babies, roads, lawsuits and rainbows

The baby screech owls and the baby great horned owl are all growing up quickly. The screech owlets are now hunting live prey and practicing those vitally important hunting skills. Gilda and Arlo have been stellar foster parents! We hope to release these two in early July, so stayed tuned for the release date and times. If you have not yet sent us your email addy please do so immediately so you won't miss the important invitations! In this picture you can see the two youngsters atop the nest box, while papa Arlo looks on. He may look like he is snoozing but, rest assured, he is actually watching me "like a hawk". Arlo has become extremely protective of these youngsters and will swoop at me and hit my head if I appear to be getting too close. This poses quite the adventure when I have to venture inside the flight pen to replenish the bathing water or clean a bit....yikes!

The young great horned owl is now flying and

practicing early hunting skills in our 100 foot flight pen, under the direct care and supervision of Sage, his foster mom. He is getting in his new long flight feathers, but still has quite a bit of downy feathers as well. Sage has been a great mom to this orphan. She adopted him right away and kept him warm during the chilly nights and now watches over him, making sure he is safe and well fed. If all goes to "plan" we hope to release this youngster in mid to late summer, so again, make sure we have your email address so we can send you a "release announcement".

Updates regarding our continuing road saga with the Leelanau County Road Commissioners; the road commissioners have just recently filed a lawsuit against us as well as all contiguous land owners along this privat

e easement. We are scheduled for a "settlement conference" on January 19, 2011 with a 3-day court date scheduled for February 8-10, 2011. The Leelanau County Road Commissioners are continuing to state that Greenway is a public right of way, and that this status is defined public-by-use. They have yet to produce a single shred of evidence or legal documentation supporting this opinion of theirs. We ask that you continue to submit letters to the editors to the Leelanau Enterprise, the Record Eagle and the Northern Express and also copy these letters to the Leelanau County Road Commissioners, the County Commissioners and the Empire and Kasson Township offices. In August the Leelanau County Road Commissioners will be asking for a millage renewal.....based upon their actions thus far, it appears to me that they already have way too much time and money to be asking for more. One of the road commissioners will have a challenger at these August elections as well. (The road commissione

rs may not want to have a whole lot of negative press leading up to this election and millage request, if you get my hint.)

I must extend a huge thanks, with all of my heart, to all of you who have written letters and emails, sent pledges towards our legal defense fund and given me warm hugs of encouragement and support. Just when I begin to experience a wave of worry or road-related stress, one of you sends the perfect card, makes the perfect phone call and/or sends me the perfect words of encouragement. You have helped me through some pretty dark and scary times.....I am forever and deeply appreciative.

(a rainbow over the Wings of Wonder hospital)