Lost Birds {Pigeon Wanderings}

Up on our roof, one of the boys' racing pigeons played peek-a-boo through the skylight.

Apparently the boys' new backyard pigeon loft is a destination loft.  This week a banded pigeon (probably from some one's racing fleet) landed at our loft and hung around for a few hours chatting with the captives.  Probably seeking shelter from the rain, this banded bird did not put up a fight to being captured with a fishing net and granted asylum inside the shelter.  The band number has been reported to a 4H member with connections in the racing community.  It may yet be returned to the rightful owner.


Add one bird to the mix. 

 While Peter's recent fishing expeditions were unsuccessful, the net did come in handy for capturing wayward pigeons.

Experiments in training racing pigeons; you win some, you lose some.

An eventful but slightly unsuccessful 4H experiment, the first release of Joseph's and Peter's racing pigeons from the new loft for training purposes ended in a mystery.  Seven pigeons were set free to fly approximately thirty feet to the open loft, but not one cooperated with the training plan.  One bird was apprehended a few hours later and placed in the loft.  Over the next few days, the wayward pigeons enjoyed the neighborhood and surrounds, and eventually four flew into the loft willingly.

Subtract two birds from the mix, and the plot thickens.

Waiting and Preparing {7 Quick Takes}

Another letter of acceptance (plus another presidential scholarship offer) arrived in the mail for Zachary from our alma mater, the University of Puget Sound, in Tacoma, WA.  With a few more letters of acceptance (or denial) still 'in the mail' Zachary will wait for the dust to settle before entering into final decision making mode.  The suspense is thick!


After more than a week out on his own, Ezra stopped by the shop to collect a few belongings, and let us know he's staying with a 'friend' from school.  Automated school attendance alert phone calls come more frequently now, announcing Ezra's sporadic absences.  His Job Corps departure date (March 20) still stands, but only time will tell if the opportunity will be actualized by the now independent Ezra.  We continue to pray, and ask your prayers, too.

Nesting boxes inhabited, Joseph and Peter continue to apply the final touches on their new pigeon loft.   Enoch helped apply a coat of paint on the exposed parts before this weekend predicted to be filled with rain.  Joseph and Peter also painted each others' exposed parts.  Go figure. 

Zachary with SHS varsity swim coach Don at the end-of-season awards ceremony

His final varsity swim season behind him, Zachary continues to train almost daily with the local club team, a great way to stay fit and connected with the guys.  The hot tubbing time after practice nearly doubles the time spent at the pool, and includes extraordinary challenges like, "I wonder if your reflexes are fast enough to stop this ball if I throw it at your face (from 3 feet away)."  Not so much; ouch.

With Ezra's departure comes the opportunity to re-vamp the downstairs disaster family room, and the dreams and possible re-designs are flowing.  From projector-assisted multi-computer gaming stations, to an indoor racquet sports facility, the ideas are... extremely creative.  Tim started with a systematic purge of the out-dated and rarely visited lower bookshelves, and in only moments filled several boxes for taking to a donation station.

Celebration dinner for Apollo's successful heart surgery

We hosted dinners for ten under seventeen (first seating) plus two over forty (second seating) in celebration of Apollo's successful heart surgery.  What a great joy to have been able to offer some tiny bit of support for his family during his hospitalization and recovery.

Our traditional lenten observances coupled with awesome liturgical events has made this solemn time of preparation for celebrating Christ's Resurrection at Easter especially meaningful.  Extraordinary Form High Mass in Seattle at North American Martyrs with Archbishop Sartain, an evangelically charged mission given by Brendan Case at Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Everett, weekly Stations of the Cross, daily Mass, adoration and frequent confession make for a powerfully re-charging spiritual renewal. 

Visit Jen @ Conversion Diary for more Quick Takes Friday.

Breeding Begins {Pigeon 4H}

Joseph releases on of the pigeons into the new loft.

After months of hard work designing, building and finishing (with a few more hours yet to go) the new loft is ready-enough to house the pigeons.  Several pairs are now nesting in special breeding boxes with the hope of little eggs hatching this spring.  Birds born at home will race back to this loft someday when they are old enough for competitive flying.  The old loft now stands vacant, abandoned in the shadow of the new Taj Mahal.

