Variety, the spice of life

Could it be that not everyone is as interested in looking at bird photos as I am?  It’s hard to believe, but I think it’s true.  :)  So today, dear readers, come along with me on a trip to the farmer’s market in Burn, OR.  You’ll notice that there are not any pics of the market itself since it was really less than exciting, but the journey there and back was worth the trip.

Just getting down the six mile entrance road from the refuge was a lesson in careful driving.  Some one must have let the cows loose, because they were scattered all over the road.  So I ended up dodging cows, fragrant fresh “pies”, and about a dozen deer.  Many of the deer were just loosing their spots, so they were a little unsure of what to do about an oncoming vehicle.  :)
First stop was at the Narrows, where the two lakes meet.  I had to see if there were any new arrivals.  This American avocet was working the shallow waters.
Not far away was a young ring-billed gull flying in to join an adult, and a trio of white pelicans cooperatively hunting for a meal.  Those pelicans always remind me of a synchronized swimming team as they gracefully glide along in tandem, and then all turn inward at the same time to scoop up some fish.
Then I saw a young mallard shaking himself awake after a little snooze.  First you shake…
then you spread your wings to get the kinks out,
and then you calmly paddle away.

As I made my way along Hwy 205 through the ranchlands, a cattle drive was calmly taking place.
That is until the cattle decided they wanted to go a different way, and made a 90* turn right for the cowboy.
It wasn’t long, though, before the two cowboys and their dog had the herd back on the straight and narrow.  :)  It’s nice that there isn’t much traffic on this highway, so I could just stop in the middle of the road and watch this vignette transpire.

Eventually, I made it to town and the market, and was able to pick up a few fresh vegetables, but there weren’t very many tomatoes to be had and no corn on the cob.  :(   I did stop at one other booth, and made a purchase.
For you crafty types out there, these are hand crocheted small picture frames and flowers.  They are used in scrapbooking.  My daughter, Robyn, enjoys this hobby (or at least she did before she had two babies:)), so I picked these up for her.  I’ll be putting them in an envelope and sending them her way next week.

On the trip back to the rig, I stopped to take a few scenic shots along the way.
That’s the valley down there, and the refuge begins just before those mountains way in the distance.  From this height, the valley looks like a patch work quilt of circles and squares.  Pleasing scenery for the 35 mile drive home.
I leave you bird lovers, cowboys, ranchers, and crafters with this final pic of a harvested hayfield.  I just like the curves and symmetry of these fields.  :)

Thanks for stopping by….talk to you later,  Judy

There’s a first time for everything

The weather looked fine this morning, so I decided to take a drive back to Ennis, Montana, on a day that I knew Resveldt Meats would be open.  It’s a rather scenic drive along the Madison River.  Lots of trout fishermen were out today in boats and waders.

I drove 14 miles past Ennis to Virginia City, which people had said was worth the trip to see this restored town from the past.  It turned out to be not something I’m especially interested in. 
There was a nice overlook, however, of the Madison Valley.  This valley is very important as a wildlife corridor.  That’s Ennis in the lower left.

I stocked up on several varieties of sausage and some smoked pork chops at the butcher store, and then headed back to camp.
On the way back, I spotted an Osprey nest overlooking the Madison River.  I believe the female is on the left incubating the eggs while the male is watching on the right.

Once I got back to the rig, this was the scene that was unfolding out my front window:
For the last week or two, lots of cattle have been trucked in to the high mountain meadows for summer grazing.  Today, this small herd was moved via mounted cowboys and cowgirls to greener pastures.  :)

As Emma and I sat outside in the balmy temperatures this afternoon, I asked my neighbors if they were interested in going to the rodeo and chuck wagon dinner that is put on by a nearby ranch.  It turns out that this is the same working ranch that had the cattle drive this afternoon.  They sounded interested, but Jim, the husband, thought we needed to have reservations.  That’s when his wife, Jackie, suggested she and I hop on their ATV and drive over there to make a reservation.  I’ve never ridden on a four wheeler before, so I was up for the new experience.  :)  After making our reservation, she asked if I’d like to go for a little ride.  So, off we went up into the hills.  It was quite a ride!  We made it to the continental divide, and then drove off on a side tract into the mountains. 

We probably drove about eight or nine miles total before I suggested we head back since there were some very ominous looking clouds heading our way.  She agreed, and we high tailed it back down the rustic track.  We didn’t quite make it back to camp before the rains were upon us.  That was some cold rain!  As we hopped off and ran to our rigs, she said “Now you can check that off your bucket list!”  Yessiree Bob!  Four wheeling in the Rocky Mountains…not something I ever expected to do.

Thanks for stopping by….talk to you later,  Judy

Hunters and cowboys

Today was the day that the "Friends of Anahuac NWR" provided big pots of chili for the hunters on the refuge.
The duck hunters must check in each morning of the hunt before they head for their favorite spots. They are a dedicated bunch, as they arrive on the refuge at four in the morning to check in. So, by about ten o'clock many of them are ready to leave, and they are certainly hungry. The Friends provide the chili as an outreach activity.

They are all dressed in cammo, and this young man spent a lot of time fixing his face! I was happy to see so many young folks enjoying the out of doors.

Of course, it was the older, more experienced hunters that brought in their limit of ducks for the day. ;)

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Colin, the volunteer from England, was working the visitor's center today. He will be heading back "across the pond" on Tuesday. I knew he'd enjoy having some chili, so I headed over there to relieve him so he could go to the hunter's check station for lunch.

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After a couple of hours, I looked out the window and here's what I saw:

Not the usual visitor's entering the refuge. :) Ranchers lease certain areas of the refuge for grazing, and periodically have a cattle drive to move the herds from area to area. The cattle keep the marsh under control and fertilize as well. There are no bulls in this group, and the cows will give birth out on the marsh in the next month or two.

You know you are in Texas when you see hundreds of cattle being herded down the road. The cowboy is alive and well here. I figure they traveled about eight miles today. How do I know this?.....by the telling evidence left all over the road after their passage. I don't know how they could have anything left in them by the time they made it to their new grazing spot. ;)

I figured Colin got stuck behind the herd as it came down the entrance road and I was correct. There is no way to pass the herd, and it took him over an hour to come the last five miles. In hindsight (pun intended) he wished he had left the check station five minutes earlier.

Thanks for stopping by....talk to you later, Judy