Sounds like a plan.

Shit its hot.
Going to pick up my other broken vehicle, at 4 am tomorrow, The work shop is so hot, they only have a fan, they start at 7pm.Took my oven thermometer for fun. The inside of my Jeep was 123F, we pushed it into the garage with gloves. I warned you.Birded the circle , in the afternoon heat. Some/ a few nice waders will post pictures, on this. They are somewhat blurry, for two major reasons, one heat haze, two engine running so it does not boil over and three hand held. Damn it let me try that again. Amongst the many and varied reasons the........ Still nice to see different plumages of transitory migrants.
Damn redundancy again, how can you be a non transient Migrant.
Will down load pics.
Assuming this machine allows.
Regards rh

Burrowing owls.

Please if you need an "Athene cunicularia" (Need to translate that name, sounds vaguely rude!) . Do not call me.
After hours of bartering and trading and discussion elitist, self centered,group the AOU. I finally struck up an agreement.
Burrowing Owls will be on this sign from Dawn until 10, mandatory snack break. All owls will dicscuss working conditions , heat , lunchroom priviledges, etc before voting on the afternoon session ie whether to do it or not.AS they pointed out. This is to be an autonomous collective and not to be ruled by the CRBC,or any one else claiming patterns of distribution, as they mentioned "They did not vote for them" They also stated " no person writing a bird book, who has a map of America, and some coloured felt tips will lock us into a proletariot state, with their artsy fartsy colouring skills.We are free to move about despite your colouring profiling" They ask that they not be approached or molested as they do their duty. And pointed out, that if you can't slow your chase car, stop and look around in the right habitat . Then you do not need to see one,
All in fun Rh
Oh. my goodness, people will be offended, the AOU ? Its the American Owls Union.I can't think of another pompous narcissistic self indulgent science group with that Acronym. If YOU can then ........ shame on you