Members of the boys' 4H club will continue to give public presentations in the months to come, leading up to a crescendo at the NW Washington Fair in Lynden in August.  Joseph and Peter will be presenting not just pigeons, but also the loft building project in upcoming public speaking opportunities. Talk about a multi-disciplinary home school unit, this loft building project covers all the bases and then some, all taught by a great teacher and pigeon expert: Grandpa Cliff.

 Peter peeks out from one of the rooms in the new two bedroom unit for the pigeons.

Grandpa leads a careful study to find the right matches for mating.

Peter and power tools, under the watchful eyes of Grandpa Cliff

Looking in at the two room design, before the "window" installation

Loft Building 101 {Pigeon 4H}

A Home School Project

with Grandpa Cliff

 

Power tools replace pencils in the hands of our middle schoolers.

It's not an Eagle Project, it's a pigeon project ~ an extension of the 4H Pigeon program in which Joseph and Peter participate with Grandpa Cliff.  It all began with a few pigeons given to Peter on his "anything that breeds" birthday in 2010.  From there, the interest and enthusiasm spread to the point that we will soon have a racing pigeon loft in our back yard. 

the frame goes up

 It's not an official break from (home) school, but due to the enormity of this construction project, there is very little actual desk work being accomplished during pigeon loft work weeks.  The exception is Joseph's math homework, since he's enrolled in an algebra class taught close to home on Monday and Wednesday mornings.  Speaking of math, before the pigeon loft project took off, Grandpa Cliff taught Joseph and Peter how to use the plans and measurements to determine the projected materials list.  He has included them in every step of the project, his patience is heroic. 

Yesterday after a full day's work with hammers, drills and power saws, Grandpa Cliff left the boys with a gallon of paint plus supplies and instructions for painting the interior and the untreated exterior.   Peter stayed outside painting until it was dark, but Joseph called in quits in time to make swimming practice. 

Physical education is involved, particularly climbing and balancing acts. 

Once it's complete, the loft will have sectioned off areas for the fancy birds, the racing birds and the
sick birds.   Pairs of pigeons will have their nest boxes, and in non-breeding seasons the males and females can be separated.  Expect great things from these pampered birds, their new home is fit for kings and queens.

planning, measuring, assembling 

Joseph paints the inside of the loft, before construction of the nest boxes.

Painter Peter

4H & the NW Washington Fair {Blue Ribbons}

Peter sneaks a smile to his fans during the 4H judging

Peter earned a blue ribbon and advanced to the final round for the novice group. 

Joseph shows Luke & Leia his show pigeon before his judging session began at the NW Washington Fair yesterday.

Thanks to Grandpa Cliff and Grandma Billie, Peter and Joseph competed in a 4H Fit & Show yesterday at the NW Washington Fair.  They were quizzed on their pigeon knowledge, on topics ranging from breeds to body parts to diseases.  Both boys fared well, and Peter advanced to the final round.  Blue ribbons for each, they enjoyed the opportunity to participate in the fit & show and also led the 4H group in the opening ceremonial parade at day 1 of the fair.

As their fan club, we watched the fit & show and secretly tried to distract the opposing chickens with corn on the cob from the stands (not really, well, really, but not on purpose).  After the 4H festivities were concluded, we ventured out for a delicious fair meal of shaved BBQ beef and mighty expensive lemonade.
We bumped into our favorite family from Lethsoto, and a wonderful priest from Ferndale, and enjoyed a leisurely meal and play time on the shady lawn.

Haggling for a hammock, trying on fancy hats, milking a fake cow, visiting the pro-life booth and climbing on tractors (all while pulling out all the stops to entertain and distract overly tired and stroller-weary twins); we wrapped up the evening at the fair.  Our crew came home tired and satisfied...except for Joseph, who was itching to spend his money on rides... The lure of the carnival had him captivated and he made plans with Grandma Billie to go back to the fair today for a bit of fast paced, exhilarating (expensive) action.

Joseph and the competition at judging time

Joseph with the blue ribbon he earned during the 4H Fit & Show.

QUIZ

My little sister Molly and me on Christmas Eve

Question:
What do the following things have in common?

