Backyard Birds

Things are kind of slow around here, so I thought I'd take a few pics of the birds at my feeder. Those of you that know me, know that I really enjoy birdwatching and I haven't posted many bird pictures at this location. :) Some of the pics are not of the best quality, but you'll get the idea...

The most populous birds at my feeders are American goldfinches.

.

Both males and females frequent the feeders.

.

On the ground are plenty of common grackles. Many folks don't like grackles, but I do like their iridescent colors.

.

This is a female brown-headed cowbird, another bird that many people don't like because of their habit of laying eggs in smaller bird's nests.

.

A female cardinal stopped by the feeder this evening. She is obviously going through her summer molt of feathers, otherwise, she'd have a crest on her head. The young of the year look similar to the female, but wouldn't have a red beak at this point in the season.

.

Another frequent visitor is the chipping sparrow. There is no way to tell if this bird is a male or female unless you can examine the bird in your hand to look for a female brood patch or a cloacal protuberance (balls) on the male.

.

Dang, it's hard to get a good picture of a tufted titmouse. They don't just sit on the feeder and eat. They fly in, grab one seed, and then fly to a tree branch where they can peck open the seed with their beak while they hold it with their feet. Goldfinches, on the other hand, just sit at the feeder and eat because they are able to shuck the seeds while holding it in their beaks.

.

Last, but not least, is the ubiquitous house sparrow. These sparrows are not native to the United States, and were brought over from England many, many years ago. Their population over the years has ballooned to such numbers that they have a very detrimental effect on some native species such as bluebirds and tree swallows. They are a common bird at feeders.

.

Well, it's back to work tomorrow. Someone is supposed to come to fix the air conditioning in the museum area so maybe the folks that come for the movie on Sunday won't be uncomfortable. Temps in there have reached the upper eighties during the movie, and that's not conducive to happy visitors!

.

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

Battle of the Bugs

By 8:00 this morning, I was out washing down the rig. The front of the RV was covered with bugs from my trip to Minnesota and back. The rest of the RV was covered with dust. There is a two mile drive down a gravel road to get to the volunteer sites, and the motorhome and car become coated in white road dust. I hooked two hoses together so I could reach all around the rig, and began scrubbing with an extended brush and a hand held sponge with a scrubbing surface on one size. Those bugs require quite a bit of elbow grease to get off. Eventually, I was satisfied with the front of the rig, and rinsed off the dust from the rest of the rig. Then it was time to wash the car. By the time I finished, the sweat (perspiration) was dripping off of me.

I hopped on my bicycle and headed for the office. I wanted to put up the sun shades on the front windows of the rig, and was hoping I could get one of the YCC boys to help me.

As you can see, a six foot young man can easily snap the sun shades into place. Do you see that ladder? I have to prop a footstool on top of it to reach the snaps, and it isn't exactly a safe undertaking for me. In two shakes of a lambs tail, the shades were up, and I really appreciated the help.

.

After lunch, all five of the YCC (Youth Conservation Corps) students descended on my site and mowed and weed-whacked all around my site. It's so nice to have the site maintenance taken care of for me! They also worked on constructing a border around my hookups. Soon, gravel will be placed inside the frame so there won't be knee high weeds surrounding my hookups. I'll post a picture when all is finished.

.

I talked to the folks at Quail Run RV Resort, in Arizona, about the winter workamping position, but it turns out they want someone from Oct.10 - April 7, and I have committed to return to Balcones Canyonlands NWR begining Feb. 15, so that didn't work out. If the volunteer position at Cibola NWR doesn't work out, I guess I'll just take the fall/early winter off and really spend the time truly retired. :)

.

Tonight, I think I'll try some of that blue kernel popcorn I got at the Amish visitor's center last week. I haven't mentioned that each night, hundreds of lightning bugs begin their display outside the rig. I haven't seen that many lightning bugs in a long time!

.

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

An ordinary day

I certainly slept soundly last night after the tiring driving day yesterday and the setting up last night. Being gone for a week meant all my bird feeders were empty and my two tomato plants and one hanging basket were really crying for a drink! I quenched their thirst, and the birds are all thrilled to have their free lunch return.

