It's been a tedious forenoon hither at the Traveling Three Cats Ranch. We spent yesterday even at the local emergency department. The positive-thinking-head-in-the-sand approach to curing my asthma occupation failed dismally. By day's destination yesterday, I admitted defeat as well as nosotros took off for the infirmary for my first-ever nebulizer treatment. I'll say to a greater extent than virtually that toward the destination of the post service (if I don't forget), but I'll tell you lot straightaway that fifty-fifty without positive thinking, I'm feeling much, much amend today. I'm all the same coughing some, but the coughing has turned to a greater extent than productive, a overnice alter from the dry out choking hack of the past times 2 days.
So let's exactly dorsum upward to yesterday morning. Every diverseness of fast nutrient is available to us exactly across the street, as well as thus it seemed a skillful fourth dimension to caput to McDonalds for our start dear Egg McMuffin of the trip. It was vivid as well as sunny. The temperature was a lilliputian on the coolish side, but nosotros were looking forwards to a skillful day, weather-wise.
The excogitation was to encounter my friend Judy, start at the San Luis NWR. Shortly after leaving McDonald's nosotros drove into pea soup fog. Judy had already texted to say she was running slow because of depression visibility. No problem...we institute our way.
There was a really overnice visitor centre there. Upon approach, nosotros institute this beautiful mosaic...flying geese as well as a mariner's compass for all you lot quilting people.
Along the way, this quote from John Muir. We institute ourselves wondering what the expanse looked similar 150 years ago.
Inside, nosotros paid our respects to the resident cat, Lucky. Lucky was taken inwards when the visitor's centre was built. She was apparently abandoned, as well as has lived hither for about 10 years. The employee at the visitor centre said she was already spayed when found, as well as thus she'd been someone's pet at ane time. She was really friendly, hanging out on top of a lighted display, where it was warm. She purrmitted petting as well as posed for her picture.
If she had a pinkish nose, you lot powerfulness think you lot were looking at Smitty. Also she's virtually one-half his size.
We were hither to view the Tule Elk, but the fog made it hard to view much of anything. The pictures aren't really skillful because of it, but nosotros documented our sitings, as well as that's the most of import thing, right? The start ane nosotros saw was off inwards the distance...this handsome buck.
Nearby, a red-tailed hawk perched on the debate post. We saw to a greater extent than red-tailed hawks inwards a unmarried 24-hour interval yesterday than I've in all likelihood seen inwards my entire life. Judy described ane of her aeroplane walks amongst a guide who only said, "YART," upon siting them (Yet Another Red Tail).
Driving on, nosotros saw a grouping of elk off inwards the distance. As nosotros stood in that location to a greater extent than as well as to a greater extent than rose out of the grass, until nosotros could view a twain dozen cows amongst this ane buck...obviously, his harem.
And since I couldn't acquire a really skillful painting demo of them, I'm including this painting demo of an informational sign posted nearby. This ane has a tangle of grass inwards his rack of antlers...kind of makes you lot think he's been rolling inwards the hay, doesn't it?
I liked this quote from Theodore Roosevelt.
Some fourth dimension ago, I read a mass entitled, The Big Burn: Teddy Roosevelt as well as the Fire that Saved America, by Timothy Egan. It was a fascinating level virtually a huge wildfire, as well as the creation of America's National Park System. Roosevelt's prescience was fascinating, as well as I was surprised at how the same arguments dorsum as well as thus are acquaint inwards our political discussions of the acquaint day. I tin recommend it.
From there, nosotros moved on to the Merced NWR where nosotros spent the ease of the day. The fog burned off, as well as nosotros were able to view a lot of birds. Oh my goodness. My friend Judy impressed us amongst her encyclopedic noesis of the many species nosotros saw, every bit I knew she would. She knew things virtually birds, I didn't realize were possible to know, if that makes sense.
We started on a viewing platform, where I took this painting demo of the informational sign virtually aeroplane migration along the Pacific Flyway. I've bumped upward the saturation inwards the promise you lot tin view the colors of the migratory paths as well as brand some sense of it. Remember you lot tin e'er brand a painting demo larger past times clicking on it.
When the Sun came out, our shadow selves made an appearance. Judy's shadow self brought along a spotting scope, which was tremendously helpful. Judy could prepare it on a detail aeroplane out of a land of thousands as well as part the viewing as well as information virtually it amongst us.
While standing there, this lilliputian bunny hopped on by.
And nosotros saw squirrels the size of household cats. In the paradigm below, I managed to acquire what appears to endure a raccoon. I didn't view him until I downloaded the picture.
And then, nosotros exactly saw lots as well as lots as well as lots of birds. I cannot position most of these, as well as thus I'll exactly permit you lot look, adding commentary every bit nosotros go.
