We spent one day birding in Miami. It started out very slow, but it ended with success.
We started the morning at Kendall Baptist Hospital (which an accident made difficult to reach) to look for exotics. We started by wandering the lakes in front of the hospital looking for parrots, bulbuls and orioles. We didn't have any luck. There were plenty of Muscovy Ducks, Palm Warblers, and Grackles, though. Perhaps most interesting was the mixed flock of Red-masked and Red-mitred Parakeets that were flying around the grounds. But we have Red-mitred Parakeets in La Mirada, too, and we were hoping to get lucky with White-winged Parakeets - which would have been new. Since nothing was happening, we headed across the street to wander the neighborhoods looking for bulbuls and orioles.
It was pleasant over there. The streets were nicely manicured and full of nice eastern species. Blue Jays were common and we saw several Baltimore Orioles - which were our only for the trip. We also saw some White-winged Doves. Since Florida is just chock full of Eurasian Collared-Doves this southwestern exotic was a nice change. We spent the remainder of the relatively cool morning here, but there were no bulbuls. Or Spot-breasted Orioles. So we got back in the car and headed off.
We worked our way north along the one in the city and checked some other neighborhoods our book recommended for these species. No luck! So we checked the Tropical Audubon Society house for the orioles. Closed! At this point, the morning was almost gone. It was getting hot, and we hadn't found a single target, yet. So we made for the sea.
Our next destination was Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park. On the southernmost tip of Key Biscayne, a barrier island north of the true keys, we were hoping to find a rare La Sagra's Flycatcher, and to check out a true migrant trap. We did pretty well for ourselves there.
First off, the drive over was nice. The causeway affords great views of Miami, and the water stretching out underneath is a pale tropical blue. On the island there were palms and sea grape and an occasional refreshing ocean breeze. Sure it was warm, but any air movement is a relief in the stifling humility.
There was also another lighthouse! While not nearly as high as Ponce de Leon, it was very nice. From the top, we could look down into the crystal water and got to see some very large stingrays swim by. That was awesome.
As we left the lighthouse we heard a calling Myiarchus flycatcher. We rushed after it and voila! there was the La Sagra's Flycatcher. We got hugely lucky, as we ran into some birders from northwest (Alaska and Washington) who had spent all morning looking without finding it. But they let us know there had been a Western Spindalis (a Caribbean tanager) discovered the day before in the park. They took us to the tree, but we never saw it. Still, the fruiting tree was attracting some migrant warblers, and we got our lifer Cape May and Black-throated Blue Warblers there. The tree also hosted some beautiful Prairie Warblers with unusually orange heads - a caretenoid pigment issue that made them look a lot like Blackburnians.
Because of the Spindalis report, we ended up spending more time at the park than we might have otherwise, waiting in the shade of the tree and hoping to get a lucky glimpse of the bird. We we followed the advice of the birders we'd met and scanned all the telephone wires for Kingbirds. We eventually found some Gray Kingbirds - some of the year's first arrivals. This was another lifer, and a little later, a single Magnificent Frigatebird joined a Turkey Vulture above the seacoast at a great height. Now, that's a classy bird.
Anyway, eventually it was time to get going, so we headed out and north to Fort Lauderdale to look for Smooth-billed Anis. This species is a Caribbean specialty that has almost gone extinct in its North American range, so I was hoping against hope that we would be able to find one this trip. After all, who knows how much more time we have to see it (in the U.S., anyway)?
Unfortunately, we missed it. The vacant lot they're known to frequent is in a run down and poor area, and though we persisted despite the slightly unnerving atmosphere in walking around the lots a few times, we didn't see anything.
So, we headed back down to the hospital area again hoping to take an evening walk in the neighborhoods to take another crack at the orioles and bulbuls. After taking a relaxing dinner at an Italian restaurant in the area, we did just that. This time we double-checked the book to make sure we were walking the correct streets. It turned out we'd been one block too far west. I guess it makes a big difference because this time we saw dozens of Bulbuls and a family group of two or three Spot-breasted Orioles. It was a great relaxing evening walk, too, and a great capstone to an otherwise not-stellar outing.
Pictures on Flickr.
Next day? The Everglades!
Friday, April 23, 2010
Monday, April 19, 2010
Shuttles, Pinewoods and Peanuts
A space shuttle launch is an experience that I don't have the ability to express in words. I can throw out some apt descriptors, if you'd like. We can try words like awesome and sublime, or toy with superlatives like incredible or spectacular. But those words seem cheap and hollow in comparison to the simple memory I carry of a bright light arcing across the Atlantic and dipping into the sunrise.
Maybe I can't express the moment because I don't know why it was so powerful. What is it about space travel that fascinates us so much? Is it national pride? Pride in human accomplishment? Could it be a hubristic impulse in my lowly human nature? Did the U.S. build a new tower of Babel on the sandy beaches of Florida's Atlantic seashore?
Maybe it's the naked power of the event. The glaring fireball that rises into the sky does so with a sort of labored deliberateness that belies its cataclysmic power. The only appropriate metaphors for the sound - the rumbling tortured roar - are from natural disasters. It's like a continual thunder, a volcanic belch, or an earthquake's deep rumble.
Maybe it's the aesthetic wonder of the thing. The glooming dark and the enlivening light on the fringe of a peaceful deep sea; the soft white sand under our feet and the gentle sky embracing the scene; the sunrise and the delicate wake carved in it by the spacecraft as it became a distant star; All were gentle touches that contraposed themselves to the power of the thing. Even the glowing cloud floating in its wake and catching the first light of a new day was something wonderful.
Or, maybe, it's the archetypical meaning of the event. Has Icarus' ambition succeeded? Or has Phaeton learned how to handle his father's steeds? Mankind seems to defy sacred laws when he leaves the shelter of his given home. Ultimately, I may never know. But I'll always have that moment to revisit.
The amazing thing about this sort of experience is that it ends, and even more amazing is that it left us most of the rest of the day for other things! So now it's time to shift gears and just record the rest of the day for posterity. It was a good thing it was still early because we were heading south to Miami. We started out heading south on the Cocoa Beach barrier island in order to avoid the crowds. This took us by Patrick Air Force Base's long sandy stretch of beach, so we stopped to take in our first Atlantic sunrise (in picture above).
While we were there we picked up a few shorebirds for our list, mused over whether or not distant Royal Terns could be Northern Gannets, and missed a lifer when a dark-backed gull flew by in the middle distance. We didn't know if it was a Lesser or Greater Black-backed Gull, but either would have been new to us. We also got overflown by a landing C-130. Pretty sweet!
Then we were off again! We soon turned inland and made for Three Lakes Wildlife Management Area. This was an area designated to protect a virgin Longleaf Pine forest and its game inhabitants (White-tailed Deer, Wild Turkey, Northern Bobwhite, and feral pigs). We were there for something else, though. It also contains a large population of Red-cockaded Woodpecker, an endangered species that uses Longleaf Pines for nesting. We were also shooting for Brown-headed Nuthatch and Bachman's Sparrows - two other southeastern species that use the pine forest habitat.
We did great! We got all three very easily despite dire warnings from a game warden at the entrance. The thing is, the Red-cockaded Woodpeckers only visit their nest holes around dawn and dusk, but we were there mid-morning. Despite the improbability, we got the birds in a big mixed flock within a few minutes of entering the reserve. Singing Bachman's Sparrows were common to within a few feet of our car, and the Nuthatches were mixed into the foraging flock that contained the nuthatches. We also go a great look at a Pileated Woodpecker here.
Unfortunately, not many pictures. But here's a nice one of Libby after we got the birds.
A happy lady
Maybe I can't express the moment because I don't know why it was so powerful. What is it about space travel that fascinates us so much? Is it national pride? Pride in human accomplishment? Could it be a hubristic impulse in my lowly human nature? Did the U.S. build a new tower of Babel on the sandy beaches of Florida's Atlantic seashore?
Maybe it's the naked power of the event. The glaring fireball that rises into the sky does so with a sort of labored deliberateness that belies its cataclysmic power. The only appropriate metaphors for the sound - the rumbling tortured roar - are from natural disasters. It's like a continual thunder, a volcanic belch, or an earthquake's deep rumble.
Maybe it's the aesthetic wonder of the thing. The glooming dark and the enlivening light on the fringe of a peaceful deep sea; the soft white sand under our feet and the gentle sky embracing the scene; the sunrise and the delicate wake carved in it by the spacecraft as it became a distant star; All were gentle touches that contraposed themselves to the power of the thing. Even the glowing cloud floating in its wake and catching the first light of a new day was something wonderful.
Or, maybe, it's the archetypical meaning of the event. Has Icarus' ambition succeeded? Or has Phaeton learned how to handle his father's steeds? Mankind seems to defy sacred laws when he leaves the shelter of his given home. Ultimately, I may never know. But I'll always have that moment to revisit.
The amazing thing about this sort of experience is that it ends, and even more amazing is that it left us most of the rest of the day for other things! So now it's time to shift gears and just record the rest of the day for posterity. It was a good thing it was still early because we were heading south to Miami. We started out heading south on the Cocoa Beach barrier island in order to avoid the crowds. This took us by Patrick Air Force Base's long sandy stretch of beach, so we stopped to take in our first Atlantic sunrise (in picture above).
While we were there we picked up a few shorebirds for our list, mused over whether or not distant Royal Terns could be Northern Gannets, and missed a lifer when a dark-backed gull flew by in the middle distance. We didn't know if it was a Lesser or Greater Black-backed Gull, but either would have been new to us. We also got overflown by a landing C-130. Pretty sweet!
Then we were off again! We soon turned inland and made for Three Lakes Wildlife Management Area. This was an area designated to protect a virgin Longleaf Pine forest and its game inhabitants (White-tailed Deer, Wild Turkey, Northern Bobwhite, and feral pigs). We were there for something else, though. It also contains a large population of Red-cockaded Woodpecker, an endangered species that uses Longleaf Pines for nesting. We were also shooting for Brown-headed Nuthatch and Bachman's Sparrows - two other southeastern species that use the pine forest habitat.
