Gilligan died peacefully at approximately 10:15 PM tonight. Burial services were performed at 10:30 PM in a quiet ceremony attended by Keith, Mark and Thistle.
Cause of death is unknown. On Thursday, Gilligan appeared to be on a strong road to recovery after losing his wing in a car accident. Overnight, his health took a turn for the worse. His appetite waned and his right leg became stiff. As the weekend progressed, he ate less and less and he lost all use of his leg.
His final days were peaceful. He rested on his old towel next to his water and feed bowls where he could easily stretch his neck to drink and occasionally nibble at his food. Every once in awhile, he would hop on his one good leg to a new position on his towel. Today, he refused to eat, but he did drink his water.
The weather had warmed on Saturday and he spent a couple of hours resting in the sun. Last night, he sat in Mark’s lap and watched an episode of Star Trek. He dozed throughout the show as Mark gently stroked his feathers.
While his cause of death is unknown, his symptoms were reminiscent of a disease that swept through a brood of baby ducks Mark raised as a kid. One day, the ducks were fine. The next morning, one leg would be paralyzed. The baby ducks wouldn’t eat and died within two days. Only one duck, Lupe, survived the disease and lived on for ten years. He always walked with a limp and was unable to quack like a duck – he sounded more like a snorting pig – but otherwise lived a healthy life, fathering many broods of ducks over the years.
Mark and Keith strongly suspects that whatever this disease is, it took advantage of Gilligan’s weakened state from the accident.
Both say they will never try to rescue an injured animal again. While their grief makes them say that now, they’ll be the first to try to help another animal in need if they happen to come across one.
© 2007
Mark Darien
All rights reserved
Please include this copyright notice if you share this article
Monday, February 26, 2007
Friday, February 23, 2007
Gilligan Takes Turn for the Worse
Postpones Public Appearance
Last night, Gilligan, the sea gull Keith and Mark rescued last Sunday, showed possible signs of failing health.
“When we got home from work,” explained Mark, “I took him out of his box and placed him on the floor so he could eat. He did eat, though not as much as he did last night, then he just laid there watching everything going on around him.”
In addition to his waning appetite, another sign something was wrong became evident when Gilligan had trouble standing. It appeared his right leg was weak and in pain. He refused to stand on it for long. When he lay on the floor, he leaned his body to the side.
One positive sign that he may be alright is that he continued to preen himself. That glimmer of hope for Gilligan’s health, however, waned this morning when Gilligan refused to eat anything.
Gilligan had shown problems with his leg when he was first rescued and continued to show slight problems after he was brought home from the hospital. There are no physical indications of injury to the leg and the doctor hadn’t mentioned anything about it. Gilligan’s limping wobbliness was blamed on his missing wing setting off his balance.
“But last night he acted like he hurt his leg all over again. The night before, he stood on it for an hour preening himself. Now he has to sit down while preening,” said Mark.
Mark and Keith are hoping that the leg has only become stiff by Gilligan not being able to walk around and use it much. While his pen is being built (scheduled for completion tomorrow), he spends several hours resting in a box. The box is big enough for him to stand up and move around a little, but not big enough to get the exercise Gilligan needs.
This morning, Keith and Mark laid old towels over the entire bathroom floor and let Gilligan have free roam of the room.
“And the bathroom has a baseboard heater that we left on low. That should keep Gilligan’s leg warm while he heals,” added Keith.
Keith and Mark have postponed Gilligan’s public appearance this weekend.
“Let me get his new home built and see how he comes along on that leg, first,” said Mark. “If his leg is just stiff from not getting enough exercise, maybe by Sunday I’ll feel comfortable taking his picture for the public. Right now, I’m worried the flash might scare him and he might end up hurting his leg worse.”
© 2007
Mark Darien
All rights reserved
Please include this copyright notice if you share this article
Shop at PETsMART.com
“When we got home from work,” explained Mark, “I took him out of his box and placed him on the floor so he could eat. He did eat, though not as much as he did last night, then he just laid there watching everything going on around him.”
In addition to his waning appetite, another sign something was wrong became evident when Gilligan had trouble standing. It appeared his right leg was weak and in pain. He refused to stand on it for long. When he lay on the floor, he leaned his body to the side.
One positive sign that he may be alright is that he continued to preen himself. That glimmer of hope for Gilligan’s health, however, waned this morning when Gilligan refused to eat anything.
Gilligan had shown problems with his leg when he was first rescued and continued to show slight problems after he was brought home from the hospital. There are no physical indications of injury to the leg and the doctor hadn’t mentioned anything about it. Gilligan’s limping wobbliness was blamed on his missing wing setting off his balance.
