Musings on Nature (and other things)

Athena - The Goddess of Wisdom

2012-01-20T12:12:00.000-07:00

Yesterday a co-worked and I had the chance to visit the Kennecott Nature Center of Murray. The director there is a good friend of ours, and she invites us both down once a year to do a presentation for visiting classes and then we all go out to lunch to celebrate our birthdays. :) It's just a fun excuse to get together, do some fun programming, eat and chat.

Yesterday was especially fun for everyone, as we had a new co-presenter.

Athena

This is Athena, a Great-horned Owl. My co-worker houses and takes care of her because she is non-releasable. Her wing was broken several years ago and it didn't heal right which limits her ability to fly. So now she gets to live her life as an education bird.

Me and Athena. Those fun necklaces are part of our birthday celebration. :)

This was the first time I'd met her personally, so Kathy, my co-worker let me do the handling. We are both permitted to handle education birds through the State of Utah and U.S. Fish and Wildlife.

Teaching kids about owl adaptations.

Kathy also houses a Peregrine Falcon which I've handled several times. And let me say, Athena is so much heavier than he is. Okay, maybe you wouldn't think 3.5 lbs is heavy, but just try holding it up for a while. It is. :)

Female birds of prey are about 1/3 larger than males. She's a big, beautiful girl.

She did great. Kathy said she never hoots, but to our great wonder, at one point she tried to fly off my arm and in the process let out a few low "hoo-hoo-hoo"s. It was very cool. The kids loved her. Who wouldn't? I mean, she's an owl after all.

I have a pretty good job.

What's Wrong With This Picture?

2011-12-30T13:14:00.000-07:00

Can you tell me?

Yeah, those are 1500 + pound bison that this photographer continues to approach.

Don't worry. I called this individual back to the road, and then gave a reminder of how dangerous that was.

Remember, they can move 30 + miles per hour. You can't.

Satellites...or something

2011-12-23T09:37:00.002-07:00

I was nearly asleep last night about 10:30 pm when my phone rang. It was my roommates boy, P. He was out with his friends and were looking at something really bright in the sky. They didn't know what it was. It was flashing "blue and red". Someone thought it was a satellite, but I said satellites don't flash. Airplanes flash, I told him. He said it wasn't an airplane. They didn't know what it was.

So I crawled out of bed and looked outside in the direction he mentioned - kind of south-east.

Sure enough, there was a bright something up there. My first, groggy thought was a planet - so I said "That's Jupiter."

P: "Oh really? Why is it twinkling?"

Me: "Because of the atmosphere."

P: "Wow, that's cool. Okay thanks. Sorry about getting you up."

Me: "That's okay. Night."

And off I go back to bed. But I kept thinking of that night sky. It was very beautiful and very clear. Then I thought more about what I saw, and remembered seeing Orion's belt, and that it was pointing right at that bright star I had called Jupiter. And I realized I had been mistaken. It wasn't a planet at all. It was the star Orion's Belt always points to. So I send P a text.

Me: * I was mistaken. It's actually the very bright star 'Sirius'. True story.*

P: * Ooh okay...I was wondering why it was twinkling...was it just barly found? I have never seen it before*

I had to chuckle a little with that question.

Me: * No. It's been there forever. It's just a very clear night so it stands out more*

P: * Okay...*

I know that tone of text from him. It means, "I don't really buy it, that still doesn't answer my question of why I haven't seen it before. It is so bright, how could I miss it in all the times I've been camping and out and night...but I'll just leave it at that with my doubting and wondering."

So understanding that this was probably what he was thinking I continued my explanation.

Me: *Also you only see it in the winter. That may be why you don't recognize it. You're used to seeing the summer sky.*

Whether he bought that or not, I don't know. He didn't answer after that. But it got me thinking about the night sky, and how most people only give it a passing glance most of the time. It's there. There are stars up there. The big dipper is about the only thing most people can find. Maybe Orion's Belt. But there is usually a disconnect between when one can see Orion's belt and when they can't.

When I do astronomy programs in the summer I often get asked where Orion's belt is. To which I explain that it is a winter constellation, and isn't visible in the summer (except maybe during the wee hours of morning).

So why can't you see Orion in the summer? For the same reason we have day and night and different seasons. The earth rotates and more importantly, orbits the sun. As it orbits the sun, the view of the night sky shifts with the shifting position of the earth in space.

So go check out the winter sky. It is truly one of the best times to see the night sky. Bright constellations. Clear skies. Orion. And his Belt of three stars.

It Stinks Today

2011-12-01T11:06:00.001-07:00

There is a brisk, 30+ mph wind blowing from the east, right across the shallowest part of the lake. It's stirring up the dead and decomposing matter from the lake and sending those smells right to us. Oh, so pleasant.

When most Utahns think of Antelope Island and the Great Salt Lake, they think of a hot, dry, stinky place. Well, it is dry, and it can be hot, but the stink, well, yes, it's there too. However, generally that lovely decomposing smell is only noticed on a day like today, with wind whipping the lake up, or for just a brief moment as one drives across the 7-mile causeway to the Island. Once on the island, the smell is gone.

Unless of course it's today. Then those winds are bringing that smell right to us.

No Antelope on Antelope Island

2011-11-30T15:30:00.001-07:00

Just as Bison are quite commonly called Buffalo, Pronghorn are also misnamed, and referred to as Antelope. While they do indeed resemble Antelope, they are quite different animals. Not even in the same family.

Here we have some Antelope, family Bovidae. The term antelope is a general term used to describe all members of the family Bovidae which don't really fit into the category of sheep, cattle or goat. Other members of the family Bovidae include bison, African buffalo, water buffalo, gazelles, and muskoxen.

Blackbuck Antelope

True antelope have unbranched horns which are never shed. They continue to grow throughout their lives. And if they get broken or knocked off, they may or may not grow back depending on the severity of the break.

Here we have a Pronghorn, family Antilocapridae. Pronghorn are the only surviving member of this family, and so have no close relatives to compare them to. Pronghorn are native to North America.


Pronghorn at Antelope Island


Female Pronghorn

Both male and female Pronghorn have horns. The horns of the male are considerably larger than those of the female and are branched, or at least have a slight "prong" on them, hence the name.


Male Pronghorn

The horns of Pronghorns are different from both the antlers of deer, and the true horns of sheep or bison. Antlers are heavily branched, made of bone and are shed every year. True horns are made a keratin, or compressed hair, growing on a bony core, and are never shed, nor are they ever branched. The horns of Pronghorns are a little of both. They are made of a branched keratin sheath, growing on a bony core, and the sheath is shed each year.

Pronghorn are the second fastest land animal in the world, just behind the cheetah. It has been noted that they can run up to 70 mph for short distances, and can maintain half that speed over great distances. Pronghorn are truly a plains animal, and while they can jump, they almost never do. Out on the plains, they will travel for miles along a fence looking for an area they can climb under.

Out on Antelope Island, they have no such barriers and can be seen ranging over the entire 28,000 acre land mass.

Is this An Antelope or Not?

2011-11-17T18:01:00.000-07:00

The name of the Island where they live is Antelope Island. So they must be Antelope, right?

Just Because

2011-10-06T13:56:00.000-06:00

Yeah, it's pretty awesome out here.

The Big Boys

2011-09-18T21:20:00.000-06:00

Weighing in at up to 2000 lbs, the American Bison (Bison bison) is the largest land mammal in North America, and certainly the biggest thing out here on Antelope Island.

Brought to the Island in the early 1890s as a way to help maintain the then nearly extinct species (and as a money making endeavor), the Antelope Island herd is one of the largest publicly owned herds in the nation.

And they often hang out just outside my front door.

Despite their large size and seemingly lazy attitude, Bison can run up to 30 mph! And they can get annoyed rather easily.

Here's a video I found on Youtube of some boneheads getting too close.

Look at the head on that bad boy. It's pretty large for its size and is held up by large muscles attached to an enlarged scapula, and several upper thoracic ribs. Those muscles not only hold that head up, but is what allows such short legs to move so quickly.

There are nearly 700 Bison on the Island right now. The carrying capacity is about 550 to allow enough food to support the other herbivores out here (mule deer, bighorn sheep, pronghorn). Generally, large predators would help keep their numbers in check, but unfortunately, the largest predators on Antelope Island are coyotes, and they are no where near big enough to take down a Bison. So the Park has to help in that regard.

Every year, at the end of October/first of November the herd is rounded up and corralled for a few weeks while wildlife managers check their health, give vaccinations, check for pregnancy and select about 200 animals to be auctioned off.

Now this whole time I've been calling them Bison. Surely you've also heard them called Buffalo. So what's the difference?

Well, here's a Buffalo:

This is a Cape Buffalo from Africa. Technically, we don't have Buffalo in the US (not naturally occurring, anyway).

The term Buffalo has been used to describe our Bison since the arrival of the Anglos in North America. So it's a term that's just kind of there and used interchangeably with Bison. But if you want to be technical, what we have living here in North American are American Bison.

And they are currently my closest neighbors.

Master Naturalist Class

2011-08-18T07:29:00.000-06:00

This week I have been involved with the Utah Master Naturalist Class focusing on mountains. This is the third of three modules the UMN Program offers. The first two were Aquatic Systems and Deserts. This current one may be my favorite so far - possibly because we have spent so much time out in the field.

I do have a few pics, which I'll share in another post. But right now I just wanted to report that during yesterday's class, we were lucky enough to find marmot scat and a den site, coyote scat, and a large gathering of porcupine scat. We weren't sure what the porcupine scat was to begin with, but after collecting one piece and studying it at home, I have come to that conclusion.

At the time we found the scat, my camera had run out of battery power, otherwise I would share that wonderful scat discovery with you.

We also saw and identified lots and lots of wildflowers and several evergreen trees.

We've Got Fire

2011-08-08T16:03:00.000-06:00

Yep, Thursday night about 9 pm I looked out my front window, and there it was. Burning a nice doughnut shape in the field above the Bison Corrals.

It didn't take long after I called it in for an army of fire-fighters to show up, along with other Park personnel.

I helped evacuate the campers, and then was available for questions, running around, what ever.

The fire burned pretty close to my house, so two fire trucks were stationed there to handle that. It turned out just fine.

In the end about 660 acres burned along with some of the corral fence. But no structures were damaged.

The Island is pretty dry right now, so I suspect that won't be last fire we have this season.

And I'll be there to spot it when it happens.

Living on the Island

2011-07-31T19:27:00.000-06:00

Last week was my first week living in the park house out on Antelope Island. My mom came with me to help clean and get things ready to move the little furniture in that I have. She did most of the cleaning - three bathrooms (that needed a lot of work) and then she and I cleaned the kitchen and dining room from top to bottom. It is finally livable. I still have rooms to paint which will come little by little. But it's coming together and feeling like a home.

Being out there full time gave us the chance to witness some of the most incredible sunsets you could imagine. The golden light of the setting sun reflecting off the water and scattered clouds was amazing and so relaxing. It is quiet on the island other than the occasional bird call and the buzz of insects.

To someone who may just be visiting the island for one day, driving through the park for an hour or two, or just stopping in to the visitor center, there may be some question as to what this island has to offer. What's all the hub-ub about? To these individuals, I would say the beauty is in the details. In the little things. It's in the millions of birds that take refuge here. It's in the wonder of seeing a pronghorn, bison, coyote, a bird of prey soaring over the grassland, a black-tailed jackrabbit. It's in the wonder of watching a column of midges dancing along the shoreline. In the discreet growth of native grasses, flowers, shrubs and other vegetation. It's in the smell of the salt water carried by the wind. It's in the expansive views of the lake. In the sunset, the sunrise and the thousands of stars at night.