We did great! We got all three very easily despite dire warnings from a game warden at the entrance. The thing is, the Red-cockaded Woodpeckers only visit their nest holes around dawn and dusk, but we were there mid-morning. Despite the improbability, we got the birds in a big mixed flock within a few minutes of entering the reserve. Singing Bachman's Sparrows were common to within a few feet of our car, and the Nuthatches were mixed into the foraging flock that contained the nuthatches. We also go a great look at a Pileated Woodpecker here.
Unfortunately, not many pictures. But here's a nice one of Libby after we got the birds.
A happy ladySince it was so easy for us to find the birds, and we'd given ourselves all day to do it - this was our only opportunity on the trip - we decided to explore the rest of the area a little further.
Our first stop was for gas and a restroom. While waiting for the bathroom to open up, I discovered that they were selling boiled peanuts. This being such a southern specialty, I knew that we had to get some. So we did. And they were amazing! Soft, fatty, salty, perfect! Oh yum!
We then birded Joe Overstreet Road, which is a fairly well known birding location. It took us out to Lake Kissimmee, providing views of Florida Crested Caracaras along the way, along with Sandhill Cranes, Wood Storks, Kildeer, and other grassland loving species. It was good fun, but after lunch it was time to hit the road. Destination: Miami.
We took the Ronald Reagan turnpike south through miles and miles of flat country. We saw big citrus orchards stretching off to the horizon, and Swallow-tailed Kites playing above the freeway. After what seemed like forever, we arrived at our motel in Kendall. This was our base for three nights, and we headed out to check it out.
Miami is well known for its big populations of established exotics. They have even more parrots than southern California or south Texas, an introduced tropical oriole (Spot-breasted), Red-whiskered Bulbuls, and Common and Hill Mynas (though only Common is currently countable). On our first foray through the town we found Monk Parakeets in a CVS parking lot. We got Common Mynas in the gutter outside a Wendy's parking lot (the guide recommends fast-food parking lots for this species). But the best bird of the afternoon was our first Prairie Warbler. These were very common in Florida, but it was a pleasure to get to know such a beautiful bird so well.
Our next day was planned for more Miami birding. Pictures from the day can be found on Flickr.
Our first stop was for gas and a restroom. While waiting for the bathroom to open up, I discovered that they were selling boiled peanuts. This being such a southern specialty, I knew that we had to get some. So we did. And they were amazing! Soft, fatty, salty, perfect! Oh yum!
We then birded Joe Overstreet Road, which is a fairly well known birding location. It took us out to Lake Kissimmee, providing views of Florida Crested Caracaras along the way, along with Sandhill Cranes, Wood Storks, Kildeer, and other grassland loving species. It was good fun, but after lunch it was time to hit the road. Destination: Miami.
We took the Ronald Reagan turnpike south through miles and miles of flat country. We saw big citrus orchards stretching off to the horizon, and Swallow-tailed Kites playing above the freeway. After what seemed like forever, we arrived at our motel in Kendall. This was our base for three nights, and we headed out to check it out.
Miami is well known for its big populations of established exotics. They have even more parrots than southern California or south Texas, an introduced tropical oriole (Spot-breasted), Red-whiskered Bulbuls, and Common and Hill Mynas (though only Common is currently countable). On our first foray through the town we found Monk Parakeets in a CVS parking lot. We got Common Mynas in the gutter outside a Wendy's parking lot (the guide recommends fast-food parking lots for this species). But the best bird of the afternoon was our first Prairie Warbler. These were very common in Florida, but it was a pleasure to get to know such a beautiful bird so well.
Our next day was planned for more Miami birding. Pictures from the day can be found on Flickr.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Easter Sunday
We celebrated Easter at the Episcopal Cathedral in Orlando. It was a beautiful building with a marvelous organ and choir. The music was well chosen and the opening hymn was especially stirring, bringing the right triumphant and joyful tone to the day. Of course, we missed celebrating at home, but we had made the decision to try it this Easter after observing the other Holy Week services back home.
After mass, we went birding at Wekiwa Springs State Park north of Orlando, where little avian jewels continued the anthems of praise in their own racing trills and crescendos. Northern Parulas and Blue-gray Gnatcatchers were the most prolific in the park, and while their music accompanied us for most of the day, we were also treated to the music of Northern Cardinals, Pine Warblers, Gray Catbirds and Tufted Titmice.
We went there in search of two species that we didn't find: Carolina Chickadee and Red-headed Woodpecker. We scoured the parking lot area for the Chickadees, looked high and low, listened carefully, but we couldn't find them. Still, the park itself is gorgeous and we didn't regret the trip. Other birds in the area included a calling Barred Owl that only Libby heard, Great-crested Flycatchers, Red-bellied Woodpeckers and a close fly-by of a Pileated Woodpecker. Those things are enormous!
Its main feature of the park is a giant walled in natural spring that comes out in quantity and force sufficient to be the headwaters of the Wekiwa River. So many people came that day to swim in it that they closed the park by 3:00 that afternoon as we were leaving. Before that, though, we headed a few miles north to a parking lot and trail head for lunch to escape the crowds. While there we were treated to three Swallow-tailed Kites playing in the air over a burned out patch of forest. Libby and I have both decided that this was the most breathtaking new bird we saw in Florida.
We also took a short walk into a new habitat for us. Florida has large tracts of pine forest that form open cathedral-like galleries with a brilliant green understory of saw palmetto. Each pine is narrow and sparsely needled, so there's a lot of open air and light. It's obviously a very fire dependent ecosystem, and a beautiful one, too, giving a true sense of depth in Florida's very flat landscape. On Monday we would visit a more extensive tract of forest like this, but more on that tomorrow!
There are more pictures on Flickr.
After mass, we went birding at Wekiwa Springs State Park north of Orlando, where little avian jewels continued the anthems of praise in their own racing trills and crescendos. Northern Parulas and Blue-gray Gnatcatchers were the most prolific in the park, and while their music accompanied us for most of the day, we were also treated to the music of Northern Cardinals, Pine Warblers, Gray Catbirds and Tufted Titmice.
We went there in search of two species that we didn't find: Carolina Chickadee and Red-headed Woodpecker. We scoured the parking lot area for the Chickadees, looked high and low, listened carefully, but we couldn't find them. Still, the park itself is gorgeous and we didn't regret the trip. Other birds in the area included a calling Barred Owl that only Libby heard, Great-crested Flycatchers, Red-bellied Woodpeckers and a close fly-by of a Pileated Woodpecker. Those things are enormous!
Its main feature of the park is a giant walled in natural spring that comes out in quantity and force sufficient to be the headwaters of the Wekiwa River. So many people came that day to swim in it that they closed the park by 3:00 that afternoon as we were leaving. Before that, though, we headed a few miles north to a parking lot and trail head for lunch to escape the crowds. While there we were treated to three Swallow-tailed Kites playing in the air over a burned out patch of forest. Libby and I have both decided that this was the most breathtaking new bird we saw in Florida.
We also took a short walk into a new habitat for us. Florida has large tracts of pine forest that form open cathedral-like galleries with a brilliant green understory of saw palmetto. Each pine is narrow and sparsely needled, so there's a lot of open air and light. It's obviously a very fire dependent ecosystem, and a beautiful one, too, giving a true sense of depth in Florida's very flat landscape. On Monday we would visit a more extensive tract of forest like this, but more on that tomorrow!
There are more pictures on Flickr.
Monday, April 12, 2010
Florida or Bust!
Our flight to Florida left California at 10:30 on Good Friday evening. We hoped to sleep, but we only dozed in the flickering light of personal TV monitors and distant lightning over the Gulf of Mexico. When we arrived earlier than our forecasted 5:30 am arrival in Florida, the sun was still musing about whether or not to rise, but the excitement of being in a new place was as as good as coffee for keeping us awake for a little awhile, at least.
We hopped onto our rental car, and pulled out of the airport into a different world from our warm, dry home in California. Mist rising from the numerous ponds and fields obscured streetlights and blurred the fluorescent glow from building fronts as we pushed our way through the wet, warm night air south to Brinson Park in Kissimmee, Florida for our first stop.
Birding trips take you to out of the way places. Signs advertising turns to Disney World emerged from the ground fog as we zipped past them to the tiny park on the northern end of Lake Tohopekaliga. Stepping out into the parking lot, lit only by the gray lightening of the sky in the east that is the first harbinger of a new day, we heard our first new birds of the trip. Strange screaming wails rose from all around us. Limpkins - an ungainly nocturnal wading bird so strange it is in its own family all by itself - were talking to each other. (Listen to a clip of them at the MaCaulay library of sounds).
Waiting for the sun to rise, another unfamiliar sound floated down to our ears, the nasal calls of Fish Crows as flocks flew overhead, undoubtedly dispersing from some evening roost. Then, as the sky was tinged with pink, ratchety Boat-tailed Grackles joined the chorus. The sense of otherness from this cacophony of natural sounds was overwhelming. We were most definitely not in California anymore.
Then, as the sun began to rise, an Osprey flying over the road excited the object of our visit to this inauspicious patch of grass and a fishing dock - two small raptors rose up in challenge. We hurried across the road in time to see them coursing searchingly over the nearby reeds. Snail Kites can be a difficult species to find sometimes in Florida, but at Brinson Park a pair has taken up residence only a couple of hundred yards from the road. We enjoyed watching them catch and eat several large apple snails, and when the female landed in a tree only feet from us to eat her catch - the rising sun glowing through her outstretched wings - we could only catch our breath. These are the sorts of rich moments we pursue when we go looking for birds. Moments where the piercing richness of nature can break through even the groggy numbness of a sleepless night.
Snail Kite at dawn.
We hopped onto our rental car, and pulled out of the airport into a different world from our warm, dry home in California. Mist rising from the numerous ponds and fields obscured streetlights and blurred the fluorescent glow from building fronts as we pushed our way through the wet, warm night air south to Brinson Park in Kissimmee, Florida for our first stop.