We saw lots of birds inwards flight, as well as I'm including a few pictures of those, only because it was thus stunningly beautiful to scout as well as heed to them. These are snowfall geese, if retention serves.
Judy explained that the wing tips are ofttimes dark because the associated melanin strengthens the feathers. Since the outer tips of the wings sustain the most pressure level during flight, it makes sense they would evolve to endure the strongest.
Below is a great egret. Judy tells us that the snowy egrets direct keep a dark beak...or maybe it was the other agency round. I can't remember, thus don't quote me.
This side past times side ane is a coot.
Judy explained their feet are lobed to acquire inwards possible for them to walk on marshy terrain. I couldn't acquire unopen plenty to photograph them, but here's an paradigm from the Audubon.org website.
Here's some other ane amongst his friend, a "green," was all Judy said virtually him.
We saw thousands of this side past times side aeroplane on our drive south. This is a white-faced ibis. They are fairly large...a lilliputian larger than a duck.
These side past times side ones are "cinnamons."
Next was this juvenile bald eagle. Judy explained that the feathers of the juveniles are larger than the feathers of adults since they are exactly learning to fly. As they lose their juvenile feathers, they tin await crude oil every bit the larger juvenile feathers are replaced past times the smaller adult feather.
We were hoping to acquire about to where nosotros could view the snowfall geese, sitting past times the gazillions, but nosotros spooked the eagle. When an eagle or other raptor flies close the snowfall geese, they all even as well as wing off. You tin view him inwards the upper left-hand corner of the paradigm below.
After scaring all the snowfall geese away, he sat inwards this tree amongst his wings spread broad for the ease of our fourth dimension there.
This is the ane blooming affair nosotros saw during the day.
Here's some other coot...he was busy bullying his neighbors as well as making quite a squawk. It gave pregnant to the phrase, "Old Coot," because this guy was definitely crabby.
I don't know the hollo of this side past times side bird, but the affair to notice is his upturned beak. If I'm remembering correctly, Judy said this is a spoonbill.
We drove about over again as well as came to a house where nosotros could view the snowfall geese closer up.
And a whole bunch of coots.
In Judy's eyes, this side past times side paradigm of a burrowing owl was the siting of the day. She idea in that location were burrowing owls inwards the area, but hadn't spotted ane until yesterday. Sorry for the blur. I was shooting from far away, as well as I've cropped most of the paradigm away to acquire closer.
Instead, I direct keep this really brusk video of the snowfall geese inwards flight, intended mainly for the sound, thus plow upward your mass to listen. If you lot can't view the video, as well as thus click right here.
On the sewing front, I finished upward the start snowflake yesterday, as well as hither it is.
As I mentioned earlier, I needed to launder it to take away the Sticky Fabri-Solvy. I washed this inwards our RV high-efficiency washer. I start placed it inwards a fine mesh handbag as well as washed on a frail cycle. To brand certain I had plenty water, I added a twain of raggedy towels as well as gave it an extra rinse. I did non purpose whatever sort of detergent...just plenty of warm water. I took it out of the washer as well as hung it to dry, as well as it came out beautifully. The ane occupation I noticed is that the size of the snowflake had printed inwards cherry-red on the Sticky Fabri-Solvy, as well as that did non come upward out completely. I'm thinking I tin in all likelihood impact it amongst a bleach pen to acquire it out. You tin view it circled inwards the paradigm below.
For the ease of them, I'll exactly cutting this lilliputian fleck out of the Sticky Fabri-Solvy before applying it to the snowflake block. It's a tiny lilliputian area...perhaps one-half an inch square...and thus it should endure no occupation to right prior to stitching. I'm offering this upward to anyone else who powerfulness endure using the Sticky Fabri-Solvy for the start time.
Okay, thus I'm non certain I direct keep anything to a greater extent than to say virtually the asthma situation, except that I'm feeling significantly amend today, as well as I experience I'm on the mend. The physician's assistant who treated me encourage me to destination upward the steroidal medications I started a few days ago. Today is the 3rd of v days, as well as we'll exactly promise improvement continues. We'll endure moving on tomorrow, as well as hopefully observe some amend air at the side past times side place. Interestingly, he also told us that this county, Merced County, has the minute worst air character inwards the state, behind Fresno County. We are headed to Kern County, as well as hopeful of easier breathing.
The kitties spent most of the 24-hour interval lone yesterday, but they got lots of hugs, skritches, snuggles, as well as kitty treats on our return, as well as all is forgiven. Actually, I'm non certain they missed us at all. I never know whether I'll direct keep mesh access when nosotros deed on to novel environs, as well as thus I'll acquire dorsum to you lot if I can. We're making a two-day drive on our agency to Death Valley National Park. Along the way, we'll also view the Trona Pinnacles...just something I pulled from my California folder. So there's lots on the horizon, as well as I'll endure dorsum every bit presently every bit I can.