Cherish is my favorite word, and I cherish the ability of turning the routine into a beautiful moment.
Nature creates in me, a spiritual and meditative time to bring peace, harmony and balance, into an otherwise ordinary day~
Mary Howell Cromer







Saturday, May 23, 2015

Bald Eagles Nest and Memorial Day~




Image above is the day that my husby, Bill left for a year long tour in the Vietnam War.  We lost over 58,000 souls in that  conflict.  May they rest in peace.
We honor this week those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice for those of us here in the United States of America.  
May each soldier, and their family, be remembered for our freedoms~

On February 13, I shared a post with you about a pair of Bald Eagles, who had built a wonderful nest in a tree, somewhere, overlooking the Ohio River.  What a gift, an amazing gift, I was given, in being able to observe these beautiful birds a couple of times a week, since then.  All of the images taken and shared were taken from the vantage point of a dwelling.  These birds came into this area a few years ago and had another nest in a nearby tree.  When that tree was claimed, they simply built another nest in the same area.  Even with people walking their dogs, they seem quite comfortable in their surroundings and it is beautiful there too.  So peaceful!  I go and spend a couple of hours, just sitting on the stoop, watching and listening.  I have only be able to witness the birds bring a fish in twice, but did not capture them well.  The canopy of the trees grew dark and heavy quickly, but not before I became aware that the hen was for certain brooding eggs by February ending. In coming weeks we would realize that the pair had two eaglets to raise.  This week and next, I will share with you some of the images taken.  The images could have been more exciting, but I totally respected the great gift that I had received and would never cross the barrier to just get a close up of one of these wonderful Eagles.  I considered this a once in a lifetime privilege and would never think to betray the trust placed in me~

Remember to double click on the first image, to view a larger slide show presentation after you have read the narratives~

I will be linking up with Judith for:

www.lavendercottagegardening.com

&

Stewart for:
   http://paying-ready-attention-gallery.blogspot.com.au/




My husband William, fondly called Bill, Bus and husby~



We pay our respects often at Cave Hill Cemetery.  One day, hopefully long years from now, we shall be resting here, overlooking the military section~





Bill changing out the American flags on relatives and close friends graves.
Rest in Peace~



Bill's parents are buried here and he stood to salute his Dad who served in the NAVY~



Bill and I caught up with hundreds of bikers the other morning at the VA Hospital. They were en route to Washington DC and had stopped to visit some of the patients and staff at the hospital. This is always a very moving experience to witness, and honor as well~

"Run For The Wall recognizes the sacrifices and contributions made by all veterans who have served our nation. Veterans of recent conflicts and those currently on active duty are especially welcome to join us as we ride for those who cannot.

Mission Statement: To promote healing among ALL veterans and their families and friends, to call for an accounting of all Prisoners of War and those Missing in Action (POW/MIA), to honor the memory of those Killed in Action (KIA) from all wars, and to support our military personnel all over the world."







If you missed my first post on this pair of Bald Eagles, you can copy and paste the URL below~
http://tingsgrove.blogspot.com/2015/02/the-bald-eagle-became-us-national.html

Here are a few more interesting facts about Bald Eagles.

Centuries past, the word for the colour of white was balde.  Since the word piebalde meant something mottled in white, and the Eagles heads were white, they became known as Bald Eagles.   Their vision is 7 times sharper than human eyesight.  Their nests can be anywhere from 5 to 10'wide and weigh up to 1,000 pounds.  Their eggs measure only about 3'', but by the time the young eaglets will have fledged, they will stand at 3' tall, as tall as their parents.  They need such a large nest to move about with those large wings flapping about~




The adult female comes to the nest~









April 5, 2015, I finally saw little heads popping up, and it was magical, and I wept tears of joy for 2 baby eaglets~




Oh Yikes, can you see the little flapping wings ;) ?












25 comments:

  1. enjoyed all. God bless, this Memorial Day.