Birding trips take you to out of the way places. Signs advertising turns to Disney World emerged from the ground fog as we zipped past them to the tiny park on the northern end of Lake Tohopekaliga. Stepping out into the parking lot, lit only by the gray lightening of the sky in the east that is the first harbinger of a new day, we heard our first new birds of the trip. Strange screaming wails rose from all around us. Limpkins - an ungainly nocturnal wading bird so strange it is in its own family all by itself - were talking to each other. (Listen to a clip of them at the MaCaulay library of sounds).
Waiting for the sun to rise, another unfamiliar sound floated down to our ears, the nasal calls of Fish Crows as flocks flew overhead, undoubtedly dispersing from some evening roost. Then, as the sky was tinged with pink, ratchety Boat-tailed Grackles joined the chorus. The sense of otherness from this cacophony of natural sounds was overwhelming. We were most definitely not in California anymore.
Then, as the sun began to rise, an Osprey flying over the road excited the object of our visit to this inauspicious patch of grass and a fishing dock - two small raptors rose up in challenge. We hurried across the road in time to see them coursing searchingly over the nearby reeds. Snail Kites can be a difficult species to find sometimes in Florida, but at Brinson Park a pair has taken up residence only a couple of hundred yards from the road. We enjoyed watching them catch and eat several large apple snails, and when the female landed in a tree only feet from us to eat her catch - the rising sun glowing through her outstretched wings - we could only catch our breath. These are the sorts of rich moments we pursue when we go looking for birds. Moments where the piercing richness of nature can break through even the groggy numbness of a sleepless night.
Snail Kite at dawn.Of course, the day wasn't over. Next stop - Sedano's - the first supermarket we could find in Kissimee. We stocked up on the necessities for our trip's lunches and snacks, throwing a bag of cookies into the shopping cart with the happy anticipation of Easter the next day.
Then we were off to the Atlantic coast. Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge was acquired by the government as part of building the space program in Cape Canaveral. It hosts a lot of wading birds and ducks in the winter, and one of the largest populations of Florida Scrub-Jays in the state. We had lunch at the visitor's center, where we enjoyed our first Alligator of the trip, Painted Buntings, White-eyed Vireos, Northern Parulas and an Armadillo. Then we went for a hike on the short Scrub Ridge Trail, which was advertised as a sure bet for Scrub-Jays. Sure enough, we found some, though it wasn't as easy as we expected, and we also found a few hundred hungry mosquitoes.
Florida Scrub-Jay - a bird only found in Florida.
Then we were off to the Atlantic coast. Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge was acquired by the government as part of building the space program in Cape Canaveral. It hosts a lot of wading birds and ducks in the winter, and one of the largest populations of Florida Scrub-Jays in the state. We had lunch at the visitor's center, where we enjoyed our first Alligator of the trip, Painted Buntings, White-eyed Vireos, Northern Parulas and an Armadillo. Then we went for a hike on the short Scrub Ridge Trail, which was advertised as a sure bet for Scrub-Jays. Sure enough, we found some, though it wasn't as easy as we expected, and we also found a few hundred hungry mosquitoes.
Florida Scrub-Jay - a bird only found in Florida.Our next priority was to attempt to see a Manatee. There's a shallow ledge on the Haulover Canal that we attempted, but we didn't see any from the viewing platform.
Having missed our turn and, as a result, the wildlife drive we had meant to travel, we ended up headed north to Ponce Inlet. Here we hoped to see Northern Gannets and Piping Plover, but we missed them both, though we saw our first ever Swallow-tailed Kite along the road! Instead, we happily found the second tallest lighthouse in the U.S. We enjoyed climbing over two hundred steps to the top platform and the resulting view.
Then we dipped our feet in the Atlantic Ocean (so we could say we had) and drove back to Orlando for the evening. It was a full day, but a rich one, and we were looking forward to Easter Sunday in the morning.
Having missed our turn and, as a result, the wildlife drive we had meant to travel, we ended up headed north to Ponce Inlet. Here we hoped to see Northern Gannets and Piping Plover, but we missed them both, though we saw our first ever Swallow-tailed Kite along the road! Instead, we happily found the second tallest lighthouse in the U.S. We enjoyed climbing over two hundred steps to the top platform and the resulting view.
Then we dipped our feet in the Atlantic Ocean (so we could say we had) and drove back to Orlando for the evening. It was a full day, but a rich one, and we were looking forward to Easter Sunday in the morning.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Skiing!
Dad and I took a weekend trip to Mammoth for some cross-country skiing this weekend. Unfortunately, Libby couldn't take the time off, so I had to go without her. While, it was hard being away from her, it was refreshing to get into the mountains with Dad.
We left really early in the morning on Saturday - Dad picked me up at 4:00. With only a single gas stop, we were skiing up to the cabin before 10:00.
After digging out the cabin and having lunch, we headed up to the meadows below Emerald, then up to Emerald Lake itself. The sun was bright, and the day was quite warm, so the dense packed snow was easy to ski on, and we did quite a lot of skiing for our first day in altitude without getting sick.
Dad's friend Joe had come up from Bishop with us for the first day, and we saw him out in the late afternoon. Since we were down the hill, anyway, we took the opportunity to call home before taking a short trip around the lake in the evening. Daylight saving's time late nights were quite nice, and very different from what one expects in a wintry landscape.
Sunday we went to Skelton Lake. This was an exciting expedition, as it was a fairly long backcountry ski that we hadn't done before. It did end up being fairly difficult. The snow never thawed all day, and in places we were traversing very steep hills with very little purchase because our skis weren't sinking in. None the less, we made it!
Looking up Skelton Lake toward Duck Pass.
We left really early in the morning on Saturday - Dad picked me up at 4:00. With only a single gas stop, we were skiing up to the cabin before 10:00.
After digging out the cabin and having lunch, we headed up to the meadows below Emerald, then up to Emerald Lake itself. The sun was bright, and the day was quite warm, so the dense packed snow was easy to ski on, and we did quite a lot of skiing for our first day in altitude without getting sick.
Dad's friend Joe had come up from Bishop with us for the first day, and we saw him out in the late afternoon. Since we were down the hill, anyway, we took the opportunity to call home before taking a short trip around the lake in the evening. Daylight saving's time late nights were quite nice, and very different from what one expects in a wintry landscape.
Sunday we went to Skelton Lake. This was an exciting expedition, as it was a fairly long backcountry ski that we hadn't done before. It did end up being fairly difficult. The snow never thawed all day, and in places we were traversing very steep hills with very little purchase because our skis weren't sinking in. None the less, we made it!
Looking up Skelton Lake toward Duck Pass.Of course, we still had to go back down the icy slopes to get back to the cabin. We explored new routes to get down, and finally made it in one piece, if a little sore from the bruising the icy crust offered.
Monday was our day to go home, and we weren't in a big hurry to start skiing first thing. It was warmer, though, and much less windy, so the snow softened a bit. We packed everything up and cleaned up the cabin before heading out for a tour of the lakes. We traversed Lake Mary first, where we found a mound of ice and snow was being pushed up by the sunken island near the outlet. We also found some Clark's Nutcrackers eating a dead fish near the outlet!
We headed over to Lake Mamie next, where we found a pair of Black-backed Woodpeckers drumming on a snag on the shore. These are unusual birds for the eastern Sierra, and the first I've seen in the basin. While we were watching them, a beautiful adult Bald Eagle glided overhead on its way west over the pass.
We decided on Horseshoe Lake as our final destination, where the incredibly low level of the ice made for a nice bowl to ski into. After fooling around for a bit, we skiied for home, stopping to listen to a Great Horned Owl that was calling from near the outlet of Maime in the middle of the day!
All in all, it was a good trip. The conditions were less than ideal, but we still enjoyed the skiing and Skelton was beautiful. Next winter, we'll head for Barney!
Pictures on Flickr.
Monday was our day to go home, and we weren't in a big hurry to start skiing first thing. It was warmer, though, and much less windy, so the snow softened a bit. We packed everything up and cleaned up the cabin before heading out for a tour of the lakes. We traversed Lake Mary first, where we found a mound of ice and snow was being pushed up by the sunken island near the outlet. We also found some Clark's Nutcrackers eating a dead fish near the outlet!
We headed over to Lake Mamie next, where we found a pair of Black-backed Woodpeckers drumming on a snag on the shore. These are unusual birds for the eastern Sierra, and the first I've seen in the basin. While we were watching them, a beautiful adult Bald Eagle glided overhead on its way west over the pass.
We decided on Horseshoe Lake as our final destination, where the incredibly low level of the ice made for a nice bowl to ski into. After fooling around for a bit, we skiied for home, stopping to listen to a Great Horned Owl that was calling from near the outlet of Maime in the middle of the day!
All in all, it was a good trip. The conditions were less than ideal, but we still enjoyed the skiing and Skelton was beautiful. Next winter, we'll head for Barney!
Pictures on Flickr.
Friday, January 29, 2010
Birding Year in Review
I just finished compiling a list of the number of birds that Libby and I saw in the last year, and it turns out it was a pretty productive year birding for us. A lot of birders keep "year lists" - some compete to compile the largest - in North America and the whole world. We weren't competing (we didn't even seek out birds solely for the sake of the year list), but I thought that with all the traveling we did around the country in 2009, it might be interesting to put one together.
So, the results are as follows:
We saw 402 different species of "countable" birds this past year. We also heard, without seeing, a further eight. We also saw three species that aren't countable, but exist in self-sustaining breeding populations, so they're not included in that total (Nutmeg Mannikin, Orange Bishop, and Aplomado Falcon in south Texas).
402 is larger than our life lists were at the end of 2008. Our lists at the moment are around 470, including lifers from so far in 2010.
