Once a year there is a very special treat at the farm. A family (5) Bald Eagles show up at the end of March and stay until the beginning of May. Usually around 8 weeks. They rest, hunt gophers, and just soar around.
They returned early this week. It's beyond cool to go out to feed cattle and look up to see these magnificent raptors coasting lazily on the air currents 15 to 40 feet above you. Or to hear then coo, call, and yes shriek at each other. (you know one of the young ones ticked off Daddy when that happens).
Over the last few years we have seen the 3 young eagles grow and begin to get their white feathers. They are between 3 and 5 years old now, and are almost completely white. Though they have a lot of growing to do before they reach the size of their massive parents.
The family has been coming to the farm as long as I can remember. For the longest time it was just the parents. I can't describe the moment when we realized that they had mated and produced 3 babies, and brought them along for their annual visit.
I don't know where they go when they leave us, but I do know I am relieved when they all return the next year. Hopefully they will honor us with their time for many years to come.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
I'm here before you, to stand behind you, to tell you something I know nothing about
Well it's blog time again..... and I got nothin'. I must admit that I had written a great vent yesterday, not that I could post it. The main theme was others needing a proctologist to retrieve your running shoe. It was wrong... funny, but wrong. So it got filed under G. I'm still regretting not saving a copy. Jeff Foxworthy would have been proud.
It was just a general vent, nothing in particular lighting the fuse. Okay maybe a little. My parents are headed to Germany on Sunday (I was supposed to go but am so broke I can't afford to pay attention). So my brothers and I will be farm sitting. Meh, no big deal. But my lovely pappy is a world class worry wart, and has been making me nutty,more so than usual.
Lets face it, I'm not exactly the poster child for normal behavior. I love listening to my mom up date the rest of the family on what the five of us are doing with our lives... Joe is pregnant, Erna is in Australia, Gord is back from Grande Prairie, Jake is thinking about buying a second property, and Lisa is (doing what ever stupid thing I happen to be doing at the time). The best part is this is always followed by "yah well Lisa does stuff like that". You know Auntie whoever has asked one of three questions... "she's doing what?" "why would she do that?" or "are you serious?" Guaranteed I'm voted most likely to get the Darwin Award in our family. When you have 30 first cousins, that's an accomplishment.
But I digress, back to my dad. We got our first calf of the season on sunday night (it's so cute), and with the weather showing no sign of smartening up anytime soon, Dad is in full maternal mode. The man is going to give himself an ulcer. I understand where he is coming from, he truly cares and wants to make sure that they are taken care of. He comes across as a growly old bear, but he's really quite sensitive. Not that he would EVER admit it. So he worries about his cows, and his lil calves, and the spoiled dog.
I have yet to get him to admit he spoils the dog, though I have managed to get him to stop feeding her Fignewtons. I think, maybe he's sneaking them to her when I'm not around, hmmmmm. I've given up trying to stop him from feeding her cheese smokies. The fact that she has "dog food" to eat doesn't seem to compute for him. (and he wonders why I call her "mooch") "She's not spoiled, she's a good dog" "She's not fat, she's in good shape"... yah round.
Anyway, that's it. I really have nothing to say, so until next week, Blue Skys.
It was just a general vent, nothing in particular lighting the fuse. Okay maybe a little. My parents are headed to Germany on Sunday (I was supposed to go but am so broke I can't afford to pay attention). So my brothers and I will be farm sitting. Meh, no big deal. But my lovely pappy is a world class worry wart, and has been making me nutty,more so than usual.
Lets face it, I'm not exactly the poster child for normal behavior. I love listening to my mom up date the rest of the family on what the five of us are doing with our lives... Joe is pregnant, Erna is in Australia, Gord is back from Grande Prairie, Jake is thinking about buying a second property, and Lisa is (doing what ever stupid thing I happen to be doing at the time). The best part is this is always followed by "yah well Lisa does stuff like that". You know Auntie whoever has asked one of three questions... "she's doing what?" "why would she do that?" or "are you serious?" Guaranteed I'm voted most likely to get the Darwin Award in our family. When you have 30 first cousins, that's an accomplishment.
