It's a tough job.....

So.... what are we doing as our volunteer duties you ask ??
Well.... check the photo out >>>>>

This is a remote reservoir fed by the Rio Grande & smaller creeks, wayyy back in the hills along a dirt road. There are numerous fishing sites, day use areas & primitive camping - no water, electric, trash ... just set up n camp !

We have a schedule where we go out to various locations and conduct visitor use surveys. In this particular location @ "Road Canyon" .... we set out a traffic counter to collect 24 hr vehicle date ... then we set up some "survey ahead" signs & cones, and parked ourselves in lawn chairs awaiting visitors to come by to take our surveys !! Each survey is over a 6-hour shift ..... one day we saw only "1 car" !! BUT... we stayed busy watching a herd of cows come thru !

Another day we watched a coyote across the reservoir hunt for his dinner; and then on a 3rd visit we had 2 interviews and watched the cows being herded by the rancher !!! Yippeee !!! Well... one mama cow was separated from her calf - which was by us - and after bellowing for hours..... she walked into the water and swam across to her calf ! Now cows don't normally swim.... but she was desperate. We have to do this same location "7" times !!! We'll know every rock, cow, duck and tree by the end of the summer !!!



So.... we do go to many other sites.... this happens to be at a primative campground area .... beautiful scenery, quiet & in the hills..... but, unlike the reservoir... it was without anything to watch !!! >>>>>

A longgggg six hours..... 1 survey, 1 refusal !!

We work over the 4th weekend..... Saturday at another remote campground but it is in the mtns, near the Rio Grande and where wildlife is known to wander. On Sun we do a late shift further in the mtns at a reservoir, but we'll be back for fireworks !! We"ll all just set our lawn chairs out together below the campsite and watch them as they soar over Creede !!!

Now... for those of ya'll who know us pretty well.... we don't "sit still" very well or for very long. So, we bought a portable DVD player and take it with us on these surveys. When the afternoon grows long, we pull out a movie..... and presto.... there goes 2 hours !!! We have had to hit the pause button to chat with folks who suddenly appear ..... but it sure helps make the time go by.

We're also volunteering on a few of our days off to assist a youth group who are clearing up downed brush & small tress from one of the remote campgrounds.... it's about 1.5 hrs away from us on the road thru Wolf Creek Pass. They're good kids, just from troubled homes... and the forest service is keeping them busy a few days a week.

Anyway.... I have better photos to post, but since internet is "icky" up here and I get frustrated just checking emails .... I'm trying to at least update the blog with something. Hope everyone is having a good summer..... comment back if you would and keep us updated !!!

Craaaa...zzzy trip to Mt. Ranier

OK... so we get a call from our friends Jan/Wayne mid- May.... while they are scheduled to volunteer in Utah, the area is snowed under and they can't get there until mid June. They've decided to drive to Mt. Ranier and check out the volunteer "opportunities" for next year .... would we be interested in meeting them there ??? Well.... sure we say !! We throw a few things together and off we go !!! Up thru Salmon, ID - along the Salmon River it was gorgeous, green, rivers & winding roads,. Crossed thru a portion of MT and then as we were making our way to WA, our "TOMTOM" handy dandy electronic guide beeped.... and told us to "TURN RIGHT" now. OK, so we did....then it said turn left, turn right.....wellll.... it took us on the most backcountry gravel roads, in the middle of NO where and at times it narrowed to cliff on one side, narrow road for us and steep cliff downward!! We spent an hour or more either on top of the world or winding our way to some where !! BV said if we slid off at any time, who knew when anyone would find us... no cell, no service no NOTHING !!

Finally we go to a main road and all we want to do is GET THERE !! We drive thru lush woodlands that almost touch the vehicle. And yippeee... we find the entrance to the park and the cabin we're staying !!! Talk about a beautiful location !

We settle in, then drive for dinner & groceries. It alternates between drizzly & sunny. ... and no TV or internet. So... we do the old fashioned activities.... talk, visit, play cards and have a great time !!

Next day we get up a take a trip to see "the mountain" ! Well... it's rainy and as we drive higher n higher.... we see the snow signs. What's up ??

It's the end of May for gosh sakes ! It starts raining, sleeting then snowing and by the time we get to the visitor center, it's actually 27 degrees and snowing, can't see anything !! So we visit the center which is great and back down we go.

A point of interest along the way..... these train cars... that have been turned into a hotel complex and fine dining establishment. What a great idea !

Next day we are to meet with the volunteer coordinator, but that doesn't happen. So.... we hang out, hike and tour the area. 3rd day is sunny !!! And we decide to take a final trip to see Mt. Ranier..... along the way there were elk, moose, these bluebirds....



And a coyote rushing with it's meal across the road !

Along the way.... there it was .... the mountain! This photo doesn't do it justice....
.... but as we wound our way up we got more glimpses and then there it was !!! As we stood at the visitor center..... we could watch the clouds change formations around the mountain.... they say it is so high and huge, it makes it's own climate !!

It was a great day..... craaa...zzzzy overall trip, a once in a lifetime experience.... even if it was 1700 miles round trip in 4 days !!! And... we learned, don't trust all those electronic devices....my good old hard copy map will do just fine, thank you !!!

OMG... Wolf Creek Pass !!

