Groundhog Day 2024

Okay. The last three posts? I couldn't help it. We were quoting the Bill Murray movie throughout the day on Groundhog Day. Jeremy and I listened to "I Got You Babe" by Sonny and Cher.

It all started Thursday, February 1, when Jeremy sent me a link to a commercial with Stephen Tobolowsky, who played Ned in the movie Groundhog Day.

Happy Groundhog Lay's.

As February 2 was also Tater Tot Day, Jeremy went to look for Tater Tots on his way home from work Thursday. He walked in our door and said, "Tater tots were not a good price. But these were on sale and I thought, 'Groundhog Lay's,'" and set down a bag of Lay's potato chips. He then went outside and came back in with another package of Lay's potato chips and said the same thing. Then he went outside again and came in with one more package saying the same words. Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha. We all got a kick out of it. 

So on Friday, February 2, we ate a bag of those chips. Then Saturday, February 3, we ate another bag since it was "Groundhog Day" again. See previous three posts.

Friday morning I also mentioned it was World Wetlands Day. I'd have loved to go to a wetlands area but it was raining so I was driving on wet lands.

That evening was a funeral or celebration of life for my aunt who passed away recently. Jeremy, Nichole, and I went. It was so good to see so many relatives- so many cousins. I haven't seen most of them in years. Even though we don't get together as often as when we were kids (yearly family reunions at Grandma's), the love in our family is still there and always will be. 

My sister brought one of her kids so we got to represent my parents' family since the weather was not such that my parents could travel from Oregon.

I am grateful that my aunt doesn't have to worry about any of her health troubles any more. She is missed but she gets to be with her parents, one of her daughters, and two of her brothers again. I am grateful for the Plan of Salvation. Life continues after death and we do get to see loved ones again.

Identifying Gulls But Not Groundhogs

Saturday, February 2, was World Wetlands Day.  Nichole and I went to Farmington Bay for a Gull Identification Clinic.  It was very informative and enjoyable.  I feel I know so much more now. 

Then we went out into the field to put our new identifying skills into practice.  We saw 4 or 4 1/2 different species (by 4 1/2 I mean that there is a species of gull that is technically all one species but the subspecies is practically its own species so they are both mentioned separately).

It was appropriate to be there on World Wetlands Day.

We went home to celebrate the other holiday, Groundhog Day.  Jeremy fixed us imitation groundhog burgers again this year.  What was even better was that we also had turkey bacon, which is another imitation hog.  Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha.
I was just going to swirl my ketchup around on my bun but it happened to drip just right to become a smiley face.  Ha Ha.  How great is that? Totally unintentional.

That evening the movie, Groundhog Day, was put on.  Some people watched parts of it.
And sadly, I still don't know if the groundhog saw its shadow or not on Saturday.  How sad is that?

100 Groundhogs

Today was the 100th day of school and the 1st graders were encouraged to dress up as if they were 100 years old.  Jeremy let Jr. Jr. wear his tux jacket and take his dapper cane and an old bowler.
Lucky dressed up like a pirate (see previous post).  Jr. Jr. did a good job staying in character.  Cute... slow... kid/old man.

Besides the 100th day of school, it was also World Wetlands Day and Groundhog Day.
We celebrated World Wetlands Day by going birding, part of the time was to some wetlands.

We celebrated Groundhog Day by eating imitation groundhog burgers. 

We did a lot in January but we were also busy and I didn't blog that much.  Maybe I'll catch up again someday.  Who knows?  You'll just have to come back and see.

Belted Kingfisher

Friday, September 16, I had a chance to try out a new (to me) park.  Bicentennial Park in Provo.  It's a big park.  They have a fenced in dog park (with a fire hydrant in the middle for the dogs- heh heh).  Huge open grassy area and hill.  Frisbee golf course.  Playgrounds.  Restrooms.  Trees.  A duck pond with a bridge over it.  And... and... and... they have a boardwalk that goes through a wetland and willow forest.  :D  Yeah, awesome.

At one point I was walking along an area of the boardwalk and I heard a familiar bird sound.  It sounded like a belted kingfisher.  Jeremy and I had seen and heard some just this Summer while we were in Oregon.
Well, to make a long story short, I found the belted kingfisher that I had been hearing.  So awesome.

And I have to share this because even simple things can make me happy.  I found out looking back at my blog that the last (and first and only) time I saw a belted kingfisher in Utah was... wait for it... September 16, 2015.  Exactly one year before I saw this one.  How fun is that?  I tell you.  It's the simple things in life.