Goldie

Golden Eaglet Update  July 27, 2010 by Diane Dandeneau

It is official.  I am obsessed.  I have been sitting in Meadow Park, Lyons, Colorado for hours almost every day for the past month watching and videotaping a baby golden eaglet (now named “Goldie”) as she transforms from a scruffy baby into a beautiful youth.   It has been an amazing experience watching her in the nest; and now fledged, as she’s perched on a ledge about 200 feet away.

We (the eagle watchers) believe the eaglet was born with a sibling sometime in May, but she was the only chick to survive.  I started watching her around June 25^th.  Goldie was almost the size of the parents with a white head, legs, and black body feathers with white spots all over.  When I came back a week later, her head was black and body more filled in.

Ellen, the park host, said that this was the first year in 3 that the nest has been used. I also heard that this nest is recorded to have been in use for at least 100 years.  It is a perfect spot in the cliff with protection from the sun, weather and predators.  The only downfall, literally, is that the first step is about a 200 foot drop.  The other challenge for the eagles is that Meadow Park is always busy, especially during summer months.  She seems to be doing fine and the parents stay close by, despite the human activity and noise below. We will see what they think about the neighborhood and if they decide to return next year.

I started video taping her on the July 4^th weekend.  Based on other reports, Goldie was expected to fly any day,  but my friend and Lyons resident, Jonathan Stacey, an eagle specialist, said she had a couple more weeks to go.

It has been wonderful watching her.  I have hours of video of Goldie sitting, watching and squawking.  Occasionally, she will thrill me with a stretch of her wings or a practice flapping… usually after she poops.  I have one video of her flapping her wings and almost falling out of the nest!  You can hear me shriek, followed by her squawk.

I had a trip scheduled for the weekend of the 22^nd through the 25^th, so I missed her maiden flight, reported on Saturday, July 24^th, around 2:00 PM.  When I returned on Monday I spoke with a gentleman named Patrick, who saw her leave the nest.  He said that both parents were around; one flew into the nest, then out and flew to the ridge to the east of the nest.  Goldie followed and landed on a ledge just below the top.  Patrick reported that one had a fish for her.

It is now Tuesday, July 27th, and Goldie is still in residence in the Meadow Park cliffs (photos and video on my blog).

It has been fascinating for me to witness the interaction between the baby eaglet and the parents.  Goldie would be watching the sky for hours, squawking sporadically.  She would be staring in one direction, squawking intensely. Suddenly one of the parents would fly across the field, with wings tucked then flair to enter the nest.  He or she would drop off some food, quickly leave and land on a nearby ledge. Periodically, the parents would just cruise by, sometimes landing, sometimes not, then fly off.  Jonathan said they would be attempting to wean her to encourage her to leave.  We have been worried, especially with the heat, that she had enough food and water, but mom and dad seem to know what they are doing. Goldie looks fine.

It has been really fun to share Goldie with my family and friends and the many visitors to Meadow Park.  People are curious; they want to know, “what are you looking at?” Most are excited to hear that it is a golden eaglet and are eager to look through my binoculars. (I am sitting in Meadow Park watching her as I’m writing this and she just flapped her wings like she was going to fly. I just got a bit of an adrenaline rush!).

Many people have asked why I call her “she”.  It has been an interesting study in human behavior. First, I just wanted to and wanted to see how many people would ask.  If I had called Goldie a “he”, I’m sure noone would question me. Just about everyone comments, either just asking how I know that she is female, or commenting that they liked it.  I do have another reason: I saw her next to one of her parents and she looked bigger.  Since the females are typically larger than the males, I concluded that she could be female.

I have been blogging about Goldie (www.dianedandeneau.com/blog) and have posted some wonderful photos from some of the other photographers, as well as some of my videos.  I am editing all the footage, and will be putting together a longer, finished piece.  If you have some photos of Goldie you want to share please let me know.  I would love to add them to the site.  Email me at diane@dianedandeneau.com.  Sign up for the RSS feed to get the updates.

Goldie has so inspired me that I wrote a song for her.  The lyrics could also be for all of us who are called to step up to the next great thing in our lives.  The recording will be on my website soon.

Here are the lyrics.

“Fly baby Fly” by Diane Dandeneau © 2010

There is something that looms before you now
Something that’s greater than you’ve ever done before
The time is upon you, and you’re standing on the Ledge
Are you ready, to take that Step?

You’ve been preparing for this all your life
The stars are shining on you and perfectly aligned
Follow your heart, and you will know how to begin
For it is time to trust the wind.

