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Mark Bonokoski - December 5 2009 |
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Air Date:
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December 5, 2009 |
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Transcript:
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I am getting a little worried about Fred.
Fred is a loon, the loon that has been making his summer home in our bay on Baptiste Lake for years.
If loons can have a cow lick, then Fred has a cow lick — a tuft of feathers on his crown that makes him stand out in the crowd.
My wife named him Fred, so Fred it is.
Why? I have no idea.
Anyhow, I read long ago that the majority of loons from Ontario spend their winters in the ocean waters somewhere off the coast of Maine.
Well, Fred hasn't packed his bags yet.
The other morning, I looked out into the grey mist enveloping the lake and heard Fred's plaintive cry and then, out of the fog, he suddenly appeared at the end of the dock — the only loon left on Baptiste Lake ... the rest long gone.
Maybe it's the end of his road. But I hope not.
The common loon can apparently live to be 25 years old, although the oldest one ever tracked by scientists lived to be 18.
I have no idea how old Fred might be, but he has been coming to our bay for at least 10 years.
Years ago, he got entangled in some fishing line, and it took forever for a bunch of locals to tire him out enough to grab him with a net and free him from his predicament.
In the end, he seemed grateful.
Fred, if you're out there listening, go south.
Look at your calendar, man, it's December. |
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Links:
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Toronto Sun
Moose Country |
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Download:
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odjradio.com_mark_bonokoski_09_12_05.mp3 (Right click and select "Save As" to download.) |
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Play:
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