The Eagle

Often times I am asked why in the world did I post about a certain subject......

"Like an eagle that rouses her chicks and hovers over her young, so he spreads his wings to take them up an carried them safely on his pinions"............ Deuteronomy 32:11

This is what inspired this post....first off I had to look up pinions and found that it was a very fancy name for wings.

Borrowed from http://2011susansdailydose.yolasite.com/6-2.php  you must visit this awesome site.....


 After my research I found that no, eagles don't carry their young on their wings and this was more of a metaphor often found in the Bible but in the process,  I learned some amazing things about the eagle!
The eagle is one the largest and most powerful birds of prey and they are notable for their powerful set of eyes. Even though their eyes are just slightly larger than human eyes, they can see up to 3½ times better than a person with perfect vision. An eagle can see a moving rabbit from a mile away from an altitude of 1,000 feet, and can see a fellow eagle soaring 50 miles away! It can also spot one of it's favorite food sources, fish swimming below the surface of the water. They can reach speeds close to 190 miles per hour and can and can glide from 35 to 55 miles per hour. They can rotate their head almost 270 degrees.

The eagle carries some 7.000 feathers from head to tail (now that's a lot of preening) and they can regulate their body temperature simply by changing the position of its feathers. It  has a wingspan of up 7 feet

 and the weight of  its feathers are about twice as much as its skeleton!

They mate for life

 and unlike many birds, which abandon their nests after their young ones are hatched, the eagle keeps building upon her old nest, remodeling it year after year.


An eagle’s nest, or eyrie, is started with a lot of large sticks, thorns and odd and ends to build the base. Next they get smalled sticks, twigs and grasses. Finally, just before they lay their eggs they pull down and feathers from their own bodies to line the nest.  It is repaired every year with additional sticks until it eventually becomes a heavy structure weighing more than a ton! One eyrie in Florida measured 10 feet wide and 20 feet high. Another in Ohio contained two tons of material when a storm knocked down the tree that held it for 35 years.


They tuck their powerful claws in to keep from hurting the eggs as seen in this Abc video
http://abcnews.go.com/US/decorah-eagle-live-camera-draws-webs-attention/story?id=13291412

When the chicks hatch (by a hook on top of their beaks to poke through the egg) they are small, featherless and ugly and weigh only three ounces but quickly they grow feathers and in only 45 days the eaglets will weigh 40 times their birth rate. They are enticed out of the nest due to outgrowing it and because the parents begin to withhold food. It has been stated that only 40% of the eaglets survive their first flight.

The bald eagle has been the national bird of the United States since 1782, when it was placed with outspread wings on the Great Seal of the country.

It is  the symbol of strength, courage, freedom.  

Click here for an amazing inspirational video

United States National Emblem

The Great Seal was finalized and approved on June 20, 1782 and reflects the beliefs and values that the Founding Fathers wanted to pass on to their descendents.
In the center of the seal is an bald eagle, our national bird. It holds in its beak a scroll inscribed E pluribus unum, which is Latin meaning "out of many, one" and stands for one nation that was created from 13 colonies. In one claw is an olive branch, while the other holds a bundle of thirteen arrows. The olive branch and arrows "denote the power of peace and war."
A shield with thirteen red and white stripes covers the eagle's breast. The shield is supported solely by the American eagle to denote that Americans should rely on their own virtue. The red and white stripes of the shield represent the states united under and supporting the blue, representing the President and Congress. The color white signifies purity and innocence; red, hardiness and valor; and blue signifies vigilance, perseverance, and justice. Above the eagle's head is a cloud surrounding a blue field containing thirteen stars, which forms a constellation. The constellation denotes that a new State is taking its place among other nations.

The bald eagle owes its name to the early American colonist, and is bald in name only.

The American eagle was white-headed compared to the European gray eagle and the colonists translation for describing white headed ended up bald.

Emblems are pictures with a motto or set of verses intended as a moral lesson and played great importance in History. Since ancient times, men have identified themselves with the eagle, because it creates an impression of majesty and of power while in flight. Others that associated themselves with the symbol were ancient Romans, Emperor Charlemagne, and Napoleon so aren't we happy that the US followed suit rather than taking Ben Franklin's suggestion of a turkey............
He considered the eagle a "bird of bad moral character" because it lives "by sharping and robbing."

For me the difference is......... "free/self reliant or hand fed "...............

I vote for the Eagle

Paper money

There is such history in our paper money that if you are bored one day you can just start looking it up and I guarantee you will be  captured for some time. Especially how the value's changed but I want to focus more on the actual notes for my adventure.
We will start at the beginning of course...


Well actually,the first bill tenderer was in 1862: issued as Legal Tender note with a Portrait of Salmon P.Chase, the Secretary of the Treasury under President Abraham Lincoln and many other designs came along until 1929 when all bills were made into a smaller design and this became our one dollar bill. You can read more about this here.

The portrait of George Washington on the current U.S. one-dollar bill is actually an unfinished work by the artist Gilbert Stuart.