Chorus:

Fly baby fly.  Where you belong is up in the sky.
If you stay here you’ll (surely) die.
For you were born, you were born to fly.

It’s a long way down and I’m sure you are afraid.
So this is the time you must rely on faith
Remember who you are and what you’re meant to bring,
Look behind you, you have wings

Chorus

You are loved and you have so much support
And there are many who long to see you soar
For it is through your life that you will inspire
And show us all how to reach higher.

Chorus x 2

Diane Dandeneau is a Lyons resident and is the co-founder of the Green Heart Institute. She is now the Chair of the Lyons Sustainable Futures Commission.  It is her love of nature that inspires her work and life. Diane is now a leadership and personal transformation coach as well as an environmental and business consultant, singer, songwriter, speaker, and artist.

For the past month and a half I have been mesmerized by a beautiful Golden Eagle chick maturing in her nest in Lyons, CO.  My friends now tell me I am obsessed, and I believe that is true.  I have spent hours sitting in the park below her nest with my binoculars and video camera watching her sit there watching me.  I am now in Missouri visiting family, so I don’t know if she will fledge while I am gone, but I know she is close.

I have enjoyed meeting many people who have come to the park to photograph her or just are in the park to play and are excited to know that we have this wonderful neighbor.  Below I am sharing a couple incredible photos by two of those photographers.

What has been amazing is to see how fast she has matured.  We think the egg hatched in mid May, which means she is now about 2 and 1/2 months old.  I saw her first in Mid June.  The photos below really show that progression.  This photo was taken by David Stephens on July 5th.

Baby Eagle July 5th by David Stephens

This next photo was taken my Mike Molloy on July 21st, 2010.  You can visit his blog at: http://mikehikes.blogspot.com.   Here is Testing the Wings by Mike Molloy.

Golden Eagle Chick July 21st, 2010

This photo was taken by David Stephens on July 17th.  Look how beautiful she is.

Baby Eagle in Next July 17th by David Stephens

Here is one of her parents flying close by,   by David Stephens:

Baby Eagle Parent July 5th, 2010 by David Stephens

For more spectacular photos by David Stephens, visit his Flickr site at:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/dcstep/

Thanks for viewing.  More to come.  Blessings, Diane

I have been watching this baby golden eagle for this past month grow up from a fuzzy white headed and speckled youngster to a beautiful adolescent.   I took this video today of her as she was practicing flapping her wings and almost falling out of the nest!

This nest is on a sheer cliff about 300 feet in the air, so you aren’t seeing the whole picture.   She looks like she will be ready to fly any day.

I will be compiling my footage and adding more posts and videos.  Please come back soon.

Here is the recording from the 6-21-10 Monday Meditation call focusing on moving from saving the world, to serving the world. It contains a discussion about looking at our feelings about our role in the world and if we have energy around trying to save the world, or if we truly see our selves serving the world. We then ended with a meditation connecting with what we are being called to do – from the place of service.  Please  comment here if you enjoyed the experience.

Here is the recording from the 5-17-10 Monday Meditation call talking about Manifestation. It contains a discussion about Manifesting what we want in the world. It also has a short message from the Messengers of Peace and reading from The Manifestation Wheel by Alan Seale. We then ended with a meditation connecting with what we are being called to do – without the distractions. Please  comment here if you enjoyed the experience.

Here is the recording from the 5-10-10 Monday Meditation call talking about “Triggers”. It contains a discussion about what triggers us and how we can use that to increase our consciousness. It also has a reading from the Course in Miracles and a short message from the Messengers of Peace. We then ended with a meditation connecting with our emotions and bringing in the healing light.  Please  comment here if you enjoyed the experience.

Here is the recording from the 5-3-10 Monday Meditation call talking about The Secret behind the Secret, discussing the 7 laws of the Universe.  It contains a reading from Soul Mission, Life Vision by Alan Seale and a short message from the Messengers of Peace.  We then ended with a meditation connecting the laws of the Universe with our lives.  Please  comment here if you enjoyed the experience.

Here is the recording from the 4-26-10 Monday Meditation call talking about Changing the World and The Changing World.  It contains a reading from the Messengers of Peace (which is also attached in PDF format to the Blog called The Collapse) and some writing from Eckhart Tolle from a New World.   We then ended with a meditation connecting with the elements and the earth and then healing within.  Please comment here if you enjoyed the experience.

