Christmas 2009

Our first Christmas, in our new home, started two days early with the building of this fire.

 

Which helped us realize that one of our gifts was a fire screen.  Thanks Grandma! After opening the gift, we  sat around the fire and drank (spiked and non-spiked) hot chocolate with the kids. We enjoyed our first Christmas gift.

Its so pretty!

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On Christmas morning the kids opened their gifts from Santa. Once Casi opened hers (a cell phone) this is all we saw.

Tanners gift from Santa was snowboarding gear and a letter from Santa. The letter spoke of how, this year, Nate was Santas little helper. Explaining why Tanner kept seeing the snowboard out in the garage.

 The letter also asked Tanner to go in his room to find a gift Santa put there.

 I think Tanner liked it.

Tanner spent the rest of Christmas morning (before we headed to Logan) playing with Legos.

Oh,  I got this!!!!

A REAL coffee maker! I can make a whole  12 cups of coffee now!

Christmas Bird Count (CBC) 2009

I have been so bad at posting lately. I havent felt much like writing. The fact that I have tried to write is obvious since there are 10 almost blank posts in my "edit posts" box.

The CBC and I have a love hate relationship! Its freaking cold. I don't like the cold. It has taken me Nate two years to purchase enough gear; so I don't shiver all day long.  Ski pants, long johns, 100% wool, scarf wide enough to cover the lower half of your face, hat with ear covers, ski gloves attached to your coat (so you can pull them off and on all day long as you need to flip through a book or look at a map), and boots-water proof and insulated. This year, however, it was practically Bikini weather"; reaching almost 40 degrees mid day. My fingers and toes reached the level of warm after the first hour. I didn't shiver once. I still wore all of my gear, even with the higher temperatures.


So "Why would you want to go out and count birds?" This question was asked by my mother in law and I think its a good question.*


* I also felt this question a few days later as I geared up for a romp in the "wilderness" with my good friend Erin. The low for that day was -2 F, so I don't blame all the questioning looks. I hope to post on that experience later.

It is answered a bit over here where I state:

"The CBC  is an essential part of conservative efforts; providing scientists with 109 years of data regarding bird population fluctuations, migration, northward range extensions, and declining species."  

Kind of a bland statement, but what I am trying to say is that the CBC is a citizen science project.  Meaning, I get to go out and gather data for real live scientist to use. Now, knowing that the CBC data is used for science is a great big fuzzy hug for me but, thats not really why I do it.Which brings me to my next quote from me. Originally posted here.

"... birding is not just about the birds. Birding is an experience with nature."

Which is the real reason why I enjoy the CBC. It helps me get outside during a time when I don't like to; during the cold months of winter.

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A short review of the days counts (12/19/2009):


We started out our day at 8:00 am** at the Jordan River Parkway near 2320 S. Here we observed 40 of the 51 species counted. These included Borrows Goldeneye, Buffleheads, Ruddy ducks, and a surprise from a very vocal Kingfisher. We walked for 2.5 hours at this location. The only downer was the removal of a large section of Russian olive trees where I was hoping to see Spotted Towhees, White-crowned Sparrows, and a billion European Starlings.***  Due to the reclaiming of this area, these species were not seen. I was disappointed, even though I know the area will be better for the birds. So in about 50 -150 years... it will be REALLY cool!


** Rather late, really, after hearing that some of the other groups started the night before at 11:30 pm (the count goes from 12:00 am to 11:59 PM; giving 24 hours of counting. Now theres the crazy people!
*** I may be overstating this number a bit.

Our next stop was Decker Lake, an important area that provides shoreline for shorebirds. The water level of the lake was a bit higher than I normally see providing less shore area. Meaning the shorebird numbers were lower and  adding only ONE greater yellow legs, to our list, and no sandpipers. 12 species were observed here.


We then headed to the Stonebridge Golf course area. Veiwing it from 4646s (IHC building) and from the Discover card and Ingenix building parking lot areas. We saw A LOT of Canada geese (772), a Hooded Merganser, 3 Cackling geese, and one Thayer's gull in a group of 299 Ringed-billed gulls; for a total of 19 species.