I'm looking forward to getting to know the island better.

Fremont Island

2011-07-23T18:35:00.000-06:00

There are about 10 islands on the Great Salt Lake. I say about because nobody can agree on a set number. I guess it depends on how you define island, and how full the lake is.

But anyway, there are some that everyone can agree upon as islands on the Great Salt Lake - Antelope, Fremont, Stansbury, and a couple of others. Antelope Island is the largest of the islands, and certainly the most well known. Fremont Island may be one of the least well known, simply because it is privately owned, and not many people have the chance to venture forth onto it. I lucked out during my first week on the job at Antelope and was able to join a group of people who got permission to go out there as part of a "Summer of Salt" journey. One of the draws to the Island lies in what is known as Kit Carson's Cross. When Kit Carson was out exploring with John C. Fremont long, long ago, he ventured onto Fremont Island. He apparently got kind of bored with things and went exploring and carved a cross on one of the higher rock outcroppings. It's still there.

So we all loaded into two State Park boats to head on over.

Once we arrived on the Island we began our search for the cross. Others in the group had some information about where it was (in general), but nothing specific. So off we went.

There isn't much wildlife on the Island. We did see some domestic seep, but not much sign of anything else. As far as I know, there is only one fresh water spring on the island. That could be why there isn't much wildlife.

Finally after hiking longer than we anticipated, and enjoying a bit of rainy weather, we finally found the cross. It wasn't as big or prominent as we were expecting, and we almost missed it. But there it was. After all this time.

Kit Carson's Cross on Fremont Island

Our group gathered at the rock outcropping where the cross is located.

For more information about this trip, check out this great summary by one of the participants. And here is a great video that was taken while we were out there. If you pay attention, you will see me here and there. And yes, while it was a memorable experience, it was wet.

Neoscona oaxacensis

2011-07-12T09:04:00.000-06:00

I've just been saying that over and over to try and commit it to memory. In normal language it means: Western Spotted Orb Weaver.

Image: by Stonebird

And here on Antelope Island State Park they are beginning to come out in abundance. I wanted to post my own pictures of these beauties, but still don't have access to a good camera. So these pics were found on the web.

Orb Weaver spiders are quite common. There are hundreds of different species out there. One site I read said there are about 180 in North America and over 3,500 world-wide.

This particular variety is found in Utah, California, Arizona, New Mexico and western Texas. They are relatively large spiders, with a body size reaching 1 in or more. Despite their appearance, they are quite timid. Their defense against things larger than they are (including humans) is to run and hide.

They do have venom, which they use to immobilize their prey. And if handled, they may bite. However, their bite is mild.

As with most Orb Weavers, their webs are amazing works of art. A circular web attached to several "spokes" radiating from the center. The spokes are non-sticky, which the spider uses to move around freely on her web. They are effectively her walkways. The circular strands are the real machine behind the web. These are the sticky bug catchers that do all the dirty work of entangling unsuspecting prey.

Antelope Island is an ideal location for these colorful spiders, due to all the web attaching structures (buildings, grasses, sage brush) as well as the abundance of insects they prey upon. And yes, there is an abundance of insects.

New Chapter

2011-06-30T15:25:00.000-06:00

Tomorrow, July 1, begins my sojourn at Antelope Island State Park. I still have a few things to finish up here at my current park, but I will officially be the Antelope Naturalist.

I chatted briefly today with my new manager (who is also brand new starting tomorrow). I think it will be great working with him. He has some tough issues facing him, but he sounds optimistic about it all. There will be a bit of a learning curve to work through, but that will be fun. So much to learn. So much to discover.

My toughest job might be getting my family to think highly of the island rather than just considering it a stinky, dry, ugly place. :)

There is so much wildlife out there. Every time I go out I see something: bison, pronghorn, coyote, black tailed jackrabbit, northern harrier, meadow lark, great blue heron, burrowing owl... so much to discover!

I'm excited to start this chapter. I will miss those I currently work with. They have been great. They have been like a family to me for the past 9 years. But change is good. It keeps us growing and stretching.

Summer Updates

2011-06-21T08:10:00.000-06:00

Oh today is a beautiful day. My plan was to work today (Tuesdays are a regular day off for me) because I will be taking Friday off to go on a family camp. But then I thought of everything I need to do before this weekend, and decided to just take it off as usual. And I'm glad I did.

I'll be working in the garage, organizing and preparing all the camping gear, and getting things spiffied up somewhat for the new renters who will be coming July 1. I had a marvelous workout this morning with Kim - we did an hour of plyometrics. Good workout.

The weeds in my yard are growing really well! I've pulled close to two full size city garbage cans worth and there's more where that came from. But I've also done some work on the front flower garden. It's looking pretty nice. My garden is planted, with a few things starting to come in nicely; some things not coming in at all.

My compost pile got soaking wet a few weeks ago because I left the lid off and we had a wonderful rain storm. Now what was proving to be a rich dirt producing pile, turned into a disgusting sludge bin of incredibly foul smelling goop. I emptied it into a corner of the yard and mixed it into the soil. I hope it eventually dries out and stops smelling like rotting manure.

I'll start over with that once I clean out the bin.

Checking out the Trail

2011-06-10T17:51:00.000-06:00

Last week my boss asked me to take a walk along one of the trails to see if and to what extent the trail and bridges had been damaged by the ever increasing spring run-off.

I was happy to oblige.

Here's the river. It's gone up quite a bit since I took this.

My mission was off to a good start...

And then...

Arrowleaf Balsam Root

Broad Tailed Hummingbird

... I got distracted.

Forget-Me-Not

Waterleaf

Okay, back to the task at hand.

This bridge is holding up quite well.

Ohh, look at that.

Golden Current. Can't wait for autumn when I can sample this lovely berry.

Even the little flies are out basking in the sun, enjoying this lovely weather.

Okay, back to work!

The river is getting pretty close to eroding the side of this hill where our trail is located.

This bridge may need to be adjusted. I'm sure it's much more inundated by now.

Wow, that's pretty!

Larkspur

Little Fence lizard hiding out in the shadows.

Beautiful creeping Oregon Grape

Man, I love my job!

Fitness and Compost

2011-05-24T08:10:00.000-06:00

Yes. They do go hand in hand.

My household has begun a new fitness program. Along with exercise, sore muscles and lots of sweat, this program also generates a lot of food scraps. Almost all of which...well, actually, so far there's no "almost" about it - all of which is compostable.

Yay for a compost bin! Look at all those healthy food scraps ready to break down and become my garden's next awesome growing material. Anyone brave enough to try and identify what we've been eating lately?

On another note - it's still raining. And while that's great for growing gardens and lawns, sunshine is too. Could use a little more of that.

Soggy Garden

2011-05-19T13:21:00.001-06:00

I am anxious so I am putting off the garden no longer. It's raining today. It rained yesterday. It's going to continue to rain for most of the next several days. I've been waiting for a nice, sunny day to put my garden in, but I'm now done waiting.

Tomatoes are already out there. Along with chives, parsley and peas. Oh, and of course the rhubarb I put in last year is doing really well. Now for the rest of the seeds. Yes, all I have are seeds now - no starts. But it's better than nothing.

Cucumbers, onions, carrots, zucchini, beets, maybe some spinach - and I need to go and get me some broccoli. And straight neck yellow zucchini (squash). We tried some of our neighbors last year and loved it.

So off I go to get bundled up and play in the mud.

Just Musing

2011-05-09T08:16:00.000-06:00

I don't have any pictures or fun stuff like that to post today. I'm just here on my couch, listening to the birds outside, watching the rain fall, grateful that it's watering my lawn for me.

We have a covey of quail in my neighborhood, and they are slowing making their way to my street. I love to hear them calling out "Chi-ca-go, chi-ca-go". Kim thinks I'm nuts. But I also hear the Robins saying, "Cheerily cheer-up cheerio" and the chickadees saying, "Hi sweetie".

I haven't planted my garden yet. I was going to wait until after Mother's Day - now I need to wait until it stops raining and the ground isn't a big mud field. But I look forward to it. I've expanded my garden plot from last year. Now the question is what so I plant that will be enjoyed and consumed by my family? They aren't big veggie eaters.

My job has changed locations. My position is being transferred to Antelope Island as of July 1. There is a park house out on the Island I will be moving into in order to reduce my commute and save hundreds of dollars on gas. Out there my neighbors will consist of bison, antelope, coyotes, hundreds of birds and lots of other wildlife. I'll see what I can do about introducing you all to them.

Spring Arrivals

2011-04-16T10:14:00.000-06:00

One of my volunteers recently commented on the lack of spring migrants arriving in the area. So I took him out to the pond and showed him a couple of migratory ducks that have indeed arrived. He was quite struck with the beauty of these birds, at least one of which he had never seen before.

American Wigeon (male and female) with a male Mallard

This little exchange got me thinking about these ducks. While I can easily identify them, I have to admit I know very little about them. So I pulled out my Sibley Guide to Bird Life and Behavior to get myself a little learning.

I'm a little ashamed to say that while I have noticed bird's feet, I have never really given them much thought, except for birds of prey, who rely heavily on their feet for catching and killing their prey. But duck feet - nope, other than to acknowledge they are webbed, I haven't given them much thought at all.

Male American Wigeon

The most common method of movement for birds is of course flight, but birds also hop, walk, run, dive, and swim. Most waterbirds, such as ducks, use their feet to move through or under the water. For some water birds, the ability to swim or dive well is far more important than it is for others. This can be seen in the placement of their feet. Birds that spend a lot of time in water have a "design conflict" to overcome. For example, the best placement for the feet of a swimming bird is towards the back of the body, where paddling best moves them through the water. But this arrangement is very awkward for movement on land. For this the feet are best placed near a bird's center of gravity, under the middle of the body.

The feet of an American Wigeon are placed...well, can you tell from this picture?

American Wigeon on land foraging for yummies

So wigeons walk much more easily on land than say, a loon, but are poorer swimmers. See, this intrigues me. Partly because I've never really thought about it. But now that I think about it, I realize that at my pond I often see wigeons on the land (along with mallard and teal), but almost never do I see ring-necked ducks on land (or Buffleheads or Redheads)- which are much more powerful swimmers and divers.

There's something to say about the way they swim as well, or more specifically their swimming posture, which is directly related to the way they forage. Maybe I'll get into that another day. But for now, here's something to think about: water birds "sit" differently on the water, some ride high on the water, some ride very low, and others are intermediate in their water posture (options to consider: diving ducks, dabbling ducks and swans/geese). Any idea who does what?

Utah State Parks

2011-04-09T15:38:00.000-06:00

I work for a great organization, if I do say so myself. The Utah State Parks are beautiful and valuable, and the employees are terrific. To showcase some of what we do and the opportunities available in Utah State Parks we have created a Parks Blog.

There are a few authors for this blog, which I like, because it represents better what our parks have to offer. It adds a unique perspective to the blog.

I encourage you to check it out and discover a bit more about Utah's great State Parks!

Oh, and I guess I should mention that I am "Wasatch Wendy". :)

Waking World

2011-04-07T16:36:00.000-06:00

Come on, come on Spring! You can do it!