TIME FLIES LIKE AN ARROW, BUT FRUIT FLIES LIKE BANANAS

Random thoughts !
My word is that a childish title
to start off an intellectually stimulating diatribe. Sorry, still busts me up. Other ones, the PETA one you have to get very very close to, bins help,BIG first letters and the rest, tiny, tiny letters. People Eat Tasty Animals. And one that cracked me up 30 plus years ago as I rode the elevator /lift to the bio floor at UCLA.Scrawled on the wall was "Archeduke Franz Ferdinand IV found alive and living in La Jolla. World War one, all a mistake "
Now you know my level of humour. Time passes.
The TV this morning took me back exactly 40 years.
I watched Apollo 11 land on the moon with my dad, drinking Lager and eating Bratwurst and saurkraut in the bar just outside the us air base. Frankfurt,with US airmen as the black and white feed came through from the USA on Forces TV. I was stunned. Where were you !
Probably a full 60% of my students , do not believe we landed on the moon. Thanks Fox network
I am going to play my new "Its too hot: bored Game" It is the
"After possibly faked death of Michael Jackson game" Its easy.You go down to Goose Flats, and lay down in one of the critter infested stagnant ponds, and see how many blood sucking parasites, media idiots and bottom feeding carnivores,trash,and scum sucking lawyers you can attract in a week.
I thought of the idea, stay away or I will have to sue you !
Talking of words. Has anyone but me picked up on Talking Heads using the word "closestess" as in the 4 am news, Pyramid Fire report "The closestess houses were some miles away". Heavens above, the Eiffel Tower was "Some miles away " also.
Scary, the illiteratii are taking over.
Oh words SWMBO is the kind of person who polishes potatoes, and makes the sunlight take its shoes off before it comes in the house, BUT. She was cleaning off the dining room table mess with the jeans I just wore for two hours. Got her. I was reading my new Wader book
"Do you know were those jeans have been?"
"No" Surprised.
"I wore them without underwear for the last week while I was in the fish farm ditch with the Grebes"
Dead silence. I will retrieve them from the dustbin later. I lied. I threw the others away last week, these are fine. As I have always aspired to ,the smallest of pleasures can be found in the silliest of places if you seize the moment. Unfortunately she is talking to the Vice Witch about a new table. May have to fess up as both cars are dead ! And the fundage is lowish.
Seizing the moment, and words continued.
I came across 2 first rate words, and if you are a kid in your 20s do this. You can not be prosecuted they are all valid words.I am pondering the idea myself
Go into the fruit and veggie department at your local large Supermarket (OK Redundancy), and start throwing a hissy fit. "Shrieking I need the produce manager now"
If and when the poor fellow arrives. Look him straight in the eye and say "Fetch me the Mocteroof, immediatelly or I will call the Health department"
This will induce a state of panic at once.
"The what, why?" The poor chap will cry.
Death blow.
"Are you kramers selling frubbish with out a licence"
Go heavy and long on the F in Frubbish
Its actually quite harmless AND TRUE.
Mocteroofs, a very obscure word. means the people who take low quality or spoiled fruit and "frubbish them". Frubbishing is the art of waxing and doctoring the produce and fruit so the customer will think its top quality and buy without question. Been there? Tossed your pear after the first bite, yes you got frubbished !
Oh and a "Kramer" is one who sells such Frubbish. Again extra strenth and length on the "other" F word.
Birded briefly, just horrid, the truck can sit. I put my "easy tools "in ice water.If you can't fix it with a paint stirrer (Screwdriver) and a meat mallet(Rubber hammer) and duct tape I am screwed Early start tomorrow. A kid went to Hospital with 3rd degree burns from leaning on a metal playground seat
This is the worst summer, heat and humidity wise I have suffered in Blythe.
But when fall and winter get here would not be anywhere else. I rediscovered something my mother used in England, come hell or highwater she used it. Ever taken frozen underwear off the line and put them in the gas oven before wearing them to school ? I think they were put out there in the rain to save on the rinse cycle. We are talking Winter in Cottingham Yorkshire. I am sure my brothers remember my stunned born and raised San Diego cheerleader amazed at bringing in frozen clothes and using the wooden rack known as a clothes drier that stood by the coal fire !
Poor girl.
Yes the solar clothes dryer.
Reset the posts ,strung the lines, bought the pegs.
Going green !
Pulled the plug on the electric clothes dryer, bought a bunch of those spirally light bulbs, four for $5 with Edison rebates, replacing the others as they die.Turn off everyone we do not use Read the box, looked at my stash.If the literature is right I may have to include these in my will. I will have at least 2 cases left when I shuffle off this mortal coil.
The good news. My electric bill for last month, with heat and everything and AC running like a big dog, and we are all electric for Everything including well pump dropped from $315 to $185. I am liking it,try it.
Well that is more than enough for one day, and way too much crap to sort through. Simply for fun. Oh the highlight of the day as I typed the above line. One of the training jets from Yuma came zooming over along the river, illegally low. The terriorists in the front picked up the sound as it came south, slowly for a change, but they looked up as it flew by they chased it down the fence full tilt until they hit the other end. Hope springs eternal. Another small humourous moment.
regards rh

