Rons Thoughts

Subject: I have a new journal
Time: 7:43:08 AM EDT
Author:  rontaube

I have a new journal at http://journals.aol.com/rontaube/nature-walks-and-thoughts/
check it out if you're interested.

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Subject: Morning Hike
Time: 9:31:38 AM EDT
Author:  rontaube
Mood:  Happy

Hi everyone
It was a lovely July morning and we decided to take our hike at the dam.  It's summer and there is a decidedly different atmostphere at the dam in summer than in spring or fall. In fact after many years of hiking there I notice a difference in feel and smell from month to month.  The same ducks that were ducklings just weeks ago are already nearly full sized.  They still swim together like a family but I think it won't be too long before they go off on their own.  Nature is decidedly in full bloom right now.  Lilys and roses, Yarrow and sage.  The smells vary from week to week also.  It is a meditation of smells right now as we walk through the trails at the dam. 
    As I mentioned earlier the osprey chick was banded the other day.  I took some pictures yesterday of the osprey family.  How much longer will they be together? Well I think that this one will fly in the next few weeks and then by the end of the summer he/she will be getting his or her own food then later still they are all off for warmer climates.  Carolyn is ready now to take another hike so I'm off on another adventure.
Hope your day goes well.
Ron



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Subject: Danielle singing at Maxx's bar and grill in Soderberg
Time: 8:28:02 AM EDT
Author:  rontaube

Just a short entry here.  I  have two videos of my friend Danielle singing Karoake at Maxx's bar and grill in the little town of Soderberg Mn.  It's just my digital camera and it's kinda dark but you will at least get a feel for it all.  She is a fine singer, I think you'll agree.  Here is the link to the videos. 
http://communityvideo.aol.com/Browse.do?pid=CVN&type=SCREENNAME&value=rontaube


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Subject: Osprey banding sort of missed
Time: 2:51:04 PM EDT
Author:  rontaube

Hi Everyone.  I hope you all had a glorious fourth of July. I worked the night shift last night at my group home and we had smores and sparklers with our residents.  They seemed to enjoy it.  Yesterday we took a hike with friends to Elm Creek park and the weather was beautiful.  We saw what might be a Black swallowtail butterfly but we're not sure. Today was supposed to be the banding for the osprey chick.  We got word from Paul that it was to be at one p.m. but he thought they might surprise us and go earlier or later. I called the 3 rivers park and they said that there were no naturalists due all week there and that they knew nothing of the osprey banding. Still we decided to go down about eleven thirty on our bikes.  We got there and the same woman that I had called said that they had been there at ten thirty to band.   We checked and there were truck tracks near the platform so that confirmed it.  We accepted our fate then took our bikes down the trail along the west side of the river and the gods were with us as we not only spotted a bald eagle but a heron on the same tree. Got some pictures and a video.  Then on the way back we spotted Oscar Johnson who told us that the naturalist had called him and that he had been told that the osprey might even be banded before noon. He got there about eleven and they were already going up to the platform.  He got one picture and allowed me to take a picture from his 2" screen. So that's what I'm posting this year for the banding. Plus I took a couple of pictures of the nest right after. 
On the way back on our bikes six kids were selling lemonade by the roadside. One boy yelled out to me. "you look like you could be thirsty."
I yelled back. "you look like you need money." He laughed and said. "You go that right mister."  So we stopped and bought a couple of lemonades but neither of us drank much.   I then said. "It will be worth it to see if you kids know how to divide that dollar six ways." But they just looked at me blankly. We'll that's all for now.  Hope you like the pictures and video. Click this link for the eagle video and others. http://communityvideo.aol.com/Browse.do?pid=CVN&type=SCREENNAME&value=rontaube
Ron


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Subject: River Walk
Time: 2:08:37 PM EDT
Author:  rontaube

Hi Everyone
I made a little movie on my mac called River walk. It includes a couple of pictures I had on here before plus some that I added today. I made them into a slideshow accompanied by some recorded banjo music.   It's on the Mississippi river at the Dam in Coon Rapids.  Here is the link. I hope that it works for you. http://communityvideo.aol.com/Browse.do?pid=CVN&type=SCREENNAME&value=rontaube
There are some other videos that you can peruse while you are there if you wish. 
Ron


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Subject: Osprey feeding chick
Time: 3:54:59 PM EDT
Author:  rontaube

Hi Everyone
Well today we went to the dam again.  At first we saw the male osprey hovering over the dam looking for food.  After we crossed the dam we saw our friend Paul with a gathering of people looking at the osprey female with her chick through his telescope.
I got several nice pictures through his scope as well as a few videos one of which I uploaded to this link.
http://communityvideo.aol.com/Playback.do?AssetID=c22e8dc195497501646bcb0d0b234cb
It's been working for people lately so if you tried it before and it didn't work please try again.
We also saw a Cabbage white butterfly and a cedar waxwing as well as sparrows, catbirds and jays.  Paul had quite a few people visiting his telescope as we were there.   It's a good time to see some activity.  The chick should be banded in the next couple of weeks.  Carolyn and I will try to be there.  After we were done watching the osprey I crossed over the coon rapids side and spoke with the naturalist Gary about the butterfly that I saw. He identified it for me. He's very good at that sort of thing.
By the way when I uploaded the video to Aol they wouldn't let me use the word Dam in my description of the location.  Apparently they don't know how to spell there because the swear word has n N' in it.  Nevertheless when I removed the dam from it they let it go through. Wonder if  they give a damn about me using dam here. HE HE HE.
Ron