April prepares her green traffic light and the world thinks Go. ~Christopher Morley, John Mistletoe

Spring is nature's way of saying, "Let's party!" ~Robin Williams

It's spring fever. That is what the name of it is. And when you've got it, you want - oh, you don't quite know what it is you do want, but it just fairly makes your heart ache, you want it so! ~Mark Twain

No matter how long the winter, spring is sure to follow. ~Proverb

The day the Lord created hope was probably the same day he created Spring. ~Bern Williams

Super Moon

2011-03-21T11:46:00.000-06:00

Did you see the "Super Moon" Saturday evening? I missed it due to a little thing called cloud coverage. But I've heard from others who saw it, and it seems to have lived up to its name.

The "Super Moon" is when the full moon appears in our sky at its perigee, its closest point to the earth in its orbit. Because the moon's orbit around the earth is not a perfect circle, there are times when it is furthest from the earth (apogee) and times it is closest to the earth (perigee). This month, at its closest point, it also happened to be a full moon, which only happens every 30 years or so.

So on Saturday night, the moon appeared to be about 14% larger than normal.

Super cool

Winter Intects

2011-03-05T17:28:00.000-07:00

Have you ever been out snowshoeing or skiing and noticed any insects flying around or hanging out on the snow?

I have. And contrary to what you might think, there are quite a few of them. Especially on milder days later in the winter.

Here are a couple of examples.

Male Non-biting Midge. While out snowshoeing today and yesterday I saw many, many of these.

Snow Scorpionfly

A Snow Cranefly (Image from here)

A Stonefly (image from here)

And these are Springtails, also known as Snow Fleas (image from here)

See? All kinds of critters out there in the winter. And seeing the many Midges out and about makes me happy also because it means the swallows will be back soon.

Yeah!

A cute, favorite book

2011-02-15T12:20:00.000-07:00

I like you
And I know why

I like you because
You are a good person
To like

I like you because
When I tell you something special
You know it's special
And you remember it
A long long time

You say
Remember when you told me
Something special
And both of us remember

When I think something is important
You think it's important too

We have good ideas

When I say something funny
You laugh
I think I'm funny and
You think I'm funny too
Hah-hah

...

We fool around the same way all the time

Sometimes we don't say a word
We snurkle under fences
We spy secret places

If I am a goofus on the roofus
Hollering my head off
You are one too

...

That's because
You really like me

You really like me
Don't you

And I really like you back
And you like me back
And I like you back

And that's the way we keep on going
Every day

...

I like you because
I don't know why but
Everything that happens
Is nicer with you

I can't remember when I didn't like you

It must have been lonesome then

I like you because because because
I forgot why I like you
But I do
So many reasons

...

I guess I just like you
I guess I just like you

Because I like you

Sharpie

2011-02-12T14:32:00.000-07:00

I love when I hear these words - "Hey Wendy, what kind of bird is this?", because it usually means it isn't one that is commonly hanging around the bird feeders.

Oh cool (as I sprint back to get my binoculars).

My boss comes to look. "It's a Kestrel."

"Oh, it is not." I say. He shoves me for my retort.

It's a sharp-shinned hawk.

When you put up a bird feeder, you're bound to feed more than just the little song birds.

Okay, I know I'm kinda strange...

2011-02-10T17:02:00.000-07:00

but this just makes me happy.

In case you don't know what you are looking at - that is my gloved finger pointing to a tiny little Ermine dropping. Ermine dropping - shaped like the animal who left it - long and skinny.

I saw this little Ermine (a.k.a short-tailed weasel) bounding around the snow near an old building in the park. I stood very still and watched it as it bounded here and there, checking out this and that, disappearing beneath the snow and reappearing again a few feet away.

After it disappeared from sight, I followed it's little tracks.

Perfect little Ermine tracks.

Cutest little foot prints.

Hop, and down under the snow it goes.

Perfect little Ermine hole.

And off into the shrubbery it goes.

::Head bouncing::

2011-02-04T16:23:00.001-07:00

I'm too tired to be productive any more today. So I'm going to stop trying.

That's all.

Oh, and I saw cute little squirrel tracks today.

The Final Frontier

2011-02-01T07:11:00.000-07:00

I've spent a lot of time the past few weeks with my head up in space. I am taking an online workshop with Astronomy From the Group Up (AFGU). The title of the workshop is called Sky Rangers! I love it. It is an 8 week course to learn all about what's in the night sky and how to inspire others to look up and wonder.

One of the resources that I have absolutely loved and spent way too much time playing with is called Stellarium. It is a free planetarium for your computer. It shows you a realistic view of the sky - at any time of the day, year or location. It will show you the constellations from 12 different cultures, nebulae, open clusters, close ups of the planets. The stars even twinkle! It's pretty darn fun to play with. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys the night sky. It will certainly help you figure out what's up there, making your actual night sky observations more enjoyable.

The night sky showing the location of a couple of planets and the incredible Milky Way.

And there's Jupiter with a shooting star near it! Can you find Orion?

A cool view with Constellation Art turned on. (Oh, so that's what it looks like!)

Wanna see what the sky looks like from Mars? There you go!

Of course, not all of us have skies as clear as is shown in the program. So you can change the amount of light pollution to see how it affects your view of the night sky. Let's all try to unpollute the night sky.

Rick Mercer - Bear Tagging

2011-01-26T13:54:00.001-07:00

A friend forwarded this video to me. So cute. So funny.

Almost 8 minutes long, but so worth the watch.

I'd like to go next time.

Red-tailed Hawk

2011-01-07T16:00:00.003-07:00

This picture was taken well before the snows began to fly. But I just love it, so I wanted to share it with you.

Red-tailed Hawks are the most common hawk in this area. In fact, if you see a hawk, but aren't sure what kind it is, you have an 80% chance of getting it right if you call it a red-tail.

Red-tailed hawks are majestic, powerful birds. I've had the opportunity the past 10 years or so to work with several birds of prey, including red-tails, for educational purposes.

They are impressively large birds. Based on size alone, they look like they could weigh between 10 and 15 lbs. Here's a picture of me and a co-worker with a couple of hawks.

Oh wait. That's the wrong one. Those are owls. Silly me. :)

This is it.

Wow. I'd forgotten how long ago this picture was taken.

I'm happy to say the uniforms have gotten a bit better. But I still have and wear that belt buckle.

There are two different kinds of hawks in this picture. A red-tail on the left held by my co-worker, and a swainson's hawk on the right held by me. They are pretty similar in size, and both weigh about the same. So again, even though they are about the size of my cat who weighs 10 lbs we must remember that size alone does not determine weight.

Consider what a hawk is made of. Feathers and hollow bones. Well, and some pretty powerful muscles. So take all those things and put them on a scale, and you have a red-tailed hawk that weighs in at a hefty 1.5 - 2 lbs!

There you go. A little bit of information on one of my most favorite things. So keep your eyes to the skies and watch for those hawks.

Happy New Year

2010-12-31T16:19:00.001-07:00

Ah, the end of one year, the beginning of another. It seems to me that every year at this time I can't believe the year is over. It seems years are flying by much faster than they used to. I mean, really? December is over?

I don't generally make New Year's resolutions. Not because I don't keep them, I just generally feel things are going pretty well, and in fact, I probably would forget about them. But this year, just because that's how life is taking me, I have made some resolutions...well, maybe they are more like goals, but whatever.

This year, I resolve:

1) To finish painting my garage.
2) To expand the size of my garden.
3) To begin composting (already started, actually).
4) To keep my bird feeders full (for the most part).
5) To eat more fruits and veggies and those other things I mentioned in another post.

That's good.

I really should resolve to bike more. But I'm afraid I might flop in that goal. So I'll just keep it in the back of my mind as something I'd like to do, and then feel good when I do it.

Do you have any resolution/goal type things for the new year?

Stuck at Home

2010-12-29T11:25:00.000-07:00

So today is the Heber Valley Christmas Bird Count. I've been in charge of this count for the past two years. This year I was excited because I have great birders helping out who don't usually come up for this count.

So this morning rolls around and what do you know? I can't make the hour drive to work where the bird count is being held because the mountain passes are so snowy and unsafe that all vehicles are required to have 4x4 or chains. I have neither. Generally the only restriction is to semis.

Pshh. I could drive that.

I just really want them to lift the restrictions so I can go and try to count birds in the snow. Seven brave souls showed up to face the weather and survey the Heber Valley. I would love to be with them.

The Featherless Heads

2010-12-24T14:25:00.004-07:00

What's this bird?

Well, what's this bird?

If you said the first one was a turkey, you're right. And the second one? A turkey vulture of course. Now you know where they get their name.

Bird feeders are not just reserved for little song birds. The wild turkeys seem to enjoy them as well.

Return of the Bald Eagle

2010-12-22T15:55:00.001-07:00

One thing I look forward to every winter, other than snowshoeing and such, is the return of the bald eagle to the Heber Valley. While most migratory birds are headed south out of Utah to escape the cold and follow their food sources to warmer climes, Baldies are coming in from the north to enjoy what for them are milder temperatures and generally open water.

On this snowy day I spotted this large, dark spot in the tree. Depending on the weather and the surrounding terrain, you either look for a large "headless" spot, or a floating "golf ball" in the trees. Generally this is about as close as you get to them.

But on this day, our National Symbol was sitting in a tree rather close to the road. So I was able to snap a few closer-ups.

Well, hello.

Once you get this close, you see that in addition to their dark body and white head and tail, they have a massive yellow bill which is helpful in identifying them and in tearing flesh into more managable sizes. However, while that bill certainly demands respect (I was once bitten by an owl while attempting to pet it. After its handler said I could. My reward for such a move was a quick snap and two holes in my finger oozing blood), it isn't really the business end of this bird.

That, my friends, would be the powerful tallons holding this big bird to the tree branch. And holy cow bells, these things are powerful. Their tallons are what they use to do their killing and imobolizing. It's hard to describe the power of these things in text. You really have to see them to get the full measure of their umph. But to give you a feeling for how strong a tallon attached to an eagle is - imagine first a grown human squeezing your arm with all they have. It could leave a mark. The pressure exerted is about 60 lbs per square inch. Not too shabby.

Now, picture a red-tail hawk, quite a bit smaller than the eagle, but still pretty impressive. Upon calling it over to sit on your unprotected arm, you feel rather more intense pressure from that squeeze - upwards of 150 lbs per square inch. Ouch. That's definitely going to leave a mark.

Okay, now bring in the big guns. That eagle, sitting contentedly in that tree, could, if you were unfortunate enough to merit such a thing, squeeze your arm with the devistating force of 1200 lbs per square inch. Can you say bone crushing?

Good thing most of us are never in a position to experience that squeeze. We get to simply look and watch in awe and wonder at one of the coolest birds in the sky. And be glad they are no longer endangered.

Winter Solstice Lunar Eclipse

2010-12-17T15:49:00.000-07:00

December 21, 2010 - Winter Solstice. The shortest day and longest night of the year. This means, essentially, that because of the tilt of the earth, the sun is the furthest south it will be all year. And right now, the moon is also at its northernmost point in its rotation around the earth. According to the experts, this will be the northernmost lunar eclipse in centuries!

The last time a lunar eclipse happened on the winter solstice was in 1554. And according to EarthSky, there won’t be another total lunar eclipse this far north on the sky’s dome until December 21, 2485.

If you want to know if and when you can see the eclipse, check out this site - it talks all about it and lists the best times to see it. In my area, Mountain Time, it will be totally eclipsed at 12:41 am on December 21. Total eclipse ends at 1:53 am. So it's a good full hour of lunar eclipse viewing.

What is a lunar eclipse?

When the sun, earth and moon all align and the moon passes through earth's shadow you get a lunar eclipse. The only time this can happen is during a full moon. I'm a visual person, so here is a diagram showing how this works.