But I digress, back to my dad. We got our first calf of the season on sunday night (it's so cute), and with the weather showing no sign of smartening up anytime soon, Dad is in full maternal mode. The man is going to give himself an ulcer. I understand where he is coming from, he truly cares and wants to make sure that they are taken care of. He comes across as a growly old bear, but he's really quite sensitive. Not that he would EVER admit it. So he worries about his cows, and his lil calves, and the spoiled dog.
I have yet to get him to admit he spoils the dog, though I have managed to get him to stop feeding her Fignewtons. I think, maybe he's sneaking them to her when I'm not around, hmmmmm. I've given up trying to stop him from feeding her cheese smokies. The fact that she has "dog food" to eat doesn't seem to compute for him. (and he wonders why I call her "mooch") "She's not spoiled, she's a good dog" "She's not fat, she's in good shape"... yah round.
Anyway, that's it. I really have nothing to say, so until next week, Blue Skys.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
When does it end?
Once again the ugly head of bullies rear and roar their fury on their victims. I am sooooo tired of it. When is the world going to start taking responsibility for itself?
Yet again, I spent time in the office tonight trying to help a 9 year old child understand what is happening to them, why it's happening, and guide them on what to do about it. The parent is desperate for help to protect their child and the child is frustrated that every step they have been taught to take have not resolved the situation.
Where do they go from here? How do they concentrate for the rest of the day when they have this conflict in their mind? How do they express their frustration positively when they are hurting inside? These are the questions I tried to answer tonight.
The bully in question, has no structured home life to speak of. There are no consequences to this child's actions, no ramifications that has any effect on their behavior. A losing battle for them, and an extremely difficult one for those they torment.
So what did I say? Basically, continue to follow the rules:
1) create your verbal and physical boundaries & remember that no one has the right to put their hands on you in a way you do not approve of. Remember that even though someone says something about you, it doesn't make it true, you have value as a person and they can't take that away from you.
2) be aware of your situation, don't go places where they can corner you unsupervised. Take control back of the situation. If you do have to go somewhere alone, remember to be loud should the conflict arise, shout No and Stop. This will draw the attention of others near by and help you to be removed from the situation.
3) continue to communicate, when you stop talking and getting help from others you are then truly alone. This is not the place you want to be.
Dealing with bullies is extremely difficult and overwhelming. Dealing with the rest of your life after the bully has left is just as hard. Calm your mind, breathe, and work to refocus yourself. Try to talk about the conflict in a calm clear way. It's hard, but saying what happened and how it made you feel is important. Working to stay calm will help you organize your thoughts and make it easier for you to get the help you need.
Never stop communicating. People care about you and it's important that they know what is happening in your life. If they don't know, they can't help. Your family, friends, and those responsible for your safety need to know about the problems. They are your team, and a team is only strong when it works together.
Maybe I'm wrong in what I said, I'm no shrink. But I do know what it's like to be on the receiving end of bullies. I do know that sometimes ignoring them doesn't work, sometimes it makes them think they have an easy target. I also know that the only people that have power and influence on you are the ones you allow. Take back your power and believe in yourself. Easy to say, not so easy to do. But it is possible and it is so much easier when you have others working with you.
Yet again, I spent time in the office tonight trying to help a 9 year old child understand what is happening to them, why it's happening, and guide them on what to do about it. The parent is desperate for help to protect their child and the child is frustrated that every step they have been taught to take have not resolved the situation.
Where do they go from here? How do they concentrate for the rest of the day when they have this conflict in their mind? How do they express their frustration positively when they are hurting inside? These are the questions I tried to answer tonight.
The bully in question, has no structured home life to speak of. There are no consequences to this child's actions, no ramifications that has any effect on their behavior. A losing battle for them, and an extremely difficult one for those they torment.