Looking over the list, it serves as a kind of journal of the past year's travels and experiences. We birded in five states: California, Arizona, New Mexico (just the morning of the January First!), Texas and New York. We saw birds in southwestern pine forests, sub-tropical thorn scrub, the Sonoran desert, eastern deciduous forests, and at the edge of the Pacific Ocean; naming only a few habitats. We birded from over 10,000' above sea level to 226' below it.
We saw over 100 new birds last year. Our first new birds of the year were Black and Brown-capped Rosy Finches at Sandia Crest in New Mexico on January 1st, and our last new bird of the year was a Black-capped Gnatcatcher at Patagonia Lake in Arizona on December 31. In between, the bulk of our new birds were from Texas.
From the birds not on the list, one can tell where we in North America we did not go. We didn't go north during the winter, to the Atlantic coast, to the southeast, Alaska or Florida. We didn't go to sea (no Pelagic birds) or birding in the dark (few owls).
It's also interesting the birds we just missed. We went to the Central Valley area, but we never saw Yellow-billed Magpies. We birded in southern California and Arizona, but we missed Rufous-crowned Sparrows (but saw them on Dec 29, 2008!). We visited the Sierras and the local mountains, but we missed a few mountain species - most conspicuously White-headed Woodpecker.
My favorite bird of the year was probably the Crimson-collared Grosbeak in Texas. Other personal highlights would include Painted Buntings in Texas, the male Blackburnian Warbler and pair of Scarlet Tanagers in New York, finding the southeast Arizona warblers and Sinaloa Wren, and the Prothonotary Warbler that showed up in Creek Park.
Speaking of Creek Park, local birding was pretty good for us this fall, too. Creek Park hosted Lucy's Warbler, American Redstart, Vesper's Sparrow, and Summer Tanager in addition to the Prothonotary Warbler and Dusky-capped Flycatcher. A Black-and-White Warbler was at Neff Park, and Libby found a Tropical Kingbird when we went looking for the Wood Stork at the Whittier Narrows which many people have seen since!
All in all, it was a pretty remarkable year. This year will involve less travelling and fewer birds, and that's OK. For us, it's not about the numbers so much as it is about the experiences. After all, the numbers are only a reflection of all things we'll have to remember: the places we went, the birds that were there, and the people we saw them with.
Here's to more rich experiences in 2010!
So, the results are as follows:
We saw 402 different species of "countable" birds this past year. We also heard, without seeing, a further eight. We also saw three species that aren't countable, but exist in self-sustaining breeding populations, so they're not included in that total (Nutmeg Mannikin, Orange Bishop, and Aplomado Falcon in south Texas).
402 is larger than our life lists were at the end of 2008. Our lists at the moment are around 470, including lifers from so far in 2010.
Looking over the list, it serves as a kind of journal of the past year's travels and experiences. We birded in five states: California, Arizona, New Mexico (just the morning of the January First!), Texas and New York. We saw birds in southwestern pine forests, sub-tropical thorn scrub, the Sonoran desert, eastern deciduous forests, and at the edge of the Pacific Ocean; naming only a few habitats. We birded from over 10,000' above sea level to 226' below it.
We saw over 100 new birds last year. Our first new birds of the year were Black and Brown-capped Rosy Finches at Sandia Crest in New Mexico on January 1st, and our last new bird of the year was a Black-capped Gnatcatcher at Patagonia Lake in Arizona on December 31. In between, the bulk of our new birds were from Texas.
From the birds not on the list, one can tell where we in North America we did not go. We didn't go north during the winter, to the Atlantic coast, to the southeast, Alaska or Florida. We didn't go to sea (no Pelagic birds) or birding in the dark (few owls).
It's also interesting the birds we just missed. We went to the Central Valley area, but we never saw Yellow-billed Magpies. We birded in southern California and Arizona, but we missed Rufous-crowned Sparrows (but saw them on Dec 29, 2008!). We visited the Sierras and the local mountains, but we missed a few mountain species - most conspicuously White-headed Woodpecker.
My favorite bird of the year was probably the Crimson-collared Grosbeak in Texas. Other personal highlights would include Painted Buntings in Texas, the male Blackburnian Warbler and pair of Scarlet Tanagers in New York, finding the southeast Arizona warblers and Sinaloa Wren, and the Prothonotary Warbler that showed up in Creek Park.
Speaking of Creek Park, local birding was pretty good for us this fall, too. Creek Park hosted Lucy's Warbler, American Redstart, Vesper's Sparrow, and Summer Tanager in addition to the Prothonotary Warbler and Dusky-capped Flycatcher. A Black-and-White Warbler was at Neff Park, and Libby found a Tropical Kingbird when we went looking for the Wood Stork at the Whittier Narrows which many people have seen since!
All in all, it was a pretty remarkable year. This year will involve less travelling and fewer birds, and that's OK. For us, it's not about the numbers so much as it is about the experiences. After all, the numbers are only a reflection of all things we'll have to remember: the places we went, the birds that were there, and the people we saw them with.
Here's to more rich experiences in 2010!
Thursday, January 07, 2010
Christmas Memories
Well, Christmas is officially over, now. It has been for a couple of days, but the holy day itself is almost a full two weeks gone.
Laggard that I am, I have now posted Christmas photos on Flickr. There are images commemorating the day before Christmas - which day we feasted most merrily with the Rowley family, and images from the day itself - celebrated with scrumptious brunching and jolly gift exchanges.
You can access them by clicking here - Christmas Eve and Christmas.
Laggard that I am, I have now posted Christmas photos on Flickr. There are images commemorating the day before Christmas - which day we feasted most merrily with the Rowley family, and images from the day itself - celebrated with scrumptious brunching and jolly gift exchanges.
You can access them by clicking here - Christmas Eve and Christmas.
Sunday, January 03, 2010
Birding with Bill, Becca, Mom and Dad
We spent some time birding with our family over Christmas time, which was fun. We saw lots of neat birds.
On Tuesday the 22nd, I took the day off work and we went down to Crystal Cove State Park together to look for some of the cismontane southern California specialties in the sage scrub there. It was blowing up a gale, but we persevered and did manage to eventually find a California Gnatcatcher, though we only saw it briefly.
Most remarkable, though, was the sad case of an Eared Grebe we found cast ashore. It was obviously in bad shape - its feathers were wet all through, it was emaciated, and was completely helpless to move itself at all. It just rocked in the surf's wash. We took it out of the water to see if we could find help, but in a couple of minutes its neck arched, legs extended, and then it relaxed completely. It died, right in front of us.
That wasn't pleasant to watch, but it served as a plain reminder of our own mortality, and the inherent thinness of the cord tying us to this world.
I have put up pictures from the day. One is of the Grebe.
There are also pictures from the Balboa Pier, where we had lunch as a family.
I don't have any other pictures from the birding trips we took, but we hit a lot of great places. We visited the Whittier Hills and found Hutton's Vireo and Phainopepla, Creek Park for the Dusky-capped Flycatcher, which cooperated swimmingly, Nutmeg Mannikins at Biola, and a Townsend's Warbler and Red-breasted Sapsucker from a stake-out at La Mirada Park.
One day we headed out toward Riverside, so we made a short stop at a very chilly Prado Regional Park for Vermilion Flycatchers and even a tame Ross's Goose that made me wish I had my camera (which was forgotten in our own car in Santa Ana at the time), and Oak Canyon Nature Center where we found Cactus Wrens and had smashing looks at California Thrasher. Bill and Becca got to pick up a lot of new birds, and we had fun doing one of the things we like to do with them!
On Tuesday the 22nd, I took the day off work and we went down to Crystal Cove State Park together to look for some of the cismontane southern California specialties in the sage scrub there. It was blowing up a gale, but we persevered and did manage to eventually find a California Gnatcatcher, though we only saw it briefly.
Most remarkable, though, was the sad case of an Eared Grebe we found cast ashore. It was obviously in bad shape - its feathers were wet all through, it was emaciated, and was completely helpless to move itself at all. It just rocked in the surf's wash. We took it out of the water to see if we could find help, but in a couple of minutes its neck arched, legs extended, and then it relaxed completely. It died, right in front of us.
That wasn't pleasant to watch, but it served as a plain reminder of our own mortality, and the inherent thinness of the cord tying us to this world.
I have put up pictures from the day. One is of the Grebe.
There are also pictures from the Balboa Pier, where we had lunch as a family.
I don't have any other pictures from the birding trips we took, but we hit a lot of great places. We visited the Whittier Hills and found Hutton's Vireo and Phainopepla, Creek Park for the Dusky-capped Flycatcher, which cooperated swimmingly, Nutmeg Mannikins at Biola, and a Townsend's Warbler and Red-breasted Sapsucker from a stake-out at La Mirada Park.
One day we headed out toward Riverside, so we made a short stop at a very chilly Prado Regional Park for Vermilion Flycatchers and even a tame Ross's Goose that made me wish I had my camera (which was forgotten in our own car in Santa Ana at the time), and Oak Canyon Nature Center where we found Cactus Wrens and had smashing looks at California Thrasher. Bill and Becca got to pick up a lot of new birds, and we had fun doing one of the things we like to do with them!
Friday, December 18, 2009
Teacher Christmas
Today was only a half-day at school, which included about an hour for our Christmas party. We read the Christmas story from Luke, had an ornament exchange, ate some treats, and visited with each other. And I was very blessed by the generosity of my 5th graders (and their parents!). There were many thoughtful and special (and some yummy) gifts for me to open, but one stood out in particular. It was from "K", and he couldn't wait for me to open it.
I unwrapped a beautiful, warm, fuzzy, fleece jacket and tried it on right away. I said something like, "Wow, K, it's fits perfectly! Thank you so much; I love it!"
K replied: "I thought you might like to wear it when you go birding early in the morning and it's cold."
Okay. How adorable is that?
I unwrapped a beautiful, warm, fuzzy, fleece jacket and tried it on right away. I said something like, "Wow, K, it's fits perfectly! Thank you so much; I love it!"
K replied: "I thought you might like to wear it when you go birding early in the morning and it's cold."
