Why I am starting this Blog

I really wanted to document in some way my education in the art (or sport, if you must) of Falconry.
It is hard to say what the first instance I was introduced to Hawking. I think at a young age I read a book called "Juniper" by Monica Furlong. I would have been a preteen when that book was published. I used to study all sorts of magic and healing and spiritual things then. The curiosity of a little girl. I remember really loving the book. ( I ordered it earlier today for $.01 on amazon, just for old time's sake!)
I think she had an owl, or at least that is what is on the cover. So I liked the book, it was mysterious and magical and all that.
Later, (actually a few years ago) bored on a cold winter day at my in laws, I came across a book called "my side of the mountain" by Jean Craighead George. My father in law was an elementary school teacher, so again, we're talking a fifth grade reading level at best. But a pretty good and quick read nonetheless, and what's more? Well, falconry. The run away boy trains a falcon. (I think I may go down to their basement and accidentally misplace that book for them, too)
Well I think that is about it for literature of my formative years. But either book would be a good read for the kids, I enjoyed them for their own virtues, and was not at all linking them with Falconry in my mind. In fact I don't think the word Falconry had ever come to mind.
Well, then there was the history channel with the "worst jobs in history" where apprentices carrying cadges had to follow the falconer over all sorts of rough terrains with cadges of 4-6 hawks perched around them. A spectacle I am sure, but the hawk flying footage was fantastic. And then I said to my husband: you can do that?? you can train a raptor to hunt and return to you? Unbelievable.
So obviously, that led to intensive google searching, not to mention quite a bit of soul searching.
Silly....well, just my story. I am a little silly, too. But that doesn't change how I feel about it.
The more research I did, well, the more research I had to do.
i went through the usual routes of the conservation department and the state falconer's. I have joined a forum and made a contact or two...and more to come I hope.
That is what has lead me here. To document "What next?" from my very own, very real perspective.
I am sure there are a lot of falconer's out there with much, much more interesting stories about what initiated their interest in falconry. And probably about twice as many people who thought about it, did the initial research, threw their hands in the air and gave up. Or maybe in more extreme cases, ran away screaming! Or so I hear.
Well, this is it. I have a few poems to share. Which probably won't have to do with much of anything, except for maybe a resonance of what I feel about these animals. How I feel when I see them soar and feebly wonder what that kind of uninhibited freedom is like. I will probably never get that into words.

But this blog will be my attempt at not only record keeping, a place to post photos (hopefully) and results of my coming testing. For now I will have to start only with this introduction, a little bit of advise on how to find information, and what I am doing, reading, or even thinking about this new endeavor. This new way of life.
As I have yet to begin my formal training, I soon start posting links for online research, for quizzes, for anything I can find, to further my knowledge of Falconry.