Ornithologists. Hunter & Airstreams. Hemangiosarcoma

I love to watch birds, but I don't know many of their 'professional' names.

You might not like vultures, but they are part of Mother Nature's chain.  The non-electric garbage disposals.

This was sent to me by a certified Master Naturalist, today, which happened to be quite a coincidence due to what followed.

So, today as I was driving into town, I saw several buzzards soaring around high in the sky. http://www.ehow.com/about_6580365_buzzards-vs_-vultures.html 

At any rate, vultures or buzzards,  those scavengers that circle overhead when something is dead or dying.  I hoped that none of the local cattle or horses had succumbed.

Then I saw road kill, I think it was a rabbit, but there was also one of these great big birds and it was dead in the road, too.  I hope it didn't smash someone's windshield, but it seemed more like it had been run over.
The wing span was several feet, and it had been a beautiful bird.  I was also sorry for the little 'wabbit'.

I was on my way to see Hunter Hampton.  She was at Castaways RV Park near me.  She comments on a couple of RVing lists that I read, and also has her own list:  http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AirstreamList/


I used to have Airstreams, from 1962 16' Bambi TT, 24', 26' to 31 footers, and a lovely 36' Airstream Landyacht Class A, which was sold a couple of years ago.
 
Hunter fulltimes in her 25' Airstream travel trailer with three large dogs.  They are so sweet, and I petted and talked to them, while Hunter and I chatted for a couple of hours.  Her oldest one, Tucker, was up on the couch with me.  He is a Belgian Sheepdog,  and when she gets back to her farm in Florida, he will herd the sheep out of the barn for her. 

She also has a vintage Vagabond travel trailer at the farm as a guest house.  It looks like the 2-door 47 Westcraft Coronado I sold a little while back.

Apart from Airstreams and our love of animals, we had another thing in common.  Both our best doggies had died due to hemangiosarcoma, which is cancer of the spleen, and it becomes fatal in a very short time.

Sometimes their people don't even know their dogs have it, and suddenly find their dog dead.   But Hunter and I knew there was something wrong with our wonderful "sons", and even though we quickly took them to the vet, we lost them shortly afterwards.  When Hunter had her dog's spleen removed, he was only given 6 weeks, and made it for five of them.  My little Levi's was inoperable, so he had to be PTS within a week.
More at: http://www.caninecancer.com/Hemangiosarcoma.html

I have also had an Avion and a Silver Streak, and I often wonder why anyone would want anything but a 'silver bullet'.  They don't leak, they last forever, and even if you don't have the right hitch, (preferably a Hensley), they still tow like a dream. 
I surely knew the difference when I towed my son's 27' slab sided trailer compared to my 31' Airstream.  I couldn't wait to drop that thing, whereas I hardly knew the big Airstream was there.

Ray and I had got a couple of little jobs done this morning, before he had to leave.   We put new carpet on the metal steps to Pugsy, the vintage motor home.  I keep carpet on them so that animals won't get their toes caught in the slots, also so they are non-skid for people.  We punched holes in the carpet and anchored it with zip-ties through the slats.

In front of the house, I had pruned back an unruly bush which has blue flowers on it just about year round.  I don't know it's 'professional' name either.   
We added some hooks and green rope to go around the bush, so it won't trail all over the walkway again, like it did last year.

Pamala and Nigel just Skyped me and they are in Duncan, OK.  They should be here tomorrow evening.  Can't hardly wait to see them, and hear more about their trip to AK.

That's enough excitement for one day!