What I Love and Hate About Ruby Lake

What I Love About Ruby Lake

• It is one of the most scenic places I have ever lived. The Ruby Mountains are absolutely breathtaking!


• The abundant wildlife, and tracking its phenology. It's cool to watch the changes in what's present with the changing seasons. There are always new species arriving daily! I've already seen 99 of the more than 220 bird species on the refuge, and there's always the possibility of something new. I've seen a herd of over 150 mule deer, pronghorn antelope, and glimpsed a porcupine and a badger. Hopefully soon I'll track down a bighorn sheep and a mountain goat!

• I have a National Wildlife Refuge for my backyard! (And front yard, and side yard...) YOU CAN'T BEAT THAT!


• The night sky - the stars are spectacular, and if you watch long enough you're bound to see a falling star.


• The phenomenal view from our front window - we have a panoramic view of the marsh, the Maverick Mountains, nesting Canada Geese, Sandhill Cranes, Trumpeter Swans, and the occasional Golden Eagle or Harrier Hawk that flies by! We get mule deer in our yard!

• I can get a lifer while taking the dogs for a walk - today I got a Lewis's Woodpecker!
  
• Birds I'd seen never or only once before moving here are now abundant (like Yellow-headed Blackbirds).


• The people in Ruby Valley. While we may be completely opposite philosophically and politically (I'm having a hard time adjusting to the rancher mentality: cow = good, wildlife = bad), they are the nicest, most welcoming people. I've received a bounty of gifts since arriving - houseplants, Costa Rican Lizano salsa, homemade hand lotion, German pancakes (eaten at their house for a dinner invite), a bunch of chives for my garden, and a pack of dishcloths. Additionally, I've been invited to and attended several functions, from book group (we're currently reading Thomas Hardy's Far From the Madding Crowd, and I'm hosting book group this month!) to Tamale Making to Cooking with Wheat. I've met many people here that have graciously accepted me into the valley - it is a close-knit community that I feel fortunate to be a part of.


• The night sounds - I can walk out the door at night and hear coyotes yipping, Great-Horned Owls hooting, and Canada Geese honking.


• Our Ruby Lake family (and extended fish hatchery family). We get together fairly regularly, for supper, a movie, to watch HBO's The Pacific, to attend Cowboy Poetry... Tomorrow we're going into town to have lunch and buy trees for our yards!


• The endless recreational opportunities - any moment I can walk out the door and hike Cave Creek, walk the dogs through the refuge, drive or bike (which I have yet to bike but intend to) the auto loop looking for wildlife, hike up the canyon behind our house (Rod's new favorite activity, hoping the Great Basin Rattlesnakes will emerge any day now...).

• Possibilities for exploration nearby, including Lamoille Canyon, Great Basin National Park, natural hot springs, Franklin Lake Wildlife Management Area, South Fork State Park (of the Humboldt River), Ruby Crest Trail, and the fall migration through the Goshute Mountains. These are all on my summer to-do list. If by next winter I'm still lacking one of these, someone please harass me about it - call me lazy.
  
• Starting our family - we are extremely excited about our little one on the way!
  
• Our house - it's great! Nice, new, spacious - the nicest place I've ever lived outside my parents' home. And better yet? We have a large yard with space to play - I've planted lots of flower bulbs, installed a water feature with fountain, and will have a nice little vegetable garden (if it will produce during the two-month growing season we get).
  
• I conducted the Sage Grouse surveys this spring - the first time I'd ever even seen one was on my first survey. Their display was one of the coolest things I've ever seen a bird do!
  
• Warm sunny days here - they are AMAZING!!!
  
• The isolation hasn't been as bad as I'd expected... that has been a pleasant surprise. In fact, I rather enjoy being tucked away out here on the most remote refuge in the lower 48, away from all the hubbub of town.
  
• I have all the time in the world! The ONE thing I ALWAYS wanted more of before moving here!
  

