tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17294663620771448422024-03-13T08:08:32.425-07:00GhostbirdOur 2008 Trip to Ireland & Scotland, and Other NonsenseDavid Sakrisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04409778829331885219noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1729466362077144842.post-56815460292995554342011-07-08T21:44:00.001-07:002011-07-11T12:05:19.327-07:00Operation Migration, White River Marsh - 2011<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:";font-size:130%;" >This year, 2011, Operation Migration's training site moves from Necedah NWR to the WI-DNR's White River Marsh in Green Lake County, WI. The site is only about 35 min from my home in Ripon, so I'm helping (as a volunteer) to build the pen and prepare the site. From here, OM will lead the young whoopers on migration to Florida in the fall, adding a new generation to the Eastern flock of whoopers. </span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" ><br /></span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;" ><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWuMfmvJ5TDMxhw8i3rGm5x8uX3BXMcxVww4PjO50xMwtjPxwDMcjQKj2-caaBAbG2N5Cdx69er_1GE1kdnQnoAr0T3pENk1vbNxy1ahhiEO8B_vKm7pzdBqYNQSx4ONqDB2cjwQn0WQ/s1600/hr76-028-icf.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 298px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWuMfmvJ5TDMxhw8i3rGm5x8uX3BXMcxVww4PjO50xMwtjPxwDMcjQKj2-caaBAbG2N5Cdx69er_1GE1kdnQnoAr0T3pENk1vbNxy1ahhiEO8B_vKm7pzdBqYNQSx4ONqDB2cjwQn0WQ/s400/hr76-028-icf.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627413921175787250" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" ><br /><span style="font-size:100%;">Each photo caption refers to the photo below it. </span></span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:times new roman;font-size:100%;" ><span class="fbphotocaptiontext"><span style="mso-bidi-Times New Roman";mso-fareast-Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:EN-US; mso-bidi-language:AR-SAfont-size:11.0pt;" ><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:100%;">The photos here are mine unless otherwise noted.<br /><br /></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;" >Operation Migration co-founder Joe Duff (tan shirt) and volunteers Doug and Chris Pellerin prepare the pen for this year's cohort of young whooping cranes, near Berlin, WI, on Saturday 18 June 2011. Behind them, the newly-excavated pond begins to fill.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis7kd56T7XsF1GDbL5Ahv5GOj1Be1S1g4-Rk_YOe0CPMRCq0DyXPwh1hRcDC7jdIHmbwa7K9uJq0td3LYXsbD7_3WIyQDkcm4ZgSkKKm-ZQlNPNa35WBmRPIfsIpkZ6UvZB8hUgkY-ZA/s1600/IMG_1370a.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 191px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis7kd56T7XsF1GDbL5Ahv5GOj1Be1S1g4-Rk_YOe0CPMRCq0DyXPwh1hRcDC7jdIHmbwa7K9uJq0td3LYXsbD7_3WIyQDkcm4ZgSkKKm-ZQlNPNa35WBmRPIfsIpkZ6UvZB8hUgkY-ZA/s400/IMG_1370a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627218106342284354" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:times new roman;font-size:100%;" > </span><p class="MsoPlainText" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi- Times New Roman";mso-fareast-MS Mincho"font-size:100%;" > </span></p> <p class="MsoPlainText" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;font-size:100%;" >Progress on the pen, Tues 21 June. The roller is tamping down the runway where the young whoopers will learn to follow Operation Migration's (OM's) ultralights.</span></p><p class="MsoPlainText" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG2jwQMkU-8tJPHVu8ssZ-pKGjJnUyxIOFi5clm_OVQxF6QmwdompioReHBS5MCQ8OXWYj8sWKl51emnhndKNtpalvguDn4uzbWPEHyG6LHX4jt2Zxjfv69v_bRXOUdv4ToG9jNRT3xw/s1600/IMG_1373a.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG2jwQMkU-8tJPHVu8ssZ-pKGjJnUyxIOFi5clm_OVQxF6QmwdompioReHBS5MCQ8OXWYj8sWKl51emnhndKNtpalvguDn4uzbWPEHyG6LHX4jt2Zxjfv69v_bRXOUdv4ToG9jNRT3xw/s400/IMG_1373a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627218140275751666" border="0" /></a></span></p><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:times new roman;font-size:100%;" > </span><p class="MsoPlainText" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi- Times New Roman";mso-fareast-MS Mincho"font-size:100%;" > </span></p> <p class="MsoPlainText" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;font-size:100%;" >A busy and cloudy work site on Tues 21 June, looking through the dry pen from the runway. The near wall will be covered with steel siding; the far wall with chain-link fence. The gate at left of center will open into the wet pen (the pond). The structure in the middle will provide shade for the birds inside the dry pen. The dry pen will be covered with netting to keep birds in and critters out.</span></p><p class="MsoPlainText" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9tWkIHgHYaWnWR9s5Z9srucZVP-VkvBxUKt2y8dq1RMUdCI18zcd7MjQxjBGUU6z71hA1FbFTsNbD31blQH8BgHlixt3VpvvQlBqg7vBSa3Lcgu-H0m7mSTCsOgOE9E6vsKSuC2sZ1A/s1600/IMG_1378a.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9tWkIHgHYaWnWR9s5Z9srucZVP-VkvBxUKt2y8dq1RMUdCI18zcd7MjQxjBGUU6z71hA1FbFTsNbD31blQH8BgHlixt3VpvvQlBqg7vBSa3Lcgu-H0m7mSTCsOgOE9E6vsKSuC2sZ1A/s400/IMG_1378a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627218169081910850" border="0" /></a></span></p><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:times new roman;font-size:100%;" > </span><p class="MsoPlainText" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi- Times New Roman";mso-fareast-MS Mincho"font-size:100%;" > </span></p> <p class="MsoPlainText" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;font-size:100%;" >The pen site from the wet side (getting wetter). Steel panels on the three land sides will form a view block. The water side will be walled with chain-link fence, and the pond will be surrounded by a chain link fence to provide a two-section pen--one wet, one dry. Still lots to do before the birds arrive from Patuxent on 28 June, in Terry Kohler's Cessna Caravan.</span></p><p class="MsoPlainText" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPLdKs8QB0YXQkOFKGDDTaXmFUV4KiHqqx5bZPU4b8DXeJjhw7u1_qu-H2hMZyz1Z_PsdJwOfMDfpWd9LnWibMcvb1kZcioleusk6na3S8DqwcW8QAXexEm88CWmlAbjkWDUhICgyUhg/s1600/IMG_1383a.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 203px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPLdKs8QB0YXQkOFKGDDTaXmFUV4KiHqqx5bZPU4b8DXeJjhw7u1_qu-H2hMZyz1Z_PsdJwOfMDfpWd9LnWibMcvb1kZcioleusk6na3S8DqwcW8QAXexEm88CWmlAbjkWDUhICgyUhg/s400/IMG_1383a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627219513190069810" border="0" /></a></span></p><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:times new roman;font-size:100%;" > </span><p class="MsoPlainText" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi- Times New Roman";mso-fareast-MS Mincho"font-size:100%;" > </span></p> <p class="MsoPlainText" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;font-size:100%;" >Joe Duff and Martin Esters take shelter from an early afternoon rain squall in the pen. The sheet metal walls are all up and the shelter over the feeding area is almost done. Martin is a native of Germany and a recent grad of Ripon College who is helping at the site.</span></p><p class="MsoPlainText" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSAIMiQqDJPR-21kuj7voJniOElkZp-AR1UAh_I_nb9bc6r7y4RofMXyLLe1aGRWzmRDYwLK2N7a6iaa8Lj2zwLLAgaQd2wO1idcri9UmBn5PDwC_onc7g_iHHQwNe60dZEnbR6fTW8A/s1600/IMG_1388a.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 374px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSAIMiQqDJPR-21kuj7voJniOElkZp-AR1UAh_I_nb9bc6r7y4RofMXyLLe1aGRWzmRDYwLK2N7a6iaa8Lj2zwLLAgaQd2wO1idcri9UmBn5PDwC_onc7g_iHHQwNe60dZEnbR6fTW8A/s400/IMG_1388a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627219539738534450" border="0" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoPlainText" style="font-family:times new roman;"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:donotoptimizeforbrowser/> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><span style="font-size:100%;"><span class="fbphotocaptiontext"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;mso-bidi-Times New Roman";mso-fareast-Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:EN-US; mso-bidi-language:AR-SAfont-size:12.0pt;" >Weds 22 June: The weather has not been kind -- heavy rains Tuesday night soaked much of the site and Weds brought several squalls, some heavy, like this early afternoon squall roiling up the pond.</span></span></span></p><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:times new roman;font-size:100%;" > </span><p class="MsoPlainText" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi- Times New Roman";mso-fareast-MS Mincho"font-size:100%;" > </span></p><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:times new roman;font-size:100%;" > </span><p class="MsoPlainText" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH83l5syiEKZJG1LljzErTroziYtSTwXsT6bab_ZX8ZO1LJyc1Kb_ziizIklGUwfpJlSI6djOJgcCZ1Bp4o5a0YaJMXGj5ObDuqN8-HG5n0iKfbS5SoDIXh1gVuZe7Zd37o4nrvR1J5Q/s1600/IMG_1387a.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 248px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH83l5syiEKZJG1LljzErTroziYtSTwXsT6bab_ZX8ZO1LJyc1Kb_ziizIklGUwfpJlSI6djOJgcCZ1Bp4o5a0YaJMXGj5ObDuqN8-HG5n0iKfbS5SoDIXh1gVuZe7Zd37o4nrvR1J5Q/s400/IMG_1387a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627219532745673842" border="0" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoPlainText" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;font-size:100%;" >The chain link divider down the middle of the pen creates two separate feeding areas and with the addition of flexible fencing, allows OM to divide the pen in two if needed.</span></p><p class="MsoPlainText" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTtcxe8Txumw6iqo0w1QicFu56zDrRFxOKReow_v8QY-yOPf34j-doaUJIWuXSA5WCEnClgMyB8-8nv1IrtyxxEUblmFP8dIyvhWLXKd4DH7aCDNhDJO-1wrAcIyTiUbGGxzvIEqCugg/s1600/IMG_1391a.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 232px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTtcxe8Txumw6iqo0w1QicFu56zDrRFxOKReow_v8QY-yOPf34j-doaUJIWuXSA5WCEnClgMyB8-8nv1IrtyxxEUblmFP8dIyvhWLXKd4DH7aCDNhDJO-1wrAcIyTiUbGGxzvIEqCugg/s400/IMG_1391a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627219551277668690" border="0" /></a></span></p><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:times new roman;font-size:100%;" > </span><p class="MsoPlainText" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi- Times New Roman";mso-fareast-MS Mincho"font-size:100%;" > </span></p> <p class="MsoPlainText" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;font-size:100%;" >The metal panels are buried a foot in the ground to discourage predators who might otherwise dig under the wall. An electric fence around the bottom of the wall will provide added disincentive. Martin is backfilling the trench we dug for the panels. It had to be dug by hand because it was too wet to bring in a power trencher.</span></p><p class="MsoPlainText" face="times new roman"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6OPovawVrIlX9bnqKxcT07EO-zSPTZ2kcfaYjxv1X6Bu87r63138G-aEuFlj3DmdqN9ZkC_fLhzgQVe34l1C3E8UZsC-7pptOv0d9CHD4qyY5ZK-TpbZt2UJRXuH2kLVl5fiYV83eYg/s1600/IMG_1393a.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 271px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6OPovawVrIlX9bnqKxcT07EO-zSPTZ2kcfaYjxv1X6Bu87r63138G-aEuFlj3DmdqN9ZkC_fLhzgQVe34l1C3E8UZsC-7pptOv0d9CHD4qyY5ZK-TpbZt2UJRXuH2kLVl5fiYV83eYg/s400/IMG_1393a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627219560999427186" border="0" /></a></span></p><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:times new roman;font-size:100%;" > </span><p class="MsoPlainText" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi- Times New Roman";mso-fareast-MS Mincho"font-size:100%;" > </span></p> <p class="MsoPlainText" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;font-size:100%;" >Day's end on Weds 22 June: The chain link is up on the water side; steel panels are all up on the other three sides. The tower on the left is the "crane cam" mast. Next up, the netting over the top and then the chain link enclosure around the pond. We may be swimming to put in the wet pen.</span></p><p class="MsoPlainText" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicqeiTN6jAMojklEtPhhaFHWW3chIe1_SKwJvPI8pr1eNoTpprp32cPhjsRvguQtYTdlTXM7MbdJJEFFVG0sIH1dXsIsSY3ZxEYg3WDASGp0KEzQ1vNfDTqEe6tDOa6sDoTd3tq-RmRw/s1600/IMG_1398a.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 196px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicqeiTN6jAMojklEtPhhaFHWW3chIe1_SKwJvPI8pr1eNoTpprp32cPhjsRvguQtYTdlTXM7MbdJJEFFVG0sIH1dXsIsSY3ZxEYg3WDASGp0KEzQ1vNfDTqEe6tDOa6sDoTd3tq-RmRw/s400/IMG_1398a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627223815594958914" border="0" /></a></span></p><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:times new roman;font-size:100%;" > </span><p class="MsoPlainText" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi- Times New Roman";mso-fareast-MS Mincho"font-size:100%;" > </span></p> <p class="MsoPlainText" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;font-size:100%;" >End of the day on Weds 22 June: OM's Heather Ray wades through the washout along what was supposed to be the access road from the parking area to the pen site. The runway is directly behind her; the land side of the pen is just visible over her right shoulder.