After the Stonebridge area we went for lunch before heading to the last two areas along the Jordan River Parkway. We still had not seen the Spotted Towhees and White-crowned Sparrows. Two easy birds for our area.


We stopped at the Jordan River parkway along 4700 S and headed south.  Here we saw 23 species including many Yellow-rumped Warblers, a Marsh wren, 3 song sparrows, a Hermit Thrush, and a MERLIN! The first Merlin I have ever seen in Utah. We worked really hard to find the Spotted Towhees and White-crowned Sparrows, and also California Quails and Ringed-neck Pheasants here but never saw them. Due to this, we decided to check another area along the Jordan River Parkway; 4100 S.  We arrived with about an hour of daylight left. Counting 112 Canada geese, one Merlin flew over head, 10 California Quail, and also our Nemesis birds: the Spotted Towhees and White-crowned Sparrows were seen; for a total of 14 species at this last stop.

Accepting a gift

My Grandmother must have made many memories sledding, I thought, as she handed me the Flexible Flyer III. It was an awkward experience receiving her gift.

We were cleaning out her garage. Collecting donations for Cassidy's trip to Italy. The sled stood in the corner. I never asked for it. I did not want it.

When we were done, she walked over and touched it. Then picked it up and handed it to me. "Its silly that I have kept this. Its never been used. Its a good sled. Don't sell it."

Well, perhaps, those where not her exact words but I could see the sled meant something to her so, I accepted her gift,  even though I did not want the gift and it was given with strings attached. She wanted to make sure it had a good home.

Since then we have used the sled many times. Like Here and Here*.  Looking back, I think she knew what she was giving, even though I did not.

*The last "here" will take you to one of my most googled web page and includes graphs --Oh, how I love graphs!

Tanner appreciating a view.
Taken at Dimple Dell after an evening of single track sledding on a Flexible Flyer III

I received a gift poorly. Once. It was a rocking chair.

I was pregnant with Casi and emotional as all hell.**

** I will deny this if asked, but ask anyone else, who knew me at that time, and they will tell you what is probably the truth.

My mom wanted to give me a rocking chair for Christmas. She searched for one within her price range over the span of many weeks. She found one at Pier 1 Imports with a defect that my father could fix. She excitedly bargained down the price and brought it home.

I unwrapped the gift and thanked her but, my expression must have shown my true feelings. Eventually, I told her I did not like the gift.

I  know my Mom has forgiven me. I still feel terrible.

I have accepted many unwanted gifts before (and after) the rocking chair incident. I think I can accept a gift well.

I read Cannery Row by John Steinbeck while I was in college.

A book that depicts life in a depressed fishing town in California. The story of the owner of a chinese grocery, ladies of the night,  a household of grown-up delinquents, and other assorted characters coming together to give Doc a birthday party.

The books worst critics say Cannery Row has no plot.

Within its definition, plot, is concerned with how events are related, how they are structured, and how they enact change in the major characters of the book. Perhaps, Cannery Row has no plot but it did enact a change within one of its readers.  Like the incident with the rocking chair, it showed me the beauty and importance of accepting a gift.

And so, at this time of year I often think of the importance of giving gifts but also of receiving them.

A blury picture to say, "look-ee what I saw today... IN MY YARD!"

White-throated Sparrow

I was watching a spotted towhee working his way to my feeder.* I like watching these towhees. They are the under lords of the bushes. Large sparrows with red eyes and a devious expression. They twitch their tails. Flashing the white on the outer tips of there tails. Twitch. Twitch. It feels like a warning. They enter the feeder, everything scatters.

I was watching the towhee when,  I saw a small sparrow with dominant crown strips working the edge of the bushes above a rock wall. I thought he was a white-crowned sparrow, a common species to Utah but a new bird for my yard. I  ran for my binoculars and put him under glass. ** The prominent yellow spots above his eyes and bordered white throat patch told me it wasn't a white-crowned but a white-throated sparrow.

