Random catch up post-Easter dinner 2012

I am just going to post some random photos and try to do come catch up.

This is our table at Easter Dinner in the RV hall.  We are fortunate to have Mom and Bud , plus Daughter Connie ,her husband Charley plus good friends Cliff and Lavonne join us for Holiday gatherings.

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Peanut says Hello

--Peanut says Hello,


After last year working to train the Parakeets and ring neck doves to eat off a stick, I wondered what we would be doing this winter.. Hummmm,,,

First day back Jesse showed us two pens of seven young Flamingos in the breeding complex. Four of them were 5 months and 3 were 4 months. When Jesse said how about taking them outside and letting them walk around, With my head spinning I ask “on a leash”, After he quit laughing saying “ oh Mary”,, No ! Your goal is to get them to follow you. Until then you sort of herd them. I have this vision of how fast can they go and can I run fast enough and far enough to catch up to them.

Jesse shows us how to get them over the ledge and out of the pen by hold their body with one arm and lifting their legs together until they release the knees and bend/ fold the legs up. Being very careful they have their balance before you release them back onto the floor.

Rule number 1, make sure the gate is shut; going out the door they jump, run and flap their wings. Jesse says “Happy Bird”, we all laugh. They really are happy to have the room to run and play. Getting them back into the building is a little tricky but you just slowly herd them through the door. Surprising they are quite friendly and do not bite.

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[Yep, gate closed]

In the second group of Flamingos the smallest one comes up to us and nuzzles us and makes a loud honking sound, CONSTANTLY! Asking what is the matter we learn he was Imprinted and thinks Jesse [later he turns to us] is a parent figure. Now this could be enduring except he is so unpredictable that he runs into you and walks right under your feet. Careful not to step on him or knock him down we walk. Soon it is clear he is the boss of this group. When the other two come close he bits at them.





Bob takes over for Jesse and Peanut “adopts” him too. As they grow and we bond together the work begins. After the walk around the “track” [that’s what we call the path] we stop at the water hose and let the water run onto the ground. Stomping and filtering water with their beaks begin. Soon they lay down on the ground; this is what they look forward to doing. I am not sure the Keepers back here are too happy with our daily mud puddle..









[ [Wet Birds Learning how to get back on your feet]
When his Brothers and Sisters go to their new home a decision is made to keep Peanut and put him out in the Flamingo yard with the older Birds. It takes a scary few days until they accept him and he learns to stand his ground for food. Here the nervous parents watch over him and make sure he is getting food and thriving.




Peanut remembers us and will say Hello. What a great feeling. We are very proud “parents.

We made the commitment and seen it through , 200 plus hours later..

When you go past the Flamingo yard , look for the smallest least colorful one . That’s Peanut ! Listen maybe you will hear him say hello.

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July 2010 at Lake Fenton

It has been a long time coming but I am going to try to catch up with my blogging . I may jump around a bit with the dates. I have lots of pictures so I'll try to load the blogs with lots of photos. I will start with last summer.

Our family of swans come to visit. It is the same family that comes every year.  We know this because they "call" us by name and consider us friends [OK, we are just a meal ticket] .  Actually if they are within range we just say "Hey, come on in". They leave a wake getting to us. 

During July 2010, family from California arrive transforming our house into Party Central..  Non -stop people 24 hours a day. All the water activities repeat every day.  Tubing, skiing, Kayaking, wake boarding and this year Gary brought his long board from Wisconsin and discovered surfing the wake behind Lisa's boat Oh yes, there was just plain old swimming and relaxing on floats..

Daughter Lisa and her Grandson Trypp are regular visitors all summer. Trypp really enjoys the lake.  He is an easy going happy child. 

The photos below are some of the day and night action on our new deck.

The Palm Tree, Mike sent from California just to show Tina what a real Palm Tree is, not the cheesy plastic one she has in her yard. We added lights just for show. We had a great time with this all summer.  In spite of all that harassing Tina took "custody" of this Tree for the winter and she is charged with keeping it alive until next year.

With the deck full , we used the annex
[ yard]

 Gary entertained us every day and night with his singing and playing.

Trying out the long board.

Lisa's famous Boat  "The Moomba"

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Best buddies, Bob and Mark.

Best Buddies Dennis and Chloe

The "Girls" hang out.  Chloe, Kelly, Hannah.

The Young Adults play President and Butt Heads..It escapes me why, but they love this game.

One of the days was cold and rainy, as we were headed off the lake we had to rescue another pontoon and tow them to the farthest end of the lake...  You can see how much we enjoyed this journey.  After dropping the helpless off we had Kevin and Dennis shelter us with towels and we real cranked it up to get back to warm, dry shelter.

The  Helpless Pontoon

Kevin says he is not cold.  The rest of us were freezing.

I guess Tina was happy,, or was it beer?

Gary had to return to our house to load up his long board even though we tried to hide it on him.

 This was at lunch on the way to airport, I am really hoping these faces mean they do not want to leave Grandma's house., not a indication of their visit.

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Tina loving the Palm Tree

Bird training at the zoo

--Random Photos of the Bird Training.

