Archive for the ‘Ross Livingston’ Category

Loveland 365 heads down the stretch

April 26th, 2011 by John Giroux

With less than 1 week to go before Loveland 365 goes to press, orders are still being taken online at Loveland365.com.  Over 700 books have been pre-sold to date with only a few remaining to be sold.  Purchase now before supplies run out.

Pigeons race home to Loveland

August 6th, 2010 by Ross Livingston

Shumway releases racing pigeons

I’ve always had an affinity for animals that can do amazing things and Homing Pigeons are no exception.

Unlike most of us, Homing Pigeons do not require GPS technology to find their way home. A Homing Pigeon can reach maximum speeds of 75 mph and some of them can fly 300 miles without stopping. Jim Shumway is a resident of Loveland and he has a passion for raising and racing Homing Pigeons. When I interviewed Jim for the Loveland 365 Project I also had the opportunity to meet his parents who inspired him to carry on a family tradition of pigeon racing. Jim’s family has been racing Homing Pigeons for three generations.

The raising and racing of Homing Pigeons is a serious endeavor. Aficionados purchase chicks from top breeders and these birds are used to develop a pedigree that can fly like the wind. A Homing Pigeon is not your average pigeon because they travel great distances at a high rate of speed. Consequently, they require specialized feeds, vitamins and fresh water to maintain optimal health and athletic performance. Jim’s pigeons have a good reason to return home because he built a nice “loft” in his backyard to keep them safe and comfortable. Jim’s owns approximately 75 Homing Pigeons and 16 of these are use for breeding purposes.

Racing pigeons on the wing

When the young birds are old enough to fly, Jim will train them to be “homers” by releasing them at drop points like Lake Loveland. As the birds mature, the distance between the release point and the pigeon loft is increased. e.g. Burlington, Colorado. Homing Pigeons use significant landmarks, sound and the position of the sun to guide their flight path. Some are faster than others and that’s how pigeon racing became a sport. Jim prepares his birds for racing by placing a leg band with a computer chip on one of their legs. Birds are transported in specialized cages to the release point. Start time and GPS information is recorded and the race begins! When the pigeons return to Jim’s loft, they cross a landing board with a built in scanner. The scanner identifies the bird by its leg band and a flight time is recorded.

Team Loveland 365 Takes First Place - Lake to Lake Triathalon!

June 27th, 2010 by Maryjo Morgan

Loveland 365 Team Ross Livingston, Rick Denning, & Jessica Reed-Baum

With a winning time of 2 hrs 25 mins and 15 sec, Loveland 365's Team placed first overall.

Congratulations to the L365 Lake to Lake Triathalon Team!  Starting at Lake Loveland and taking on the uphill to Horsetooth Reservoir, this is an athlete's challenge the Loveland 365 Team tromped.

They took first place in the relay yesterday, beating the nearest competitor by 12 minutes. Be sure to check Loveland 365's on Facebook to see additional photos; this photo was originally posted there.

See the Loveland 365 Team's button-poppin' score listed on the Lake to Lake Triathalon website.  WOW!

Ross Livingtson enthusiastically notes, "Each of us finished first in our respective relay categories.  This was the best day of my summer by far."  He says it was a great race and he made great new friends, thanks to Loveland 365 idea man, John Giroux.

An "Olympic Distance Triathalon" includes a three part relay with these specified distances, each of which is a race unto itself:

Swim: 1.5 K  (.93 miles)
Bike: 30 miles (48.2 miles)
Run: 10K (6.2 miles)

Kudos to the Loveland 365 Team!  Jessica Reed-Baum set the pace swimming, Ross Livingston kept it up cycling, and Rick Denning ran the relay to the finish.  Hats off to each of you for this significant accomplishment.

Avalon Aviary

June 8th, 2010 by MjWebWriter

Written by Ross Livingston, Advantage Research

Susanne Cochran is an entrepreneur and a parrot’s best friend. Susanne has been a resident of Loveland since 1976 and she is also the owner of the Avalon Aviary. An aviary is a special type of building used for keeping many birds. Before Susanne went into business she was saddened by the irresponsible behavior of other parrot breeders who did not put the needs of their birds first. This inspired Susanne to start her own parrot breeding program based on compassionate values, continuous improvement in bird raising practices, education and a commitment to conversation and parrot rescue.

The parrots who reside in the aviary originate from Central & South America, Africa, Indonesia and the Solomon Islands. The species of birds range from large Macaws to petite-sized parrots with outgoing personalities and vivid coloration. Captive parrots lay an average of 2-3 clutches of eggs per year. Baby parrots are eventually transferred to the “nursery” where they receive special care and gentle handling. When the baby parrots are ready to leave the nursery, they are placed in special baskets draped with towels. Baskets are used because they resemble a parrot’s nest and the draped towels offer the young birds a sense of privacy and security. As the birds mature they eventually learn flying and landing skills. During this process the juvenile parrots are exposed to common household items and socialized by aviary staff. This helps the parrots make a smooth transition from the aviary to their permanent homes.

Since the birds come first, anyone who wants to purchase a parrot from the Avalon Aviary must be approved through their home-qualifying process. Many parrots are loud, messy, destructive and demanding therefore prospective bird owners should know what to expect before they say yes. On the other hand, parrots are beautiful, interactive, comical and playful companions that can live 30-100 years. Since most of us are not parrot experts, Susanne offers educational seminars for new bird owners.

Finally, Susanne sends a portion of her profits to the Gabriel Foundation which is one of the leading bird rescue and rehabilitation programs in the United States. The Avalon Aviary also supports international organizations which have a proven track record of preserving and expanding wild parrot populations.