wildlife wednesday...owls

 the lecturer brought a great horned owl.  i think he's maybe 5-6 years old.  he fell out of a nest as a baby and is partially deaf due to his injury so he was hand raised and great for education.  quite handsome too i think!  this was my favorite shot as it showed off those feathers.  you were allowed to take photo's even with flash, though most of the flash were just odd looking.

 earlier in the day i met my friend kelly and her dog mandee out for a walk.  haven't seen them forever it seems.  happy that she has dropped her 9-5 job and perhaps we can walk more.

 later in the afternoon i took both dogs in for a vet appointment.  blossom has a yeasty infection in her right ear.  so originally i was just going to take her in for that...but vaccines will be due in the next few months so one thing led to another and both dogs went in.  rio is always happy to be there.  they give her shots and it's like it doesn't even register with her. blossom stays close to an exit door and hopes she will be forgotten. the vet laughs as she is such a wimp.  my poor puppy!!

 she survived her vaccines and ear exam and the medicine is in..hopefully it kicks this bad bug in her ear.  it's her first ear infection ever and i hope it's her last.

 the only owl shot with my little powershot.  i sat up front like i said and she really only had him out during the question and answer session.  it said bring your camera so i think several people were in the back and hoping she'd have him out after for pictures.  so i was happy i was there early and got a seat near the front.
all through the lecture the owl was hooting from his covered cage.

 a few from my brief ski after the owl lecture.  i just had to get on the trails.  we've had pretty crappy snow in town.  these trails aren't really groomed it doesn't look like.  also when i put my poles down they were hitting asphalt.

 i only skied for about 15-20 minutes.  there was absolutely nobody out on the trails, which is weird...and a bit eerie.  you start thinking you are making yourself a target for a killer or rapist or something.  alaska is a state with a high number of rapes and that keyes freak had admitted to looking for victims on the various bike trails in town.  he's dead now, but still makes you think twice.

 a few more from todays walk.  not too many pictures.  kelly walks fast...i'm getting old!  we enjoyed catching up and after the walk headed over to kaladi's to chat more.

 she just got bling on her teeth so she says she's not going to smile til its off.  haha! of course, she couldn't keep from cracking up right after this picture was shot. brat!!

 got to chat with my friend marcia back in california today for a bit. always fun!!  she calls when she's commuting some days and we get to catch up.  we met in 7th grade....

 blossom and mandee!  mandee quickly took over the tennis ball and made sure it stayed safe the entire walk.  so no toy loss today!!

 the owl lecture was interesting.  she mostly went over the 10 species that can be found in alaska.  i'd love to see the snowy owl.  those live up north further on the tundra.  their faces look almost comical to me.  beautiful birds, just a different look.  owls are super popular right now.  they are on everything.  they are pretty dang cool birds.  their eye balls are fixed in their skull so their heads have to spin around a bit to see stuff...they do not spin all the way around however.

 apparently birds we thought "mated for life" don't really.  dna testing is showing they are a bit more promiscuous than we'd all figured.

 back to work tomorrow night.  sounds like it's busy.  i've been getting calls begging me to work overtime.  i've enjoyed my days off though.  6 more days then i start in the float pool.  hopefully, the transition goes well.

 there are supposed to be owls in campbell airstrip park area...probably would have to go later in the day or at night to see them.  many owls tend to do more hunting at those times.

 so many cool facial expressions on this guy.  it was fun to be able to have him there at the lecture and see how he moves and behaves.

 they probably look pretty similar from here down.  i still like all the different angles of his face.

 with his handler.

 our mayor is trying to pull a fast one on the local unions.  many union members went out to the assembly meeting to try and let their voices be heard. he trying to draft into law ammendments that will lessen their power and take away the ability to strike.  i know many don't like unions.  i'm not a huge fan, but sadly, it's the best hope for many workers to get treated fairly.  they wouldn't  be necessary if workers could have faith in those above them to keep things fair and equitable.  it just doesn't happen.

