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Now a Senior Center in Stafford Springs, CT, this aged old building was my first assignment as a trooper with the CT State Police 43 years ago. Back in the day it was known as “Troop C.” It was here on 27 August that an ORF gathering took place. ( Old Retired Farts)
We had a mother hen who kept us up to date with our reports and kept us out of trouble. Her name was Anne Fitzgerald. Anne is well into her 80’s and brought us back together under her motherly umbrella for a final Swan Song for her, so she said. She let us know this was her last official act. Anne, thank you for all you’ve done for me and many others through the years. It was a wonderful event and I thank you.
I brought my wife along on this venture. She was a real Trooper, just smiled and hung in there as war stories were told amonst old comrads. Thank you my dear for being a part of my evening, you rock.
The following article from the “Hartford Courant” will give you a background on “Troop C.” This is the new and improved home for the troop.
STAFFORD — After 72 years of housing cops and crooks, the state police barracks on Route 190 will close this weekend.
The Troop C barracks is moving to new quarters in Tolland.
The troopers and other employees will bid goodbye to a cramped 1920s-era two-story building. Sunday will find them working in a state-of-the-art facility with nearly double the space.
“Hopefully, things will happen very smoothly,” said state police spokesman Sgt. Dale Hourigan.
A moving company will start transporting equipment and other items Saturday morning and everything is scheduled to be done by Sunday afternoon, he said. During the two days Troop C is in transition, the old and new building will be staffed.
“We’re not going to upset or diminish our capability to respond,” Hourigan said.
By 4 p.m. Sunday, the Stafford barracks will be empty, Hourigan said.
Residents and officials in Stafford said they will miss having the barracks so close.
“It’s a nice, secure feeling to have a barracks full of troopers,” said Peter Gibbs, who was walking along Main Street.
“We’re losing some good neighbors,” said Michael Robinson, president of the Stafford Chamber of Commerce. “We wish them well.”
Citizens say they’re not worried about how the barracks’ move will affect the policing in town, mainly, because the town set up a resident trooper program in anticipation of the move.
A state resident trooper, Dan Herman, two full-time constables, and nine part-time constables patrol the town.
Robinson said they are a visible presence in town.
“I see them all the time,” he said.
Dock Sellers, who was a former borough warden during a time in which the borough had its own police department, said most residents won’t even notice the change.
“Most people in Stafford have never driven to the barracks and have no reason to,” he said.
All the policing is done on the roads, anyway, he said.
“They don’t have to walk,” he said.
Built in 1923, the Stafford barracks was constructed of stone and clapboard.
At one time, the troopers were required to live, eat, and sleep at the barracks. That practice ended in the late 1960s.
The building won’t be abandoned for long if town officials have their way.
As a result of a 1989 special act of the state legislature, the barracks and the three acres would be transferred to Stafford.
Plans are to turn the building into a community center. Part of the old barracks would be a center for senior citizens, while another area of the building would used for a youth center, First Selectman John Julian said.
Senior citizens now gather at the Golden Age Club, while teenagers in town usually hang out on Main Street.
The plans depend on whether the town receives a federal grant, Julian said. The town applied for a federal Small Cities Grant. The town is eligible for $500,000.
The new phone number for the Tolland barracks is 870-9500 or 1-800-318-7632.
The badge I took into retirement with me. Proud to have served and to have been part of the “Thin Blue Line.”
Two old friends, Charlie Vanderscoff and Sterling MacPherson. Your back was always covered with these two around.
On Sunday morning we head north to Maine and on to PEI, Canada. Lots going on back home also that I’ll attempt to get into print. Once again, thanks for stopping by to take a gander at my chicken scratch.
On our way to Connecticut this past Monday our first stop was the Elmwood Cemetery.
PBS once did a History Detective special on Cemeteries. Our personal history dates back 51 years and we are forever exploring final resting places when traveling. I know, it’s a dying interest, but we try to keep it alive. Join us on this grand day in August as we travel east for the day while celebrating our 51’st honeymoon.
Married in 1965, and the #1 song of the year was, “My Girl” by The Temptations. Here she is standing in front of the famous “Mystic Pizza.”
I went out for breakfast with my brother in-law John yesterday morning after dropping my girl off at the Rails to Trails for her 10K plus step morning. She’s a walking fool, ask anyone in Allen. Over an old-time favorite of Corned Beef Hash, two eggs sunny side up, home fries and toast we roasted the world of government and politics. My goodness, do we have all the answers. A combined 141 years of experience, way more than either candidate this year.