</span></p><p class="MsoPlainText" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib-VuMqan0n5TAQL4-LMRhl-8oVSkpfIyC74bzdJjmlxeofcAeZsDHHnlMBD_Qs64e4zvlqO3Leh61BGciB3RsaGSTDx6heyMyp02O2oK2l4XsvJobWywJ7T3h4v7T5j6wOAYUOa5_Lw/s1600/IMG_1401a.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib-VuMqan0n5TAQL4-LMRhl-8oVSkpfIyC74bzdJjmlxeofcAeZsDHHnlMBD_Qs64e4zvlqO3Leh61BGciB3RsaGSTDx6heyMyp02O2oK2l4XsvJobWywJ7T3h4v7T5j6wOAYUOa5_Lw/s400/IMG_1401a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627223821124127442" border="0" /></a></span></p><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:times new roman;font-size:100%;" > </span><p class="MsoPlainText" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi- Times New Roman";mso-fareast-MS Mincho"font-size:100%;" > </span></p> <p class="MsoPlainText" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;font-size:100%;" >Friday 24 June: Arthur Bratton (left) is the chief film editor for "Saving the Ghost Birds," the video that will premier in Sheboygan in September. If you enjoyed the trailer, thank Arthur. He came up from Ripon early Friday morning to interview Joe and Heather and to film the site, and he stayed all day to help with construction.</span></p><p class="MsoPlainText" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo6Q-BfIRVcT9_PudQsdEKbNSzkacofwot-SbyulA0noGJmz0PWgBCG7LVWEFpl0ZiZqTciGBzcRGpgZT_ZDWvxbviMtblKv0yl-m5npDWlhwACkaOKWuEcODIARP5YZOBz3dQ55wDLA/s1600/IMG_1423a.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 276px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo6Q-BfIRVcT9_PudQsdEKbNSzkacofwot-SbyulA0noGJmz0PWgBCG7LVWEFpl0ZiZqTciGBzcRGpgZT_ZDWvxbviMtblKv0yl-m5npDWlhwACkaOKWuEcODIARP5YZOBz3dQ55wDLA/s400/IMG_1423a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627226113756007554" border="0" /></a></span></p><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:times new roman;font-size:100%;" > </span><p class="MsoPlainText" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi- Times New Roman";mso-fareast-MS Mincho"font-size:100%;" > </span></p> <p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi- Times New Roman";mso-fareast-MS Mincho"font-size:100%;" >Friday 24 June: Looking through the pen from the runway-side door. The netting is up over the dry pen.</span></p> <p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi- Times New Roman";mso-fareast-MS Mincho"font-size:100%;" > </span></p><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:times new roman;font-size:100%;" > </span><p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHCO5dv9pdktsmo8FnfIFjarV_MYtCfDF78SMQI6Yex0EiclxdyT4CHDeSyN75TAX8iRZ3qnvLnuKakrJv0WQ3t0CrSduIXh_tI4hg6eJf-x4PvcWmSE3OR4UtxVXCDAa8nm3tDfHf-A/s1600/IMG_1404a.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHCO5dv9pdktsmo8FnfIFjarV_MYtCfDF78SMQI6Yex0EiclxdyT4CHDeSyN75TAX8iRZ3qnvLnuKakrJv0WQ3t0CrSduIXh_tI4hg6eJf-x4PvcWmSE3OR4UtxVXCDAa8nm3tDfHf-A/s400/IMG_1404a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627223828810424306" border="0" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoPlainText" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;font-size:100%;" >Friday 24 June: Joe Duff and Geoff Tarbox hang the chain link for the wet pen. Joe (mostly) and Martin Esters did a superhuman job on Thursday putting in the poles for the wet pen fencing, driving them by hand and sheer cussedness.</span></p><p class="MsoPlainText" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl_gVmFjaVvgQObxjN-J65Ev7kCmFdZvG9R39CSMdME1MthE5Xu_be1p6kJjVFTR7fHotdAli2bsDBF-I9p0tTZndFwV85RKza2EVS3P96FUZNWYyRlleLQVIHaSSGPOhZIV9QK9fxTw/s1600/IMG_1409a.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 219px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl_gVmFjaVvgQObxjN-J65Ev7kCmFdZvG9R39CSMdME1MthE5Xu_be1p6kJjVFTR7fHotdAli2bsDBF-I9p0tTZndFwV85RKza2EVS3P96FUZNWYyRlleLQVIHaSSGPOhZIV9QK9fxTw/s400/IMG_1409a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627223838658482002" border="0" /></a></span></p><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:times new roman;font-size:100%;" > </span><p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi- Times New Roman";mso-fareast-MS Mincho"font-size:100%;" > </span></p> <p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size: 11pt;font-size:100%;" >Friday 24 June: Joe and Geoff hang the chain link on the wet pen.</span></p><p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOXMX2ujPK5uy4DikH-zoDr6wR8IhArY_wlSqhKrVgyRi1gk7xlnOivouo-WGrYiRqVYfYKV8hbtsWUEthO_3tpwQEJYbD1rGvu3TKlLMBh7N8XjODciEAatpltdAJ62RrMQ7vjICWLA/s1600/IMG_1412a.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 135px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOXMX2ujPK5uy4DikH-zoDr6wR8IhArY_wlSqhKrVgyRi1gk7xlnOivouo-WGrYiRqVYfYKV8hbtsWUEthO_3tpwQEJYbD1rGvu3TKlLMBh7N8XjODciEAatpltdAJ62RrMQ7vjICWLA/s400/IMG_1412a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627223853751717442" border="0" /></a></span></p><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:times new roman;font-size:100%;" > </span><p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi- Times New Roman";mso-fareast-MS Mincho"font-size:100%;" > </span></p> <p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size: 11pt;font-size:100%;" >Friday 24 June: Chain link is a pain in the *%$#@! to work with but the water was nice.</span></p><p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwb7CsCtYmrNSs40Y5F8biWdA1cC_w9MnHxe9Dtb1mdzf11obsvn4wDybf4ab0EA4r2fXV7ScURBySNRVoteymPY_CxHIl4rsRvQPgy29VFMmWFewFlxTXAL7rJU9MsD64QlZDOHqdAQ/s1600/IMG_1414a.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 234px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwb7CsCtYmrNSs40Y5F8biWdA1cC_w9MnHxe9Dtb1mdzf11obsvn4wDybf4ab0EA4r2fXV7ScURBySNRVoteymPY_CxHIl4rsRvQPgy29VFMmWFewFlxTXAL7rJU9MsD64QlZDOHqdAQ/s400/IMG_1414a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627226128023775218" border="0" /></a></span></p><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:times new roman;font-size:100%;" > </span><p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi- Times New Roman";mso-fareast-MS Mincho"font-size:100%;" > </span></p> <p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size: 11pt;font-size:100%;" >Friday 24 June: The site was still pretty wet, especially in the high-traffic areas. Saturday and Sunday promised warm, dry weather, which should help dry it out. By Saturday afternoon, Joe was able to get his pickup to the pen over the access road without getting it stuck--but just barely!</span></p><p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7rnNvmO5bX_GIb7x0yOpKX6HncZ9p3wOkiOk6l2WJyGDWFp-Gk2lZsnf7t2LvTHdDKJK6YTQmnX3N40PNmSZARlfxK3vG6irlpdw0HK5sjp-x00AeA_N5Y5EDXSXm_kInuV8-ADrvfQ/s1600/IMG_1417a.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7rnNvmO5bX_GIb7x0yOpKX6HncZ9p3wOkiOk6l2WJyGDWFp-Gk2lZsnf7t2LvTHdDKJK6YTQmnX3N40PNmSZARlfxK3vG6irlpdw0HK5sjp-x00AeA_N5Y5EDXSXm_kInuV8-ADrvfQ/s400/IMG_1417a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627226150311276290" border="0" /></a></span></p><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:times new roman;font-size:100%;" > </span><p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi- Times New Roman";mso-fareast-MS Mincho"font-size:100%;" > </span></p> <p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size: 11pt;font-size:100%;" >Friday 24 June: Arthur installs the controls for the electric fence.</span></p><p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBuwTPAgw6AZ4GRo4IObMtdIMS_qWWstCqK6P7naripylEPYmg2u4K_Q8VYlCCCusZ8zGMCAjEYyvmBwvzABwuxwiDxPXqA_2A_2ZGqK-8SWsmu4oG_eeHBkPjWQOGa0FkQgb1Xe0eOw/s1600/IMG_1418a.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 331px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBuwTPAgw6AZ4GRo4IObMtdIMS_qWWstCqK6P7naripylEPYmg2u4K_Q8VYlCCCusZ8zGMCAjEYyvmBwvzABwuxwiDxPXqA_2A_2ZGqK-8SWsmu4oG_eeHBkPjWQOGa0FkQgb1Xe0eOw/s400/IMG_1418a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627226158620075954" border="0" /></a></span></p><p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoPlainText"></p><p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi- Times New Roman";mso-fareast-MS Mincho"font-size:100%;" > </span></p> <p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size: 11pt;font-size:100%;" >Friday 24 June: That's me building a shelf to hold a 100-gallon water tank that will provide fresh drinking water for the cranes.</span></p><p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoPlainText"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhljFHoeckeD8SY5XOtKzYLNX1n7UX0lZoBit1mEBmiZETH08cyuyHVRoqpTFGaBetca1o9dEKMySgNSndwj3nk7FcX3mTHDAiKnlyiI7KQWVl0Oo_IYewGAN5fJKnEz9ylBkNmDfIfBQ/s1600/IMG_1428a.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhljFHoeckeD8SY5XOtKzYLNX1n7UX0lZoBit1mEBmiZETH08cyuyHVRoqpTFGaBetca1o9dEKMySgNSndwj3nk7FcX3mTHDAiKnlyiI7KQWVl0Oo_IYewGAN5fJKnEz9ylBkNmDfIfBQ/s400/IMG_1428a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627395802303167842" border="0" /></a></p> <p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi- Times New Roman";mso-fareast-MS Mincho"font-size:100%;" > </span></p> <p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size: 11pt;font-size:100%;" >Friday 24 June: Arthur Bratton and Martin Esters tie off the top netting on the wet pen. Joe and Jeff had waders; the rest of us waded in in shorts or swim trunks.</span></p><p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoPlainText"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMTDnrtTDbnhEP-J6VyHWTSuU1TBGQpPosLz5SBNsTbZKkNmcuW0CZ7pr5patjUHQyzZYYmooX5FF8aMk_MYbmWeP-pswFAFv__NoIsmJrToM75wnvtsi2E0WPvhv8gxFUL9Icyngvhg/s1600/IMG_1433a.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 253px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMTDnrtTDbnhEP-J6VyHWTSuU1TBGQpPosLz5SBNsTbZKkNmcuW0CZ7pr5patjUHQyzZYYmooX5FF8aMk_MYbmWeP-pswFAFv__NoIsmJrToM75wnvtsi2E0WPvhv8gxFUL9Icyngvhg/s400/IMG_1433a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627395809684358098" border="0" /></a></p> <p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi- Times New Roman";mso-fareast-MS Mincho"font-size:100%;" > </span></p> <p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size: 11pt;font-size:100%;" >Friday 24 June: Jerry Reetz mows the runway. Despite all the rain (3+ inches in as many days this week), the runway is in good shape--flat, firm, and mostly dry.</span></p><p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoPlainText"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5fVAEbUjhapwl__KIgUQ8P3UB5ecJ0Abbxi78nU9AROQX_bLnJbLXLmHKG0sksv1ldMDayJv3erZXTFEenpnJSMwr-MaiJ7UZCEuZEq4zITjpgymd76XQglzRztIO6Grswh4xV-fRAQ/s1600/IMG_1438a.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 119px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5fVAEbUjhapwl__KIgUQ8P3UB5ecJ0Abbxi78nU9AROQX_bLnJbLXLmHKG0sksv1ldMDayJv3erZXTFEenpnJSMwr-MaiJ7UZCEuZEq4zITjpgymd76XQglzRztIO6Grswh4xV-fRAQ/s400/IMG_1438a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627395816769353090" border="0" /></a></p> <p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi- Times New Roman";mso-fareast-MS Mincho"font-size:100%;" > </span></p> <p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size: 11pt;font-size:100%;" >Friday 24 June: Overview of the pens. Geoff and Martin are attaching clips for the electric fence on the wet pen.</span></p><p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoPlainText"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO3a93sAOVpzAGcQzj5MJnRKlYusz2MRJzdzZq_nughWW1jjlFj_ZLhfhawIGvokFpza3_6TbHHvMX9tLtrhzCFmNIF013UweT3IiJOKfq7Y4AgHNFtvlmF5hpuqbCZfThpCh89Mq4Ng/s1600/IMG_1441a.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 127px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO3a93sAOVpzAGcQzj5MJnRKlYusz2MRJzdzZq_nughWW1jjlFj_ZLhfhawIGvokFpza3_6TbHHvMX9tLtrhzCFmNIF013UweT3IiJOKfq7Y4AgHNFtvlmF5hpuqbCZfThpCh89Mq4Ng/s400/IMG_1441a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627395826809032610" border="0" /></a></p> <p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi- Times New Roman";mso-fareast-MS Mincho"font-size:100%;" > </span></p> <p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size: 11pt;font-size:100%;" >Saturday 25 June: "Odd Jobs Day," finiishing off various bits and pieces before the cranes arrive on Tuesday. I got into several projects and forgot about my camera. On Sunday, Joe will paint the dry pen in camo and I'll go out and take more pictures. This fellow, a Viceroy butterfly, hung around while we were building the doors for the runway-side gate.</span></p><p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoPlainText"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx6kmLu2pvU7dqhn0x4rJdaXrxMUL0kuXSiD83hw39A82fgvXBbxb0uX75ZPbwIOUWTZ32rsk_uCm5z9noaXJ-F7GV027gLd-B27a5VwDKeMUr6pSo3frnhJLnECAaO4hkHoKiu44smw/s1600/IMG_1446a.