= ☆ Happy 4th of July observance! ☆ =

Photo taken by listener at the University of NH War Memorial.

How's your weather today?

Wildlife*Biologist*Son returned from Coats Island last night. I was just sitting down to post a link to his final Arctic report, when I saw this post on his FB page!  His caption was: "No trip to Home Depot is complete without a genuine tornado." This was in Portsmouth NH, where they were all herded into the office for safety reasons. 

Perhaps he was safer up north with the polar bears? Heh. Final Arctic Report: http://shorebirdscience.org/coats-2014-05/

See today's earlier blog, too!

Rose-Breasted Grosbeak!

Rene's Bluebells are Amazing this year!

Welcome, July!

Farewell, June

Sunset on the way home...

40 years ago today...

listener and her sweetie were married 28 June 1974

Okay, it's Friday. Time to rest...

Caption this photo:

Clemetis

Wheels

Arctic Update!

The latest posted news from listener's Wildlife*Biologist*Son appeared today:  http://shorebirdscience.org/coats-2014-03/

THEN!!! He called!!!  And this time I was home!!! 
He told me that the report was written 3 or 4 days ago and was supposed to be posted, but somehow it wasn't.  The field crew was not pleased about that!  Another post may be up tomorrow. 

The news is that they have tried hard all week but have found only TWO (2) of the 340 geolocator-tagged birds!  They don't know if that's because the birds did not survive or whether they went somewhere else this year.  So they are spending part of their time helping the Canadian Wildlife field crew with other important work.  He says they've had only one ten minute rain shower, at night, and the temps have been as high as 50 or 60 when the sun is out.  Really cold in clouds, of course, as it's constantly blowing 20-25kts.  Also, they haven't seen a single polar bear, as this time of year the bears are over at the coast, harassing the seabirds.  I gather that they  are in the middle of the island, where a large lake and marshes lie.  They leave Sunday and get back home mid-week.  It was sooo good to hear his voice!!  

Have a Seat!

What's for Dinner?

Welcome Summer! (…beginning at 6:51am Eastern)

Crew's Quarters

Luxury Quarters

All Aboard!

Old Wall with Caves

Views

Happy Father's Day to all Dads, Grandads, and all who foster others ♥

It's Flag Day

Friday the 13th (Good Luck today!)

Carousel

More Circus Train...

Circus Train

This long horseshoe shaped building houses a miniature hand-carved Circus Train…!!

Wow!

Off to upper Hudson Bay...

Photos via Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences

Today listener's PhD*Son, a wildlife biologist, is headed to Coats Island in upper Hudson Bay for three weeks, to do research.  He will brave high's in the 40's and lows in the 30's, without heat, with winds of 20-30mph (higher during storms), and the threat of polar bears and grizzly bears (yes, on an island). His  team of four hopes to locate most of the 35 birds who were banded last year with a geolocator.  The device sends out a signal at regular intervals (daily at least) to create a data readout of where the bird has gone in the past year.  They need to locate the banded birds during nesting season, rig a soft spring-loaded net at their nest, catch the bird briefly to collect the geolocator, and weigh and measure the bird.  The species they are researching, the Semipalmated Sandpiper, is in steep decline and they are seeking to find out why and where the troubles spots are.  More power to them!

                                                                   Semipalmated Sandpiper sporting a geolocator

listener writes: "We will be very glad when they are safely home!  We will see PhD*Son the weekend of July 4th, assuming they have good weather and can leave on time…which has happened only once in 12 years…last year!"

Meanwhile, we can read last year's camp log here:
http://shorebirdscience.org/category/coats/

And watch for this year's camp log here:
http://shorebirdscience.org/this-is-a-test/
If the sporadic connection works, they may be able to post field notes from time to time, while there.

Last year's notes include:

"Probably not too many people carry a 12 gauge with 2 ¾” rifled slugs when they visit the loo!"

and

"Stephen keeps an eye out for bears while I sample invertebrates…"

but also:
"Perhaps the most magical aspect of working in the arctic in the summer is the midnight sun. In the Arctic Refuge the sun never sets while we are there, it circles the sky creating beautiful rosy and golden light for many hours every night. The birds are active then, and listening to Pacific and Red-throated Loons in the long light of an arctic summer night is an indescribable thrill. We find it difficult to go to bed on nights when the clouds and fog lift, suffusing the tundra with a soft magic that nourishes something deep within us. The sun dips below the horizon for a few hours at Coats, giving us our first arctic full moon rise over the river a few nights ago. We fall silent at such moments, each of us filling a place inside that renews us in the moment, from which the memory can sustain us in the months ahead."

Please tuck their well being into your hopes and prayers.  Thanks. ♥

Where would you go?

Train Station: Shelburne Museum

DANCE!

Found recently on the chalkboard in the children's play cottage at the Shelburne Museum.

Today is VT*Grand's dance class performance.  

Her group of 5-6 year olds will be dancing to "Send in the Clowns." LOL!

Loveseat

In Ye Olde Blacksmith Shop

What light from yonder window breaks?

Even as I was taking this photo, I knew I would post it here. :-)  

As today is Eldest's 39th birthday…our firstborn son...blue seems apropos.

Make ART!

Yes, Cat, you may. ;-)

There's Beauty Everywhere

The Bleeding Heart below is in the corner of the stone courtyard above!

Welcome June! (With thoughts of Georgia O'Keefe)

A good friend and spiritual guide colleague is being ordained today in NH, and I will be present.