Okay. How adorable is that?
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Twilight
Last weekend I spent some sick time reading Twilight and New Moon. A parent from Libby's class gave them to her, and we only have those two. Anyway, the point is that I read them and now I intend to say something about them.
Both books are entertaining. They're fun to read, have interesting stories to tell, and paint a believable world in which unusual creatures live. It's a well-spun fantasy romance set in modern time, and I was really able to buy into it.
I think Twilight was the better novel of the two. It's the purer romance - overcoming obstacles to achieve some kind of relationship is the very essence of any English language romance since Shakespeare, and best typified by Austen. What really makes this one different, though, is that it's a relationship between a self-conscious teenage girl and a god. Add vampires battling it out over the life of this girl, and you have a book well calculated to be awsome; all you need is werewolves! Wait! Sequel! Yes!
In Twilight, the vampires are not sub-humans, as they normally are (and should be) in myths, but beyond human. They have flaws and foibles, so they're nothing like God, but they're very much like something from the Olympian pantheon, and I think Edward and Bella's relationship is something like a Mormon retelling of a story from Ovid. (Isn't that the Mormon take on Mary, anyway?) The woman really is as unworthy of him as she senses herself to be, but in a post-Incarnational twist, he loves - not just lusts after her like the Romans or Greeks who have had him do - her anyway. In a demented way, though, this love is tied to her culinary attractiveness to him.
Actually, it's not just demented. It's very much part of the book's mythos. In New Moon, we learn that the connection forged between Edward and Bella is overpoweringly unbreakable. Like Romeo and Juliet (not paradigmatic human beings, themselves) or Catherine and Heathcliff, they're soul-mates. This has a physical element - Bella's tasty smell is uniquely consuming to Edward - but it also has a spiritual element exhibited via the psychic torment caused them by separation.
The idea of soul mates is a dangerous one. Plato introduced the idea in a fairly humorous way as part of Symposium (roly-poly humans separated by the gods - not an idea he bought into), but the idea can be used to justify many kinds of wicked acts, and I found myself shying away from the main conflict in the second novel because of my revulsion for it. Bella's inability to get over Edward is therefore a metaphysical fact, and not a failing on her part. This makes her a lot more sympathetic since it excuses her insanity, but since that's not actually the way the world works I wouldn't let my pre-teen daughter read this book for anything!
Further reading on the Twilight series on the internet:
John Granger of Harry Potter interpretation fame is blogging about it at Forks High School Professor. He thinks it's sorely under appreciated by academia. I don't buy that, the prose is just too poor for it to be taken seriously, but he has a lot of interesting thoughts on its themes. I found the Mormon connections he makes especially enlightening - Meyers is a committed member of the LDS church, and born and raised in that culture. This post on his Harry Potter blog is fascinating: http://www.hogwartsprofessor.com/the-harry-potter-twilight-connection/.
Dr. Reynolds has a review of it on his Middlebrow blog which also has good thoughts. He has a lower opinion of the series than John Granger: Twilight's Flawed Faith.
Finally, this movie review of New Moon from Christianity Today made me chuckle. I haven't seen the movie, so I can't endorse it (some reviews I've read prefer the movies to the books): http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/movies/reviews/2009/newmoon.html
Both books are entertaining. They're fun to read, have interesting stories to tell, and paint a believable world in which unusual creatures live. It's a well-spun fantasy romance set in modern time, and I was really able to buy into it.
I think Twilight was the better novel of the two. It's the purer romance - overcoming obstacles to achieve some kind of relationship is the very essence of any English language romance since Shakespeare, and best typified by Austen. What really makes this one different, though, is that it's a relationship between a self-conscious teenage girl and a god. Add vampires battling it out over the life of this girl, and you have a book well calculated to be awsome; all you need is werewolves! Wait! Sequel! Yes!
In Twilight, the vampires are not sub-humans, as they normally are (and should be) in myths, but beyond human. They have flaws and foibles, so they're nothing like God, but they're very much like something from the Olympian pantheon, and I think Edward and Bella's relationship is something like a Mormon retelling of a story from Ovid. (Isn't that the Mormon take on Mary, anyway?) The woman really is as unworthy of him as she senses herself to be, but in a post-Incarnational twist, he loves - not just lusts after her like the Romans or Greeks who have had him do - her anyway. In a demented way, though, this love is tied to her culinary attractiveness to him.
Actually, it's not just demented. It's very much part of the book's mythos. In New Moon, we learn that the connection forged between Edward and Bella is overpoweringly unbreakable. Like Romeo and Juliet (not paradigmatic human beings, themselves) or Catherine and Heathcliff, they're soul-mates. This has a physical element - Bella's tasty smell is uniquely consuming to Edward - but it also has a spiritual element exhibited via the psychic torment caused them by separation.
The idea of soul mates is a dangerous one. Plato introduced the idea in a fairly humorous way as part of Symposium (roly-poly humans separated by the gods - not an idea he bought into), but the idea can be used to justify many kinds of wicked acts, and I found myself shying away from the main conflict in the second novel because of my revulsion for it. Bella's inability to get over Edward is therefore a metaphysical fact, and not a failing on her part. This makes her a lot more sympathetic since it excuses her insanity, but since that's not actually the way the world works I wouldn't let my pre-teen daughter read this book for anything!
Further reading on the Twilight series on the internet:
John Granger of Harry Potter interpretation fame is blogging about it at Forks High School Professor. He thinks it's sorely under appreciated by academia. I don't buy that, the prose is just too poor for it to be taken seriously, but he has a lot of interesting thoughts on its themes. I found the Mormon connections he makes especially enlightening - Meyers is a committed member of the LDS church, and born and raised in that culture. This post on his Harry Potter blog is fascinating: http://www.hogwartsprofessor.com/the-harry-potter-twilight-connection/.
Dr. Reynolds has a review of it on his Middlebrow blog which also has good thoughts. He has a lower opinion of the series than John Granger: Twilight's Flawed Faith.
Finally, this movie review of New Moon from Christianity Today made me chuckle. I haven't seen the movie, so I can't endorse it (some reviews I've read prefer the movies to the books): http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/movies/reviews/2009/newmoon.html
Tuesday, October 06, 2009
Mammoth with the Mootharts
I just wanted to point out that pictures from our time in Mammoth with the Mootharts are up on Flickr. The trip over-all appeared to be a big success. We celebrated Dad, Phillip and Josiah's birthdays. There was good family time had by all, and people liked the cabin. Libby really enjoyed showing the cabin to her family, which warms my heart. This is an incredibly special place.
Some of the pictures are of our hike along Rock Creek with the family. That was fun. It was exhilarating to be out and about at high elevation in the early Fall - especially given the perfect weather we enjoyed. Last weekend it snowed, so that time of year really is a crap shoot (this is the same weekend Dad and I got snowed on a couple of years ago).
The only real drawback to the weekend was its incredibly short duration! Everybody left on Sunday morning to get home before it was too late, and Libby and I followed shortly after helping to stow food and water for the winter, gather kindling for winter fires, and put up the A-frame.
Some of the pictures are of our hike along Rock Creek with the family. That was fun. It was exhilarating to be out and about at high elevation in the early Fall - especially given the perfect weather we enjoyed. Last weekend it snowed, so that time of year really is a crap shoot (this is the same weekend Dad and I got snowed on a couple of years ago).
The only real drawback to the weekend was its incredibly short duration! Everybody left on Sunday morning to get home before it was too late, and Libby and I followed shortly after helping to stow food and water for the winter, gather kindling for winter fires, and put up the A-frame.
Friday, September 18, 2009
Back in Time
It may seem strange, peering through this on-line window into our lives, to find the Bristlecone Pine Forest re-enter the room. Perhaps the ancient forest has been in our parlor, out of sight the whole time we haven't been posting. That would be nice, if a little dirty and prickly. But it's not the case.
No, we had to drive the full six or so hours to revisit the Bristlecone Pine Forest again after our quick stop back in July, and, although we've only finished posting about that trip recently, it had in fact been more than a month between visits when we pulled into the moonlit campsite Labor Day weekend. In fact, the length of time it took us to tell you about that trip speaks more loudly about the tenor of our lives in August than any post could have. Suffice to say, life was full.
The truth is that our last trip there only wet our appetite for exploring the rest of the area. There are miles of Bristlecone forest in the high regions of the White Mountains, as well as many more miles of Pinyon-Juniper habitat. Add to that the region's mysterious-but-lovely remote character, and we just had to revisit.
Anyway, we had a good trip. The Guenthers came up on Saturday with their baby, and we spent some fun times with them. Unfortunately, Elijah didn't savor the altitude, and spent one unpleasant night in camp, and therefore a more pleasant second night in a motel in Bishop. Libby and I spent three nights in all at the campground. We got there really early Saturday morning (about 1:00) to find that the whole campground was full. We found a handy Pinyon Pine to throw up our tent under, and then moved into some vacancies created when our neighbors headed out in the morning (lucky day!).
We had brought some peanuts along, so we threw some of those out in hope of attracting some Pinyon Jays to our campsite. Then we went for a drive out to Deep Springs College, a famous migrant trap near the Nevada border. It's pretty dramatic - a giant dead-end valley with a salt pan and a single green patch of trees at the college. Unfortunately, it's private property with posted No Trespassing signs, so we came right back to camp. On the way, we spilled three gallons of water in our car! Yay! Mildew!
We spent the rest of the first day hanging around camp with the car doors open and teaching the neighborhood Scrub-Jays and Chickadees to eat out of our hands. We were pretty excited to have our first Californian Juniper Titmouse come into a pan of water we put out, too. When the Guenthers arrived that afternoon, we all went for a walk in the Schulman Grove area that we had visited earlier. Elijah fussed a bit, so he didn't get to ride in the cool baby back-pack that the Guenthers had borrowed for hikes. He did get to see some cold old trees, though, but he may not have appreciated that. I'm not sure.