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 285px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx6kmLu2pvU7dqhn0x4rJdaXrxMUL0kuXSiD83hw39A82fgvXBbxb0uX75ZPbwIOUWTZ32rsk_uCm5z9noaXJ-F7GV027gLd-B27a5VwDKeMUr6pSo3frnhJLnECAaO4hkHoKiu44smw/s400/IMG_1446a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627397419228266290" border="0" /></a></p> <p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi- Times New Roman";mso-fareast-MS Mincho"font-size:100%;" > </span></p> <p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size: 11pt;font-size:100%;" >Sunday 26 June is warm and sunny--another odd-jobs day. I took the day off to get some client work done but my wife Christal and I went out to the site early afternoon to take photos. Joe and Geoff were at lunch. This was taken from the south end of the runway.</span></p><p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoPlainText"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxsplPYp8ntorPsbHLGNH0SDxAFAzg0H_UafHqSArvwglZdfVeJbAdJvR4LTeiut39annHX1kdojWIbqnwUDd7b2_MbJdDlTopWqQAXU9v_M_uBJsnDlapjFAV7TUD95HetiEJqlN_wg/s1600/IMG_1447a.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 118px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxsplPYp8ntorPsbHLGNH0SDxAFAzg0H_UafHqSArvwglZdfVeJbAdJvR4LTeiut39annHX1kdojWIbqnwUDd7b2_MbJdDlTopWqQAXU9v_M_uBJsnDlapjFAV7TUD95HetiEJqlN_wg/s400/IMG_1447a.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627397425140617554" border="0" /></a></p> <p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi- Times New Roman";mso-fareast-MS Mincho"font-size:100%;" > </span></p> <p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size: 11pt;font-size:100%;" >A closer view of the pens. The camo paint is on site. Joe was planning to paint the pen Sunday afternoon.</span></p><p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoPlainText"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibazo7tyGE-I-x36RpYnBraKOTNtVs0R27Zg-kBHMYTfOiyfwR8cE-FVwDkhP3wggeyjY5UdvSjRFSFwRoMTLS0Dy_7ctu9q_l_g7m_gdGlX0xEkILO6HQQV-Atdd7aoegqycffWa7lQ/s1600/IMG_1448a.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 137px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibazo7tyGE-I-x36RpYnBraKOTNtVs0R27Zg-kBHMYTfOiyfwR8cE-FVwDkhP3wggeyjY5UdvSjRFSFwRoMTLS0Dy_7ctu9q_l_g7m_gdGlX0xEkILO6HQQV-Atdd7aoegqycffWa7lQ/s400/IMG_1448a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627397433615647250" border="0" /></a></p> <p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi- Times New Roman";mso-fareast-MS Mincho"font-size:100%;" > </span></p> <p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size: 11pt;font-size:100%;" >The crane cams and their trailer. The cams were operating on Saturday but not yet uplinked to the Internet.</span></p><p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoPlainText"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZNdyNWxKQgI_kP3mlZ1td2QDSaj717-rGNwmMCZz5wnz8V6MTNgFBjY92AaOQMgiQNvdKG8O9YlxpzMc4r31TJQJfvPwt32nU9g4vddeYwfKotLZXQxYUkDesYa0qk_lE5Q5YjCf5HQ/s1600/IMG_1450a.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 222px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZNdyNWxKQgI_kP3mlZ1td2QDSaj717-rGNwmMCZz5wnz8V6MTNgFBjY92AaOQMgiQNvdKG8O9YlxpzMc4r31TJQJfvPwt32nU9g4vddeYwfKotLZXQxYUkDesYa0qk_lE5Q5YjCf5HQ/s400/IMG_1450a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627397443551684354" border="0" /></a></p> <p face="times new roman" style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi- Times New Roman";mso-fareast-MS Mincho"font-size:100%;" > </span></p> <p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size: 11pt;font-size:100%;" >Sunday 26 June: Inside the dry pen looking toward the wet pen. The enclosure in the center covers two feeding stations divided by a fence. Flexible fencing at front and back can divide dry pen in two in case one or more of the birds need to be separated.</span></p><p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoPlainText"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmdGMlp7qD_TwoMUZU8h8XwRbvFdr4fLhWIdLqtj8lrv6c9dwnyX9z3mbxocjRPZ6-HMHzpWva8sd9hGbZFUaHrQVA9p3MiuoD5bwFDV0T0zCFwYu72unq8rrMCwhNKl0BPQ6Xp31RoQ/s1600/IMG_1452a.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmdGMlp7qD_TwoMUZU8h8XwRbvFdr4fLhWIdLqtj8lrv6c9dwnyX9z3mbxocjRPZ6-HMHzpWva8sd9hGbZFUaHrQVA9p3MiuoD5bwFDV0T0zCFwYu72unq8rrMCwhNKl0BPQ6Xp31RoQ/s400/IMG_1452a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627397449866747074" border="0" /></a></p> <p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi- Times New Roman";mso-fareast-MS Mincho"font-size:100%;" > </span></p> <p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size: 11pt;font-size:100%;" >Looking into the wet pen from the dry pen gate. On Friday, the deepest part of the pond was about mid-thigh-deep on me (I'm 6 feet tall) -- too deep for cranes. But it is shallower near the dry pen and the water level is slowly dropping after a week of rain.</span></p><p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoPlainText"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtx3JxThp3LHJrl94JjFt3o1YUkq5W-yds2m8G5zob6gCFAFNwHguttdDEjocT_8BLVQG9PAokxFIsBOCmh37U8V6WMWrSIP628iwh-D9SorsmEZy7mRwlBeSbfqllcBFLxJGBf32AyA/s1600/IMG_1454a.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtx3JxThp3LHJrl94JjFt3o1YUkq5W-yds2m8G5zob6gCFAFNwHguttdDEjocT_8BLVQG9PAokxFIsBOCmh37U8V6WMWrSIP628iwh-D9SorsmEZy7mRwlBeSbfqllcBFLxJGBf32AyA/s400/IMG_1454a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627398788846967682" border="0" /></a></p> <p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi- Times New Roman";mso-fareast-MS Mincho"font-size:100%;" > </span></p> <p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size: 11pt;font-size:100%;" >Sun 26 June from the north end of the runway. The brown mat is mowed grass; there's green grass underneath it.</span></p><p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoPlainText"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinkBh6VniwhXM9yo_SC0z_jQgKOI6yOqYgPAbiW1efcL_fzaiHaD2VUQ3miBqNEOybKF28GHzvEsydK-rdJO81NOSykkUYWd0u9t-OuqJlaO8jyDqrOrAeJgZrRw87iP6jczJDznkbFg/s1600/IMG_1457a.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 124px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinkBh6VniwhXM9yo_SC0z_jQgKOI6yOqYgPAbiW1efcL_fzaiHaD2VUQ3miBqNEOybKF28GHzvEsydK-rdJO81NOSykkUYWd0u9t-OuqJlaO8jyDqrOrAeJgZrRw87iP6jczJDznkbFg/s400/IMG_1457a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627398806393265154" border="0" /></a></p> <p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi- Times New Roman";mso-fareast-MS Mincho"font-size:100%;" > </span></p> <p class="MsoPlainText" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;font-size:100%;" >White River Marsh Wildlife Area is a 12,000 acre property in northwest corner of Green Lake County and northeast corner of Marquette County, owned and managed by the Wisconsin DNR. It consists of open marsh/wet meadow, swamp hardwoods/tamarack swamp, upland prairie/oak savannah, and shrub carr.</span></p><p class="MsoPlainText" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMSCcN-NJmNjcN4ArH2zDVw-k0Wsg8HWMXgWfUXnRpDkuzQwmupFVj7g_bixw99IY2zX0vq7g1cVro1mnuKdGCZVPMnI6SUmxd-hzyzWW846cgp7mfSrKz32lfSmnUSjZU03_4ZL3Nsw/s1600/IMG_1467a.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 197px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMSCcN-NJmNjcN4ArH2zDVw-k0Wsg8HWMXgWfUXnRpDkuzQwmupFVj7g_bixw99IY2zX0vq7g1cVro1mnuKdGCZVPMnI6SUmxd-hzyzWW846cgp7mfSrKz32lfSmnUSjZU03_4ZL3Nsw/s400/IMG_1467a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627401330457157602" border="0" /></a></p> <p class="MsoPlainText" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi- Times New Roman";mso-fareast-MS Mincho"font-size:100%;" > </span></p> <p class="MsoPlainText" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;font-size:100%;" >White River Road--a "Wisconsin Rustic Road"--crosses the White River Marsh and provides access to the pen site. I've seen lots of songbirds, a handful of sandhill cranes, a Great Blue Heron, and a dozen or so turtles while driving in and out along the road. Once the cranes begin flying behind the ultralight, there will be designated public viewing sites along this road.<br /></span></p><p class="MsoPlainText" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrdCuRU-L-WVm3WJuK10fYBr-LOZBQozFuapuq-Bkgxv9bPdy7n6O-AQ0fF6BxHGWg9X41taq5QdqXEsf8ImJaQDAM8C2eQkM269M1-dtMYUQV-uwQiWmTvl9uYEmgOO4IDtly0HIeYQ/s1600/IMG_1443a.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrdCuRU-L-WVm3WJuK10fYBr-LOZBQozFuapuq-Bkgxv9bPdy7n6O-AQ0fF6BxHGWg9X41taq5QdqXEsf8ImJaQDAM8C2eQkM269M1-dtMYUQV-uwQiWmTvl9uYEmgOO4IDtly0HIeYQ/s400/IMG_1443a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627395834089997442" border="0" /></a></p><p class="MsoPlainText" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinx0M6OUyyuQArjdGP6TohM2tk3gqAvNF9Ws3grfRwvEgXeqiXF5E7dr_DCUrIz1-nt1A2UfOoGmwKyZpy9pmbWJ1F3puCSo8Xm-ehwRawBsmGOWjXlbwmVYOc8XIlnD7nmCRunPA_xw/s1600/IMG_1473bb.jpg"><br /></a></p> <p class="MsoPlainText" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi- Times New Roman";mso-fareast-MS Mincho"font-size:100%;" > </span></p> <p style="text-align: center; font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size: 11pt;font-size:100%;" >Along White River Road, through the wildlife area.</span></p> <p class="MsoPlainText" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi- Times New Roman";mso-fareast-MS Mincho"font-size:100%;" > </span></p> <p class="MsoPlainText" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinx0M6OUyyuQArjdGP6TohM2tk3gqAvNF9Ws3grfRwvEgXeqiXF5E7dr_DCUrIz1-nt1A2UfOoGmwKyZpy9pmbWJ1F3puCSo8Xm-ehwRawBsmGOWjXlbwmVYOc8XIlnD7nmCRunPA_xw/s1600/IMG_1473bb.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 312px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinx0M6OUyyuQArjdGP6TohM2tk3gqAvNF9Ws3grfRwvEgXeqiXF5E7dr_DCUrIz1-nt1A2UfOoGmwKyZpy9pmbWJ1F3puCSo8Xm-ehwRawBsmGOWjXlbwmVYOc8XIlnD7nmCRunPA_xw/s400/IMG_1473bb.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627401340792441010" border="0" /></a></p> <p style="text-align: center; font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size: 11pt;font-size:100%;" >Sandhill crane family--2 adults, 2 chicks--spotted on the way to the pen site.</span></p><p style="text-align: center; font-family: trebuchet ms;" class="MsoPlainText"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS0bOp_0BoFw75LjrddrgIcnpuBJ0UxbyHsv-yW8YnJHCGB6uJ8iVE-dWeMzjD909SLPNuSAunBbp3w6AqkfnJph_CGu6QbUhtc4zNYhAqi-gnD-Zi5LwZJCcUt2pRS5BF4zcoAk0HHg/s1600/IMG_1465a.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 146px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS0bOp_0BoFw75LjrddrgIcnpuBJ0UxbyHsv-yW8YnJHCGB6uJ8iVE-dWeMzjD909SLPNuSAunBbp3w6AqkfnJph_CGu6QbUhtc4zNYhAqi-gnD-Zi5LwZJCcUt2pRS5BF4zcoAk0HHg/s400/IMG_1465a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627401306001101586" border="0" /></a></p> <p class="MsoPlainText" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi- Times New Roman";mso-fareast-MS Mincho"font-size:100%;" > </span></p> <p class="MsoPlainText" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;font-size:100%;" >I didn't see the chicks, either, until I looked at the images on my computer, and noticed that these two little guys were moving around between shots.</span></p><p style="text-align: center; font-family: trebuchet ms;" class="MsoPlainText"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgksI0QxCOJF1uQFlau0B7B03PbIk9vBrE_d6s0HZ6IYBLeAAA6NSnY-tV8ONN8dodXnhVELqsoQe0DebrDTWRyv_d-lHN_fQNIsykWvzCVHbfgKqhNgB7cmKLclba0Rh0FZyKgAK1e_Q/s1600/IMG_1465b.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 146px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgksI0QxCOJF1uQFlau0B7B03PbIk9vBrE_d6s0HZ6IYBLeAAA6NSnY-tV8ONN8dodXnhVELqsoQe0DebrDTWRyv_d-lHN_fQNIsykWvzCVHbfgKqhNgB7cmKLclba0Rh0FZyKgAK1e_Q/s400/IMG_1465b.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627401313903649362" border="0" /></a></p> <p class="MsoPlainText" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi- Times New Roman";mso-fareast-MS Mincho"font-size:100%;" > </span></p> <p style="text-align: center; font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size: 11pt;font-size:100%;" >Orange Hawkweed, White River Marsh</span></p><p class="MsoPlainText" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHyzXA-jVDnpPfR0TIv5zPW56ZelwkeD6I9nFxnpwzEXH5LHxnlzLs1MXL0Zep5zpnvxvEWBbPTmPppghkF6upt7lWwg27iJ91_KVdXNsiVfMrYwZL_rJTsZXSE-ioD65xVruLj4qPMw/s1600/IMG_1456a.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 329px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHyzXA-jVDnpPfR0TIv5zPW56ZelwkeD6I9nFxnpwzEXH5LHxnlzLs1MXL0Zep5zpnvxvEWBbPTmPppghkF6upt7lWwg27iJ91_KVdXNsiVfMrYwZL_rJTsZXSE-ioD65xVruLj4qPMw/s400/IMG_1456a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627398797315817986" border="0" /></a></p> <p class="MsoPlainText" face="trebuchet ms"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi- Times New Roman";mso-fareast-MS Mincho"font-size:100%;" > </span></p> <p style="text-align: center; font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size: 11pt;font-size:100%;" >Blue Flag Iris, White River Marsh</span></p><p class="MsoPlainText" face="trebuchet ms"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3OsIa2zJe8_xUHZgcs57qmNPHQMyfD9CneLTeMIOZ-TVkiPQxvtRl5omkTJbbGoEWZRYtyCuONEMtl1oejUXDI7VFot3PpP_w_ESvQJTPiu9j9J7IRC7bcLQbpLlMcg0VRkNhdNId6Q/s1600/IMG_1459a.