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Borrego Springs, CA

Friday, August 23, 2013

A busy couple of days

Yesterday morning, I once again got ready to lead the “Refuge Excursion Tour”.  In the past, no one has shown up to take the tour on the days I’ve been assigned.  However, I was happily surprised to find three people show up for the excursion yesterday!  I was back in my element of imparting information about the history and purpose of Tamarac NWR.  I had a grand time telling them about how this refuge came about, and the work of the CCC Camp that was located here as the refuge was established back in 1938.

73 Tamarac NWR, 201328

We also visited the Chippewa (Ojibwa) burial ground and spirit houses that are located on the refuge.  The holes in the burial structures are where the spirits of the deceased left the area on their four day journey.  The first day was spent traveling the prairies, then on to the plains.  The third day they spent traveling over the mountains, and on the fourth day, they entered their happy hunting grounds.  I assume that since the spirits of the dead have long ago left, the Chippewa do not maintain these burial sites.

When the white man came to inhabit the area, logging of white and red pines was king.  The harvested logs were floated down the Otter Tail River, and evidence of the Roller Dam Site is near the burial ground.  I then took them on a back road trail in hopes of spotting a wolf, but we didn’t have any luck there.

In the afternoon, I went back to Gary Lee’s Collisions Repair shop, and finally got my driver’s side door handle fixed on the toad.  What a relief it has been not to have to crawl over the seats to open the door.

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The Tamarac annual Volunteer Picnic was happening for dinner yesterday.  This is a celebration of the work all of the volunteers do for the refuge.  RV resident and local volunteers are honored for their contributions to making this a welcoming refuge.  With 400 volunteer hours here, I took in quite a haul of thank you items.

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Among them is this book written by Kenn Kaufman.  He is well known in birding circles for publishing his field guides to North American Birds.  I’m thinking this will be an interesting read.

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But I think my favorite award is going to be this  small Leatherman Tool on a US Fish and Wildlife Service keychain.  It’s very reminiscent of a small Swiss Army Knife I once had.  Lots of little pull-out tools in the handles, and it folds up into a compact little rectangle.

This morning, it was time to do a couple of loads of laundry and hang them out.  A trip to town for groceries was also in order.  Have you ever come home from the grocery store with something in your bags that you didn’t purchase, and was possibly from the person ahead of you in line at the checkout?

IMG_9382Well, this was my little bonus today upon emptying my bags.  Can’t you just imagine me with red and black painted nails?  I can’t even remember the last time I used nail polish, and it certainly wasn’t black and red!  And Minnesota Twins decals?  Spare me, please…  What the heck was I going to do with this?  Then I remembered that my son Andy’s wife, Kelly, is a died in the wool Twins fan.  Aha!  I’ll be heading down to Rochester for my every other year physical at the Mayo Clinic next week, so I think I’ll surprise her with this little gift. 

Thanks for stopping by… talk to you later,  Judy

30 comments:

  1. Those three people had the best guide they will ever have ever at any refuge. I'm sure they loved every minute of it. That's too funny about the nail polish. I think you should do your toenails with it. Jim has a little knife thingie that is always with him in his pocket and he would be lost without it.

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  2. Oh what a bonus bag..I would have definitely painted my nails and taken photos...

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  3. I don't remember getting someone's purchases but I have missed some of mine several times. I live 15 miles from Walmart so usually just forget it. One time I was so mad I drove all the way back with my list. I was missing about 7 things and part of it was for something I wanted to cook. I try to pay more attention to their little turn table now.

    You really made a haul for your service.

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  4. Nice that you were recognized for your service at the refuge.

    That's some wild nail polish!

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  5. Excellent gifts....and the nail polish will be a big hit I'm sure.

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  6. Those Leathermans can't be beat... no matter what size they are. Looks like they really appreciate their volunteers!