blythe birds cooking and downloading pictures

OK You get two willets.Running backwards and forwards. I get au jus steak sandwiches (a half) with home made bread,fried green tomatoes (Some) and my home fries especial.(probaly six? ) SWMBO lurks. Actually I don't get them yet I have to cook some bits, but the prep is done !It is so funny I always try to lose weight in the summer. Sitting behind a desk eating stuff in a paper case with 3 Mand M eyeses and green frosting, and a plate of something that looks vagually like Yak vomit with lettuce and noodles, a proud child brings from "Food arts". But when it gets this hot I start cooking. I love to cook !And there goes that weight idea. What the hell ?
No birds per se. Spent way too long sorting throughh Cliff Swallows. The main wader spots are so perfect, I am quivering.....but ?
I was at the fish farm probably before most of you joined the gridlock, and lined up GBHeron GW Heron, Cattle Egret 2 Snowies a green , and a Least Bittern. It would have been one of those "Photo shop" play with pics to see them all. A quad came by they split, can't complain it was the owner.
How you know you live in Blythe !
Parked totally illegally facing traffic with the back end of my truck in the wrong lane blocking a residential entrance. (Listen if the sun is in the wrong place so I can scan swallows on the wires, and I can take pictures I am not to blame, call Copernicus )That was the main theme of my defence, when a CHP officer went by got about two hundred yards away and turned around. And came back. Now my beat up truck 200k miles plus and purring looks like every oyher damn desert truck. White flaking paint, torn up duct tape enhanced seat cover, cracked windshield, tailgate you can't open,turn light that does not work a brake light that comes on at random fishing pole with no licence. and no front licence plate, its in the back behind the bag of dog food that needs to be taken out sometime and the plastic milk crates you where going to make a shelf out of with the POffice plastic bucket with "Possession of this illegally will result in a $75 fine" or something similar. You start to panic, especially when he pulls up along side and its "A new one"
I promise you, all those "I meant to put the licence sticker on, where the Hell is the insurance , oh shit where did I put my wallet ? did I even bring it " panics happened. $5 saved me.
A while back the school student body manufactured magnetic stickers, that look incredibly like official local stickers. Got me a pair, stick them on the old truck, you look very important from a distance, especially in a truck like mine !Thats all anyone drives any way !
"What are you doing "
Birding
"You work for the school district, you have the stickers"
(Oh no ,not in possesion of a stolen truck)
"You're that bird guy at the high school, kinda science guy right ?"
Yes.'
"Hey me and my buddies want to play tennis, do you know who I can call to find out if we can use the courts at night"
Happy to help. He left happy.
I guess he got his tennis lights , he waves to me now, happy to wave back. More tomorrow.rh

Wader time.

Now is the time for some good looking waders to move through, and they are sneaking in . Over the last couple of years, I have snapeed a few. Every book has definitive photos, or paint 'em. Mine I like to stick a bit of Art into, I wish he would quit snivelling and keep still it is not hat painfull. Gone back to the Michael Jackson debacle. Look on the bright side it was going to be the "R Higsons Blythe birthday parade" all day, but the networks cancelled. Joe has a flat tire any way. Enjoy the pics my Birthday gift from me.Roger

rascism, birds and assholes

Gosh ,that seems like a jolly self controlled and appropriately tastefull title. I did not use the "F Bomb" nor the "N" word in there once. I must becoming politically correct. Via Inland Co bird mistakes on my part, I got my ego beat up a little. Hell my skin is thickish, but got pounded a little thinnish ! No bodies fault but mine own. Move on Roger. But the one thing that pissed me off most is some one who called me a "closet racist"
My closets are so full of crap, I can't open the doors a lot less race around in them. If you are reading this, which you must be, and someone accuses me of that in your presence please smack them in the head !
What I am totally against is intellectual racism, involving any race colour or creed. I do not feel that any group should have the right to look in a bag of M and Ms and say "Not enough green ones, who cares about the test scores, toss a few in to balance the bag , OK good to go"
I will no longer donate to the NAACP.
Now please walk your mind through what my sometime dubious logic comes up with !!!
I quote from papers presented to the Supreme Court.God I wish as a teacher I was not.
MR Mathew Colangelo, director of the economic justice program of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. And this is a terrifying precept, concept and proposition.And I promise you I quote directly from court transcripts.
"New Haven is a bit of an outlier in using antiquated methods of measuring leadership. Most cities have long since realized that a pencil and paper test, which largely measures memorization, is not the best way to identify a leader"
This is with reference to the New Haven police and Fire dpt ruling
Here is where I get to have fun and play Monty Python.
All actors hired by NAACP.
FIRE STATION. Phone rings, group sat around.
"Whats that"
"I cant remember"
"I think you pick it up"
"It was never on my test"
(Picks up phone)
"Hello"
"Hello my house is on fire"
"Hello "
"My house is on fire "
"Why did you not say so"
"I did"
"Oh I am sorry, I don't need a memory"
"Where are you"
"6000 wimpole street"
"Where "
"6000, no never mind look just go and get a pencil and paper and write it down"
" OK let me hang up while I find one, no one here has had to use one before we will have to train"
CLUNK
" Pencil and paper, what do they think we are ,the goddam fire department.
Wind blowing hard from SW. Tomorrow perhaps ? rh

