California Baby!

When I was in high school, we had an exchange student from Norway, Astrid, live with us for part of a year. Her husband Knut, daughter Madeleine, and she came to the states for the second time for a visit, and this time they spent part of their time in California. As that was closer for me to travel to than going back to Alabama (where they spent the second part of their visit), I decided to head to Cali to hang out with them.



I headed out of Ruby Valley, and right into the middle of a cattle drive - something definitely different about living out west!

On the stretch between Ruby Valley and Elko, I saw a live badger (my third, but first in broad daylight!) and a dead one. That brings my total to 5 live and 3 dead - pretty sad that I've seen more dead than alive. People here do NOT yield to wildlife, and it's a real shame. The only saving grace is the low population out here... if there were as many people in the wide open west as back home, the animals would be doomed!

The first night I drove to Sacramento and stayed with my cousin Maria - actually, she's my cousin Jasin's wife, but he was out of town, so we just had a girly evening. We went to a great Mexican restaurant and spent the evening playing with her cats and watching HGTV. It was nice to see her home and spend some time with her!

The drive west was beautiful - there was a stark contrast in scenery between all of Nevada east of Reno, and Reno and the Truckee River west into California. I climbed up and over the Sierra Nevadas, saw a turnoff for the Pacific Crest Trail and the Donner Pass.

The next day I drove on to San Francisco. I was ASTOUNDED at the pollution - the sky was PINK and HAZY with SMOG - it was disgusting. The air seeping into the car smelled of chemical stench. It was pretty unbelievable. How did we allow this to happen? The traffic was unbelievable. Everywhere. I was never in California, ever, that I wasn't in heavy traffic. What a shame. Made me long for that clean Nevada air!

As I was approaching San Francisco, I nearly had a heart attack... the realization hit me that I was driving a standard transmission, and about to visit the hilliest city in the US! Oh my gosh... I mean, I can drive a stick really well, I think, but in San Francisco? THAT'S another story! I started sweating it. Thankfully, they'd chosen a hotel right on the coast so I avoided any severe hills.

It was nice to see them - we did some classic San Fran touristy things: walked on the Golden Gate Bridge, rode a double-decker bus on a tour around the city, saw Lombard street...

IT. WAS. FREEZING. None of us had packed appropriately. Knut and I both bought a fleece jacket from street vendors. Our hotel even had fires going outside!

As I left, it took me over an hour to get from the parking lot to the interstate, which was maybe then blocks away. Ridiculous. Traffic. Ugh.

I stopped back by Sacramento for a night, and spent it with my other cousin, Marjo Muir. I spent the evening catching up with her in her new apartment, and got to meet her boyfriend Tony. The next morning we had breakfast before I hit the road.

After a long drive home, and stopping in Elko to get an oil change (hey, when town's a 3 hour drive round-trip, you do things when you have the opportunity!), this was the beautiful scene that greeted me once I arrived back home in Ruby Valley.

Good Friends and Good Times

Our good friends Ambre and Brad Brewster, and their kiddos Owen and Addyson, came to visit us for 9 days! It was so nice to spend time with them - too bad the times are so few and far between these days. They flew into Salt Lake City on July 3, and we drove over and joined them that evening. We took advantage of the hotel's happy hour, then retired to the room and ordered pizza in for supper.

The next day we spent at the Hogle Zoo, which we were all impressed with. The habitats were ideal, the animals all seemed content, and best of all the zoo did a great job with conveying conservation messages - what I think should be the point of a zoo. The visitors were amazingly respectful - unbelievable, I didn't see ONE PERSON banging on the glass or saying something negative about the animals, which was a first for me!

After we left the zoo, we went to The Mayan for supper - they actually have cliff divers for entertainment while you eat! Even though it was a day early, we "celebrated" Rod and Brad's birthday (they share their day!) by eating a chocolate cake with a sprinkler in it.

Later that evening, Rod and I celebrated the 4th of July by watching a fireworks show from the top deck of our hotel.

The rest of the week was just really relaxing and especially enjoyable for me, having good friends around to talk with! We caught up on lots and had some good quality time - how I miss that! We went hiking, the boys went fishing, we toured the fish hatchery and Owen and Addyson got to feed the fish, Ambre and I went mammal-hunting on the roads at night, we watched a movie while the kids (and Brad!) were napping, we took the dogs for LOTS of walks (which both the dogs AND the kids, who got to walk them, really liked) - it was really, really nice.

Their final weekend here, we took them to Lamoille Canyon - we'd loved it when we visited with Mom and Dad and thought they would love it too. We had lunch first at a little tavern with a great front porch, and the weather was perfect.

We were hoping to find more mountain goats, or even better bighorn sheep, but no luck this time. However, the avalanche blocking the road was all cleared up, and we were able to drive to the top of the canyon and hike 2 miles to Lamoille Lake, a beautiful pristine alpine lake. Finally, Rod and I found our Clark's Nutcrackers - and there was a grove FULL of them!

Since we're about to be parents ourselves, it was particularly cute for me to watch Rod interact with the kiddos - he's gonna be a great dad!

