Terms of Endearment

There are many places, people and things that I love. But not too many to which I can truly attach the phrase "In love with".

The other day as I was driving around work (i.e. Antelope Island State Park), that phrase struck me as the feeling I was having toward that place.

Yep, I am in love with Antelope Island.

Is this An Antelope or Not?

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

Living on the Island

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.

Just Musing

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.

A cute, favorite book

I like you
And I know why

::Head bouncing::

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.

Happy New Year

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?

Shhh

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.

Happy October 1st

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.

Yard Day Postponed

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.

A short thought

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.

Photo A Day - July 3

I got to work feeling very grumpy today. Then I learned my dog had another one of her "accidents". I don't thinks it's an accident anymore. Now I think she's just plain stubborn.

Anyway, not long after I arrived at work, felt grumpy, and nearly decided to just forget the whole day, I decided to make an effort to feel better by taking a little walk.

I just learned we have a couple of fledgling Great Horned Owls on our Visitor Center trail. I had to see if I could find them. Just so you don't die from anticipation, I didn't find them. But I did see many other fun little glimpses of life out there.

Here are a few of my favorites:




After the hike, though, I found a wonderful little gem of a picture. I think, today, this wins my vote for favorites:

Summertime

So if anyone is still following this rather inactive blog, I apologize for my lack of posting. It's funny to me how very slack I get in the summer with keeping up my musings on nature. Summer is when there is so much to do, and see. So much going on. Maybe that's why I'm a Summer slacker.

I generally do really well with blogging in the winter. And I guess I just have more time, and less going on at work and in my mind.

But I don't like that pattern. There is so much going on in the summer.

For example, I was outside this morning fiddling with a sprinkler and came face to toe with a lovely garter snake. It slithered away. I watched it. But in a few minutes, there it was again. It had come back for another look I guess. It was fun to watch for a minute or two.

A week or so ago I went camping with some friends. There was so much cotton in the air it was almost magical. We saw snakes, slugs, birds, plants a plenty, spider's webs, rivers, rocks. We enjoyed the pitter-patter of rain on the tent. We enjoyed beautiful hot coals after a nice campfire.

The abundance of rain we've been getting has made this normally dry, hot area very green and lush. It's just now starting to get up into the 80's and low 90's. But we're still having thunder storms, and enjoying the moisture, the thunder and lightening, and that wonderful after-rain smell.

Summer really is a wonderful time. So, to keep myself from missing it completely with everything else going on, I am going make a goal for myself, and share it all with you. I will be posting at least one picture a day through July - beginning today of course. And since I missed yesterday, I'll post two today.

If I miss a day, please give me a hard time about it. Thanks. :)

Nice shot! This just makes me laugh. I wonder how long the golfer looked for this ball. It wasn't even within sight of the golf course. ::chuckle, chuckle::

This little one was hanging around the same area as the golf ball. He had found something tasty to much on and so was still long enough for my first good non-feeder picture of a chickadee.

I can't wait to see what I post tomorrow!

Harley

I haven't had a good bird walk in quite a while. Frankly, I can't muster the energy to get up and go anywhere.

About a week and a half ago my dog decided she no longer liked the backyard. At all. Not to visit, not to do her business in, not to stay in for extended periods of time. But of course a dog has needs, and so she took care of those needs on the living room carpet. That first episode resulted in the rental of a carpet cleaner and me taking a mental health day off work. But it didn't stop there. A few more living room potty breaks have occurred. We now insist Harley go outside, no matter how stubbornly she refuses.

But if we leave her out there one minute too long, she is bent on escaping. So also last week sometime, she found a way to pry the fence open, and has been seen many times running around the neighborhood. We put a camera out there one day to see just exactly how she was doing it. It was quite clever actually. She's a very persistent dog.

We reinforced the fence several times, each time thinking we had done the job, only to look out the front window a bit later to see her running around. So last night we adjusted things again, and so far it seems to have done the trick. We'll see.

So today I think I need to take my camera and bins on a walk somewhere. Maybe I'll take Harley with me, too. But she is getting older can't go very long - she turns 12 this month. So I'll also schedule a vet appointment for her.

Happy Memorial Day

It's a national holiday today to remember those who have given their lives in defense of our country, as well as those of our friends and relatives who have passed away.

It also ends up being a day to work in the yard, go on hikes, have BBQs, spend time with friends and family, etc.

It's a beautiful day, and I've spent a good portion of it outside pulling weeds. I love how the yard looks after a weed pulling adventure. Of course it's never ending.

