So little time to blog !

Okay, we know we're "supposed" to be keeping the blog updated with our adventures. Last year I seemed to do so well, and this year - not so well. No pictures today but here is a short scoop: everyday chores include spending 3-4 hours driving the refuge to monitor the water flow & level into the ponds/marsh's, read & log the guage measurements, check the interpretive boards for cleaning and remove any debris impeding water flow - this can be bush's, limbs, trash (tires, refrig, buckets), animals, logs or trees (we named one log the SS Minnow). The last 2 weeks have been hectic with snow melt & rain.... we've had controlled capacity flooding but everyone has been on alert for breach's, luckily only small events.

As we "ride the range" for water, we also monitor the birds & nests for new hatchlings, any threatened or abandoned nests, new birds coming in and of course the status of the deer, moose & elk. I'm always taking photos.... so this prolongs our outing ! It's exciting to watch the process - the nest, the eggs, the protection, new babies and then all the antics ! We've watched moose run, elk swim and coyotes searching for food.

Weather has been weird this year: it's either sunny but terribly windy, overcast & rainy or cold! We've worked everyday since arrival.... thus our adventures have been limited, but we hope to take off and golf tomorrow. While no trips around Idaho, to Mt. Ranier or Montana, we have done some local sightseeing, attended the cowboy poetry & music event, drove to Jackson Hole, WY to check out the area & go to the Bar J Ranch for music & dinner, visited the National Elk Refuge, etc. With price of fuel..... we're very happy to stay at the refuge. Along with our water duties we've done painting, digging ditch & hauling dirt, putting up fence, assisting with educational events, going to town for supplies and even cooking for the regional staff !

We plan to leave Camas NWR around June 10 and head to Utah for our next volunteer opportunity with the USFS. First we stop in Evanston, WY to attend training on the 13-14 at their HQ and then "if" snow permits..... we'll move into the volunteer camp at the Bear River Ranger Station in Utah until end of August. Right now it's still snowed in and no one can get in, not even to clear & clean.

That's it for now.... you asked !

The concrete expert ... at it again !

Okay.... this might not be what anyone would call a blog of a fun, interesting or exciting day during one's summer adventure .... but it's part of what we do !!

The refuge has 7 wells to supplement creek water when there is little or no flow. During a safety audit, the wood support under this well pipe was deemed in need of replacement. So Beav and Farrel figured up a plan to pour a concrete support. The backhoe was needed to pull the post and dig the new hole.

It was COLD and WINDY ! While Farrel was warm in the backhoe, Beav was warm in the ditch measuring..... I hauled the cinder blocks .... which were set as a base for the 24" sonatube.

The guys hammered in vertical rebar which was then tied to a horizontal rebar box in the tube. The "fun" part was driving 45 minutes to get the loaded portable mixer, pour the concrete in a matter of 10 minutes..... then take the mixer back !

End result...... big concrete support for well structure !

We'll never be farm hands....

Ok.... so one day we are asked to assist in repairing wheel lines in one of the grain fields.... check or replace gaskets, straighten wheels, replace some kinda spicket, etc. Out we go not having a clue what we're to do .... we learn pretty quickly that we weren't raised on the farm ... but Farrel is patient, shows us how to break apart the lines, find & replace the gaskets between the pipes, how to clamp the pipes back together without cutting our fingers off and even how to operate the motors. And WHY ?? The fields are planted in grain for the wildlife and alfalfa for the farmer who is working in partnership with the refuge. Oh yeah... there's 33 sections to each wheel line and we have 5 to repair...... 2 lines are complete !

A few of our refuge companions.....

Not many birds yet.... still a bit cold. The tundra & trumpeters and eagles all have come n gone before we arrived, lots of canadian geese & ducks all pairing up, just starting to see owls.

As we await the water ......

we're taking care of odd jobs around the refuge & preparing for a busy next month. They are saying the snow base is over 100% of normal and when it starts melting.... it will come flooding into the refuge. One year they had to sandbag the office to protect it from the intense flow !!! We hope it's not that bad..... can you believe it's mid-April, Thurs it was 26 degrees in the morning ! Ok... so today (Saturday the 16th) it's awesome weather.... sunny, 45 deg and no wind or snow !!!! T-shirt weather !!!!