Thanks again, Ambre, Brad, Owen and Addyson, for making the trip to come and visit us - it meant the world! Come anytime!

Three Weeks in Alabama!

On June 6 I flew back home to Alabama, leaving Rod behind in Nevada, to spend some time with family and friends. I was able to spend three full weekends there, which were chock full with loved ones, interspersed with relaxing weeks spent lounging around the pool, taking walks around the neighborhood, and taking advantage of having nearly any store I could want nearby to purchase needed baby items.

The first full weekend back, Sarah Roberts and Carter drove down to Athens to visit. We had SUCH a nice time, catching up, visiting, playing with Carter - how I miss good friends! (Let me rephrase - how I miss having someone at all to socialize with way out on the refuge! But seriously - I miss my friends!)

The second weekend, Heather Wagner drove over from eastern Alabama Friday morning. I got to spend the better part of a day with her, before my aunt Marjo and cousins Jasin and Maria arrived Friday night. Saturday the rest of my family showed up - the rest of my Dad's side of the family, including my Nannie, my aunt Jane and uncle Lynn, and my aunt Mary, uncle Steve, and cousins Elizabeth, John Louis and Stephen. From Mom's side, Mammaw, aunt Lisa and my cousin Kasey, and aunt Suzie and my cousin Rachel showed up. WOW! I felt very loved!

Saturday afternoon, the guys went golfing (except for Lynn and John Louis who decided to hold the fort down back at home) while us girls all went to my baby shower! I was SO fortunate to have such wonderful friends host this beautiful shower for me: Heather, Donna Cotten, Barbara McCollum and Sue Rowe - thank you AGAIN! I can't thank you enough!




And I am equally lucky to have a family willing to come all that way to spend it with me! Here are photos of everyone at some point during the weekend!

And Sarah Downs drove up from Birmingham for the shower, and she, Heather and I went out for dinner and spent some time catching up Saturday night. Luckily, I felt like I had the chance to spend a little time with everyone, which was nice!

My final weekend in AL, we drove up to Kentucky for my cousin Daniel's wedding. So, not only did I get to see Mammaw, Suzie, Rachel, Lisa and Kasey again, but I also got to see my uncles Russell and Denny, my aunt Sandy, and my cousins Daniel (and now Amanda, his new wife), Anthony, Brent, and the rest of my family - Gracie, Hunter and Shannabeth. It was a beautiful wedding!




It was SO great to spend such an extended time at home and get to see so many loved ones, but I sure was missing Rod by the end of those three weeks! So - back to Ruby Lake I go!

Nevada's First White Wagtail!!!

I knew right away, when I saw the small black-and-white bird, picking along the foundation of the concrete building, that it was something I had never seen before.

Mom, Dad and I were touring Gallagher State Fish Hatchery, located on Ruby Lake National Wildlife Refuge, and we were between facilities walking outside when I spotted it. Luckily, Dad had his binocs back in the car, so he jogged over to retrieve them. Even after getting a closer look, we were clueless... what WAS this bird?

I now question my judgement, but we continued on with our hatchery tour, tucking this unusual animal in the back of our minds for the moment. And Mom? The most diligent photographer I know, the woman who keeps a photojournal of our every moment - inns we stay at, restaurants we eat at, flowers we walk past - what does she do? Does she pick up the new Canon hanging around her neck and snap some photos? No, but she takes pics of the mass-produced trout in the large tanks we visit! Go figure!

As soon as our tour is over, we head home to check Sibley's. Not even having an idea of what this bird is, I pretty much start at the beginning (passing up the seabirds - murres and storm petrels - skip over the raptors, pass up the hummers and parrots) until I get to the pipits and wagtails... Hmmmm, that Black-backed Wagtail sure does look like that bird we just saw. However, its range is nowhere even remotely near to us. This would be unheard of! Can't be - what a rare find THAT would be, ha ha. So on I go - icterids, sparrow, finches... until I reach the end of the guide. Nothing else caught my eye, so back to the wagtail I go. Wow, that sure looks like our bird. More investigation and I learn this is an ASIAN species. CAN'T be what we saw - but... what else could it be?

So, back in the car we go. How FOOLISH that we didn't have Mom take a picture! What a mistake we've made! What are the chances it will still be there? Down at the hatchery, Dad and I begin combing the grounds, searching for the small black-and-white bird. Ten minutes, fifteen minutes, no luck. Crap - we REALLY messed up. And then, there before me not ten feet, blending in with the mottled gravel of the hatchery grounds, is the bird. This time I'm armed and ready, and manage to snap some photos.




It IS the wagtail - it HAS to be the wagtail! It looks just like the photo! But - that still doesn't make sense! Why here, in the middle of Nevada? It's not supposed to be here! After feeling like we sufficiently harassed it to the point we felt comfortable doing, we retreated and drove home to ponder our finding further.