 as i sit here munching away at another laffy taffy i must admit that both my dogs were up on their weights today at the vets. she is always getting on me about their girth.  blossom was up to 75 pounds and rio weighed in at 135 pounds...oops!!  of course, i blamed it on needed winter weight and rio was wearing her coat...that has to weigh a few pounds.  we are all a wee bit stuffed as it were and in need of a few pound droppage.  rio has sat out many walks this winter and the first part was too cold and the second half there has been a fair amount of ice, which could devastate a big dog like her.  not only do i need to make excuses for why i'm overweight i now have to make excuses for why my dogs are overweight!!  so painful!!  of course we could all just diet and exercise more and then we'd hear no complaints about the weight!!

 i guess i can tolerate a little complaining. i seen a lot of people in my age bracket that are way worse off than i am and a lot of dogs much chunkier than mine.

 this look here just says all of what i have to say about that!!!  the face is cool, but i'd hate to be a vole.  those tallens and that beak will rip the crap out of you!! not sure they take the time to make sure the critter is dead before they start eating.  it's a cruel world out there.  they have an amazing ability to hear and see. they supposedly can hear a vole like 3-4 feet under snow.  that is crazy...no place to hide.

amazing how little these birds weigh considering how large they appear.  less than 5 pounds.  hollow bones...that is what i need!!  hollow bones.  all this marrow is weighing me down!!

another ski for women....

 the peacocks should have won, imho.  but some tree things won the group contest.  i got there right after the parade but in enough time to enjoy the sites and costumes of ski for women.  people in alaska love to dress up.

 seemed like a great turn out to me.  the party wave, with the costumes, is always the most popular.  it's only like 5k i think...which is great cause some of those costumes would be hard to ski in.  i remember when i skied it as a Mr potato head i was so hot!!  you forget about that when planning the costumes.  the people who did the peacocks come up with amazing, elaborate and seemingly heavy and awkward costumes every year.  pretty amazing really.

 some are way more imaginative than i.  loved the snowflakes.  often groups will meet up near the end so they can finish together as a group.  the snowflakes were scattered about so we called them scattered snowstorm.

 took the dogs and nearly forgot their costumes so i had to run back inside and quickly dig through the dog costume box.  i guess that should be embarrassing that i have a few containers of dog costumes. less for rio...they don't make much for huge pups like her!  don't they think big dogs like to dress up too?

 tetra's?  above.  i think that is what it is.  valentine hearts below...two groups that gathered before the finish line to make a big finish.  loved how tetra's lined up!!  great effort.

 the money raised goes to help women who are abused or at risk.

 my pups weren't the only dogs out there, but they were the only dogs in costume.  this little guy had to say hello.  blossom and rio got tons of attention, pets, loves and photo's taken of them.  always good to show support however i can.  i hadn't expected to be able to go so i was pretty happy to just get out and get a look at the costumes.

 the adult unit was short the next night so last night i ended up being floated down there from picu.  just a few more weeks of going back and forth between the two units.  i'm actually feeling more and more ready for the change and also feeling a bit in limbo as i'm not sure what is going on.   did the manager get my email about possible schedule, are we waiting for the acm to get back from vacation, do i need to get a new badge...it will all be nice once i am actually feeling a part of the resource pool.  i'm strange in that i like having a little locker or mail box.  so even though i'll be floating where ever, i will still have a home in the resource pool break room.  we are all creatures of habits and like to feel like we have a place and belong i suppose.
above is the grateful dead or dead heads, not sure which.

 thought these were both imaginative.  raining cats and dogs above and space aliens.  loved all the kids out at the event.  they all seemed to be having a blast.

 was impressed that this lady in the middle skied with that big box on her kids sled.  a few people were helping push from behind.  that is a work out though.

 work was pretty sweet last night i must admit.  don't get easy nights in the adult icu very often so i basked in it.

 liked the grapes too.  simple but fun!

 a few more peacock pictures.

 just a lot of effort.

 saw 3 dog sled teams out there.  this was only one with kids.  not easy to ski roped together.  people may again stop right before the finish and rope up for the effect at the finish line.

 popcorn and peanuts...i didn't get a picture of it, but the fandango thing was out there...wonder if that one was really part of this group.

 rio getting love from people coming off the trail.  heard tons of oohs and aahs for the dogs.

 this group was a rack of billiard balls.  the white ball out front was skiing backwards.  the others were "racked up" with a rope.  at the finish line the white ball ski'd into them all the break up the rack.  hehe!!

 more peacocks.  not sure if the  blue peacocks were a subset of the others or if it was coincidence.

 another, larger dog sled team.

 the peacocks passing by.

