see different. This year has been a huge hodge podge, but mainly... raptors. I have already posted some pictures of the juvenile or fledgling raptors we have in but we also have a few adults as well! Come on guys, it is baby season, I am not suppose to be spending loads of time focusing on acute adult cases too!!!!!

As for my off time I have been busy with that too! I don't know why but I have been out and about quite a bit already. Not like last year where I came home and took a nap every night, even though that is what I just got done doing and feel much better that I did. It as been good for me to be out seeing new people and hanging out with new friends. I will only allude to and not share the pictures I have, but playing twister at a BBQ can be a bad idea... or just really good laughs :O... hahaha.. but playing Apples to Apples is always a good idea.

Okay so lets get into some pictures!!!!

Taken with my Nikon.. man I love my camera!!

Our Six month Seasonal Jen through window to our Iso Room, just after finishing the baby coon feed!

I was trying to be sneaky and quick.. or nestling barred owl loves to freak us out by sleeping by laying down with his/her head on the log perch.. I was trying to catch it on camera but of course got noticed before I could snap a quick one.

Shortly after, standing upright... so dang cute!

Otters, sleeping after their lunch! Don't you just want to scratch that belly!

belly belly belly!!!

I just couldn't resist... I know, 3 pictures almost exactly the same.

These are taken with my Optio point and shoot, so the glass glare is more visible in these ones.

I can't wait to see what happens when we add the new otter to these two

The previous day.. they are sleeping on each other!

Bald Eagle #2, is up and flying now.. hopefully she will be in the Eagle Flight to help strengthen those muscles before release.

The aggressive, get out of my face look... or also known as the "you're stressing me out" look

Our adult Great Horned owl! He tried to escape when I was catching him up to move him to this mew for his next stage before release. I love them but am very fearful of them all at the same time.

The horns are tucked, b/c he isn't quite sure what is going on.. ps look at those feet aren't they just huge for the bird... they have 10 times the crushing power of a bald eagle in them, now you know why I fear them, once you have been taloned you never forget those feet.

The sub adult red-tailed hawk has a very full crop and a new place to chill while she gets grows her tail feathers back.

I have to say, I am in love. I always like the light morphs, plus the sub adult golden hazel eyes... man they pull at my heart strings so much!

Why ello there.

And with that I am going to close. I hope you enjoyed knowing that things are still chugging along and that all is well on my little rock. We got our first rain 2 days ago in nearly a month. Just a few days shy of the record. I was refreshing to get some rain and I have never had any issues with weather bringing me down, but the past few days have been a bummer... hopefully my mood will lift.

Til later!

exactly.