“But last night he acted like he hurt his leg all over again. The night before, he stood on it for an hour preening himself. Now he has to sit down while preening,” said Mark.
Mark and Keith are hoping that the leg has only become stiff by Gilligan not being able to walk around and use it much. While his pen is being built (scheduled for completion tomorrow), he spends several hours resting in a box. The box is big enough for him to stand up and move around a little, but not big enough to get the exercise Gilligan needs.
This morning, Keith and Mark laid old towels over the entire bathroom floor and let Gilligan have free roam of the room.
“And the bathroom has a baseboard heater that we left on low. That should keep Gilligan’s leg warm while he heals,” added Keith.
Keith and Mark have postponed Gilligan’s public appearance this weekend.
“Let me get his new home built and see how he comes along on that leg, first,” said Mark. “If his leg is just stiff from not getting enough exercise, maybe by Sunday I’ll feel comfortable taking his picture for the public. Right now, I’m worried the flash might scare him and he might end up hurting his leg worse.”
© 2007
Mark Darien
All rights reserved
Please include this copyright notice if you share this article
Shop at PETsMART.com
Thursday, February 22, 2007
Gilligan Scheduled for a Public Appearance
Sometime this weekend, Gilligan, the injured sea gull rescued last Sunday, is scheduled to make his first public appearance since his accident, his publicist announced this morning.
Last Sunday, Gilligan was found stuffed in a Walmart shopping cart with a broken wing and blood-stained body. Exactly what happened to him is unknown, but it appears he was feeding in the Walmart parking lot when a car hit him - nearly severing his wing - sometime around Friday. Someone scooped him up and placed him in the shopping cart until Keith and Mark found him Sunday evening. Two days later, Gilligan’s doctor had to amputate his wing.
He is at his new home recovering from the trauma. His appetite is returning. For the first time, he ate a hearty meal. He enjoyed a bowl of Friskies whitefish and tuna cat food.
After his dinner, he tried to take a bath. At first, he used the water to clean his bill and even drank some of his bath water. As the water level rose, though, he wanted out of the tub. His feathers have lost their waterproof qualities as a result of the accident and the cold water soaked through to his skin.
His caretakers, Mark and Keith, placed a portable heater on the floor a safe distance from the sheet Gilligan uses to prevent messing on the floor. They placed Gilligan on his sheet to warm him up. Gilligan promptly strolled right up to the heater and spent the next hour preening his self.
Thistle, Keith and Mark’s boxer/hound dog mix, has been very patient with Gilligan. She keeps her distance from him, but never lets an eye off of him. She lies in her bed and stares at Gilligan trying to make sense of the new invader in her home.
Her biggest concern is what Gilligan eats. Thistle knows when a can is opened, it’s her dinner time. Last night when Mark opened the can of cat food, she came running to the kitchen expecting her dinner. She watched Mark with her big, sad, brown eyes as he placed the cat food down for Gilligan.
Mark immediately opened a can of food for Thistle and then spent an hour lying with Thistle as they both watched Gilligan preen his self. It is important Thistle knows she is still top dog.
And Gilligan is adjusting to his new home. He tolerates his new caretakers, Keith and Mark. He doesn’t try to bite them although he does prefer them to keep their distance. He will sit in Mark’s lap as he watches TV, but always looks for a quick escape and reluctantly, he allows Mark to pick him up to put him to bed, although he clearly makes his protest known by trying to evade capture.
© 2007
Mark Darien
All rights reserved
Please include this copyright notice if you share this article
Last Sunday, Gilligan was found stuffed in a Walmart shopping cart with a broken wing and blood-stained body. Exactly what happened to him is unknown, but it appears he was feeding in the Walmart parking lot when a car hit him - nearly severing his wing - sometime around Friday. Someone scooped him up and placed him in the shopping cart until Keith and Mark found him Sunday evening. Two days later, Gilligan’s doctor had to amputate his wing.
He is at his new home recovering from the trauma. His appetite is returning. For the first time, he ate a hearty meal. He enjoyed a bowl of Friskies whitefish and tuna cat food.
After his dinner, he tried to take a bath. At first, he used the water to clean his bill and even drank some of his bath water. As the water level rose, though, he wanted out of the tub. His feathers have lost their waterproof qualities as a result of the accident and the cold water soaked through to his skin.
His caretakers, Mark and Keith, placed a portable heater on the floor a safe distance from the sheet Gilligan uses to prevent messing on the floor. They placed Gilligan on his sheet to warm him up. Gilligan promptly strolled right up to the heater and spent the next hour preening his self.
