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Borrego Springs, CA

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

A gift from new friends

Even though it was still drizzling out this morning, the intrepid kindergarten teachers of Roosevelt Elementary brought all of their charges to the refuge for one last field trip before school lets out for the summer on Friday.  It was cold and wet, but three full busloads of little people burst forth eager to enjoy the morning’s activities.  I sure could use some of their youthful energy.  I helped out with two camouflage hikes, and then reported back to the picnic area to help get their lunch ready.  The refuge manager, Neil, was grilling hotdogs for everyone.  My job was to get the dogs into the buns as the 120 or so students and teachers arrived to eat. 

What a busy morning.  I was pooped already, but still had a half day of work to go. 

IMG_8697After lunch, the skies finally cleared and the sun came out for the first time in five days.  Janice, the volunteer coordinator, asked me to spend the afternoon refilling several kiosks around the refuge with information folders.

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                                                 Common Loon – haunting voice of the far north.

I readily agreed to that, and suggested I also pick up trash along my journey.  That took a lot of time to do.

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                                                   Hooded Mergansers – they nest on the refuge.

I have mixed emotions about picking up trash.  I enjoy the time spent outside as I’m doing it, but sure don’t understand why people think it is Okay to throw their garbage out the window on a wildlife refuge.  Beer cans and bottles, pop cans, water bottles, and their trash from McDonald’s and Kentucky Fried Chicken.  Could it be that hard to take that stuff home and put it in their garbage can?  It really ticks me off how people thoughtlessly desecrate our wild areas.

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While walking along the refuge roads with my litter picker and big black plastic garbage bag,  I found these delicate little blooms peeking out of the road shoulder.  There were lots of white ones, and also some that were blue.  Little birds were singing all along the way as well, so perhaps you can understand why I don’t mind litter clean up.

As for the gift from new friends?  Just before the kids arrived for the tree planting yesterday, I was talking with other local volunteers about the challenge of getting the ticks off of my body each night.  Since they live here fulltime, they understood.  This morning, one of the same volunteer couples arrived and said they had a mirror for me.  What?  I didn’t know what they were talking about.  Seems they were talking to each other last night about my dilemma and decided a large round mirror would help me out.

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So, they brought me one this morning to borrow for my time here.  It’s about 14” in diameter.  It’s hard to see if there are any of those little buggers on your back or other places if you live alone.  I thought that was very thoughtful of them to think of me.  Sorry to say, I spoke before thinking, and said to the husband that this would be perfect if I put it on the floor, straddled it buck naked, and viewed those nether parts of my body that would require me to be a contortionist to see.  Surprised smile  To say he was a little flustered with my remark would be an understatement.  Oh well, I guess he’ll remember who I am for this summer…

Thanks for stopping by… talk to you later,  Judy

28 comments:

  1. lmao ... AND litterers need to trip over their stuf ... seriously ~ pet peeve of all pet peeves

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  2. LOL - he is probably wondering if it's too late to get a refund on that mirror. I've never seen loons or hooded mergansers. On my wish-list.

    Like you, I don't get the littering. There is a massive disconnect somewhere that anyone would do that period .... much less in a protected area. Sheesh!!!

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  3. You are too funny! I bet if you had taken his picture his face would have been red as a beet! Anyway, never thought about the ticks...I would have thought it would be too cold there. Once our grandson was covered in seed ticks....hundreds and hundreds of them so tiny we had to have a magnifier to see them! He was sick for days!

    Glad to know you survived the Kindergarten classes...and hot dogs!

    Hugs to Emma!

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  4. Unfortunately it's not just refuges and wilderness areas that folks think are meant for their litter... so many of our roads are downright embarrassing. As for the ticks, it could have been worse... you could have asked for volunteers to help you find them. ;-)

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  5. Does the refuge provide trash receptacles as an alternative to throwing garbage out the window?
    Craig

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  6. Hilarious...and here he was thinking you were just another sweet little helpless lady. Good for you. It could have been lots worse, you could have offered to check his if he checked yours. lol

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  7. Don't feel that you're alone picking up trash. I just read about the massive cleanup on Mt. Everest, where the Sherpas annually are picking up 50 TONS of trash left behind from all the climbers.

