quick note

I have been trying to do an update since Friday but I have been busy busy busy. Not having too much fun, but trying to stay cool. We have hit a heat wave here, and it feels miserable. Today at work we hit at least 94 degrees (that is what my truck said when I got in it to come home). Right now my inside temp matches the outside temp 77.1 degrees, I was quite excited to come home and have my house reading 76 degrees while it was still 88 degrees outside in town. I do have some photos to upload and give you an update, just not tonight. I plan to lay back down on the couch and just relax-- hopefully not fall asleep again.

swim time

Today was a hectic morning... I mean hectic.. with the intake of 2 new seals and also getting in a raccoon that had a huge chunk missing from his back at the base of the tail (having many broken bones, as well as the 2 wounds being infested with maggots (more info than you wanted I'm sure)). I was really nervous on how the rest of the day would go, luckily- it calmed down. The interns did great today to keep us on task while I was indisposed checking in and checking over the new critters as well as showing another staff member on how we process blood samples we take from the seals. Thanks gals!!

This afternoon, like I mentioned was slower, we were able to get some projects done as well as time to watch Fatmucket take his first full swim in a pool! Boy did he like it, he needed no coaxing into the pool, he was a very strong swimmer, zooming around the pool, playing with his fish I had put in the pool with him, enjoying the in flow pipe, and also hauled out on the platform on his first full try!!! He is one smart cookie!!

Here are some photos of the swim.

Hello!

deep swim.

I knew he would be a belly swimmer from all of his tub swim.

An underwater picture of Fatmucket.. his head is above the water.

movin' around.

I see you.

Inflow pipe, swimming against the flow

looking for his fish.

heads up.

Wasn't ready to haul out yet.

Here is a SHORT video clip of the first part of the swim.

Hope you enjoyed.

lazy day

Time to catch you up on some work things. It has been an insane week at work. I was lucky to have one 10 1/2 hour day.. don't ask about how long the other ones were :( We got in some new critters that kept us on our toes and very busy.

The fawns feeding from the bottle rack

licksies!

The otters have been moved outside!!

They seem to really enjoy having more room.

My first kingfisher!

This is how small the little kingfishers are... they are strange birds, they eat fish, make pellets, have tiny feet, and nest in burrows!

Snails that were munching greens while I waited to pick up a seal.

slow goings.

The next eagle was moved in to the eagle flight

Meet our second seal- Segundo!

After a day of relaxing.

the Fledged red-tailed hawk... waiting for a cage to open up in the musical raptor game we are playing.

The fledgling Barred owl

Sunning him/herself.

The Great Horn owl- in need of a bigger cage before release again part of the musical raptor game.

Seal #3- Kanab

Last night friends tried to help me forget the troubles of the week (they did a great job). We went out and had a slamming good time, here are a few photos.

Janelle, Travis, and Jenn

Jenn dances on Travis

Patrick, one of Jenn's new step brothers.. fricking hilarious!

All in all today has been a lazy day. I got about 1/2 of my house cleaning done, and groceries purchased, also got caught up on my magazines... Tonight has been a DVD night which has been great!

fill in

see more Lolcats and funny pictures

a few more paddle board pictures

Okay here are a few pics of me at paddle boarding.

Probably one of the only 5 minutes I spent up on the board. Can you see how soaked I already am.

Jenn, Me, and Heather.

What a day!

a new adventure.