So essentially, the moon is at just the right angle to pass into earth's shadow. During most full moons, the moon is still directly across from the sun, however it is not lined up with the earth allowing the earth's shadow to pass over it.

Now, unlike what you might expect when this happens, the moon does not go totally black, or even kind of gray. It turns a beautiful, deep orange/red. Why is that? Here is a little explanation from NASA about why this happens:

Why moon will appear red

If you were to stand on the moon's surface looking up at the sky, you would see Earth hanging above, nightside down, and completely hiding the sun behind it.
Rather than being completely dark, the Earth's rim would appear as if it were on fire. Around its circumference, you would be seeing every sunrise and every sunset in the world at the same time.
This surrounding light will actually beam right into Earth's shadow, giving it a rusty glow.
From the Earth, the moon would appear as a giant red orb because the only sunlight visible is refracted through the Earth's atmosphere.
Source: NASA

Pretty cool, eh?

So pull on your mittens, grab your hot chocolate, and head outside to watch this beautiful, rare event. I know I'll be there. Of course, I don't work Monday or Tuesday, so sleep doesn't really matter. And if it's cloudy, or you just don't feel like facing the cold, check out the SLOOH Space Camera link on my side bar. You can watch it from there.

Happiness is...

2010-12-15T14:27:00.000-07:00

Freshly filled bird feeders.

One homemade, one store bought.

They like them both...

But they actually prefer the homemade feeder.

Making Changes

2010-12-13T14:01:00.000-07:00

I'm needing to make some changes in my life on a "health conscious" level. While I'm in good shape and health overall, there are some things I've become more aware of that I could certainly improve on.

1) More exercise. Both cardio and strength (muscle building). I really should do something every day. Maybe spend some time on the elliptical, use the exercise ball, work on core muscle exercises. All things I can do easily at home.
2) Eat more servings of fruits and veggies. When I have them in the house, I eat them. Need to have them in the house more often.
3) Drink more water. I do okay, but there is room for improvement. (mmm, I'm thirsty)
4) Try and increase my intake of whole grains/fiber. I could have oatmeal for breakfast, an apple or pear every day, shredded wheat cereal, a few more carrots in my diet.

So I guess, even though it is not the new year yet, I'd like to begin making these changes. Eating better just makes me feel better. Duh.

How to Grow a Snowflake

2010-12-11T13:40:00.003-07:00

"Snowflakes are made of ice, yet ice alone does not a snowflake make."

Kenneth Libbrecht, The Snowflake: Winter's Secret Beauty

Photo: Wilson Bentley

A cloud is a snowflake super-factory. Snowflakes, if you can believe it, are made at a rate of approximately 1 million billion (give or take a few) crystals a second. Someone smarter than me determined that at this rate, enough snow falls every 10 minutes to make one snowman for every single person on the earth.

Every 10 minutes.

What?

That's a lot of snow crystals.

Do you ever just look at the clouds and wonder if it will snow? I do. All the time. Okay, so rather than asking if it will snow, let's ask why it snows at all? So that seems kind of simple, right? The water in the clouds freeze and fall to the earth as pretty little flakes. Well, kind of. But there is a bit more to it than that.

The Snowflake Recipe:

A million tons or so of water vapor
Cold air
Microscopic dust particles

This photo was taken by Patricia Rasmussen. Many people attribute these wonderful photos to Kenneth Libbrecht. Libbrecht is the brains behind the formation of a snowfake. Rasmussen captures the art.

* Take lots and lots of water VAPOR (not rain drops).

* Cool the air down around it - a lot. When a section of air is cooled down, its relative humidity increases. (When I first learned this, I had to ask myself why that was. So I went and looked it up, and learned. So if you are wondering why, then you, too, should go look it up and learn). With enough cooling, you end up with air that is supersaturated with water vapor (more than 100% humidity).

* Once you have supersaturated air, the water vapor condenses to form a cloud made of itsy, bitsy, minuscule water droplets.

* One very important thing needed to form a water droplet from water vapor is a nucleus, something for the little water vapor to hold onto. This is usually a microscopic dust particle. This dust particle is critical in not only forming the water droplet, but in forming an ice crystal later. See next point.

* Water droplets do not readily freeze (requiring temps well below freezing - between 5 and 21 degrees F) because their molecules are all jumbled up due to the jostling effect of thermal motion. In order to freeze, those molecules must be ordered somehow into a crystalline lattice, but they have a hard time settling down on their own. Hence the second benefit of that captive dust particle. It actually provides the template needed to help move the freezing process along.

* Once that tiny water droplet freezes with the guidance of the dust particle (and when I say tiny water droplet, I mean really, really, tiny. Minuscule. Microscopic) you have the very tiny beginnings of a snowflake. It continues to grow by condensing water VAPOR from the air, creating a lovely, full-fledged snowflake.

* It will continue to grow and form in the cloud until it gets big enough (typically 0.04 - 0.2 inches) for gravity to pull it to the earth.

Phew, there you have it. The making of a snowflake. Lots of work, actually.

Lessons from nature

2010-12-03T13:11:00.002-07:00

Are you stressed? It is that time of year when stress has a way of creeping into our lives. Not only are the holidays upon us, but it's winter in the northern hemisphere. So on top of the regular things like work, money, school, kids, parents and holiday shopping, we are also faced with driving in terrible weather, staying warm, shoveling our walks and driveways, keeping from slipping on the ice. And how do we deal with all this stress? If you're like me, you'd enjoy nothing more than curling up under the covers and sleeping until spring. But no, unfortunately we can't really do that.

So instead what do we do? Well some of us don't do much, so we get sick. Maybe we exercise, scream, take a break, relax, eat, cry. Or, or...we don't deal with it much and just leave. Head south.

Animals and plants are also dealing with this stressful winter time. But for them, the only thing they are trying to do is survive. Just plain old get through until spring. So what specifically stresses them out? Well, winter provides plenty to worry about for them: a definite shortage of food, low quality of the food that is still around and accessible, sever cold temperatures, much less cover with all the leaves off the trees and shrubs, deep snow which also happens to be white, and of course most of the water is frozen.

Frozen pond.

Those ducks back there have found a tiny bit of open water, but some are sitting on the ice.

It really is quite pretty. I'll give it that. Beautiful actually.

Look at those incredible ice crystals.

But obviously, nature has found a way to deal with all of that. They do so in three main ways:
1) Avoiding winter -either by dying or migrating
2) Take an inactive response to winter through some level of dormancy (what most of us would like to do)
3) Actively respond to winter through a variety of adaptations and strategies.

So, let's look at each of these for a bit.

Avoiding winter
Dying: Some plants and insects actually avoid winter just by kicking the bucket. That is, they produce seeds or eggs that can overwinter, while the adult just dies.

Migration: Some animals up and leave. But not all of them are capable of leaving, or I assume they all would. Smaller animals generally can't move far enough or fast enough. Larger animals often migrate from higher elevations to lower elevations (which is why we have a wonderful heard of elk in the valley right now).

Inactive Response to Winter
Hibernation: The most commonly known form of dormancy. Pretty amazing really. The hibernating animal's metabolic rate slows way, way down which in turn lowers body temperature, slows breathing, burns less energy (fat reserves) thus keeping hold of those limited energy reserves longer. That really is what winter survival is all about - maintaining those energy reserves. That is generally done through eating and building fat.

Torper: A bit less known. Torper is very much like hibernation, only for temporary periods of inactivity. Several hours to a day or two. Some birds, like chickadees, do quite of bit of torporing (I don't think that's a real word) through the winter.

Active Response to Winter
These are the animals truly out there surviving it. There are several ways nature actively responds to the many stresses of winter. For those animals that stay, the major source of warmth is internal heat (internal ovens), generated by digesting food or metabolizing fats. So here are different ways animals have adapted to moving through deep snow, dealing with the whiteness of it all, low food sources, etc.

Flexible legs/deep snow mobility: The moose (and other large mammals) has very flexible legs and can lift each front leg out of the snow and move it nearly horizontally above the level of the snow before setting it down for another step. This flexibility allows the moose to move in chest-deep snow.

Over-snow movement (low foot load): Larger feet compared to the size/weight of the animal disperse the animal's weight over a larger area of snow, allowing the animal to move effortlessly over the snow. We as humans saw how effective this was, and devised our own larger feet for over-snow movement.

Snowshoe hare tracks on snow.

Our means of over-snow movement.

Those are snowshoes buried in the snow, if you couldn't tell.

Snow-free or lower snow pack: In these locations, the impact of the weather or snow pack is reduced. Animals successfully seek out locations with shallow snow packs or places where snow crusts have not formed. Deer can often be found on warmer, south facing slopes with shallower snow pack.

Herding: As demonstrated in a couple of the photos above, larger bull elk will form separate herds from the cows and calves. Herding provides a couple of benefits. First, more animals means more eyes to watch for predators. Second, more animals means more feet to pound the snow from the ground for grazing.

Subnivean excavation: I love that word, "subnivean", which basically just means under the snow. Life in the subnivean environment is generally more sheltered from some of the stresses of winter. The ground-snow level is warm relative to the air during the winter, and conditions are a bit milder. The impact of wind and cold are reduced, but moisture, carbon dioxide, oxygen and light become more important issues. These additional limitations may impose their own stresses that could reduce the number of individuals that survive the winter.

Color change: Some animals (predators and prey) will get a new winter-white coat to match the surrounding landscape. The weasel (ermine), for example, will slowly "molt" away its luscious brown fur which grows back snowy white. Snowshoe hare also turn white in winter, but their fur simply lose the color pigment, rather than losing and re-growing new fur.

Coprophagy: In other words, "double-digestion". When food quality is so poor, it's hard to get enough water and nutrients out of it, and much is lost simply through the ever-present act of a bowl movement. Water and nutrients often just pass right through an animal leaving it much wanting. Some animals, like ungulates, have multi-chambered stomachs to help absorb all it can from woody food. But little critters, like cottontail rabbits don't have that strategy. So they must engage in coprophagia. They must, in the name of survival, re-digest their scat in order to further absorb what might otherwise have been lost. Nose clip, anyone?

And there are oh, so many other ways wildlife survive the winter. It's exciting to me when I come across something like this:

Little animal tracks in the snow. This tells me those incredible adaptations are working. Survival is the job - adaptations are the tool. These animals are dealing with those winter stresses and surviving it.

Nature Rules

2010-12-02T17:02:00.000-07:00

Okay, so here's the thing. Nature totally rules. No, it really does. I mean, what we we do without all that natural, ecologically balancing life that is out there?

I was reading through one of my favorite blogs today (this is becoming an addiction, actually) and found so much cool stuff. I usually do. As I perused through some past entries, I found this one. So, so often I talk about how everything affects everything else. And it's true. In this entry, for example, you learn that no wolves means no water. The author of this blog writes wonderfully, so I won't try to re-work what she's already beautifully said. So you'll just have to go give it a look. But suffice it to say that yes, wolves and available water are connected.

Thank you nature!

Ross's Goose

2010-11-19T12:18:00.004-07:00

Before I arrived to work today, my co-workers noticed this white goose hanging with the Canada Geese. They were kind enough to take some photos for me and then it showed up later in the afternoon, so I could take some as well. But now I'm kinda stumped. An adult Ross's Goose has orange/pink bill and legs, while this little fella has black bill and legs. So possibly a juvenile?

You can see by the photos that it is much smaller than the Canadas, so probably not a Snow Goose. But either goose is not a common thing up here in Midway. At least not on the pond at Wasatch Mountain State Park.