Thistle, Keith and Mark’s boxer/hound dog mix, has been very patient with Gilligan. She keeps her distance from him, but never lets an eye off of him. She lies in her bed and stares at Gilligan trying to make sense of the new invader in her home.
Her biggest concern is what Gilligan eats. Thistle knows when a can is opened, it’s her dinner time. Last night when Mark opened the can of cat food, she came running to the kitchen expecting her dinner. She watched Mark with her big, sad, brown eyes as he placed the cat food down for Gilligan.
Mark immediately opened a can of food for Thistle and then spent an hour lying with Thistle as they both watched Gilligan preen his self. It is important Thistle knows she is still top dog.
And Gilligan is adjusting to his new home. He tolerates his new caretakers, Keith and Mark. He doesn’t try to bite them although he does prefer them to keep their distance. He will sit in Mark’s lap as he watches TV, but always looks for a quick escape and reluctantly, he allows Mark to pick him up to put him to bed, although he clearly makes his protest known by trying to evade capture.
© 2007
Mark Darien
All rights reserved
Please include this copyright notice if you share this article
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Stella Loses Wing – Gets New Name
The injured sea gull we found Sunday evening arrived at the Choptank Animal Hospital safely and in style. Resting in a box of fresh grass, it was well-received by the hospital staff. Its spirits were strong as demonstrated by its constant pecking of the side of the box. Last night it discovered this new game and must like the sound of its beak hitting the side of the box.
Unfortunately, the gull’s wing was completely severed from the accident and was only being held on by a piece of skin. The doctor estimated it had its accident a day or two before we found it since the bone had turned completely brown and all the nerves were dead. There was no saving the wing and it had to be removed.
Stella is a first-year gull still in its juvenile plumage. The doctor is fairly certain it is a ring-billed gull (Larus delawarensis), the common “scavenger gull” found in suburban areas around fast-food restaurants. These gulls are believed to live 3-10 years in the wild though some have lived as long as 23 years.
The doctor could not tell if the gull is a male or female. On the hospital admittance forms, under name, we listed Stella/Gilligan and told the staff we would choose the name depending on its sex. The staff had already decided Gilligan was more fitting and had entered the name in the computer.
Keith and I decided to keep calling him Gilligan.
He will have a new, permanent home in Toddville. This weekend, he will move out of his cardboard box and into a new home, a pen I plan on building and completing by Saturday night.
© 2007
Mark Darien
All rights reserved
Please include this copyright notice if you share this article
Nolvasan Skin & Wound Cleanser 4oz Bottle
Unfortunately, the gull’s wing was completely severed from the accident and was only being held on by a piece of skin. The doctor estimated it had its accident a day or two before we found it since the bone had turned completely brown and all the nerves were dead. There was no saving the wing and it had to be removed.
Stella is a first-year gull still in its juvenile plumage. The doctor is fairly certain it is a ring-billed gull (Larus delawarensis), the common “scavenger gull” found in suburban areas around fast-food restaurants. These gulls are believed to live 3-10 years in the wild though some have lived as long as 23 years.
The doctor could not tell if the gull is a male or female. On the hospital admittance forms, under name, we listed Stella/Gilligan and told the staff we would choose the name depending on its sex. The staff had already decided Gilligan was more fitting and had entered the name in the computer.
Keith and I decided to keep calling him Gilligan.
He will have a new, permanent home in Toddville. This weekend, he will move out of his cardboard box and into a new home, a pen I plan on building and completing by Saturday night.
© 2007
Mark Darien
All rights reserved
Please include this copyright notice if you share this article
Nolvasan Skin & Wound Cleanser 4oz Bottle
Monday, February 19, 2007
Injured Sea Gull Survives the Day
After a long day of worry and an impatient two-hour drive home, we came home to the injured sea gull we rescued yesterday expecting a dead or dying bird. The good news is she’s alive and doing well. I fed her some sardines, but she only ate a little bit of those. She gobbled down the whole grain bread soaked in water, though. I suspect she doesn’t care for the sardines.
If she keeps her strength up for another nine hours, she’ll be in good hands at the animal hospital. Hopefully, the vet will be able to save her wing and maybe after a few weeks of careful nurturing, she’ll take to the air again. We’ll learn the prognosis tomorrow.
I may be jumping the gun, but this severely injured bird has survived a full 24-hours plus and appears to be alert. From here out, she will no longer be referred to as “the bird” or “sea gull”. I feel comfortable to use her name – Stella.