The next day we went all the way to Patriarch Grove. That's a long drive on a dirt road to the upper limits of a Bristlecone forest. The largest Bristlecone in the world is there, and we had fun wandering around in the alpine wonderland. The whole area is a brilliant white from the dolomite the trees grow in, and there are only stunted plants growing between the gnarled Bristlecone trunks. It's 11,000'! We saw a lot of people around. It turned out that the gate to the Bancroft Research Station on White Mountain (California's third highest mountain) was open, so a lot of people were making the visit to the summit. It cuts 4 miles off the round trip, and apparently those two miles are pretty steep. That explained the crowd at the campground.
That evening the Guenthers decided to make a trip to town, so Libby and I had dinner by ourselves, burned all the firewood, and helped Dustin pack up.
They drove back up the next day and we all went for a hike to the Methuselah Grove, where some of the oldest non-clonal organisms in the world grow. They don't tell you which tree is Methuselah (4800 years old!), but we had fun guessing. We also debated the thorny issue of whether or not you can say you saw a specific tree (Methuselah) if you don't know that you saw that tree, but you have reasonable assurance you saw every tree that it could have been.
After the hike, Libby and I were in a fine hurry to get home before it got too late. Unfortunately, construction around Independence meant it took about two hours to get from the Bristlecones to Lone Pine! Yuck.
I took lots and lots and lots of picture on this trip, and put too many of them on Flickr. Still, if you like babies, birds, mountains, or trees (which you should, you know): take a look: Labor Day Weekend Camping.
No, we had to drive the full six or so hours to revisit the Bristlecone Pine Forest again after our quick stop back in July, and, although we've only finished posting about that trip recently, it had in fact been more than a month between visits when we pulled into the moonlit campsite Labor Day weekend. In fact, the length of time it took us to tell you about that trip speaks more loudly about the tenor of our lives in August than any post could have. Suffice to say, life was full.
The truth is that our last trip there only wet our appetite for exploring the rest of the area. There are miles of Bristlecone forest in the high regions of the White Mountains, as well as many more miles of Pinyon-Juniper habitat. Add to that the region's mysterious-but-lovely remote character, and we just had to revisit.
Anyway, we had a good trip. The Guenthers came up on Saturday with their baby, and we spent some fun times with them. Unfortunately, Elijah didn't savor the altitude, and spent one unpleasant night in camp, and therefore a more pleasant second night in a motel in Bishop. Libby and I spent three nights in all at the campground. We got there really early Saturday morning (about 1:00) to find that the whole campground was full. We found a handy Pinyon Pine to throw up our tent under, and then moved into some vacancies created when our neighbors headed out in the morning (lucky day!).
We had brought some peanuts along, so we threw some of those out in hope of attracting some Pinyon Jays to our campsite. Then we went for a drive out to Deep Springs College, a famous migrant trap near the Nevada border. It's pretty dramatic - a giant dead-end valley with a salt pan and a single green patch of trees at the college. Unfortunately, it's private property with posted No Trespassing signs, so we came right back to camp. On the way, we spilled three gallons of water in our car! Yay! Mildew!
The next day we went all the way to Patriarch Grove. That's a long drive on a dirt road to the upper limits of a Bristlecone forest. The largest Bristlecone in the world is there, and we had fun wandering around in the alpine wonderland. The whole area is a brilliant white from the dolomite the trees grow in, and there are only stunted plants growing between the gnarled Bristlecone trunks. It's 11,000'! We saw a lot of people around. It turned out that the gate to the Bancroft Research Station on White Mountain (California's third highest mountain) was open, so a lot of people were making the visit to the summit. It cuts 4 miles off the round trip, and apparently those two miles are pretty steep. That explained the crowd at the campground.
That evening the Guenthers decided to make a trip to town, so Libby and I had dinner by ourselves, burned all the firewood, and helped Dustin pack up.
They drove back up the next day and we all went for a hike to the Methuselah Grove, where some of the oldest non-clonal organisms in the world grow. They don't tell you which tree is Methuselah (4800 years old!), but we had fun guessing. We also debated the thorny issue of whether or not you can say you saw a specific tree (Methuselah) if you don't know that you saw that tree, but you have reasonable assurance you saw every tree that it could have been.
After the hike, Libby and I were in a fine hurry to get home before it got too late. Unfortunately, construction around Independence meant it took about two hours to get from the Bristlecones to Lone Pine! Yuck.
I took lots and lots and lots of picture on this trip, and put too many of them on Flickr. Still, if you like babies, birds, mountains, or trees (which you should, you know): take a look: Labor Day Weekend Camping.
Friday, September 11, 2009
Heading Home
On the morning after our backpack trip we packed up the truck and got back on the road right after breakfast. We were going home, but on the way we wanted to make a couple of stops. Our first stop being in the wrong direction, we didn't want to waste too much time!
It didn't take too long to reach Mono Lake. We were hoping to see some of the birds that stop over there on their southward migration. We did, and then we got ourselves some ice cream at the Mono Cone. That ended up taking over an hour!
Anyway, our next stop was more exciting. We turned off of 395 at Big Pine, heading into the White Mountains toward Westgard Pass. This was our first visit to the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest. There are trees in this forest that are nearly 5,000 years old! It's a long way above Big Pine, though, with the Schulman Grove Visitor's Center (recently burned down and replaced by a temporary trailer) located at 10,000 feet.
In Schulman Grove, we went for a walk on the Discovery Trail, learning about Schulman's discovery of the first tree over 4,000 years old in that very grove. We had a good time ooh-ing and ahh-ing over each gnarled and wind-carved semi-snag for an hour or so, and then got going south again so we could say goodbye to Bill and Becca, who were flying out that night. We decided, though, that it would be nice to come back and visit the Bristlecones again when we had more time. A trip we just made over the Labor Day weekend!
Anyway, a mercifully small gallery of pictures is uploaded on Flickr: Homeward Bound Set.
The pictures from the entire trip to Mammoth have now been uploaded, and you can view all of them within the Peeler Lake to Snow Lake Loop Collection.
Wednesday, September 09, 2009
Backpack Notes, Day 5
As always, you can read about the day in more detail on Bill's blog. The notes that follow are my own brief observations.
Our final day of the backpack trip was characterized by one mood: haste. Bill and Becca felt a lot of stress about getting home before it was too late, and so we got along at a rapid pace. That was fine, but by the time we reached the bottom of the trail it had taken its toll on our feet.
In the morning, a group of marmots and a single American Pipit were foraging in the field by our camp. We were also visited by a Gray-crowned Rosy Finch. That was the first of that high altitude bird we got a good look at all trip - a fact in sharp contrast to the species' abundance on our higher altitude pack trip last year.
Some of us were able to avoid removing our boots for the water crossings on the way down due to Dad's efforts at finding a way across. This didn't result in saving time, though, because he ended up slipping and falling in as he helped Becca across. I still appreciated not having to take off my boots, and while Dad dried, Libby and I watched a Junco fly-catching in a shaft of sunlight along the creek. There were also a pretty male Yellow-rumped Warblers foraging in the trees in the area.
Libby and I stayed the next night at the cabin, eating a yummy dinner of burgers at Burger's in Mammoth with Grandma, Grandpa, Aunt Carol and Uncle John. During dinner, we laughed at stories about embarrassing moments they'd experienced all over the world. Afterward, we crossed the street to the Village - where a band was rocking out to '60s and '70s classics. Aunt Carol texted Sierra and tried to see if she could find us on the webcam showing the plaza, but the camera was off-line for the summer.
That evening there was a spectacular sunset, so Uncle John and I hurried down to Lake Mary as soon as we got back to the cabin to see if we could get a picture of its fading splendor. Unfortunately, it was mostly dead by the time we reached the shore, but I uploaded a picture hinting at its brilliance on Flickr, which you can see above.
Of course, you can see all of the pictures from the day on Flickr: Backpack Day 5 set.
Thursday, September 03, 2009
Backpack Notes, Day 4
Our fourth day of hiking took us from Arndt Lake to Snow Lake back via Kerrick Meadows. You can read about it in sparkling detail at Bill's blog.
Some notes:
This was a great hiking day for me. I felt great the whole day, the scenery was varied and interesting, and we got it all done before lunch. I always feel like hiking in the morning is easier and more enjoyable.
I'm uncomfortable hiking on snow, so the little climb that us guys took was stretching for me. Glissading back down helped me get a little more comfortable with the dynamic of the stuff. It wasn't exactly ice, so it's not difficult, but I still hope I'll feel a little easier on the medium in the future.
The views from the top were really superb. It was wonderful up there.
Fishing around Snow Lake wasn't very productive for fish, but it was great for birds! I think its location at a low point on the crest yielded a sort of migrant trap for latitudinal migrants, because there were more birds than anywhere else on the trip on the outlet side of Snow Lake. While bushwhacking through the area, I found Yellow-rumped Warblers, Orange-crowned Warblers, my first Wilson's Warblers of the trip, first Thick-billed Fox Sparrows of the trip, White-crowned Sparrows, and other birds I can't remember anymore. Unfortunately, I didn't have binoculars because it was a bit like stumbling into a vagrant trap, small birds were flitting all around me and I couldn't ID them all in the brief glimpses I could catch before they would drop into the willows and shrubby pines.
The big snow field, and green meadows watered by it near the lake, appeared ideal for White-tailed Ptarmigan, but we didn't find any. There was, however, a pair of American Pipits using the meadow and defending a territory half-way up the snow field. The Pipits were the first I've seen in the Sierras, though I've always been looking for them. I wonder if they're associated with late season snow pack in the Sierras like Ptarmigans are.
This was the evening I got to see the International Space Station (with the space shuttle attached!). I was sitting on the lake shore under the darkening purple and gold of the late evening sky, pumping water while bats and moths flitted around my head, when I noticed a brilliant star - Venus-like in its intensity - floating by to the north. I hollered for the rest of the family, but nobody heard me, so I just sat in wonder as it slipped behind the mountains' shoulders.
