EAGLETS NAMED -- SQUIRRELLY -- SCAMS--CONS

Bald  Eaglets – continuing saga......

The two fluffy little Big Bear Bald Eaglets written about in my most recent previous posts with links to this continuing live cam have been named – Cookie and Simba.   Names were submitted by the public, then selected by the Big Bear Valley 3^rd graders as reported on this Friends of Big Bear Valley site.

Mama Shadow feeds Cookie and Simla:   Oops!  Mama is Jackie and Papa is Shadow.

Squirrelly .....

My house had sudden fluctuating power outages once again about 10 P.M. one night earlier this week, like that previously described here.   Since electricity to only half the house was down again with all the same important appliances off as before, the outage proved to be as my electrician had previously indicated – “one leg is down”.  

My electric company did send someone out that night, after they called me again when I left it up to them whether or not someone needed to come since I had since regained full power.   The following morning more service men appeared, then informed me they would be replacing the line to my house, so would be on my roof.    

When they left after reporting having completed their job, I didn’t think quickly enough to ask what the problem was with the defective line or “leg”.   The truck with the cherry picker has yet to come to trim the trees as had been suggested earlier was needed.    

Thinking about all of this, I remembered the electrician’s weeks earlier speculations about a possible culprit other than the wind blowing in the tree branches causing my outages.  There was no wind the night of this most recent occurrence unlike before.   His suggestion had altered  the perception I had been indulging for many years that the neighborhood alleged creature culprit causing my power loss was “harmless --  merely attractive, cute and funny”.  

Reflecting now on a years ago experience, I recall I had previously heard rumors,  even “stories”  from others that should have given me pause.  When the offense actually happened to me, I’d never before been exposed to such behavior as occurred in that years-past weekend series of destructive actions.  But I tended to make allowances then for the attractive creature.   The episode did distress me enough that I initiated immediate action making the future environment totally unattractive and uninviting to him or her having now become a violating intruder.  

I should have noted more seriously what that one wily squirrel’s actions was telling me when after my several delightful strictly bird-feeding-only years he/she discovered my bird feeders.   The sock with nyjer or thistle seed for my yellow-feathered finches was shredded, the black seed spread all over the barren ground below.   Plastic portions of hanging feeders were gnawed open expelling all those sunflower seeds in the bird treat mix.   The feeders were so ruptured they could no longer be used. 

So it is that the delightful creatures I once rather enjoyed seeing from my patio performing their high wire act and other antics, that I’d also  pleasurably observed elsewhere through the years, I’m finally seeing more clearly who they really are -- the rose-colored film has lifted from eyes through which I had viewed them – my perception and attitude toward them changed.

I am disappointed but no longer disillusioned as to those agile squirrels’ capabilities and true selves --  and I don’t trust them – even if they do have lovely fluffy tails and their actions can sometimes evoke my laughter.  It’s that pesky “...red-furred sleek generalist from the East Coast, a fast procreator with an appetite for everything” that has invaded our So Cal area displacing our native gray squirrels described at SoCalWild.   Did those native eastern squirrels gnaw on one leg of my electric line?   I may never know.

The California gray squirrel displaced by the eastern invader red fox squirrel:

Words and actions......

I was reminded we can see who others are since they will show us by their actions -- if we just pay attention.  Objectionable behaviors can sometimes be excused as anomalies, but all too often they reveal character quality.   We need to not forget what we learn from such observations, but especially on the occasions they’ve caused us distress.  Our lesson best be to disassociate ourselves from the violator of civilized tolerant standards permanently, as quickly as possible.    

Perhaps crazy unpredictable antics are what draws in some human champions of such species  – allows these supporters to minimize, overlook or excuse the behaviors being demonstrated – dismissing  what they’re really about which is greedily taking others share for their own, dividing allegiances between those who see their true nature and those who don’t – the latter  likely having not yet experienced their destructive actions, mistakenly thinking they never will be subjected to them personally.

Do you suppose there might even be some parallels here with what’s occurring with our nation’s government and similar leadership in the world we’re navigating today?  

Scams and Cons ......

I don’t think Alexander Graham Bell anticipated this abuse of the phone system any more than some of our tech guys thought would occur with the Internet.  Always seem to be some individuals who have to introduce undesirable and exploitive elements into inventions that otherwise would be only beneficial to mankind.

Scams.....

The latest new phone scam I received was a message left on my answering machine informing me a collection agency was coming after me, so I needed to contact them post haste.  They were even brazzen enough to follow-up with a second call. 

Then...there’s that old standby in a call that just came again – “I’m calling about your computer.......”

and Cons.....

I was also treated to a con when I answered the phone recently to what proved to be a man representing himself as being with my electric utility company.    Given my recent power outages I thought this was a follow-up call of some sort.    I specifically asked if he was with the Edison Company to which he said he was.   He then proceeded to ask a question that told me he had just lied to me.  I asked again, directly, was he an employee of Edison and again he said “yes.”   I said, “You have just lied to me.   You’re selling solar.”   He stammered a few utterances, then abruptly disconnected before I could hang-up.      

