As I was sitting in Union Square Park, enjoying the sun after lunch today, I noticed a rather large bird, kind of the size of a chicken sitting over in an area by itself. This was a rather surprising and peculiar behavior, so I went to investigate, and sure enough it was a juvenile who had hurt it's foot and seemed a bit dazed.

It started attracting a lot of attention and I noticed there was another lady on the phone with someone who seemed to give her instructions of some kinds. She asked around for a box and I went to get one for her. Fortunately, there were some farmers at the market, and I was able to charm a box from one of them, to put over the bird. I was also very fortunate to remember some of the training we had gotten in Salt Lake City last year with the Peregrines. (Thank you Bob and crew).

So back I went with the box, turns out my co-rescuer (I never got her name unfortunately) had been on the phone with the Wildlife Resource (or some such thing) and they were on their way to meet us. She had been instructed that we capture the bird in the box and kept it until they could come pick it up...

We had a fun few minutes chasing the poor stressed thing around, before we finally got her under the box, and we attracted quite the crowd. All wanted to see the bird, know what was going on in general, and a good portion of them had ideas of how to handle the situation... But we held our ground and finally a Park Service Maintenance man came over and made some phone-calls. Then all we had to do was wait for the Park Ranger who was coming to take the bird and deliver it to the Rehabilitation People. She came equipped with a cage and thick gloves, and after a little struggle, got hold of the bird and was able to show her/him off to the waiting crowd. We all got a round of applause, and after a short photo session, the bird was off to get checked out.
 
A happy ending to a most exciting afternoon. Again thanks to the SLC Falcon volunteers and the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, for all you do in taking care of our wonderful, majestic, feathered co-inhabitants! :) My tiny "wealth" of knowledge came in handy today, largely because of you! And it was a pleasure for me to use what I had learned in watching you!!

Norwegian Holiday Traditions....

As I'm going through some papers, I am coming across all sorts of different things... among some are talks and presentations from Church activities...
Like this one;

Christmas in Norway is associated with white snow, candles, Santa Claus, decorations in red, green and gold, and the smell of homemade cookies. 

Christmas is definitely the number one family holiday in Norway. Half the 24th all of the 25th, 26th, 31st and half of the 30th as well as New Years Day, are all holidays in Norway. The schools have a lot longer vacation, usually lasting two weeks.

Santa Clause 

in Norway ...is called “Julenissen” and looks very much like the santas found elsewhere in the world. However there exists another character whose name ends with “Nisse” in the Norwegian folklore - a peculiar figure named the “Fjøsnisse” (the barn “nisse”). For a long time, when most Norwegians were farmers, this Nisse was believed to be a secret helper in the barn. If the family on the farm was nice to him and left him a bowl of porridge every Christmas eve, he would be kind to them and help them the next year. If they didn’t they could expect accidents, sick animals and mysterious noises.

This superstition eventually mixed with the commercial Santa Claus, leaving the Norwegians with one name covering both figures and the mutations in between them - “Nissen”. Today one may often see Christmas displays where there is one head Santa (Julenissen) surrounded by many other, smaller santas (versions of the fjøsnisse), or even entire Santa families.

Advent 

Every year in Bergen (where I'm from), in December, the inhabitants are invited to participate in the making of the world’s biggest gingerbread city. Schools, kindergartens, anyone who wants to can make a gingerbread house and bring it to the shops downtown, where they have an area especially set apart for this display. All the ginger houses, ginger boats, schools, churches, people and decorations are put on display and for many years it has been officially the worlds largest Gingerbread City Display (in accordance with Guinness World Records). The admission is low if not free.

The Norwegian children typically have Advent calendars with 24 flaps/windows. They open one door in the calendar each day from the first of December and open the last on Christmas Eve. That day is also the day Norwegians open their presents and have their big Christmas meal.

Behind each door in the Advent Calendar is a small chocolate or toy, or if it is a homemade calendar, something else like a pencil or other type of little gifts.

The national tv station NRK has since the late 70s sent a special daily “Advent Series”, for children. The later years the station has produced the series itself and these series are said to be some of the more expensive productions. Each series is normally about 30 minutes long. And often the religious messages are toned down to make it more including. Usually, in combination with the tv shows, are there calendars and other toys made as well. Many times the family will gather and watch together.

Christmas Preparations...

The shops start putting up their Christmas decorations in mid November, but the big rush to buy presents does not start until mid-December.

...At home 

As the times get closer to Christmas Eve, many families bake cookies. The tradition is that there must be at least seven kinds of cookies on the table Christmas Eve. Making marzipan and marzipan figures dipped in melted chocolate is also a popular way to prepare the holiday season.

...In schools 

Many schools arrange Christmas workshops some days before the holidays start. This kind of activity is found in grades 1-7 almost without exception. 

Before the school’s Christmas vacation starts, the students in grade 2-7th will put on a play for the parents. The play is a version of the Christmas story. The show also typically include some Christmas carols, and usually ends with the everyone being served cookies and juice.

Welcome 2012

I wanted to be good and start the year on a good note by blogging a bit.... 2012 is hopefully going to be a better and less stressful year than 2011 was. And it looks like it will be a changing year for this girl... Hopefully I'll have lots to blog about and tell. :)

That's all for now. Short and sweet. Happy New Year everyone!!!!

the Legend of the old Christmas song

The old Christmas song

Once there was an old Christmas-song who dragged himself along the way. It drizzled and he was frozen. A yellow tit sat with puffy feathers on a birch twig. - Who are you struggling along? it asked.- I am the old Christmas song, said the wanderer. Everyone has forgotten me. Sing me, little tit!
-Me?? I am hoarse and Christmas songs I do not care about. It is spring ditties I like. And the tit flew his way.