Stay tuned for Stella’s continuing story of her recovery from her terrible collision with a car.
© 2006
Mark Darien
All rights reserved
Please include this copyright notice if you share this article
If she keeps her strength up for another nine hours, she’ll be in good hands at the animal hospital. Hopefully, the vet will be able to save her wing and maybe after a few weeks of careful nurturing, she’ll take to the air again. We’ll learn the prognosis tomorrow.
I may be jumping the gun, but this severely injured bird has survived a full 24-hours plus and appears to be alert. From here out, she will no longer be referred to as “the bird” or “sea gull”. I feel comfortable to use her name – Stella.
Stay tuned for Stella’s continuing story of her recovery from her terrible collision with a car.
Related stories:
Injured Sea Gull Rescued
Injured Sea Gull Survives the Night
© 2006
Mark Darien
All rights reserved
Please include this copyright notice if you share this article
Injured Sea Gull Survives the Night
The injured sea gull Keith and I rescued yesterday survived the night. This morning it was resting peacefully, but bright eyed and alert. I fed it a mixture of whole grain bread and water. Like last night, it first attacked the spoon. Once it figured out the spoon had food on it, it ate on its own.
The gull is still frightened, but starting to show signs of becoming accustomed to us being around it. My only concern is that although it is trying to eat, it eats very little. If it doesn’t gain its appetite back, it’ll surely weaken and die.
When we got to work, today, Keith hit me with the first bit of bad news. He asked the head nurse where he works how we could get the bone set back in and to get it to stay there so it could heal. Her response was that the bird was in a lot of pain, and, by the description of the injury, the wing may need to be amputated. If we let it heal as is, the protruding bone would always be prone to infection and the bird would always be in a lot of pain - even if it didn’t show signs of it. If we couldn’t afford a veterinarian to fix it, we would do the bird a great favor by putting it to sleep.
I had held out for the possibility that we could set the wing ourselves, but this news disheartened us both.
About a half hour after Keith delivered that news, a veterinarian in Cambridge returned my call. The good news is she will fix the bird for us and allow us to take it home and nurse it back to health. The better news is she will do it at no charge.
A glimmer of hope lies on the horizon for our injured sea gull.
Our biggest concern now is that it has survived the day and will survive the night until we can get it to the vet seven tomorrow morning. The hardest thing is sitting at work wondering if the bird is still alive. We’ll find out when we get home around nine this evening.
I figure if it is still acting as it did this morning, it should make it through the night. Hopefully, after a trip to the vet, it’ll feel less pain, gain its strength back, and eventually be set free again.
That is if its wing doesn’t need to be amputated. If that is what’s needed, it will have a quiet, but safe life on our eight acres in the Toddville Tidewaters.
© 2006
Mark Darien
All rights reserved
Please include this copyright notice if you share this article
The gull is still frightened, but starting to show signs of becoming accustomed to us being around it. My only concern is that although it is trying to eat, it eats very little. If it doesn’t gain its appetite back, it’ll surely weaken and die.
When we got to work, today, Keith hit me with the first bit of bad news. He asked the head nurse where he works how we could get the bone set back in and to get it to stay there so it could heal. Her response was that the bird was in a lot of pain, and, by the description of the injury, the wing may need to be amputated. If we let it heal as is, the protruding bone would always be prone to infection and the bird would always be in a lot of pain - even if it didn’t show signs of it. If we couldn’t afford a veterinarian to fix it, we would do the bird a great favor by putting it to sleep.
I had held out for the possibility that we could set the wing ourselves, but this news disheartened us both.
About a half hour after Keith delivered that news, a veterinarian in Cambridge returned my call. The good news is she will fix the bird for us and allow us to take it home and nurse it back to health. The better news is she will do it at no charge.
A glimmer of hope lies on the horizon for our injured sea gull.
Our biggest concern now is that it has survived the day and will survive the night until we can get it to the vet seven tomorrow morning. The hardest thing is sitting at work wondering if the bird is still alive. We’ll find out when we get home around nine this evening.
I figure if it is still acting as it did this morning, it should make it through the night. Hopefully, after a trip to the vet, it’ll feel less pain, gain its strength back, and eventually be set free again.
That is if its wing doesn’t need to be amputated. If that is what’s needed, it will have a quiet, but safe life on our eight acres in the Toddville Tidewaters.
© 2006
Mark Darien
All rights reserved
Please include this copyright notice if you share this article
Sunday, February 18, 2007
Injured Sea Gull Rescued
The cold, northwest winds blew strong all day today and are blowing even stronger tonight with a light dusting of snow accompanying the winds. It’s certainly not a good day for the animals much less an injured one.
