Having been there, I have no trouble believing that this happened. I've seen zoo aeries with less floor to ceiling clearance than the LoC Reading Room.
She's a master bander, and a biologist at the National Zoo (or at least she used to be). She's used to dealing with raptors. And she's got a really firm grip on those legs.
On the one hand, this sort of reads like a particularly well-composed internet rant. Had it been written yesterday, I'd lay money the author was bouncing up and down while at his keyboard, and yelling at the screen periodically. And then did a few editorial passes before hitting "send" (or "post", or "print", or whichever).
On the other hand, "Cooper hadn't any more invention than a horse; and don't mean a high-class horse, either; I mean a clothes-horse." is an utter gem, and the whole thing is well (if excitedly) written. :)
Amen to that! I read The Deerslayer when I was a sophomore in high school. It was horrible. It is still one of my standards for terrible writing. The ONLY reason I read that terrible piece of crap was that it was the ONLY BOOK IN ENGLISH AVAILABLE. I had read all the others I brought with me, and the local bookstore did not have books in English. I was in Germany at the time and because I had only completed German 1 as an intensive 3 week course literally the week before I left for Germany, my German was not good enough to read a novel in German. **shudder**
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(no subject)
Date: 2011-01-28 12:38 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2011-01-28 12:49 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2011-01-28 01:07 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2011-01-28 12:48 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2011-01-28 05:20 pm (UTC)You're actually much more likely to get bit by a songbird than a hawk.
(no subject)
Date: 2011-02-05 10:36 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2011-01-28 01:11 am (UTC)-- Steve recalls that the LOC web site was musing about naming the stranded Cooper's Hawk "Fenimore".
(no subject)
Date: 2011-01-28 01:20 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2011-01-28 01:34 am (UTC)-- Steve cares little for the works in question, but does admire Twain's ability to snark.
(no subject)
Date: 2011-01-28 01:36 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2011-01-28 02:42 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2011-01-28 02:05 am (UTC)On the other hand, "Cooper hadn't any more invention than a horse; and don't mean a high-class horse, either; I mean a clothes-horse." is an utter gem, and the whole thing is well (if excitedly) written. :)
(no subject)
Date: 2011-01-28 02:39 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2011-01-28 07:03 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2011-01-28 07:04 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2011-01-28 02:59 am (UTC)