Pretty busy weekend over here!!!!!
I don't know about you, but Friday nights are pretty low key for us, most of the time. Normally we just do something pretty chill. We went out with a couple close friends to a small Mediterranean restaurant in my hometown called "Anatolia's" and it was really good. I like the kind of place where you can have some good food, relax, and talk with your friends without having to yell because the ceilings are 20 feet high and it's wicked loud. Don't get me wrong- I don't mind loud places, but when I want to chill- I prefer a bit more quiet. (Btw - did you know that restaurants use high ceilings sometimes because customers in restaurants with high ceilings spend more money? I read that once in an restaurant industry mag. Honest!)
Anyway- up early Saturday morning to get out with the camera, and I gotta be honest: Mother Nature and I haven't been seeing eye to eye lately. Photographically, the weather has NOT cooperated with my non-work schedule. So when I have a day I can shoot- it's grey skies and cold, or rain. Ugh. I haven't had a killer sunrise or shoot in months. YOU'RE KILLING ME, SMALLS!!!! But......you just gotta keep at it, and eventually, she'll warm to me again.
The best thing I got from the Mt Chocorua area was this selfie....haha - how bad is THAT????
And when you have a morning like that during "stick season or mud season" - when nothings in bloom yet and theres no color anywhere- that's when you head into the woods to find some bald eagles...
So, while walking to an eagles nest in the woods, I could see commotion by the nest through the trees. The female was sitting on eggs and was getting attacked by two other immature bald eagles who wanted the eggs (yeah, they do that). Her mate swooped in to defend them- so there were 4 bald eagles going at it- and I wasn't in a position to get a shot. The male circled the nest and the immatures took off. I got a relatively clear shot just as the mom returned to the nest. What I didn't see then - was clear in this photo. She wasn't defending eggs, because her babies had already hatched (lower left of image, its the chicks gray fuzzy little head).
Photo: Greg Kretschmar
Below is the female circling the nest to guard it from another attack....
Photo: Greg Kretschmar
And then she perched just above the nest to make sure the chicks were ok -
Both male and female guarded both sides of the nest for a long time after that.
Seeing something like that happen is strange. On one hand, it's pretty cool to see, on the other- I didn't want to see the immatures win- so I wanted them to get an ass kicking - haha. Thanfully, Mom and Dad defended their young and that was cool to watch.
Photo: Greg Kretschmar
So even though the landscape part of my photography sucked that morning, the wildlife was pretty cool.
Next, I needed sneakers. So - we head to Runners Alley (or in my case..."Walkers Alley") in Portsmouth. Really nice, helpful, knowledgable folks there. The sales associate comes over, asks me some questions, puts my feet in some computer thing that tells her what I need - or something- and she comes out with pair. I try em on - BOOM. Love em. Good to go.
Thats when things get a little.....nuts.
Valerie apparently needed them too. Fine, no problem!
Then I watch as this happens....
"J.C. on a pogo stick, hon! How many are you gonna try on?????"
"I mean - PICK A PAIR AND LETS GOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!"
Historically, Women love that when I man busts their chops about hurrying up, don't they??? haha- I was laughing my ass off. Valerie? Not so much. I'm a hit and run guy at the shoe store- try one on, like it? BOOM. Lets go. That's it! I'm pretty sure the woman at Runners Alley had to LIE DOWN and rest after Valerie finally chose a pair!!! haha
So what else happened this weekend? Oh yeah - this -
Almost done the final installment of OZARK on Netflix, and it continues to be great. Ruth - (above) is a bad ass, and if she dies at the end, Im gonna be pissed. Wendy can die, I don't care. But Ruth? They better not.
Had dinner and walked around downtown Exeter at the Sea Dog Brewery with Valerie's brother Kevin and his wife Kathy....
Kevin's an expert photobomber, apparently...hahahaA
And on Sunday- we went to Game 1 of the Celts vs Bucks series at the Garden....and got to hang with Kayla and Cass...
We didn't bring them enough luck to win, but what do you want when your team only shoots 33% from the floor? Ugh. Tough game. Hope we do better coming up...
And that's about it. HOpe you all had a good weekend, and hopefully the weather will get a little warmer this week!
Have at it, kids-
g
ps. We talked about these last week on the air - and this is further proof that Im currently kind of into soft pretzels. Had one of these at the Garden
pss. Save the lecture about Carbs. I ate nothing but lettuce the rest of the weekend. haha...