So what did I say? Basically, continue to follow the rules:
1) create your verbal and physical boundaries & remember that no one has the right to put their hands on you in a way you do not approve of. Remember that even though someone says something about you, it doesn't make it true, you have value as a person and they can't take that away from you.
2) be aware of your situation, don't go places where they can corner you unsupervised. Take control back of the situation. If you do have to go somewhere alone, remember to be loud should the conflict arise, shout No and Stop. This will draw the attention of others near by and help you to be removed from the situation.
3) continue to communicate, when you stop talking and getting help from others you are then truly alone. This is not the place you want to be.
Dealing with bullies is extremely difficult and overwhelming. Dealing with the rest of your life after the bully has left is just as hard. Calm your mind, breathe, and work to refocus yourself. Try to talk about the conflict in a calm clear way. It's hard, but saying what happened and how it made you feel is important. Working to stay calm will help you organize your thoughts and make it easier for you to get the help you need.
Never stop communicating. People care about you and it's important that they know what is happening in your life. If they don't know, they can't help. Your family, friends, and those responsible for your safety need to know about the problems. They are your team, and a team is only strong when it works together.
Maybe I'm wrong in what I said, I'm no shrink. But I do know what it's like to be on the receiving end of bullies. I do know that sometimes ignoring them doesn't work, sometimes it makes them think they have an easy target. I also know that the only people that have power and influence on you are the ones you allow. Take back your power and believe in yourself. Easy to say, not so easy to do. But it is possible and it is so much easier when you have others working with you.
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Holy Confusion Batman
Lets face it, I'm not the most organized duck on the pond. Actually there are times when I'm down right squirrelly, but hey, nobody's perfect.
This is why my life is usually planned like a military strike. If it isn't written down, it doesn't happen. Well thanks to the UBBT, I have gotten worse. Oh joy....
Though I must confess, I'm still doing better than I was when trying to help plan my sisters weddings. The hamster was running full gallop and bolts were flying off the wheel. Chaos unlimited.... great.
So the latest "drop the ball convention" started a few months back when I put myself on the list as a volunteer for one of our students projects. A project taking place, conveniently, the exact same weekend as a seminar I am registered for. There I was happily oblivious to the fact that I had double booked myself yet again. Reality set in last night, thankfully, or I would have really made a mess of things.
Ya, really great roll model. Say you'll do something, promptly forget about it, and go happily off in another direction, leaving those you committed to hanging. Smart, very smart.
Again, thankfully, someone mentioned that particular event again last night. Can you say deer in the headlights boys and girls? I was a deer in the headlights. Some how "Oh Darn!" doesn't seem to cover it. Needless to say, I had to back out of the project, while feeling like an irresponsible twit in the process.
But all is settled and hopefully I will not make this type of error too many more times. Saying it won't happen again from me is just crazy talk, so I'll try to keep it to a minimum. As always, something to work on.
This is why my life is usually planned like a military strike. If it isn't written down, it doesn't happen. Well thanks to the UBBT, I have gotten worse. Oh joy....
Though I must confess, I'm still doing better than I was when trying to help plan my sisters weddings. The hamster was running full gallop and bolts were flying off the wheel. Chaos unlimited.... great.
So the latest "drop the ball convention" started a few months back when I put myself on the list as a volunteer for one of our students projects. A project taking place, conveniently, the exact same weekend as a seminar I am registered for. There I was happily oblivious to the fact that I had double booked myself yet again. Reality set in last night, thankfully, or I would have really made a mess of things.
Ya, really great roll model. Say you'll do something, promptly forget about it, and go happily off in another direction, leaving those you committed to hanging. Smart, very smart.
Again, thankfully, someone mentioned that particular event again last night. Can you say deer in the headlights boys and girls? I was a deer in the headlights. Some how "Oh Darn!" doesn't seem to cover it. Needless to say, I had to back out of the project, while feeling like an irresponsible twit in the process.
But all is settled and hopefully I will not make this type of error too many more times. Saying it won't happen again from me is just crazy talk, so I'll try to keep it to a minimum. As always, something to work on.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Long Term Survival of the Martial Arts?
