Here is a peek at the competition, for those entering an eagle photography contest.
Chris Raezer has already entered this photo he took near Silvana.
An eagle photograph contest is offered in conjunction with the second Arlington Eagle Festival planned for Feb. 7.
Submit entries by Feb. 4 to Arlington City Hall, Attn.: Sarah Hegge, 238 N. Olympic Ave., Arlington, WA 98223. Photographs must be at least 8 inches by 10 inches in size, and must have been taken in Snohomish County.
Raezer’s photo meets all the criteria.
“I discovered photography in 1976 when my parents bought a new SLR (single lens reflex) and it didn’t take long before I was hooked,” he says. “I learned a lot on that old camera and still have it today.”
The Arlington city councilman hunted ducks with his brother in the Stanwood area, and did trapshooting.
“Now, shooting birds with a camera gives me the best of both worlds,” Raezer says. “I get the thrill and action of the hunt without the gamy taste and I can shoot any bird I want.”
An added bonus, he says, is not having to clean everything he shoots.
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Children may be scared out of their wits today, but it’s a disgusting adventure with a purpose.
Nadine Carter, tobacco coordinator for Tulalip Health Clinic, says a program called Choice and Consequences is offered today at Tulalip Elementary School.
It’s a grabber.
Students will get to see real human organs and learn what disease can do to kidneys, hearts and livers.
The mission is to educate kids about the consequences of health choices.
Seeing a corroded liver might just do the trick. Many children say they will never pick up a cigarette or take drugs because of this presentation, Carter says. The children’s eyes get big, they make many sounds of amazement and shock, and they talk about it for weeks.
“They also give the students a pair of altered goggles that allow them to feel what it is like to have too many drinks, then walk on a straight line,” says Carter. “The students really love this part of the presentation and can’t wait to tell their families about it.”
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Would you like to reach over the side of a boat and touch a giant gray whale?
There is a good chance you’ll get that opportunity by joining Orca Network on a five-day expedition to Baja California to visit gray whales in San Ignacio Lagoon.
It’s planned for Feb. 27 through March 3.
Susan Berta with the Whidbey Island-based network says she was at the birthing lagoon learning about Baja’s Biosphere Reserve.
“The moms and calves share precious moments with us,” says Berta. “We’ll observe breaching, mating and other behaviors those of us up north don’t often get to see.”
The basic trip costs $2,275 from San Diego and benefits Orca Network.
For more information, e-mail info@orcanetwork.org or call 360-678-3451.
Don’t try touch whales in Washington waters. It’s against the law. Only a limited number of boats are allowed in the Mexican lagoon.
“There is the unbelievable experience with a small percentage of grays in the lagoon,” said Berta. “They actually approach the boats and people for friendly encounters that are indescribable. We could not believe the whales were actually choosing to come to be with us puny little humans, until we experienced it first hand, literally, as huge mom gray whales came over with their calves right up to the boats.”
Columnist Kristi O’Harran: 425-339-3451 or oharran@heraldnet.com.
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