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Subject: First and Second Days of summer
Time: 3:06:43 PM EDT
Author:  rontaube

Hi again
Well summer is here on the calander though it's been here in fact for some weeks.  Yesterday after our stretching at the Y' we went to springbrook nature center. We walked around there I took a few pictures.  There is one of a rabbit that was much cuter than my picture indicates. There are not as many birds that we could see as usual.  Still their blackboard showed a yellowheadded blackbird and an indigo bunting but we didn't see either.  Today we went down to the Dam on a beautiful morning. As we were crossing the dam an oriental looking young man on a bike passed us then turned around and approached me. "Take my picture please sir?"  I said I would.  He handed me his throwaway camera and i took two shots of him standing by the rail overlooking the river then I asked if I could take a picture and he said yes. He told us he was from Thailand.  He wanted to show family back home he was alright apparently.  He was very smiley and polite.   I thought to myself that if he is that happy he probably hasn't been here long. 
    Then we continued with our walk. We saw the osprey and their chick.  One sat on a tree nearby while the other protected the baby.  We then walked to the wetlands where I got a video of a heron circling overhead and some other pictures.
Here is the link to my latest videos
http://communityvideo.aol.com/Browse.do?pid=CVN&type=SCREENNAME&value=rontaube
As usual let me know your thoughts.
Have a good one.
Ron


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Subject: Osprey and Chick
Time: 3:58:49 PM EDT
Author:  rontaube

I'm including here some videos of the osprey at the Coon Rapids Dam and the chick that is about three weeks old. These were taken through a telescope owned by Paul,aka, the birdman who's voice is in the background on one of them.
Let me know what you think. Two of them show the osprey eating a goldfish.
There are three separate links to click on.
http://communityvideo.aol.com/Playback.do?AssetID=bb91ff32f871a673f1c6ef4c42ed8aaa&pid=CVN&type=USER&value=rontaube&index=0&page=10
http://communityvideo.aol.com/Playback.do?AssetID=59f852f82414eaacba2c709cf92d1fa8&pid=CVN&type=USER&value=rontaube&index=1&page=10
http://communityvideo.aol.com/Playback.do?AssetID=62ba3cc29adddb6d74ab43c059a3aeba&pid=CVN&type=USER&value=rontaube&index=2&page=10


Note. The links above might not work.  I tried a work around and found that by clicking on the gooseberry link below my other videos are available through there.
Good luck.
Ron
One more note. Just click this link and view all my videos.
http://communityvideo.aol.com/Playback.do?AssetID=af5a95bd3171d357751476b5ec311bea&pid=CVN&type=LOCATION&value=US%3AMinnesota&index=0&page=10




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Subject: Gooseberry Falls video
Time: 12:41:15 PM EDT
Author:  rontaube

I'm going to start adding more short videos to this blog.
Here is the link to a video from Gooseberry Falls that i took last month.
http://communityvideo.aol.com/Playback.do?AssetID=af5a95bd3171d357751476b5ec311bea&pid=CVN&type=LOCATION&value=US%3AMinnesota&index=0&page=10


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Subject: Recent Photos, Recent hikes
Time: 2:47:22 PM EDT
Author:  rontaube

   Our friend Brandie is now twenty one. She thinks she is fat. Look at the picture and see if you think so. We've been on quite a few hikes lately.  Mostly to the dam but also to the National Wildlife refuge in Bloomington and springbrook.    The national wildlife refuge looks great and has a nice main building but we found the trails frustrating.  There are few side trails.  The main trails never connect with the Minnesota river and you are not allowed off the trails.  There is essentially one long circular trail and you would need a telephoto lense many times greater than mine to get any of the birds that you can hear along the trail. The best place to see the birds is at the nature center feeder.  It was hot that day and we were exhaused. At the end of the trail it's about a quarter of a mile uphill to the parking lot and quite steep in spots.
    Two days ago we went to the dam and studdied a heron at lenght.  I have many pics and videos but only a couple here. I also am including here a couple of video links just to try it out here. http://communityvideo.aol.com/Playback.do?AssetID=35a051c6ce1e15b3da92f16c224ee12
    http://communityvideo.aol.com/Playback.do?AssetID=318d3268cce0ed113d3b53a1bbc1 Let me know if they work for you. 
Yesterday we went with Patty to the Dam again and saw some deer and Cedar waxwings and lots of mosquitos. Yes it's that time again.
    Later. Ron




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