    As to straddling that mirror buck neeked...TMI!!!

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  8. Wasn't there a country song a few years back that had to deal with ticks????

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  9. You're incorrigible!

    Hey, some people throw trash on their own property - why would they think differently in a wild place? Unmannered ijits. I feel the same as you about picking up others' junk 'n garbage... aw, nuts! Nice to see the sun, eh?

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  10. Those loons are beautiful birds...

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  11. OH Dear! I had tears running down my face I laughed so hard at your last paragraph--I can just picture that poor man's face! You are too much Judy!

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  12. Loons AND mergansers Oh my.........I want to be there. But we've got canada geese, killdeer and brown thrashers. We've also done mighty many trash pick ups and I don't get it either. Even if there are no trash cans just put it back in the bag you brought it in and take it home. Thanks for the HUGE laugh over your mirror comment. I'm sure he is never going to forget you and in the bargain, you may just get to keep the mirror. :-))

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  13. OK, now that I have stopped laughing over the straddling the mirror comment, I can actually type.

    Don't get me started about litterbugs ... I just can't wrap my head around why it's so difficult for people to grasp the concept of taking their trash with them.

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  14. I'll be he doesn't want that mirror back at the end of your time there. :) "Oh, it's okay, just keep it, Judy."

    Do you really get ticks on your body? You say it so off-handedly. I think it would be bad enough if Katie got them, but ME???

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  15. Oh Lordy, what a picture you have put in my mind!!! You and that mirror!!

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  16. Doesn't 120 little ones keep you young? Or am I mistaken?

    I think the saying goes...Open mouth, insert foot.

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  17. Judy, you are so bad! I love the mirror thing and what a better way to catch errant ticks. I agree about the litter - I tried to pick up the litter left at my COE campground site last wee - bottle caps, cigarette butts, plastic cutlery, etc. How could anyone think it's ok to toss this stuff and forget about it.

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  18. You got a huge laugh from me on that one.

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  19. Those ticks can make their way into the darnedest places.

    Hub and I quit going to the beach for walks. We'd spend the whole time picking up trash left by the brainless.

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  20. You crack me up! But straddling the mirror makes perfect sense to me. I remember our first grandson got covered with ticks in his private area and we had to undress him and get out the tweezers. His parents got some out, but dropped him off for us to babysit so we finished the tick-picking job.

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  21. Now only will he remember your name, but he'll have a colorful picture in his mind of you!

    Isn't there anyway you can prevent those ticks from getting onto your body? My Mom (who never goes into the woods) ended up with Lyme disease and it has/is causing her a lot of problems.

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  22. That guy you spoke to about the mirror probably thinks they have just added ONE more "Loon" to the water fowl population...That's OK, Judy...If I were there with you there would be TWO!!I'm already loving all of the different birds up there!

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  23. Oh those first impressions!! hehe Don't get me started about folks who have no concern for what and where they deposit their garbage. Pet peeve of mine. With our ATV club we clean roadside ditches, and I always wonder if they must litter, couldn't they just drop it along the road side instead of throwing it out as far as they can. These old knees hate climbing up and down the ditches. ~~Have a nice day, now!!!

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  24. I laughed so hard I have tears. You are just priceless. And I think those teachers were just plain desperate for something (or someone) to entertain those children for awhile. They just get so wound up before school gets out.

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  25. aiii yaiii yaiii. . .one of THOSE moments. . .ROFL!

    I hear ya about the trash. . .and cigarette butts. . .oh goodness. . .

    Love the loon!

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  26. Great post - as always. love the tick mirror story. Wish I could have been there is see his reaction.

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  27. Your posts always make me smile. This one made me laugh out loud! Can not remember where you are...guess I should go read a bit and figure it out...am wondering where the ticks are that bad?

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  28. You're getting ticks like that in MN? I have heard they are bad in the south but didn't realize they were a problem in the north too. Will have to check my dog I guess!

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