We Got Falcons: Part II of II

Here's just a few of the more noteworthy raptor photos from Dave's D2X, more of which can be seen here.




Falcons courtesy of Jacek Strek of Jump Cut Productions. He can be emailed at jacek@jumpcutproductions.org

BBQ Station Central

The beloved Weber BBQ, now ensconsed on a custom built surface in our defunct third fireplace and accompanied by a little station for plates and whatnot. Note the bottom drawer for utensils. This is my only summer project this year. I was hoping to tear out a downstairs bathroom in prep for a remodel but the local municipality may make Dave and I spend all our home maintenance money on a sewer hookup instead. Bear in mind, our septic field works great and the town sewage system capacity is extremely overloaded and emits a noxious stench downwind at the southern-most side of Whistler.

Bears. So Hot.

'I suck at Hide and Seek.' (click on photo for link)

'You know you want to pet me between the ears.'

Hi Matt and Steve. My, you two make a cute pair.

See yuh later guys.

Yo, where are the sows at?

There was once a unique line of outdoor adventure pulp fiction with cover art like this. It made for great reading on long camping trips or visits to the outhouse.

Bears + Entertainment = Beartainment

Vintage Tai-Shananigans from last year when he weighed considerably less than his current 145 lb self.



Hip-Hop Hairy, Bi-Polar Bearry, Bagpipe Bearry and Black Black-Bearry the Network Executive appear in this order, just so you don't get them confused with each other.



'What's a Girl to do?' by the band Bat for Lashes, featuring a cadre of woodland creatures on bikes. There's a bear in there somewhere.

We Got Falcons: Part I of II

Dave alerted me to a private show of falcons for a business seminar at the Whistler Outdoor Experience last saturday. This l'il guy is only 3 weeks old and already in training.

There 22 birds in all, including a bald eagle (not in this photo). My camera isn't quick enough to catch them flying but Dave's Nikon D2X did and those pics will be posted next time.

They get ansy when one of their buddies is getting fed or taken away for a performance.

Their Polish keepers originally bred them for show business and have recently broadened their work to include non-invasive pest control in the farming industry.

I was told that ten percent of the birds fly away while on the job. It's up to the falcons to decide if they have had enough of captivity.

The long pole has a dangly bit of food or feathers on the end to train the bird where to aim. On this day they ate skinned mice; head, tail and all.

Snippets of Country Life

The falconers stayed overnight in this large teepee right next to where the falcons were tethered. A portable electric fence surrounded the campsite. I got the feeling that they were well looked after.

Some snowshoes were placed nearby for ambience, perhaps? Funny thing, these are the same kind I use in the wintertime.

Back at home, Dave is very happy with his new portable Weber BBQ. I'm just glad he didn't buy an unwieldy, impractical stainless steel box of stupidity. Unlike my sausages, his didn't curl up into some NSFW cryptic message.