I got started on the laundry fairly early, and in between loads decided to go to Chilicothe for a few needed items and a hair cut at Walmart. I stopped by the local farm to pick up some tomatoes and corn, but couldn't find anyone around, or any produce for that matter. It is a pretty ramshackle farm yard, and the iconic old dog was the only living thing that I could roust up. I guess I'll have to try some other time. Too bad, because one of my favorite things in life is a homegrown tomato sandwich. Fresh corn on the cob isn't too shabby either. :(

I thought I'd try to wash all the thousands of accumulated bugs off of the front of the RV, but it was just too hot this afternoon. Even though the rig faces east, I'm figuring I had better do it first thing tomorrow morning before the predicted ninety degree temps arrive. Welcome back to sultry Missouri! I need to get those bugs off before I put up the sun shades, or they start eating away at the paint.

I was indoors most of the afternoon and had the Michael Jackson Memorial on the TV in the background. I'm really tired of all the news coverage that his death has created, but, I must admit that he was some performer.

I also gave a call to Cibola NWR in Arizona about volunteering there this fall. They will get back to me when they figure out which volunteers are returning. After getting the latest update from Workamper News, I called an RV resort in AZ about working there, but I had to leave a message. So far, I don't know what I'll be doing after the first two weeks in September when I'll camphost at Rice Lake while I get my yearly check-up at the Mayo Clinic. I guess I'll just play it by ear.

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

Record setting hook-up time...

Oh my goodness, the mosquitoes were horrible this morning! I wanted to be on the road by 8:00 this morning for the 389 mile drive back to Swan Lake NWR. I was doing a good job of keeping on schedule and then had to hook up the car to the motorhome. Sorry to say, I was wearing shorts and a tee shirt. I can't believe the number of mosquitoes that swarmed around me as I began the hook-up! I couldn't use my hands to swat them away because I needed them to do the hooking. If anybody saw me, I'm sure they thought I was doing an Irish jig out there. I got bitten so many times on my arms, legs, and face that I had no problem staying awake behind the wheel for the first two hours! I know that hook-up took under three minutes, which has got to be a record for me. So much for taking time to smell the flowers! It was awful!!!

.

Yesterday, Andy, Kelly, Joseph, and Seth came out to Rice Lake to share a hot dog cookout with me. What fun it was.

Seth (2 1/2) is on the left and Joseph (3 1/2) is on the right. I really enjoyed getting to know them better this week.

Of course, Grandma had to show them how to roast their first ever marshmallows!

.
That's the beauty of grand kids. You can enjoy and spoil them while they're with you, and then when they get cranky, you can turn them back over to their parents. ;)

.
I've promised Joey that he can spend a night with me when I return in September. Kids are always fascinated with my little home on wheels. It should be a fun time.

.
I'm pretty pooped after today's long drive, but I did notice on the way home that the local fresh vegetable farm has tomatoes and sweet corn available. I'll be sure to stop there tomorrow after I get the laundry done.

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

The Sunday Blast from the Past

August 24, 2006, found me camped at Hell's Gate State Park on the Idaho - Washington border. My reason for staying there was to take a two hundred mile jet boat ride through Hell's Canyon.

Hell's Canyon is the deepest canyon in the United States...yes, even deeper than the grand canyon.

It was a very enjoyable and scenic trip, and of course, the boat's pilot made sure we all got soaking wet on the return trip while going through some rapids.

Wildlife was abundant along the way. There were also quite a few forest fires that summer in the area.

The boat slowly went past this fire fighting helicopter that was filling with water to transport over the hills to the fire.

.

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

Happy 4th of July!

What a very busy couple of days it has been! On Thursday, I started out by dropping Emma off at the kennel and then met my son, Andy, and his family for lunch. Later, we went to his house in Kasson, where the wedding will take place. I spent the afternoon visiting and getting in some great time with my two grandsons, Joseph and Seth. At two and three years old, they are talkative bundles of energy!

.