The more I look at this goose, the more I think I'm right with the ID.

Shhh

2010-11-18T15:19:00.000-07:00

Nature Quote of the Day:

"Sound is the vocabulary of nature."

-Pierre Schaeffer

Mmmm. So in order to speak and understand what nature is saying, you have to be still and listen.

I like that. I need to have a conversation with nature more often.

Short Days, Long Weeks

2010-11-05T17:39:00.000-06:00

The days are getting shorter, the weeks are getting longer. All day today I've been thinking it was Saturday. I generally feel done with the week after just two days at work. But maybe that's just me.

I don't mind the changing of seasons. At all. In fact, that transition time is quite invigorating to me. But I do struggle with shorter days, less sunshine, more dark. However, one thing that is great about shorter days - the stars become so much more accessible. One does not have to wait until 10 pm (or later) to have a good star viewing experience. And the stars are so much brighter and more dramatic in the colder seasons.

Still, that doesn't make it any easier to go to and from work in the dark. So here's my solution and suggestion to the powers that be: I suggest we change the length of the work day proportionally to the hours of sunlight. For example, if during the summer we have 16 hours of sunlight and 8 hours of work, then during the winter, when we only have 8 hours of sunlight, we should only have 4 hours of work. I like that idea. I'll think I'll petition for it here in my little world.

Nature Quote of The Day:

"There's no night without stars"

- Andre Norton

Chickadees

2010-11-04T15:57:00.001-06:00

There are some days when it's hard to function or think clearly, or get motivated to do much. Today (well the past many days) is one of those.

However, despite that, there are still a few things that capture my attention long enough to distract me. Birds happen to be one of those. There are a couple of feeders up just outside the visitor center. We generally get many black-capped chickadees. They are a very flighty, high-strung little bird. But they also have a cousin - the mountain chickadee. Equally high strung, but not quite as abundant. Or at least they stay hidden more often. So it is rare for me to see one, and when I do, I get pretty excited.

Last year about this time, I think we had one show up one time. This year, so far, we've had at least one, but it continually comes around to the feeder, so I've had multiple opportunities to watch the little guy.

Here are two images. One of a black-capped chickadee, one of a mountain chickadee. I apologize upfront for the poor quality of the images.

This is the ubiquitous black-capped chickadee. You can see the black cap on its head for which it is named. Hello chickadee-dee-dee.

This is the feisty little mountain chickadee. The obvious difference is in the cap. It doesn't come all the way down to its eye. Instead it has a black eye-stripe giving it a masked look. I think they look rather gruff and tough with that mask on, while the black-capped fellas just look sweet.

Yellow Maple

2010-10-21T15:55:00.000-06:00

That's it. Just a yellow maple. While I absolutely love red maples, it isn't very often you see a nice, bright yellow one.

So pleased

2010-10-08T11:32:00.000-06:00

This is my nephew. He is a cute kid with great face expressions. He makes me smile with his big smiles.

He's on a mission here.

He's just so pleased with himself for climbing into his baby cousin's chair.

Ruts

2010-10-07T13:36:00.002-06:00

"If not, well, I'll really have to muster some hidden energy to get out of my current rut."

:::Mustering hidden energy:::

Happy October 1st

2010-10-01T16:48:00.002-06:00

I sit here looking at the screen wondering just what wants to be written. I have a myriad of things on my mind. Some would be appropriate fodder for this blog; some not.

I love my job. I love what I do and frankly, I'm darn good at it. I love this area. Especially this time of year. I love having the opportunity to be with a group of kids, exploring, searching, discovering and learning about the world around them. I love to aid them in their discovery. And I admit, it boosts my ego when I have a teacher or parent spout about how wonderful I am, how good I am with the kids, and how they don't ever want to see me go. I hear those things and experience the awe and wonder when connections are made, and I wonder why I would ever want to leave. And part of me really doesn't because it is such a great job. However, despite everything that is good about my job, I still find myself experiencing burnout, wondering how to get myself out of this rut I've found myself in.

Then I think about this other job I've applied for. A job 40 minutes closer to my home; a job in the middle of the city; an office job; an office with no windows; a job with new opportunities; opportunities to be involved in the big picture of state park operations; opportunities to travel to other parks, teach and train park staff; be a liaison with other state, federal and private organizations on cultural resource issues; an opportunity to make a difference - behind the scenes, rather than right there in front of the crowd.

Pros and cons.

I would certainly miss the personal interactions with the public, and having part of my work day being spent on a trail, photographing the life around me. I'm good with kids and adults in an educational setting - can I have and show the same dynamic personality with adults in a more "stuffy" setting?

I'm ready to not have to commute 60 minutes one way. I'm ready to not have to work weekends and holidays. I'm ready for a new challenge. For new opportunities.

So, I guess when it all comes down to it, I'm okay (at least for now) with pursuing this office job. There is actually quite a variety in the job responsibilities, and I think I would enjoy it very much, overall.

So, my interview is Tuesday, Oct. 5th. If I do well in that interview, I will be invited back for a second interview on the 11th. If I do well there - I'll be calling and emailing several school teachers with bad news for them and their kids. And I'll be doing it with a touch of (muted) excitement.

If not, well, I'll really have to muster some hidden energy to get out of my current rut.

Fit to Burst

2010-09-30T15:08:00.000-06:00

Showy Milkweed is showy in many ways. The flowers are quite beautiful. The seed pods are very large, and when they finally burst and expel their seeds, it is quite another show to see.

Seed pods bursting with seeds!

Getting ready to float away with the next strong breeze or puff of air from a friendly passer-by.

Quite showy.

Birding by Bike

2010-09-28T13:51:00.000-06:00

I finally put air in my bike's tires and headed out to see what might be winging it along the Jordan River Parkway.

It was actually pretty quiet. Not a lot of activity. But just being there was nice.

A double crested cormorant was doing a little fishing at the pond.

And a kestrel flew by to do a little hunting in a near-by field.

Snake Creek

2010-09-25T11:14:00.000-06:00

I was out taking pictures of a proposed trail area yesterday, and couldn't resist adding one more photo to the group.

Looking up Snake Creek Canyon

Autumn Walk

2010-09-16T12:58:00.000-06:00

I recognize that I've been neglecting myself lately. While going on walks, or taking hikes, I have not allowed my inner child to explore and look and watch and wait. I realize now how easy it is to forget how to look and see. I need to apologize to myself, and allow the wonder back in.

The changing leaves are wonderfully vibrant this year. With their help in luring me out, I took a walk to capture whatever captured me.

A small hornet's nest on a Hawthorn tree

A bumblebee supping at the flowers of a Goldenrod

Beautiful fall colors along the hiking trail

Part of the reason I went out today was just to enjoy what I could find. But somewhere inside I had the hope of maybe catching a quick view of a snake slithering across the trail, or in the brush off to the side. As I walked, I heard several small animals up in the trees, or down in leaves and grass. Then I heard the sound I was looking for - a soft, constant, rustle of leaves. And there it was, a small Eastern Racer, slowly moving along the side of the trail.

I followed it, mostly by sound, hoping it would stop in a place where I could get a nice look without scaring it away. Well camouflaged, it did stop. And it took some time to locate it with my camera.

I did finally find it's cute little head. Every time I moved slightly, the little black tongue would pop out, tasting the air.

Continuing down the trail, there were more beautiful colors to enjoy.

On my return trip, to my delight, what appeared to be the same snake came into view again and stopped with it's head perfectly framed by surrounding leaves. Immediately after I took this picture it was on it's way again. And so was I.

Dang cute!

2010-08-21T18:19:00.002-06:00

My sister did just have a cute little boy earlier this week. And he is dang cute. But this post is not about him. This post is about someone I think is dang cute, but others, for some strange reason, don't agree. I don't get it. Oh well.

Perched just outside one of the side doors of the visitor center was this little guy:

For those who may not know, I adore bats! For so many reasons. And now, with White-nose Syndrome claiming the lives of millions of these guys in the east and mid-west, seeing one is even more fantastic to me, because the day may come when they are all but extinct.

The last time I saw a bat alive in the park was along the nature trail. And it turned out that bat was probably stuck, and ended up dieing there in the bushes. I felt so bad that I hadn't tried to move it that day. With that in mind, I considered the goo that the maintenance staff had applied to the upper part of the eves of the visitor center to keep the swallows from nesting. It was very likely this bat had tried to land higher up but got stuck in the muck, and now couldn't move.

I put on a pair of leather gloves, and gently touched it on its wing and side. To my relief it gently dropped off the building flew around the corner. I followed it to a large dog wood bush.

I watched it try and settle in against the softly gusting wind. It finally secured itself, and seemed quite content to just sit and wait there.

It even had a leaf pulled up over its face. It's probably just how it landed, but it almost looked like it was using the leaf to protect itself from the wind.

I can't decide if this is a Big Brown Bat, or a Little Brown Myotis. I'm thinking Big Brown. But without getting a closer look at its tail, I can't know for sure. Maybe some other expert on bats can figure that one out.

Checking out the wildlife

2010-07-28T15:16:00.000-06:00

It's always fun to see wildlife while out and about. But when that doesn't happen (which is usually the case) seeing signs of wildlife is just as fun.

I get mocked often for my fascination with scat...but here you go anyway.

Moose scat

About an inch long

And in another location, some tracks. These aren't as big as other moose tracks I've seen. I suppose they could have been elk.

A few new blogs to follow

2010-06-27T21:45:00.000-06:00

I've added a few new blogs to follow. Some people are just too creative, and I have to follow them in the hopes that some of the creativeness will rub off. Plus they are just enjoyable to read.

Duck and Cover
Mommy, I Love You
Stalking My Daughter

These are not nature related, but they are life related. And that's almost the same thing. :) Check them out and see what you think!

Yard Day Postponed

2010-05-24T08:27:00.001-06:00

I have a kitty on my lap as I type this. He is so warm and fuzzy, but it does make it tricky to type with his head resting on my hands and arms. I'm sure I'll make due; I wouldn't want it any other way. :)

I had high hopes of getting out and mowing the overgrown lawn, pulling some out of control weeds, and just cleaning up the yard overall. However, it is snowing right now. Big, fluffy, wet snowflakes. So instead I am sitting here on the couch with my warm kitty.

I had hoped that the snow would be all done falling a few weeks ago. But it seems the seasons are shifting on us. I keep saying that before too long, it will be sunny and warm in December and full on winter conditions in July.

So what to do today instead of yard work? I'll be heading to the gym with my mom in a few minutes, then off to take a load of donations to the local thrift store. It will be a day of laundry, reading, cleaning, guitar, and maybe a little TV. Or maybe I'll just bundle up and head out to look for brave, albeit confused birds along the Jordan River. That sounds more enjoyable.

Millrace Park

2010-05-12T07:37:00.000-06:00

It was a dreary, rainy day yesterday. Okay, not really dreary, but it has been rainy. So, I decided to go out and take a look around a local pond to see what birds were hanging around in the rain.

It was a great gathering:

Double-crested Cormorants and American White Pelicans.

Spotted Sandpiper

Cormorant

Yellow-rumped Warbler (aka butter-butt)

Great Egret

Cormorants and a Snowy Egret

Another butter-butt

And the highlight of the day, a Neotropic Cormorant.

I only know this because another birder pointed him out to me.

Chorus Frogs

2010-05-05T15:13:00.000-06:00

I took a hike today to find frogs. I not only wanted to see them, but I wanted to get to them at a time when they were chirping. Western Chorus Frogs are tiny little things, only about 1" to 1 1/2" long. And they blend in very well. But they make a wonderful sound that carries over quite a distance.

