Nature Is Cool, Birding Is Cool

June 10 was Black Cow Day. We were too busy and it got too late to make root beer floats with chocolate syrup in them.

So we celebrated the next day, observed. Nichole and Jet made them for everyone. Jet put in the chocolate syrup and Nichole put in the ice cream and the root beer. Mwah (chef's kiss). They were very well balanced. I was impressed.

 

Before we had our black cows, though, Nichole and I had the opportunity to go on a bird walk with Utah County Birders. We've missed the last couple they've done so we enjoyed getting to go this time. We started at Vivian Park and walked along the Provo River Parkway for a while. We had a huge group of people. It was nice to see so many people show up. There were a lot of new birders and some that are new to the area. It was hit and miss with some of the birds, though. You never know with a huge group of people if it's going to scare the birds or not.

At one point several people saw a beaver. Nichole and I didn't.

Bird of the night for me was the catbird. I kept getting glimpses of catbirds but they wouldn't stay in sight for long. I saw one flying across the trail or hopping over on the side but not long enough to even look with the binoculars. Until... on the walk back, one finally decided to hop out and show itself for the small group of people we were with who had not gone ahead with the rest. So Nichole and I got a good look and got to get pictures. Yay. It's been a while since I've seen a catbird.

Nature's cool, man.

International Tea Day 2026

I loved what we did for International Tea Day, May 21, last year so much, I wanted to do something similar this year.

I asked family members what they wanted to eat with our herbal tea. Cucumber sandwiches, of course, were requested. Our favorite recipe for cucumber sandwiches is in Whisk Me Away by Michelle Wright.

We also had raspberry honey butter (also from Whisk Me Away) on English Muffins. My husband requested coffee cake so I made Carrot Cake Coffee Cake (recipe from Mel's Kitchen Cafe). 

 

Lucky and I made biscuits (also from Whisk Me Away) that he had with leftover sausage gravy.

  

We spent so much time making food that Nichole and I only had time to eat half a cucumber sandwich each before we headed out to a Relief Society activity. I stage my picture and ate when we got home.

 

Our activity was a walk along the Provo River Parkway with a few other ladies. 

I had self control and didn't bring my binoculars and camera yet still got distracted by birds and got way behind the others while I was trying to find a Yellow-breasted Chat I could hear. I never did see it.

Ah, birds... and going for walks... and herbal tea... and celebrating.

Screen Free Week 2026

Last week was Screen Free Week. Let's talk about highlights from the week.

Monday through Friday, I went for daily walks to Bridal Veil Falls, including on a day when it was raining. I just took an umbrella.

 

I listened through several audiobooks.

One day I walked beyond Bridal Veil Falls and walked along the Provo River Parkway for a bit. I kept having to dodge little inchworms hanging from their silken threads. I tried to get some pictures using my hand as a backdrop (without touching them) but I couldn't get it to focus on the creatures.

Finally I gave up and started walking back. After a bit I looked down at my sleeve and saw a little inchworm sitting there. I was able to get pictures and a video of it (because my sleeve was a good backdrop) before I picked up a stick to encourage it off of me.

I found another one that I also got off. When I got back to the van, I took off my vest and brushed myself off but I didn't have any more of those little caterpillars on me. That was fun. 

 

May the Fourth, I took a couple kids to the library with me. We said Hi to Libby the Librantula (twice) and picked up some books.

There was a display in the children's section for Star Wars Day, so I picked up a book to read with Jet later.

We ate "sand"wich people at home. 

I wished my friend a Happy Star Wars Day and she let me know they were watching one of the movies.

We didn't watch a movie because it was Screen Free Week but we played a card game that night for Family Home Evening.

May the Sixth was No Diet Day so I told everyone to "Fend For Yourself" for dinner. 

 

May the Seventh was National Tourism Day so we ate Greek Pitas.

I wore my slug shirt I wore on our Pacific Northwest trip a couple years ago. Jet carried around Timothy, the banana slug we got from Mount Rainier on that trip. Jet and I both wore brown shirts and black pants that day.

May the Eighth was No Sock Day. I wore my socks some of the time but took them off other times.

It was also Fintastic Friday. We had Sharkleberry Fin Koolaid and Jeremy brought us home gummy sharks.

That night, I introduced another person to the movie, Seeking Persephone. It's a monthly tradition. This person, however, has read a lot of books by Sarah M. Eden so she is very familiar with the book this movie is based on as well as the series (and a related series).

I know it was Screen Free Week, but this movie watching was postponed from when we were going to watch it in April (I got to watch it with my in-laws). The kids were okay with it because they got to watch a movie during Screen Free Week and eat cucumber sandwiches and drink herbal tea.  

 

Other things from Screen Free Week:

Snuggles

Jet  showing that he learned "Skidamarink A Dink A Dink" at school

Jr. Jr. letting Jet play with the train he built at school (how cool is that)

 

Jeremy finally getting a haircut

Roses blooming 

I'll blog about Saturday and Sunday later. Those days were big deals. 

Birding Weekend

So much catching up to do. Wish me luck.

 

Before Jeremy and I went on our "date" on Saturday the 17th, the kids and I went along a portion of the Provo River Trail to look for birds. 

I think the highlight was the rooster who was hanging out by the bank of the river overseeing the ducks swimming around. That and the cows that were mooing. They got Jet mooing, too.

Sunday, we all went for a drive to look at birds. We went to several spots. The highlight: the domestic geese with their cute little fuzzy goslings. So adorable. The kids all wanted to take pictures with the camera (except Jet). Their favorites:

Nichole

Jr. Jr.

 Lucky

 

Jr. told me to pick my favorite of his pictures. I love this one.

 

While we were in the van, we snacked on Animal Crackers. Why? Because April 18 was National Animal Crackers Day, of course. It was also Velociraptor Awareness Day so while the kids were watching the goslings, I was watching a cormorant swimming around. I've often thought cormorants look like dinosaurs. 

Here's a picture from 2016 since I can't find a picture on my blog. Dinosaur, right?

 

That evening the kids made dinner. Nichole made jalapeno pasta. Jr. made baguettes for everyone. Jr. Jr. made chocolate covered bananas. Lucky provided broccoli and blueberries (but not together).

Monday, Jet and I went for a walk in the same area along the Provo River Trail again. This time we had fun listening to the little goats bleat. Jet was baaing back at them. That was the highlight for me. I enjoyed hanging out with my little guy on Hanging Out Day, April 19.

So that was our birding weekend.

There's so much more to catch up on but you know... May is about trying to survive the last month of school and other activities so bear with me.