Stuart painted several portraits of the first U.S. president, but the one that is on today’s one-dollar bill was commissioned by Washington’s wife, First Lady Martha Washington. In the course of painting, George Washington passed away.
This so-called paper money is in fact a cotton and linen blend, with red and blue minute silk fibers running through it. That is why if you wash it,you can dry it and use it again as it is actually material. The life span of a one dollar bill is approximately 4.8 years. Worn out money is shredded and recycled.
Have you ever wondered how the Presidents were chosen to be on our money?
It requires a Act of Congress,  Secretary of Treasury on the advise of the Engraving Office. After the design is chosen, it's reviewed by Fine Arts Commission. There was talk a while back about President Obama being put on a bill but only dead top leaders get their portraits on currency so this probably won't happen in our lifetime.

On the front you will see the United States treasury seal....

The green seal stamped over the word “one” to the right of Washington’s portrait is the United States Treasury Seal, which contains balancing scales to represent justice, a key (the symbol of office authority) and a chevron with thirteen stars to represent the 13 original states. This seal is found on all denominations of bills. All the other things like the K and the numbers represent different things and you can read up on it if you are interested but the back on the one dollar is far more interesting.

" In God we trust" was as added in 1957 to the back of all our bills. The pyramid....

The pyramid on the dollar bill represents strength and duration. Some interpret the missing top as a sign that the country wasn’t finished yet. Similarly, the western face of the pyramid is in a shadow while the front is lighted, which some say indicates that the nation hadn’t explored the West or figured out what it would do for Western civilization yet but When Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and John Adams gathered to design the seal (they were the first of three committees to make suggestions), they didn’t suggest a pyramid, but they did discuss an eye. They wanted the seal to have a symbol of divine providence, and the all-seeing eye shaped like the top of the pyramid is an ancient symbol of divinity.

In Latin above the pyramid reads “annuit coeptis,” which means “God has favored our undertaking and below the phrase “novus ordo seclorum,” which is interpreted as “a new order of the ages.” 

Across the bottom bricks of the pyramid are the letters “MDCCLXXVI.” These letters are the Roman numerals for 1776, the year America declared its independence.

Eagle's Shield

In front of the eagle—a uniquely American bird—is a shield, which is unsupported to signify Americans should rely on their own virtue. The horizontal top bar of the shield symbolizes the federal government, and it holds together yet is supported by vertical bars that represent individual states (13 at the time it was designed).

It’s no surprise that the stars over the eagle represent the 13 colonies. But what’s surrounding them? The official description says it’s glory “breaking through a cloud” above the eagle, but current versions have a cloud surrounding the rays.

The eagle holds an olive branch (representing peace) in its right talon and arrows (symbolizing war) in its left talon. But on silver coins from 1801 to 1807, the eagle held them in opposite talons. European diplomats and journalists claimed putting the arrows in the eagle’s dominant talon was a symbol of aggression, and called it a reason to start a war, so America decided to switch the peaceful symbol to the dominant side on the dollar.

Note: The number 13 is very unpopular due to the belief that it is bad luck and in fact many hotels have no number thirteen room yet isn't it interesting that here on the dollar bill the number 13—the original number of American states—appears many times. There are 13 arrows, 13 olive branch leaves, 13 olive fruits, 13 stars above the eagle, 13 steps of the pyramid, and 13 bars on the shield.

Our dollar bill is becoming as insignificant as our pennies these days but I hope that now, like me, you will never look at one quite the same.

Stay tuned for paper money 2...............................

E - Eagle

I am impressed with Eagle's and have already posted on them before here.











They are such powerful creatures. Did you know that a eagle can catch a small deer?

Keeping that in mind, what a amazing story is that of Freedom and Jeff

http://www.snopes.com/photos/animals/freedom.asp         A love story.

Q for A-Z Challenge

Q-Quincy, Calif.

 

 

Located north of San Francisco you will find the little town of Quincy, Calif. With less than 1200 residents yet there is activities galore, mostly free and open to all.

 

 

Here's a sampling of the top attractions for families in Plumas County:

• Walking to waterfalls (Frazier and Indian Falls)

 summer

 

 Winter

 

 

Climbing aboard locomotives at the Western Pacific Railroad Museum

• Miniature golfing in Graeagle and the Lake Almanor area
• Learning about Native Americans, natural history and survival through the Junior Ranger Program at Lassen Volcanic National Park
• Paddleboating on the Graeagle Mill Pond

• Hiking along interpretive nature trails
• Pony or horseback riding, wagon or sleigh rides
• Biking the Lake Almanor Recreation Trail or the Portola Riverwalk
• Panning for gold
• Exploring the forests on an adventurous ATV or snowmobile tour
• Ice skating at the rink near Chester Park
• Climbing to a U.S. Forest Service Lookout
• Jet skiing at Almanor and Bucks
• Sledding at Eureka Ski Bowl or anywhere in the forest
• Tennis and bowling
• Picnicking, horseshoe pitching or playing ball in a park
• Skateboarding at parks in Quincy and Portola
• Summer Program for Creative Exploration in Chester
• Midway carnival rides and 4-H fun at Plumas-Sierra County Fair

