This may be the worst case of cabin fever that I've ever seen! Manon VanSchoyck www.ohionature.org ----- Original Message ----- From: "Steve J." <[log in to unmask]> To: <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Thursday, February 04, 2010 10:57 AM Subject: Re: [Ohio-birds] Winner of "Biggest Loser" > (Shocked expression followed by ecstatic jumping up and down. Hugs other > biggest loser contestants, followed by the welling up of tears)Thank you > one and all for this most highest of honors. (tears) I hardly know what > to say...sniff > > (wipes tears from eyes) sniff...I didn't believe that I had any hope of > winning such a great and noble achievement. I was sure that there were > others out there that had only seen just a bird or two during this past > Wulf-monath. Surely there is one out there. However, I will accept > this award on behalf of those who were too afraid to speak up and > acknowledge that they were unable to go out and enjoy the avian bonanza > that is all around us. > > And I will use this platform to go and speak out against homelessness > and hunger and disease, to achieve world peace, and to get the kids back > outside instead of in front of the TV/computer. > > ahem (clears throat, drinks a sip of water). > > My fellow Birders, > > During this tumultuous era of war and social upheaval, we are forgetting > those out there that are the littlest among us, the unseen in some > cases. They hide in the shadows, but they are there looking at us and > watching us. Watching us go on with our busy lives barely caring that > they are even there. We neglect them, ignore them. We feed them and > their children food that is not fit for humans to eat. We offer up > places to clean up and rest but then let them fall into a state of > disrepair so that it is not fit for even vagrants from another country > to come and seek shelter for the night, or even take a bath. We MUST > turn the tide we MUST stop this injustice. > > Therefore my fellow Birders, I encourage YOU with all the power that > this award gives me, to do what I..and my family have done. To take > steps to right the wrongs that WE have committed to those least among us. > > > My fellow Birders, there are so many hungry birds out there, so many > that I can not feed them myself. So I am asking each each and every one > of you to feed the birds. It's one of the easiest things that you can > do to help end this scourge of hunger. Go buy a feeder and feed (pref. > black oil sunflower), put feeder up and put feed in feeder. The birds > will thank you, and will surely sing to you a chorus of happy melodies. > > Then, when you are able, take the next step, go and buy a bird bath and > put it out so that the birds can have a decent place to bathe. However, > in order to keep diseases at bay, you MUST KEEP IT CLEAN...Take time to > change the water daily..or atleast biweekly. Help it stay clean by > sanitizing it once a month...use bleach. > > Then my fellow Birders, take the next step when you are able. Go online > or the library and get plans for a birdhouse and then take time to > lovingly build and display at least one in an open air public > environment. The birds NEED YOU! > > And finally a subject that is near and dear to my heart, a subject that > I must admit that I don't do enough of. I speak of our children. As > many of you know, our children have attached themselves to the > television through hand held devices meant to simulate a real world > environment. But I say TURN THAT Wii OFF! TAKE THE PLAYSTATION..THE > X-BOX..THE COMPUTER GAMES..AND..THROW..THEM...AWAY!!! ....Give your kids > a pair of binoculars and take them birding, to observe those that are in > the shadows watching us so that they might gain a better understanding > of the world and those around us. > > Do these things and that world peace thang should pretty much take care > of itself. > > Thank you, and may God bless you, and may God..BLESS...AMERICA!!! > > > I now yield the remaining balance of my time to the birders of Ohio. > > > Sincerely, > > The Biggest Looser 2010 > Steve Jones > > > > Kathi Hutton wrote: >> Reading about the adventures of fellow Ohio birders in pursuit of their >> Century List (100 birds in January) used to leave me jealous of their >> trip lists and the time they had to devote to birding. Then, I came up >> with the idea of a competition the rest of us could join; one open to >> those of us with full-time commitments and limited access to the many >> birding "hot spots" of our state. >> >> The winner of my semi-regular and unofficial contest to see who has the >> shortest January list, a contest with the joking name of "Biggest Loser," >> would then have a chance at state-wide infamy, and would also have a goal >> to beat for next year. >> >> Thanks to all who participated, on and off list, and also to: Al LaSala, >> who urged us to be bird watchers instead of bird spotters, to Andy >> Sewell, who advised me and my fellow losers that joining a Christmas Bird >> Count next Jan. would jump start our 2011 numbers, and to Shari Jackson, >> who reminded us that ALL birders are winners, no matter how long your >> trip list. >> >> And now, the moment you have been waiting for - the Biggest Loser for >> 2010 .... >> >> I almost gave the title to first time poster Kim Batzer, with a mere 26 >> species, until I heard from Steve Jones, whose busy work schedule has >> kept him out of the field all month and left him with only 15 birds for >> Jan. Congratulations, Steve! You are our Biggest Loser this year!! >> >> All in fun, fellow birders, all in fun! >> >> Keep looking up, and I'll see you in the fields, >> >> ~Kathi >> >> Visit me at: >> http://katdocsworld.blogspot.com/ >> >> ______________________________________________________________________ >> >> Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society. >> Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list. >> Additional discussions can be found in our forums, at >> www.ohiobirds.org/forum/. >> >> You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at: >> http://listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=OHIO-BIRDS >> Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask] >> >> > > ______________________________________________________________________ > > Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society. > Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list. > Additional discussions can be found in our forums, at > www.ohiobirds.org/forum/. > > You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at: > http://listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=OHIO-BIRDS > Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask] > > ______________________________________________________________________ Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society. Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list. Additional discussions can be found in our forums, at www.ohiobirds.org/forum/. You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=OHIO-BIRDS Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask]