It’s a busy week with all the Eagle Festival activities and more– The annual festival begins today with viewing out in the preserve and a meet and greet at the Foundation this evening. Wednesday night 7-9 Wayne Price speaks, and Thursday 7-9 is Doris Mager, 88 “The Eagle Woman of Florida,” who is passionate about raptors and has rescued many. Since the Chilkat River Valley is not frozen, the eagles are more spread out and making it a bit more of a challenge to photograph or see up close, than when they are all feeding in a few warm up-wellings in the ice. The hotels and B&Bs are all full. So full that Lt. Gov. elect (maybe, we are still waiting the count) Byron Mallott and his wife came through this weekend and could not find a place to stay, so my sister, whose husband runs a B&B that’s closed for the season, put them up at her house overnight.
Tuesday is Veteran’s Day and there’s a prime rib dinner at the Legion. Thursday there’s a Planning Commission meeting at 6:30, and Friday author Seth Kantner will be here with illustrator Beth Hill to read their children’s book, “Pup and Pokey” at the school and at the library at 6:30.
Also, the weirdly mild weather prompted a moment of chit-chat in the parking lot after swimming this morning about climate change and our part in it, and what we can do. A retired science teacher said on the one hand, it’s too late to stop it– “So hang on the for the ride.” When I said that did not reassure me, he said he’s actually hopeful that we will all mend our ways sooner than later– with cars running on hydrogen, and wind and solar and hydro-power replacing oil. One elder said it was easier on her not to have all the ice and snow, but that local comfort makes her uneasy in a global way.
I did not complain that there was ice in some of the rain this morning when I walked the dogs. I even wished it were snow.