• Movies, plays and concerts at Quincy's Town Hall Theatre\
• Fishing derbies
• Friday night summer concerts in Portola City Park
• Ranger-led snowshoe hikes in Lassen Volcanic National Park
• Blackberry picking in the Feather River Canyon
• Fourth of July parades and fireworks
• Stargazing and making s'mores over a crackling campfire
• Swimming in creeks, lakes, pools and ponds
• Geocaching - fun for the whole family

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fun for all

 

 

 

 

 

 

Seven wonders of the railroad world

Plumas County is rich in train history and is renowned for its unique railroad engineering along the Feather River. Magnificent bridges and tunnels, a unique railroad "Y" and a section of track that crosses over itself in a one-mile loop in order to gain elevation are among the features that attract train buffs to the area.

 

 

 

 

You can photograph old barns on a tour through Sierra, American or Indian Valleys. Many have Barn Quilts on them

 

Get your pink boas and sparkling tiaras out and come downtown in late September for Girls Night Out. Local merchants have fun activities, live music…. and you might even get a peek at a “Chippendale” at the Alley Cat Cafe.

 

Kick off the Holiday Season downtown the first Friday of December, watch the tree lighting at the courthouse

 and visit local merchants open houses,

Sing holiday carols with your friends and family during the Community Sing at the Courthouse.

Don your binoculars for birdwatching galore; Bald Eagle, Osprey, Sandhill Crane, Canadian Geese, hawks, nearly 300 bird species!

 

 

In other words....take time to enjoy nature and be with someone you care about.

 

Happy Trails

 

 

 

Who is the most powerful?

Power-lifting is a competitive and inclusive sport for both man and women, young and old. The main rule in this sport is to lift as much weight as you can.
But humans are not the best in the world. Other creatures of the world can handle lifting great weights too. Here is the count down from 9....

9- The grizzly bear can lift 1200lb, meaning 0.8 its body weight;

8- The ox: can pull and carry 2000lb, approximately 1.5 times its body weight;

7- The elephant: can carry 20,000lb, 1.7 times its body weight;

 

6- The tiger: 1200lb, 2 x its body weight;

5- Human: the strongest man in the world, Zydrunas Savickas, managed to lift 2,3 times his own body weight, meaning almost 900lb.

4- On the fourth place we have a bird, the African Crowned Eagle. This bird can lift 36lb. That’s
4 times its body weight.

3- The gorilla 4600lb. Ten times its body weight;

2- The leafcutter ant. This little insect can lift 20 times its body weight. That is the equivalent of a man lifting a family car.





Drum roll please........................................

And the winner is.................The Dung Beetle. A little insect that feeds only of feces.
It can lift 1000 times its own body wieght.
That would be equivalant to a average 150 lb man lifting six double decker busses!




 

Ar. road trip cont. 5

This was our last day and we were to fly out late in the evening so gave us some time to do a little more sight seeing before getting on the plane to come home.
First off I want to say that if it wouldn't have been for the Scout app. my grandson set up for me we wouldn't have ventured in the city places but with my phone plugged into the car the voice talks to you over the radio and my hubby doesn't tend to argue with her like he would with me LOL

Hubby and I grew up in a small town with no food chains of restaurants or grocery stores so when we are driving through small towns we like to stop at a local restaurant and get a cup of coffee....we lucked out and got HOMEMADE coconut cream pie too.

Loved the little sign they had on the wall...

Definitely not a fancy place but homey..

and made for a great pit stop.

 

I had read of the Old Grist Mill just north of Little Rock and wanted to go there. It took a few tries but we made it.....Such a pretty little spot right in town.

 

 

 Had to climb the stair and then there is was...

 

 

 

 

The back side

 

When you walk across this bridge and look down the other way this is what you see..

There were elegant homes there on the left with their own place on the river.

 

 

What I didn't know it that this lovely spot is a Memorial

 

 

 

 

 

We tried to go to the River Market which is right next to Clinton Ave. but it was roped off by the police so don't know what had happened but when all else fails we can always go and eat...

This place caught our eye and it was a bit too early for lunch but we figured we could do brunch..

 

Oh my gosh!!! Hubby ordered the Asparagus & Mushroom Omelet for us to share and it was delicious with fresh asparagus, portabella mushrooms, spinach, Parmesan & Fontana cheese with Tasso Cheese Grits.

We shared it along with a glass of wine and what a treat it was......

 

Parking on Clinton Ave. was a bit of a challenge so we had to park and walk a bit but passed a couple of little park areas...

This made me think of my daughter....she loves rabbits.

 

The eagle stood guard.

 

 

Our plane was delayed so our wait at the airport was longer than planned and almost didn't make our connecting flight in Houston but we got home safe and sound. Arkansas is a great place to visit!