okiesurveyor

On April 9, my wife and I were invited to view the release of a Bald Eagle by WildCare Foundation of Oklahoma at Lake Arcadia in Edmond, OK. Wild Care rehabilitates injured wild animals and release them back into the wild. The female Bald Eagle was injured when she was struck by an 18-wheeler on the Indian Nation Turnpike in Southeastern Oklahoma. She suffered a a concussion, broken wing, shattered leg and lacerated liver. Wild Care rehabilitated her and nursed her back to health with the expertise of Dr. Joe Carter of Oklahoma Equine Hospital. Saturday she was to be released back into the wild and we were able to attend and Michelle took some spectacular pictures of the Eagle being released. The event was surreal. If you have ever been this close to a wild Bald Eagle, you know what I mean. They are beautiful and majestic animals. Congress got this one right when they adopted the Bald Eagle as the national emblem of the United States in 1782. When she flew over our hea...

When I was about 12 or 13 years old I went to an organized shooting event (I think it was Boy Scouts) and we shot some clay pigeons and handled some different kinds of long guns. When the day was over the sponsor gave a “Safe Shooter Award” When they announced it was me, I thought to myself, “what did I do?” I wasn't consciously thinking about “being safe”. I didn't walk around that day nervously reminding myself, “don’t forget to point the gun in a safe direction”, or “keep your finger off the trigger until your ready to shoot”. I just did those things because that was what you do. I guess respect and safety for firearms instilled in me by my dad must have paid off I still have that trophy somewhere; it’s a tiny little gold guy on a plastic base holding a shotgun (only now the barrel is broken off). That trophy symbolizes what we should all strive for, safety being second nature. Of course we should never get complacent and think that we know it all. That is when accide...