After looking back and forth between the field guide and my photo umpteen times, making sure I was not about to make a complete fool out of myself, I was convinced. I then proceeded to post my discovery to the Nevada Bird Listserve, and also to enter it on ebird. Rod and Jeff made a trip down and also saw and photographed the bird. My email inbox was all abuzz for the rest of the day! The following day, birders drove from Las Vegas, Reno and Elko, all corners of the state, in the hopes of seeing this rare bird, but to no avail - apparently it had decided to move on. Where to? THAT is the question. What WAS it doing here, and where did it go? It will remain a mystery, but I'll never forget my personal rare bird find - what an experience!

Note: I later learned the Black-backed Wagtail has been lumped and is now the White Wagtail.

Our First Visitors to Ruby Lake

Mom and Dad flew out to visit us in late May/early June, and we were so excited to play hosts! They flew into Salt Lake City, the nearest airport to us (4-4.5 hours away), rented a car and drove out to Ruby Valley. They arrived on Friday May 28 in early evening. We had a busy time planned for them - just how we like it!


Mom had packed an entire carry-on suitcase full of plants, and I was fortunate to have their help in some of our yard beautification projects! They don't let grass grow under their feet - Mom and I got to work right away planting flowers out front! And even though it was almost June, it was COLD!




Here is the water feature I'd already installed in the flower bed, we just planted around it! I've had birds drinking and bathing from it, including a Lewis' Woodpecker, Yellow-headed Blackbirds, Brewer's Blackbirds, and Lazuli Buntings.

Rod had to contribute to the flower bed too with his own personal touch!

Dad, aka "Durvish Dad", helped around the house too, from washing cars to planting vegetables in the garden to hanging birdfeeders.

Saturday, their first full day, we headed to Lamoille Canyon, also in the Ruby Mountains but about 1.5 hours away. It was absolutely beautiful. We couldn't get that high up into the canyon, however, due to heavy snow pack covering the road.






We did get really close to a porcupine, who seemed completely unconcered with our presence...



... and we saw a whole herd of mountain goats!

Sunday we got up and headed towards the Utah border to Great Basin National Park, a little over 3 hours away. To do this, we headed south to Ely and traveled on Highway 50, the "Loneliest Highway in America".



However, we all agreed that the road taking us south out of Ruby Valley and through Long Valley was MUCH lonelier!




We did pass a small group of "wild horses" on the way.



These are very controversial out here. The BLM and the Humane Society of the United States are always fighting about these horses. They are truly feral horses, that have been living free on the open range for decades. There are many facets to the issue - from them not having adequate water or food on the open range and thus starving, to the case that they are destroying habitat, to the possibility that they are competing with native wildlife as well as cattle. As an ecologist, I totally see a case for the fact that these are non-native introduced species that shouldn't be here as they unnaturally alter the ecosystem and affect the wildlife living in it. However, for every feral horse out there there must be HUNDREDS of cows, so it seems ridiculous to me to take on the issue of eliminating horses for the minimal damage they may be causing, when the effect on the environment from cattle is astronomical. Until grazing is addressed, talking about the horses seems absurd.

Here we are, at GBNP!



We drove up Wheeler Peak scenic drive (at over 13,000 feet, it is the second tallest peak in Nevada) and debated hiking to the top, but here's what we encountered:



Hmmm... maybe we'd better not. Instead we found a lower elevation trail - Pole Canyon:



We stayed at the Silver Jack Inn, which was really a trailer converted into very simple rooms.




And we ate at the Lectrolux Cafe - an eclectic little restaurant/bakery/gifty shop that I loved!



Here, we celebrated Mom's birthday!



Monday we headed back to Ruby Valley, and Tuesday I had an OB appointment in Elko. While there, we visited the Northeast Nevada Museum and saw the original Pony Express cabin, which used to sit on the south end of the refuge.



We also ate at The Star - a Basque restaurant/hotel started one hundred years ago as a safe haven and socializing spot for Basque sheepherders who had settled the area. The food is served family style - cabbage soup, salad with a creamy garlic dressing, bread and butter, and french fries for all - plus whatever main course (usually a garlic-laden meat such as steak or lamb) you order. (Except for me - I just do the sides!)



We spent Wednesday - Friday bumming around the refuge. We got a tour of the Gallagher State Fish Hatchery, where I spotted a bird never before seen in Nevada (see following post). We planted my vegetable garden. We drove the refuge auto loop (more than once). We hiked Cave Creek trail, and walked the dogs around the refuge roads.



Dad hiked up to the top of the mountain behind our house. Mom helped me do some baby preparation. It was nice to just spend time together.

When driving the auto route, this Killdeer frantically hopped up and down, capturing our attention and luring us away from her nest - which we weren't sure about where it was located, but upon further investigation Dad found the four small speckled eggs, right in the middle of the road.

We also got some great looks of a Short-eared Owl!

Saturday, Mom, Dad and I headed to Salt Lake City, leaving Rod behind for a long three weeks by himself. We toured the Mormon/LDS Temple Square area in the middle of SLC. We had two very nice "sisters" who gave us a tour, and learned a lot about the Mormon religion. It was a great week!