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Borrego Springs, CA

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Cabin fever?

Three days of rain, wind, and cold temperatures means I’m chomping at the bit to get back outside.  I did spend Sunday afternoon working the VIS, but that’s an even smaller space than the rig.  Yesterday was a totally inside day, so I was happy to go to a volunteer meeting at the maintenance office this morning as it’s a ten mile drive there and back, and I could see if the rain had improved things on the refuge for the birds.  (Oh my, try diagramming that last sentence.)

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The meeting took a couple of hours, and afterwards I decided to take a drive down to the bayside boat launch just for the chance to prolong going back to the rig.  I found a common merganser, on the right, and two hooded mergansers working the waterway off of the bay.

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The male hooded merganser is a rather perky looking little guy.  They’re all pretty skittish, so I really had to make these shots from afar.  That’s the first hooded I’ve seen this year.

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As I reached the bay, I found a couple of white ibis working away with a gull flying in to monitor their success.

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                                    It’s kind of humorous to watch the gulls follow the ibis around.

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                    I’ve seen gulls snatch food away from ibis and even ospreys…the little marauders!

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It was low tide so the crab traps were visible sticking out of the bay.  It also meant the flats were alive with shorebirds, but the overcast conditions made for poor lighting for photographing them.

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I was hoping to capture a shot of a seaside sparrow, but all I found were several savannah sparrows in amongst the beach rocks and oyster shells.

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Heading back to the exit, I found a neotropic cormorant shaking and stretching on one of the water structures before it took off.  It was an enjoyable break from sitting inside, that’s for sure.

I’ve had the opportunity the last few days to do some thinking about this coming summer.  I’m not going to just sit somewhere; I want something to do.  In September I applied for a couple of camp hosting jobs outside of Estes Park, CO, but even after leaving messages I haven’t heard anything.  Since they planned to make their decisions by the end of October, I’ve crossed that possibility off of my list.  I have two other ideas in mind.  Volunteering at the National Elk Refuge in Wyoming would mean a 32 hour/week commitment for the entire summer, or volunteering at the Cle Elum Fish Hatchery in Washington would mean a 20 hour/week commitment for two or three months.  Of course, I haven’t officially applied to either location yet…just dreaming.  It’s time to put my dreams into action however.  I’ll be working on that in the very near future.

Thanks for stopping by… talk to you later,  Judy

26 comments:

  1. What's with this cold weather in Texas? I applied for a few jobs for the Summer and haven't heard back. Time to send more applications.

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  2. A wonderful variety of birds there. I love hooded mergansers, I always to touch their 'hoods' to see if they are as soft as they look....also love watching cormorants drying their wings

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  3. Great pictures. I sure enjoy learning more about birds from you. Diagramming sentences - oh yes, I remember that!

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  4. Judy, will you please diagram that sentence for us? It's been a looooong time since I've done that!

    Any of those places sound better than sitting in the Indiana heat and humidity. But the downside is not being able to enjoy the grands.

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  5. I have to laugh at your comment about sentence structure. I do that all the time.

    I'm glad you made the decision to work this coming summer. I always enjoy life more when I have work to do.

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  6. Diagramming a sentence - boy does that bring back memories from a long time ago. I sure don't blame you for not wanting to just sit next summer. I would love to be traveling more but until that motorhome sells, money is just too tight so we'll be sitting and Jim will be fishing. Love the birds.

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  7. I think Washington has much better summer weather

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  8. TX needs the rain so badly, so many trees died this summer from the drought. That affects the people, birds and wildlife.
    So I am grateful for the rainy days and busy myself reading about places that I have never been, and will never go.

    The pictures are lovely, as usual.

    Happy Tails to Emma, and Happy Trails to you. Penny, TX

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  9. I can't even spell diogrmmin, diagrumming, doiagamming, never mind. Nice bird pictures! :c)

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  10. I always loved grammar and diagramming sentences, but your sentence is definitely a challenge. I'm also tired of sitting -- haven't been out since coming home from surg on Fri...tomorrow is the day:) Having seen the Elk Refuge in WY last summer, that would be an interesting place to volunteer, but 32 hrs a week is a lot.

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  11. diagramming a sentence?..must be an American teacher kind of thing?..I vote for Washington!..closer to Vancouver and us!!

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  12. I'm in Port Aransas and it is very cold. I don't like it... I stayed in most of this day! Couldn't stands no more and went out... but, of course, my iPhone camera can't capture a great deal... I did manage to get some peaceful shots.

    Again... I covet COVET your camera... your pictures are beautiful.

    I don't understand diagramming --- never did... I did understand it more than Algebra, however, but that's not saying a lot. I just try to remember to not dangle participles and use ly with a verb and objects and so on.... now I just use a lot of dots...

    I do know the difference between lose and loose which I find a bazilllion do not. I don't understand that. lots of things I don't understand... like why dolphins leap in the air in front of a ship or why cats don't mind very well.

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  13. No thanks on the diagramming. Those sound like two interesting options for your summer.

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  14. What a terrific picture of the hooded merganser!

    I actually LOVE diagramming sentences and am going to take yours one on although...........if, like I do, you write the way you talk, then diagramming isn't quite fair since our spoken English is not expected to be as "correct" as our written. Maybe I'd better try diagramming that one instead. LOL

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  15. I used to love diagramming sentences-couldn't do it on a bet now though. We can't decide what to this spring/summer either. Sounds like you are narrowed down to two nice choices though.

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  16. Third day on constant rain here in South Jersey. I, too, have cabin fever.

    Hey- apply for that summer job in Wy. We will be up there on a NOMADS project in August. Who knows, might run into each other. (Although WY is a big state!)

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  17. I tend to run sentences on..My goal is to write my blog in one continuous sentence:-)I'm with you on sitting around thru the summer..Wish I could put a hitch in Den's giddyup to go somewhere next summer. He thinks he is the only one who can use the John Deere to cut grass:-( Love the bird photos and thanks for the heads up about Turk's Cap..Duh.

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  18. We're in the midst of the rain here in northern Alabama, too. I'll be stir crazy by this afternoon.

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  19. Love your bird pictures.... how nice to be able to be out in the midst of all that wildlife!
    I have thought about work-camping but not sure I'd want to be in the same area for that long. I am kind of a gypsy.... its in my blood :)
    Diagramming sentences? Oh yeh, one of my favorite things when I was in school.

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  20. Hope you get the job of your dreams next summer. You deserve it. Wahington is beautiful so, that is where my choice would be. Though Wyoming has always been our favorite State. Tough decission!!

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  21. Wyoming and Cle Elum, both incredible areas. Love it that you don't let the grass grow under your feet!

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  22. Cle Elum is just to the east of the Cascades. It will be fairly warm and fairly dry in the summer, but not humid.

    Drive an hour west, over the mountains, and the weather will be cooler and not quite so dry in the summer.

    Still, summer is the best season if you want to see this part of the country.

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  23. I used to enjoy diagramming sentences. Something about feeling in control in some part of my world I suspect. I'd need a review lesson in how to do it now, though. As to punctuation I learned more about that studying shorthand than I did in high school English class. But I've forgotten a lot of that, too. I think I need to buy a new guide.

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  24. The hooded mergansers are so cute - I've never seen them or heard of them before. They look like alien birds from another planet.

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  25. Judy, Thanks for the wonderful photos of all the animals at the refuge ! I live at the Lost River RV park on the north side of I-10 on the Old & Lost River we are neighbors !

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  26. I sure delight in discovering more about wildlife from you. Diagramming phrases - oh yes, I keep in mind that!

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