What I Hate About Ruby Lake

• The weather. I am a WARM weather girl, all the way. My whole life I've said I could go from fall to spring, and skip winter altogether. And I've moved to where it's winter 8 months of the year! We are still building a fire on May 7 to keep from freezing to death in our house, and at home it's a sunny 80 degrees. Argh. And the WIND! The wind is incredible here - it's a rare treat when it gives us a break.
  
• Being so terribly far from our loved ones. A plane trip is required to see any of them, and until we win the lottery, those trips are few and far between.
  
• I have all the time in the world. Be careful what you wish for! It has been more of an adjustment that I'd imagined, going from having a full-time job interacting with students on a daily basis, to being lucky on days I interact with anyone other than Rod! When I had my job all I wanted was more time - now that I have more time... well... you get the point.

At-Home Sushi

I'd been eyeing these sushi kits at the grocery, and finally decided to give them a go. Each kit makes 12 pieces (although both boxes were short wraps - one only had 10and one 11, not sure what's up with that), so I got one for each of us.

It is SO easy, and as yummy as what you'll order at any restaurant! The seaweed wraps are packaged and ready to go, you pop the sticky rice in the microwave for 2 minutes, and fill with whatever you want - done!

I stuffed mine with avocado, and Rod's with a mixture of shrimp, avocado and green onion. Just use very small pieces or you won't be able to roll them up! If you really squish the edges of the wrap together, it will stick.

I rounded it out with some steamed edamame (salted, it makes a yummy treat that we love - find it in the frozen veggie section) and hot tea (TAZO's Green Ginger). Our Asian lunch was complete!

Hummus - Yummus!

Gave my first go at making hummus, and must say it turned out FANTASTIC! If you have a food processor, you can easily make this yummy snack!



These ingredients make a fairly large amount - you may want to half it, depending:
2 cans chickpeas/garbanzo beans
8 oz. Tahini (found in ethnic section of any grocery store)
juice from 1 large or 2 small lemons
4 cloves garlic
1/2 C water
salt to taste
optional: 1/2 C roasted red peppers

Process the chickpeas just enough to break them up. Add the remaining ingredients and process until smooth. Add more salt or water as needed.

Serve with crackers (I like Triscuits), pita chips, or raw veggies - MMMMM!

Creamy Cheese Capellini - A Weight Watcher's Recipe!

Made this for supper the other night - yummy! It makes 4 servings, and each has only 8 WW points!



Ingredients:
1/2 pound whole-wheat capellini or linguini
2 tsp. olive oil
3 plum tomatoes, diced
2 garlic cloves, finely crushed
6 oz. baby spinach leaves (I used half a bunch)
1 C fat free ricotta cheese
1 C shredded mozzerella cheese (you could use fat free here for even less points!)
1/2 tsp. salt
pepper to taste

1) Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain and reserve 1/4 C cooking liquid.
2) While pasta is cooking, heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat, add tomatoes and garlic. Cook approximately 2 minutes, then add spinach in batches until wilted.
3) Add pasta, reserved cooking liquid, cheeses and salt. Stir until cheeses are melted. Serve with pepper if desired.

ENJOY!

Southern Nevada Getaway

Last Friday, March 12, Rod and I headed out from cold and snowy Ruby Valley to the warmth of southern Nevada. We pulled out around 5:30 pm once he was home from work, and decided to brave the southern route, which shaves one hour off of our trip, even though there were unmaintained rough dirt roads we'd have to traverse. This was unchartered territory for us thus far, but Eric and Lowell assured us we'd be okay. Well, fifteen miles south of the refuge we started to have our serious doubts. After navigating several miles of muddy slushy sloppy roads, we felt we were at the point of no return, so we gritted our teeth, said our prayers, and continued into the quagmire ahead of us, hoping to come out on the other side. Though there are several ranches north of the refuge, there was only one we knew of south, the Blue Jay Ranch. We soon happened upon it, and I made a quick glance at the mileage, so that if we became bogged down somewhere on down the road I'd know how far we had to walk back to that ranch. By now it was twilight, which added to our uncertainty. We eventually (white knuckled and hearts fluttering) popped out by the Bald Mountain mine, where the roads we were told began to be maintained again. The timing was perfect - a mine employee happened to be walking from his truck to the office, so Rod leapt out and ran through 18 inches of piled up snow and scrambled over a barbed-wire fence to pick his brain about what was to come. He assured us the roads were fine from there on out, and said he'd be leaving later, so if we had trouble he'd find us. Relief! I was worried we may be spending the weekend out there until Jeff happened by us on Monday on his way down to Vegas!