Now I'll either go on a hike with family, or go to a movie with friends. Both very tempting possibilities.

What ever you do, I hope you have a wonderful day!

Hanging on

I like snow. I do. I love how the world looks after freshly fallen snow. I love how the blanket of snow insulates the ground, keeping the frost from driving too deep into the soil, and freezing out the little critters that live below ground.

It is now April. April means spring. And my soul longs for warmth. My hands are yearning to dig into moist dirt. However, Winter continues to hang on. Snow continues to fall. These pictures were taken this morning from the visitor center.


Of course as snow continues to fall, water fills our streams, rivers and lakes. And that is a good thing.

Beef and Grasslands

Here is one thing I love about blogging and reading and connecting with other bloggers - there is so much knowledge out there, and one thing leads to another, snowballing into even more knowledge.

I was reading over some of the blogs I follow, and this one from Bevson at Murmuring Trees caught my eye. If you are interested in saving money on meat, I'd suggest taking a look. Her sister recently bought a side of beef, farm raised and fed grass and alfalfa in the pasture. Not pumped full of hormones, and artificial garbage, etc. What caught my eye was, well, the picture of that freezer packed full of meat. Wow. Also, the fact that it wasn't raised on a feed lot. I have always had a problem with feed lots - I'd much rather animals were raised out on the range. And finally, the price she paid per pound - awesome!

So I had this all in the back of my mind as I continued browsing through blogs. And then I came to Brenda's blog: Alone on a Boreal Stage. Brenda is a writer, a painter, a bird watcher... She posted yesterday, among other things, about a new book order she just got in. And one of the books caught my eye: Grass, Sky, Song by Trevor Herriot. The tital interested me, so I did a Google search to find out more.

Interestingly enough, the first link was to Trevor Herriot's blog where he discusses more about his book. And what is the first post I read about? Grass-fed Beef. And how the best way to save grasslands, and grassland birds, is to buy more grass-fed beef. If just 10% of people made the change to grass-fed beef, it would make a huge difference. The demand would require there to be more grasslands to raise the cattle. And that would directly affect not just birds, but biodiversity as a whole. And of course our meat would be better for us.

But since you can't generally buy grass-fed beef in the grocery store, I guess I need to start looking into ways I can find and purchase beef this way. Maybe from a local farmer, as Bev's sister did.

Interesting how so many things come together in such unexpected ways.

Full Moon Nights

Have you noticed the full moon these past few nights? The big, bright full moon a couple of days ago was massive, came up just after sunset, and stayed up all night, not setting until sunrise. If you've had some nighttime projects to get done, these have been the past few nights to do them...that is if it wasn't so stinking cold!

It's still in a pretty full phase. If you haven't stopped to look at it, do it tonight.

Birding Sites and Bins

I was recently sent an email asking me to check out a website in which a new feature is being added.

The site is The Binocular Site and the new feature is a directory of some of the best birdwatching spots in North America. It's a work in progress so stop by and add either your review of a birding location or a recommendation of a great birding spot they should include.

The main focus of The Binocular Site is on, you guessed it, binoculars. But it is much more than that. You can read reviews and get information on nearly every type and brand of binoculars you could think of from opera glasses to night vision binoculars, compact to giant, and optics for numerous uses from birding to astronomy and everything in between. It really is quite the comprehensive site. After looking over the site myself, and following a few links, I was able to FINALLY decide on a new pair of binoculars. Phew.

Not that I'm in the market for new bins just yet, after all, I just bought a pair less than a year ago. But there are things about my current pair I just don't like. I should have followed my gut in the first place and gone with another pair.

Me and Flat Stanley, doing a little birding together

My work pair is good, they're Nikons, and basically just about anything from Nikon is good. But I don't have a brand or pair yet that I would absolutely buy again and again. For those of you who bird, do you have a brand you swear by?

Leaving its mark

Mystery animal leaves his calling card on the trail, alerting all who pass by this way to its solitary presence. Very dark, and full of berries and seeds, I have a guess who left it.

Not too far along the trail, another reminder that this particular someone has passed here before me, probably within the hour, as the scat was still quite moist once I examined it further with a little stick.

And then another discovery was made. All around the scat were tiny, its-bitsy, little black springtails (otherwise known as snow fleas, as that is when they are generally seen, against the white backdrop of snow). They had begun their job of decomposing this fantastic feast. I tried to get a picture of them, but dang that lighting and the angle. I kept casting a shadow over my subject.

Do you have a guess about who passed by here, marking territory as it went?