Keith and I stopped at the Walmart to pick up some canned dog food for Thistle. The Ol' Roy canned food is the best and it’s the only reason we stop at Walmart. I parked the car at the door so Keith could run in and get a few cans.
Keith started towards the door and then turned around to come back to the car. He opened the door and, before he said anything, I said, “You’re slick. You forgot your wallet again.” (That is a joke between us. He always forgets his wallet and I end up paying for everything.)
“No. There’s an injured sea gull in the cart and it’s still alive.” Keith’s eyes and tone of voice conveyed a helpless, please-do-something plea.
I got out of the car to take a look at it. Its wing was inverted and sticking up over its head like a sail on a sailboat. Blood stained its breast and wing. I returned to the car figuring there wasn’t anything I could do to help the poor bird.
As I sat in the car, people walked by, glanced at the bird, and kept going. Every couple of minutes, a blustery gust of wind would blow, catching the bird’s wing and pushing it further in an inverted position.
I couldn’t leave the sea gull there to die a slow, painful death.
I parked the car and headed towards the Walmart doors. Keith was coming out of the store. “It’s up to you, Keith, but that poor bird will suffer out here. If you want to accept the responsibility, we can take it home where it will at least die in comfort. I just need to run in the store and get a wound cleaner and an eyedropper so I can feed the bird if it’s too weak to eat on its own.”
Keith’s a lot like me when it comes to injured animals. We’d rather take them home and try to nurse them back to health, but if they die, at least they die peacefully. It happened to a baby rabbit we rescued out of the middle of the road last fall. A cat was playing with it so we scooped it up and took it home. It lived until the next morning, but its internal injuries were too severe and it died.
We figure the sea gull won’t last through the night. Its wing is broken with a bone protruding out. Our guess is a car in the parking lot hit it. At least someone had the decency to place it in the shopping cart.
We got it home. I picked it up to clean its wounds. Instinctively, the gull latched onto my finger with its beak. Fortunately, it didn’t hurt so I let it hold on. I tried to give it water through the eyedropper, but it attacked the dropper instead. I managed to get it to drink some water, though.
We went outside and collected some soft grass and made a nest for it in a big box. I placed the gull in the box and left it alone to calm down. After our dinner, I soaked a slice of whole grain bread in water and took it to the bird. With the eyedropper, I tried to feed it.
Once again, it attacked the dropper. After a few tries, it realized there was food in the dropper. It took the water-bread mixture eagerly. I decided to upgrade to a spoon. At first, it attacked the spoon, but then realized it had food on it, too. It didn’t eat much, but at least it got a little bit of nourishment and water. In about another hour, I’ll try to feed it bits of sardines since it seems to have enough energy to eat whole food.
We called a couple of vets’ emergency numbers. They all referred me to one number who knew absolutely nothing about what we should do. The best they could do is suggest we take it to a bird sanctuary in Princess Anne, but they didn’t know the number to call. It’s not listed, either.
Tomorrow, Keith will ask the nurse at his work for suggestions on how to set the bird’s wing so that the bone will at least be back inside where it belongs. It may never fly again, but at least the bone won’t be exposed and risk a severe infection.
If it makes it through the night, Keith decided to name it Stella. We hope Stella makes it, and even if she never flies again, she’ll have a safe home here. And if she doesn’t make it, at least she’ll die peacefully in a warm house on a nice bedding of soft grass.
If she makes it, I need to get Stella to a vet. Maybe I’ll find one tomorrow who will set her wing for a minimal charge. We really can’t afford an expensive bill, but we can’t let Stella suffer, either. If anyone reading this knows what we should do, please leave a suggestion.
© 2006
Mark Darien
All rights reserved
Please include this copyright notice if you share this article
Keith and I stopped at the Walmart to pick up some canned dog food for Thistle. The Ol' Roy canned food is the best and it’s the only reason we stop at Walmart. I parked the car at the door so Keith could run in and get a few cans.
Keith started towards the door and then turned around to come back to the car. He opened the door and, before he said anything, I said, “You’re slick. You forgot your wallet again.” (That is a joke between us. He always forgets his wallet and I end up paying for everything.)
“No. There’s an injured sea gull in the cart and it’s still alive.” Keith’s eyes and tone of voice conveyed a helpless, please-do-something plea.
I got out of the car to take a look at it. Its wing was inverted and sticking up over its head like a sail on a sailboat. Blood stained its breast and wing. I returned to the car figuring there wasn’t anything I could do to help the poor bird.
