Playtime

At first I thought a pair of adult red-tails were fighting over a snake, then the male left the scene. It was a stick that she dropped and caught, then finally discarded and flew away. HA!

Last of the Flowers

I have been stashing all the flowers under the roof at night and hanging them again each morning. Hard frost and End of Flower Season, and thanks to Nancy Brown of Brown's Nursery in Florence! The best florals possible.

Eagles

 Saw them in the same spot yesterday so went back to the house for the camera and muck boots, this from the river.

Not Another Sunrise Shot!

 

Rose To the Rescue

We had a little change of plans yesterday regarding our mouse delivery from our favorite lab in Great Falls. They have supplied the vast majority of our rodents for 35 years, and sometimes we have to get creative in getting them over the continental divide to Missoula. Dr. Moses was going to drop them off at the university at 8 or 9 pm, so how to keep them cool... Best pal Rose at the lab taped them up in 3 styrofoam coolers with ice and dry ice and I had them in the car early this morning (pre-Homecoming Parade!) now all sorted and in our freezer. Check out her big label, and the bowl of mouse traps I set every night in the garage. All set for a bit, whew a close one. 

Shade Cloth Is Down

Down comes the shade cloth in the eagle building all folded up now, on goes the heat for the Aplomado Falcon Sonora. Coming soon...winter.

 

New Etching

Hot off the printing press! "Spotted Sandpiper" drypoint etching with gouache and colored pencils on gold printing ink so it glows in real life. 11" x 9"  

Happy Monday!

 

Art Cards

Thanks to Minuteman Press in Missoula, I have a new line of cards for sale  - Etchings and Paintings, all new and a couple not-so-new, 19 in all. They are 5 x 7 inches on Kromekote paper, a lovely finish. I have them with envelopes and a really cool display at Rockin Rudy's right next to our Raptors of the Rockies cards, pal Erin showing them off. $5.99 and Raptors cards are 3 bucks, 2 of which goes to the program.
                                                            

Curious Alpomado

 

Sonora Day

Sonora the Aplomado Falcon gets a beak-trim twice a year, called "coping" in the falconry world. Raptor beaks tend to overgrow in captive situations for some unknown reason, and coping takes a minute, maybe two, toenail clippers, fingernail file, and round chainsaw file and done! Here she is right this minute with the new art on the wall,  photo of her flying on the top right. 

First Frost

Sibley at Lewis & Clark Headquarters

 

Travelers' Rest Raptors and Art

Our favorite State Park, just down the road in Lolo and Art Day. Sponsored by Open AIR non-profit, Bev Glueckert and I had the whole afternoon with 20 artists. This time everyone participated in drawing, painting and making monoprints with Bev on her printing press. Sibley, Simon and Little Billie were the true stars! That's Simon posing in the background, participants inking plates.