Oh, if the nutritionist/Dietician at Cardiac Rehab could see me now. Hey, I’m on a honeymoon remember.
By the second cup neither of us could name a worthy candidate. We did conclude that one’s a Liar and one’s a Bozo.
I said good bye to John and headed out to find my girl an hour and a half later. Thanks to the Technocrats for https://www.roadid.com/
I knew right where she was, picked her up and headed back to our accommodations to plan our us-day. After a quick thought of a place or two we decided on Mystic,Connecticut, located 53 miles to the east on Long Island Sound.
Our first stop was AAA, we exchanged some US money, for Canadian and then continued east to the Sound. We have a new Garmin GPS to get us around but the old familiarity of living and patrolling the roads of Connecticut quickly returned to this aging soul. What was that old movie, “Somewhere in Time.”
Unlike the science fiction movie, this was the real thing and we were feeling romantic and nostalgic. Since this was the Honeymoon we never had 51 years ago, romance was in the air. On our first date, coffee and a donut in a diner in Pennshauken, NJ with another couple, we had our first kiss behind a tomb stone in a cemetery. It was a beautiful venue, small ponds with ducks swimming about, grassy meadows and those around us remaining ever so quiet, go figure.
Thanks Google for giving us a visual back to the place of that first kiss.No cell phones or IT back in those days. I’d line up quarters, dimes and nickles at the pay phone to call her from Camp Lejeune, NC. Those were the days
Just moments prior to the recreation of that first kiss, only this time in Mystic, CT. Nope, no pictures, it was a private moment in the Elm Grove Cemetery.
The drawbridge.
We would have lunch up in the trees at the Oyster, Club.
Foxwood’s Casino and Resort loomed large in the distance as we ventured back to Tolland.
As the sun set on this grand re-creation of a first kiss and a trip to Mystic, , thank you Lord for 51 years with a grand lady, three children, nine grandchildren and 3 1/2 great-grandchildren. It doesn’t get any better than this.
I got a whole bunch of steps in as the Mrs., the granddaughters and I spent over an hour on the mostly shaded trail on a grand walk. There were old, young, walkers and bikers, a little old lady pushing a baby carriage, and many dog walkers greeted along our adventure through the woods.
The Rooster and the granddaughters pose for the camera.
Granny and the girls under I-84.
Such Talent
Various signs along the way gave the walker the history on how the rail line functioned in years gone by. My family from the 20’s thru the 50’s had a long history with both the Pennsylvania Railroad and the Pennsylvania Seashore Line.
One great Uncle was in-charge of the mail car that ran each night between Scranton and Altoona, PA. Back during WW II another great-uncle was an engineer on a coal train that ran from Camden, to Cape May, NJ. I can remember sitting on a stool in my grandmother’s house and listening to stories from times gone by. One such story told, surrounded the expert marksmanship my uncle dad with a pistol. It seems the railroad armed the crews as they traveled the tracks adjacent to the coast, German submarines you know. As the train would pass farms that were fronted with picket fences close to the tracks, many would have empty milk bottles seated there awaiting the Milkman’s pick-up and delivery. Ready, Aim, *FIRE*, target practice would commence as the train passed. Any missed bottles would remain for the Conductor and Brakeman back in the Caboose to pick off should they be worthy enough to do so. My uncle always had a bit of a twinkle in his eye when he told his stories, especially that one.
So my friends there’s a bit of history for you, should the rails of old be of any interest. That walk with my grandchildren today rekindled such great stories I was told as a youngster and it felt good sharing it with you.
Thanks for stopping by as our adventure North continues. Writing early, and writing often, I remain,
We are still in CT. Hung with the grand-kids last night while son and wife took eldest son David to Logan on way to Dublin. Nice the parents got some alone time and a meal out. They sent the below pic, looking across the water from Logan to downtown, Boston. You just gotta love sunsets. I do like the rises also, ” Yep, here I am again” I say. Thank you Lord for another day in paradise.
The Boston skyline.
Eastham Bay, Cape Cod, MA, looking west across Cape Cod Bay at sunset. Our son and family were vacationing there last week. There are not a lot of east coast USA sites where the sun can be viewed setting over the water. In Maryland we have Fagers Island in Ocean City that looks across Assawomen Bay. As the sun sets, the “William Tell Overture” plays. It’s one of those, you had to be there moments.