For example, can you spot the chorus frog in this picture. You can click on the image to enlarge it.

I made it easy for you by centering it.

Here's a closer look.

I spent about 45 min to an hour just waiting, listening and watching for these little fellas. They would chirp when I was a fair distance from them. As soon as I began moving in their general direction, they stopped. Finally I got close enough to where I thought if one started chirping, I could spot it. I really wanted to see it puffing it's throat out to call. I knew I was close, but for the life of me could not see it. Then finally it began to chirp.

Patience does have its rewards. Look at that air sack!

Here's a little sampling of how loud these little chirpers are.

A Little Bit Closer

2010-04-29T13:33:00.000-06:00

My volunteer who has been graced with the summer tanager in his yard sent me a few more pictures this morning. The tanager came to the feeder on his deck, so he got some nice looks.

How do you like the snow we're getting today?

Seeing Red in a Snowstorm

2010-04-28T17:25:00.001-06:00

I had just arrived back to the office after spending the morning teaching 4th graders about the water cycle, and was trying to catch up on the ever growing "to do" list when the phone rang.

It was one of my volunteers. "Hey, Wendy. I have this bird in my yard and I can't figure out what it is. It's all red."

"Really? All red? Do you see any black anywhere on it?"

"No, not really. Well, its wings look like they might have a slight hint of black. It's head is shaped like Kramer's hair, on Seinfiled."

"It has a little crest on it?"

"Yes"

"But no black on the face?"

"No, its all red"

"I'm coming over!"

I arrive at his house about 10 minutes later, and there was no sign of his red bird. We watch sparrows, lazuli buntings, doves, one black-headed grosbeak, some magpies. I knew as soon as I left it would show up again. So instead I pulled up a chair and hung out near the window.

"There it is!" he shouted from the winter in the other room.

And sure enough, there it was.

The pictures do not do it justice. These were taken from about 250- 300 feet away, out a window on a bla day, with my 12x zoom.

But sure enough, it is a summer tanager. Right up here in Midway.

Listed as rare in Utah, this is the only one I have ever seen.

Behind the tanager is a lazuli bunting and something else that I can't quite identify.

Like I said, the pictures don't do it justice. This bird was a stunning, gorgeous red!

Thanks to an observant volunteer, I had the opportunity to see a great bird today.

Uncommon Visitor

2010-04-16T08:51:00.000-06:00

I glanced out the window at the pond yesterday as I was passing by. I usually do. Just to see what's out there. Mallards...and Holy Uncommon Duck! Is that what I think it is?

To the spotting scope I dash, and sure enough. A wood duck. Sticking close beside a female mallard.

Wood ducks are listed as rare or uncommon in almost all of Utah. I hear about them showing up from time to time down in the Salt Lake valley and round about. But here we are, sitting in a 6,000 ft mountain valley, and a wood duck shows up.

It's the first I've seen not in captivity. So life bird for me.

He spent the entire day right on the heels of this mallard. And if any other potential mallard suitor came along, he would defend his little lady by chasing the intruder off.

However odd the match up, these two seem quite content to just hang out together. It might be fun if they stick around. A mallard x wood duck hybrid brood would be fun to see.

Hello Sunshine

2010-04-02T09:56:00.001-06:00

And hello pond. And hello birds!

All winter the pond here at the visitor center has been empty. It was drained so we could do a little dredging this winter. Well, we did the little dredging, and then about a week ago the pond was filled again much to my delight. Since then, large and small numbers of water and some shore birds have been stopping by.

Before the pond was completely full we had a rare visit by a Long-billed Dowitcher.

These birds are basically just migratory in Utah, and while I'm sure not extremely rare in other parts of the state, they have never, to my knowledge, shown up at the pond before. So thank you, my little friend, for sticking around for the day.

We've also had the ubiquitous Mallard, many Green-winged Teal, a few Canada Geese, and then a smattering of Buffleads, Ring-necked Ducks, Cinnamon Teals, Northern Pintails, American Wigeons, one Lesser Scaup, and a Killdeer or two.

Every morning when I pull up to the visitor center, I take a quick scan of the pond, and if I see anything that looks like it might be unusual or new, I grab the scope and take a quick look. Generally it is the usual showing listed above (the Northern Pintails and Lesser Scaup were fun to find).

Today when I pulled up, I noticed two pale/white birds that weren't really fitting the regular round-up. And sure enough, when I put the scope on them, they were new birds to the pond.

That they were gulls was obvious enough. But what kind, that was the question. My first thought were Franklin's Gulls, as that is the only hooded gull I've had experience with. But their bills were black, and I was lucky enough to see their legs - orange, not black like the Franklin's. I considered the Sabine's Gull, nope. Again the legs were the wrong color, and the bills on these birds were solid black. Bonaparte's Gulls...maybe. Closest so far on description. Little Gull? No, the wings were too long, and black tipped. Black-headed Gull? That would be a surprise, since they don't even occur in Utah, and again, the bill was the wrong color. Laughing Gull? Nope.

So back to my best guess - Bonaparte's Gull.

Bonaparte's Gulls with a Buffledhead in the background

Then I was lucky enough to see them fly away. And my guess of the Bonaparte's Gull was more fully solidified in my mind. But I am still open to suggestions. They aren't great images, but what do some of you other birders think?

Even with the continued snow storms here and there, it is spring, and the birds know it. Turkey Vultures are back. The Swallows will be turning up soon. The air is slowly warming, the snow is melting. The sun is shining (at least today).

What a wonderful time of year!

The Animal Dialogues

2010-02-23T10:33:00.000-07:00

I picked up this great book, by Craig Childs a little bit ago while on a short road trip to Dead Horse Point State Park.

The Animal Dialogues: Uncommon Encounters in the Wild. If you enjoy natural history mixed with excellent writing, I highly recommend it. I don't have a lot of time to just sit and read, but it certainly helps pass the time while I'm at the gym, sitting on the bike, just spinning my legs. You know it's a great book if you forget for a little while that you are wherever you are.

So now that the kitchen is mostly clean, bills are paid to the extent possible, laundry is in, and calls are made, I'm off to the gym for some quality wildlife time.

Flexible Feeding

2010-01-21T16:52:00.000-07:00

There is definitely something under this bark worth digging for....

Digging...

Can't quite reach it

Maybe this angle

Inversion

2010-01-12T17:23:00.000-07:00

Ick. Living in a valley surrounded by mountains, is, for the most part, a beautiful and awe-inspiring thing. But in the winter, the combination of the closed in valley, too many vehicles and factories, and high pressure creates a wonderfully aweful sludge in the air. It's a soupy muck. These are the days I'm glad to work an hour from home, high up in the mountains, where I can escape this crud.

But alas, I didn't work today. So I was able to "enjoy" the worst air quality in the nation.

A new twist

2010-01-05T10:38:00.000-07:00

I know my blog has never been strictly a blog about nature, but that was the initial focus, and it is what occupies the majority of the entries. And it will continue in that direction, no doubt.

Often, however, there are other things going on that I would like to record here. If not for my followers, then just for my focus. So I've adjusted the title of my blog ever so slightly and given myself permission to include "other things".

One of those is my efforts at taking care of my body better. I have never had problems with my weight or my health. My body has done a good job at taking care of me. But I have been kind of a slacker at taking care of it. Not by neglect so much, as by no real focus on it. Okay, okay. Sometimes I foucs on getting into better physical shape. And I do watch and monitor what I eat. I guess my body is just asking me to be more consistant. And I'm listening.

So I've set myself some goals. I really enjoy biking...when I get motivated enough to get my butt in the sadle and go. Which happens far less than my body and I would like. So this year, I will be biking in the Salt Lake Marathon Bike Tour in April, and in August I will be riding in the ULCR (Utah Lake Century Ride - 100 miles around Utah Lake).

My body is slowly getting used to the idea of moving more. For the past two days, my roommate and I have gotten up early (by necessity), went to the gym, came home and ate breakfast. Today that was followed directly by a nap that stretched from the intended 30 minutes, to 2 hours. I guess I'm asking a lot of my good body here. But we'll all get used to it. Tomorrow is a workout break, then the rest of the week the workouts are in the evening.

Other than needing that 2 hour nap, I am already feeling the benefits of consitant movement and good food intake. Our bodies are pretty special. I hope mine continues to take care of me for many more years.

Avoiding Video Games

2009-12-31T08:00:00.001-07:00

School being out as it is for a few more days means the kids are home, and bored, and love playing video games - the really loud, shoot 'em up, killing kind. Well, my little nerves can only take so much of that, so I took another walk along the Jordan River yesterday. Awe. Peace and quite and beauty and some good birds.

A flock of about 10 White-crowned Sparrows. Pretty little birds.

Another Kestrel. Probably the same one from the day before.

Not birds, but still very pretty to watch.

And one I don't often see - a Wilson's Snipe.

The snipe making an escape from the camera.

Other birds today included Mourning Doves, a Cooper's Hawk, House Finch, many House Sparrows, Starlings, about 25 Canada Geese, Song Sparrow, Juncos, and others.

Taking walks on winter days is quite peaceful.

Nice Winter Walks

2009-12-30T10:04:00.001-07:00

Merry Christmas (a little late in coming) and Happy New Year (right on time).

Last Saturday was the Heber Valley Christmas Bird Count. Our numbers were few - we only had 9 birders covering quite a bit of area. And though we didn't see a lot of birds (48 species total - maybe a record low), we had some good ones, like Tundra Swans, Wood Ducks, Great Horned Owls, and others. But it was a great day. The weather was cold, but clear.

It got me in the mood to get out again. So yesterday I decided to take a little walk along the Jordan River. It was a great, snowy walk.

Snowy Bridge

American Kestrel

American Robin

Mallards

Common Goldeneye

Northern Flicker

I think I need to go back out today since I have it off - required furlough from work.

Huber Grove Trail

2009-12-18T14:56:00.003-07:00

Our region (Utah State Parks Northeast Region) recently acquired a video camera to help record programs, recreation opportunities, and other fun stuff to promote our wonderful state parks.

I have been given the charge to be keeper of the camera and all the camera equipment, so of course I've been taking advantage of that by taking a lot of footage of various things.

The idea for this little video came to me as I was attempting to get footage of wildlife in the park. I think it turned out pretty well. Though I'm not thrilled with the still on this video image.

My next video is all about winter recreation in the park. I'll share when I have it finished.

Denial?

2009-12-08T10:06:00.002-07:00

Well...maybe not the fastest way to travel in the snow.

Looking for River Otters

2009-12-05T13:20:00.005-07:00

River otters have historically been found along the Provo River. Now they are once again being re-introduced. Not too long ago, the Division of Wildlife Resources relocated a few otters from another part of the state to help repopulate the species along one section of the Provo River. And it just so happens it's right in the area I work.

So a co-worker of mine and I decided to go look for the otters today. We knew where they had been released, but seeing how otters have a home rage of up to 15 miles, there was little chance we would see one. But who says that should stop us from trying.

Signs of beavers were very obvious.

The Provo River

Kathy, my co-worker

Me, scanning for otters.

It wasn't too surprising that we never did see any. But we enjoyed the time looking. We did see a juvenile golden eagle, raccoon tracks, a marsh wren, several chickadees, scat, unknown tracks of other animals (we liked to think they were from the otter),bird nests, and fishermen.

A nest in the hollow of a fallen log.

What we'd like to think were otter tracks.