Since we were right near the pass, we all went up to it in the dark to watch the stars. That was fun. There wasn't any moon at the time, so you could see everything really clearly.
I have a cool panorama from the top of the hill I'd like to put up somehow in all of its glory (there's a very small version on Flickr), but I'm not sure how. Any suggestions?
Pictures are up at the normal place: Backpack Day 3.
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Backpack Notes, Day 3
The third day of our backpack trip was a layover day at Arndt Lake. You can read about it at Bill's blog.
My observations:
1) Birding was pretty good that day. In the morning, there was a mixed flock of Orange-crowned Warblers, Yellow-rumped Warbles, nuthatches, and Chickadees feeding in the Hemlocks around our camp. In one small area during the hike, we saw Pine Grosbeaks, Pine Siskins, and a solo Black-backed Woodpecker. Ironic, as we'd made a special trip to find one earlier. We found another flock of Pine Grosbeaks, later, and a single Townsend's Solitaire in one of the meadows. Fun, especially the Grosbeaks, which are a very striking finch. We'd only seen one pair once before.
2) The hike to the top of the pass overlooking Rock Island Lake was great. When we reached the top, I felt like I was finally in the Sierras I knew and loved - tall toothy granite peaks emerged along the crest, and Rock Island Lake is cut out of the mold of Grinnell or Thousand Island. We never seem to manage to make it to any of this kind of large rock-studded lake, but it's fun to look at them.
3) When we got back, we followed Dad's lead by taking a bath in the lake and resting on the little rock island about 20 feet from the shore. There weren't many mosquitoes out that far into the lake, though one or two did find us, and the rock was pleasantly warm. Of course, the water was chillingly cold, but that's what you expect of a lake in the high Sierras.
You can find all the pictures from that day of hiking here: Backpack Day 3.
My observations:
1) Birding was pretty good that day. In the morning, there was a mixed flock of Orange-crowned Warblers, Yellow-rumped Warbles, nuthatches, and Chickadees feeding in the Hemlocks around our camp. In one small area during the hike, we saw Pine Grosbeaks, Pine Siskins, and a solo Black-backed Woodpecker. Ironic, as we'd made a special trip to find one earlier. We found another flock of Pine Grosbeaks, later, and a single Townsend's Solitaire in one of the meadows. Fun, especially the Grosbeaks, which are a very striking finch. We'd only seen one pair once before.
2) The hike to the top of the pass overlooking Rock Island Lake was great. When we reached the top, I felt like I was finally in the Sierras I knew and loved - tall toothy granite peaks emerged along the crest, and Rock Island Lake is cut out of the mold of Grinnell or Thousand Island. We never seem to manage to make it to any of this kind of large rock-studded lake, but it's fun to look at them.
3) When we got back, we followed Dad's lead by taking a bath in the lake and resting on the little rock island about 20 feet from the shore. There weren't many mosquitoes out that far into the lake, though one or two did find us, and the rock was pleasantly warm. Of course, the water was chillingly cold, but that's what you expect of a lake in the high Sierras.
You can find all the pictures from that day of hiking here: Backpack Day 3.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Backpack Notes, Day 2
Our second day took us from Peeler Lake to Arndt Lake via Kerrick Meadows. Bill's got an excellent post; you can read about it here.
My notes for posterity:
I got up as soon as I heard Dad stirring so that I could go fishing. Unfortunately, by the time I got my pole set up other people were also getting up, so I didn't get much of a chance to fish. I cast a mosquito out a few times, but all I got were a few bites. Too bad, since Peeler's fish were supposed to be pretty nice.
It's neat that Peeler drains down both sides of the crest. It's an interesting, large, and beautiful lake that would be nice to explore more thoroughly.
Juncos were singing all around the camp that morning, but the most interesting visitor was a female Black-headed Grosbeak. That had to be a wandering bird, as we were in pure coniferous forest at Peeler's elevation.
Kerrick Meadows were really neat - there were White-crowned Sparrows and Mountain Bluebirds around as well as the numerous Spotted Sandpipers and Dark-eyed Juncos that Bill mentioned. I really enjoyed seeing Spotted Sandpipers in meadows - there was one in a damp meadow near Arndt where there was no shore habitat at all; it gave a real arctic feel to the place.
Kerrick Meadows were also easy hiking - it's just straight for what seems like miles. It's really beautiful, but it does get a little monotonous because without any trees you can see exactly how slowly it takes to get from one end of the valley to the other.
Libby and I also found a young Hammond's Flycatcher in some firs along the bank of Arndt when we first walked in.
The mosquitoes in the meadowy portions of Ardnt were terrible. While we were waiting for Dad and Bill and Becca to get back from looking campsites, we were suffering!
After setting up camp, Dad, Becca, and Libby and I went for a little hike to the top of a promontory above our camp. From it, we could see down the canyon toward Benson Lake, and across to more of the granite domes in the area. We also found two baby flightless Mountain Bluebirds cowering under some tree trunks. They looked pretty pathetic! It was fun scrambling around on the granite.
It rained a little at Arndt, mostly over-night, but not enough to get the ground truly wet. It was enough to make noise on the rain fly, but that's about it.
More pictures are up on Flickr: Backpack Day 2.
My notes for posterity:
I got up as soon as I heard Dad stirring so that I could go fishing. Unfortunately, by the time I got my pole set up other people were also getting up, so I didn't get much of a chance to fish. I cast a mosquito out a few times, but all I got were a few bites. Too bad, since Peeler's fish were supposed to be pretty nice.
It's neat that Peeler drains down both sides of the crest. It's an interesting, large, and beautiful lake that would be nice to explore more thoroughly.
Juncos were singing all around the camp that morning, but the most interesting visitor was a female Black-headed Grosbeak. That had to be a wandering bird, as we were in pure coniferous forest at Peeler's elevation.
Kerrick Meadows were really neat - there were White-crowned Sparrows and Mountain Bluebirds around as well as the numerous Spotted Sandpipers and Dark-eyed Juncos that Bill mentioned. I really enjoyed seeing Spotted Sandpipers in meadows - there was one in a damp meadow near Arndt where there was no shore habitat at all; it gave a real arctic feel to the place.
Kerrick Meadows were also easy hiking - it's just straight for what seems like miles. It's really beautiful, but it does get a little monotonous because without any trees you can see exactly how slowly it takes to get from one end of the valley to the other.
Libby and I also found a young Hammond's Flycatcher in some firs along the bank of Arndt when we first walked in.
The mosquitoes in the meadowy portions of Ardnt were terrible. While we were waiting for Dad and Bill and Becca to get back from looking campsites, we were suffering!
After setting up camp, Dad, Becca, and Libby and I went for a little hike to the top of a promontory above our camp. From it, we could see down the canyon toward Benson Lake, and across to more of the granite domes in the area. We also found two baby flightless Mountain Bluebirds cowering under some tree trunks. They looked pretty pathetic! It was fun scrambling around on the granite.
It rained a little at Arndt, mostly over-night, but not enough to get the ground truly wet. It was enough to make noise on the rain fly, but that's about it.
More pictures are up on Flickr: Backpack Day 2.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Backpack Notes, Day 1
Bill did a day-by-day replay of our July backpack trip, already, which you can read here. I'll just add a few notes of my own observations.
It's pretty amazing it took us 5+ hours to get started hiking that first day. Starting later made the day quite a bit more difficult, because it was already warm when we started. The stretch of trail before Barney Lake would be nice to get done early because there isn't much shade as you hike through sage flats and the stunted willow/aspens forests on the switchbacks.
There were still some interesting birds the first day despite the late beginning. Our only Yellow-headed Blackbirds for the trip were in the meadows and cattle yards around Bridgeport. There were both Clark's Nutcrackers and Steller's Jays at the Twin Lakes campground, which is interesting since it's only about 7,000'. There were also a few Red-breasted Sapsuckers in the various aspen groves we encountered, and a pair of Williamson's Sapsuckers near the campground itself. Western Wood-Pewees were quite common that first day, but less so afterward.
A big highlight for me was flushing a covey of Mountain Quail right where we ate lunch along Barney Lake's outlet. There was an adult (I assume a female) and a group fo maybe 8 or so young birds that all took flight as I approached them, disappearing into dense growth next to the trail. It was funny to watch the precocious young, about half their parent's size, flutter strongly into the air. Those were the first Mountain Quail I've encountered in the Sierras.
A pair of Black-headed Grosbeaks was nice just past Barney Lake. I'm not sure if that's high for them or not, but they could very well have been post-breeding dispersers or southward migrants that late in July. Further up the trail we had quite a few Audubon's Warblers, Dark-eyed Juncos and Cassin's Finches.
The trail from Barney to Peeler is a real grunt, as it's a consistent uphill climb. We were pretty tired when we got to camp, and we got there pretty late in the evening, so we basically just did camp chores, ate, and went to bed. Pumping water turned out to be an especially involving process with six people. I wish we could have gone fishing that evening, but we didn't have much energy or time.
The mosquitoes were bad!
I put up pictures from the day on our Flickr: Backpack Day 1.
It's pretty amazing it took us 5+ hours to get started hiking that first day. Starting later made the day quite a bit more difficult, because it was already warm when we started. The stretch of trail before Barney Lake would be nice to get done early because there isn't much shade as you hike through sage flats and the stunted willow/aspens forests on the switchbacks.
There were still some interesting birds the first day despite the late beginning. Our only Yellow-headed Blackbirds for the trip were in the meadows and cattle yards around Bridgeport. There were both Clark's Nutcrackers and Steller's Jays at the Twin Lakes campground, which is interesting since it's only about 7,000'. There were also a few Red-breasted Sapsuckers in the various aspen groves we encountered, and a pair of Williamson's Sapsuckers near the campground itself. Western Wood-Pewees were quite common that first day, but less so afterward.
A big highlight for me was flushing a covey of Mountain Quail right where we ate lunch along Barney Lake's outlet. There was an adult (I assume a female) and a group fo maybe 8 or so young birds that all took flight as I approached them, disappearing into dense growth next to the trail. It was funny to watch the precocious young, about half their parent's size, flutter strongly into the air. Those were the first Mountain Quail I've encountered in the Sierras.
