29
Nov

Snow!!!!!!

If you have been watching the livestream, it has been snowing since last night.  We were supposed to get between 3 and 5 inches.  Right now, we have

Our deck under a whole lot of snow – that was 2 hours ago – there is even more now.

over 8 inches and it is still coming down.  We have not had a good December snow here in a long time!  The birds are at the feeders, but they have to work to get the seed.  Yesterday, we switched to the large thistle seed feeder as the goldfinches were emptying the small one every day.  The feeders are in the backyard just beyond the deck pictured at the right. Tomorrow, with help from our neighbor Miles, we will get a path shoveled to the feeders and shovel out a large space under the feeders to scatter seed so the ground-feeding birds like the Juncos will be able to more easily access food.  Juncos normally are not on the platform feeder – they like the ground.  But they are on there today.

Cleon and I got up early this morning.  We do not have Amazon Prime on our TV and so were unable to watch the Eagles/Bears game live yesterday.  Cleon and I are both from southeastern Pennsylvania and are life-long, diehard Philadelphia Eagles’ fans.  We do have other NFL teams we like – we even own one share of the Green Bay Packers.  But the Eagles are our team.  Cleon’s daughter Noel and her family live in Chicago and are diehard Chicago fans.  And this year Chicago finally seems to have a team that is only getting better each week.  And their fans deserve it – it has been a long time since Jim McMahon and Brian Urlacher!

But as much as we love Noel, Riso, Fiona and Seven, we were still cheering for the Eagles. We were in our recliners at 8AM, with coffee and a big plate of breakfast in hand.  We have to keep our energy up when we watch football – it is exhausting not only being a fan, but also coaching and officiating – all at the same time.  And for those of you who regularly watch the NFL – and see Eagles games from time to time – I would qualify as a Boo Bird.  The Eagles have also had their disappointing years, and this year has been rough on all their fans.  Picture Cleon and me all cozy in our recliners – me with a blanket – and with hot cups of coffee and plates of steaming eggs and sausage.  I looked out the window and took the photo to your left.

Thursday was Thanksgiving which we always spend with my family.  I am thankful for all of them.  But I think I also need to take time to be thankful for the roof over my head, food in my kitchen, a warm house, and luxuries like a nice TV.  This Great Blue Heron was out in the lake right at this spot for over an hour – foraging for food.  I cannot even begin to imagine how cold that had to be!  We human beings have certainly learned not only how to take care of ourselves, but how to pamper ourselves.  Even sitting here typing this to you – looking at that photo?  Makes me shiver!  Legs and toes in that freezing water and those tummy feathers have to be wet.

But back to the Philadelphia Eagles.  The team actually has a Bald Eagle mascot.  I have copied this right from AI on the Internet:

“Lincoln, the Bald Eagle, serves as the beloved mascot for the Philadelphia Eagles, captivating fans with his flights during home games at Lincoln Financial field.  Lincoln is a 27-year-old Bald Eagle who resides at the American Eagle Foundation in Tennessee.  He was chosen as

Took this right from my recliner!  You may not be an Eagles fan, but my guess is you would experience chills if you saw this bird fly – untethered – around the entire stadium.  During the singing of the National Anthem.  Better than a flyover!

the Eagles mascot in 2018, succeeding another famous Bald Eagle named Challenger, who had flown at games for many years before retiring.  Lincoln was hatched at the American Eagle Foundation’s Eagle Mountain Sanctuary but was deemed non-releasable due to his inability to hunt effectively in the wild.

Lincoln has become a fan favorite, known for his spectacular flights over the stadium during the National

Anthem at Eagles home games.  His presence adds a unique and patriotic touch to the game-day experience, as he soars above the crowd while the fans cheer him on.  The tradition of having a Bald Eagle fly at games is not only entertaining, but also serves to educate the public about the importance of protecting the majestic species.”  Click on both to learn more:  Lincoln

More Lincoln

The Bears won:  24-15.  It was a great win for them – congratulations to them and their fans!  And yes, sitting all curled up in my recliner, I was a Boo Bird for most of the game!  The Eagles are a much better team than this game showed.  I hope they straighten themselves out or it will be a very short play-off season for them.  Right now, the best looking, most agile, and strongest eagle on the field is Lincoln!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Took this right from my recliner!  You may not be an Eagles fan, but my guess is  you will experience chills when you see this bird fly – untethered – around the entire stadium.  Right after the singing of the National Anthem.  Better than a flyover!