I have many photos so I just picked out some. I have one
of a dove. We are having a hard time figuring it out. Has the Dove got his head

twisted all the way around to eat or is it upside down, if so why are his legs on the wrong side? I took the photo and do not remember this.

I must say we are having a very enjoyable time and putting in lots of hours doing this. Thank you to all for helping us learn so much first hand about the world of birds. Everyone we are working with is so nice putting up with our questions.


Notes on training Birds,,,, Ask Bob or Ellie what the

Working at the Zoo..

While working Fish Cones at the zoo a small group of young teens and a mother [ my perception] came by the fish cone area. One of the girls shyly smiled as she passed then turned around and ask if they could interview me about the zoo.. Of course I said yes believing all my newly acquired knowledge would be put to use.. She said they would stop on the way back.




Not too much time passed when I looked up and they were back. Three young girls a teen boy and the lady with a canvas bag. Again the shy smile with a small tablet and pen said "can we do it now" Sure ,,,,,



I watched in amazement as a seemly well choreographed movement occurred. the boy went to my right , the girls lined in a semi circle on the left , the lady reached into the bag and produced a large size video camera.



Now I am questioning what is happening but I become the shy one and follow the " directors" orders, she is saying I will ask the first question and then each will take turns with our questions. This group has now become Steven Spielberg and company.



In hindsite this is the point where I should have ask what the questions are going to be ,but I believe I can handle this, listening to the talk about lighting and what is in the background, which is Bob , selling his fish cones and not saying a word.. My back to him I wonder if he is aware of the action unfolding, only a few feet away he must be!. With a red light blinking in my face,, I expect to hear “Action”.

Question number 1,,What is the effect of global warming on the Zoo and the rest of the world.

I think I repeated something I heard on Television.

Next 2 questions again global warming and the polar bears ..

Finally the young man smiles and says What can be done to correct these problems? I am thinking he should of said “April FOOL”!! To add to my discomfort I hear Bob snickering behind me …

I now understand why someone will only answer questions that are submitted ahead of time in writing..

I do not remember this being covered in class,, Where oh where are Pat, Jerry, Sergio , Emma , anyone,,some help please..

“Thank You “and in a heart beat they are packed up and gone.. still wondering what just happened, gaining my senses I think, wait , I can tell you about the Gorilla family , the names of the Orangutans , about the new babies in the zoo, let me tell you about the baby Camel, but they are out of site.

Random summer and fall..

--You have got to love this Lakeshore Gang..  Do they look dangerous or what??
For those who do not know  Kelly, Tina, Devon [Kelly's sister], Mary, Lisa, Denise.

I totally love the pumpkin fields,,  Kristi and Alex do also.. 

Later at the barns we find these large pumpkins to sit on and we pick up squash and gourds..  Hauk farms are very good to us.

After driving Lisa's car where I thought it would not go , Denise gets in the muddy field and carries the heavy ones for the girls.  I just love this picture.

The great squash I take to Texas for Thanksgiving..  Thank you Hauk Farms.

Build me a deck.com

July 29 -Aug. 7, 2009

Steps to getting a new deck ,,  Number 1, Be sure to take  the "before" picture.  Note the cement steps and the inground basement entrance.  These will become two of the tricky issues although in much different ways.

On the first day the man with the machine comes to dig the holes for the posts. Careful not to back too far down the hill into the lake..

Next the post are cemented in the holes and the sand is piled up around them.

Our great crew. Ben and Mike..  They were here every day and very hard workers.

When Kristi seen these posts she said she thought my deck was going to be awful high! I had to agree with her.

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We just have  to try it out ,so, we lift table and chairs onto surface and have Mark and Tina join us for a brew.  Careful not to fall into the basement steps. Then we have to remove all the furniture ,  because the working crew will be here early in the morning.. 

Ben just doing his job..

Finally see how nicely the basement stairs have disappeared.. These guys worked real hard to engineer a unique door that was easy for me to use and yet be strong enough to walk/sit on.  They really rock!!

You would not even know there were steps or an entrance there.  You open it from below and it rolls on casters ,ramp up, onto the deck.

This photo shows how they keep working on it .  Many "tweeks" and ideas were changed as some worked and others did not, it became a work in progress because it was the first time this idea was used in just this way.

Mike works hard..

The finished deck..  We have a nice bench across the front for extra seating and saftey.   The wrap around steps on each of the front corners give it a good balance.

 We love it. 

If you need any type of deck or remodeling give these good guys a call.  They are so easy to work with.. Call Dennis at 810-629-8818..

Now for the cement steps,,  I put them on Craigs List , no interest, I tried giving them away, too heavy, thought about putting them in the lake for use by sea wall, no way to move them,  Now I just wanted to get them out of the yard they are killing the grass and do not fit the "decore" of the new deck.   Dwight came through , he showed up with buckets, hammer and a tarp.  Dwight and Bob busted them up and hauled them away to Dwight's property to use as a base on the long drive.  Thank You Dwight,  a win win !

We should have done this 10 years ago.