As I sat in the car, people walked by, glanced at the bird, and kept going. Every couple of minutes, a blustery gust of wind would blow, catching the bird’s wing and pushing it further in an inverted position.
I couldn’t leave the sea gull there to die a slow, painful death.
I parked the car and headed towards the Walmart doors. Keith was coming out of the store. “It’s up to you, Keith, but that poor bird will suffer out here. If you want to accept the responsibility, we can take it home where it will at least die in comfort. I just need to run in the store and get a wound cleaner and an eyedropper so I can feed the bird if it’s too weak to eat on its own.”
Keith’s a lot like me when it comes to injured animals. We’d rather take them home and try to nurse them back to health, but if they die, at least they die peacefully. It happened to a baby rabbit we rescued out of the middle of the road last fall. A cat was playing with it so we scooped it up and took it home. It lived until the next morning, but its internal injuries were too severe and it died.
We figure the sea gull won’t last through the night. Its wing is broken with a bone protruding out. Our guess is a car in the parking lot hit it. At least someone had the decency to place it in the shopping cart.
We got it home. I picked it up to clean its wounds. Instinctively, the gull latched onto my finger with its beak. Fortunately, it didn’t hurt so I let it hold on. I tried to give it water through the eyedropper, but it attacked the dropper instead. I managed to get it to drink some water, though.
We went outside and collected some soft grass and made a nest for it in a big box. I placed the gull in the box and left it alone to calm down. After our dinner, I soaked a slice of whole grain bread in water and took it to the bird. With the eyedropper, I tried to feed it.
Once again, it attacked the dropper. After a few tries, it realized there was food in the dropper. It took the water-bread mixture eagerly. I decided to upgrade to a spoon. At first, it attacked the spoon, but then realized it had food on it, too. It didn’t eat much, but at least it got a little bit of nourishment and water. In about another hour, I’ll try to feed it bits of sardines since it seems to have enough energy to eat whole food.
We called a couple of vets’ emergency numbers. They all referred me to one number who knew absolutely nothing about what we should do. The best they could do is suggest we take it to a bird sanctuary in Princess Anne, but they didn’t know the number to call. It’s not listed, either.
Tomorrow, Keith will ask the nurse at his work for suggestions on how to set the bird’s wing so that the bone will at least be back inside where it belongs. It may never fly again, but at least the bone won’t be exposed and risk a severe infection.
If it makes it through the night, Keith decided to name it Stella. We hope Stella makes it, and even if she never flies again, she’ll have a safe home here. And if she doesn’t make it, at least she’ll die peacefully in a warm house on a nice bedding of soft grass.
If she makes it, I need to get Stella to a vet. Maybe I’ll find one tomorrow who will set her wing for a minimal charge. We really can’t afford an expensive bill, but we can’t let Stella suffer, either. If anyone reading this knows what we should do, please leave a suggestion.
© 2006
Mark Darien
All rights reserved
Please include this copyright notice if you share this article
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Spring Is Right Around the Corner
How do I know? A little bird told me. Actually, a few little birds and one big bird told me. Birds are much more reliable than the weatherman so I believe them.
The last two and a half weeks have been brutally cold. The Choptank river is frozen over, the water levels in the marshland are lower than the lowest tides because all the water is locked up in ice, the ground is rock hard instead of spongy, and our pipes froze.
Despite the brutal cold, we’ve seen a few robin redbreasts - the familiar harbinger of spring - and a bald eagle. If one bald eagle is here, the other bald eagles should be coming soon to start nesting.
After two-weeks of below freezing temperatures, the first winter storm has hit today. In Maryland lingo, that means freezing rain. As the storm moves up the coast, temperatures are forecasted to rise above a balmy forty tonight and heavy rains will pound the marshlands. As the storm exits the area northward, gusty northwest winds of up to 50 mph will sweep through, dropping the temperatures well below freezing again. The long range forecast doesn’t give a hint of spring anywhere.
But the birds can’t be wrong. My prediction is for another two weeks of winter weather, gradually moderating to at or above the seasonal average.
If the birds are wrong, I’ll go back to listening to the guy on TV.
© 2006
Mark Darien
All rights reserved
Please include this copyright notice if you share this article
The last two and a half weeks have been brutally cold. The Choptank river is frozen over, the water levels in the marshland are lower than the lowest tides because all the water is locked up in ice, the ground is rock hard instead of spongy, and our pipes froze.
Despite the brutal cold, we’ve seen a few robin redbreasts - the familiar harbinger of spring - and a bald eagle. If one bald eagle is here, the other bald eagles should be coming soon to start nesting.