On our way, we not only encountered the infamous "black cows" on the road (imagine traveling down the road at a pretty good clip, in pitch black because you're in such isolation there are no lights of any kind, and realizing - well, hopefully you realize in time - that there is an extremely large jet black object standing before you), but I saw my first "wild horses" - five of them. Three hours before making Las Vegas, I noticed a glow off on the southern horizon. We speculated - Rod wondered it we could possibly be seeing remnants of the setting sun even after 9 pm, but it was in the wrong direction... - and decided it had to be a large city. Las Vegas? Surely not - could we really be seeing Vegas lights three hours out?!? Sure enough, we followed that glow all the way in - what. a. site. Sin City should be named "City of Lights". We'd never seen anything like it. As we crested a ridge, down in the valley was the most spectacular collection of lights we had ever seen. The dichotomy between the stark barren desert we'd been driving through for hours and this was staggering.

But, Las Vegas wasn't our destination, not for tonight. We continued south, to one of the southern most towns in Nevada, Laughlin, near the confluence of Nevada, Arizona and California. We stayed at Don Laughlin's, for whom the town is named, Riverside Casino. We were there to enjoy the Wings and Wildlife Festival, and see a new part of our new state. Over the course of the next two days we went on two nature walks - Grapevine Canyon, where we saw some magnificent petroglyphs and I got a lifer Sage Thrasher, and a walk along the Colorado River with some very friendly birders - and took a 3 hour water taxi ride up and down the river with another group of birders. The weather was amazing - sun, sun and more sun - although we about froze to death on the boat. THIS is really what I was here for!







On Monday we leisurely slept in before heading north towards Las Vegas, where we'd spend the week. We stopped in Boulder City at Hemenway Park in an attempt to see the Bighorn Sheep which graze at times around the ball fields, but to no avail. Then headed north of Vegas to the Corn Creek Station of Desert National Wildlife Refuge (the largest refuge in the lower 48), where Rod has his first meeting at 2:30. While he worked, I played (all week, really). I birded around the station for the next 2.5 hours, seeing such birds as Phainopepla and Townsend's Solitaire. I met Becky, the wife of another FWS employee, also a birder and a botanist, who would become my companion for the week.




Once the meeting was over, we headed to the Red Rock Rescrt Hotel and Casino - WOW. I'll say it again - WOW. Hands down the most posh place we've ever stayed (of course, that's not saying much when we gravitate towards Motel 6's where we can have our dogs!). A full mini-bar, flat-screen plasma, jacuzzi with a TV over it, telephone by the toilet, leather-paneled walls, granite tiled bathroom, more pillows on the king-sized bed than we knew where to put them all... we felt like royalty! And if we chose, we'd never have to leave - several restaurants, a movie theatre, a bowling alley, and of course - slot machines. We did try our hand one night - we each got $3 from the casino, and put in $10 of our own. We walked away (well, rather, ROD walked away, I'm no good at it!) with $29. A $19 profit? Not too shabby.