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  7. I won a leatherman once in a drawing. Love gadgets like that. I carry it in my ATV trunk, and it has come in handy more than once. Wow, you deserve all those gifts, that's a lot of volunteer hours!!!

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  8. It is always good when all the doors on the toad actually work:)

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  10. What a nice gift. Like the Leatherman I should get one to keep with camping gear.
    Let us know what you think of the book.

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  11. Quote: " Then I remembered that my son Andy’s wife, Kelly, is a died in the wool Twins fan. Aha! I’ll be heading down to Rochester for my every other year physical at the Mayo Clinic next week, so I think I’ll surprise her with this little gift."

    Hope she doesn't read your blog.

    You got some neat gifts. The Leatherman is a great tool to carry.

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  12. Very nice haul and very nice for all those hours to get some well deserved thanks. I like the toe nail idea -

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  13. That is quite a haul. I think you have worked hard for it though. Glad they appreciate all the volunteers do.

    Throw that polish away. They are our enemies...Cleveland Indians. Minnesota is in last place and ended up beating us last night. Oh dear.

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  14. Nice gifts as recognition of all your hard work. I can only remember finding something extra in my bag once, and it was lipstick. Not my color, but it looks great on my daughter-in-law.

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  15. What a nice tour...would love to have been one of the folks you guided! Maybe one day?

    Nice way to recognize all the volunteers...that's a lot of hours all of you dedicated! Thank you Judy!

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  16. your goodie bag is awesome. . .the appreciation shown for a job well done, even more so. . .

    my fave is the little leatherman tool. . .very nice!

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  17. One of the advantages of NOT having a toad is you drive your home to the grocery store. I always put everything away before leaving the parking lot and found an extra item once. It was very easy to return it to the store.

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  18. Our travels have shown us just how valuable volunteers are! They have taught us so much about the Oregon coast and it's history. You deserve rewards for your work.

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  19. You deserve all those nice gifts--any refuge would be lucky to have you volunteer!!

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  20. It's always nice to be appreciated and I'm sure you are worthy of every gift - except, of course, for that nail polish!

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  21. You can practically overhaul your motorhome with all the tools on your little Swiss Army knife, or defend yourself from some rabid Minnesota Twins fan... :cD

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  22. I think you actually put the nail polish into your own cart, probably subconsciously, since someone commented last week on your beautiful nails!

    Congratulations and thanks for all you do for the wildlife refuges! You are a great example of service to America.

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  23. Had to google the Ojibwas, such intersting people, kept reading for an hour. Thanks for the incentive!
    By golly, nice loot you have there. So nice they included a book!

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  24. Sure do wish I'd been on the tour, I know those folks were a lucky group. Very nice of the refuge to recognize the volunteers they could not do without. Looks like a nice haul you brought in of some very useful things. I'd love to know what you think of the book. It looks very intersting. I've never gotten something of someone else's but just last week I left a bag of groceries at walmart. I say I left because they should never have been put in two bags. I had 8 items for heaven's sake. I wasn't expecting two bags. I as signing for my purchase and she handed me A bag. Anyway, I was 90 miles away when I discovered it and called the store. After getting passed around all over the place, sure enough my bag with the items was at the customer service desk waiting for me. I explained I would not be coming back and they credited me for them. Very nice! But how stupid to use so many bags.

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  25. Come on, fess up ... you're dying to paint your nails with that bonus find! Having been privileged to have you as a personal guide at Okefenokee, I know the three people on your tour had a great time with you.

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  26. And, don't forget to notice, the little "bonus" you discovered in your grocery bag was "Made in USA!!"

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  27. Volunteers do so very much and it is a good thing for all the appreciation shown to them and you...a well deserved and a good feeling!

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  28. Oh I'd love to have you as a tour guide! You go the extra length to make it more eventful. Looks like a really interesting place.

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  29. You got some great loot! Fancy looking nail polish too. Some of the Chippewa grave sites are well taken care of..some not so much:)

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  30. We would like you to be our tour guide.

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