Today we venture out on a hiking path with two granddaughters to get some exercise and outdoor time. Yesterday I did the treadmill, I’ve gotta keep that Cardio Rehab going strong. I certainly don’t want to go backwards.
I was catching up on the back-home news and saw the below article from the Baltimore Sun, I just had to share. It is certainly not something that will be on my menu.
Brian Shenkman was at the Ohio State Fair when he saw a vendor dishing out deep-fried, bacon-wrapped Oreos. Now, he’s bringing the deep-fried delicacies to Maryland.
“We tried it and we loved it and thought we’d bring it to the East Coast,” he said.
This year marks Shenkman’s 21st as a vendor at the Maryland State Fair, where he dishes out deep-fried foods alongside an array of candy from the Bulk Candy Store tent.
His offerings change from year to year, and the bacon-wrapped Oreos are this year’s newest addition. The Oreo is first fried alone, then wrapped in bacon and fried again for a sweet-and-salty finish.
“It’s like having two scoops of ice cream,” Shenkman said. “It doesn’t get much better.”
Other popular items include deep-fried grilled cheese, deep-fried peanut butter and jelly, deep-fried Buckeyes (made of chocolate and peanut butter) and deep-fried cream cheese — Shenkman’s favorite.
Last year he offered fried cream cheese larvettes — yes, bugs — for the first time, and he’s bringing them back again this year.
“It’s like having a warm bagel with cream cheese and little crunchy things in them, and if you don’t realize what it is you’d never know,” he said.
Everyone asks Shenkman how many calories are in each of his crispy creations, he said. He reassured customers that if they don’t finish the last bite, the calories don’t count.
“We save all the calories there for the last bite,” he said.
Take a look at some of the deep-fried offerings in the gallery above.
It is day two of what we are calling 51st honeymoon. It will be a two week travel adventure through DE, NJ, NY, CT to start. I write this on day two of our trip, we are at our son’s home in CT, we shall be here through Saturday when we attend a reunion at my old State Police troop in Stafford Springs. A bunch of old retired farts telling past war stories, another lol. This Sunday we head to Bangor, ME, Monday Moncton, BC then on to Charlottetown, PEI, Halifax, NS, Saint John, BC, Bucksport, ME, Portland, ME, CT, and finally home on the 7th of September.
Who was that just asking what 51st honeymoon meant? Did you ever see 50 First Dates?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/50_First_Dates
Take a gander at the trailer, a really cute movie. https://www.amazon.com/50-First-Dates-Adam-Sandler/dp/B00190L018
Now we have not experienced brain trauma, we are up in our years, were married 51 years ago, and a lot has flown right out and over heads. So, we are just following the script that I somehow programmed into my Garmin Express. I’m going to make a concerted effort to post early and often, kind of like voting, and to keep you all up to date on who, what, when, and where the Rooster and his bride are.
Awoke to 47f/54%rh this AM, already a great first day wake-up.
Today our son and daughter in-law head to Boston with their oldest child, David. David is a college senior and heads out late today from Logan, IAP to Dublin, Ireland and begin his senior year with a semester abroad. He’s already completed one semester out of the country having spent it in Montreal, Canada.
Learning to speak Irish with an Apple
After a quick tidy up of the house we were out the door at 0615 and on the road in our Subaru Forrester for a 360 mile trip to Tolland, CT. We will R & R there until Sunday when we head to Canada.
We had a Golden Arch breakfast in Bridgeville, DE, Got cheap gas at a stop on the NJ, Tpk ., Gave the attendant a $2.00 tip, you can’t pump your own in Jersey, and ventured across the Hudson river via the Lincoln Tunnel. I usually take the George Washington bridge but travel warnings were predicting a 45 minute back-up. 1010 WINS to the rescue.
When you exit the Lincoln you are in immediate chaos of people, traffic and horns blowing. You’re adjacent to the maze that is Port Authority Bus Terminal and the Theater district. After a left on 43rd st we headed to the river and then north on the West Side Hwy. and on to CT. We would pass the Aircraft Carrier Intrepid Museum on the way. Many years earlier the Mrs. and I were lost below decks when on this ship for an open house while it was being decommissioned at the Philadelphia Navy Year.Old memories rekindled.