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 293px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3OsIa2zJe8_xUHZgcs57qmNPHQMyfD9CneLTeMIOZ-TVkiPQxvtRl5omkTJbbGoEWZRYtyCuONEMtl1oejUXDI7VFot3PpP_w_ESvQJTPiu9j9J7IRC7bcLQbpLlMcg0VRkNhdNId6Q/s400/IMG_1459a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627398819830176466" border="0" /></a></p> <p style="text-align: center; font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi- Times New Roman";mso-fareast-MS Mincho"font-size:100%;" > </span></p><div style="text-align: center; font-family: trebuchet ms;"> </div><p style="text-align: center; font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size: 11pt;font-size:100%;" >False Indigo, White River Marsh</span></p><p class="MsoPlainText" face="trebuchet ms"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9E1eux2e_8Z8ai3OpfvdCfVxX9vMnfOprura9kjIaxSBT5mGvQy1vt6evoVPeiaAoGClFoYc13UhThw73WFgLGo4tjg0U-sAKZtXS226pqjD0OfZHdhuDkjtYGMak8QSn7eb0M_py6g/s1600/IMG_1462a.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9E1eux2e_8Z8ai3OpfvdCfVxX9vMnfOprura9kjIaxSBT5mGvQy1vt6evoVPeiaAoGClFoYc13UhThw73WFgLGo4tjg0U-sAKZtXS226pqjD0OfZHdhuDkjtYGMak8QSn7eb0M_py6g/s400/IMG_1462a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627398828365407842" border="0" /></a></p> <p class="MsoPlainText" face="trebuchet ms"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi- Times New Roman";mso-fareast-MS Mincho"font-size:100%;" > </span></p> <p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size: 11pt;font-size:100%;" >Monday 27 June: Another "odds & ends" day, busting fannies to get ready for the chicks' arrival early tomorrow afternoon. The weatherman promised thunderstorms but delivered only a few pitiful drops. Forecast for tomorrow is sun and more sun!</span></p><p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoPlainText"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEb4ZX2mjeoNLZNLvlIcDip3hCVL8eV2SQe8g1QZumViuVB4C7VJBWdG7Zf8VwSkWME2aWY90n84swqEQtMcu4PYjc5kmULgZHDLMLeIFYccfApaoeOyUjJwy1M9LbRrr-w_0L3b8hoQ/s1600/IMG_1481a.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 250px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEb4ZX2mjeoNLZNLvlIcDip3hCVL8eV2SQe8g1QZumViuVB4C7VJBWdG7Zf8VwSkWME2aWY90n84swqEQtMcu4PYjc5kmULgZHDLMLeIFYccfApaoeOyUjJwy1M9LbRrr-w_0L3b8hoQ/s400/IMG_1481a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627401352289947266" border="0" /></a></p> <p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi- Times New Roman";mso-fareast-MS Mincho"font-size:100%;" > </span></p> <p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size: 11pt;font-size:100%;" >27 June: On the way back from lunch (Yea! Country Inn!), Joe and I spotted two bald eagles alongside the road -- one adult on the ground and a juvenile that flew right over the car. All I could say was, "Wow!" (Naturally, my camera was back at the pen site.) This is the southeast corner of the pen, with storage cabinet and water tank.<br /></span></p><p face="times new roman" style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" class="MsoPlainText"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDqyf7TQfjzMa48ARzq-P6EYZ9UPInyGme-rQgvBKZ_kudQAfV1me_VvJbYgRkhJr2Q0LdN6A3qxBwFUzxc-dofW9rLlw7T_e7z311oMy-th2MA8GZFAzrBaPMY1-cximR3OeRimxy_A/s1600/IMG_1485a.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 114px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDqyf7TQfjzMa48ARzq-P6EYZ9UPInyGme-rQgvBKZ_kudQAfV1me_VvJbYgRkhJr2Q0LdN6A3qxBwFUzxc-dofW9rLlw7T_e7z311oMy-th2MA8GZFAzrBaPMY1-cximR3OeRimxy_A/s400/IMG_1485a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627406516114955282" border="0" /></a></p> <p face="times new roman" style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi- Times New Roman";mso-fareast-MS Mincho"font-size:100%;" > </span></p> <p face="times new roman" style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size: 11pt;font-size:100%;" >27 June: "Crane Paradise" awaiting its occupants. Two feeding stations in the foreground, a water pan in the background.</span></p><p face="times new roman" style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" class="MsoPlainText"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsW1vvd2CJttIeOF_mXI3HproEA1kcMqlIq5kLi8J8Term8mYhMSDajQm9aHU6SOhNMAzkoZxYa4IilMrJ5HVb_Dru77aIm7qBtL_0aEE-FFI2oXjpXsf6gQICgpG4LR5wt5kYNdJahw/s1600/IMG_1487a.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsW1vvd2CJttIeOF_mXI3HproEA1kcMqlIq5kLi8J8Term8mYhMSDajQm9aHU6SOhNMAzkoZxYa4IilMrJ5HVb_Dru77aIm7qBtL_0aEE-FFI2oXjpXsf6gQICgpG4LR5wt5kYNdJahw/s400/IMG_1487a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627406525343113698" border="0" /></a></p> <p face="times new roman" style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi- Times New Roman";mso-fareast-MS Mincho"font-size:100%;" > </span></p> <p face="times new roman" style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size: 11pt;font-size:100%;" >27 June: "Crane Paradise," or should we call it "Crane Hilton." Private beach, lake view, open-air dining room, large screened porch, secluded site, housekeeping staff, gated community . . . sounds rather posh to me.</span></p><p face="times new roman" style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" class="MsoPlainText"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy5aU9Sr9LVUnSeOtv55puuimAh6dTHTkKPeEwzJE_lT6BSnnSshAswfZ1jDyWMryNBAA8s3yR9t_CNAj8syM5WivTkRZcJ95SIG5UdYgIih6NPkVVXP4oi8Lphx8xTTabXwP3e5zYmg/s1600/IMG_1488a.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy5aU9Sr9LVUnSeOtv55puuimAh6dTHTkKPeEwzJE_lT6BSnnSshAswfZ1jDyWMryNBAA8s3yR9t_CNAj8syM5WivTkRZcJ95SIG5UdYgIih6NPkVVXP4oi8Lphx8xTTabXwP3e5zYmg/s400/IMG_1488a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627406538872068242" border="0" /></a></p> <p face="times new roman" style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi- Times New Roman";mso-fareast-MS Mincho"font-size:100%;" > </span></p> <p face="times new roman" style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size: 11pt;font-size:100%;" >These doors lead to the runway. The birds arrive tomorrow (28 June) and Joe has invited me to come along in costume and help with the transfer. I will try to take lots of photos. I'm really excited!</span></p><p face="times new roman" style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" class="MsoPlainText"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDQwVrNphwR_Eqz1wt3syG84AoWvdVgSguOr2ctJ4VH-7ITfcal-K8O_fPNNj6wRkBYA6BGY38zuzddZS12aYXNMb63BjQxvJYlbs60qdNLlMq9Vck-k_Hf_fBFAuqRSfAqK9gzrFR1Q/s1600/IMG_1489a.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDQwVrNphwR_Eqz1wt3syG84AoWvdVgSguOr2ctJ4VH-7ITfcal-K8O_fPNNj6wRkBYA6BGY38zuzddZS12aYXNMb63BjQxvJYlbs60qdNLlMq9Vck-k_Hf_fBFAuqRSfAqK9gzrFR1Q/s400/IMG_1489a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627408325302812274" border="0" /></a></p> <p face="times new roman" style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi- Times New Roman";mso-fareast-MS Mincho"font-size:100%;" > </span></p> <p face="times new roman" style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size: 11pt;font-size:100%;" >While we prepare the site, the chicks are being captive-raised at the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center in Laurel, MD, using a strict "Wildness Protocol" -- no contact with humans unless the humans are wearing crane costumes, no human voices, no human artifacts. That ensures that the birds are as wild as possible when they reach Florida. (Photo, courtesy of Operation Migration)</span></p><p class="MsoPlainText" face="trebuchet ms"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXzPQVkUu1phxC1CaMlfCqSfVbM7CehbtrAK8eQLe5IuUjaWyQ3SAPySv4QH46RZPYUBye6Qpnkw3ptK0Ur4bVbBRcl4Q4vs545cSU3_zVt8qpuuIlXdib4eUdbssQxKnnkYKCV7rY2A/s1600/Sakrison_07_08.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXzPQVkUu1phxC1CaMlfCqSfVbM7CehbtrAK8eQLe5IuUjaWyQ3SAPySv4QH46RZPYUBye6Qpnkw3ptK0Ur4bVbBRcl4Q4vs545cSU3_zVt8qpuuIlXdib4eUdbssQxKnnkYKCV7rY2A/s400/Sakrison_07_08.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627408331915314210" border="0" /></a></p> <p class="MsoPlainText" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi- Times New Roman";mso-fareast-MS Mincho"font-size:100%;" > </span></p> <p class="MsoPlainText" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;font-size:100%;" >Tuesday 28 June: Ten whooper chicks arrive at the Oshkosh airport aboard Windway's Cessna <span style="font-style: italic;">Citation</span>, from the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center in Laurel, MD. Each bird is in its own crate. Thank you to Terry Kohler and Windway Capital Corp., Sheboygan, WI, for donating the flight.</span></p><p class="MsoPlainText" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaN_NJNL26i-UAR9vcy3hX1Jt8IAaFKxDbiblv5wwsT67GBgipTpGMylmmfUgJqJB406p2K6cyYrgW3bU1HsGXGvpv70ZD0WIbpxb6pRX-PnnXXGtiM8K2IFjs_uA4HYiR4Uzf3FuIKw/s1600/IMG_1500a.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaN_NJNL26i-UAR9vcy3hX1Jt8IAaFKxDbiblv5wwsT67GBgipTpGMylmmfUgJqJB406p2K6cyYrgW3bU1HsGXGvpv70ZD0WIbpxb6pRX-PnnXXGtiM8K2IFjs_uA4HYiR4Uzf3FuIKw/s400/IMG_1500a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627408343037972226" border="0" /></a></p> <p class="MsoPlainText" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi- Times New Roman";mso-fareast-MS Mincho"font-size:100%;" > </span></p> <p class="MsoPlainText" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;font-size:100%;" >The crates are carefully--and silently--transferred to an air-conditioned van and driven to the pen site, about 40 min. away. Here, at White River Marsh, International Crane Foundation (ICF) veterinarian Dr. Barry Hartup talks with Appleton veterinarian Dr. Lisa Peters and ICF intern Jana Braun, a 4th-year veterinary student from UW-Madison.</span></p><p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;" class="MsoPlainText"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBndATvkKnm4iCYl6Td_ey1fKrMvKBVx1PToCz6MsyaLw4L8jFoNJCTbVBqp4qUQm6lEbT1ST6z0BP9bQ2wcBfmo4WALU327wJzzU5hFPDG1Ahc8irNEHSEIKNIiSJKLVl8M6O7ludkA/s1600/IMG_1501a.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBndATvkKnm4iCYl6Td_ey1fKrMvKBVx1PToCz6MsyaLw4L8jFoNJCTbVBqp4qUQm6lEbT1ST6z0BP9bQ2wcBfmo4WALU327wJzzU5hFPDG1Ahc8irNEHSEIKNIiSJKLVl8M6O7ludkA/s400/IMG_1501a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627408356415604802" border="0" /></a></p> <p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;" class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi- Times New Roman";mso-fareast-MS Mincho"font-size:100%;" > </span></p> <p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;" class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size: 11pt;font-size:100%;" >Joe Duff backed the van most of the way to the runway before it got stuck (A few days ago, this part of the access road was under a foot of water. See the "washout" photo above.) The crates were carefully lifted out and carried to the pen -- in silence. The only sound was a recording of brood calls played to reassure the birds.</span></p><p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;" class="MsoPlainText"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirUG9XJ99qIVaCqfuRR8dOIFlwJWz6ud0MMb_dYmlj8jQibdDSEdUTgmnWUtv-r20y_gyjsV_DbghG7kb4tuwziudCrVotfUFFVLUyp9nF-ueY8S-7uCNHhRqzlRksJfxAj14v4AyXgw/s1600/IMG_1504a.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirUG9XJ99qIVaCqfuRR8dOIFlwJWz6ud0MMb_dYmlj8jQibdDSEdUTgmnWUtv-r20y_gyjsV_DbghG7kb4tuwziudCrVotfUFFVLUyp9nF-ueY8S-7uCNHhRqzlRksJfxAj14v4AyXgw/s400/IMG_1504a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627408389653855762" border="0" /></a></p> <p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;" class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi- Times New Roman";mso-fareast-MS Mincho"font-size:100%;" > </span></p> <p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;" class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size: 11pt;font-size:100%;" >Dr. Peters and ICF staffer Annette Aeschbach carry one of the birds up the runway to the pen. I did help carry the birds--I wasn't JUST taking photos. :-)</span></p><p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;" class="MsoPlainText"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS9bA-HbDX694k-JKhYcw-aZIA6XoTZ_0C94qKDDwV6RJImlnYowU5buYqvna3H-Y8zwvQpApAzhUK3fU6cqZjQ8NEZmV6MiICCAsWf0SMz3mWIBs7ain_UhWoS-bKerE1Uw9XlPQqmg/s1600/IMG_1505a.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS9bA-HbDX694k-JKhYcw-aZIA6XoTZ_0C94qKDDwV6RJImlnYowU5buYqvna3H-Y8zwvQpApAzhUK3fU6cqZjQ8NEZmV6MiICCAsWf0SMz3mWIBs7ain_UhWoS-bKerE1Uw9XlPQqmg/s400/IMG_1505a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627410135823202722" border="0" /></a></p> <p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;" class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi- Times New Roman";mso-fareast-MS Mincho"font-size:100%;" > </span></p> <p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;" class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size: 11pt;font-size:100%;" >We set each of the crates in the shade inside the pen until all of them were brought from the van.