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  2. Please tell your husband that I thanked him for his service to our Nation and our Constitution.

    That cemetery is beautiful.

    You are so lucky to have a Bald Eagle pair nesting nearby! The good news is they will return every year to the same nest. (If it gets damaged or another pair moves into it, they'll build another one nearby, as you already saw happen.)

    There are Bald Eagles in Connecticut, but none close to me (that I'm aware of). I had been watching the Berry College webcam, up until those eaglets fledged.

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  3. Wonderful post.

    I cannot image what it must be like to send a loved one to war.

    Stewart M - Melbourne

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  4. A beautiful post, Mary with thanks to your family members for their service. The cemetery photos are beautiful and moving, as are those of the bald eagles--just amazing. I can imagine what a thrill this was for you!

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  5. Hello Mary, A wonderful post and tribute to the heroes and veterans. I love the eagle shots, just beautiful. Have a happy Memorial Day and new week ahead!

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  6. I enjoyed all the many different aspects of your post, your images are amazing and moving in equal parts.Thanks for the small glimpse into life in your part of the world.

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  7. Gorgeous and majestic eagles and a wonderful Memorial Day Tribute...what a beautiful post.

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  8. Great shots of bald eagles. Respect to the brave hearts.

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  9. Beautiful post. Perfect for Memorial Day ... eagles and all. Have a lovely week.

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  10. Wonderful photos and text, Mary. The photo of your husband saluting at his father's grave is very moving, as is the parade of motorcyclists.
    How great to see the nesting bald eagles. The birds are common here, but lose none of their majesty for that. Have a good week.

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  11. Thank you to your husband Bill for gallantly serving his country, we will thank and recognize our Canadian war vets on Nov. 11.
    So exciting to see the bald eagles and to read the info you shared Mary.
    Thanks for linking to Mosaic Monday, Happy Memorial Day.

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  12. What an incredible post...a wonderful tribute to our military and those eagles are so amazing.

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  13. Happy Memorial day my friend and thanks for doing such a beautiful post about this day to remember. I love seeing the photos of the eagles, too! Sweet hugs, Diane

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  14. Mary you always have the most interesting posts! May we always remember the ultimate sacrifice that so many of our military made in so many wars--we honor them and the freedom they ahve afforded us!

    Love your bald eagles photos--they are magnificent birds!

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  15. Mary, wonderful tribute post and beautiful bird photos.

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  16. I love the Bald Eagles, and I love see them free, Mary, you have many shots that are beautiful.

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  17. How fitting to share the beauty of the American Bald Eagle.

    And the tribute....so poignant. I lost a loved one [a high school sweetheart] in the Viet Nam Conflict....But the memory of Frank continues to linger in my mind even after I found happiness with Bud.

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  18. Have to say, what better Memorial Day tribute than our Nation's symbol, the bald eagle, doing well with modern protections, going strong, and raising eaglets! The two of them together make such breath-taking photos. This entire post was so moving, with the Run for the Wall, and the photos of the cemetery! Beautiful post!

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  19. Lovely tribute post. I'm late but the message is good every day of every year. Thanks to your husband for his service. The Eagles are perfect for this post.

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  20. Great photos of the eagles. They are magnificent birds. Great tribute to the Vets as well.

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  21. A loving and heartfelt tribute to your father-in-law and to thousands of brave men and women who served your country in defense of its freedom. The photo of your husband saluting his dad is so very touching and poignant. You must be very proud to be his wife, dear Mary.

    Your photo opp of the great bald eagle family is such a treat for us, for your images are clear and crisp, granting us close ups of their routine. I continue to be surprised by the factual information regarding this amazing bird, (e.g. 1000 pound nest!), which confirms its great strength and larger-than-life appeal!

    Thank you, sweet Mary, for a lovely post, and a most intriguing read to start my day.

    Wishing you a warm and sunny weekend,

    Sending love,
    Poppy

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  22. beautiful images of your eagles :)

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