LUCKY STREAK

       I've been on a lucky streak recently! I've won two things in the last month. That's along streak of luck for me!
       
        First I won a CD that the Musical Gardener was giving for a prize when he drew names from commenters on his blog. The CD was Susan Boyle doing mostly Christmas songs.

         Yesterday I won a book when they drew my name. I was at an appreciation lunch for Kerry Wood nature Center volunteers. I  received the book " The Sanctuary" written by Kerry Wood. Kerry Wood was a local Red Deer author who specialized in Natural history. Kerry Wood was prolific author as he wrote numerous books and radio clips when these were popular in the 40' and 50's Kerry Wood knew his subject from having hands on experience. These days we think we're awesome when we go off grid. Wood built a cabin and pretty well left society for a year when he lived off the land with little bought from stores. He made his own furniture. He collected plants and animals for food. Since I always liked Kerry wood I was happy to win a book of his. 


       So I consider myself fortunate in the lucky department for the last few weeks. Maybe I should buy a few lottery tickets since I'm on such a hot streak!

CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT

     Dec. 18 was the appointed day for the Christmas Bird Count(CBC) in my area. Out of the last 42 years I have missed the CBC maybe five times. It's a high light of the year for me.


     I have done the same area for about 35 years. I know about what I'll find every year. So why do the same area? It's the surprises you get when you see something different.  The last two years have been dismal as far as the species I've found and the number of birds counted. Last year was bitterly cold. This year we had an overnight snow fall and the birds weren't moving. Five species I expected to count, I didn't see. Ordinarily we see blue jays, white breasted nuthatches, pigeons and  red breasted nuthatches every day. Usually I would see hairy woodpeckers and pileated woodpeckers but not Dec. 18. 


   The area I count is a fairly wide ravine with a variety of habitat. There can be old growth spruce,poplar willow and a variety of shrubs. It was used as pasture land until about 25 years ago. It has a wide variety of excellent habitat.

Large old growth spruce

      Our day was mild and calm. It was pleasant to be outside all day. In the evening we had a great potluck supper.

Mixed poplar and spruce

     What was unusual on Dec. 18 was the number of little difficulties I encountered. I slipped on the side of a ravine and fell a few feet down the side. I got out and found my pant pretty muddy. Ten minutes later when I wanted to record some birds I found that my recording card was gone. So guess what? I lost it when I fell. Later I wanted to use my field glasses and hurriedly went into my back pack. The field glasses were not here. I was sure I had put them in but thought I left them by my back door. A little while later I wanted to record an bird and found that I had lost my pencil. So the comedy of errors is piling up.


     I got home and no the field glasses were not in the doorway. I checked the computer room and bedroom...nothing! I rechecked everything again...nothing! So I was ready to drive back to where I fell. So one more look in the back pack. There they were. Had gone in the wrong pouch in my excitement to see the bird. Of course I caught it from the clothes washer person for getting my pants muddy. 


     So if the birds don't make your day, being a bumbling idiot will make for some excitement.

The Other Shoe Has Dropped.

     A couple of posts ago I told of raising the Christmas tree at our house. It's my job to put up the old artificial tree. It's my wife's job to decorate the tree. I was telling you that sometimes we don't get to putting up a tree. 
     Well, this year the tree is up and it's also decorated!  How about that?

So my wife's decorating job does wonders to my little old artificial tree!

To all readers, have a joyous Christmas season.!

I will be posting during the holiday period as there is so much going on. 

Accidental Salesman

      Today I was an accidental salesman for a few hours!

       Our Nature Center has a bookstore as many nature centers do. They have tables in the various malls at Christmas. Of course these tables are manned by volunteers. I volunteer a couple of times each season for a few hours. It's interesting because people come to you with all kinds of natural history questions or comments. They will have a bird that comes to their yard that they can't identify. Somebody else wants to know about bats. Another person is totally absorbed by craters. I find these interactions very positive and many times I learn something new. 


      However, I'm supposed to be there selling books? Sales are slow but the main objective is to get the nature center book store name out there and hopefully people will visit the nature center. Any books I sell in the process will be completely accidental!

Great Times: Skater's Christmas Party

        I have posted before about how I ice skate on a regular basis from the first Tues. in Sept. to the last Tues. in April. I started this year with a post called "Whee Skating Started Again!"  I really feel that way.

Having fun before the party

        As with many groups involved with an activity there develops a tremendous support for one another. In an urban setting people can sometimes become completely isolated. 



        So today the skaters had their annual Christmas party. We invite all the previous skaters who have for one reason or another stopped skating. Since we are seniors people can find themselves at an age where they cannot continue skating. These people love to join the Christmas party and meet with old friends who they skated with before. They support one another and meet new skaters. All present skaters and past skaters make an effort to meet and continue the relationship which comes through skating.


       So today after skating we had a table laden with goodies and coffee supplied by club members . We meet after skating in a large reception room. Acquaintances are renewed and for many it's one of the major events they attend at Christmas. 

Just When You Think It'll Never Happen It Does

      I have had an artificial Christmas tree since the "early stone age!" When my kids were little I would involve them in putting the tree up. I would ask for pink branch and they would both dive in the box to find a pink coded branch. When they got older my daughter branched off to the decorating of the tree with her mother. When ti kids left home and didn't always come back for Christmas the putting up of the tree was somewhat sporadic.


    So I would ask my wife when she wanted me to put the tree up. I'm a big kid and to put the tree up Dec. 1 would be fine with me. My wife would sat, "I'll tell you when I want it up." So over the years I would wait until I received the request to put up the tree. Sometimes it would be so late it was only a few days before Christmas. One or two times it didn't get put up at all.


     So this year on Dec. 13 I was requested to put up the tree. It's close to Christmas and to me it's just about not worth the time to raise the tree. 

      So I was hiding in the weeds and thinking ,"Maybe this year it'll never happen," and then oops! It does happen and the tree has to be put up.


   

Hooked on Casinos

      Now I don't gamble! So this does not cover a personal story of a gambling problem.


      My concern is the other side of gambling where organizations depend on funds from casinos.


     When Alberta legalized gambling and casinos were set up, charitable organizations complained as it would kill the bingo cash cow. Therefore, the Alberta Govt. set up a system where groups needing funds could volunteer in the casino and receive funds for their efforts. It's a good deal for non profits as for two days of effort you receive $20 000 to $30 000. You only get a casino once every two years so it's popular and why not?


      I am on the board of an organization which has a casino. Why there's a bee in my bonnet is because we've recently been working on two casino reports which we must complete. The first report is an accounting of what we have done with casino money. We have to keep a separate casino account. The people who want the report decided the period should be from part of 2009, all of 2010 and part of 2011. So we had to go through files from 3 different years...not fun! It doesn't make you happy when the report is returned and they want different information.


     Now because we have an upcoming casino, we must file a detailed budget of what we are going to spend the money on and the approximate time it will be spent. Most organizations have one big item to spend their money on and it's done. We have many smaller and different  events. One thing we do is  present about 8 speakers a year. We really have to work to get the Alberta Liquor and Gaming Commission to accept speakers. 


    So the two days of working at the casino are a piece of cake. The book work is a pain in the butt. You are limited in what the money can be spent on. It would be easier if you could spend the money on any of your groups on going activities.


    Organizations have become dependent on casino funds. Your group is put in a schedule for a casino date.  Other fund raising activities have become less lucrative so we  work hard at participating in casinos.


     So guess what? I will continue working to raise income from casinos???