After two-weeks of below freezing temperatures, the first winter storm has hit today. In Maryland lingo, that means freezing rain. As the storm moves up the coast, temperatures are forecasted to rise above a balmy forty tonight and heavy rains will pound the marshlands. As the storm exits the area northward, gusty northwest winds of up to 50 mph will sweep through, dropping the temperatures well below freezing again. The long range forecast doesn’t give a hint of spring anywhere.
But the birds can’t be wrong. My prediction is for another two weeks of winter weather, gradually moderating to at or above the seasonal average.
If the birds are wrong, I’ll go back to listening to the guy on TV.
© 2006
Mark Darien
All rights reserved
Please include this copyright notice if you share this article
Wednesday, February 7, 2007
Truck Lands in Marsh
Note: In the article, The Marsh! The Marsh is on Fire!, I mentioned the way the roads down in the Toddville area have more than one name and there’s no clear markings on the road to tell you when the name changes. I used Maple Dam-US MD some number or other-Shorter’s Wharf road as an example. Yesterday, I discovered it had a fourth name at the other end – Andrews Road. The story below takes place on this road and, while I am fairly certain it doesn’t take place on the Andrews Road section nor the Maple Dam Road section, it does take place somewhere in between those two names. Since Keith and I always refer to this road as “the back way”, for clarity in the article, that is how I will refer to this multi-named road.
The back way is a thirty-mile stretch of country road that winds through the marshlands. Many of the turns are ninety-degrees or sharper. Most people who drive the road for the first time don’t go much past thirty miles per hour. The locals who drive it every day go fifty or more since they know where to slow down for the many sharp turns.
No matter how many times one drives the road, it can be deceptive. Cutting through the marsh, one stretch of road looks the same as any other stretch. If you don’t pay attention, lose track of where you are on the road, forget which stretch you’re on, or get too comfortable driving it, the sharp turns can surprise you. The margin of error on the road is a foot or less so quick reflexes and good brakes are a necessity.
The locals, however, have no problem zooming through the road at an average of fifty mph or more. Their secret is to use the oncoming-traffic’s lane to make the turns and a lot of braking. Their driving habits have more than once almost ran me off of the road and they always leave a lot of road kill behind.
Keith and I are the kind of guys who swerve to miss the frogs hopping across the road. We’ve stopped for snakes and even quickly moved one off the road before an approaching car reached it. (This time of year it is too cold for snakes and frogs, but there are still the opossums, foxes, deer and other mammals out and about.) We’re also the kind of guys who make turns while staying in our lane. Since we drive the back way every day, we hold our own on the road, but, without fail, there’s always one or two locals who feel the need to pass us.
Last Friday, one passed us on the double line, no less. I said to Keith, “One of these days I’d like to see one of these assholes miss the turn and end up in the swamp. That’ll slow his ass down and maybe give the wildlife a break down here.”
That some of the locals pass me because I’m going to slow for them since I refuse to drive like a maniac doesn’t bother me. What does bother me is their reckless disregard for the safety of the other drivers on the road and, of course, the wildlife. The police rarely venture down into that neck of the woods so everyone pretty much drives the way they want. That road, and all of the back roads down there, is a serious accident waiting to happen.
Little did I know that my off-hand remark on Friday night would come to fruition on Monday.
As we headed to work at six in the morning, a truck rested nearly on its side in the marsh. The cab light was still on, but we couldn’t see in the cab because the truck leaned at a 45-degree angle in a steep incline to the marsh.
I stopped the truck and Keith got out to make sure no one was in the truck. It was empty.
Neither Keith nor I are accident reconstruction experts, but it was obvious the driver missed the 90-degree turn and went straight over the turn’s embankment and into the marsh. Since it was Monday morning after the Super Bowl, we figured one of the following happened:
a) The driver was drunk and missed the turn.
b) The driver was speeding and missed the turn.
c) The driver fell asleep and missed the turn.
d) All or any combination of the above.
The driver was nowhere around so we figured he walked to the nearest house for help. That was a good two-mile hike in 8-degree weather.
When we returned from work that night, the truck was gone. Judging by the frozen mud clumps left in the road, the driver had someone tow him out because there was no way anyone could drive it out. I’m sure the bottom of the truck, and maybe the tires and axles, were damaged in the accident.
With any luck, maybe the driver learned something and now there will be one less reckless driver on the road.
