Loony Adventures

Jeremy recently was able to see a new bird- a yellow-billed loon.
 

Actually there were two. 

Nichole and I wanted to see them so he took us to the place where he saw them. We didn't see them. We saw other birds but no yellow-billed loons. Just these loons.

Yesterday we decided to try again. We went to the same place and Jeremy was able to spot one of the loons on the choppy water of the reservoir. Nichole and I got a quick look because it kept diving under the water. Oh well. Jeremy and I watched a bald eagle fly over the water. That was fun.

We stopped at another spot and saw some other birds that may have been a different kind of loon. We couldn't get a good look. And there were these loons.

Jr. Jr. requested another muffin night like we did the end of October. So for dinner we had oatmeal muffins again, Christmas banana muffins, orange craisin muffins, and calzone muffins. There was some dough left over from the calzone muffins so Jr. Jr. and I made some braided rolls. It was fun to do muffin night again.

While we were eating, Lucky asked me to tell stories from my childhood. That went right along with #LightTheWorld for that day. Jeremy and the kids started making our balloon Christmas tree that day as well.

To Light the World today we delivered brownies to my sister. Lucky knocked on the door, ran back to the van, and when my sister answered the door, we sang, "We Wish You a Merry Christmas." One of her kids then came to the door so we resang, "We Wish You a Merry Christmas." Then her husband came to the door so we resang, "We Wish You a Merry Christmas." Then more of her kids came to the door so we resang, "We Wish You a Merry Christmas." Then my sister came out to her lawn while we stayed at the van and we got to chat for a bit. That was nice.

When we got home, Jeremy and the kids decorated the tree with balloon ornaments and a couple of the kids contributed lightweight ornaments of their own.

For dinner we had a salad bar since it is Radish Night on December 23. It is also National Roots Day which goes right along with radishes.

Lucky read a story to Jet and we continued getting ready for Christmas Day. 

We of course have been keeping up with the real reason for the season with our advent countdown to Christmas scripture study. We have been trying to do service for each other in our family as well as for others. #LightTheWorld for today is about sharing gratitude for gifts God has given. I will say that I am very grateful for #GiveThanks around Thanksgiving. It did help me to get in the right frame of mind for the Christmas season. Even though there have been some frustrating times this December, I've had a better time than some years. I'm grateful we read all of A Christmas Carol this year. I'm grateful we've still been able to do lots of things as a family. I'm grateful we've had some neat experiences in nature. I love nature and I believe Heavenly Father has given me a gift to appreciate the beauty of nature. I am grateful that unlike most years, we haven't really gotten sick this December so far and I think we're close enough to Christmas that it's safe to say we won't be miserable on Christmas. There really are so many things for which to be grateful, the best being the Savior, Jesus Christ. Merry Christmas, everyone. And of course in the words of Tiny Tim from A Christmas Carol, "God bless us, everyone." He has and I recognize that.

Carving Pumpkins- Zoom Style

October 21 was Reptile Awareness Day. Jr. Jr. and I talked reptiles while doing spelling homework. "Spell 'screech' as in screech owl, which is not a reptile but a bird." Chimpanzees are mammals, not reptiles.

Later that day, Nichole and Jr. participated in a pumpkin carving youth activity via Zoom.

Jr. thought he'd carve one appropriate for 2020. Nichole made hers two-sided. One side had a triforce on it and the other had a Guardian from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.

Fall Break- Antelope Island

I asked in advance what family members wanted to do for Fall Break to see what we could fit in. Besides hiking, owling with Jr. Jr., and the gardens at Thanksgiving Point, the last thing on the list was going to Antelope Island to play in the long grass. So for our last day of Fall Break, we headed to Antelope Island. 

Unfortunately the long grass was all cut down but we played in the woods. 

Actually there were not many people at Garr Ranch so we had the bird area to ourselves for a while. We saw several different species including a Virginia Rail, some hermit thrushes, and plenty of ruby-crowned kinglets to name just a few.

This raven was making all sorts of noises, including some that made us think we were hearing other birds. Corvids are cool. 

At one point Jet and I were walking toward an area Nichole had gone to take pictures when a few kinglets started hopping around on the trees right in front of us. We stood still and watched them then watched some thrushes pop out and hop around as well. I was impressed with how quiet and still Jet was. He was very interested in watching those birds as was I.

We met some other birders who are moving to the area from New York. Jeremy was able to tell them what we'd been seeing. Later we ran into them again while we stopped for lunch with the bison and Jeremy was able to point out some loggerhead shrikes and a coyote.

 

Birding whilst social distancing.

 

Quite a few flies got into the van so Jr. kept saying, "Flies are your tickle friends," in a funny voice. Can you tell the kids have been reading the blog lately?

 

I'm on top of the world.

 

It was a great trip. We had such a good time but it was tiring. Two of the children were asleep by the time we got home. Awwwww.

The cutest part of the trip- when we got off the freeway, Lucky saw the sign for Antelope Dr and asked, "Antelope Doctor? Why do they have an Antelope Doctor?"

Labor Day 2020

We got the kids up early again to go on a birding trip for Labor Day on September 7. We wanted to drive up Mirror Lake Scenic Byway. This is a place Jeremy and I have both gone on birding field trips in the past. Unfortunately with things as they currently are, birding field trips are not possible in the same way. We're encouraged to go out on our own to work on this year's challenge without meeting in big groups.

We stopped by Bridal Veil Falls on the way through the canyon because that early in the morning, there weren't many people there. Very easy to keep a turkey vulture's wing-length away from people. 

Speaking of turkey vultures, we stopped in Heber at the historic Wasatch Stake Tabernacle. It seems every time we drive through Heber, this building has turkey vultures sitting on it, sometimes spreading their wings. Wouldn't it be fun to juggle with the turkey vultures on the building in the background? So I did.

They look so small but they're really such big birds. Jeremy discovered that not only were they on the building but there were a bunch in the trees nearby.

There was also a hot air balloon flying in the sky nearby. Those are always neat to see.

We had fun taking pictures. That's when we realized this was going to be a somewhat relaxed trip and not a "we need to get to this certain point by this time" trip.

We had certain places we wanted to stop to look for specific birds but whatever and wherever else we stopped would be good, too. That's how Jeremy saw a black-throated gray warbler when we stopped at a random picnic area with a little pond. I saw it as it flew but didn't get a good look at it like Jeremy did. Poor Nichole missed it altogether.

She did get to see the Clark's Nutcrackers and Canada Jays, though, which were two of the birds we specifically made the trip for.

There were plenty of other things to see besides birds.

Chipmunks and squirrels.

Everyone got to see a pika (except Jet but he's young enough we don't count him with "everyone" when we see something).

  Of course there was beautiful scenery with mountains and lakes everywhere.

 And juggling at an elevation of over 10,000 feet? That's cool.

I really enjoyed this trip with my family.

We did hit Labor Day traffic on the way home- lots of stop and go traffic from Heber to Deer Creek Reservoir. And driving past Bridal Veil Falls again? I'm sure glad we stopped that morning.

We were all exhausted by the end of the day but it was worth it.