So today was another adventure. My friend Jenn had someone that could cover her shop today, so for the first time her and I could go just have a fun day and that we did! We went to the one place that I pretty much despise on the island, the bane of existence of the island... Roche Harbor. It wasn't as bad as I remembered... and after lunch and a few Margaritas I was will to try anything. This meant Paddle boarding. Wow, pretty intense. I generally have great balance but something about these boards made me very very very unsteady. I wasn't even away from the dock before I had dumped my board on my initial attempt to stand. I had no problem with it, even if our water is below 50 degrees F, the most embarrassing part is his dock is right under the restaurant deck. I was able to get myself back up on the board, but then Jenn made me laugh and I was right back in the water. "Biscuit" one of Brian's employees was trying to help me get back up. He looked at me and said give me your hand I will pull you onto the dock. I just laughed and said "NO, no you won't!" He was a scrawny little boy and there was no way he was pulling my large ass up onto the dock. I said I can get back on the board. I was bound and determined to do it. Getting back on the board is no problem for me, but it is hard when people are making jokes. Like "Just stay on your knees you are use to that." Yeah I spend a lot of time on my knees for work, we get that! Then there was the "Throw your leg over it like you are a cowboy... or like you are riding a cowboy." Oh boy, at least I was nicknamed Patron on the trip lol. I did attempt to stand up a few more times, but went in the harbor water a few more times, like 5 times total. I decided that paddling from my knees was the safest thing for me. Except for the fact that by the end of it my feet were asleep so me trying to actually stand on the board to sit down on the dock was excruciating! I did enjoy it even if I wasn't 100% successful. I would be willing to try again. I really feel like it is something that I should be able to do and am baffled on why I don't feel comfortable with it. The other 2 are like 2 oz so I think the less weight you are shifting when turning, paddling, etc.. the less the board notices you. Maybe I need to find a 16 foot board to feel stable lol.. anyway here are some pictures.. Enjoy

Jenn turns around to encourage me to try and stand again, she wants to get a picture of me up.

Not a planned photo, but I think it works really well.

Jenn don't lean back.. that is what biscuit told me!

Jenn snaps some pictures of Heather

Heather= 2oz

This is what I looked like the WHOLE time

really all we were trying to do is jump on a yacht

Paddle, paddle.

Jenn tests out a shorter board

she has no problem what so ever

Rocking to see if she can dump it.. I don't get it.. I would have gone in.

Getting ready to "park" the board

On land she talks to Brian about buying a board.

Rock on!

My battle wounds.. a few cuts down my foot

Well I hope you enjoyed. A huge shout out to Brian and his business San Juan Outfitters out of Roche Harbor. Thank you soo much for letting us come out and play today.

manimals.

Okay just some quick animal updates. We got in a mink (my guess just over a week not more than 3 weeks old)... Unfortunately it died yesterday but here are some pictures of it. Warning not so cute, and another warning.. you do not want one as a pet... they smell very badly. I don't know how they get the smell off of the "coats" people wear... They smell like horrible bad old skanky pot (don't ask how I know, b/c it is an imagined smell). I have had many people agree with me on the smell so I can't be off my rocker.

But first some pics of our 6 month seasonal.. Jen S. She had just come back from trying to catch a fawn and was barreling through bushes, so she looked a bit disheveled... ps... she didn't know I was taking these :P

Jen tells her story

/sigh

The mink

look the head is the size of my thumb nail

in the carrier

And I bring to you the first seal of the year (live that is):

Meet Fatmucket!

Pretty skinny: been on the beach since the 3rd and was finally picked up on the 8th

Subcutaneous fluids.

flipper curls.. (tagged by the stranding network)

Vanessa tubing Fatmucket.

Today we caught the first eagle we put in the flight cage. We sent him back to the area he was found. It was amazing and soon we will have another eagle in there.

The eagle being unwrapped from the net I had caught him in.

I was told I haven't been taking enough songbird photos, so I thought I would catch up.

Virginia Rail

American Goldfinch, Fledgling

Swallows, mostly cliff

Pine siskin

Dark-eyed Junco

Barn swallows

the 2 on the right are brewer's blackbird.. the one on the left.. a cowbird. they all came out of the same nest. God love parasitic birds. The female cowbird lays her eggs in others nest to let them raise the babies.

The blackbirds

European Starlings.

Okay now you are pretty caught up.. I didn't get a picture of our nesting cooper's hawk, but hopefully when I get back to work on Monday.