Pictureless Monday

Computer access is limited and posting photos is almost impossible..... we are settled at Camas National Wildlife Refuge ! First 3 nights it snowed and during the day it's averaged 36 degrees - yesterday it reached 51 !!. Today sun came out but rain/snow is expected next few days. No creek running yet..... but we've checked & cleaned guages and cleared debris from gates in anticipation, inventoried the wells and signs for painting and cleared the grounds for fire prevention. Today we actually worked up a sweat !!!! As for wildlife: a herd of bull elk still with horns, deer herds, coyote, moose, porcupines & muskrat..... then of course all the various birds. Ya'll stay cool in that Texas heat !!!!

safe trip so far !

Last few days we've made it thru west Texas, across New Mexico and up into Arizona in between the severe wind advisory's ! Today we breezed right thru Las Vegas, Nevada without stopping to browse a casino... and tonight we're camping in Beaver, Utah where the snow just melted from their last storm !! Tomorrow we hope to get thru Salt Lake City and into Idaho for one last night on the road. The next snow storm is expected Wednesday.... just as we are arriving at the wildlife refuge..... go figure !! Tonight we exchanged our shorts & sandals for winter weather attire.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY WISHES !

To Deanna, Tiffany and Janci: Wishing you an absolutely wonderful, happy, blessed & joyful birthday !

It's that time AGAIN !!

Can you belive it's almost time for our 2011 summer adventure??? Time has flown since we returned last August.....why ??? ..... we had a major cleanup at the house (mow, weedeat, chainsaw), we worked our contract at the deer lease Sept-Jan, we've been visiting family & friends throughout central TX, celebrated the holidays, had the exterior of the house repainted & then new gutters installed - we did a lot of the prep work, relaxed & took a wonderful week-long Carribean cruise, jac had her right hip totally replaced end of Jan (yeah fun), BV re-finished the outside decks, we took a few side trips to Louisiana, had medical appointments ...... and then add all the other misc "stuff" to the mix...... and here we are mid-March !!!

Join us for our 2011 summer adventure as we volunteer April-May at the Camas Wildlife Refuge in Idaho and in June-Aug we'll volunteer with the USFS in Bear River, Utah (just east of Salt Lake City)with their ATV safety programs.... you'll be surprised at what we might get to do !!!!!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL

.... we haven't posted in a while, lots going on.... but we wanted to take this moment to wish everyone a blessed, healthy, safe and happy new year in 2011 ! our resolution - pray, lead, live, love, and laugh ...

Kyleigh & Cohen

What better way to spend a great Saturday afternoon .... we went to San Marcos to watch Kyleigh during her cheerleading and Cohen as he played flag football ! It was hot & humid but both kids stuck it out for the entire afternoon.... we're so proud of you !!

Tiffany is the cheer coach and has to brave the current heat and any rain storms right along with the girls !

We had fun cheering with Kyleigh and then yelling for Cohen as he played his first flag football game !

And... here's wishing a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Kyleigh on Sunday September 26th !

Love you all !!!

Bighorn Sheep... the guys !

One day off, while driving thru an area of valleys, streams, lush meadows & thousands of acres of forest... with no one else around.....

.



.....we encountered a small herd of 12 Bighorn Sheep.... all rams ! These photos don't give them credit.....

At first they were leery of us, we stopped, turned off the engine and they relaxed.... just hanging around within 50 yards us. I could have stayed all day watching ! At one point there was a "stare-down" of 3 rams.... including a "butting of the heads moment" ... we could hear the horns hitting and the echo in the valley !!

Driving back thru to the main road, BV spotted another herd ! This time they were all the girls w/ their babies lying down !! They were much farther away & on top of a cliff...... so I didn't get any close-ups, but thanks to eagle eye BV for spotting them !!!

Hiking the Continental Divide

While in Colorado....I wanted to hike a portion of the famous continental divide trail.... so after begging BV to go, we chose the section above Wolf Creek Pass..... first photo is looking down at the ski area from our starting point at around 12,000 feet !!!

So, we start at the trailhead.....

fridge, .... little did we know that we would go "down" from the very beginning !!!

It was a great hike into the wilderness....

.....5 miles thru meadows, valleys, back up another section of mountains......

We did stop and check out the scenery & flowers, look for animals and just enjoy our surroundings. But then.....

We had to return to the truck..... and it was UP, UP and a longggg way UP !!!!

OMG ...it was exhausting..... especially for us TX flatlanders hiking at 12,000' plus elevation !!!! It was stop n go all the way back.....

..... especially for water and oxygen !!!!

Finally.... we saw the tower which was at the overlook.....the end of the trail was near !!!

It was very hard hiking..... but AWESOME !!!