</span></p><p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;" class="MsoPlainText"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzAETlsC9ah_M2jACky-AiRoLCQUBi2K_Ec7DDoDCF4mk-ckWEiY15DSH-iuWuae8G3n91moDZBLOla5sAK-5B3Gepf32EVH4Yw_yiuNfgiwZ59l7fJ-_fE91dyQVZ-jyMIS6ZBvYTBQ/s1600/IMG_1507a.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzAETlsC9ah_M2jACky-AiRoLCQUBi2K_Ec7DDoDCF4mk-ckWEiY15DSH-iuWuae8G3n91moDZBLOla5sAK-5B3Gepf32EVH4Yw_yiuNfgiwZ59l7fJ-_fE91dyQVZ-jyMIS6ZBvYTBQ/s400/IMG_1507a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627410148417681410" border="0" /></a></p> <p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;" class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi- Times New Roman";mso-fareast-MS Mincho"font-size:100%;" > </span></p> <p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;" class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size: 11pt;font-size:100%;" >Once all the crates were there, we lined them up on one side of the pen, closed the pen doors, and put on our crane "helmets."</span></p><p face="trebuchet ms" style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" class="MsoPlainText"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEt1dCT4_iXhe61R-4xUt2jAQlTMmV5Dahb4w7lX47APq3V4nORJmEZMv6694q7wm3T-xikL3gbwl1JpzOTVN16IWb2s7bYyZRFaqjR1BA5x6SinP_7zL7KMmviafcPm6ip3V44JaYig/s1600/IMG_1508a.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEt1dCT4_iXhe61R-4xUt2jAQlTMmV5Dahb4w7lX47APq3V4nORJmEZMv6694q7wm3T-xikL3gbwl1JpzOTVN16IWb2s7bYyZRFaqjR1BA5x6SinP_7zL7KMmviafcPm6ip3V44JaYig/s400/IMG_1508a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627410247931676978" border="0" /></a></p> <p face="trebuchet ms" style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi- Times New Roman";mso-fareast-MS Mincho"font-size:100%;" > </span></p> <p face="trebuchet ms" style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size: 11pt;font-size:100%;" >Joe Duff and Geoff Tarbox opened the crates and the birds emerged--a little cautiously--to the sound of the brood calls. The rest of us stood quietly along the walls of the pen. I could take photos but had to keep the camera covered as much as possible with the sleeve of my crane suit.</span></p><p class="MsoPlainText" face="trebuchet ms"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI07MY9KU1IenSyq-4pJ0Q7t5Z158DyuUGAv90LDBTmOZl0ZAgs6EYXSsMkxSBHfcxqh7B1ZEOzje6805yDqL4W9zoJrA0-KkaWBwY4J8npWv9WCjJ4WdXmLXlspRqA5mIlFjxMO2E4w/s1600/IMG_1512a.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 269px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI07MY9KU1IenSyq-4pJ0Q7t5Z158DyuUGAv90LDBTmOZl0ZAgs6EYXSsMkxSBHfcxqh7B1ZEOzje6805yDqL4W9zoJrA0-KkaWBwY4J8npWv9WCjJ4WdXmLXlspRqA5mIlFjxMO2E4w/s400/IMG_1512a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627410252605140898" border="0" /></a></p> <p class="MsoPlainText" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi- Times New Roman";mso-fareast-MS Mincho"font-size:100%;" > </span></p> <p face="trebuchet ms" style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size: 11pt;font-size:100%;" >Joe tapped at the water pan to attract the chicks' attention and encourage them to drink after their long trip from Patuxent.</span></p><p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" class="MsoPlainText" face="times new roman"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9qfo3OYlmzfj1FXqAJH5GVEN1a4BLMONJhC3cbImlMVxnEJOsSO-tj_ZOLNT2U2MEGyNoL47BCzDUexsKlSQFNtlb1V-1wgFdS-ikuN6Ym2AwyuaOeO9hof2lRMJVXZMIr2WbkOZ7Cw/s1600/IMG_1516a.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 301px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9qfo3OYlmzfj1FXqAJH5GVEN1a4BLMONJhC3cbImlMVxnEJOsSO-tj_ZOLNT2U2MEGyNoL47BCzDUexsKlSQFNtlb1V-1wgFdS-ikuN6Ym2AwyuaOeO9hof2lRMJVXZMIr2WbkOZ7Cw/s400/IMG_1516a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627411053588512402" border="0" /></a></p> <p face="trebuchet ms" style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi- Times New Roman";mso-fareast-MS Mincho"font-size:100%;" > </span></p> <p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;" class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size: 11pt;font-size:100%;" >Recorded brood calls (a kind of loud "purr") and the crane-head puppet reassure the chicks and encourage them to follow their costumed "foster parent." You can hear crane brood calls and unison calls at ICF's www.savingcranes.org.</span></p><p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;" class="MsoPlainText"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivla6_KpN_rVuGTrFZYCF0oSNstdbxOT24cjJB5CN2QJcBBlZp9QsPPfIDaeWzua2oCX6ji3xd01YZgMGObI4RWQC3y2yC7BnFVNv1GeWHrxvVKCBvRnNfS0it9S9mouKeXMQfPdIJHA/s1600/IMG_1524a.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivla6_KpN_rVuGTrFZYCF0oSNstdbxOT24cjJB5CN2QJcBBlZp9QsPPfIDaeWzua2oCX6ji3xd01YZgMGObI4RWQC3y2yC7BnFVNv1GeWHrxvVKCBvRnNfS0it9S9mouKeXMQfPdIJHA/s400/IMG_1524a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627411056211704354" border="0" /></a></p> <p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;" class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi- Times New Roman";mso-fareast-MS Mincho"font-size:100%;" > </span></p> <p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;" class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size: 11pt;font-size:100%;" >Two of the chicks spread their wings and show off their black wingtips. Is this perhaps a dominance display? Pecking order is a central fact of the chicks' lives and it will shift again and again as the chicks mature.</span></p><p class="MsoPlainText" face="trebuchet ms"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI5kdLqdUbfWY4nFlnEznITDpMr2m2VMT19bZdkfTsDCq724K1d16DLJ31_RiC2ZIRVv-p3ZmhK3ma9Ou5aC_lBZEwcAz5EUPrVnDfZe7tIWmKRSWoEh-f2oRxzNYAxURPwXRRdLtZTA/s1600/IMG_1535a.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 351px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI5kdLqdUbfWY4nFlnEznITDpMr2m2VMT19bZdkfTsDCq724K1d16DLJ31_RiC2ZIRVv-p3ZmhK3ma9Ou5aC_lBZEwcAz5EUPrVnDfZe7tIWmKRSWoEh-f2oRxzNYAxURPwXRRdLtZTA/s400/IMG_1535a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627411066682005522" border="0" /></a></p> <p class="MsoPlainText" face="trebuchet ms"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi- Times New Roman";mso-fareast-MS Mincho"font-size:100%;" > </span></p> <p class="MsoPlainText" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;font-size:100%;" >OM's Geoff Tarbox led the chicks briefly through the water gate into the wet pen.</span></p><p class="MsoPlainText" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLOrC6JPZ3c05I9s001ZTCcebVlPrd3rjoauH0xA9do7FTWkiqS9N1uyUW538xllVXdfYDMEJavAd4h2P5uD33489vueQvDM6dQ4GL-qdjE5vqflghSp7gQy3oD0hzT2X-E6pPcro63Q/s1600/IMG_1552a.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 173px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLOrC6JPZ3c05I9s001ZTCcebVlPrd3rjoauH0xA9do7FTWkiqS9N1uyUW538xllVXdfYDMEJavAd4h2P5uD33489vueQvDM6dQ4GL-qdjE5vqflghSp7gQy3oD0hzT2X-E6pPcro63Q/s400/IMG_1552a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627412314778497730" border="0" /></a></p> <p class="MsoPlainText" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi- Times New Roman";mso-fareast-MS Mincho"font-size:100%;" > </span></p> <p class="MsoPlainText" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;font-size:100%;" >Most of them followed him into the shallow water at the bank.</span></p><p class="MsoPlainText" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJhSkU_acqFxCS7agw1JZOVCYrDT7hZGdu6eUjr3TwTi-8yWZV4jPHt7VRb2LP44F7vvUuYI3qOlxSYvfChCE99lNOOo1D5zaY9Pd0Cql2LFZsWP0pGho8spPEMaJUh900iKkVRyxjKA/s1600/IMG_1559a.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 219px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJhSkU_acqFxCS7agw1JZOVCYrDT7hZGdu6eUjr3TwTi-8yWZV4jPHt7VRb2LP44F7vvUuYI3qOlxSYvfChCE99lNOOo1D5zaY9Pd0Cql2LFZsWP0pGho8spPEMaJUh900iKkVRyxjKA/s400/IMG_1559a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627412325952193202" border="0" /></a></p> <p class="MsoPlainText" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi- Times New Roman";mso-fareast-MS Mincho"font-size:100%;" > </span></p> <p class="MsoPlainText" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;font-size:100%;" >Leading and coaxing them back into the dry pen took a little longer. "Herding" the chicks is counterproductive -- it only makes them more reluctant to go where you want them to go.</span></p><p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;" class="MsoPlainText"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR-QEJNVvnFsKxPtGWibAi4TDyLDiWN5CfIyltM_Nm7kf0NfQtGScMz-PDXtO316hFEXoRsSD-Si3wP4RztdyR_8DzLHhxrYVH6swSqK7o1bBMMjxEhu0mdKZ3IH8sCAVOaefHfyHODA/s1600/IMG_1562a.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR-QEJNVvnFsKxPtGWibAi4TDyLDiWN5CfIyltM_Nm7kf0NfQtGScMz-PDXtO316hFEXoRsSD-Si3wP4RztdyR_8DzLHhxrYVH6swSqK7o1bBMMjxEhu0mdKZ3IH8sCAVOaefHfyHODA/s400/IMG_1562a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627412330816584306" border="0" /></a></p> <p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-family:trebuchet ms;" class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi- Times New Roman";mso-fareast-MS Mincho"font-size:100%;" > </span></p> <p class="MsoPlainText" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;font-size:100%;" >Back at the van, we wasted no time getting out of our crane "burkas." Even in Tuesday afternoon's moderate temperature, the suits were awfully hot and stuffy. I have a much greater respect for the handlers who will work in them all summer. Jana Braun, Lisa Peters, and </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;font-size:100%;" > Annette </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;font-size:100%;" >Aeschbach load empty crates back into the van, which had to be towed out of the soft dirt.</span></p><p class="MsoPlainText" style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrrYbNUhvTADwMul30ATw6KHaKewqOi1nafsUAg7P57wc0OEPB-YIS3-WyOKFp0OwqJcMQMko9j1WCrsa9SDhKtVz_DwDjbyCkFAnWIvi5Rw-0E176zwwTZg1EFz4GPJ5fzwdv1xu5uA/s1600/IMG_1567a.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrrYbNUhvTADwMul30ATw6KHaKewqOi1nafsUAg7P57wc0OEPB-YIS3-WyOKFp0OwqJcMQMko9j1WCrsa9SDhKtVz_DwDjbyCkFAnWIvi5Rw-0E176zwwTZg1EFz4GPJ5fzwdv1xu5uA/s400/IMG_1567a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627413912959409410" border="0" /></a></p> <p class="MsoPlainText" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi- Times New Roman";mso-fareast-MS Mincho"font-size:100%;" > </span></p> <p face="trebuchet ms" class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size: 11pt;font-size:100%;" >Meanwhile, the newest cohort of "ultralight whoopers" begins the next chapter in its tale. You can follow the fun, live, at http://www.operationmigration.org/crane-cam.html.</span></p><p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" class="MsoPlainText"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5J8bctdwF4sLtfgxU-dZat6oU-G_d1Z8ECV8OL6fa7J2tN1Ykvi6Eh6ALdmkQkfdY3aql19C129Zt-NKTySAxGuxqjQzt-ICJ3D5Na_l3gu6BqdSMBKuC477hbo3dho-IsQAcBxCbwg/s1600/IMG_1536a.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 372px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5J8bctdwF4sLtfgxU-dZat6oU-G_d1Z8ECV8OL6fa7J2tN1Ykvi6Eh6ALdmkQkfdY3aql19C129Zt-NKTySAxGuxqjQzt-ICJ3D5Na_l3gu6BqdSMBKuC477hbo3dho-IsQAcBxCbwg/s400/IMG_1536a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627411074189868338" border="0" /></a></p> <p class="MsoPlainText" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;font-size:100%;" >The last 11 days have been an amazing adventure for me and I am deeply grateful to Joe Duff and OM for allowing me to be a part of it.</span></p><p class="MsoPlainText" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;font-size:100%;" ><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153); font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-style: italic;">This post and photos, Copyriight © 2011 - David Sakrison - sakrison@charter.net. You may reproduce my photos for non-commercial purposes, with photo credit to </span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">David Sakrison - sakrison@charter.net</span>. <span style="font-style: italic;">Photos from the International Crane Foundation or Operation Migration cannot be reproduced without written permission from ICF or OM.</span></span><br /></span></p><p class="MsoPlainText" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></p><p class="MsoPlainText" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi- Times New Roman";mso-fareast-MS Mincho"font-size:100%;" > </span></p> <p class="MsoPlainText" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi- Times New Roman";mso-fareast-MS Mincho"font-size:100%;" > </span></p> <p class="MsoPlainText" face="trebuchet ms"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi- Times New Roman";mso-fareast-MS Mincho"font-size:100%;" > </span></p> <p class="MsoPlainText" face="trebuchet ms"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi- Times New Roman";mso-fareast-MS Mincho"font-size:100%;" > </span></p> <p class="MsoPlainText" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi- Times New Roman";mso-fareast-MS Mincho"font-size:100%;" > </span></p> <p class="MsoPlainText" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi- Times New Roman";mso-fareast-MS Mincho"font-size:100%;" > </span></p>David Sakrisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04409778829331885219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1729466362077144842.post-25119761145915586372009-06-12T20:17:00.000-07:002009-06-12T20:43:09.679-07:00"Ghost Bird" Book & Lecture Tour, June 2009I leave tomorrow (June 13) on a 3-week book and lecture tour. Here is my itinerary.