Boreal Owl Blog and My Sis is running for City Council!

Another wet. windy and cold day in Duluth. In fact they are forcasting this pattern till Wednesday and then after Wednesday the temperatures will be steady around 35 degrees! I am leaving on Friday for Colorado and I know the temperatures will be in the 60-70's.

Those who are regulars to this blog may of noticed I been playing around with fonts and font colors on the blog and that is because I am trying to find a good font color that will nto burn the eyes out. I was noticing that white, yellow and light blue can burn the eyes out, So I went with something darker. Also I added a link section to websites I visit, blogs I read and few other places like "Loose Change Blog". Now those who already visited the blog may of found it interesting to read but I got hooked to these people after one night sitting up and could not fall asleep and was clicking the channels on the TV and I saw this documentary on PACT TV (Public Access Community Television) about how this group were making connections on how the 911 events were a inside job. Meaning the 911 tragic events were planned and executed by our own goverment. Of course, like many of you all I thought "no way" but after seeing this documentary it really bothered me and made me think and wonder that the 911 events could of been planned by our own goverment.

So I added it to my links so other visitors like yourself can visit their website and make your own conclusions on what they are saying. Also on another night I saw this other documentary about this place in Northern California called Bohemian Grove. This documentary is about a very private club called the Bohemian Grove that many high goverment officials and other high profile people belong to like George Bush Jr., Henry Kessinger and media people like David Gergen. What was facinating about this documentary was how a person snuck into this place and made lots of video about the place and also the mock sacrifices the club members performed! This documentary went into how the Bush family, Carl Rove's family, and Arnold Schwarznegger was tied into Hitler's Nazi movements. I do not know the name of the documentary but it was very interesting.

I haven't made any firm decision where I stand on all of this but I thought I link some of these sites up for you to visit because they are very entertaining.

Ok back to birds. Again like I said I was doing some surfing on the net and visiting some blogs I normally do not visit all the time. Today I was visiting Bill Lane's Blog http://www.mindspring.com/~owlman/

Bill Lane's has a strong love for Boreal Owls. He has been surveying the same owl routes each spring season for 20 years give or take a year or so. Many if not all of his owl routes has gone through some destructive changes due to logging but Bill will not leave these owl routes but continues to go out each spring season to see if he can muster up a Boreal Owl. I read today he was out checking his nest boxes to see if any Boreal Owls are using any of his owl boxes he put up the last two winters or so. Well today on his blog he described how he melted down and cried or sobbed because no Boreal Owls are currently using his nest boxes.

Now you maybe asking yourself this question, "does this mean there are no nesting populations of Boreal Owls in northern Minnesota?" The answer is "NO"!! Here's why I say this, in 2006 and 2007 I heard up to three Boreal Owls singing on the Stoney River Rd in eastern Lake County. Also there is plenty of habitat that Bill has not surveyed in Cook County or also eastern Lake County that butts up against Cook County. Another fact is that there is so much habitat in the Superior National Forest, BWCA and the Voyeaguer National Park that has not been surveyed for Boreal Owls. There are counties like Koochiching County, nothern Itasca County, Roseau County, Kittson County, Land of the Lakes County, and northern St. Louis County that has not been seriously surveyed for Boreal Owls. Yes I feel bad for Bill because the owls he spent a good time researching looks like they are no longer found on his owl routes and his owl routes are a small fraction of other places where the owl could exist. I am also glad that the DNR listed the owl as threaten but to me that listing means nothing because like I said the DNR only do these type of listing to make themnselves look good to the public. You know as much as I do that if the DNR has to make a decision about allowing a ATV trail thru prime Boreal Owl habitat or protecting the owl habitat -- well you know the DNR is going to chase the money trail! I guess the other good thing about the listing of the Boreal Owl to threaten species is that Bill can request more grant money to support his owl research.

Last night Monica invited me to help her out at the Harvest Food Bank "Taste of the Nation" event at Fitgers. The event was all sold out! The food was excellent! I ate several spring rolls with truffles sauce and found a chef making tuna tartat! I was in heaven walking around eating like a king and also all the wine in the world to taste! I also met some people I have not seen in many years like Susan M. who I worked with for two years at Tofte BlueFin Bay. She and her husband own the Gunflint Tavern. We talked for a very long time and told how her restaurant is so popular with birders. Then I met some high school graduates I have not seen in a very long time. Monica introduced me to her friends who manage WDSM TV, KQDS Radio and other people who are in the media. Then our friend Jeff Anderson is running for city council and Jeff was happy to hear that I will load my truck with signs and place them where needed and the BIG NEWS is that my very own sister -- Pam Smith is running for city council as well! Monica was asked by my sister to handle her finances and is planning several events to raise money for her campaign. So this fall season I will be very busy helping Jeff and Pam with the signs. By the way I came from a large family. Pam is the eldest, then me, Mary and my twin brothers Mark & Matt. We are all married except Matt who is living with Mark and his family in Myrtle Beach South Carolina.

Well hopefully I will update this blog one more time before I leave fo Co.

Later!