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Pat Pfeiffer - Correspondent

(Hiles News) - Hiles and surrounding communities were shocked and saddened Sunday morning to learn of the sudden death of Rhonda Votis. Condolences go out to her family. Most of them live in our town.

Birds Feeding Heavily

Many people say they have more hummingbirds this year than they can remember having for a long time. It seems the feeders need refilling more often than ever. Jennifer Nery told me she decided to keep track of how much sugar she was going through this year, and so far, filling and refilling eight feeders in separated locations, she has gone through 60 pounds of sugar and several bottles of red dye. And the heavy feeding time for these little dynamos is just now getting into full swing. They will leave sometime in September for a marathon migration flight over the Gulf of Mexico to spend the winter in Central America.

They will decide when to leave, and they will need to fill up on food right up until that time, so keep putting food out for them until they quit coming to eat. I usually wait until I haven’t seen any activity at the feeders for at least a week before I take them down.

Now, if only someone could just explain why there is always one belligerent male hummer who thinks he owns the feeder and spends most of his time chasing the others away from he feeders and even the flowers. I thought he only threatened, and never made contact, but the other day I watched him fly into another bird at the feeder, leaving her with ruffled feathers and teetering to hang onto the perch.

Red Hatters Learn About Birds

Last Wednesday the Hiles Hattitude Group toured the Raptor Education and Rehabilitation Center in Antigo. There they were treated to seeing up close several hawks, owls, a turkey, vulture and American bald eagles. The facility, which is financed through private donations, has as its main purposes, education and rehabilitation. Visitors are not allowed in the building where the clinic and rehabilitating birds are housed. The reason for this is because birds that become acclimated to humans can not be returned to the wild. The birds shown to visitors and used for educational presentations are birds that have been held in captivity for too long by well-meaning people, who may have tried to rehabilitate the birds themselves, or birds whose injuries prevent them from being released to their original habitat.

The ladies learned a lot about these birds that they didn’t know before. One of the things they were told is that birds’ hollow bones make for lighter weight for flight, but also that those bones, if broken, begin to heal very quickly, so if an injured bird is found it should be brought to them right away before it is too late to properly set the broken bone. They take in all kinds of birds, but no other animals. They also are in constant need of donations of money and other items. They have a wish list they can send you if you would like it. They can be contacted at (715) 623-4015 for rehabilitation information or at (715) 623-2563 for education information. Their Web site is at www.raptoreducationgroup.org. Contributions to this non-profit corporation are tax-deductible.

The ladies finished up their day in Antigo with lunch at The Refuge. The food there was excellent, with many unique dishes on the menu.

Calendar and Almanac

August 17-23 — National Aviation Week

August 21 — Senior Citizen Day

August 25 — National Second-Hand Wardrobe Day — A good way to save some money, and if you have clothing you’re done with, donate to a thrift shop or Good Will for someone else’s wardrobe!

August 26 — Women’s Equality Day

September 1 — Labor Day both here and in Canada.

Plan Ahead for Labor Day

For many, this means have plenty of the beverage that made Milwaukee famous on hand. But everybody doesn’t want to have an alcoholic drink, or perhaps some will just want something cool, refreshing and different. Here are a few that will add a fresh festive taste to that Labor Day cookout. Don’t save them all for Labor Day, either. Right now is a good time for something cool and delicious. The first one is a bit on the calorie-laden side, but yummy for an occasional treat. The others will be easier on the waist-line. Garnish any of these with cherries, chunks of fruit, or sprigs of mint.

Cappuccino Cooler

4 servings

1 1/2 cups cold coffee

1 1/2 cups chocolate ice cream

1/4 cup chocolate syrup

Crushed ice

1 cup whipped cream

In a blender, combine coffee, ice cream and chocolate syrup. Blend until smooth. Pour over crushed ice. Garnish with a dollop of whipped cream and serve.

Pina Colada Slush

4 servings

2 cups cubed fresh pineapple

1 1/2 cups pineapple juice, chilled

1/4 cup cream of coconut

1 cup ice cubes

1 cup vanilla fat-free frozen yogurt

Place pineapple in freezer; freeze until firm (about 1 hour). Remove from freezer; let stand 10 minutes. Combine juice and cream in a blender. With blender on, add pineapple and ice cubes, 1 at a time; process until smooth. Add yogurt; process until smooth. Serve immediately.

Watermelon Slush

4 servings; a Thailand watermelon slushie that is sweetened with honey. You may use sugar if you wish though.

6 ice cubes

2 cups cubed seeded watermelon

1 teaspoon honey

Place the ice cubes in a blender. Cover, and pulse until crushed. Add the watermelon and blend for about 1 minute, until slushy. Add the honey, and blend for about 10 seconds.

Basic Fruit Smoothie

4 servings

1 quart strawberries, hulled

1 banana, broken into chunks

2 peaches

1 cup orange-peach-mango juice

2 cups ice

In a blender, combine strawberries, banana and peaches. Blend until fruit is pureed. Blend in the juice. Add ice and blend to desired consistency. Pour into glasses and serve.

Feel free to substitute or add any of your favorite fruits or juices. Add a container of your favorite flavored yogurt for an even more nutritious drink.

Parting Thought…

It is pretty hard to tell what does bring happiness; poverty and wealth have both failed.

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