Anne in Toronto finally meets Nora in Iowa Face-to-Face!

[NoraH]

Anne meets Nora in Iowa!

This has been a most amazing week!  On Monday last, I flew from Toronto, Ontario to Rochester, Minnesota, and was greeted in the late evening, at the Rochester (MN) Airport by Nora (in Iowa) & her husband, Joe!  Although Nora and I first “metâ€� in 2004, on the old Kodak Board, we’ve only "talked", the last 6 years, through email, Messenger and the occasional phone call...  We’ve been through very happy and very sad times together, managing to help each other with moral support, constructive suggestions, or just a good, honest, mutual laugh.  And here we were, face to face – sharing a great big hug!  One of the best hugs I’ve ever had!  And so our week together started – perfectly!

Nora & Joe have been the most wonderful, generous hosts.  Joe has taken me once or twice daily, to the local nature walk, so that I can get my walking in for the day, with birdwatching, no less, thrown in for good measure! They’ve taken me to the Niagara Caves, which were an amazing 40F, when it was 90F outside, to Phelps Park, with it’s distinctive water fountain, to the Dunnings Spring Park, with it’s delightful waterfall and stream and to the Decorah Fish Hatchery, with it’s delightful, treed walks.  We saw the Decorah Bald Eagles’ nest, that is on cam and was used for the documentary  “American Eagleâ€�, right across the road from the hatchery.   And not to mention American stores and restaurants, that we either don’t have at all in Canada or are bigger versions of the Canadian equivalent.  Heck, Nora & Joe have even insisted that I use the master bedroom!  And they’ve bought me t-shirts, a wine bottle replacement cork designed as a penguin (he can almost fly!! – depends on how much wine I’ve actually had!!), a beautiful blue mug, with silhouettes of North American birds and animals, even some post cards to send to friends and relatives back home!  As I said, they are the most generous of hosts and I’m being totally spoiled!!

The best was saved for last – the day before yesterday, Friday, they took me to see Alice, the Great Horned Owl, and somehow...Nora persuaded Karla to bring Alice out to see me, where I was sitting on a garden wall, and Karla actually asked Alice if she would sit on my knee and she did – for a good 20 minutes!  I am still totally overwhelmed that Alice, known to me through Karla’s delightful and educational blogs – was resting patiently on my own leg...talons just barely grasping my jeans, allowing me to look at her, face to face, from 14 inches away!  It was an experience of a lifetime, never, ever to be forgotten!!

After we reluctantly dragged ourselves away from Alice, they took me to the National Eagle Center, in Wabasha MN, where I learned all about America’s national bird!  Thursday, I actually saw my first Bald Eagle – sitting on a fence post, just off the road!  I couldn’t believe what I was seeing –  a Real, Live, Huge, Handsome, Most Loved Bald Eagle!!  A nonchalant, calm and totally impressive bird – just sitting there!  And then to go the centre to see educational eagles and actually get ones photo taken standing beside a real,live Bald Eagle!!  Totally mind blowing!  It certainly was a day that I’ll never forget!!

We’ve attached some photos from our day yesterday, at Alice’s and the National Eagle Center, a combination of our photographic efforts.

I can’t thank Nora & Joe enough, for driving me through Iowa and Minnesota, to see these marvellous birds!  Those two stops alone, made the trip a memorable and awesome adventure...one I will never forget!

I’m reluctantly leaving Iowa tomorrow, Monday, but I guarantee that I’ll be back!

Anne C. (Toronto, ON Canada)

http://www.kodakgallery.com/gallery/sharing/shareRedirectSwitchBoard.jsp?token=660566606905%3A1839935105&sourceId=533754321803&cm_mmc=eMail-_-Share-_-Photos-_-Sharee

[Aafke]

Anne and Nora, thanks for the beautiful pictures, what an amazing owl and she is soooo big. I'm sure you had a very interesting week.
greetings Aafke

[carla]

Hi Anne and Nora ,

Great to read about your vacation,and being real friends.

Greetings Carla

[gayle]

I am delighted you two finally got together in person!  Thanks for sharing the wonderful birds that you met!  Makes me lonesome for the mighty Mississippi River.

Gayle

[Kris G.]

I'm so glad that you've both finally met each other and had such a good time!  Thanks for sharing the story and pics! 

[Dot_Forrester]

  I loved the photos but especially I enjoyed the story of your travels.  What a thrill it must have been to have Alice the Great Horned Owl on your knee.  Nora and Joe sound like the best hosts ever, and I'm glad you all finally got to meet face to face.  Thanks for sharing!

Dot in PA

[Wing Goose]

Anne and Nora and Joe,
What a wonderful trip and wonderful pictures!  So glad that you got to go to Iowa Anne. 
Thanks so much for sharing.

                Lola
       

[jeanne]

Thank you so much for sharing these with us!  How wonderful that you all met in person and had such wonderful, memorable experiences!!!

[Bird Crazy]

Thank you for sharing the photos. What a wonderful experience.

[dale]

totally...blown...away.
Amazing!!!

Thanks for the photos!

dale

[Carol P.]

Anne and Nora.  I am so happy that the two of you finally got to meet in person.  Thanks for sharing your adventure with us.   

[MAK]

   How nice for you!   Thought I was going to meet someone today myself!

[Annette]

What a great experience for you both!   

[Bobbie Ireland]

Tough to tell who had a better time - the Visitor or the Visited! What a wonderful thing this forum is, bringing so many people together in so many ways.

Slainte!

Bobbie

(And Anne... I totally owe you an email!!! Not forgetting...)

[Paul Hamilton]

Thanks for a great story and pictures. 
All I can say is "Wow!"

Paul