For Lunch we would pull off the Merritt Pkwy. in CT and make a stop at a Panera Bread in Fairfield for lunch. This is one of favorite stops when traveling for a great mid-day meal. After lunch we would get some steps in and walk a bit and make a stop at a Pier One Imports store. No buys here. If you remember the lady of the house is disposing, not accumulating.
Not Bruce Springsteen, but the Boss none the less.
Our next stop was in Newington, CT at Stew Leonard’s grocery store. If your ever on the Berlin turnpike, take a few minutes and take the adventure that is Stew Leonard’s.
Nine hours later and four stops we got off the highway at our old, 20 years, home town of Vernon, CT, and traveled familiar roads for a few miles to our sons home in Tolland. A great day, little traffic and a welcoming home. You can’t ask for anything more on your first day of travels. Thank you Lord.
Once again thanks for dropping by the chicken pen. Remember to vote early and vote often. Feeling a little like Charles Karault today.
A fellow blogger, recently had a post that included Queen Anne’s Lace. This photo courtesy of Wunderground was posted today. I’m thinking there might just be a five-pound Bass in that there pond. Just Thinking that’s all. That’s Queen Anne’s Lace is in the foreground.
We had our Yard Sale, made a few $$, not a lot mind you. All unsold items were donated to Halo Ministries
Over the past month we’ve made quite a few trips there as the Mrs. continues her personal purge of 51 years of accumulated stuff. She even has me admitting that there are a lot of things I no longer need. Forty Seven old tattered hats and hats never worn were either thrown out or donated to Halo. I must admit, I still have a few hats left. I shall be checking the heads of the homeless from now on to see if my fedora’s are on the men about town.
The ladies assisting in the Yard Sale were on station at 0500 the day of the sale. At 0605 a neighbor pulled in with his coffee on his way to work. The girls joined in, not with coffee mind you. It was Mimosa time. Mimosa time is usually a post church mass happening on an occasional Sunday when all the girls get together. No complaints here, NFL football is just around the corner and the boys will be doing their thing starting at 1300 on Sundays.
The girls giving the Mimosa wave.
The Mrs. suggested doing something nice for the girls for all their effort of setting up for the sale. My take was, they should be thankful that all this stuff is gone. When we rise up at the end of this journey they will be thankful that they do not have to sort through all this stuff.
This past Saturday night 23 friends and relatives gathered in the Rooster’s Annex, which was a garage, will shortly become a guest house and on this night for some fine dining and socializing. Crabs were the center of the attraction accompanied by Fried Chicken, Hot Dogs, Watermelon-Salsa, Potato Salad, Sweet and Sour Cucumbers, Beans for 18 casserole, Sweet corn, Cookies, Arnold Palmer Iced Tea, Beer, Wine and good old H2O. Throw out the calories, disregard the Gerd and dive in. It’s the Eastern Shore for crying out loud. Thanks Ed and Lexi, the crabs were fantastic.
The Chow line
The tables are waiting.
One of our guest’s was kind enough to bring the hostess some Sun Flowers. Our porch becomes a bit of Americana. God Bless the USA.
For the past few days our son and grandson have been in Las Vegas attending the Defcon annual conference. Our son is the owner of http://serepick.com/
His company manufactures and distributes items necessary for various groups and agencies around the world. He and co-operators also teach various courses to individuals who provide you with the reassurance that when you go to sleep at night, you will awaken in the morning. Sleep well my friends.
Grandson Kevin in Las Vegas selling Serepick wares. A DECA participant and CT chapter president.
Once again, thanks for stopping by.
CNN.com
3 Day Quote Challenge
Someone I follow http://www.thejourneyofamillionmiles.com/ is taking part in a three-day quote challenge by https://thechickengrandma.wordpress.com/category/farm/. Here I am jumping in on day two. I was inspired, and especially want to share my favorite quote of all times which is so meaningful to me.
I have an issue with individuals who can’t make a decision. Have you ever been in a restaurant and someone at your table says “So, what are you going to order?” Then they hem and haw, ask everyone around the table the same question and wind up saying, “Well, I just don’t know what looks good.” For crying out loud, “MAKE A DECISION”. It just drives me crazy.
I also think of those members of the Thin Blue Line, of which way back when, I was a member. How will any hesitancy in their coming to the crosses in the road they deal with, effect if they get to go home at the end of their shift.
The photo is courtesy of http://www.singingwiththespirit.com/2014/09/05/the-fork-in-the-road-sept-7th/
Here is an all-inclusive list of Yogi’s quotes:
1. “It ain’t over till it’s over.”