A hole in the opposite bank. Beaver? Muskrat? Otter? Who knows. And the owner didn't come and introduce herself.

If you'd like to see the first otter that was released, here is a link with a little clip of her.

Pond Visitor

2009-12-03T12:17:00.004-07:00

The pond near the visitor center was drained last week. Though the ducks are probably wondering what happened to all of their real estate, this Great Blue Heron seemed to like having most of the water gone. He came and hung around for quite a while.

The light wasn't the greatest, and he was still a bit too far out for my zoom to handle well. But it was fun to have him around for a little while. They are quite interesting and beautiful birds.

Oh, there were also a couple of American Wigeons out there, along with one or two Green-winged Teal, and many Mallards.

Good-bye

2009-11-23T09:11:00.000-07:00

My sweet friend died today. She was diagnosed with bone cancer on November 10, and was in great pain, even on narcotic pain pills. Bone caner is a very painful and rapidly progressing cancer. So it is bitter-sweet to say good-bye.

For the past 12 years, she has been an almost constant companion. She was my first therapist, even before I knew I needed one. She knew when I just needed to sit and cry, and would sit quietly with me; wipe away my tears. No flowery words. No suggestions on how to put things right. Just quiet comfort. Total understanding.

We went on many walks and outings together; backpacking, hiking, snowshoeing, and camping. She was very excited about almost everything, to the point of being obnoxious. But that was one of her endearing qualities.

She was picky about those she let get close to her, and I feel blessed to have been one of those, because once she let you in, she loved deeply and was fiercely loyal no matter what.

One time on a backpack trip, we were on the top of a mountain. Down one side was a long, broad snow field. The easy way down. :) She started going first, but as soon as I sat down, I took off, sliding out of control on the snow. I barreled right into her and kept going, with her sliding just as out of control right behind me. Before we knew it, we were at the bottom of the snow field, both a little dazed with what just happened. :)

She loved the snow but didn't particularly like being wet.

She was a companion, a headache, comic relief and a great friend. She was my sweet puppy, Harley.

Rest in peace now, sweet girl.

Harley
June 1997 - November 2009

Brand new puppy

Harley and my sister, Brenda

Portrait time

Fall, 1997. See how good she is learning to sit?

Harley and her favorite Pooh squeeze toy

Fall, 1997

Harley spending the summer with me at Brighton Girls' Camp. Summer, 1998.

Hanging out with a friend, who dubbed her "bunny-breath" because she caught a rabbit and wouldn't let us catch her to free the poor thing.

Playing in the snow! :) Winter, 1998

So happy to have this fun white stuff to play in.

Backpacking Trip, July 2001. She carried her own food.
She's slowly loosing her cute tan mottling
and becoming more and more black.

Top of the mountain

Erratic bumslide down the mountain

The cute drive home

In your face to say "hi"

Snowshoeing, Dec. 2001. She loved to break trail...for a little while.
Then she preferred to walk on the back of someone's snowshoes.

Harley and her friend, enjoying some snow time.

Winter, 2003

Meeting her new future roommate, Winter 2003

The future roommate isn't too happy about this situation.

Meeting another roommate (a leopard gecko) a year later. Fall 2004

So enthralled in this new little thing.

Everyone is just so curious with this new addition.

A new look. 2005

Sniffing everything she can get her nose on.

Waiting patiently for a birthday treat.

She approves. And is turning a little gray in the face.

One of her favorite places to be...chewing on a new bone. Christmas 2008.

Harley's handiwork in repeated escapes from the backyard. Each time we re-enforced and blocked the hole, she moved the rocks, bricks and wood, and created a bigger hole.

But...foiled at last. Summer 2009.

After discovering her cancer, she is finally allowed to sleep on the couch
without being shooed off. I just wanted her close to me. November, 2009.

Relaxing on the couch.

Sweet Harley.

Dabblers

2009-11-21T14:13:00.003-07:00

Despite the cold temps, the weather has been quite nice.

This was what the sky looked like on Thursday...

Really. That's a picture I took looking straight up into the sky. Very nice.

And of course, then there are the waterfowl on the pond.

A couple of American Wigeons with a mallard hanging around.

Wigeons adding a little grass to their diet.

Hungry mallards, looking for a handout.

They pose so nicely when there is food around, but once it's gone, and you take a step towards them, they just don't like to stick around much.

It's coming!

2009-11-13T14:15:00.003-07:00

Ready or not, here it comes! And I can't wait for it to hit this mountain valley where I spend 40 hours a week.

One of my projects for this winter is to make a short video of the many winter activities visitors can enjoy in the park. I've got the script, the story board, the camera. Now I just need the snow and the people.

Winter in these mountains is amazing, and I look forward to it.

Them Bones

2009-11-07T09:53:00.009-07:00

Skulls are fascinating. Though I didn't always know that. Previous to my current understanding, skulls were evidence of a story - survival, starvation, struggle, etc. Interesting to look at, to be sure. But never did I appreciate the minor details that distinguish one skull from another until a few weeks ago.

With a minor prod from a park visitor, who also happened to be mammal biologist, I began studying the few skulls in the park collection. And I was amazed.

The dental formula of each mammal helps to distinguish one family and often one species from another. It's really quite interesting.

And there is one dental formula that is unmistakable. I found it quite fascinating. You might not share my enthusiasm, but I am going to share it with you anyway.

I've got two skulls below to compare to.

A coyote skull

A bobcat skull

Okay. Let's look at the coyote first.

The bottom half of the jaw, starting from the middle front and working back along one side, has 3 incisors, 1 canine, 4 premolars, and 3 molars (this guy is missing his last molar on the left hand side).

The top half of the jaw, also starting from the front middle and working back along one side, has 3 incisors, 1 canine, 4 premolars, and 2 molars.

In skull language, the number and type of teeth is written like this: I 3/3 (meaning 3 incisors on top, 3 incisors on bottom), C 1/1, P 4/4, M 3/2 x 2 = 42.

So if you take a close look at the premolars and the molars, you can see that the premolars are sharp, meant for cutting meat. But coyotes, and other canines sometimes eat other things as well, so their molars help them grind those other foods, so they are wider, and have more cusps (the little pointed parts of the tooth).

Okay, how fun was that?

Now let's look at the bobcat.

The bobcat has far fewer teeth than the coyote. The bottom half has 3 incisors, 1 canine, 2 premolars and 1 molar.

The top half has 3 incisors, 1 canine, 2 premolars and 1 molar just like the top half. Now, wait, you say. I don't see the molar. Just the 2 premolars. That's what I thought as well.

But take a closer look.

See that tiny little smidgen of a tooth back behind the 2nd premolar? At first I thought it was just a funky part of the premolar. But nope. That is the molar. It is almost non-existent. And that one little molar up top there is very diagnostic of cats. All cats, from kitty cats to massive lions and tigers, have that one, small molar.

When I learned that, I wanted to go and pry open the mouth of my little kitty. But it just so happened that he had to take a little vet visit not too long after that. So when the vet opened his mouth, I took a look to see if I could see that little molar. And sure enough, there is was. So small. Almost not there. But it was there.

Now all you cat owners, you're going to do the same thing, and harass your cat to pry open it's mouth, aren't you. If you do, let me know if you can see it.

Almost finished

2009-11-01T18:50:00.004-07:00

Not quite there, but oh so close. Over the last two weeks (working about 1 1/2 days a week) I got most of the floor in. The plan is to finish it tomorrow, along with putting in a bypass door, doing a few more painting projects, and one or two other odd jobs. The tenants move in this coming weekend. Sweet.

Getting ready to put the floor down.

The first few rows are in.

So close. Just a few more things to get done. Oh, it looks so much better. I can't wait to not have to rent it out.

Full Moon

2009-10-30T14:36:00.002-06:00

It's almost the full moon! Spooky.

What will you be doing for Halloween? I'll be sitting at home getting my yearly fill of "The Changeling." Not the new one..oh no. This is the classic 1980 version with George C. Scott. A wonderful ghost story. I've watched it nearly every year since I was a wee child.

October in the Wasatch Mountains

2009-10-16T09:09:00.005-06:00

The weather has been beautiful. We did have some snow early in the month, but that didn't seem to damper the beauty. There is still some great color in them hills.

My job sometimes requires (allows) me to get out on the trails to work on signs, or scout out a route for an upcoming tour. I had that chance a couple of times this past few weeks. I just wanted to share some of the beauty.

I was listening to an NPR broadcast about the need for play in the lives of children. Without it they loose their sense of wonder, curiosity, and imagination. I think that is one reason I love being out in nature - because there is always something wonderful to see or discover. It's okay to let yourself become lost in wonder.

Basement Updates

2009-10-09T08:51:00.005-06:00

We have new renters. They came last night to pay the deposit and sign the rental agreement. They move in the first weekend of November. Happy day.

So, what's been accomplished lately with the basement? My progress has slowed considerably, simply due to the nature of what's left to do. But here are some updated pics. I've had quite a bit of family and neighbor help.

Finished the bathroom.

Did some re-wiring.

Finished mudding the new wall.

Scrubbed the kitchen floor, walls, cupboards, and refrigerator.

Put in a new light fixture.

Got new carpet in both bedrooms.

So what's left? Some prep work on the living room sub-floor, then lay down the Pergo laminate flooring, replace one door, and paint a few last areas.

Unfortunately I've reached my stupid point. I now no longer have the tools or skills to move forward. I'll do what I can today, and then I'll have to start begging again.

A short thought

2009-10-08T15:05:00.002-06:00

A group of young children and their parents venture into the visitor center and immediately notice a large moose head hanging on the wall...

Child: "Ohh, look, a moose."

Mother: "Yep, it's a moose."

Child: "Is it dead now?"

Mother: "Nope it's still alive. This is where it lives now, just half of it, up on that wall."

Okay, okay. That's not what she said, but it would have made me laugh. The true version ended like this:

Mother: "Yep, it's dead now."

I love the obvious questions that are often asked, and not just by kids.

A Day Out

2009-09-25T17:04:00.006-06:00

I was out a lot today with three separate school groups. The day was beautiful. The weather was perfect, the leaves are amazingly bright and vibrant.

We looked at seeds, trees, scat, tracks, picked apples, learned about history, took hikes...It was a great day.

A couple of fun photographic finds:

A Rock Squirrel

What? I don't have anything.

And a Monarch Butterfly Caterpillar on its Milkweed plant. The kids thought that was pretty amazing. Heck, I thought it was pretty amazing. It's not everyday we see monarch caterpillars.

Silver-Haired Bat

2009-09-19T15:36:00.005-06:00

I was up at our historic site today doing an apple harvest program. As a part of the program, we took the group on a tour of the site, including a short interpretive trail. While on the trail, one family spotted something black hanging off a bush.

As they got closer, they noticed it was moving...breathing actually. It was a bat!

Note the silver-tipped hair and small little ears. This is a Lasionycteris noctivagans, or Silver-haired Bat. Or at least that is my best guess. I've never seen one before. Usually all I see are Little Brown and Big Brown Bats. So this was a treat.

I'm a little concerned about it for a few reasons. One is the position is it resting in. Seems a little haphazard. Another is that is was roosting out in the open. Generally these will tuck themselves up under some bark or in a hole or crevice. So I need to go back later this afternoon and see if it is still hanging around.

I can't tell you how much I love bats. They are simply amazing animals. I do a program on bats entitled: Bats: Nature's Do-Gooders. Because they really are. Do you have any idea how many insects they consume in just one night? (hudreds of tons) Or how many plants Fruit and Nectar bats polinate and help propagate? Do you like cashews, bananas, mangos, agave, figs? Bats polinate these and many other plants that we love. Bats aid in the re-growth of forests that have been clear cut or burned over.