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">David Sakrison's "Ghost Bird Tour"</span><br /><br />Sun 14 June John James Audubon State Park Nature Center, Henderson, KY <br />slide presentation 2 pm<br />Mon 15 June Audubon Soc. of NE Kentucky, Louisville (KY) Nature Center,<br />slide program 7 pm<br />Tues 16 June Open <br />Wed 17 June Joseph-Beth Books, Lexington, KY - Book signing 7pm <br />Thur 18 June Kentucky Soc. of Natural History, Louisville Nature Ctr., slides 7 PM<br />Fri 19 June Barnes & Noble Books West Chester, OH - Book signing 7 PM<br />Sat 20 June Barnes & Noble, Newport, KY - book signing 1-5 pm<br />Sun 21 June On the Road <br />Mon 22 June Pickering Creek Audubon Ctr. Easton, MD, slide presentation 7 or 7:30<br />Tues 23 June Friends of Patuxent, Laurel MD Slides 7:00 PM<br />Wed 24 June Air & Space Museum in-service for staff & docents, 10 am.<br />Audubon Naturalist Soc. Chevy Chase, MD, slide presentation 7:30 pm<br />Thur 25 June Open (goof off) <br />Fri 26 June Open <br />Sat 27 June National Museum of Natural History, Washington, DC - Book signing 11-5<br />Sun 28 June Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Laurel, MD slides 3 pm <br />Mon 29 June Open <br />Tues 30 June Barnes & Noble - Lancaster, PA - Book signing 7pm<br />Wed 1 July Olewine Nature Center, Harrisburg, PA - slide program 7pm<br />Thur 2 July Joseph-Beth Books, Pittsburgh - Book signing 7pm<br />Fri 3 July Home to Ripon<br /><br /><br />Each autumn, the ultralight aircraft of Operation Migration lead a flock of whooping crane chicks from Wisconsin to Florida, through Indiana and Kentucky. My slide program touches on the whoopers' natural history and describes in detail the process of teaching captive-raised cranes to migrate, a project that has been described as "the conservation equivalent of putting a man on the moon."<br /><br />If I'm in your area, come join me. If you know someone who is nearby, pass this on.<br />Thanks!<br /><br />For the birds,<br />--DavidDavid Sakrisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04409778829331885219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1729466362077144842.post-12137616343186453262008-08-28T18:00:00.000-07:002008-08-30T20:57:32.483-07:00The Ring of Dingle, Part II<span style="font-weight: bold;">Continuing our Tour of the Ring of Dingle</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Bc0S2_bNMN2jORaPdU-9h3Wwtzg3A9jFNxPvfSR-sT8_ISJ-TvpgQkjmm82Qp2YwaPNMiGD0dunVLlqUHsV_6SLL5xslxHpvkZNkyGPCqZJWAKu5BJp_n1AuFjapN0dK_wz_CVdqNg/s1600-h/17+famine+3668.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Bc0S2_bNMN2jORaPdU-9h3Wwtzg3A9jFNxPvfSR-sT8_ISJ-TvpgQkjmm82Qp2YwaPNMiGD0dunVLlqUHsV_6SLL5xslxHpvkZNkyGPCqZJWAKu5BJp_n1AuFjapN0dK_wz_CVdqNg/s320/17+famine+3668.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5240468501793239138" border="0" /></a> Pictured at left, the ruins of a drystone tenant cottage on Dingle Peninsula. During the Potato Famine (the "Great Hunger") of 1845-52, tenant farmers who could not pay their rents were turned out and burned out of their cottages by their landlords. Many of these small farmers and herders were on land their families had held for hundreds of years, before the British crown gave large Irish land grants to English nobles, ignoring any claim to ownership by the native Irish.<br /><br />During the famine years, up to a million Irish may have died of starvation and disease, while their landlords shipped tons of food the tenants had raised to England, Europe, and the Americas. Probably another million emigrated to escape starvation. It's estimated that Ireland's population fell by 25% during the Great Hunger. The ruins of their cottages dot the Irish landscape.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">More highlights of our Ring of Dingle tour</span>:<br /><br />• Just off Dunmore Head on Dingle's southwest coast lie the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Blasket Islands</span> and the ships' graveyard of Blasket Sound. One of the largest ships of the Spanish Armada sank here in October 1588, after storms scattered the Spanish ships gathering off the coast of France for an attack on England.<br /><br />The Blaskets are isolated from the mainland four months out of every year and the inhabitants were always a hardy and independent lot, with a strong tradition of oral history. In the 1920s, some of the islanders—poets and storytellers—began writing down the local tales and the resulting books offer a unique window into a pre-feudal, pre-capitalist society, where many of the old medieval ways endured into the 2oth century. Some of those books, written in Gaelic and translated into several languages, have become staples of Irish literature.<br /><br />The day we visited Dunmore Head, the Blaskets were shrouded in fog. But the coastline of the mainland was starkly beautiful. And its menace to boats and ships was all too evident. The islands are reached by ferry in good weather and there is an interpretive center and ruins of old settlements on Great Blasket Island that, we were told, are well worth a visit. The last residents were moved to the mainland in 1953. The islands remain pretty much as the residents left them.<br /><br />• Our next stop was a group of clochaun (beehive huts) set on a hillside overlooking the sea. These were probably built between 300 and 700 A.D. There are several single huts and one large double beehive with a passageway in between. The construction is all drystone, and one can only marvel at the craftsmanship of the ancient builders.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjClALc7OSLgLhtpcO1h3qbadOMUzR3vdvk_3KTE__U9rwuwsNnMDQcBCrfoskoM7EHK52HbGtQpHiuSWsE4QvQmch0xeDczH0Vzb9P8ey_Z-5wa7YEUuD9j01LfbTJIbCMPSHCIH4SQw/s1600-h/13+beehive_3661.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjClALc7OSLgLhtpcO1h3qbadOMUzR3vdvk_3KTE__U9rwuwsNnMDQcBCrfoskoM7EHK52HbGtQpHiuSWsE4QvQmch0xeDczH0Vzb9P8ey_Z-5wa7YEUuD9j01LfbTJIbCMPSHCIH4SQw/s400/13+beehive_3661.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5239772360359619138" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1PCnRiWMaiRB4cEH_FwOHDZjoX8kzxuSbqE3WIPlR0jaizqp3ujDXYG0rCgqbd8moXfTNeN3ZYFDM6W8MG1iHVbNFwl9VBUrMYFFFyTm_CuV6dIDoIWJie78bKSODTjhDmDvnxl1alg/s1600-h/10+beehive3655.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1PCnRiWMaiRB4cEH_FwOHDZjoX8kzxuSbqE3WIPlR0jaizqp3ujDXYG0rCgqbd8moXfTNeN3ZYFDM6W8MG1iHVbNFwl9VBUrMYFFFyTm_CuV6dIDoIWJie78bKSODTjhDmDvnxl1alg/s400/10+beehive3655.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5239773191764615442" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyUKq9Z8snNbs52E5T3kFzOBRL9RVncaHyxBfdaIPnNbtJYQCax2a2_JZbSBuU2_RAXmvjtWed5xhD-Zl-24G5jyeDQ40b9hDg8C_DPGStLZ17SJLEbYoRzNho6F8IVwRc3kJY9TUqAQ/s1600-h/12+Beehive+3657.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyUKq9Z8snNbs52E5T3kFzOBRL9RVncaHyxBfdaIPnNbtJYQCax2a2_JZbSBuU2_RAXmvjtWed5xhD-Zl-24G5jyeDQ40b9hDg8C_DPGStLZ17SJLEbYoRzNho6F8IVwRc3kJY9TUqAQ/s400/12+Beehive+3657.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5239772350760548098" border="0" /></a>The photo above shows the stepping stones that were probably used to reach the top of the beehive, to remove the capstone and allow smoke to escape from the hut. Below is the interior of the double beehive (which has lost most of its roof), and the passage through the adjoining wall. The souterrain extends under the passage and the wall.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNkE-30lXRNlfqc1ddiBcxaLk9KabcjPO6d602JSQYA5GwhJjwVocmajqRIzVImXSR0VXZPEV6C75qZeAVswJjbw-uIWE-OAO2-kiAxfd9EAgfGjmmOPlvN59eVusdSI0jLBw5oihubA/s1600-h/11+beehive+in3650.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNkE-30lXRNlfqc1ddiBcxaLk9KabcjPO6d602JSQYA5GwhJjwVocmajqRIzVImXSR0VXZPEV6C75qZeAVswJjbw-uIWE-OAO2-kiAxfd9EAgfGjmmOPlvN59eVusdSI0jLBw5oihubA/s400/11+beehive+in3650.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5239772343761005138" border="0" /></a>As we drove along the coast road, we frequently caught glimpses of stone ruins—clochauns, forts, towers, and such, some dating from the Iron Age.<br /><br />• The western coast of the Dingle Peninsula was a cradle of early Christian civilization and one sees its marks at every turn. Many Christian monastic communities thrived here from 500-800 A.D. and became centers of learning that drew Christian scholars and students from all over Europe. Besides the monasteries and churches, there were farmers and herdsmen living in this relatively fertile corner of western Ireland.<br /><br />The<span style="font-weight: bold;"> Gallarus Oratory</span> was built sometime between the 6th and 11th centuries A.D. It is a small drystone church built in the shape of an overturned boat, overlooking the harbour at Ard na Caithne.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicduUdTwX78hBb2UMESVyDrZ5VExrVMmuOSqiHymNgzynshdiqbO9VyOkd-WI5uVDJQiElaf0d-ZUorzq4El_xPrm2ff9FoJK89R-gafpSIzUEJnalJWwq007rQo6GMzUrmU2IrpMxaA/s1600-h/19+Gallarus3704.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicduUdTwX78hBb2UMESVyDrZ5VExrVMmuOSqiHymNgzynshdiqbO9VyOkd-WI5uVDJQiElaf0d-ZUorzq4El_xPrm2ff9FoJK89R-gafpSIzUEJnalJWwq007rQo6GMzUrmU2IrpMxaA/s400/19+Gallarus3704.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5240456065448827634" border="0" /></a>The stones are laid at a slight angle to the outside, allowing water to drain off—a method of building developed by Iron-Age tomb builders. That has kept the interior of the church relatively dry and well-preserved despite 1,000 years or more of North Atlantic gales.<br />The oratory has not been rebuilt. It stands as it was built a millenium ago, except for a very slight bowing in of the upper walls, visible in this photo:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTqnWhVAEQ6Cau_JHmIO28tQI23EH-DVF7ge9MR4lFkHyFdeFWsHnxYS0NYXPzJCNpV-E1Lt0ZBh4_UWTbTZpFMI3oKjxsEt8exFSTumTcmA2fhs1GTRUJ-ZIj2xsWA8eLgVvZuw7t6A/s1600-h/20+Gallarus3715.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTqnWhVAEQ6Cau_JHmIO28tQI23EH-DVF7ge9MR4lFkHyFdeFWsHnxYS0NYXPzJCNpV-E1Lt0ZBh4_UWTbTZpFMI3oKjxsEt8exFSTumTcmA2fhs1GTRUJ-ZIj2xsWA8eLgVvZuw7t6A/s400/20+Gallarus3715.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5240456066090654146" border="0" /></a> Over the door is a stone lintel with holes for an inward-opening wooden door. At the opposite end, a single small window gives scant light. Beside the church is a cross slab in what might have<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjklZGxJFey5nCRzB2hODvGmohEHQw06RjVpGN0lspXXWYhc1Cq-5yhdnUOx2Q8SRWr5hYDdDHPv3lpVgois_XEnXG4cGaaVPCd_KxD6lH6MTfsQZXu7_J1L_mFxI7ofyi8NcCFUzdDJQ/s1600-h/26+Gallarus3766.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjklZGxJFey5nCRzB2hODvGmohEHQw06RjVpGN0lspXXWYhc1Cq-5yhdnUOx2Q8SRWr5hYDdDHPv3lpVgois_XEnXG4cGaaVPCd_KxD6lH6MTfsQZXu7_J1L_mFxI7ofyi8NcCFUzdDJQ/s320/26+Gallarus3766.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5240515430870856034" border="0" /></a> been a cemetery for the priests (<span style="font-style: italic;">left</span>).<br /><br />Most tourists approach the<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga4ahikHMppko4-vX66Nfs6J-lMBXOVhwoRxQd0D7sYSs05xfCGmxQecMpDuPofthZi5hyR_VepVvAsjOkX4Rk6iPa8hUh-IBAF2FCAdX4HQaijhfJK-JcjpQitoCHbIAMQo-ZLAtYHw/s1600-h/22+pilgrim3702.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga4ahikHMppko4-vX66Nfs6J-lMBXOVhwoRxQd0D7sYSs05xfCGmxQecMpDuPofthZi5hyR_VepVvAsjOkX4Rk6iPa8hUh-IBAF2FCAdX4HQaijhfJK-JcjpQitoCHbIAMQo-ZLAtYHw/s320/22+pilgrim3702.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5240461339193621314" border="0" /></a><br />Gallarus Oratory through the visitor center. Dennis took us up a one-lane side road to <span style="font-weight: bold;">the "Dingle Way</span>,"<br /><br />a pilgrims' path that winds for 130 miles around the peninsula. It's marked by signposts and stone stiles (<span style="font-style: italic;">right</span>). In many places, there is no set path to follow—just strike out across a pasture 'til you see the next signpost.<br /><br />Walking a quarter mile along the Dingle Way, we entered the Gallarus site "through the back door." Those who enter through the visitor center pay a modest entry fee, but tradition prohibits charging entry fees to a pilgrim, so entry by the Pilgrims' Way is free.<br /><br />Nearby, we visited the site of a 6th-8th-century <span style="font-weight: bold;">Gallarus Priory</span>—a small, walled monastic community with remains of a stone church and several small stone huts. The photo below shows the remains of the church with its two rooms—oratory and sanctuary. The walls are drystone, the remains of a double beehive.