Sunset, Moonrise, and Beaver Dams

 Sunset at the Preserve

View to west

 Moonrise at the Preserve - Harvest Moon

Turn around and view to east

More Harvest Moonrise at the Preserve

30 Sept 2012 - Hiking Dam Site 15a Tributaries

We started at the bridge on Ida Street and walked south along the west drainage (creek).  Followed the creek south past the power lines, about 1/2+ mile in the section. Looking to see if the beaver dam was still intact and discovered not just that beaver dam but 6 to 7 other dams along that section of creek - and the dams were all different:

some made of sticks and mud

some made with cornstalks dragged from adjacent field (listen to the flowing water)

and one utilizing an old tire.

Lots of ducks are using the creek - particularly gathering under the overhanging trees - also one owl, one hawk - woodpeckers - chickadees - doves and others - but the dominant were ducks. Going back to the cars we took the quicker route through the cornfield - a reminder of too many past project sites!

The east drainage near 168th was far less interesting - and almost no water - but lots of huge walnut trees - and walnuts filling up the small creek channel

The walnut canopy making quite a majestic backdrop - or updrop.  On this drainage we found a young deer - dead - nice little horns - dead long enough to catch that dead odor if downwind - made me think that if words had smells - the word "putrid" would smell like that.

Fetlocks and Zadig

Found this sidebar note in my 2011 journal - "the woolly fetlocks of bison" - no clue - looking further discover - "the joint between the cannon bone and the pastern" - and there is a tuft of hair that grows at this joint - the photo does not show the fetlocks - but it does exhibit some crazy horns.

My serendipitous day continues to the story of the lost camel (The Three Princes of Serendip) - which was based on the life of Persian King Bahram V of the Sassanid Empire - who led me to Voltaire's detective Zadig - who carried me onto C. Auguste Dupin...

Read a 1969 paper on distribution of grouse dancing grounds (leks) - observed that leks tend to be near windmills - and that if the windmill is moved - the grouse move the lek to the new location of the windmill.

Then I came across this research paper entitled "Wildlife Records from Mail Carriers in April 1947" - apparently in the 1940s the Nebr Game Commission used mail carriers to assist with their annual wildlife counts - they termed it an "inexpensive method of getting extensive state observations" - Braxton said these mail carriers were the first "citizen scientists" of today!

And at home, I had to take the hand vacuum to the freezer compartment of the frig as I knocked the lid off the corn meal (which I keep in the freezer) and it spilled over all the frozen food.

Sunrise in Australia

gjjdim,omogmdomom