Tuesday Becky and I visted Henderson Bird Preserve - a collection of 9 ponds absolutely TEEMING with birds. It was an amazing place. Wednesday we took a guided hike at Red Rock Canyon on the Moenkopi trail - more great sunshine and warmth! Wednesday night there was a retirement party at a restaurant for Marti, who we owe Rod's job to. I had the chance to meet some of the FWS employees for this region for the first time. Everyone was SUPER friendly, and I made a really good contact of someone who, oddly, used to live at Ruby Lake and knows a coauthor of mine at Hawk Mountain Sanctuary. Thursday it was back to Red Rock Canyon to hike the Lost Creek and Oak Creek trails. Then yesterday it was time to call an end to our vacation - sigh. After another leisurely morning, we ambled northwards, stopping at Pahranagat NWR. Funny story - the first bite Rod ever got on a FWS job was the manager position at Pahranagat. After he interviewed, we got pretty excited, researching the area. Of course, he didn't get the job, but yesterday we got to visit the refuge that we once thought we may be at.






On our drive home, we saw our first elk - three of them - standing off the roadside. We continue to be amazed (and a little intimidated) at the sheer vastness of this state, of the west. You could really get in trouble out here! We would literally drive for HOURS - sometimes on highways, sometimes on dirt roads - and not see another soul. Not what we're used to back home!

I am pleasantly suprised today to see that most of our snow has melted while we were away, and that the high today is 52 and tomorrow is 58! Is spring really on its way???

A Day at the Circus = Supporting Animal Abuse

Disclaimer: The source for the following information is PETA. I realize this organization polarizes people, and do not condone nor condemn them. However, this is information I think people should know about.

"In the Ringling Bros. circus, elephants are beaten, hit, poked, prodded, and jabbed with sharp hooks, sometimes until bloody. Tigers are viciously struck with sticks so they'll perform difficult and confusing tricks."



Watch other videos like this, and see photos and more information here.

From this page, you can also click on "Help Stop Big Top Cruelty" to send a quick email to Secretary of Agriculture Thomas J. Vilsack and "demand that the agency seize the elephants whom Ringling hauls around the country in filthy boxcars and forces to perform under the constant threat of punishment".

And at the very least... steer clear of the circus!

It's Official - We've Been Nevada Residents for 1 Month!

Saturday marked the 1 month mark from the day we arrived in Ruby Valley. I would say we're feeling pretty settled in and at home, despite the huge changes in our lives! We've unpacked most of the boxes, been to Elko shopping for groceries, etc. a few times, been socializing with our new friends and neighbors, and Rod is into the routine of up and at 'em bright and early to head to work.

We've had quite a bit of snow this week in Nevada! Rod's FWS uniforms arrived, so after a big snow last Sunday we went out and took pictures (which, amazingly, Rod suggested, and those of you who know Rod know this is SO unlike him!). He looks pretty darn cute in those browns doesn't he?

Here is Rod's office, and his charge - Ruby Marsh:

Poor Rod - he had quite the day Wednesday. He drove 3 hours south, past the Maverick mountain range, to Ely, to obtain a government ID badge. Upon arrival, the lady couldn't login to her computer. After trying for 2+ hours, she sent him back to Ruby Lake! Sigh - what a day. He had to drive back in the snow and the dark. It was pretty white knuckle, and he was tired when he got home! I think next time he's going to try Salt Lake City. Maybe he'll have more luck there!

The Gallagher Fish Hatcher down the road got a new employee 2 weeks after we arrived, and he has a wife and son. So, on Thursday, the refuge and hatchery had a welcoming potluck for both us and them at the bunkhouse. It was so nice! We got to meet three other close neighbors of ours too.

On Saturday, Eric, Rod and I headed to Elko for the annual National Cowboy Poetry Gathering. We checked out the vendors at the Red Lion Casino before heading to the Northeast Nevada Museum.

Outside the museum is the

which used to be actually located on the south end of the refuge.



From here, we headed to the Western Folklife Center, then onto the Convention Center for some Rowdy Rodeo Rhymes. We got a pretty good taste I think of the cowboy poetry before calling it a night and heading home, when we stopped by Jeff's for some refreshments and to watch "Beyond a Reasonable Doubt".