For years I have watched the transition movement and listened in on the talk of resilience and preparing for a future of economic and environmental collapse.  I have heard many scenarios and predictions, some like the year 2000, where it happens overnight, and others that compare the US to other countries that have gone through collapse.  I absolutely believe that we live in a changing world and that we need to re-evaluate how we humans have constructed life and that changes are happening.  The main thing that I have come to believe is:  It is not what we do to prepare or respond, but who we become who are prepared and able to respond, that is important.  As I have been focusing on my personal spiritual work over the past 8 years, I have asked “what do I do?” probably thousands of times.  I never get an answer.  I have only been asked to connect to Source.  And once I do that, then the answers that I need come to me naturally.  This is the invitation that I offer you.  I have also channeled a message from the Messengers of Peace, and asked them for some insight on the question.  Below is a link to that channeled writing.  Please comment.

Blessings,

Diane

Messengers4-21-10ChangingFuture

Here is the recording from the 4-19-10 Monday Meditation call talking about living in the Vertical and Horizontal orientations of being.  It contains a reading from Coaching from Transformational Presence by Alan Seale and a reading from the Messengers of Peace.   We also did an exercise to experience this alignment.   We then ended with a meditation going within.  Please  comment here if you enjoyed the experience.

Blessings,

Diane

Here is the recording from the 4-12-10 Monday Meditation call about Forgiveness.  It contains a reading from my Journals with God and a reading from A Course in Miracles and discussion.  We also talked about a technique for forgiving.  We then did a meditation on going within. Please  comment here if you enjoyed the experience.

Blessings,

Diane

Here is the recording from the Monday Meditation call that contains the a message from the Messengers of Peace and teaching on levels of awareness, of from The 5th Agreement, by Miguel Ruiz and Transformational Presence Coaching. We then did a meditation on going within.  Please comment here if you enjoyed the experience.

Blessings, Diane

Here is the recording from the Monday Meditation call that contains the a message from the Messengers of Peace and teaching on 4 levels of Engagement from Coaching for Transformation Presence.  We then did a meditation on choosing to live from choice and opportunity instead of Drama and Situation.  Please  comment if you enjoyed the experience.

In 2002 I began to write my prayers to God in my Journals.  Shortly after that, I began to hear the answers coming from somewhere that was not my thinking mind.  Thus began my Journals with God.  I have been writing daily for much of the past 8 years, learning about who I am and who and what everyone and everything is.  I have learned about and received so much love during this time that it has transformed my life.

Recently I did a certification workshop on numerology and life path and career coaching from Sue Fredrick, author of “I See Your Dream Job”.  She is also an intuitive and works with her guides to bring the messages that her clients need to hear.   During the workshop, I wrote in my Journals asking if I too could bring messages to people I was working with and to my surprise the answer was yes!  I was given a prayer to say to protect myself and to call in the Messengers of Peace to bring the message needed for the person I was working with to move forward.  What has been amazing is that as I have done this for many people, whom I have known and not known, and each message has been poignant, helpful and profound.

Now I am bringing these messages with my Life Path Intuitive Readings and coaching to people who are ready and want to gain more insight into where they are being called to go next.  This is a perfect starting point for people to begin a shift in their life, and begin working with me as a coach.  I can also teach how to use these techniques to connect with their own higher wisdom.

I must admit, that the software designer – business person in me is thinking “what are you doing?”.  But, I have committed myself to live from Source.   And Source is calling me to help others in this powerful way.  Even as I have been doing this for years, I sometimes fall into disbelief myself.  I guess that is the human side of me that I get to transcend over and over again.

Click here to learn more about this powerful Life Path Intuitive Reading.  I have scanned below the actual message to you from the Messengers of Peace.  I am humbly honored to serve in this way.

Blessings, Diane

Click to Enlarge:

Last year there was a bit of controversy in the sleepy town of Lyons, CO (AKA a cross between Mayberry and Northern Exposure).  Somehow Aunt Bea got all upset about a small nude water color that was in an art show in Town Hall, so the Town Trustee’s decided to take it down.  That spurred my friend, Jul Swann, who puts on art shows in her Ohm Gallery and Salon to put on a show called Naked in Lyons.  I was going to bring my painting of my naked Zebras, but after helping her hang the show all evening, I realized that that would just not do.  So I went home and painted this painting:

This is my idea of being naked.  Being naked with our selves completely to our soul.  This writing is is part of my Journals with God, who writes through me.

This painting is now hanging in the Lyons Town Hall as part of the self portrait show.  Let me know what you think.