Big Bear Bald Eaglets -- sad news that Cookie died -- the second of the two eggs to hatch. I had noted Cookie’s constant cries on one recent live cam quick visual check. On a later peek he
had appeared weakened as Simba moved past him to go under mother Jackie’s right
wing leaving Cookie further outside her body.
He would have had to struggle to get to her left wing’s protection.
Later the night before Memorial Day I took another short peek to see snow covering the nest on this
second occasionally wet but unusually
cold night. Both eaglets appeared to be head first under
Jackie’s wings though she had long since ceased to be able to completely cover
their entire now large bodies with her own.
The next day when I checked the live cam Cookie was not breathing. Nature.
***
Our SoCal weather continues to bring us unusual but welcome
rain. Unfortunately, rainstorms and
tornadoes are causing havoc elsewhere in the U.S. Ordinarily
clouds would be all we would see here, giving rise to weather descriptions of May
Gray and now June Gloom which have also brought us even cooler temperatures
than usual – the bane of sun-lovers becoming impatient for summer.
Water issues impacted me this past week in a quite
unexpected way when my utility bill arrived for an amount causing me to do a
double-take. My yard’s sprinkler system had been turned off
most of recent months given all the rain we’d been receiving and this number
was over ten times the amount of each of my previous months bills. The following morning revealed this was no
typo error, also that my water meter box at the curb was filled with water –
there was a leak.
bad news.... water company determined the leak was my responsibility
to repair.
good news.... my plumber was able to come the next morning several
hours early.
bad news.....the leak was not slow.
good news..... the leak was readily located on a pipe area
next to the meter – old galvanized pipe.
bad news..... this location required replacing the entire
line to my house.
good news..... the plumber turned the water off, then hooked
up my garden hoses to run to the house
so I would have water as usual with only slightly decreased pressure.
bad news..... they hoped to be able to go partly under my concrete
drive way (not tear it up).
good news..... they had a drill machine to go underground but
concern for deflecting rocks.
bad news...... they couldn’t start work until the next day
or possibly after weekend.
good news.... the helper was available to start the next day.
bad news..... the water off for a couple hours and I had
been ill since previous evening.
good news.... the plumber was able to come in afternoon to
drill under concrete.
good news.... no rocks to deflect the drill.
good news..... job was finished that day.
bad news ...... the bill – 4 digits
good news..... water problems resolved and I also feel better.
Living in place can be complicated with a home's owner not the only thing aging.
Those four digit bills can really deflate you. But there is no choice but to fix what is broken. Glad it and you are back to normal again.
ReplyDeleteSorry about the baby eagle dying. We get invested in animal cams.
Our weather has been so weird this year but after hearing about all the tornadoes elsewhere I decided not to complain about our cold, lack of spring.
Yes, encountering four or even five digit bills can play havoc with a retirees budget. I’ve always liked our May and June weather, never in a hurry for summer sun since as a redhead I burn much too easily. I don’t mind our “cold” temps since when others complain I always remember if I was back in one of the Great Lakes states that was once home I would be reveling in these nice merely cool days.
DeleteOh dear. But good news eventually (the water issues not the poor eagles). I am still a nervous home owner after so many years and ready to freak out in a BIG way at the slightest indication of something not right. Fortunately (?) the rest of the family is more relaxed which is why when we had a similar water scenario, albeit with the rain water collection system (we use rainwater to flush the toilets), it took MONTHS to get sorted. I slept poorly.
ReplyDeleteOh dear — “Months”! Commodes hooked up to rainwater system sounds like a good water-bill-reducing system but guess all the different pipes, be it water, gas, sewer can spring a leak. Was lucky, I think, that my leak was so quickly located — also that I wasn’t without water any real length of time.
DeleteWell done, Sabine, in using rainwater. Somehow, though, flushing with rainwater seems backward to this old woman. On the farm, we used rainwater for consumption, bathing, and laundry. But then, the option was not city water but well water.
DeleteCop Car
How dreadful. I worry about that sort of thing, too. Glad the repair was successful.
ReplyDeleteGuess we just have to realize these things can happen with houses getting older like our bodies. I’ve read some real horror stories about apts, condos, townhouses, new homes constructed, too, so no guarantees there either for even prompt repairs.
DeleteSorry about the baby eagle. Sometimes the mothers know something is not right with a baby and will ignore it so it will die. Like you say, nature is often hard to watch.
ReplyDeleteYikes on the water catastrophe. Glad it was resolved but mercy such a bill.