 ran into joy, who used to work peds icu with us.  fun to see her and catch up a bit.  loved her mad hatter get up!!

 after the festivities had slowed a bit i took the dogs over to the dunes.  blossom mostly just wanted to run the dunes chasing her tennis ball.  got the energy out of her.  it would have been smarter to get up earlier and do this first...but i'm more lazy than smart some days.

 we didn't go far.  funny to see the dunes call coated with snow, they were almost clear of it awhile back when i was here.

 these are just divider blocks to the motorcross area on the other side of the trail.  always like the cool pictures on them.

 simple but fun.

 these are clearly mixed in in no specific order.  clearly a reflection of the zombie like state i've been in since i woke for the monday walk today. 3 hours sleep before walking is not easy.  indy's spastic ways can make me a bit crazy when i've had so little sleep.  i just have to remember that he's sweet, just hyper.  he settled down once we'd been out for  a bit. blossom was no angel either.  since indy kept getting her tennis ball she retaliates by humping poor rio.  i must have had to pull her off rio 10 times.  lack of sleep always makes for a poor training session.  they are both sweet pups and when i take a deep breath and look at those sweet puppy eyes...all is forgiven.

 hardly noticed this pair through the trees and rio didn't pick up the scent til we were nearly passed them. we did do the big loop today.  it killed me, but i did it.  hehe.  i whine, but it really is good to get that day off started early rather than sleep all day.  not that i accomplished anything, but it does get me turned around. i'll drop off soon and be back on a more normal schedule, which i think is good.

 it was just lena, tanya and i on the walk, but katie and amy and little lucy joined us at kaladi's.  it was katies first time getting to meet lucy and she was smitten!!  i really love the monday walks and the opportunity it's been to get to know some great people more.  it was my hope when i first posted the flyers and i'm not sure what i'll do next year.  where will i post flyers, will i or will it just be word of mouth with all the regulars and new additions.

 i think acc is most happy that i am going resource pool...they know they will probably get me the most.  since i have gone back and forth between the two units for so long, many people have probably just assumed i was in the resource pool anyway.  excited for the challenges of peat and er being added to my experience.

 lucy had loads of smiles for us today.  who doesn't love a happy baby!!  she's adorable!!

 a few with the macro of lena and tanya.  i didn't take many photo's today.  zombies aren't good with camera's i find.

 did like this one of tanya and lena though.  good people are easy to find on this earth.  the papers and news focus on the bad of the world, but all the pictures today show how the good people really are winning.  i have been so blessed to have met so many wonderful people over my lifetime.  i am excited for all the new people i'll meet floating around to more parts of the hospital.  perhaps i will improve my social skills in this new position.
i always feel like life takes you where your journey is supposed to go.  decisions have always seemed easy to me...the transition is stressful but the actual decision is easy.  you listen and your heart will always lead you through the doors that are opened before you.  your heart will also lead you to the good people of this earth. your heart will warn you off those who have dark hearts, but you do have to listen.

 everyone in this crowd is no doubt filled with goodness.  who else would dress up silly just to show support for other women and laugh at each other and ourselves.  people with dark hearts surely would not be out on a trail in costume skiing.

 the superbowl was happening, but i really have no idea who was playing or who won.  did get to see a few of the cute budweiser commercials on facebook.  always fun!

 more of the line up.

 this is the team that got best group.  eh...oh well.  they were having fun and that same team really can't win every year i guess...though i think they seem to do the work to deserve it.  everyone gets a ribbon...haha...that is the world we live in.  pretending life is fair in an unfair world. sometimes you just get lucky and the unfairness benefits you...seems like i am on the good end of the unfairness pretty often...or maybe that means i just feel grateful.

 aww..butterfly!

 a group from the peds unit were dressed up like the lorax.  everyone passed by so quickly that i was just trying to snap photo's of cool costumes...when i pulled this up on the computer at home i realilzed it was my co-workers. haha!

 there was a group of these sharks, at least i think the are sharks, they were cool though.

 i'm pretty sure these sock monkeys had heads last year...probably too hot and cumbersome to ski in.  this is everyone heading off on the trail!

 s'mores...graham cracker, chocolate and two toasted marshmallows.

i'm sure there is some news out there that i have an opinion about,but i think i'll just stick to the happy theme of ski for women and the monday walk...good night.