A pair of Black-headed Grosbeaks was nice just past Barney Lake. I'm not sure if that's high for them or not, but they could very well have been post-breeding dispersers or southward migrants that late in July. Further up the trail we had quite a few Audubon's Warblers, Dark-eyed Juncos and Cassin's Finches.
The trail from Barney to Peeler is a real grunt, as it's a consistent uphill climb. We were pretty tired when we got to camp, and we got there pretty late in the evening, so we basically just did camp chores, ate, and went to bed. Pumping water turned out to be an especially involving process with six people. I wish we could have gone fishing that evening, but we didn't have much energy or time.
The mosquitoes were bad!
I put up pictures from the day on our Flickr: Backpack Day 1.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Rare Air
Libby and I got to take a trip to Mammoth, back in late July. It's hard to believe we've already been home for more about a month!
The main event of our trip was a family backpack trip. Bill and Becca flew out from New York, so with Mom and Dad along, it was the whole nuclear bunch planning on hitting the trail together on a Tuesday. Still, Libby and I wanted to spend a little time up at the cabin itself, too, so we took off early on the Saturday morning beforehand.
We were looking forward to spending time with more of the family, there - Uncle John, Aunt Carol, Cousin Sydney and her boyfriend Jonathan were all planning on arriving that Saturday, also. I was hoping to get a little birding done before we arrived, so we actually left especially early that Saturday in order to arrive in the sage flats around Crowley Lake while the birds were still active. It worked - we got there around 11:00, turning right onto the road to Benton Crossing off Highway 395 at the Green Church, and then off we went toward the lake on a dirt road.
This is the closest spot we know to find birds of the Great Basin sage community. That means Sage Sparrows, Sage Thrashers, Brewer's Sparrows, Vesper's Sparrows, and Greater Sage-Grouse are common. We trundled down to the lake shore itself, where we found Phaloropes, Eared and Western Grebes, and American White Pelicans floating about in the water. In years past, we've seen Yellow-headed Blackbirds pretty easily here, and I was hoping to get some pictures, but there weren't any around. I'm not sure where they were.
After getting our fill of gray birds, we got back onto the pavement and headed north toward Mono Lake. Our object was a bird that would be new for us - the Black-backed Woodpecker. Black-backed Woodpeckers are a mostly boreal bird that has a disjunct population in the Sierras. It's a bit difficult to find, but is most common in areas that have recently burned. We'd been tipped off to a new colony when we met Jon Dunn in Arizona - there's a small burned area near June Lake that was hosting a few pairs. We got there - after a detour to check out the Aspen Grove where we got engaged four years ago, and ice cream at the Mono Cone - and saw a black woodpecker fly by as we drove in. Getting out of the car, it took a little more walking before we found one again. But we got great looks at at least three individuals. We even got pictures of one.
A Black-backed Woodpecker on a burned Jeffrey Pine.
The main event of our trip was a family backpack trip. Bill and Becca flew out from New York, so with Mom and Dad along, it was the whole nuclear bunch planning on hitting the trail together on a Tuesday. Still, Libby and I wanted to spend a little time up at the cabin itself, too, so we took off early on the Saturday morning beforehand.
We were looking forward to spending time with more of the family, there - Uncle John, Aunt Carol, Cousin Sydney and her boyfriend Jonathan were all planning on arriving that Saturday, also. I was hoping to get a little birding done before we arrived, so we actually left especially early that Saturday in order to arrive in the sage flats around Crowley Lake while the birds were still active. It worked - we got there around 11:00, turning right onto the road to Benton Crossing off Highway 395 at the Green Church, and then off we went toward the lake on a dirt road.
This is the closest spot we know to find birds of the Great Basin sage community. That means Sage Sparrows, Sage Thrashers, Brewer's Sparrows, Vesper's Sparrows, and Greater Sage-Grouse are common. We trundled down to the lake shore itself, where we found Phaloropes, Eared and Western Grebes, and American White Pelicans floating about in the water. In years past, we've seen Yellow-headed Blackbirds pretty easily here, and I was hoping to get some pictures, but there weren't any around. I'm not sure where they were.
After getting our fill of gray birds, we got back onto the pavement and headed north toward Mono Lake. Our object was a bird that would be new for us - the Black-backed Woodpecker. Black-backed Woodpeckers are a mostly boreal bird that has a disjunct population in the Sierras. It's a bit difficult to find, but is most common in areas that have recently burned. We'd been tipped off to a new colony when we met Jon Dunn in Arizona - there's a small burned area near June Lake that was hosting a few pairs. We got there - after a detour to check out the Aspen Grove where we got engaged four years ago, and ice cream at the Mono Cone - and saw a black woodpecker fly by as we drove in. Getting out of the car, it took a little more walking before we found one again. But we got great looks at at least three individuals. We even got pictures of one.
A Black-backed Woodpecker on a burned Jeffrey Pine.By now it was getting to be mid-afternoon, so we made our way back to the Cabin. We were still ahead of the Hirts, so we took a trip down to the Lowe's cabin to stow our stuff with Grandma and Grandpa, and then settled down to relax a little back up at the cabin. A little bit of comfort makes me itchy when there's so much to see and do, so we popped back outside for a short walk along the old uranium mine road. Best sighting of that little walk was a real live Pine Marten! This cute weasel-like animal had golden fur and the cutest face you could hope for, bounding slinkily along the ground for a few yards, sitting, and then hopping on again. I was shocked, it's quite unusual to sight one. I'd never seen one before, and hadn't really ever hoped to have seen one.
Anyway, when we got back to the cabin, the Hirts had arrived, and we all had dinner together. That night Libby and I went fishing with Grandpa, and then we all sat around and talked until it was time for bed, and Libby and I drove back down the mountain to the Lowe's cabin.
The next morning, before church, we took a short walk around the Lowe's cabin area. We had a bit of an adventure finding our way through a dense aspen thicket along a creek, but we still saw some neat birds, including a MacGillivray's Warbler and even a Hermit Warbler just outside the cabin itself.
We spent the rest of the day relaxing at the cabin - fishing, games, family, etc. It was quite nice.
The next day the rest of the family had arrived, and we had to spend time getting ready for the backpack trip. We did find time to go for a little walk up behind the cabin, though, which was fun. There were a lot of beautiful flowers blooming, and everything was quite green.
I put up a set of pictures from the pre-backpack trip activities: Mammoth Trip.
Anyway, when we got back to the cabin, the Hirts had arrived, and we all had dinner together. That night Libby and I went fishing with Grandpa, and then we all sat around and talked until it was time for bed, and Libby and I drove back down the mountain to the Lowe's cabin.
The next morning, before church, we took a short walk around the Lowe's cabin area. We had a bit of an adventure finding our way through a dense aspen thicket along a creek, but we still saw some neat birds, including a MacGillivray's Warbler and even a Hermit Warbler just outside the cabin itself.
We spent the rest of the day relaxing at the cabin - fishing, games, family, etc. It was quite nice.
The next day the rest of the family had arrived, and we had to spend time getting ready for the backpack trip. We did find time to go for a little walk up behind the cabin, though, which was fun. There were a lot of beautiful flowers blooming, and everything was quite green.
I put up a set of pictures from the pre-backpack trip activities: Mammoth Trip.
Out of the Mouth of Babes
I spent all day yesterday with my nephews, because Emily had just finished helping a friend give birth (for 48 hours!) and needed to sleep. While I was there, I heard some funny things, and I wanted to document a few:
Jonathan (age 4): Aunt Libby, will you still be here when I wake up from my nap?
Me: Well, I don't know. It kind of depends on how long you sleep.
Jonathan: Well, you should decide and then call Uncle Jon and tell him.
Me: I think I'll probably still be here.
Jonathan: You should tell Uncle Jon.
Me: Uncle Jon knows that I'm here.
Jonathan: Ok, good. Because if he didn't, he would come home and say, "Where's Aunt Libby?"
I thought this was very conscientious of the little guy.
Thomas (age 2) has been doing a great job learning how to talk. I try to get him to say "Annyong" (from Arrested Development) whenever I have a chance, and it usually goes like this:
Me: Annyong, Thomas.
Thomas: Annyong, Ont Wibby!
But, because he's 2 and loves to say "no", sometimes it goes more like this:
Me: Annyong, Thomas.
Thomas: No annyong.
And that's just as good.
And, lastly, this treasure:
Jonathan (age 4): Did you know Daddy had a birthday party? Well, it wasn't his; it was for a friend. And his friend got some alcohol. {Pause} But he didn't drink it all at once. He drank it a little bit at a time. And that's what I would do, too...except no one will let me.
Priceless.
Jonathan (age 4): Aunt Libby, will you still be here when I wake up from my nap?
Me: Well, I don't know. It kind of depends on how long you sleep.
Jonathan: Well, you should decide and then call Uncle Jon and tell him.
Me: I think I'll probably still be here.
Jonathan: You should tell Uncle Jon.
Me: Uncle Jon knows that I'm here.
Jonathan: Ok, good. Because if he didn't, he would come home and say, "Where's Aunt Libby?"
I thought this was very conscientious of the little guy.
Thomas (age 2) has been doing a great job learning how to talk. I try to get him to say "Annyong" (from Arrested Development) whenever I have a chance, and it usually goes like this:
Me: Annyong, Thomas.
Thomas: Annyong, Ont Wibby!
But, because he's 2 and loves to say "no", sometimes it goes more like this:
Me: Annyong, Thomas.
Thomas: No annyong.
And that's just as good.
And, lastly, this treasure:
Jonathan (age 4): Did you know Daddy had a birthday party? Well, it wasn't his; it was for a friend. And his friend got some alcohol. {Pause} But he didn't drink it all at once. He drank it a little bit at a time. And that's what I would do, too...except no one will let me.
Priceless.
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