I'll stop now. I tend to get a little carried away. But bats are amazing. And I count myself very lucky to have seen this one so up close today.

A Roadside Treat

2009-09-18T15:30:00.003-06:00

I was driving out to do a program at another park not too long ago, and noticed a large bird of prey up in a tree near the road. I turned around to get a better look at it, and was able to get a few okay-ish pics.

I love Ospreys. And I love that this one was enjoying a fish meal just off the side of the road. It made the 1 1/2 hour drive worth it.

Not to mention the program went fabulously well also. :)

Cool Wasps

2009-09-17T15:24:00.004-06:00

It's looking at ya.

These Bald-faced Hornets (actually, they are wasps) were building a nice hive on the wall of the visitor center. I knew the hive would eventually be removed by the maintenance guys, but I didn't say anything to them about it, wanting to let them live as long as possible. It was fun to watch them slowly build that paper hive larger and larger.

But, just as I expected, the maintenance crew have been cleaning, clearing and painting the visitor center the past couple of days, so I wasn't surprised when I passed by this area and saw that the hive was gone. I suppose it is best as these wasps can be quite aggressive if provoked.

But what cool insects. Black and white, and not so small. Very impressive.

A New Wall

2009-09-15T07:18:00.004-06:00

I did warn you, after all, that I would likely be dragging you down into the basement with me.

Yesterday was a good day. We got quite a bit done.

Removed a wall.

Framed up a new one.

Got help from the boys putting up drywall.

Now we have a new wall - that 8 inches makes a big difference.

We also got a good start on the kitchen...

And painted another bedroom.

Today we add finishing touches to the wall, buy carpet for the bedrooms, and continue cleaning the kitchen.

Basement Progress

2009-09-14T07:35:00.004-06:00

As promised, here are pics of the basement, right after the tenants moved out, and after doing some work on it.

Today, the plan is to tear out a wall, and re-build it a little further back, to give more room to access the basement. That will be fun.

Stairwell to the basement

Entrance of the basement and dog urine (and other things I'm sure) stained carpet.

Bathroom, with mildewy floor.

Stairs down to the kitchen.

After a little work, stairs down to the basement. That wall at the bottom is the one we are going to move back about 8 inches or so.

Living room after tearing out the carpet. I like it better. :)

Bathroom with a new floor and clean appliances. Getting ready to put the new toilet in.

Stairs down to the kitchen. Ready for some new carpet.

I'm Obsessed

2009-09-11T14:08:00.003-06:00

No, not possessed, but sometimes it kind of feels like that, too. This entry has nothing to do with nature or anything outdoorsy. It's my basement. For those who know me personally, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, but truly, I am obsessed with getting this done.

For the past several months we (the upstairs residents of our little home) have really wanted them (the downstairs renters) to be gone. They were bad-mouthing and threatening our neighbors. They were messy. They got a new dog that wasn't truly house trained like they claimed. But they paid rent on time every month. And our budget isn't quite at the point of total self reliance with the mortgage payment. So they stayed.

But then something wonderful happened. "They" called me and said they were looking for a home to rent because they needed more space. One month later, September 1, they were gone. We couldn't be happier. The basement apartment couldn't be more disgusting. Time to clean, and fix and get it ready to rent again. Though we wish we didn't have to. But there it is...

So the obsession of cleaning and fixing and reclaiming the basement began. With a limited budget, most of the work will be done in-house. Some wonderful neighbors have offered to help do some of the more technical stuff, like tearing out and re-building a wall, and supplying needed tools.

I will be posting progress photos. I just need to download them first. Not right now.

First, here is a re-cap of what has been done thus far:

1) Tore out all the carpets (living room, two bedrooms, stairs)
2) Cleaned walls in the living room, bathroom, and one bedroom
3) Purchased Purgo flooring for the living room
4) Removed the toilet and vinyl flooring from the bathroom
5) Laid new flooring in the bathroom, painted the bathroom, bought a new toilet
6) Began painting one bedroom, and priced carpet remnants
7) Hauled out truckloads of trash, and piled up more for later hauling

Yet to do:
1) Install the new toilet
2) Clean the refrigerator (gross)
3) Wash the walls in the kitchen (gross)
4) Scrub the kitchen floor (I know it used to be white)
5) Paint the bedrooms, and the kitchen
6) Lay carpet in the bedrooms
7) Lay purgo flooring in the living room
8) Tear out a wall, and build a new one for easier access to the basement
9) Carpet both sets of stairs
10) Replace and/or add floor boards where needed

So, I spend every free minute downstairs working on this or that. When I'm at work (currently) my mind often drifts to the basement and how I would rather be there than here. When I sleep, I dream of working on various basement projects. My days off are spent in the basement. So don't be surprised if I drag you all down there with me in these blog posts.

You have been warned.

Feeling Better

2009-09-05T10:00:00.001-06:00

The entire first half of this year, and much of last, chemicals have been firing wrong in my brain. All things wonderful and beautiful were becoming more and more absent from my life because I couldn't find the energy or desire to pursue them. And even when I did, they did little for me.

Finally I wised up, got a mild prescription from my doctor, and began feeling better almost instantly. Now I am at the point were all things wonderful and beautiful are catching my eye and heart once again. It feels really good.

Here is what caught my eye yesterday:

First, a large and lovely Cat-faced Spider (Araneus gemmoides).

Do you see the kitty cat resemblance?

These are one of the most common, but unusual spiders encountered by people. They are representative of orb weaver spiders. Their webs are beautiful. Despite their size and appearance, they are harmless to humans, and actually quite beneficial as natural enemies to many garden insects. I hope to get another, better picture of it later.

Other fun things that caught my eye...

Peek-a-boo

I think my mind, and therefore my eyes, were focused on insects (though of course, spiders are not insects) because I had been reading about them all day, preparing for an evening program.

It's nice to be back.

A Brush with Nature

2009-09-04T14:27:00.003-06:00

"Hey Wendy, do you want a snake?"

I pop my head up from looking for insects, and hurry over to where the young maintenance kid is keeping an eye on something.

I didn't want a snake. But I wanted to see it.

A tiny baby Terrestrial or Wandering Gartersnake. It had my affection and desire for protection instantly. And, it seems, that of a small little girl, maybe 4 years old, totally clad in pink. First she just watched in awe as it moved around, and eventually tried to find protection up on my boot.

I gently picked it up and held it so this little girl could get a good look. She eventually wanted to touch it, and then hold it. That prompted the interest of another little, pink-clad girl. She too wanted to touch and hold it.

I was impressed. Pink-clad girls and snakes? But there they were. Loving, admiring, wanting to touch and hold this little thing.

Finally, the first little girl gently took the snake, and carefully placed it in the protective covering of some thick bushes. We all went our separate ways, having touched nature in tender and touching ways. I know I left feeling just a little more complete and whole.

Wish I'd had my camera.

A Birdy Morning

2009-09-03T08:20:00.004-06:00

I arrived a little early to work this morning. So I paused and looked around at the beautiful day. The birds seemed to be more active than usual. At least I saw more out and about than I generally do.

Playful Magpies

Handsom Brewer's Blackbirds

Hungry Robins

Speaking of birds, it's just about time for me to start planning for the Heber Valley Christmas Bird Count. As a fledgling organizer, I get a little anxious thinking about it. Last year went pretty well, I thought. I just hope those who participated felt the same, cause I'd sure like to have most of them come back.

I am debating on the date for the count. I want to maintain some consistency. And last year, and in years past (before my time), the count has been held the Saturday after, or closest to, Christmas. This year that would be December 26. Do you think that's a problem? Personally I don't. So I hope others don't either. Glad we agree. :)

Moon and Venus

2009-08-17T06:50:00.003-06:00

Kim and I got up early to take a walk...trying to get back into some kind of exercise routine. It was a cool morning and it was still dark outside when we left.

The waning crescent moon was just coming up in the east, followed by bright Venus. It was a beautiful sight.

A Nice Walk

2009-08-08T16:09:00.006-06:00

Yesterday the weather was perfectly beautiful. There were some clouds, but the temperature was perfect. So to kill a little time between programs, I took a short hike just to see what I could find.

The birds were very active. Especially Spotted Towhees. I got some good looks at a few, others were more elusive. If you click on this picture, you can get a good look at the red eye.

Along the trail, I found a nice bunch of Service Berries.

Mmmm. Don't they look good?

I thought so. And not long after taking this picture, I wished I had more.

My walk ended on a nice note, with this Western Tanager popping up just long enough to get his picture taken.

New Pond Visitor

2009-08-07T14:47:00.003-06:00

There are many birds I am not familiar with. Shorebirds are one of those. Sometimes one will turn up at the pond near the visitor center. Usually it is a lone bird, off course, taking a little break. It's here for a few hours than gone.

And so it was today. I glanced out the window and saw it just standing there, bobbing it's head up and down. It wasn't too concerned with the few people who were milling around, including myself, as long as we didn't get too close.

We've had a Spotted Sandpiper, Wilson's Phalarope, Wilson's Snipe, and a couple of Snowy Egrets. But this one was new. I tried and tried to make it a Pectoral Sandpiper, or a Short-billed Dowitcher, in the end, however, I am pretty certain it is a Lesser Yellowlegs.

This isn't the first time I've seen one, but it's the first one we have recorded showing up in the park.

Trail Work Day

2009-08-06T08:46:00.004-06:00

It's nice to get outside sometimes and just work. We put in a new trail, which opened up access to many other trails that have previously been unmarked, or poorly marked. So I have been working on remedying that situation.

It was nice to be out. As I am reminded of often these days "unlike television (or computers), nature does not steal time; it amplifies it." - Richard Louv

Park Visitors

2009-07-25T08:56:00.006-06:00

Okay, forget the Photo A Day thing for a while. I'll still do my best, but it isn't working out quite the way I'd hoped. So I'll just post what and when I get that inspiration.

And today I found a little inspiration without putting a whole lot of effort into it. People are funny.

This is a view from the backside of the Visitor Center.

Isn't it lovely? There is a reason for showing you this...can you figure it out without going to the next pictures?

Just in case you can't, here is a view from another angle.

There were a lot of people hanging out here last night. I guess they had a lot of garbage...and I'm glad they used the garbage can.

But come on people...really?

There are two garbage cans here!

And they are what? 30 feet apart?

This didn't happen just this one time. It happens all the time. This is just the first time people have taken the time to actually lift the garbage can lid to get more garbage to fit when all they had to do is walk a few feet.

Unbelievable.

Photo A Day - July 23

2009-07-23T10:17:00.005-06:00

So it isn't quite a photo a day, but more like a photo every now and then. :)

After taking a little time off last week, yesterday was back to work. To help ease the pain, I took a little drive to see what was out and about.

A little squirrel in the top of a tree, eating a little treat.

Just before I took this picture I was scanning the area with binoculars looking for bird nests, when I came upon a coyote standing very, very still. I watched it for a while, and looked around to see what it was honed in on. I couldn't see anything. So I grabbed my camera, but when I focused back in on the spot, the coyote was no where to found, and in its place was this marmot. Very strange.

Photo A Day - July 19

2009-07-19T08:00:00.000-06:00

I love this flower - look closely and you will see why it is called Elephant Head.

I believe this is a Monument Plant. It also looks a little like Milkweed.

Photo A Day - July 18

2009-07-18T08:00:00.000-06:00

Hungry Wildlife.

A cute little wildflower.