The Roses In Front Of the Library Are Still Beautiful
The roses in front of the Dearborn Branch have done just great this year. I am amazed, after the harsh weather this last year. Last winter, we would come to work in the morning and the plants would be drifted almost out of sight with snow. They also thrived with just occasional watering during the worst heat of the summer.
An optimistic, library clerk at a local MCPL branch directs a forlorn and frustrated customer to the Mango Languages Research Database, and give the family’s lovesick, exotic bird a new lease on life.
If this story had ever reached the press, that is exactly what the headline would have read. It is the story that Bird tells everyone she meets.
Bird was completely content to sit upon the shoulder of any family member, hour after hour, surfing the net, day after day.
Dear, sweet, intelligent, articulate, very happy, Internet savvy, English speaking, domestic Bird had fallen hopelessly in love with charming and versatile Charlie Too. Bird emailed the handsome Palm Cockatoo in New Guinea. But he could not read English.
When no reply to her email was received, Bird, rejected and despondent, no longer rejoiced in speaking her favorite English phrases such as “Hi, there”, “Bye-bye”, “Why are you doing that?”, “Oh, no”, “Don’t go there”, and “Uh-huh”.
Do Your Love Birds Mango? The Thrilling Conclusion
If you have been following this love story of two amazing Cockatoos separated by not only continents, ocean waters, and cultural barriers--but the greatest barrier of all, THE LANGUAGE BARRIER--well then, you have come to the right blog.
See for yourself how sad the family Bird had become. Rejected and despondent, Bird retired to her favorite shredding box (shredding being a thing Cockatoos love to do) and pined, but did not shred.
The family had to find a cure for what ailed Bird. The finest Bird specialists in the entire World Wide Web were contacted.
Beautiful live birds are coming to the Riverside Branch! Don’t miss out on our upcoming program on Thursday, September 23rd at 7:00 P.M. The program is called Nature's Rainbow. It will feature endangered birds, parrots, macaws, and cockatoos. You’ll be amazed by these talented birds. Registration is requested.
Sign up online under the Events tab, call, or fly by.
I LOVE watching hummingbirds at this time of the year. I still can't believe we have "library hummingbirds"! They seem to be attracted to the planters we have at the front doors. At my house, I hang several feeders, and I'm treated to a show better than anything on TV! Hummingbirds are very curious, and will sometimes hover a few feet away from your face for a good look. Who knows, maybe we are a show for them!
From September through May, the Blue Ridge Branch offers a Saturday Science program for families. The programs are most appropriate for school age children, but we know that teens and adults are fascinated by the science experiments and the animals brought to the branch by Mad Science, the Kansas City Zoo, Operation Wildlife and other presenters from the metropolitan area.
We’re sort of on a kick about birds at the Blue Ridge Branch. Operation Wildlife volunteer Bill Whinery recently presented The Night Shift program, which featured 5 owls: Slate, Bopper, Bam-Bam, Bardleigh, and Foster. Here are some facts I learned about these beautiful birds:
Owl babies grow to the same size as their parents within 30 days of hatching, but they are big balls of fluffy feathers for many weeks.
Swoop and Talon flew into our library the other night. These amazing owls belong to Yvonne Patterson with "Wings of Love". Swoop is an eagle owl, and Talon is a spectacled owl. If you've never seen an owl close up, it is an amazing sight. They have very large brightly colored eyes with large fury eyelids. Owls are know for their silent flight, and to test that out, they did a couple of flyovers for us. While you could feel the whoosh of air, you didn't really hear their wings.
One of my favorite fall activities is going to Squaw Creek National Wildlife Refuge located in Mound City, about 45 minutes north of Kansas City. Any time of year, a field trip to Squaw Creek is a treat. On any given day, you can expect to see an abundance of over 300 species of birds and 30 varieties of mammals. Fall brings a special visitor, though. Due to migratory patterns, starting in late November chances are that you’ll see bald eagles. If you’ve never seen a bald eagle in the wild, it is worth the drive.
