PAPARRAZI BY PROXY

A young adult golden eagle awaits its release after several weeks of rehabilitation.  It is thought that it may have been injured during an encounter with another raptor.

Its powerful wings take to the air as it is returned to the location it was found.  Steve has spotted a lone eagle circling the area in the past and suspects that it was the mate waiting for his return.  Even as the eagle flew away, a lone eagle was spotted perched on a cliff in the distance.  Coincidence?  Perhaps, but I prefer the sentimental view.

Home at last. 

It is times like this that I envy my husband and the many opportunites he has to experience moments like this.  Actually I was invited to watch but a chest cold kept me indoors.  Talk about missing a golden opportunity.  (no pun intended... it just came out that way!)

Tags: Golden Eagle, raptor rehabilitation, Fort Carson wildlife

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Soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division, Air Assault, trained over the summer at Fort Carson, the Mountain Post.  They have since deployed to Iraq with the 3rd Brigade.

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The oldest magic known to man has got to be the wonders of nature and the life it creates.  Sometimes we forget in our hurry through life.  We are inconvenienced by things that we cannot control such as weather.  We become irritated and complain as plans are forced to change.  But one cannot ignore the magical beauty of the sunrise breaking through a thick wall of misty fog. 

The Round Robin Photo Challenges: Round Robin Challenge: "Magic"

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A very healthy female black bear was spotted lounging in a large shady tree near the ranges today.  The initial plan was to shoo the bear down off the tree and away from the proximity of the training area.

Unbeknownst to us at the time, she was not alone!  A young cub was spotted in the higher branches of the tree.  As adorable and cuddly as they may appear, it is always dangerous to approach a mother bear and her young.  Rather than risk separating the family and creating a potentially dangerous situation, the bears were left alone to make their own way back to the safety of the woods at their leisure.

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Gabe did not meet his son until almost 6 months after Zachary was born, but the bond was obvious from the moment they first met.  Over 900 digital exposures were shot on that day, but it is the very first picture of the exact moment of their very first meeting that remains the most precious.

The Round Robin Photo Challenges: Emotions

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The military has such a deep rooted place in our lives, not just as Americans but as individuals and therefore its reflection, both outwardly and inner, is always upon us just as we, as patriots, are a reflection of all it stands for, for all its victories and defeats.  Even indirectly, it is who and what we are.

VIETNAM VETERANS MEMORIAL (posted 04/07/06)

For those who were not there, the Vietnam War is just a vague memory of the past or an after thought in a history book, a military embarassment too easily forgotten in the turmoil of the modern world.  But standing infront of the polished walls, seeing all the names, understanding that each name represents a son or daughter lost, a life that ended sooner than it should have, a future that stopped in its tracks by another country's war, and suddenly it all becomes real.  The tragedy of the loss becomes overwhelming, 58,249 names are inscribed on the wall.  58,249 Americans.  Even those who were not there cannot help but be touched.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

FREEDOM ISN'T FREE ( posted in Letters to Gabe, 03/20/06)

The polished wall of the Korean War Memorial carries a father's reflection and a message to his son, currently serving in the Iraq War. 

The Round Robin Photo Challenges

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I am always amazed how something as big and gangly as the Chinook can stay in the air.  The CH-47 has a crew of 2 and can hold up to 33 troops.
CH-47 Chinook - Military Aircraft

The UH-60 Blackhawk has more eye appeal but its still a huge helicopter, or 'airplane' as the aviation guys call them. 
UH-60 Black Hawk - Military Aircraft

"Uh, yeah, you go down the way about a mile or two 'til you get to the busted ole stump there on the left, turn left, go about another mile or so 'til you see another stump on the left.  The portapotty is just over the hill, you can't miss it... its big, bright blue and has a bunch of flies buzzing around it."

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When we first moved to Colorado 12 years ago it was not uncommon to be driving around at night and see a slow moving porcupine waddling along the roadside.  Then, almost at once, they disappeared.  Just by chance we happened across one sleeping high in a tree last fall, and have been encouraged by the frequency in sightings as of late.  This big fellow seems to have a particular liking for this tree and has been sighted resting on the branches on many occasions.  I am amazed at their balancing skills, his front paws are resting on his hind feet, he isn't even holding on!  If you look closely you might be able to see his half opened eyes as he watches Steve on the truck below.  Steve has visited him before and I think it is becoming accustomed to his presence.

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I mentioned in the side bar how Steven has a unique photo opportunities with his job.  These pictures are an example of what he encounters during the course of an average work day.  On this day, a mule deer gave him a quick look-over before deciding he was no immediate threat and ambled away to join the rest of the herd.

This shot was taken with one hand driving down a dirt road at about 35 - 40 mph.  Pronghorn antelope are very skittish but are also very curious and will sometimes move closer to investigate a stranger.  On this day the antelope allowed Steve to photograph them grazing, but once the truck was in motion they took off.

Elk are hard to get close to unless you are actually stalking them.  These elk belong to a small herd that was grazing in a big meadow.  The elk herds in the area had dwindled due to extended construction and the lack of water sources due to drought conditions but the past two years have been kind and the herds are returning in healthy numbers.

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Colorado's D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) program held a special pre-season Family Fun Day at Six Flags Elitch Gardens in Denver, giving the program's graduates and their families a 50% discount and full run of the amusement park before it opens for the season.  Since 1983, schools and law enforcement officers across the country have joined together to educate 5th and 6th graders about the consequences of drug abuse. 

Becca and Rocky, both D.A.R.E. graduates, might say no to drugs and alcohol, but they are adrenalin addicts and love roller coasters and other thrilling, hair raising and stomach turning rides.  This was their fourth trip on the Mind Eraser.

D.A.R.E.

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