Turkeys And Eagles At Eastman Lake

Dale Matson

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https://midsierramusing.blogspot.com/2018/02/eastman-lake-raymond-ca.html

Above is a link for more information on Eastman Lake from a previous article

My question for the day at the Eastman Lake Ranger Station was, “Why are there so many turkeys around here lately?” Answer, “It’s turkey hunting season and they know where it is safe to hang out.”

I also had a chance to photograph members of a group of 3 mature Bald Eagles over the camping area nearest the boat ramp. Although they floated about above me on a windy day, I had a lot of blurry photographs because my shutter speed was too slow. Still making rookie mistakes!

There was no sight of a Golden Eagle which was the main reason I was there but the turkeys were my consolation prize. There is an active Golden nest in the Madera County foothills and I hope to get some photos from there in a month or so. The Goldens at Millerton Lake did not return to the nest. It is a bit of a puzzle since I only saw one eagle the last month before the time to lay eggs. 

Is Daily Use Of Low Dose Aspirin A Good Idea? My Experience

Dale Matson

If you ask cardiologists what is more dangerous, a heart attack or a GI Bleed, it goes without saying that they will say that a heart attack is more dangerous. When I received two drug eluding coronary stents at age 72 in 2016, I was prescribed dual antiplatelet “therapy” to avoid clotting in the new stents. This consists of a drug known as Plavix combined with low dose (81mg) aspirin. Unknown to me was the fact that I had three ulcers which led to a serious G.I. bleed within two weeks. My hemoglobin dropped to 7. I was now anemic. The gastroenterologist was able to cauterize the ulcers and stop the bleeding but to reduce the chance of another bleed, I was prescribed Carafate to coat the ulcers before meals and Protonix, a proton pump inhibitor to keep my stomach acid from irritating my ulcers. The downside of Protonix is that in lowering the stomach acid is that long term use can lead to hypocalcemia, hypomagnesemia, Clostridium difficile infections, and pneumonia. https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/820136_1

I began to have blood in my urine and in spite of a less than optimal duration of dual antiplatelet therapy (a minimum of 18 months is recommended), my cardiologist consented to eliminating the Plavix but for me remaining on the low dose aspirin. And here is the rub in all of this. My ulcers did not heal because I remained on aspirin.

This year, I developed high blood pressure. I didn’t know it, so a month’s worth of severe headaches was initially treated by a course of physical therapy. In reality, it was high blood pressure. My high blood pressure was not evident in the doctor’s office. During this time, in desperation, I took aspirin and ibuprofen for my headaches. And, you guessed it, I had another GI bleed with a low hemoglobin of 6. I had an infusion of 2 units of blood in the emergency room and another endoscopy to stop the bleeding.

Aspirin has been touted as a wonder drug that can lower the risk of heart attack, stroke and even cancer. At one time, aspirin was recommended for reducing the risk of a heart attack even for younger people not diagnosed as “at risk”. More recently the medical profession has been backing away from this advocacy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uweokPBaKwY

            In fact, those without ulcers who have been taking a daily low dose aspirin can develop an ulcer. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JyWWixLpBf4

I admit that I overused (abused) aspirin and ibuprofen as an endurance athlete to help with the aches and pains and that is probably what created my ulcers. However, having to take a daily low dose aspirin for my heart essentially means that my ulcers will never heal. Those medicines intended to protect them like proton pump inhibitors (Protonix), H2 blockers (Zantac) and Carafate have not led to healing but have side effects of their own.

            On a side note. For those considering the possibility of an elective stent placement for coronary artery disease (CAD) I would insist on an endoscopy first to determine that there are no preexistent ulcers.

            I believe bleeding from aspirin and other nsaids to be a very serious and underreported problem especially for the elderly. Anemia is a devastating condition, damages the quality of life, is hard to recover from and often a contributor to death from other causes.

            I am a lay person, not a medical doctor and also do not recommend to anyone else what I have decided to do. I am no longer going to take a daily low dose aspirin for my heart. I will be increasing the possibility of a heart attack but hopefully my ulcers will heal, my hemoglobin will normalize and I can go back to taking aspirin for an occasional headache. If, God willing, my hemoglobin increases to normal in the ensuing months (with the addition of iron and diet supplements), I hope to be back in the Sierra Nevada Mountains again this summer.  

Endangered Sierra Nevada Bighorn Sheep at Sawmill Canyon and Wheeler Ridge

Dale Matson

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The Six Sheep In Sawmill Canyon (That we could find)

My wife Sharon and I went to Sawmill Canyon near Aberdeen this week with the tip from Steve Yeager (AKA “The sheep whisperer) that there were bighorn sheep in the mouth of the canyon. Knowing they are there and the general area is no guarantee, however that you will actually find the sheep even with spotting scopes and binoculars.

We drove as far as prudent and parked and walked the rest of the way. We both found a seat on large boulders and began to scan where we thought they might be. Fortunately for us it was early but late enough that they were up and moving and not laying down. Finding the sheep usually begins with finding one and continuing to look until others begin to appear also.

This was a group of 6 standing near each other standing and eventually began moving out from the mouth of the canyon. It seems like the ordinary morning routine is to be up higher for safety from mountain lions and to work their way down to better feeding areas as the day progresses.

The morning sun from the east was in our favor for finding and photographing the sheep. Even though they were well aware of our presence, they continued to actually move toward us making for closer photographs. They seemed to know that we were a benign presence.

The following morning, we drove off the highway at Pine Creek Road and made our way to Wheeler Ridge. Even though we got close to the ridge, the sheep were up quite high and more than a quarter mile away. The sheep stayed high for much of the morning and did come down some but we had to leave for Fresno at 11:30am.

We bid our adieus to Steve and Danny from the CA Department of Fish and Wildlife who had recently pulled up to conduct some mission in the area. Just can’t get enough photos when you have a chronic case of sheep fever.

A tripod was necessary for these photos. I used the Sony 100-400 mm GM lens with a 1.4 TC. These were not National Geographic photos but had it not been for Steve, Sharon and I would never have found the sheep. Keep in mind that there are only about 500 of these sheep total.

Young Ram