'tis warm

Well it hit 107 at noon thirty, screw that.I do not care what it gets to now, I will only be in it momentarily. a pause.
Went and put towels on steering wheels, in case I have to drive somewhere.
Well now I get to enjoy my blog, I have managed to survive my obligatory mind purging from the last year, it usually takes 10 days , so all things considered not bad this year. It may sound strange , but if you commit yourself to giving quality time to 184 kids in desperate need of it, which my 9th grade cast offs are, then it takes a while to let go. Another clutch left the nest, and another of my clutches graduated and flew off to who knows what and where. So here comes summer.
I have no idea what a blog is, so I am just going to type personal thoughts, to a certain extent. I am sure bowel regularity is of no real interest. But Albertsons carries a new Licorice candy that helps ! Sorry, Ignored origiinal premise.
It is basicly going to be a summer diatribe, with no rhyme nor reason than to keep me from throttling my parrot or going out in the heat. Observations , comments and birds all in one Haggis graunch.Hang on Here we go.
PLease explain to me why I should feel sorry Ed McMahon died ?I never got a damn check
LIFE NOTE Lemember never hang naked from closet hook with rope around testicles Glasshopper.
I did not know Jacko was still alive. I care even less that he is dead. Though I may have my daughters LPs in the garage. Hmm
Farrah Faucett. So she did a poster and ....
Why is the TV devoted to mourning and sadness.
Hell half of the dumb assholes where grieving at Michael Jackson the radio icons star on Hollywood. HOW funny.
Sorry ma'am you will have to take down your shrine, and go worship the dark one. Half of them in tears don't know what an LP is.
Never underestimate the power of human stupidity
OK
NO death threats in the pending e-mail box.
Safe so far.
Lets take on the BBC, National Geographic and Animal Planet next. Seeing as I am learning might as well start at the low end.
What the hell is awe inspiring about sitting in an I-max in an air controlled environment experiencing the movie Earth. Boy that looks cold, neat pictures, any body got any milk duds left.
Why does this annoy me?
It is presented prepackaged and ready with the pause button for your pleasure. Skip the nasty dying baby monkey bit, awe at the caribou, ignore the 2 minutes of the Amur Leopard. Nature in a can. Let me slip on my I-pod and doze.Todays kids have no idea how long,and the personal expense these naturalists go through to produce this stuff.
I asked how many of my kids had been to San Diego Zoo, 184 none, how about San Diego ? 11 How about played in the ocean 17 ?
My gripe is that the picture of the Pied Billed Mom and child will be enjoyed by those who bird. I spent a long while letting her get used to me, so when this happened I was only six to eight feet away in 106 in a ditch. It made me ponder the times I had just flicked through National Geo and how I wsted a chance to ponder.
But as the western world lives more and more in a controlled inside environment, and pushes a button and says. "Oh Patty donate a couple thousand to those Barrier Reef people these pictures are darling, and have sergei trot up from the art department I think we can use this shade in the new i-pod covers" BUT these people are no worse than I who goes "not more rain forest aaagh" Wonders why the hell these folks don't stop Feels like a barbarian for an hour, then eats a factory produced chicken sandwich. If I solve these personal crisis I will type the solution ! Talking of which. I just emptied the house, over to the neighbours, who has the Ham Burgers working, I am going to make a giant batch of "Higsons Authentic Southern Fried British Green Tomatos" Y'all. Never done it before but what the bejezzzers

Oh a couple of final news notes.
What is an organized protest ?
Do you write ahead and say "Mr Asswreftiambinajad, on thursday at 11 am we would like to protest you invading our country and killing our people. PLease pop a note in the mail if this does not interfere with your schedule"
What is an "Unexpected plane crash"
What is "A house immediately next door and adjacent to this residence"
And lastly, why did the bag I just open have a new dog leash in it that says on the plastic chain saw openable only plastic carton.
"INSTRUCTIONS OF USE INCLUDED" I am scared to find out that you do not tie them , oh sorry Grasshopper
Expect more as time passes
Roger