2. “It’s deja vu all over again.”
3. “I usually take a two-hour nap from 1 to 4.”
4. “Never answer an anonymous letter.”
5. “We made too many wrong mistakes.”
6. “You can observe a lot by watching.”
7. “The future ain’t what it used to be.”
8. “If you don’t know where you are going, you might wind up someplace else.”
9. “It gets late early out here.”
10. “If the people don’t want to come out to the ballpark, nobody’s going to stop them.”
11. “Baseball is 90 percent mental. The other half is physical.”
12. “Pair up in threes.”
13. “Why buy good luggage, you only use it when you travel.”
14. “Nobody goes there anymore. It’s too crowded.”
15. “All pitchers are liars or crybabies.”
16. “A nickel ain’t worth a dime anymore.”
17. “Bill Dickey is learning me his experience.”
18. “He hits from both sides of the plate. He’s amphibious.”
19. “I always thought that record would stand until it was broken.”
20. “I can see how he (Sandy Koufax) won 25 games. What I don’t understand is how he lost five.”
21. “I don’t know (if they were men or women fans running naked across the field). They had bags over their heads.”
22. “I’m a lucky guy and I’m happy to be with the Yankees. And I want to thank everyone for making this night necessary.”
23. “I’m not going to buy my kids an encyclopedia. Let them walk to school like I did.”
24. “In baseball, you don’t know nothing.”
25. “I never blame myself when I’m not hitting. I just blame the bat and if it keeps up, I change bats. After all, if I know it isn’t my fault that I’m not hitting, how can I get mad at myself?”
26. “I never said most of the things I said.”
27. “It ain’t the heat, it’s the humility.”
28. “I think Little League is wonderful. It keeps the kids out of the house.”
29. “I wish everybody had the drive he (Joe DiMaggio) had. He never did anything wrong on the field. I’d never seen him dive for a ball, everything was a chest-high catch, and he never walked off the field.”
30. “So I’m ugly. I never saw anyone hit with his face.”
31. “Take it with a grin of salt.”
32. (On the 1973 Mets) “We were overwhelming underdogs.”
33. “The towels were so thick there I could hardly close my suitcase.”
34. “You should always go to other people’s funerals, otherwise, they won’t come to yours.”
35. “When you come to a fork in the road, take it.”
Sources: Los Angeles Times, Baseball Almanac, Baseball Digest, Catcher in the Wry (Bob Uecker), Sports Illustrated
Once again, thanks for stopping by.
Yard Sale tomorrow, Saturday July 30th.
6:00 AM to 10:00 AM
Where – 25041 Collins Wharf Rd.
Eden/Allen, MD
Between Redden Ferry and Yacht Club Rd.
Yep, she’s doing it again. Throwing my treasures away.
“Don’t hoard treasure down here where it gets eaten by moths and corroded by rust or—worse!—stolen by burglars. Stockpile treasure in heaven, where it’s safe from moth and rust and burglars. It’s obvious, isn’t it? The place where your treasure is, is the place you will most want to be, and end up being.
Matthew 6:19-21 MSG (Thanks Marijo for the inspiration)
Thanks for taking a gander.
Semper Fi, Lee
http://www.elfidd.com
OK Rooster, it’s time to get back in the saddle, you’ve been away, life’s gotten in the way, some negatives have happened. Time to move on.
In early June we lost our dog Maggie. She was my constant companion, my wife’s step buddy. The two of them did 3-5 miles a day without a problem. She was only eight and succumbed to an Aneurysm. My wife was in Connecticut caring for my sister at the time. I’ve never felt so alone. No wife, no dog. Just the darn cat, Simon, to share the grief with. Yeh, I really do like the critter.
Maggie and the Mrs, just back from a walk in the late winter..
I’ve been fortunate in life to have had three sisters and a brother. I’m the eldest and as I’ve always said, “the only one from the original litter.” My parents had me, called it quits and moved on. Most likely one of me was enough.
My mother remarried and she and my step father had two girls. Half sisters be they. One, Robin, lives in Florida, the other, Megan, in Virginia.
My father remarried and my step mother already had a daughter by her previous marriage. Now I had a step sister, Donna, at age seven. She hated me by the way. By the time I was ten, my step mother gave birth to a son, now I had a half-brother and his name was Richard. So I’m really the eldest of five.