© 2006
Mark Darien
All rights reserved
Please include this copyright notice if you share this article
Sunday, February 4, 2007
The Marsh! The Marsh Is on Fire! - Part II
For anyone who doubted the validity of my first story on the burning marsh, I figured I better post a picture to show it.They've been burning the marsh since October, and, until the story a couple of weeks ago, all I ever saw were the charred results. Today, for the first time, I saw the fire in the daylight. It was quite a distance from the road, but a couple of people were out there setting the blaze.
There are no roads that far out in the marsh so I reckon the wardens use a boat to get out there. It appears they burn the marsh in sections through the fall and winter months instead of burning it all at once.
Now, what gets me is it is Superbowl Sunday. The wardens were too far away, but I wonder if maybe they had a portable TV and some beer in the boat. The fire would make excellent toasted marshmellows and weiners to go with that beer.
Peering through my binoculars, though, it looked like they were really working and there was no Superbowl Party.
© 2006
Mark Darien
All rights reserved
Please include this copyright notice if you share this article
Friday, February 2, 2007
The Snow Moon
Today is a special day on two counts: Ground Hog Day and the full moon, named the Snow Moon by the Native Americans.
This month's full moon is the Snow Moon signifying the month known for its heaviest snows. This year, the Snow Moon falls on White man's Groundhog Day. The burning question: did the Snow Moon live up to its name and did the groundhog predict six more weeks of winter?
Short answer to both: no.
With temperatures hanging around 34 degrees all night last night, it rained through the night and into the morning, remained cloudy all day, and rained again in the afternoon with the temperature reaching a balmy 37 degrees.
Oh, some snow and other freezing stuff tried to mix in at times, but I don't reckon that's how February's full moon earned its name.
Since it was cloudy and rainy, the groundhog didn't see his shadow so we'll have a short winter. It's been two-weeks long so far this year so, according to the groundhog, we'll only have a couple of more weeks of it.
I strongly suspect, though, that no groundhog came out of his hole today. Groundhogs may not be the smartest creatures around, but they certainly aren't so dumb as to wake up out of a deep sleep to scamper out of their warm den and into a freezing rain just to see if it can see its shadow.
Punxsutawney Phil does, but that's only because the White men force him out. I hope he's got a good agent and is getting paid well for his show, though. If not, it won't be long before PETA will be up there trying to shut the show down on grounds of animal cruelty.
The editorial comment aside, the bottom line is that the Snow Moon let us down and the groundhog says, "Get ready for spring."
Stay tuned for the coming report of the near-blizzard that will hit before the end of the month. That's my prediction.
© 2006
Mark Darien
All rights reserved
Please include this copyright notice if you share this article
Native Americans and our early settlers relied on the phases of the moon for all sorts of things from time-telling to seasonal changes to crop harvests. Every full moon has a name related to something significant about that time of month. Most people are familiar with the name, Harvest Moon, the full moon in October that allowed farmers to harvest their crops well past sunset. Past that one, a full moon is just a full moon to most everyone.
Last month's full moon was the Wolf Moon. This moon signified the dead of winter and earned its name because howling wolves were known to hang around the Native Americans' villages and settlers' camps. Food is scarce at this time of year and the wolves hoped for some scraps from the people.This month's full moon is the Snow Moon signifying the month known for its heaviest snows. This year, the Snow Moon falls on White man's Groundhog Day. The burning question: did the Snow Moon live up to its name and did the groundhog predict six more weeks of winter?
Short answer to both: no.
With temperatures hanging around 34 degrees all night last night, it rained through the night and into the morning, remained cloudy all day, and rained again in the afternoon with the temperature reaching a balmy 37 degrees.
Oh, some snow and other freezing stuff tried to mix in at times, but I don't reckon that's how February's full moon earned its name.
Since it was cloudy and rainy, the groundhog didn't see his shadow so we'll have a short winter. It's been two-weeks long so far this year so, according to the groundhog, we'll only have a couple of more weeks of it.
I strongly suspect, though, that no groundhog came out of his hole today. Groundhogs may not be the smartest creatures around, but they certainly aren't so dumb as to wake up out of a deep sleep to scamper out of their warm den and into a freezing rain just to see if it can see its shadow.
Punxsutawney Phil does, but that's only because the White men force him out. I hope he's got a good agent and is getting paid well for his show, though. If not, it won't be long before PETA will be up there trying to shut the show down on grounds of animal cruelty.
The editorial comment aside, the bottom line is that the Snow Moon let us down and the groundhog says, "Get ready for spring."
Stay tuned for the coming report of the near-blizzard that will hit before the end of the month. That's my prediction.
© 2006
Mark Darien
All rights reserved
Please include this copyright notice if you share this article
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