The old Christmas song struggled tiredly on. Then he met a rich businessman.- I'm an Old Christmas song. You could knew me well when you were little. Sing Me!-Although I have been able to sing you at the time, I do not anymore. The sound of cash registers is the most beautiful song I know. Go your way, I do not have time to talk, I have to think about Christmas sales!And the wealthy businessman went his way.

The Song continued further. The wind blew cold through the thin clothes. When he met a busy wife.-What kind of a drag are you? said the lady, she could not stand that not everyone was busy.-I am an Old Christmas song. Your mother used to sing me, do you remember me? Sing Me!- As if I have time to sing Christmas songs now, just before Christmas. I must clean the house and cure the ham, cook the turkey and bake Christmas cookies and iron Christmas tablecloths and rolling and polishing and scrubbing and dusting, and .......More did not the old Christmas song hear, for the busy lady was already far behind him as he ran away.

The rain kept up, it froze stiff on the ground and the cold began to bite, but still  the old Christmas song walked around seeking someone who would sing it. Then met a famous poet. The old Christmas song was happy.

- I am an Old Christmas song, said to the poet. - You remember me for sure. Will you sing with me? The poet stopped. - So, an Old Christmas song? But my how you look. You're full of rhymes! And with no rhythm. As if I would sing something like that! I am a famous poet, very modern. What I sing is more like: -In solitude. despite the fact that I do not know if you are a green-yellow frost, big, bigger biggest ......The famous poet's voice disappeared in the distance, for the old Christmas song ran away as fast as it could.

Tiredly he sat down on the stairs of a tiny cottage by the forest at the edge of town. - I'm going to die. No one remembers me or want to sing me, he thought sadly. Then came an old woman on the trail. She held the hand of a small child.

-Look, Grandma, there is someone on our stairs, said the child. Grandmother saw with the old, worn eyes, and although she was nearly blind, she knew the old Christmas song again.- It's the old Christmas song, she cried. - It was my grandmother who taught me, and she had learned it from her grandmother, that's how old it is!Sing-me, bade the song low. It couldn't do any more.- But come in, come in, said his wife, And the song went into the poor but warm living room.

And the wife began to sing with the weak and cracked voice, and the bright child's voice fell in too. And the old Christmas song was no longer a gray and tattered wretch, but clear and brilliant with a gown that shone in the glory of the stars and lights.

And it was like the roof lifted up on the little house, and the song spread beyond the notes and hurried out of the dark and dreary world. And everyone who heard it, forgot the bustle and cares and began to sing along. Their childhoods old Christmas song.  Oh, THOU HOLY, O THOU Blessed .....





This story is written by Marjatta cure Niemi. The translation to Norwegian is done by Jo Tenfjord and the story was originally published in the book Christmas in our house in the 1980's. Translated into English by myself....

Idaho trip

In the spring some time it was apparent that Mary was going to attend a Con in Idaho at the end of the summer, and as the weeks progressed this became a "family" vacation, meaning that John and the kids would come along and also visit a bird center near where the Con was. So after having been invited, I decided to go with. As this had turned out to be a family thing I only had to pay for the attendance ticket to the con myself, so I decided why not....

Oh my poor neglected little blog.... so much has happened in so little time, and I guess I should have learned by now there's no way of catching up..... [sigh] there's the terror attach in Norway (though I touched briefly on that before), there's the con in Idaho, the bird babies updates, we've had floods in the basement (again), daily life with all that follows living with Aspies, a day at the cabin of one of my favorite living poets; Emma Lou Thayne.., books I've read, riots in the UK, Torchwood being back on TV..... and that's just what rolls off the top of my head at the moment... I'm sure there's a lot more as well.... 


Now, I'm not sure I'm going to be able to catch up on every little thing, but I'll be doing my darnedest to try.

My only comment about the happenings in Norway is that I'm proud of how the Norwegian people handled the grief and the sorrow. It has been a hard time following the US news through this, as their incompetence and ignorance has shown even more through it all. It's been hard and very shocking as the details were released, but again, I have to say I'm very proud of how Norwegians stood together through it all!

Bob Walters of  Utah Division of Wildlife at the orientation

On to happier notes, the falcon babies we have been following this spring/summer have been hanging around downtown on Temple Square and we've enjoyed getting updates about them on this blog, though we miss being able to watch them on the box cam. It's amazing to learn about these amazing hunters, they're quite the aerial killing machines, but also so graceful and beautiful. This year the kids got named after famous human Aviators, so we have Amelia, Charlie, Sally and Bobbie.  

Falcon box on JSMB downtown SLC

When we went to Idaho for the Con, we stopped at a Preserve for birds outside of Boise, (more on that later though) and I was thinking maybe some of "our" kids will end up with one of "their" kids next year... They also have falcons in Downtown Boise you see. 


Well, this will be it for now, I have to get ready for the day and put on dinner, but I'll be back with more later... ;)

All four babies looking down at us

Amelia, the oldest, looking out

closeup of Amelia as she peeks over the edge..

"God saw she was getting tired,

and a cure was not to be.

So he put his arms around her,

and whispered: Come with me.

With tear-filled eyes we watched her

suffer and fade away

although we loved her deeply

we could not make her stay.

A golden heart stopped beating

hard working hands put to rest.

God broke our hearts to prove us,

he only takes the best"

In memory of the oldest living relative on my mothers side who passed away last night. Tante Klara was married to my grandmothers brother, and lived a long and wonderful life. Rest peacefully dearest!