The plan for the evening, was for a rehearsal out on the lawn and then we thought we were all going over to the home of the bride's parents for a dinner. The rehearsal was to begin at 5:00, but the only people to arrive at that time were the groom and groomsmen. As 6:00 neared, I began to wonder where the bride was. Then, her entire family arrived carrying food containers and told Kelly, Andy's wife, to put the lasagna in the oven and cook it! Eventually, Crystal arrived, but not before Kelly and I scrambled around her kitchen rearranging things to accommodate all the cooking she found herself doing. After taking a head count, I cornered Dan and told him to send the groomsmen to the local grocery store to get some plastic eating utensils, cups, and beverages for the twenty some people that had arrived. I knew Andy and Kelly didn't have enough plates, silverware, etc., to accommodate this crowd.

.

By 7:30, the rehearsal had still not begun, and the food wasn't yet ready. I decided to head back to my rig at Rice Lake, because I really prefer not to drive after dark. I tip my hat to Kelly for gracefully handling this sudden turn in events.

.

The festivities on Friday began with a photo session (that lasted several hours) at the Mantorville Park. Hundreds of photos were taken by a professional photographer, but I'll only include two, that were taken by not so professional, me.

The happy bride and groom...Crystal and Daniel, and their dog, Buddy. Later, at the ceremony, I would accompany Buddy down the aisle as he was the ring bearer!

I seldom have all three of my "kids" together at the same time, so I had to take this photo. That's my youngest, Andy, on the left; Daniel in the middle; and Robyn on the right. As you can see, grandchild #4 will be here before too long.

.

After some brief showers just before the time for the wedding, the ceremony went off without a hitch. I'm thrilled to report that now, all three of my children are happily married. The reception was held at a hall a few blocks away, next to the motel where many of the guests stayed the night. I enjoyed the evening visiting with many old :) friends and my older :) sister and brother-in-law. For our dance together, Dan and I did the Beer Barrel Polka! That got the crowd clapping and having a good time. I received quite a few comments about that choice.

.

Once again, I headed back to Rice Lake just before darkness enveloped. I must also say, that the food served at the reception was the best chicken dinner I've ever had at a wedding.

.

As much as Emma can be a pain in the neck, I must say that it has been rather odd not having her here the last two days. I've enjoyed sleeping in until 7:00 both mornings, but I do miss her company. I was supposed to pick her up today at noon at the kennel, but the kennel owner called to say that she had to make a fast trip to Iowa today because of a serious illness in her family. She is hoping to return by 8:00 this evening and will give me a call when she gets back. I hope it is before dark...

.

This afternoon, my friend, Lois and her new husband are coming out to the park for a cook-out. Lois was, and still is, the school social worker for the alternative school programs I ran in Rochester. Lois is such a positive person, that I know we will really enjoy getting together today.

.

Don't forget to fly your flag proudly today.........and be safe.

.

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

Yee Hah, New Bras...

Having to pay the high price for new bras has always irked me. I don't know why. That's just the way it is for me. So today I made a trip to the Medford Outlet Stores, here in Minnesota, to purchase new bras and socks. It's been two years since I did so, so how's that for an exciting day? I also went to Cabela's hoping to find replacements for the camp chair/table I purchased there ten years ago, but, alas, they don't have them anymore.

I met Sally, my secretary, in my former life as a principal, and we had a very enjoyable lunch talking about old times and all the changes that have happened in the school district. I'm sure glad I got out when I did!

I've tried stopping by the park office the last two days to pay for my site, but no one has been there and the office has been closed. I'll try again tomorrow. I'm sure everyone has been off in preparation for the big holiday weekend coming up. They haven't removed the camp host sign from my site, so everyone thinks I'm the camphost. That's OK with me. I know just about everything about this park and I enjoy talking to the people.

This afternoon, my daughter Robyn and granddaughter Avery came for a visit and we had hotdogs roasted over the campfire. I really enjoyed their visit. Tomorrow, I will take Emma into Kasson for her kennel stay and will meet my youngest son, Andy, and his family for lunch before the wedding rehearsal at his house. It will be a busy next two days....

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