Fellow Birders: Had interesting visitors stop by our booth at the Mendota Heritage Festival on Saturday. Several folks told me about seeing American Bald Eagles hanging out along the North Fork of the Holston this summer. Two showed me pictures to prove it: one mature ABE and one immature. Another fellow told me he saw an Osprey and an ABE flying together over the river last week. One lady, Molly Kiser, Mendota, showed me some beautiful bird pictures she had taken. I encouraged her to enter them in a nature photography contest (e.g., Wildlife Weekend at Steele's Creek Park). As I was talking with Hutch Hutchison who had wondered in from the tower, a young man came running over to tell me there were lots of hawks overhead. The wind was picking up, black clouds were boiling, and it was starting to rain. All I could spot were several Black and Turkey vultures riding on the wind. Later John Mongle came by and took some pictures. He now lives near Mendota. Then there is the story of Rocky Raccoon: Barbara Hays, who lives in Mendota, was driving to work one recent morning along a stretch near Mendota called the "bluff." Suddenly a raccoon fell out of the sky and hit the road in front of her car. She stopped, got out, and noticed out of the corner of her eye a hawk flying overhead. From her description it sounded like a Red-tailed hawk. The raccoon was dead. Found a bullet hole. The next day while driving along the same section of road, a raccoon fell out of the sky in front of her car. Again she stopped. Again she saw a hawk flying overhead. Again the raccoon was dead. There was a bullet hole. Same spot. Barbara seem sane and sober to me. Even though she warned, "you will not believe this story," I did. Didn't have time to enter the cake walk event or play corn hole and horse shoes. Bought some nice organically-grown veggies and a nice jar of pickles. Had my blood pressure checked at the nearby medical clinic. Turned down some good looking hot dogs in the cafeteria. Watched with interest as two ladies made some nice egg baskets under the same tent where I was set up. Briefly visited the book sale in the library. Got rained out around 2:30. Ron Harrington Bristol, VA