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Borrego Springs, CA

Monday, September 24, 2012

Time is winding down

I’ve only got about three weeks left until I wander out of North Carolina and head for Georgia.  When I arrived near the end of July, it was brutally hot and muggy everyday.  This morning, I had the furnace on to take the chill out of the rig.  Lots of changes in the last nine weeks.  The corn ripened and has now been harvested.  The soy bean plants are yellowing, so it won’t be long before they’re harvested as well.

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I was out fairly early this morning to do the loop of refilling the pamphlet boxes.  There are a total of twenty boxes that I have to restock, and it takes about 70 miles of driving to visit them all.  It’s been kind of interesting to see which boxes get the most use. 

For several years now, it has been one of my endeavors to get an outstanding picture of a belted kingfisher.  It’s an endeavor that continues to elude me.  Belted kingfishers must be about the most skittish of all birds.  It seems impossible to sneak up on them, and the minute they detect you, they get the heck out of Dodge!  This fellow perched out in the sound on a dead tree.  Even with the telephoto lens, he was too far away.

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Various berries are also ripening and providing tasty browse for the wildlife.  I’ve had several posts lately that included pictures of the numerous butterflies on the refuge.  Just since last Friday, the butterflies have lessened by more than 50%.  Time marches on whether we want it to or not.

IMG_0130I wanted to give you an idea of what many of the waterways in the refuge look like.  I guess I’d call them watery ditches.  There are also small rivers and streams, but the ditches seem to act as borders between the fields and the mixed hardwood forest parcels.  The water levels in the refuge are also regulated by water structures built into many of these ditches.

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I found this colorful tree stump on the edge of one of the ditches this morning.  The striping really intrigued me.

After I was done with the boxes, I stopped by headquarters to meet with Bonnie and Susie, to make my suggestion about a panic button being installed at the visitors centers.  They were both receptive to the suggestion, and things are underway to investigate how it could be accomplished.  The safety of staff and volunteers is always high on the list at National Wildlife Refuges, and rightly so.  If some kind of system or alarm can be installed, I will feel my volunteer time here has been worthwhile and will leave a tiny legacy of safety.

If the weather holds, Emma and I plan to visit the Edenton National Fish Hatchery tomorrow.  I’d better get busy and pack a lunch.

Thanks for stopping by… talk to you later,  Judy

19 comments:

  1. I'm glad you followed through on the panic button idea.

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  2. Good to hear that they are receptive to the idea of some kind of a panic button.

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  3. One of the first things our daughter noticed when she went to college was the panic buttons on campus. She felt much safer as would tourists when visiting the sites. Good idea!

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  4. I was lucky a couple of years ago to get a decent shot of a Belted Kingfisher who was almost posing for me. I saw one this weekend while camping and I got great distant shot but soon as I crop it, he's blurry...darn it, they are such cool little birds.

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  5. Panic button...Just another way you have made a difference in peoples lives.
    Way to go girl
    Donna

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  6. We were thrilled as parents to see "blue light" stations set up across the campus. They were direct lines to the campus police. Great idea with the panic buttons.

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  7. I never thought about panic buttons before now.

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  8. The panic button is a good idea, I had one installed when I had my business in Illinois - you never know who may walk in the door. I have made several suggestions at my current job at Mesa Verde. I figure I have to let them know what is needed, and it may make a better workplace for someone, even though I will be leaving.

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  9. I know how it feels as the time runs out to leave this mountain for another winter.
    Your pictures are always so great and I will be reading and looking at them all winter to keep me from going stir crazy. Actual hope to find a new toy for winter camping.

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  10. There's personal panic buttons or beacons you could get too. Plus, your cell phone can send 'breadcrumbs' out when you are lost. This is a great article about using your cell phone on a hike:

    http://www.backpacker.com/prof-hike-cell-phones/skills/15238

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  11. You make them look good, but I would call them ditches too:)

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  12. I'd still give you an A+ for your picture of the Kingfisher. After understanidng how skittish they are, you done good!

    That stump is interesting. Wonder how it got all the colors, hope it isn't from pollution runoff. That would keep me from swimming in the ditches, no counting the gators...

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  13. I am jealous, I have been trying to get a good picture of a butterfly but cannot seem to find one. Probably too late in the year now. We had to turn our furnace on also. Seems to be cold really early this year. Thanks for visiting my site, I hope you liked the pictures. I sure love yours!

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  14. Loved the stump photo and glad your suggestion for a panic button was well received. Question: I think I read that you use a staff vehicle when you do your 70 mile pamphlet run. Do you have a radio or cell coverage in case of an emergency on the road?

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  15. I agree with Paul, pretty good pic of the kingfisher. Do the bears eat soybeans or just the corn?

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  16. The kingfisher picture isn't bad, the new zoom must be working. Looking back, you certainly have had your share of adventures this summer. I hope they follow through on your suggestion of the panic button!

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  17. Excellent photo of the Kingfisher! They always look like they're watching a tennis or ping pong ball match. :)
    70 miles of pamphlet boxes?! I hope you get to use their vehicle!
    Loved the butterflies!
    Where will you be in Georgia in a few weeks?
    Kathy

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  18. I'm sure a "panic button" will be installed and you will have a legacy of safety first...Loved the Kingfisher...I noticed our Hummers are now fewer and fewer...I sure would like to follow them South when they leave!

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  19. Each time I see all your photos, I feel inspired to get out and about and check things out. . .think I'll take a walk down to the river. I'm trying to get a shot of what I think was an orange tananger. . .think I'll go stalk him . . .or maybe I can find a buck with a good rack. . .those pics are always great to send to my brother, who is an avid deer hunter. . .

    Great idea for the alert button. . .very necessary for you guys out there all alone. . .

    Janice
    ReadyToGoFullTimeRVing.blogspot.com

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