For twenty years of our life we were next door neighbors to my step sister Donna. We moved south to MD twenty-eight years ago this month. Every Saturday morning for all of those twenty eight years my wife and Donna would catch up on life’s goings on via telephone. Theirs was a sisterly bond, plus they were both life long nurses. They even split seven-day a week jobs over the years.
Donna would retire as a nurse of 50 years last October. In early November she and her husband of forever would journey south to visit us for a long weekend. We had a great visit, spent time on the shooting range, ate well and reminisced. While at our home she mentioned she had a physical and some blood work was off and would get the follow-up results next week.
The next weeks follow-up proved devastating, Donna had Cancer. Really, no one needs that hand from that deck of cards.
Donna would die on July first surrounded by her husband, children, grandchildren, brothers spouses and some close friends at home. Mary Agnes, her Saturday morning phone contact, provided care off and on for the past several months. Oh, and Donna complained about that care constantly (in jest!). Donna died at home and she will be missed immensely. For the last two weeks of her life the Mrs. and Donna’s daughter Sue were at her side so she could remain at home.
My eldest daughter wrote a Eulogy for my sister that I would like to share with you now.
“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, they will forget what you did but they will never forget how you made them feel.”
Aunt Donna, Donna Mae Brodin, was a woman who made each one of us feel that we were the only person in the room, that we mattered and that we were important. Last Thursday we celebrated her and all she was… A wife, mom, sister, aunt, grandmother, friend, neighbor who did so much for each and every one of us.
My sister and I have been reminiscing, sharing stories of Aunt Donna for the past several weeks, evidence of all the things she did for so many and the multitude of ways she made us all smile
Here’s a few memories…
She grounded us – She took us to summer bible school at the Lutheran church – Summer fun!
She did work outs with Jane Fonda and who was the curly-haired crazy man? I hear there is even a video of her on a treadmill…..
She always got us the good sugary cereals since our mom was a Sugar Nazi!
One thing she did – for the majority of her life, was her vocation…. Her love – She was a nurse…. From nursing kittens…. (Litter after litter) She nursed family, friends, and her patients back to health. She recently retired from the VNA. One of her proudest moments was when she was recognized with the Florence Nightingale award in 2013. She inspires me today to be a better nurse by making a difference with each and every patient.
It was not unusual for Aunt Donna to buy food, clothes or other things for her patients. Her generosity knew no bounds. She nursed all of us when we were sick and always made sure we had Vicks cough drops! She showed amazing generosity to her family. She and Uncle John hosted lots of house guests for extended stays, Uncle Rick, Uncle Bruce, Sue, Johnny, Mylie, Timmy….
She was funny! And she had an amazing laugh! It was not uncommon for her and my mom to show up at the bus stop dressed up in some outfit to make the bus driver laugh and humiliate kids. I hear her friends at VNA also experienced her great sense of humor.
She and our mom talked every Saturday. Oftentimes I would come over on Saturday morning and my mom would be on the phone, laughing hysterically as they solved the problems of the world through the power of Verizon!
Aunt Donna could “DO”Christmas and for that matter, any event. Any time she hosted an event she would always make sure she got the one special thing any guest would like. For me, at Christmas it was cashews…. And the Robert Goulet Christmas record.
She truly personified Maya Angelou’s words…. she made us feel special each and every day.
Thank you Kathryn, well said.
Aunt Donna would never get seafood however. We love you Aunt Donna.
Thanks for listening and allowing me to share my sister and Maggie with you. To all my Facebook and Twitter friends, thank you for your messages of support and condolences. To the messages in Allen’s “Missive” and those you serve, you are all so very special. The damn sand between my toes is a pain in the ass though.
God Bless America, and God Bless Donna Brodin and a special companion, Maggie.
My wife and I are back in our old stomping grounds of Connecticut where we lived for twenty years and raised three children until 1988 when we moved to the Eastern Shore of Maryland. My wife has spent a good deal of time up here for the past several months using her past nursing skills to care for my sister. As we await her sunset, many gather to remember all the good works of this Nurse of so many years. Many laughs are being exchanged in her presence and she smiles continuously. The door opens and old friends continue to fill the room.
We were quite close when living in Connecticut, as a matter of fact we were next door neighbors for eighteen of those twenty years. Our three and my sister’s two children had two sets of parents and one was always present. A parental eye was always watching and by the grace of God all five kids turned out great.
