Return of the Marsh Hawk....and 70 Years Ago Today, A Day that.........

Drove through the fog and mixed drizzle with icy mist late yesterday to work a girls JV basketball game at Convoy Crestview...which resulted in a close fought 30-27 for the home squad.  I showered and left before the end of the first quarter of the Varsity contest.  Arriving home at 8:30 as the drizzle had turned to light snow, but only a dusting occurred and the roads are clear this morning, as the sun begins to shine through the early morning cloud cover.

The Hawk Returns_____

 About this same time, the first year I started this blog, I believe the early winter of 2007-08, a Marsh Hawk began hanging around the back yard bird and Squirrel feeder.  That first late fall and early winter, he{or she?, but I believe it to be a male given the size} started off catching a slow moving Pigeon or two.  The Pigeons were nesting high on our roof and the old Church across the street.  They were easy prey for the Hawk....when the old Mersman Factory Building was raised, those birds moved on, but the Hawk continued to come back for a chance to feast on Doves or the smaller, but quicker, noisy Sparrows that gathered each morning.  On occasion I would note a successful hunt by the larger bird.  On some visits he would face off with one of the dozen or so back yard Squirrels, but would invariably fly away from the confrontation.  I'm sure the Hawk could have taken out a "tree rat" if he was really hungry, but the price he would have to pay apparently was not worth the effort...unlike Doves, Pigeons, and Sparrows, those Squirrels have teeth.

Last Winter, the Hawk only showed up on a couple of occasions, I had however noticed, if this indeed was the same bird, that he had grown over the previous 4 winters, and had become a quite strong looking and attractive bird.  So it was yesterday I let Reagan, the 13 1/2 year old Airedale, out for her Noontime duties, I had already given the birds and Squirrels their morning ration of feed seed, and corn....when Reagan began scratching on the back door, I let her in, as I opened the door, there he was, the Hawk, on top of the arbor, ripping apart the remains of an unlucky Sparrow.  Unlike past years, the Hawk didn't fly when Reagan was out, and he looked at me as I stood in the doorway, but didn't bother to cease his feeding.  This gave me the opportunity to run back in and grab the small Nikon.....

Putting the camera on auto~focus, I began to snap photos of the feeding predator.  As he stayed, I moved forward, finally getting more than a dozen photos, as he finally jump onto the high wires, and eventually flew into the neighbors tree filled yard to the west.  The point and shoot Nikon, although I enjoy the ease of its workings, is not best for outdoor close-up shots, my hands just are not that steady these days, and I didn't have the time to set it on the mini tripod...so out of the 16 total photos, perhaps 5, after working with them on my computer imaging studio, came out worthwhile....I particularly like the one above with him sitting in the tree staring down at me...done feeding, but not happy that I rushed his meal with my intrusion.

70 years ago today_____

Over seven years before I was born in Van Wert, Ohio, The Japanese attacked the Hawaiian outpost of Pearl Harbor.  Historical stories differ, and as more evidence is uncovered, it remains a question just how much of a "Surprise Attack" the invasion really was.

Was FDR well aware of the coming attack?  Was he indeed wanting the attack to happen so he could toss the US into the second World War?  Or was this FDR shining moment, an opportunity to save his long lasting, but ultimately failed Presidency, after all the Great Depression, for all of his Socialist Engineering, was still gripping America.   Perhaps a combination of all these theories and more....As a student of American History, especially the Civil War and WW2. {both to me, much more interesting than "my war, Vietnam" or any other, including WW1, in American History}...I have my thoughts, but admit, I really don't know the thought process of the ultimate progressive mind of Franklin D. Roosevelt....a man I consider right down there with Wilson, Carter, LBJ, and the current Assclown Kenyan, as the five worst Presidents in US History.

Regardless, whatever the reason or cause for our entrance into the Second World War, Pearl Harbor was the catalyst of our going to war...and like Americans back then{not so today}, we were going to war to win it...and we did.  America, my ego included, won WW2 pretty much by ourselves, sure we had help, from the Brits, Canadians, Aussies, and Russians...but make no mistake, if not for the American GI, the war would have been lost......there can be no argument on that fact.

So looking at today, what would happen if we are attacked, by Iran, China, or even North Korea?  Here is a hint, especially if the current Islamic Camel Fornicator is in office...NOT A DAMN THING!  

Barack Insane Obama, his Administration, the Media, and his supporters, haven't the guts or balls to fight anybody...they are cowards to the Nth degree.   Any attack on America would, under his lack of leadership, go unpunished.  The diplomats would be called in...and it would end there.  As long as anti Americans are in charge of America, and the Media cheers them on{being America haters for the most part itself}, we are in deep dung.....it is indeed time for a change.  The question is, is it too late?

Something to think about on this 70th anniversary of the Attack{surprise or not} on Pearl Harbor:

back later>>>>

Photos-The Large Marsh Hawk made its return to our back yard yesterday, feeding on the noisy Sparrows that feed at the station and arbor that sit along the fence.....and would we have the same "guts" today as we had 70 years ago?  I think not, Hell today we can't even call the Japs "Japs"...no politically correct you know, you know we would not be able to call the Islamics invaders what they are, "Stinking Terrorists", let alone fight them...such is America in the days of Obammy.....