Raptors and Backyard Campout

About 10 minutes from our house there is a nature area with camping, nature trails, and a raptor center where they keep injured birds of prey. Each bird has its own largish cage. There are maybe 15 birds - owls, hawks, a vulture, a bald eagle and a golden eagle. We go here a few times a year to let the kids wander around the woods, and we often stop to see "the owls." We went yesterday again with a group of moms from church. We were the last ones to finally leave the bird area and head down the trail to the parking lot. As we were walking we met the lady who takes care of the center and the birds. She was carrying a bucket of dead mice. Naturally, this led to some great questions and conversation. This lady does all kinds of educational group tours and such for kids, so she was great to answer all questions. She explained she was taking the mice to feed the other birds, the ones not on display, and she offered to show us the special birds that no one else sees.

There is a separate large enclosure for raptors with short-term illnesses or injuries. Once again each bird has its own cage, then off the back there is a large enclosure to allow the birds to exercise their wings; fly around a bit. Jodeane opened the door and let us step inside. A bald eagle was in the room with us! It was probably 40-50 feet away, flying from one perch to another and back again. Jodeane told us it had been poisoned and was receiving treatment. She described how she put a mask over the eagle's beak, and a tube inside to feed it medicine. She described using a stethoscope, just like our daddy does, and some other things. Very neat to be in the same room as a bald eagle!

Jodeane also showed us the other birds being treated, including an orphaned baby barred owl that was being cared for by some older barred owls. She explained some of the doctor things she does. We considered ourselves very lucky to have this special guided tour! This section is usually off limits to the public.

This was all very exciting for the kids. They were shooting off questions right and left the whole time, and Jodeane answered them all very kindly.

Yesterday evening we set up the tent in the backyard for the kids to sleep in. I knew Olivia especially was super tired, but that it would be hard to fall asleep out there. So I had them all lay down quietly while I read a book to them in the tent. We read several chapters from Mr. Popper's Penguins. But Olivia would not lay still to fall asleep. Finally it was too dark to read. I had to give up. I came inside, and I'd only been in for 1 minute when I saw all the kids run out of the tent to the swing set! They had to have a stern talking to. A while later Jonah came in crying. He said Annabelle had kicked him in the eye. He said it wasn't fun anymore and decided to sleep in his bed. I asked Annabelle her side of the story. She said Jonah had been running around the tent, stepping on everyone. Eventually the 3 girls fell asleep.

In the middle of the night I heard Olivia crying for me at the door. She said she was cold and wanted to come in. I heard Grace and Annabelle take turns coming in at different times to go to the bathroom, but they went back out to the tent after and stayed til morning.

It is fun to do out of the ordinary things like this every once in a while. The kids love it. The parents wonder how we come away with good memories about it and forget the bad. Because it was quite frustrating to hear them scream at each other and talk so rudely to each other, and I know it's largely because they are too tired and overspent, and they wouldn't be behaving like that if they had gone to sleep in their own beds an hour earlier.

Somehow they come away with good memories. And for some reason the parents agree to do it again, later, after we've forgotten the negative parts.