• 6 Scouts lost on a trail (who were supposed to be on a sidewalk)
• 1 new game's box chewed up by Rocky
• 1 kitchen faucet on the blink
• 1 forgotten wallet
• 1 cancelled ski day
• 3 passport applications delayed due to clerk's mathematical error
• 1 surprise expansion opportunity for business
• 1 traffic jam
• 1 kitchen piled high with dirty dishes
• 1 huge pile of dog puke
• 1 dead cell phone and
• a decapitated pigeon (probably by a possum) discovered by a distraught 10 year old owner

Any guesses?

Molly's boys, Niko (our Godson) and Mike pose with Zac on Christmas Eve

Answer:

These are all things that we've experienced in the past 30 hours (+/-)!

What a day...

It's about time to start a New Year, wouldn't you say?

My grandma (93) with her kids: Uncle Dan and my mom

It's amazing to compare 2010 with last year's Christmas Eve.  In December 2009, my Grandma was recovering from a broken neck, dislocated pelvis and other injuries after a fall down a flight of stairs at home.  Look at her now!  Goes to show the power of prayer!  

And then there was one

An update on the pigeon births:

There is one remaining baby pigeon.

This is a look from behind, he was facing away from the lens.

Looks like the other baby pigeon was... well... perhaps eaten?

We'll keep looking in on this one to watch his development.

Breeding Success!

This is the day Peter has been waiting for... the day his pigeons' eggs hatched!

The pigeons' move to their new coop involved relocating a nest with eggs, so he wasn't sure if the young would survive.  

Oh joy!

The proud parents having breakfast together after a successful "home-hatch."

We'll be checking in on them a bit later and watching their development closely.

These pigeons born in our coop with "home" to our house, if let loose to fly.

There is training involved, and Peter's being tutored by Grandpa Cliff, who raised many pigeons in his youth.

Happy Birthday little pigeons!

New Coop

One of Peter's pigeons died last week, and the decision was made to build the remaining pigeons a coop of their own in the hopes that life without the hens will be more peaceful and conducive to breeding 

(and surviving). 

Grandpa Cliff to the rescue!

With a van full of building supplies and tools, Grandpa Cliff had the plan and the means to carry it out.

Peter did almost all of the labor, under Grandpa's careful guidance.

Zachary was involved in the hauling of coop sections, which were built out front and installed in a corner of the back yard.

Joseph and Tim were helpful with whatever odd tasks needing doing.  

In this case, holding something fast.

Peter's coop at near completion.

Doesn't it look great?

Wait to see the "after" photos!

THANKS Grandpa (and Grandma!)

Footnote:  

Every ounce of daylight was needed to get this project done, plus a few extra hours the next day.

Pigeon Release

Well, sort of released, anyway!

A pair of Peter's pigeons were freed from the isolated cage in the garage into the hen/pigeon coop in the back yard.

One of them didn't want to face the other birds in the coop.

So far, so good.  There have been a few instances of pigeons getting heckled by the chickens, but so far no one's lost any feathers over it.

Anything That Breeds {Peter's Birthday Wish List}

 Grandpa Cliff assembles nest boxes for pigeons in the chicken coop.

 A birthday bird for Peter, thanks to Grandpa Cliff and Grandma Billie

Peter's wish list for his 10th birthday basically recycled most of the items on his Christmas wish list (almost all of which breathe and eat, ranging from llamas to goats to pigs and sheep).  Essentially, the list could be summed up as follows: "Anything that breeds!"  And the reason?  "To drive Zac crazy!"  At the top of his list was rabbits, because he'd learned how quickly they reproduce. 

Grandma Billie and Grandpa Cliff granted Peter's "breeding" wish with 2 pairs of pigeons.  Cliff raised pigeons in his youth, and has all the know-how and skills to make their new home here perfect.  When Zachary learned of Peter's new pets, he let out a groan of displeasure... which must have been the icing on the cake for the birthday boy.

Peter's chicken coop is now (temporarily) a chicken and pigeon coop, and although a few of the chickens think they should be allowed into the pigeon quarters, Cliff has a plan to keep the pigeons safe from the mean chicken beaks.  Someday soon, Peter will have pigeons born here, which can be set free to fly and return to their home.  Those brought in for his birthday, however, if set free, would fly to the place of their birth... so they'll be permanent residents of the coop.