Falconry
November 17, 2022We traveled to rural Ohio recently to learn a little about falconry. This session took place at the Medina Chapter of the Izaac Walton League. It was a thrill and a great learning experience.
The program was offered by the Ohio School of Falconry. Joe, our instructor was knowledgeable, patient, funny and kind. He obviously has a passion for the sport and also for teaching. Kudos also to his apprentice, Haley. They worked well with the birds and seamlessly geared the talk both to the 10 year old in the group, as well as the rest of us slightly older folks. We learned a lot about raptors and about the sport of falconry and the dedication needed to be successful raising and training a bird.
Here are some of the photos of the birds. I highly recommend this program.
African Augur Buzzard
Eurasian Horned Owl
Remember
November 11, 2022On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918 an armistice between Germany and the Allied nations came into effect. On November 11, 1919, Armistice Day was commemorated for the first time. In 1919, President Wilson proclaimed the day should be “filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory”.
For all of us who enjoy liberty resulting from others’ sacrifices, everyday is Veteran’s Day – and Thank You.
Tattoo Tuesday
November 8, 2022
Today tattoos seem to be ubiquitous. Not so. Here are a number of historical figures whom, you may not have realized, sported tattoos – including Thomas Edison who developed the electric pen that led tattooing into the modern age.
1. THOMAS EDISON
Tattoos would never have taken off if Edison’s patented “electric pen” hadn’t paved the way for the first tattoo gun. So it’s only fitting that he had a quincunx, a geometric pattern of five dots, inked on his forearm.
2. GEORGE ORWELL
The 1984 author also saw spots. His were bright blue and tattooed on his knuckles. The dots were supposedly a bit of youthful rebellion from Orwell’s days as a policeman in colonial Burma.
3. JAMES K. POLK
America’s 11th president annexed Texas, but he had another legacy that was just as lasting: starting the trend of Chinese-character tattoos. Polk’s ink translated as “eager,” or so he was told.
4. OLIVER HARDY
The more robust of the Laurel and Hardy comedy duo sported a maple leaf tattoo on his right arm that he acquired at the age of 14. His mother was so angry over this bit of adolescent defiance that she reportedly attacked the tattooist.
5. ANDREW JACKSON
The notoriously cranky Jackson was never one to bury the hatchet, but he did have a tomahawk inked on his inner thigh.
6. DOROTHY PARKER
The sharp-tongued writer sported a small blue star near her elbow as a memento of a drunken night in the 1930s.
7. WINSTON CHURCHILL
As of 2012, the U.K. holds the title of the world’s most tattooed nation, and the trend goes back ages. Even Churchill sported some body art: an anchor on his forearm.
8. BARRY GOLDWATER
Longtime senator Barry “Mr. Conservative” Goldwater adorned his hand with a crescent moon and four dots, the trademark of the Smoki People, an Arizona organization dedicated to preserving Native American culture.
9. CZAR NICHOLAS II
In 1891, Nicholas II of Russia visited Japan to improve Russo-Japanese relations. He survived an assassination attempt on his trip, but he also came home with a souvenir: a colorful dragon on his right arm.
10. KING HAROLD II
Royal tattoos have been around longer than you’d think. After England’s Harold II emerged as the big loser at the Battle of Hastings in 1066, his allies identified his body using his ink, including his wife’s name, Edith, scrawled across his heart.
This story by Amanda Green, originally appeared in Wired magazine.
More Inktober
November 1, 2022
This is my last Inktober post for this year – but I will keep drawing my lunch.
Gunsmoke and Knitting 