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAH6lLFJnjNXD5ey-iYxPoR193dbNckaYanD42tp4riGzIwRUN8aUWwCqJ9narbvGFObmr34pAevyc_tak1q0Zqk1X8iZ1HrmMnB0ZVIWv-Gq_MHdY4fFsUpmFoBjJS95GGYkAuNWeFw/s1600-h/21+Gallarus+3700.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAH6lLFJnjNXD5ey-iYxPoR193dbNckaYanD42tp4riGzIwRUN8aUWwCqJ9narbvGFObmr34pAevyc_tak1q0Zqk1X8iZ1HrmMnB0ZVIWv-Gq_MHdY4fFsUpmFoBjJS95GGYkAuNWeFw/s400/21+Gallarus+3700.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5240465444853061330" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOTcC0cnuKWLMr30WtO3Px7BA_-XnFFiTpxYwg8h8iAMuPcWRB9d6ojWRD63PcWYZilRWyAQz76Fcnh_f2tPH-qx3zZrH_2NIXg0-jj76c5BOE12Vxwerr2ixlGoz9HWpdZSjGaRgS4g/s1600-h/18+cross+3699.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOTcC0cnuKWLMr30WtO3Px7BA_-XnFFiTpxYwg8h8iAMuPcWRB9d6ojWRD63PcWYZilRWyAQz76Fcnh_f2tPH-qx3zZrH_2NIXg0-jj76c5BOE12Vxwerr2ixlGoz9HWpdZSjGaRgS4g/s400/18+cross+3699.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5240457786295016050" border="0" /></a>Within the boundary wall of the priory, this six-foot-high cross slab bears Celtic symbols at the base, rising to an early form of the cross at the top. Carved about 1,200 years ago, it represents the triumph of Christianity over the paganism of pre-Christian Ireland.<br /><br />• In 1968-69, Hollywood came to Dingle for the filming of director <span>David Lean's</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> Ryan's Daughter</span>. We stopped at a beach that was featured in the film. We've since seen the film and the beach and cliffs and offshore islands are beautiful in good weather.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHjjy9YbOqq9LxT8WLKAVuCUJF-OLn-0c4PGFHAYvG3NYOG6pX1NqqfxhjJljTBdcj-xoZ7xuXxj8DlCdOHTLFO-Z-BHlg-hWbdaKmgFmySN6ToBJFwPm7amQ9NbKZ7rzwA0MWNhiiSw/s1600-h/14+Beach+3674.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHjjy9YbOqq9LxT8WLKAVuCUJF-OLn-0c4PGFHAYvG3NYOG6pX1NqqfxhjJljTBdcj-xoZ7xuXxj8DlCdOHTLFO-Z-BHlg-hWbdaKmgFmySN6ToBJFwPm7amQ9NbKZ7rzwA0MWNhiiSw/s320/14+Beach+3674.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5240458599043972322" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhFeDG4GFgxuz5lfQoQh0K0ObpLsWNaBMg-9yz2RvZd8NXiVeEYjUBkop9-57aihAoeCOWuNSzcap-Oq-PkP3MwsFV7rhQAPjZgUtDo1Mye3QeAdpsArZAzYhYVMg0bgw994YTaJutwQ/s1600-h/15+beach3676.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhFeDG4GFgxuz5lfQoQh0K0ObpLsWNaBMg-9yz2RvZd8NXiVeEYjUBkop9-57aihAoeCOWuNSzcap-Oq-PkP3MwsFV7rhQAPjZgUtDo1Mye3QeAdpsArZAzYhYVMg0bgw994YTaJutwQ/s320/15+beach3676.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5240458600556689010" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />When the movie company came to Dingle, there were no hotels or inns to house the cast and crew for months at a time. Local people opened their homes to the foreigners, who left behind them a new and thriving Bed & Breakfast industry, that soon spread all over Ireland.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHTo4A6nVcqCitx3B2Iv_C4OsY9uQuQ4FzDPqVpG7YkGVqZEAAdZg1WP50EcB-453s8ras9QTvFno9wnF6m2ElQ1qsWodCebCAA-CpDeUpqY7hcv6LMSSXQ8C7mhmSqjc0jGtdgXV1sA/s1600-h/16+Krugers+3691.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHTo4A6nVcqCitx3B2Iv_C4OsY9uQuQ4FzDPqVpG7YkGVqZEAAdZg1WP50EcB-453s8ras9QTvFno9wnF6m2ElQ1qsWodCebCAA-CpDeUpqY7hcv6LMSSXQ8C7mhmSqjc0jGtdgXV1sA/s200/16+Krugers+3691.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5240459273845354594" border="0" /></a>• The western tip of Dingle Peninsula is also the westernmost tip of Great Britain and of Europe. Kruger's Pub, located on that point, is famous as the westernmost pub. It's a long side trip and we didn't stop there, but from the main road, you can't miss the sign.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNV4Omy9FIx5iJYH8US2q2KsXfBc_Y1bcynb0vvzjjcCi073IHOOnKzmBC1OVWpjbjNseH8cCVwsMid7NuZ_MWS-VEOEyej8lAs4L2wYON-s73317UY5BWaWRirnKJz9JqsnfuemMd6Q/s1600-h/23+Dick+Mac3873.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNV4Omy9FIx5iJYH8US2q2KsXfBc_Y1bcynb0vvzjjcCi073IHOOnKzmBC1OVWpjbjNseH8cCVwsMid7NuZ_MWS-VEOEyej8lAs4L2wYON-s73317UY5BWaWRirnKJz9JqsnfuemMd6Q/s320/23+Dick+Mac3873.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5240468508703130866" border="0" /></a>That night, the rain let up and we walked back to <span style="font-weight: bold;">Dick Mac's Pub</span>, formerly a combined leather repair shop and pub, located across the street from St. Agnes Catholic Church. At each end of the bar is a small cubicle with a door on it. These are where the women would traditionally sit, while their men drank at the bar. That's Christal on the left and Emily on the right.<br /><br />I learned in Gallway that it is only in the last 10 or 15 years that it is considered proper for young people, and especially single women, to frequent pubs in Ireland.<br /><br />Dick Mac's sports a plaque on the outside wall proclaiming it as a recipient of the James Joyce Award given to "authentic Irish pubs."<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The cramped, crowded, noisy, and smoke-free interior of Dick Mac's Pub, Dingle:</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX9OUKbIHVVyHr8VFevwpjfqV6-77C7K8-4xz8qQGzDWS6A9eejG8JDKNJB_9dLspWsz4wd9ee7AELlQ4DTg1_XmWkqA1rtS4bZTCoD2LezliSr6Ae_DPwh2yawW4adfx8qNJGG2Xkow/s1600-h/24+dickmac3875.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX9OUKbIHVVyHr8VFevwpjfqV6-77C7K8-4xz8qQGzDWS6A9eejG8JDKNJB_9dLspWsz4wd9ee7AELlQ4DTg1_XmWkqA1rtS4bZTCoD2LezliSr6Ae_DPwh2yawW4adfx8qNJGG2Xkow/s320/24+dickmac3875.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5240465763549996386" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHQCwlhOwmb5q4GsiGn8MpcnUu_gK9x0GHjUehiQqB3f3IrtIKoAJnYpXOgD7Bvx88PCEEWcAW52yrt2CfngnohkVa73vT21KoOQ5OSa-NOHlfsbhaoOlLzmY3XBkSv-T_M8lt9jE4iQ/s1600-h/25+Dickmac3878.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHQCwlhOwmb5q4GsiGn8MpcnUu_gK9x0GHjUehiQqB3f3IrtIKoAJnYpXOgD7Bvx88PCEEWcAW52yrt2CfngnohkVa73vT21KoOQ5OSa-NOHlfsbhaoOlLzmY3XBkSv-T_M8lt9jE4iQ/s320/25+Dickmac3878.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5240465758152991074" border="0" /></a><br /><br />We did some shopping that evening; I bought the Aran sweater and Irish cap I'm wearing in the photo at the top of this blog.<br /><br />We had dinner—fish & chips—at Paul Galley's restaurant, off the beaten tourist track, up the hill from the harbor. After dinner, we attended mass at St. Agnes. (Peter is Catholic, Emily Methodist, Christal and I, Lutheran.) Peter said afterwards that it was the shortest mass he'd ever attended—no sermon, no hymns. The priest went through the liturgy of the sacrament at 90 mph with a thick Irish accent. When the congregation recited the liturgical responses, there was no unison, just each person reciting at his or her own pace. Peter said later, only his lifelong familiarity with the mass gave him any clue to what the priest and congregation were doing.<br /><br />After mass we walked around the walled former nunnery behind the church, now a boarding school. We saw the gardens and the nuns' graveyard. Then we walked through the upper town where the locals live and saw lots of new houses in European style overlooking the bay.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Next: The weather improves, sort of.</span><br /><br />Cheers,<br />--DavidDavid Sakrisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04409778829331885219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1729466362077144842.post-67925177463388348302008-08-23T09:25:00.000-07:002008-12-02T08:25:23.488-08:00The Ring of Dingle<span style="font-family:arial;">In Dingle town, we stayed in a very nice B&B—the Heaton Guest House—with rooms overlooking the Dingle Estuary. Dinner that first night was at Danno's Pub and was very good. Dingle (pop. 1,400) is a market town and fishing port and is well-supplied with pubs—about 50 of them, some so small that only a half-dozen people can fit inside. We visited several and enjoyed them all.</span><span style="font-family:arial;"> </span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs_iQbkIpDb6MY1AIFS8IQAkt-I_ZvyFZbtDqj2y6uhhDu9BF4yJICPvTOnAxfIEI5xBF4KSCP0PIOyqZyjJaGtItUQbyKyPXmyt9G5MzSXvbhXfjk06ekdWpt43YnaHfIBSUblaCUWg/s1600-h/5a-Dingletown3871.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs_iQbkIpDb6MY1AIFS8IQAkt-I_ZvyFZbtDqj2y6uhhDu9BF4yJICPvTOnAxfIEI5xBF4KSCP0PIOyqZyjJaGtItUQbyKyPXmyt9G5MzSXvbhXfjk06ekdWpt43YnaHfIBSUblaCUWg/s400/5a-Dingletown3871.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238171688360480226" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">There is a complete ban on smoking in Ireland wherever people are employed, including all restaurants and pubs. That makes visiting the pubs very pleasant for non-smokers like us. And it doesn't seem to hurt the trade; all the pubs we visited were busy.</span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" ><br /><br />Breakfast was included with our rooms and cooked to order. Our hands-down favorite from the menu was "Heaton's Treat"--porridge (oatmeal) topped with brown sugar and drizzled with Drambuie and fresh cream.<br /><br />On Saturday, our first full day in Dingle, we hiked around the town in the morning. The afternoon turned wet. We had planned to take a bus tour of the Ring of Dingle, a driving tour that takes in several medieval and neolithic sites around the outer end of the peninsula. Instead, our host lined us up with a local tour guide who stuffed us into his little sedan and gave us a wonderful tour full of history, local characters, and interesting places. It was misting or drizzling during much of the four-hour tour. (The Irish call that a "soft day.") But we were dressed for it and enjoyed the day in spite of the damp.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:arial;">The Dingle Peninsula has been occupied for more than 6,000 years. </span><span style="font-family:arial;">In its archaeological remains, it is one of the richest areas on the west coast of Europe, with almost 2,000 sites, including the largest collections in the world of <i>clocháns</i> or beehive huts, of the stones with the unique ogham writing, and of <i>dúnta</i> or ring forts. </span><span style="font-family:arial;">Among the high points of our tour were:</span><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" ><br /><br />• An Iron-Age (500 B.C.-500 A.D.) ring fort built around 400 A.D. — These forts were built to protect the inhabitants' cattle from thieves. The builders dug a round ditch enclosing an acre or so. They piled the dirt in two concentric walls up to ten feet high. Between the walls, the ditch could be 30 feet deep. Some ring forts show evidence of wooden palisades on top of the inner ring. Others are topped with drystone (unmortared) walls. Many appear to have been occupied for 500 years or more.<br /><br />Today local tradition says the ring forts are home to the spirits of the people who lived in them—the "faerie rings" of folklore. To tear down a ring fort is said to bring several generations of bad luck on the culprit's family. So they remain. In some parts of Britain, locals leave gifts at the ring forts on the winter solstice. Some 45,000 ring fort sites have been identified in Ireland, alone.<br /><br />• Ogham Stones — <a href="http://www.omniglot.com/writing/ogham.htm">Ogham script</a> was the first written language of the Gaels and Picts in Ireland, Scotland, England, and Wales. It was used between 300 and 700 A.D. The script uses various marks on a central index line, often on the sharp edge or corner of a stone, to form a 25-letter alphabet. The inscriptions are names of people or places and may have marked graves or boundaries of land. Some inscriptions in Pictish and ancient Gaelic have not been deciphered.<br /><br />The ogham stones we saw were gathered by the local laird — Lord Vestry — and placed as decorations near his "big house" in the mid-1800s. The standing stones are the more common type, and use an edge as the index line. The round stones lying flat, may have been grave markers. The chap in the floppy hat is Dennis, our guide. He was great!<br /></span><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfSMHl1ihgWXE-og-RAllRY5SQTZzOFggwhyphenhyphenVYyaVODNk2P_7J59BXgRWVehxvG8fM4aeA1utZfYGbmtBwSwsrzg-guCSfrWhsxuDm8iDKNlVzUB_BNG30q6z4iSDwcJhoBn6PVsinAA/s1600-h/5-Ogham-3623.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfSMHl1ihgWXE-og-RAllRY5SQTZzOFggwhyphenhyphenVYyaVODNk2P_7J59BXgRWVehxvG8fM4aeA1utZfYGbmtBwSwsrzg-guCSfrWhsxuDm8iDKNlVzUB_BNG30q6z4iSDwcJhoBn6PVsinAA/s400/5-Ogham-3623.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238160977376960818" border="0" /></a><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" ><br />• <span style="font-style: italic;">An Dún Beag</span> - Dunbeg Promontory Fort — The most common Iron-Age relics in Ireland are hill forts and promontory forts—large drystone walls enclosing a considerable area of a hilltop or cliff ledge. Dunbeg is a small but impressive fort on a sheer cliff promontory projecting into Dingle Bay. The defenses face only the landward side, since the cliffs provided natural and imposing defenses.