We have arrived.... but don't have internet at the camping site.... so updates to the blog will be once a week hopefully !!!

WOW... what a trip getting to Creede .... as we drove over Wolf Creek Pass !!! Truck pulled the 8 miles of hills, just had to stop twice along the way to let it cool down !!!

Awesome scenery with lots of water falls... but I didn't have BV stop ... just took shots out of the window.... didn't want to stop our upward progress !!! Got to the top where the Continental Divide crosses....and then in low gear creeped down the other side !!! Oh what fun !!!

As we made our way to the US Forest Service Office in Creede to check in, we drove along the Rio Grande River. Next blog will show pics of the headwaters.

Looking back from Creede... just below the base of the mountain is a big RV park and you'll see some buildings in the trees..... just at these buildings is where we are staying. It's a small RV site for the volunteers..... there's 4 of us right now all doing different jobs.

Closer view of our home away fromhome.... we're the trailer in the back, on the side of the hill.

Nice little location in the trees. BUT... it was a "chore" getting this big rig in between the trees, up the hill and backed in !! Long story short... got to the area at 12:30 on Wed, had to cut some small trees, trim limbs, then climb atop the truck AND trailer roof to trim more limbs just to try and manuever the rig up the hill !!! OK, got it up the hill, then several up n backs, got it backed in. BUT... since the RV was now on the side of a hill.... it was leaning badly downhill !! We actually had to dig a ditch for the uphill tires, then add two 2x4's for the downhill tires.... in order to level. So, the final product ??? It's in, and level, awning is out, rug in place, hummingbird feeder up and BV happily relaxing..... finally..... not a fun move in !!

By the way.... black bears are common, so we are warned they will be coming in soon !!!

On our way here... we've visited Arch's National Park, Mt. Ranier National Park and wonderful places thru Utah..... so stay tuned..... more on this later !!!

Onward to Colorado

Today, Sat May 29 it is 50 deg, we've finished our refuge chores..... and it's time to bid farewell to our "home away from home". Now that spring is arriving .... look, no snow... it's green and everything is starting to flower !!!

We'll be on our way to Creede, Colorado and volunteer with the USFS thru August.

Wish us a safe journey,
jac and bv

One last update on our furry & feather'd friends !

Can you believe it's almost time for us to depart the Camas Refuge. We're in the final stages of wrapping up various projects..... then, weather permitting we plan to leave Sunday May 30. What a grand opportunity !! We've met some wonderful people, worked on beneficial projects & as a bonus..... been offered the opportunity to watch the antics & learn behavior of various refuge wildlife. I've a ba-zillion photos.... but for now, will just share a few zillion (not edited yet) !!!!!

Now you see us >>>>

<<<<< now you don't !

First baby ducks of the season being protected by mom !




Same for the geese..... when threatened by other birds, animals or noise..... the parents either lay over the babies, or one strikes out at the problem.

BV spotted this short-eared owl in the grass.... the wind was blowing so hard one day..... the birds were grounded !

The shovel-nose, aptly named for it's large broad beak was hard to photograph as it always flew away immediately when it heard our vehicle. I got lucky one day.... the female was nesting and the male as shown here stayed grounded to protect her.



Of course we're still following the elk herds ! The guys are all running together & winter coats are being shed.... but no sign of baby calves as of yet !!!


One day 3 coyotes were sneaking onto the refuge.... we called the manager.... but it is not a big concern at this time..... "survival of the fittest".... and they are mainly coming in for rodents, mice & small animals.... not the bird eggs !


For the first time, swans are nesting at the refuge.... 4 pair have stayed but no sign yet of young ones.


Then there is the Ruddy Duck !!! BV's favorite of them all...... very, very hard to photo as it swims, flies or dives underwater .... never staying still ! When excited.... it shakes it's head & blue beak up/down so quickly the photo is blurred. Again - we were lucky... just recently they moved ponds, were nearer the road and stayed still for a few "seconds". They are beautiful in the sunlight !

Deer peak out of the brush on occasion...... as do various other birds of prey.....

My favorite bird..... the owls !!! It has just been a blast finding them..... and have my pictures actually turn out fairly well! Their expressions have been funny, serious and even threatening.

The red winged blackbirds, feathered grebes have finally posed ......

And the lone refuge moose graced us with it's presence the other day .....

Thanks everyone for being patient while reading this long blog.... those of you who enjoy the outdoors & wildlife and know how hard it is to get photo's...... understand my excitement !!!!

Boys and their toys.....

What do the following have in common : a pile of metal, cutting torch, welder, grinder, hammer, level..... some ingenuity ... and precision work ????

A new headache rack for our Dodge Diesel Truck !! In their off time .... BV assisted the maint supv in building this rack ..... Farrel is an expert machinist and can repair, weld or build just about anything out of metal.

Of course.... the boys did a great job !

Winter again...... did I miss summer !!

From rainbows after an early evening shower........

to awakening the next day to 31 deg ... and finding out that not only have our water lines frozen .... but also those in the farmer's fields !! Neither rain, nor snow or a nice summy day.... will keep us from our appointed duties..... in this case, more clean-up work along the waterways.

BUT, while the icicles & frozen vegetation make for a nice touristy photo op..... this wishy-washy weather is not appreciated by the local farmers ... fresh crops & frozen water.... not a good mix !!!

Tomorrow ?? Who knows !