George W. Bushisms

"I don't know whether I'm going to win or not.

I think I am.

I do know that I'm ready for the job.

And, if not, that's just the way it goes"

Des Moines, Iowa; August 21, 2000

Know thy enemy

Latin: Anas cyanoptera

Average length: M 16", F 15"

Average weight: M 0.7 lbs., F 0.8 lbs.

Description: Male cinnamon teal have a cinnamon-red head, neck, breast, and belly. They have an iridescent green speculum, which is separated from a bluish shoulder patch by a white stripe. The back, rump, uppertail coverts, and tail are a dull brown and the undertail coverts are black. They have a distinctive red eye, a black bill and yellow legs and feet. The male gives a thin whistled "peep" or "peer." Female cinnamon teal are often confused with female blue-winged teal. They have a duller blue shoulder patch, an overall rustier color, and are more heavily streaked. Female Cinnamon teal have a somewhat more guttural quacking than female blue-winged teal.

Breeding: The majority of cinnamon teal breed in the western USA near the Great Salt Lake, Malheur Basin, San Luis Valley, and Cariboo-Chilcotin parklands. They prefer small, shallow alkaline wetlands surrounded by low herbaceous cover. Nests are often located in grassy areas and island nesting is common. Female cinnamon teal lay an average of 8 to 10 eggs.

Migrating and Wintering: Nearly all cinnamon teal winter in Mexico and Central America. During migration the Great Salt Lake marshes and the Central Valley of California are important staging areas. Cinnamon teal are commonly sighted in the midwestern and eastern USA, and are often associated with a flock of blue-winged teal, most likely attaching themselves to the flock on their mutual breeding grounds. Cinnamon teal are common winter visitors to Central America; resident (two endemic subspecies) and occasional winter visitor in Colombia and Venezuela. They are common and widespread in the Andes from central Peru southwards, and in southern Chile and most of Argentina. (Scott and Carbonell, 1986)

Population: A. c. cyanoptera (SE Neotropics) 25,000-100,000; A. c. orinomus (SW Neotropics) 10,000-100,000; A. c. septentrianalium (Central America) 300,000; A.c. tropica (Low Colombia) <10,000;>

Food habits: Cinnamon teal dabble on aquatic plants in shallow water areas, especially rush seeds, pondweed seeds and leaves, and salt grass seeds. They also feed on animal food, especially aquatic insects and mollusks.

A call for caution.

Let's say you were painting the garage on the neighbors side of the house. Now, your sides of the garage would be free of all debris and obstructions because that's the way a yard should be. But your neighbor may have things like piles of concrete and fencing piled up next to your garage, not the way things should be. When climbing a ladder to get up to the highest point of which to paint you should be aware of unseen debris under the legs of that ladder, because if they move under the leg of the ladder it's gong to fall.

This picture illustrates what could happen if the ladder becomes unstable and you fall about 5 feet into a pile of concrete. In my case this lovely bruise took about three days to show up completely. The bigger pain comes from the giant hematoma on my shin and the scratch running the length of my arm. Don't worry, I'm going to be just fine.

So remember, for Heston's sake be careful when painting in your neighbors yard.

Is it time?

Almost cut my hair

It happened just the other day

It's gettin' kind of long

I could've said it was in my way

But I didn't and I wonder why

I feel like letting my freak flag fly

And I feel like I owe it, to someone

Must be because I had the flu for Christmas

And I'm not feeling up to par

It increases my paranoia

Like looking in my mirror and seeing a police car

Well I'm not giving in an inch to fear

cause I've promised myself this year

I feel like I owe it, to someone

When I finally get myself together

I'm gonna get down in that sunny southern weather

And I'm goin' to find a space inside to laugh,

Separate the wheat from the chaffI feel

...Like I owe it, to someone, yeah