North to Alaska

Okay, so I'm a little bummed about not going to New York this year for National. I must admit though that Alaska was worth the sacrifice. My hubby and I took our moms on a week long cruise through the inside passage to Juneau, Skagway, Glacier Bay, Ketchikan and finally Victoria BC.

The weather cooperated beautifully. Scenery was amazing. Although I missed the black bear that some folks saw, we did see plenty of whales in Glacier Bay, a mountain goat and two babies on the train ride out of Skagway, plus an upclose and personal with an eagle in Ketchikan.

Probably the highlight for me though was that hubby joined the spa the first day out and we were able to relax and take in much of the scenery at sea from the whirlpool or sitting in the loungers, just watching Alaska pass by. Being a warm water sort of gal, that one thing helped make Alaska more my type trip.

We ended the adventure in Butchart Gardens in Victoria the last evening and all I can say is that I wish we'd had more than three hours to wander through and take in the array of color and landscaping. Awesome.


For those of you like me who are sweltering here in the south, maybe the pics will give you a moment's relief. For everyone headed to New York at the end of the month, wishing you a wonderful time. Will miss you.

Anybody else out there have any trips planned this year?

I Love a Happy Ending

This spring I’ve been tuning into five web cams at the nests of bald eagles across the continent. Yes, you read that correctly. Five. These eagle cams are at the Norfolk Botanical Garden in Norfolk, VA, Decorah, IA, White Rock, BC, Hornby Island, BC, and Sidney, BC. There are either a lot of bald eagles in BC or a lot of eagle-crazy web cam watchers!

I don’t spend huge amounts of time and don’t get involved in the online chats associated with some of the cams, but I usually check them in the morning and again the evening to see how the families are doing.

Sometimes I’ve even timed it to see an egg being laid or an eaglet hatching. Watching how these big birds of prey, with their deadly talons and razor-sharp beaks, delicately care for their eggs and newborns is amazing.

This spring thousands of web cam watchers were devastated when the mother eagle at the Norfolk Botanical Garden nest was hit by a jet and killed at a nearby airport. The next day the three eaglets were removed from the nest because it wouldn’t have been possible for their dad to both hunt for food and keep them safe. Those eaglets are now at a wildlife rehabilitation center, almost ready to fledge, and will be released into the wild in August.

Last week there was trouble at the nest in Sidney, BC, and I was beginning to think I didn’t have the emotional fortitude it takes to be an eagle watcher.

One of the three eaglets in this nest had become entangled in fishing line that had been inadvertently brought to the nest, either attached to nesting material or to a fish that had been caught and released by careless humans.

While wildlife experts came up with a plan to free the eaglet, web cam watchers watched for five days as it struggled to free itself. No one gave up hope, though. The parents continued to feed it, and by Thursday afternoon a small army of volunteer rescuers gathered at the base of the tree.

Several problems had to be overcome. The nest is 115 feet in the air, near the top of a dead tree that was deemed too fragile for a climber. The ground around the tree is still wet and boggy due to an unseasonably high rainfall this spring, and a crane would sink to its axles before it could get close to the tree.

The eaglet’s plight made the news, of course, and it wasn’t long before help was on the way. Two companies that install drainage tiles loaned the use of huge flexible mats that could be laid on the mucky ground to create a roadway of sorts that would support the 65-ton crane. The crane operator donated his time, too.

With the crane in place, a veterinarian and a wildlife biologist donned safety gear, loaded themselves and their supplies into the basket and up they went.

The eagle parents kept a very close watch on what was taking place, but to the surprise of many viewers, they did not attack the rescuers.

The tangled eaglet was cut free and carefully lifted out of the nest and into the basket while those on the ground—and the thousands around the world watching on computer screens—collectively held their breath as the vet examined the baby bird for signs of injury.

I’m sure you can imagine the cheers—and joyful tears—when we saw the vet return the eaglet to the nest. The foot that had been tangled in fishing line was in good condition and the circulation had not been restricted, so all that was needed was a little disinfectant to treat a small cut. Best of all, the eaglet could remain with its family instead of being taken to a neaby wildlife rehab facility.

The eagle parents, who’d been watching from a nearby tree, returned to the nest even before the rescuers in the basket returned to the ground, and before long all three eaglets were fed their next meal.

Last Thursday there was an abundance of heroes in Sidney, BC. Don’t you just love a happy ending?

Until next time,
Lee
www.leemckenzie.com
The Christmas Secret (November 2011)
The Wedding Bargain (available June 2011 in Australia)

Happy Easter...

...to all of our wonderful American Romance readers!

However you spend the day, whether you’re at home or away, whether you’re with family and friends or on your own, I hope you have a happy and peace-filled day.

Easter and springtime are all about new beginnings, so I want to share this delightful vignette with you.

I captured this scene from the White Rock Bald Eagle Nest web cam, where two eaglets were welcomed into the world this week—the first on Wednesday and the second on Good Friday.

Those who know me well know I’m a bit of a nature nerd, and White Rock is now one of five bald eagle web cams conveniently iconed on my desktop.

Yes, I’m hooked. But can you blame me?

For me, family dinners are all-important, and this is one beautiful family dinner.

While I’m on the subject of feeding families, I thought I’d share my absolute favorite and super-easy recipe for make-ahead, oven-baked French toast.

And it's seriously easy!

You make it the night before, put it in the fridge, then pre-heat the oven the next morning, pop it in...and half an hour later brunch is served!

Lee’s Oven-Baked French Toast

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
8 one-inch-thick slices French bread
4 eggs
1/2 cup light cream (10%)
1/2 cup milk
1/ 4 cup orange juice


Spread the melted butter in a 9" by 13" baking pan. Combine the brown sugar and cinnamon, and sprinkle half the mixture in the pan. Arrange the bread slices in the pan. You might have to squish them a bit, but make sure they don’t overlap.


Beat the eggs, then add the cream, milk and orange juice. Slowly and carefully pour this mixture over the bread, being sure the bread is evenly coated.


Sprinkle the remaining brown sugar/cinnamon mixture over the bread. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.


The next morning, preheat the oven to 375 degrees, remove the plastic wrap from the pan, and bake the French toast for about 25 minutes. Delicious when served with maple syrup and fruit compote.

By the time you read this, it will be too late to make this for Easter brunch, but it’s also great for Mother’s Day brunch or any other day brunch you can think of.

I hope you enjoy it!

Until next time,
Lee
The Christmas Secret (Nov. '11)
http://www.leemckenzie.com/

It's an...egg?

It must be spring! The Hornby Island bald eagles are back with some happy news. Mom laid an egg the night before last, the happy parents are now taking turns incubating the egg, and web cam watchers all over the world are eagerly awaiting the hatch, and keeping fingers crossed for a second egg.

When you visit the web cam site, be sure scroll down and check the Egg Timer for the approximate hatch time.

The Hornby Eagles also have a Facebook page where you'll find photos and updates.

Happy eagle watching!

Until next time,
Lee
http://www.leemckenzie.com/

A Visit to the National Eagle Center

Earlier this month, while visiting family in Minnesota, I had an opportunity to visit the National Eagle Center in a little town called Wabasha. The center currently has five injured and non-releasable resident eagles—one golden and four bald eagles.

A 29-year-old bald eagle named Harriet was taking part in an interpretive program when I arrived. She was incredibly alert and it was clear that those bright, sharp eyes didn’t miss a thing.

At one point she even gave us a look at her amazing wingspan.

A splendid example of the national bird and national symbol of the United States, don’t you think?

In the 1950s, there were only about 400 nesting pairs of bald eagles in the 48 contiguous states and these magnificent birds were on the endangered list. In 1995 bald eagles were transferred to the threatened list, and in 2007 they were delisted. Their recovery can be attributed to various government agencies and other organizations, including the National Eagle Center.

I enjoyed meeting Harriet and was especially pleased when she agreed to pose for a picture with me.

If you’d like to find out more about Harriet, you can read her bio here.

And here’s a short video taken by another visitor to the National Eagle Center.



This fall we’ve had lots of happy bald eagles here in the Pacific Northwest because there’s been a record run of sockeye salmon. In honor of the eagles and the salmon, I’ve posted my favorite recipe for Grilled Sockeye Salmon on my personal blog today, and I’m giving away an autographed copy of Firefighter Daddy today. I hope you’ll drop by and leave a comment.

Until next time,
Lee

Eagle Watch

Last month I blogged about the Hornby Island Eagle Cam, a live web cam that’s giving us a bird’s eye view of life in the nest of a pair of bald eagles. In April, we were watching Mom and Dad take turns brooding their two eggs.

Early on April 29th, one of the eggs hatched and just after sunrise (PDT) web cam viewers around the world welcomed baby Phoenix to the world.

Sadly, it seems the second wasn’t fertilized and has not hatched, but watching Mom and Dad raise Phoenix has more than made up for that disappointment. It’s especially incredible to see how amazingly gentle these parents are, in spite of their fierce beaks and deadly talons.

Even more astounding is the growth rate of a baby bald eagle. Phoenix will fledge and leave the nest when s/he is about 80 days old, with a wing span of 80 inches!

Here's Phoenix at three weeks old, with the unhatched egg for scale. I love the little dinosaur face, rubber chicken body and that pair of I’ll-grow-into-them-someday feet. So adorable.

Hornby Eagles also have a Facebook page where you’ll find lots more information and many more photographs. It the link doesn’t work, a Facebook search for Hornby Eagles will take you there.

Happy eagle watching!

Until next time,
Lee
Firefighter Daddy (July 2010)