*I was suppose to be painting base boards but easily get distracted by my windows. Nate is so patient.
** A European term. It took me a long time to get it into a sentence. Yes, I feel proud of me.

Bird geek information:

The white-throated sparrow spends its summers in northern Canada and his winters east, south, and west of Utah.  They sing "Oh sweet Canada". You can listen to it here . They also have better pictures of the sparrow,  that were probably not taken through a dirty glass window with a hand held camera at 20X zoom.

A bushel and a peck

Have you ever had a song that meant something to you?  I have few songs like that. Some good some bad.

10 songs in my memories

10) Lean on me- sixth grade talent show. Dont judge me! It was an assignment and the whole sixth grade sang together. Thank god!

9) New kids on the block- *Shiver*  A boy sang it to me at Burger King. He had a crush that I did not return. While he sang,  my friends stood behind him laughing as he looked into my eyes and sang with all his heart.

8) I've got friends in low places by Garth Brooks - sang, in a group, drunk, around a campfire with our arms placed on each shoulders. Now who did not do that?

7) The Gambler by Kenny Rogers - will always remind me of my dad, in the garage, singing to an old radio. The smell of grease comes with this memory.

6) Chestnuts roasting over an open fire. As sung by my mother as we drove home from Grandma Nielson's Christmas Eve. I will never have a Christmas without feeling the warmth of my mother voice in that song or the desires to sing it (usually, out of tune).

5)

4)

3)

2) A bushel and a peck - as sung by my Grandpa Nielson. He used to sing it to me. I would always get embarrassed. I think that is why he kept doing it. He is such a tease.

1) A bushel and a peck - as sung by me to my kids.  I only remembered one or two lines of the song so I made up my own words. I am not very creative but over time it evolved into our song.

The version sung in Guys and Dolls.

I love you, a bushel and a peck!
A bushel and a peck, and a hug around the neck!
A hug around the neck, and a barrel and a heap
A barrel and a heap, and I'm talkin' in my sleep.
About you.
About you!
About you!
My heart is leapin'!
I'm having trouble sleepin'!
'Cause I love you, a bushel and a peck
You bet your pretty neck I do!
Doodle, oodle, oodle.
Doodle, oodle, oodle.
Doodle oodle oodle oo.
I love you, a bushel and a peck
A bushel and a peck, go and beats me all to heck!
Beats me all to heck how I'll ever tend the farm
Ever tend the farm when I want to keep my
Arms - about you -
About you!
About you!
The cows and chickens
are goin' to the dickens!
'Cause I love you a bushel and a peck
You bet your pretty neck I do -

Doodle oodle oodle
Doodle oodle oodle
Doodle oodle oodle, oo! 

Origins

2009 is the 150th anniversary of the publication of On the Origin of Species (24 November 1859) and the 200th anniversary of Darwin's birth (12 February 1809).

I have hundreds of images in my head. Red balloon-chested frigatebirds soaring overhead, a playful vermilion flycatcher putting on a show as we hiked a wooded trail,  and brightly colored sally lightfoot crabs climbing around on dark lava rocks full of marine iguanas, pictures of giant Galapagos land turtles creeping about or lolling in a muddy green pond, an Espanola mockingbird pecking at my water bottle, pilot whales splashing in the ocean, and a bright yellow mangrove warbler bouncing around on branches inches away. These are excerpts from my memories; a trip to the Galapagos Islands.

It was a celebration of marriage, a passion for the outdoors, and a respect and love of Darwin's discoveries brought forth in the publication of the Origins of species that brought Nate and I to these islands.  A book that changed the world when it was published in England over 150 years ago. A book that has been claimed as "the most important book ever written". A book, and a man, that altered how scientist look at the natural world and continues to frame biological research today. In celebration of Darwins accomplishments, I want to share some of my memories of my trip to these islands.

