Straight Lake: Legend of the Collars

I have just a few of these legends to share.  I shared the Legend of the Cap back in March.

Back in 1986 when we moved back here the first time, to raise our girls in the country and to try to make a living owning a resort while Far Guy commuted back and forth 180 miles a day to a job with a real paycheck.   I had two dogs, Shelties..Misty and Moses, both registered Shetland Sheepdogs.  We had various cats, as our oldest daughter had many boyfriends and each new beau would give her a kitten.   The Shelties had a litter of puppies, about that time the Eagles started to take up residence in the trees in our yard.  I wouldn't let anyone out of the house if the Eagles were in the tree.  I would step out side and holler, and run toward the trees like a wild woman, the Eagles would fly away and I would let the dogs out..including the pups when they were old enough.  The Eagles stalked my puppies.  I believe that one of Trica's cats by the name of Midnight narrowly escaped an Eagle one evening, he came back wet with his long hair freezing stiff as a board, something apparently tumbled him into the freezing water in one of the open springs. Sure he was kind of lovable ditsy cat and could have just fallen in by himself..but after that he didn't want to go outside at all.   I was convinced he was attacked. I told everyone that would listen that the Eagles were being a pain in the butt and they were attacking pets, everyone said that I was crazy ..the Eagles only fish and eat on road kill deer.

The Eagles Nest has always been very near the lake in an old pine tree.  We have watched them come and go, we have watched one of them give flight lessons riding the thermals and calling to their young. 

 Now for what we heard.  We heard that there were no Eagles nesting in that same old spot on the lake this year.  The DNR wanted to investigate the nest, they did and reported back to the property owner that 27 collars were found in the nest.

Twenty seven dogs and cats with collars have been a snack for these glorious creatures.  I am sure not all their catches wore collars either.

Chance weighs well over fifty pounds, it is doubtful that he will ever be taken as Eagle food, or Miney either when she visits.  But Little Elvis..he sticks out like a sore thumb..being black and weighing only about ten pounds he is the perfect size for Eagle food:(

Someone nameless reports that it is a good thing she got the tetanus shot in her butt, because the grapefruit sized swelling is much less noticeable there than on her arm:(