Sunday and Monday

Sunday we stayed around home and did some travel planning for this coming year.     Its a big job, I'd like to be able to just completely go with the flow and go wherever we feel like, whenever we feel like it, but I find I need to have at least a loose framework and direction and then fill in the blanks as we go along.   So....that's what we spent time on yesterday.

After the Master's Golf Tournament was over, we walked over to Pam and John's site (they have a shade cover over their outside table) for a communal happy hour/pizza party with Joe and Gay along with Steve and MonaLiza.    Pam called Paradox Pizza, placed her order then handed the phone around to each of us in turn, so we could order exactly what we wanted.   It was a good laugh.    The guys drove into Moab to pick up the large order and we "girls" stayed back under the shade and enjoyed more visiting time.    It was  great idea and we all enjoyed ourselves immensely.

  Gay and Joe, Steve and MonaLiza made plans to go off roading today and Pam and John had their sights set on a strenuous hike.   We had a couple thoughts about how we'd spend Monday but decided to see what the weather would bring.

Either we'd drive down the dirt road into Onion Creek Canyon or investigate the nearby Matheson Wetlands Preserve.

As we drove out the driveway, mother nature made our decision for us.   Pam had warned us not to drive into Onion Canyon if rain is forecast or in the area and after seeing that stupendous cloud over the La Sal Mountains we decided that the Wetland Preserve was a much better choice.

Scott Matheson Wetlands Preserve covers over 890 acres directly behind our RV Resort and we've been interested in checking out since we arrived.    We were the only people there, I guess most people don't find wandering around a wetland looking for birds to be on par with hiking, biking and jeeping in the surrounding red rocks.     All the better for us!

There have been as many as 250 different species of birds recorded,either living or resting in these wetlands but today they must have all been resting.     We saw the usual culprits, white crowned sparrows, robins, gilded flickers, a very acrobatic kestral, and a few others heard but not seen.

When all was said and done, we walked about 3 miles.  Part of it was in the Preserve proper, and most of it was an alternate path that Dave led me down in an effort to l. see where it went and 2. get to the river.

follow the leader

We had a grand time.   We found a few places to bushwhack down to the river and whenever we did, we were rewarded with views of ducks dabbling and riding the swift current.

Cinnamon Teal

Green Winged Teal?

We never saw any rain from those building clouds, but we're glad we decided to stick close to home and take time to walk through this quiet riparian area.

Happy hour tonight brought  new visitors.   Most evenings there is a small herd of deer browsing behind Beluga, we often hear pheasants calling, but tonight we were treated to four horses grazing there.

I had one other visitor tonight.....the infamous flower filcher's lilac looter specialist found some tiny, tender lilacs and thought perhaps I might like them......