Community Fun Day, Auburn, Ducks

For several reasons and excuses, I have failed to blog in a couple of weeks. Kitchen duty, vacation, and internet connections have hampered my ability to type about nothing.

So here's what you need to know about the northeastern NC, the Eastern 4-H Center, and the Fall Flight of waterfowl.

Our little corner of the state is trying to shake the grip of summer - it's tough when the humidity and the temps mirror each other at 80. Personally, I believe there is a time and a place for everything. These temperatures belong here from June to August. Rapid and confusing weather changes also confuse the body and a lot of people get a little sick. I am getting a small head cold. We also stand to get a little more rain. Where was this stuff when we needed it in the summer? There's nothing worse than pulling out the lawnmower one more time.

The Eastern 4-H Center is on the backside of 8 consecutive busy weekends! It's actually about 35, but I don't count the summer and since the summer doesn't count, the spring's consecutive weeks can't count, but obviously we have just been plain busy, especially on the weekends. I was away this weekend - I went to see Auburn play LSU in football. More on that later. Lee was left to attend to the Wedding rehearsal and reception over the weekend. Nothing says pressure quite like 250 hungry people. Apparently it was one of the finest matrimonious meetings in epochs!

This upcoming weekend implies that if you are a member of the community and you enjoy fun days then you should bring you and yours to the Eastern 4-H Center for Community Fun Day. Here's the thing - you do not have to be from our community. You can come from any community in the galaxy. There will be camp activities, a blodd drive, and a weenie roast. Nope, we are not roasting Lee. But everything is free (for you the visitor) and fun (for you and us). I have a collection of summer staff returning to facilitate the fun. Some of our full time staff will be here, too. The fun kicks off at 9:00 (it used to be 10:00, but 9:00 this year) and ceases at 3:00.

The annual fall migration of waterfowl is officially underway. The Great Lakes Cyclone that swept, then mopped the midwest left blizzard conditions in the upper midwest. Freezing temperatures will freeze up many small lakes, ponds, and rivers overnight! This will create a unique situation many call the grand passage. This is when virtually all ducks, geese, coots, swans, and shorebirds migrate at once. I have never seen this, but I'll be on the lookout. Many birds had already moved down here for the winter - evidence such as the 2000-3000 pintails and wigeons I saw at Pea Island a week ago strengthens that case. I got the banding information back from a wood duck I harvested earlier in the season - it was banded in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania - yep, Amish Country. This duck was obviously a migrant and probably moved into North Carolina in mid-September. Alas, it's time to dust of the decoys, check the boat for safety equipment, and secure the honey hole. The first split of the "late" waterfowl season is November 13.

On to Auburn. Three weeks ago, all of the pundits said that Auburn would not make it throug the three game stretch of Arkansas, Kentucky, and LSU. If they did, they would deserve, and thus, receive respect. Well pundits, it happened. The BCS computers have Auburn ranked number 1. Computers have always outsmarted humans. Pundits are barely human. One of the most detestable things about college football (other than the lack of a playoff) if the influence many of these talking head "experts" have on poll voters.

All of a sudden, they have deemed Auburn an "incomplete" team, referring to the apparent lack of defense. I don't know much about football, but I know an offenses job is to score more points than the other team's offense. A defenses job is to restrict the other team from scoring more points than that of their own team's offense. Auburn has scored more points than every team it has played. Using logic, one can determine that Auburn's offense and defense have both been successful...more successful than every team in the toughest conference in the country. Auburn's success seems to peak only when the conference is "down". This makes little sense to me. If traditional powers like Alabama are undefeated, the natural order of things must be correct. Also, pundits on television feel that college football is destined for a Boise State v. Alabama championship game. When Auburn beats Alabama, will Auburn finally be called a "complete" team, or will they determine that Alabama was "down" this year. The point being if pundits believe Alabama and Boise State are the best two teams in the country, please rank them that way now. That way, when Auburn beats Alabama, we can "earn" our top ranking.

It's also interesting that each Friday all of the "experts" predict an Auburn loss. After an Auburn win, all of the pundits are pleased to report that Auburn's latest victim was "overrated". Pundits, you are overrated. War Eagle! Cam for Heisman!

Enjoy the day...