Weekly Bird of Prey.

Out on the ranchlands for our Sunday running of the hounds with Dutch, we popped this fellow up out of the tall grass. We see a lot of Burrowing Owls when we're hunting, but this is the second time in a couple of weeks we've seen this larger, Long Eared Owl.

We have our new friend, Zac, to thank for the identification. He'd seen them in a nearby field the previous day, and did the research to confirm the i.d. I admit, I did a lot of Googling last night, and initially was beginning to question that it really was a Long Eared Owl, because the habitat described on the various websites just didn't square with where we saw this bird. In the end, I decided it couldn't be anything else, and the "X" of white feathers on the face, just barely visible on the image below, did the trick.

We should have apologized for disturbing its sleep, as this bird is a nocturnal hunter. Sorry.

UPDATE 2/3/09: Heard from Steve Bodio, a man with much knOWLedge on the subject. He says, with about as much certainty as possible, that the above pictured bird is a SHORT Eared Owl. So there you have it. Good thing I hadn't checked anything off on my Life List yet.

Hyundai.

OK, I've been meaning to write something about this since I first saw these dumbass Hyundai commercials. You've seen them... they were a sober interlude in all the great, and funny Super Bowl commercials... They come off sounding so noble... "hey, if you lose your income we'll let you return your Hyundai". This is new?

I don't think so...


Yeah. It's called repossession.

Wrap Up.

The advantage of not being emotionally involved in the outcome of today's Super Bowl is that I can say, "wow... what an entertaining game".

That is all.





Because... if I was to ramble on, I'd probably whine about the only Buckeye on either roster ending up as the MVP.. Grrrrr. Defensively, ex-Wolverine, Lamar Woodley made some great plays.

That's really all. Seriously.

Super Bowl Pick.

Having no emotional connection with either team, I was in a quandary about who to pull for in tomorrow's Super Bowl. Everybody needs to pick somebody.

Using empirical research techniques, and scientific method, I.... oh hell... I just checked the rosters for former University of Michigan players. No contest, as it turns out. The Phoenix Cardinals have 5 former Wolverines, while the Steelers have only two, and considering the Cardinals are already the prohibitive underdog, the choice is easy. Go Cards! As a bonus, Alan Branch is from New Mexico.

And Go Blue! I'm sure no other University has, or maybe ever had, that many alums playing in a single Super Bowl!

"The Lincoln Bedroom."

Due to unprecedented requests for access to the future residents of Mountain House, we've decided to call the little guest cabin "The Lincoln Bedroom". The Clinton years weren't totally wasted on us! I don't have to explain how it works. When the DUTCH T-Shirt button is removed tomorrow, it will become self-explanatory. Nice little place. Small fridge and microwave, shower, sink and toilet. What else could the weary traveller ask for?

Of course, a "donation" does not have to be in the form of money. Food, alcoholic beverages, etc. are welcome as well. We're easy. ;o)

A Grand Old Man.

That's my boy, last weekend. The walk turned out to be a little longer than anticipated due to the lack of hares. About 3 miles, in fact, and he was pretty fagged when we got to the car, and the next day, he never got out of bed, except for the daily "walk". Three days later, he was as frisky as ever. What a freak of nature, to be traipsing in the desert, climbing the Express's stairs, and jumping into the bed at an age when... well, he doesn't have a lot of company.

I hope he survives until we move into the Mountain House, so he'll always be with us.

No Lawn Mower... No Way!

Mountain House. (Working title). New Slide Show available on the sidebar.