I regret now that I did not first find out what company he represented so I could report this misrepresentation to the electric company, then call the solar company to tell them what happened and that I would never do business with them in the future plus would be alerting others to the same about their proclivity for dishonesty.  I only go to such lengths if I happen to not have other matters occupying my attention at the time.  

DEMOCRACY VOTE -- I.D. CARD SAGA -- PHOTO I.D. GLITCHES

The most important U.S. activity in this coming week is election day, Tuesday, for those going to traditional voting sites -- who haven’t voted early or mailed in their ballots.   Please vote – the future of our democracy matters -- will be impacted. 

Fear-Mongering, U.S. Military Politicization in the name of security.....

Attempts to influence voters with fear-mongering by our President that South American migrants  caravanning from their countries are criminals and terrorists is the latest con he’s foisting on the American people.  Those migrants say they simply want to apply for asylum in the United States just as is permitted by the law here and in many countries in the world (contrary to our leader saying that our country is the only country allowing such in his never-ending mendacious pronouncements).

Our President has blatantly used his governing office to politically hype this situation some say.  He has used our U.S. military forces to promote this position under the guise of being necessary for security by ordering troops to our borders – long before these migrants will ever reach there – as he continues this political exploitation just prior to our election.

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I.D. Card Saga Up Date....

Previously I wrote HERE about my travails at our California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) renewing my driver’s license and applying for a new I.D. Card. 

In 2020 this I.D. Card will be necessary to board airlines in the U.S. for our flights, or both a Driver’s License and a Passport will be required.  Wanting to carry only one card for identification domestically I chose to obtain the I.D. Card which will also be my successfully renewed California Driver’s License.  Also, I can well imagine the I.D. Card may begin to become required by more businesses in the future. 

Some have speculated that the closer we come to 2020 our DMV offices will become busier as more people will want this I.D. Card.  As I reported earlier, residents of other U.S. states should investigate their motor vehicle department’s I.D. Card issuance procedures and recommendations.

Because one of my 3 required identification documents was not initially accepted, I had to return to the DMV office another time with a different document, actually bearing much the same information.   

I repeated some of the previously described time standing in line, alternating waiting, sitting between visits to only 4 different lines this time over a 1 ½ hour period.   Again, there was an instance of conflicting information.  Also, I was instructed I’d need to again complete an application though I had done so on the Internet originally before my first visit to expedite this whole process. 

Seems that application went with the original file which resulted in my receiving only the limited regular California driver’s license – the one I had to wait to receive before I would be allowed to re-apply for the I.D. Card I had wanted in the first place. 

I pressed as to why they couldn’t access my original application made only a week or so earlier (no data changed).    What was the efficiency point of putting it on the Internet in the first place if they couldn’t access it again?  I received an explanation about how this paralleled old-fashioned paper files and once a file was closed out, it was done.  Hm-m-m, I said – I still can’t imagine why you couldn’t just make a copy of the application from the old file! 

Suddenly this very pleasant clerk excused herself, told me to sit down and wait, went to another close-by station and after a short time returned – with a print-out copy of my original application. 

Then it was time to have my photo taken once again -- with my right thumb print for I.D. repeated, also.   Each of times I had to submit my thumb print during this visit the process seemed to be problematic as I had to keep re-submitting it multiple times which the clerks seemed surprised was happening, too.

I was pleased to be having another photo taken as the one appearing on the driver’s license had to be my worst i.d. photo I’ve ever had taken.  I haven’t seen this latest one and can only hope it’s better when my I.D. Card finally arrives within the coming week probably.  I hope the expiration date allows me quite a few years before I have to seek a renewal.  

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Photo I.D. Catastrophes.....

So many of our various identification type cards – credit cards, employer, professionals in many medical settings where I’ve been, driver’s licenses, to name a few – carry our photograph head shots.   I’ve not been too displeased with mine through the years, until recently.   

I speculate on how much my negative reaction to my photo i.d. is due to simple face and hair natural aging changes.     How much can be partly attributed to my different hair style in length while my natural hair color keeps gradually changing, too?    On the other hand, some of the people who take these photographs seem to do a better job than others in capturing a warm, more personable facial expression. 

My first passport pictures years ago were pleasing, including even one taken midlife.   The last photo renewed in more recent years is pretty gruesome in my opinion – snapped before I really had a chance to adopt a smile, or reasonably friendly look on my face.  That woman seemed annoyed that she even had to take the picture.

When my new driver’s license renewal photo taken a couple weeks ago was received, I was horrified.  Fortunately, that card has been voided, to be replaced by the new I.D. Card.   Surely, the new photo on that card can only be better!  

What has been your experience or reaction to i.d. photos on any cards you carry?