I was fortunate last week to hitch a ride with a daughter and granddaughter and get to spend some time here also. I’m also playing hooky from Cardio Rehab. My niece is flying in today from Alaska to spend some time with her mother and we shall soon venture back south for a short respite. The grass needs mowing, we will pay some bills, catch up on some appointments and head back north in due time.
The north end of the NJ Turnpike was a cheering and beeping frenzy of Columbia Futball fans traveling to the Meadowland’s Stadium for a soccer game.
While here in the evening, the shade and hanging flower baskets create a gravitational force that lures us to our son and daughter in-law’s front porch.
The Porch
A cold beverage, usually a wine and beer help to relax us from what becomes a stressful day at times. I must also mention the open aviary this porch has become. Entertainment has not been lacking the past week.
Two large hanging baskets adorn the porch each filled with robust red flowers. You would think that Hummingbirds would be common, not the case. Sparrows have built a nest in the north facing basket.
Into this pot the birds fly.
Last night my son took the below photo of the nest and we were surprised when a rogue appeared among those of the sparrow.
The rogue egg sits.
An educational search ensued and this is what we found.
The Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater) is a brood parasite, meaning that it lays its eggs in nests of other species. A female cowbird quietly searches for female birds of other species that are actively laying eggs. Once she has found a suitable host, the cowbird will sneak onto the resident bird’s nest when it is away, usually damage or remove one (or more) egg, and replace that egg with one (or more) of her own (watch a cowbird laying an egg in a Northern Cardinal nest on NestCams). The foster parents then unknowingly raise the young cowbirds, usually at the expense of their own offspring. Cowbird eggs require a shorter incubation period than most other songbirds and thus usually hatch first. Cowbird nestlings also grow large very quickly. These advantages allow them to command the most food from their foster parents, usually resulting in reduced nesting success of the host species.
Brown-headed Cowbirds are native to the United States and prefer open grasslands, as well as agricultural, urban, and suburban habitats where grain or cattle-disturbed soil are readily available. Historically they followed herds of bison, eating insects kicked up by the animals’ hooves. It is unknown whether they developed their breeding strategy because they had to move frequently to keep up with the bison herds, or whether they were able to follow the herds because their breeding strategy gave them the freedom to do so. Expansion of agricultural areas and removal of forest cover have greatly benefited this species by providing more overall habitat and by giving cowbirds access to new host species that have not developed defensive strategies against nest parasitism. While it is clear that cowbirds have benefited from forest fragmentation, their role in population-level declines of many forest birds is less certain.
The cowbird does not depend exclusively on a single host species; it has been known to parasitize over 220 different species of North American birds and therefore spreads its impact across many populations. Although cowbirds have been implicated in the population declines of several rare species, such as Kirtland’s Warbler and Black-capped Vireo, habitat loss and fragmentation likely play a much larger role in causing songbird declines. This is evidenced by the fact that cowbird control alone did not increase populations of the endangered Kirtland’s Warbler; only when cowbird control was combined with habitat management for young Jack Pine forests did the warblers rebound.
Because cowbirds are native to the U.S., they are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and in most instances it is unlawful to use lethal control without a permit, including the removal of their eggs from a nest. However, unpermitted control of cowbirds is occasionally permissible under special circumstances outlined in the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Additionally, in some states, such as Michigan and Texas, permits can be obtained to trap cowbirds to protect endangered species like Kirtland’s Warbler, Golden-cheeked Warbler, and Black-capped Vireo. Please check with your state’s wildlife management agency for local regulations.
Some species, such as the Yellow Warbler, can recognize cowbird eggs and will reject them or build a new nest on top of them. Those species which accept cowbird eggs either do not notice the new eggs, or as new evidence suggests, accept them as a defense against total nest destruction. Cowbirds may “punish” egg-rejectors by destroying the entire nest, whereas it is possible for egg-acceptors to raise some of their own young in addition to the cowbird young (see Birdscope 2008).
This fledgling Brown-headed Cowbird dwarfs the adult Common Yellowthroat acting as dad.
To deter Brown-headed Cowbirds:
This cowbird egg (top, left) was laid in an Eastern Bluebird’s nest, inside a nest box.
Note the cowbird (being fed) has a very red gape and has opened its eyes, setting it apart from the Wood Thrush nestlings with whom it shares this nest.
How do you know if you have cowbird parasitism to report in your NestWatch data?
Once again the Rooster thanks you for stopping by.
As The Rooster Crows 