More Foxes

Posted by Greybeard on Feb 27th, 2009 in News and weather | 3 comments

  (SEE: OUT FOXED) Sorry for the quality of this,  but it was the best my little digital would do at this distance.  (about 125 yards).  The male was gone hunting all day long, while the female,  (we believe to be pregnant), lazed around under this pine tree on a bed of old grass clippings and pine needles.  About 3 pm he came in with what looked like a rabbit dinner for her.  The houses on that side of the river are all summer homes,  and hopefully the foxes will conclude their business there before the humans return.  (There’s a log cabin right behind that pine tree) If we get real lucky,  I might get a chance to snap a photo of the kits!  

I tried digging out my old 35 mm camera with the telephoto lens,  and was really impressed the the quality of the image I could have captured.  Problem:  the light seals have all rotted out on the camera body.  The HP digital 5 megapixel camera  zooms out nearly twice as far,  but the lenses on the old telephoto, blow it out of the water when it comes to image quality.  With about half the magnification,  I could make out the features of the foxes as they warily looked across the river at me.  Maybe I should have the old 35mm rebuilt?

The Stimulus Watch

Posted by Greybeard on Feb 26th, 2009 in News and weather | Comments Off

Where’s the PORK?

And since our government is being so free with our money,   I thought I’d add a bunch of links to my blogroll.  

Gun Laws, Australia

Posted by Greybeard on Feb 26th, 2009 in Shootist | 2 comments

The following came in via email yesterday: 

Australian Gun Law Update

Here’s a thought to warm some of your hearts From: Ed Chenel, A police officer in Australia;

“Hi Yanks,

I thought you all would like to see the now available data from Down Under. It has now been one year (12 months) since gun owners in Australia were forced by a new law to surrender 640,381 personal firearms to be destroyed by our own government, a program cos ting Australia taxpayers more than $500 million dollars. The first year results are now available: Australia-wide, homicides are up 6.2 percent; Australia-wide, assaults are up 9.6 percent; Australia-wide, armed robberies are up 44 percent (yes, 44 percent); In the state of Victoria alone, homicides with firearms are now up 300 percent as compared with the last one year period when private ownership of a firearm was legal. (NB: the law-abiding citizens did turn in their personal firearms, the criminal element did not and thus criminals in Australia still possess their guns.) While data for the 25 years preceding the confiscation of privately owned guns showed a steady decrease in armed robbery with firearms, this has changed drastically upward in the past 12 months as criminals now are assured their victims will be unarmed. There has also been a dramatic increase in break-ins and assaults of the elderly, while the resident is at home. Australian politicians are at a loss to explain how public safety has decreased, after such monumental effort and expense was expended in ’successfully ridding Australian society of guns.’ This story of well intentioned government intervention in the rights of lawful individuals to own and possess firearms won’t be seen in the mainstream US media or on the American evening news. Senator Obama who advocates a similar confiscation in the US will not be reporting any of this to you. But, the Australian experience speaks for itself. Guns in the hands of honest citizens save lives and property and, yes, gun-control laws affect only the law-abiding citizens.

Americans may want to take note before it’s too late!”

The Australians have my deepest sympathies.

Sully Sullenberger

Posted by Greybeard on Feb 26th, 2009 in News and weather | Comments Off

I heard “Sully Sullenberger” talk in front of the legislature yesterday.   He spoke of the ever lowering of pilot wages.  The thing that really caught my ear was,   the “REPORTED“  6 figure income of commercial pilots.  Sully,  enlightend us to the fact that only one small class of pilots make that kind of cash,   the average pay is more like $45,000! 

A typical case of major news media reporting.  Exactly like the inflated numbers they were reporting a month or so ago when talking about auto workers wages.

Out Foxed

Posted by Greybeard on Feb 23rd, 2009 in Local | Comments Off

After returning from  a trip south,  we were recovering by sitting with a cup of coffee and gazing out at the river.

   And who shows up,  but these two great little mousers!   (Red Fox)  I was actually using my longest digital zoom to get the picture of the one standing on the sea wall across the river, but after looking at the picture,  I noticed the other head,  just behind the pile of dirt to the rear of the standing fox.    After watching a bit more,  I believe they may have a day nest,  under the boughs of a big pine tree just to the right of the photo.  As we were eating our lunch,  we watched this guy jumping around in the snow,  chasing a mouse.  (successfully).  It looked very much like he was playing with it ,  just like a cat would.   I hope they stay fat and healthy on their mousy meals!