Our Vacations, Thy Creations, and Our Relations- Part 6

I'm all for traditions. One tradition we have when we visit Oregon, even if we don't do anything else except chill, is going to a nature trail near where my parents live. The first time Jeremy and I went, we saw turkeys in the trees and a green heron, which was exciting as I had never seen one before (that I knew of). Since then, it's been tradition to look for green herons there and we see them every time.

Last year I took all the kids out to the nature trail. Some of them had more fun than others. This year Jeremy, Nichole, my brother, and I went. 

We saw several green herons, of course. We also got a new to us bird. I hadn't even heard of this bird before- wrentit. They have the fluffiness of a bushtit and a tail like a wren.

I really do love getting out in nature and enjoying God's creations.

There was one point where Nichole and I had to head back for something we dropped and we saw a turtle walking along the path like us. It was so fun to see. By the time we came across it again, it had turned around and was headed through the bushes back toward the water. Heh heh.

We saw plenty of turtles and we even saw a muskrat who decided to get out of the water.

I love morning birding (and nature watching in general). I also love celebrating. We celebrated Drop a Rock Day and Eat Beans Day on July 3.

I'll share more of our wonderful vacation later.

The Day They Came Home

I had to get up early in the morning to pick up the boys from FSY the day they finished. We came home by way of the windmills in Spanish Fork. It was Global Wind Day and National Electricity Day, June 15. While I was gone, Lucky and Daddy took some bonding time together and went rock hounding on Nature Photography Day. They took choco rocks with them. They did not get the obsidian and chocolate mixed up.

I learned there are different kinds of obsidian. Besides regular they also found mahogany, and snowflake.

When we all got back, Jeremy and I had our own bonding time celebrating National Megalodon Day by watching Meg 2: The Trench. 

It was also Smile Power Day. You can't tell me these smiles don't have power.

3rd and 4th of July 2023

Let's start catching up on July by talking about the 3rd and 4th of July since not much celebrating happened the first two days.

Balloon Fest happens for a few days around the 4th of July, so Monday, July 3rd, Nichole and I went for a drive to see the hot air balloons and to drive under some of them.

That evening we celebrated Eat Beans Day and Drop a Rock Day by having with our dinner jelly beans and chocolate rocks that we dropped onto our plates.

Tuesday, July 4th, Jr. Jr. and Jr. went to help set up flags in the neighborhood. Jr. Jr. and I ended up with a selfie that day like on Memorial Day and Flag Day this year. I think it might turn into a running theme. Selfies with the American Flag instead of pictures of the kids with them.

We ate Caesar salad because it was also Caesar Salad Day.

That night, some of us watched fireworks with neighbors and Jeremy made balloon animals for kids (and adults) who were out watching fireworks. It was a pleasant night.

Kokanee Salmon?

Someone told us that if we went back to Rock Cliff Recreation Area a couple weeks after we went to see the kokanee salmon in September, there would be a lot more salmon to see. So we went back and there were not more. We may have seen three? Maybe, if that. 

The trip was not a waste, though. There were birds of course- cedar waxwings, lesser goldfinches, yellow-rumped warblers, dark-eyed juncos, white-crowned sparrows, flickers.

We also saw two or three black phoebes which are not as common as those others. 

There was also beautiful scenery- the river and reservoir and of course the Fall colors. 

We saw deer several times. It was fun to watch them bound away. 

We saw some spiders spinning webs.

We had fun family time. The kids enjoyed making Jet smile and laugh (and the rest of us).

At one point on a bridge, the boys were throwing plants in the water and I called out, "Pooh sticks!"
They got excited about that and went to gather more things to toss. Jr. grabbed a big rock and said, "Pooh sticks. Eeyore style!" and threw it into the water. That started more rock throwing into the water.

It was great and we didn't have any fighting while we were there or in the van.

I loved that time with my family. 

Definitely click on this last picture to see it larger. Lucky's pose, man.