Tag Archives: 4th of July

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Today in America we celebrate Independence Day. As the Bald Eagle was chosen in 1782 as the emblem of our country, I thought the 4th of July would be a perfect time to show you a few photos of mature Bald Eagles. Here is a recent photo taken by Kris Rose near Stewart's Point.

Bald Eagle near Stewart's Point by Kris Rose

And here is a photo taken last year of a Bald Eagle that perched on a snag in the Gualala River. It was taken by Phil Wendt.

A Bald Eagle on a snag in the Gualala River by Phil Wendt

Here is what www.baldeagle info.com says about why the Bald Eagle was picked to represent America:

"The bald eagle was chosen June 20, 1782 as the emblem of the United States of American, because of its long life, great strength and majestic looks, and also because it was then believed to exist only on this continent.  The eagle represents freedom. Living as he does on the tops of lofty mountains, amid the solitary grandeur of Nature, he has unlimited freedom, whether with strong pinions he sweeps into the valleys below, or upward into the boundless spaces beyond."

Happy 4th of July! Thanks to Kris and Phil for allowing me to share their photos with you here. To see more of Phil's nature photography, here is his website: http://www.philwendt.org/

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Once again the Golden Retriever Love Brigade made an appearance at the 4th of July parade in Point Arena. Of course the parade wasn't held on the 4th this year but the 8th. When we start down Highway One, which is also Main Street, you can hear people going "awww..." And the children call out to the goldens. It's a heartwarming moment.

Amelia Ronne and Emily Grossman carry our sign.

 We won first prize in our division, which was, of course, animals. I'm holding the award and, yes, that's Huckleberry.

 We tried and tried to get a photo of the goldens and their owners. Not too successfully! Bridgett, a young pup on the left, was more interested in a ball. Jordan, next to her, is a ball hawk too but he was being a good boy.

 I love how the children are reaching out to the dogs. Golden Retrievers are among the friendliest of dogs.

An only in Point Arena event! And below you will see a pup trying - and succeeding - in showing up the Love Brigade. The dog is being pulled by a remote-controlled vehicle and he/she sure looks smug, don't you think?

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On a recent walk on the Gualala Bluff Trail the Gualala River looked particularly beautiful. Frequent readers know that the river has been closed by a massive sandbar. The wintertime estuary is now a lagoon. To the right of the sandbar is the Pacific Ocean. Lovely, don't  you agree?

It's the fourth of July here in the United States, the day we celebrate our independence. The festivities in our area will be held this coming weekend. Fireworks Saturday night in Point Arena, followed by the annual parade on Sunday. Yes, the Golden Retriever Love Brigade will make another appearance - an only in Point Arena sighting!

To see photos of the Love Brigade, here's the link: http://www.mendonomasightings.com/2011/07/04/golden-retriever-love-brigade-a-point-arena-4th-of-july-parade-tradition/

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It all began in 2005 - the birth of the Golden Retriever Love Brigade. Point Arena hosts an annual 4th of July parade down Highway One, which closes the road for an hour. The previous year Rick and I attended the parade and there weren't many entries. I was disappointed! So I decided to come up with an entry myself and my inspiration was my Golden Retriever, Huckleberry.

Since then we've had Love Brigade in every parade and this year was no different. Elsa and Emily did a wonderful job carrying our big sign this year. We won first prize in our division!