A favorite memory, is the dancing and diving blue-footed boobies. Either to attract a mate, or courting one, a male booby will raise one brilliantly colored web foot and then the other. There was no question that he was proud of his most distinguishing feature. When there was a pair together, they would touch their large bills together and strut around with their tails pointed to the sky.

The blue-footed boobies would fish near the shore. On one morning, Nate and I stood on a beach and watched a couple of dozen of them dive in unison – over and over again. They would lift off together after a dive, circle a time or two from a height of 50 to 75 feet or so, then point their bills downward, fold their wings in tight and splash down. Disappearing for a few seconds beneath the water before bobbing back up; with or without a fish.  Then they would do it all over again. I watched in fascination while Nate snapped pictures; trying to document the intesity of which they fished. We were reluctant to leave.

Another favorite memory was the moment I fell in love with the naked lava fields of a young island.  Each of the Galapagos islands begin life as a blank black canvas of lava; slowly painted by drifters of sea and air. I walked across one of these black canvases of only 700,000 years. Fernandina, was nothing more than a flat expanse of black lava. A large volcano loomed off in the distance; so far away it appeared almost a part of mist and sky. A few pioneer plants sparsely littered the hard crusted lava feild;  taken root in a small crease where wind had, perhaps, blown in earth from the mainland.


As we continued, we saw pockets of wetlands, formed from collapsed lava tubes, within an abundance of life would bloom. These holes, surrounded by green plant life, were centered with a clear blue, shallow pond. A world within a world containing the soft pinks of Greater flamingos, the graceful white of snowy egrets, the bold and cheerful yellow of mangrove warblers, and floating white-checked pintails. A young island who's story is just beginning.

  Other favorite memories are a sea lion's playful attack, White-tipped sharks appearing out of know where to only disappear shortly there after, a sea turtle slowly glides by,  swimming with a flightless cormorant, and amazing views where the deep blue color of sky and ocean meet black lava. A place where you can imitating a blue footed boobies mating dance, lifting one foot after the other, only to have it repeat it back to you,  listen to Lava gulls echo locate, and wait for the silvery flash of a flying fish. .The Galapagos is an interactive world where everything happens in close-up detail; where every curiosity is within reach.


The Galapagos are amazing islands but evolution did not stop with the writing of Origins by Charles Darwin.  It is still happening  today and it has been documented by scientists everywhere. My favorite account, is of  two scientist, natural selection through changing weather patterns, a finch species, over thirty years of reaserch, and a desert island in the heart of the Galapagos.*  You can read their account in The Beak of a Finch: A Story of Evolution in Our Time. Its full of sciency stuff without getting too dry. Another story is a warbler species who is changing from its parent population due to bird feeders.** This change been observed through changing migratory patterns, changing DNA, and measurable physical changes. This story can be read here, but its harder to read since it is written in conversation form.*** The last account, I wanted to share, I can not remember**** but it was a really cool story about a bird in South America.  Well thats my spill for the day..... I best be off to work.


*No this is no the beginning of a joke.


** Thats right, bird feeders.


*** but its shorter and you do not have to go to the library or purchase it off Amazon (or borrow it from me) to read it.


**** I hate forgetting. It sucks!

Things I overheard: An explorers perspective

Me: "When tanner gets home, we are going some where. You will not complain."

Casi: "Where are we going?"

Me: "You will know soon enough."

Me: "Get your shoes and socks on. Dress warm. Its the last day of 44 degree weather this week. I want to go on a hike."

Me: "Do you feel this?"

Casi: "What?"

Me: "How we feel right now. Do you feel it?"

Casi: "Yeah? What about it?" She turns to me and smiles.

Me: "I want you to remember how we feel right now. I want you to remember, this hike, as we are right now."

Things I overheard: A true story

Disclaimer: Literary snobs beware! There is no punctuation and misspellings happen everywhere. Avert your eyes if you cannot handle it. Avert them!

The hantid watr Faootin

bi: Tanner Branhc

the watr faootin is hontid

aaaaa

It is hontid

it icsplodes watr in mi face