Yeah, the bill shook me, but copper pipe, hopefully immune to roots, too, we’ve had in past — plus this plumbing company we’ve always used has been cost reasonable in past. Since we’ve been long time customers have given really prompt good service when there had been emergencies such as with clogged commodes on holiday when family here. Didn’t attempt to get comparative costs this time since I was ill. Now I don’t want to know if the charge high to chastise myself over. He replaced an ancient associated connection, also the turn off at the house that was so horrible to try to use — now it’s real simple and easy.
DeleteIt's always nice to deal with people with whom we have an actual relationship, Joared. I tend to stick to good merchants/providers for years and years. Anyone with whom I've dealt for fewer than 10 years is a newbie - lol!
DeleteCop Car
I am so sorry about that. We chose to buy a condo, and the best thing is that there is no water bill. Question? What is the baby bird eating? It has been tagged.
ReplyDeleteI read some comments on the YouTube site with a video excerpt that was available for a time showing Cookie when he was dying. Some viewers concerned he had been stressed further that couple of days or so when weather so bad, he was sick, and the eaglets were taken from their nests for banding.
DeleteOther commenters who must have watched more than I did, since I only made a few short visits, wrote about seeing eaglets being fed a squirrel and some other creatures. Earlier days I had seen them being fed a large black bird i suspect was a Raven, and lots of fresh fish. What I read elsewhere said that eagles are much like vultures so also eat carrion. Occasionally has looked like the parents and eaglets were eating twigs or bits of their nest but I haven’t read up further on it all.
It is nature, I know, but still sad to see.
ReplyDeleteWe went through water pipe woes twice in Illinois. The upgrade to the copper piping should also be healthier for you. I think. Nobody said homeownership was cheap. Sigh...
Once with water woes will be enough for me!
DeleteI could tell that one of the eaglets was simply not robust and was being overtaken by the other. It truly is a case of Survival Of The Fittest, but sad nonetheless.
ReplyDeleteSorry about the sticker shock of your water woes. Home ownership is fraught with these perils. I'm glad you had a contractor you could trust and got it taken care of quickly.
Life is not easy.
DeleteI can relate to your shall we say, adventure with the leaking pipe. I have gone through the experience on two occasions and the bills were staggering enough to almost give me a nervous breakdown. Good that you sorted it out any way.
ReplyDeleteOnce is enough for me. Sorry you had twice.
DeleteMore good news for you; the leak wasn't under the house, causing you to have to spend thousands to repair the house damage. That said, really sorry you had to go through all that!
ReplyDeleteThat is good news. Things can always be worse.
DeleteVery bad luck to have such a major water issue. A four-digit bill is no joke. The only water problem we've had in this house (we moved in ten years ago) is the cold water tank leaking and having to be replaced. Luckily we spotted the leak while we were at home and not on our travels.
ReplyDeleteOh, I wouldn’t like a water tank leak either, so glad you caught it.
ReplyDeleteOh, I can feel your pain. There's nothing worse than having an unexpected household bill … you really have to get it repaired but there goes the money that you've saved for a much needed vacation ! Hang in there ...
ReplyDeleteYes, these unexpected expenses do play havoc with my budget — c’est le vie!
DeleteI am so sorry about your water problems, but pleased that you had someone reliable to help you. The day after I came back from Georgia, Tuesday after Memorial Day, my neighbor called me and asked me if I knew I had a small river coming out from my sidewalk. It was running very fast. I called Nashville Metro Water and then waited outside almost 3 hours before they came. It was in the high 90s but I kept scooping the water and using it to water my bushes. The house is a 1930 cottage that I bought “as is.” The repairman came and told me it was my meter. He placed a new one and said it was the city’s responsibility and no charge to me. I was so relieved. But then when I went in the basement it looked like the floor was flooding under the A/C unit. I called the A/C repairman and it turned out someone had unplugged the electrical cord to empty the water tray – and he did not charge me for the call. I guess that was a lucky day, but you never know about those old houses and what will happen next.
ReplyDeleteIt’s always something with houses, especially as they age — sorta like people. Glad your water issues worked out so well. Just discovered a sprinkler water leak and am waiting for a call back from someone to fix but may not hear anything til Mon. Why do problems usually seem to happen on weekends?
DeleteWe too are getting lots of rain. Luckily, so far the power has remained on. The last 3 thunderstorms all caused power outages. At least the nights have been relatively cool.
ReplyDeleteGlad you haven’t lost electric and nights cool.
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