I am enrolled in my JM course and looking forward to the first green up of spring. Completion of this course puts me one step closer to Coach 2 Certification. With Coach 2 Certification from NCCP, many doors will open and hopefully wedge open some that may be closing.
For many years lobbyers have been trying to get legislation passed to regulate the martial arts in Canada. Part of their agenda is to make the legislation specific enough to favor their martial art over others taught in this country. As a Chinese martial art (and therefore very disorganized in a global sense) this would spell a major shift in our ability to survive. 2000 years down the toilet as it were.
So being the sneaky type, I figure having high coaching certification with the National Coaching Certification Program of Canada can only help our school, as well as our martial art should the legislation go through. Oh yes, I live to plot.
An extremely lofty (and highly improbable) goal, is to one day create something similar to ASPA & CSPA (Alberta Sport Parachute Association & Canadian Sport Parachute Association) for the martial arts. Though getting that many Black Belts and their respective schools to play nice together is going to be a night mare circus of pain. On the up side, ASPA & CSPA were created and you just gotta know that Skydivers are as bad as Black Belts when it comes to admitting that there could be a better way of doing things, especially when they didn't come up with the idea. Must have something to do with being an "A" type personality. Go figure.
If life has taught me anything, it's to be more tenacious than an oceanic white tip. Don't give up on anything you really believe in, just find a way of presenting it so that the recipient(s) see the true value.
Maybe one day in the near future it will be possible to have a formal collaboration of martial artists certifiable by the NCCP. Having a structure of training future teachers/coaches in the most effective ways of transferring knowledge to their novices. All endorsed by an existing national certifying body of sport educators, thus protecting said educators from potential extinction if unfavorable legislation is passed.
The NCCP doesn't regulate curriculum, philosophy, or influence business of the sport. It just teaches the coaches & instructors in the methods of learning, repetition of technique, and ethical accountability and responsibility they have to the students, novices, and each other.
I have no doubts that the work we are all doing with the UBBT is paving the way for this type of universal cooperation. I also have no doubts that it will be a long haul and a very difficult one.
Lets face it, if it was easy, it wouldn't be worth it.
For many years lobbyers have been trying to get legislation passed to regulate the martial arts in Canada. Part of their agenda is to make the legislation specific enough to favor their martial art over others taught in this country. As a Chinese martial art (and therefore very disorganized in a global sense) this would spell a major shift in our ability to survive. 2000 years down the toilet as it were.
So being the sneaky type, I figure having high coaching certification with the National Coaching Certification Program of Canada can only help our school, as well as our martial art should the legislation go through. Oh yes, I live to plot.
An extremely lofty (and highly improbable) goal, is to one day create something similar to ASPA & CSPA (Alberta Sport Parachute Association & Canadian Sport Parachute Association) for the martial arts. Though getting that many Black Belts and their respective schools to play nice together is going to be a night mare circus of pain. On the up side, ASPA & CSPA were created and you just gotta know that Skydivers are as bad as Black Belts when it comes to admitting that there could be a better way of doing things, especially when they didn't come up with the idea. Must have something to do with being an "A" type personality. Go figure.
If life has taught me anything, it's to be more tenacious than an oceanic white tip. Don't give up on anything you really believe in, just find a way of presenting it so that the recipient(s) see the true value.
Maybe one day in the near future it will be possible to have a formal collaboration of martial artists certifiable by the NCCP. Having a structure of training future teachers/coaches in the most effective ways of transferring knowledge to their novices. All endorsed by an existing national certifying body of sport educators, thus protecting said educators from potential extinction if unfavorable legislation is passed.
The NCCP doesn't regulate curriculum, philosophy, or influence business of the sport. It just teaches the coaches & instructors in the methods of learning, repetition of technique, and ethical accountability and responsibility they have to the students, novices, and each other.
I have no doubts that the work we are all doing with the UBBT is paving the way for this type of universal cooperation. I also have no doubts that it will be a long haul and a very difficult one.
Lets face it, if it was easy, it wouldn't be worth it.
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