<br /></span><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL7KA-HYGJ-sW5jk626UhT5OVQCyfLc8sBda3DOjUQubOnGjAcbRJBiRx5cMtha2IcbXIP6YYV447Hoy9oCo1Fn3tdA6VJnOiIHO1-2MGEEne6Em886rwbxuNBlTNuPyaPgi_JsDvu6Q/s1600-h/7-Dunbeg-3640.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL7KA-HYGJ-sW5jk626UhT5OVQCyfLc8sBda3DOjUQubOnGjAcbRJBiRx5cMtha2IcbXIP6YYV447Hoy9oCo1Fn3tdA6VJnOiIHO1-2MGEEne6Em886rwbxuNBlTNuPyaPgi_JsDvu6Q/s400/7-Dunbeg-3640.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238160983095836098" border="0" /></a><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >At Dunbeg, an attacker would have faced four lines of earthen banks, five <span style="font-style: italic;">fosses </span>(defensive ditches) and a drystone rampart with a complex entrance flanked by guard chambers. Behind the rampart is a single largish <span style="font-style: italic;">clochaun </span>(beehive hut).<br /></span><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl65dB_JB-bjxn8-BLbkbPS37Gk8vY621e-EVfr8Y7xtWtDJzL06sG9mtqWWcQ_Wuq5bUXa_b2K5xgquW813yW98veQ2B7mntC48rDN0-inRhyphenhyphenrtD4jmBhsqEem_5wIQGJoHaHEqKLRQ/s1600-h/9-Dunbeg-3645.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl65dB_JB-bjxn8-BLbkbPS37Gk8vY621e-EVfr8Y7xtWtDJzL06sG9mtqWWcQ_Wuq5bUXa_b2K5xgquW813yW98veQ2B7mntC48rDN0-inRhyphenhyphenrtD4jmBhsqEem_5wIQGJoHaHEqKLRQ/s400/9-Dunbeg-3645.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238161170317595522" border="0" /></a><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpQAWj6kO3ecJepisqVxxJMmWTz0To7sWNIfg_mS45ZYZ-7eg02jwzwgoH3kVEIixAef0If6vC6r5GtAESPlt3oUPkhtU7qd_IUVaDOFHylYwaqA1drZCitnTHMvfUrU9cwPBiQTMS4A/s1600-h/6-dunbeg-3637.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpQAWj6kO3ecJepisqVxxJMmWTz0To7sWNIfg_mS45ZYZ-7eg02jwzwgoH3kVEIixAef0If6vC6r5GtAESPlt3oUPkhtU7qd_IUVaDOFHylYwaqA1drZCitnTHMvfUrU9cwPBiQTMS4A/s400/6-dunbeg-3637.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238160981222625570" border="0" /></a><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" >The photo above looks into the gate through the rampart.<span style="font-style: italic;"> (The wooden bracing is modern, to stabilize this heavily-visited site.)</span> There is a souterrain (cellar) under the beehive, and a tunnel extending up the promontory that may have been an escape route. Both were built as a ditches and covered over with large flat stones.<br /><br />Very little dateable material has been found at Dunbeg. The few traces that can be carbon-dated suggest that the site was occupied as early as 580 B.C. and as late as the 11th century A.D. Parts of the site, including one end of the rampart, have fallen into the sea in the ensuing centuries.<br /><br />The photo below looks across the clochaun, away from the sea. This beehive is unusual in that it is round on the outside, but with square corners in the inside space. The souterrain is underneath the doorway and extends under the wall. You can see the souterrain's capstones just inside the doorway. The near wall shows typical drystone construction, actually two faced walls with the space between filled with rubble. The wall thickness at this height is about five feet.<br /></span><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBIWmcPYSa9ii6EQNSVV-pupZwUBGrGdVJnw3ItDXhl9oYmJ0MDrECqkCW1uvSCzGk_VYa5IyahCTsmLgDJjZkIpfetiJb12Jv7ZJJc8qQqkZY2JJzFHaCLd62OCFgo580qrk1XbM53w/s1600-h/8-Dunbeg-3644.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBIWmcPYSa9ii6EQNSVV-pupZwUBGrGdVJnw3ItDXhl9oYmJ0MDrECqkCW1uvSCzGk_VYa5IyahCTsmLgDJjZkIpfetiJb12Jv7ZJJc8qQqkZY2JJzFHaCLd62OCFgo580qrk1XbM53w/s400/8-Dunbeg-3644.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238160985913140610" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Next: More Ring of Dingle</span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Cheers,</span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">—David</span><br /><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span><span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:78%;" >All photos, Copyright 2008 Sakrison Communications, All Rights Reserved.<br />You're welcome to copy them for your own use. A photo credit would be appreciated.<br />No publication or commercial use is allowed without written permission. Sorry.</span>David Sakrisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04409778829331885219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1729466362077144842.post-89720902851592977402008-08-22T07:25:00.000-07:002008-08-26T18:32:51.164-07:00The Game's Afoot<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2KM_zk7aAzhnyxvZeIxd-JcXOMiZV3F8yo6xVo3Zh1X5gUmBXYb4HYbpeoAXxaRKfCSm5pb_vlHNN2FVVEIyVg7XHJDskrvgAMGr8IsQAgQBUlC0kWnk2T0O2Z03ln-qDrMjUN31PlA/s1600-h/2-Connor-3570.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2KM_zk7aAzhnyxvZeIxd-JcXOMiZV3F8yo6xVo3Zh1X5gUmBXYb4HYbpeoAXxaRKfCSm5pb_vlHNN2FVVEIyVg7XHJDskrvgAMGr8IsQAgQBUlC0kWnk2T0O2Z03ln-qDrMjUN31PlA/s400/2-Connor-3570.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5237583940570053970" border="0" /></a>Our very good friends, Peter and Emily celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary this summer. Way back in January, Peter told me he wanted to do something special for their 25th: He wanted to take Emily somewhere she'd never been before, and he wanted me and my wife Christal to come along. Peter suggested Ireland. I suggested adding a few days in Scotland.<br /><br />We agreed to announce the trip as a surprise to the ladies on St. Patrick's Day. In the meantime, after an initial few study sessions with published travel guides, we divided up the planning: Ireland for Peter and Scotland for me.<br /><br />On St. Paddy's Day, we gathered for drinks at Peter & Emily's house and Peter announced the trip. Emily and Christal were delighted, and it all went off winningly. Planning continued in earnest.<br /><br />Jumping off date was Thursday 7 August -- a 6:30 p.m. flight from Chicago to Dublin. I spent most of the summer working long hours for the Experimental Aircraft Association's (EAA's) Government Affairs office and the last week of July working full time during the annual EAA fly-in at Oshkosh. (an outstanding event -- see www.airventure.org). I always come off that stint a bit shell-shocked, and the few days between AirVenture and Ireland are lost in fog. But somehow I got packed and ready and we were off: Drive to Milwaukee, bus to O'Hare, an eight-hour flight to Dublin, and a 50-minute flight to Shannon, arriving mid-morning local time.<br /><br />The Irish drive on the wrong side of the road. (It might have something to do with their whisky.) And most of their roads seem to be about three feet wide. Our rental car was a "crossover" van/SUV about half again as wide as the average traffic lane, but our first driving adventure, from Shannon, west along the Dingle Peninsula, and across Connor Pass to Dingle, was accomplished without any misadventures.<br /><br />In western Ireland, the driving lanes are, at most, eight feet wide, sometimes a bit less. Away from the few major highways, roads have no shoulder to speak of. They are mostly bordered by ancient, mortarless stone walls, overgrown with hedges. The effect is that of driving down a very narrow lane between hedgerows that come to the edge of the pavement. We didn't hit anything but we trimmed a lot of hedges.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7p1KaIwpc3K656_SxoKHzvd4YSDa8gEbmWd1dAG1fCxKN5OwllchqEazPE9YXokvSIJpoiq3y6O4EPnEpoGTy1BMKUaHCGPfzyocZ7WwfIm3pJDIWXcyZdoW0S0IXaFTKQz2GhimEsQ/s1600-h/1-road-3962.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7p1KaIwpc3K656_SxoKHzvd4YSDa8gEbmWd1dAG1fCxKN5OwllchqEazPE9YXokvSIJpoiq3y6O4EPnEpoGTy1BMKUaHCGPfzyocZ7WwfIm3pJDIWXcyZdoW0S0IXaFTKQz2GhimEsQ/s400/1-road-3962.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238211084201773746" border="0" /></a>Driving (and riding) on the left was interesting, accompanied by lots of loud noises from the ladies in the back seat.<br /><br />We had lunch in Adare Village, at an open-air cafe across the street from the Trinitarian Abbey, built by Fitzgerald Clan for the Trinitarian order of monks in the early 13th century.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8nDHSh3D3iT8Ht73ddPtb0UwruqCfHdRiARggcpi0ecEP454UnwPdvhSvEjuWXU2aZ9vZ6wu8s3XuNlvftgU2tmYch9HNEjjV0wKs5la09rSXg0hMxO_lunv9c5toCRQRyeLTBJMe8g/s1600-h/1a-Adare-3555.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8nDHSh3D3iT8Ht73ddPtb0UwruqCfHdRiARggcpi0ecEP454UnwPdvhSvEjuWXU2aZ9vZ6wu8s3XuNlvftgU2tmYch9HNEjjV0wKs5la09rSXg0hMxO_lunv9c5toCRQRyeLTBJMe8g/s400/1a-Adare-3555.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5237365508249818066" border="0" /></a>Up on Connor Pass, the weather was overcast and misting but still offered spectacular views.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtgcpp1N-iCBbzN64EYteVpzr3fFJGNTZ2LQ5RD9v8YPnR7nvCkAWUepMLLfUxNftBBqxtlvAWs4lEXG59MuDSnrPz-qt12XEQgGUlOG-aYyDzjoLYWLUDmrqG_xoeJiyceOtoXlmFTg/s1600-h/3-Connor-3576.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtgcpp1N-iCBbzN64EYteVpzr3fFJGNTZ2LQ5RD9v8YPnR7nvCkAWUepMLLfUxNftBBqxtlvAWs4lEXG59MuDSnrPz-qt12XEQgGUlOG-aYyDzjoLYWLUDmrqG_xoeJiyceOtoXlmFTg/s400/3-Connor-3576.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5237372766581356466" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMFbCbIsk5a7mXGoCWmWvyNsIxvkSUhyphenhyphenP4LWWOsMaezYjpuGP6xteFH3TcYzuppc3yJdpNa40x-dF1wfOz2hIjSDlut3L8y6m7kNZ_340yA25LTDpXA4jX7WfgWviAxVwdAwyHF4a0kA/s1600-h/2a-connor-3591.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMFbCbIsk5a7mXGoCWmWvyNsIxvkSUhyphenhyphenP4LWWOsMaezYjpuGP6xteFH3TcYzuppc3yJdpNa40x-dF1wfOz2hIjSDlut3L8y6m7kNZ_340yA25LTDpXA4jX7WfgWviAxVwdAwyHF4a0kA/s400/2a-connor-3591.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238211101809020562" border="0" /></a>The road over Connor Pass is winding and narrow, even by Irish standards. Some stretches are just one lane, with an occasional "layby" for passing vehicles. Trucks are rare, though buses are not. Courtesy prevails and we quickly picked up the formal and informal rules of the road.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyduexmWZxvx-DKaXoa9u9IfItBnTtXE_BkQTOuoHcsQhph2WoaJZ6EIUvvPqC7qrF9dbSecFwVRTSiNJ3klwsxJoM51KbV5qxjLlbr0UIKqMAGN_GFtqyFKcSLj7Fk8qcULeFZaeZ6Q/s1600-h/2b-connor-3588.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyduexmWZxvx-DKaXoa9u9IfItBnTtXE_BkQTOuoHcsQhph2WoaJZ6EIUvvPqC7qrF9dbSecFwVRTSiNJ3klwsxJoM51KbV5qxjLlbr0UIKqMAGN_GFtqyFKcSLj7Fk8qcULeFZaeZ6Q/s400/2b-connor-3588.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238212205967580482" border="0" /></a>From the crest of Connor Pass, 1,300 feet above Sea Level, we got our first glimpse of Dingle town, where we would spend our first three nights in Ireland.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaTePApv0ydbxo_6-A10jyPexMOlQBs5Y11-L7R4Dk42C_GWlNHEyazQP4hku0qd811NGf8cD4QHTgs-WnmxSpIDMBailKsbfEpftqqD2u5r88EyUxZkRlVfnwa1Fwny8j-AS-3UOmaQ/s1600-h/2c-connor-3595.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaTePApv0ydbxo_6-A10jyPexMOlQBs5Y11-L7R4Dk42C_GWlNHEyazQP4hku0qd811NGf8cD4QHTgs-WnmxSpIDMBailKsbfEpftqqD2u5r88EyUxZkRlVfnwa1Fwny8j-AS-3UOmaQ/s400/2c-connor-3595.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238211108026493426" border="0" /></a>Next: The Ring of Dingle . . .<br /><br />Cheers,<br />--David<br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">All photos, Copyright 2008 Sakrison Communications, All Rights Reserved.<br />You're welcome to copy them for your own use. A photo credit would be appreciated.<br />No publication or commercial use allowed without written permission. Sorry.</span>David Sakrisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04409778829331885219noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1729466362077144842.post-78398775614489244972008-08-21T21:31:00.000-07:002008-08-24T15:23:29.910-07:00Why "Ghostbird"?You might be wondering about the title of this blog. Not too long ago, I wrote a book called <span style="font-style: italic;">Chasing the Ghost Birds--Saving Swans & Cranes from Extinction</span>, published in 2007. You can learn more about that at <a href="http://www.ChasingtheGhostBirds.com">www.ChasingtheGhostBirds.com</a>. But that's not why I started this blog.<br /><br />Up to now, I've been avoiding starting a blog. I have reasons: like a footprints-on-the-ceiling work load and the fact that "blog" sounds far too much like something Gollum would say.<br /><br />But someone suggested I start a blog to share the tale of our recent trip to Ireland and Scotland. So, here I go, Jeanie. Of course, once that is posted (in installments), I'm sure the blank pages of this site will beckon to me, as any blank page tempts a writer. Thus I chose a title that will give me a little freedom.<br /><br />Freedom, they say, is a more interesting game than power. Power is only about what you can <span style="font-style: italic;">control</span>; while freedom is about what you can <span style="font-style: italic;">unleash</span>. This could get way out of hand.<br /><br />No worries,<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">--David</span>David Sakrisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04409778829331885219noreply@blogger.com1