30 January 2014 - Black Moon

Learned something new today- tonight is the Black Moon. Like the Blue Moon is the second full moon within a month, the Black Moon is the second New Moon in a month. 

Not only is that interesting of itself, but it just happens to fall on the Eve of Chinese New Year. The moon influences tides. Makes you wonder if this Year of the Horse will be as full of changes as the ocean is full of tides. Having just seen the King Tides in the San Francisco Bay, I'd say we are in for a wild ride!

Today I spent an hour in the dentist's chair. I had a window view looking at a stretch of lawn where the green was just starting to show around the edges. The back of the lot had a row of small maples. What I found interesting was a pair of magpies who were very busy in the maples breaking off small twigs, then flying into a nearby tree and working on a nest. Jan 30 and birds are building nests? We had snow this afternoon. And birds are building nests.
This does not compute in my world view. It just seems too early,  even with global warming. I think the wild ride is going to last longer than the Year of the Horse. 

25 January 2014 - A Walk Interrupted

Today I felt the overwhelming need to get out for a walk. It was too chilly for me (33 degrees) up here in the foothills. After running some errands I ended up on the Jordan River Parkway. While it was warmer in the valley, it wasn't a whole lot warmer. But I had a path beside the river. Sometimes icy, sometimes muddy, but still a nice walk. 

My plan called for a brisk walk. The reality was quite different. The birds kept getting in the way. 

First there was the kestrel. I have seen kestrels before, but not this close. 

It was pretty exciting to get a picture showing all the colors.

Next there was a red-shafted flicker. I get flickers all the time in my yard, but I thought it would be an opportunity to get the bird in another setting--other than on my feeder. 
It was quite a surprise to discover this wasn't a red-shafted flicker, but a hybrid of the red-shafted and yellow-shafted flickers. If you look closely you can see some red on the back of the head. This is one of the markers of a hybrid. 

I also saw a Belted Kingfisher. This was another first for me. He was on the other side of the river and busy flitting among the tree tops. And  he was backlit.  I had a really hard time getting him to pose. Just about the time I got him in focus he would fly to the next tree. grr. Makes me want to go back in the morning and see if I can find him in the same place-- but with the sun behind me. I spent a long time on him-- trying to get south of him so he would be in better light. 

The last wonderment of the bird world was a tiny little Ruby-crowned Kinglet.  When the sun caught his head there was a bright streak of red. I caught a bit of it, but not in full glory. 

The big surprise of the day was seeing magpies bathing in the river. In spite of how calm it looked on the surface, it had a really fast current. Ducks would drift down then fly back up the river, rather than try to paddle against the current.  On the far side of the river was a spot tucked under overhanging brush. A flock of eight magpies was having a grand time-- a quick splash then up into the trees to shake off and preen. Check out the eye in this photo. I wonder if he is blind in one eye. 

Birds weren't the only thing I was looking at. The scenery was lovely.


Here's a view of Mount Olympus from the valley. 

Here is the Jordan River--I was following the dirt path along the bank. In the distance you can see Grandeur Peak--slightly hazed out by the smog. 

Another view from along the river. 

 The foot bridge connects the subdivision on the left hand side with  the parkway trails on the right. 

It was wonderful to get out and see something new. The Jordan Parkway is 50 miles long. I have a lot of walking coming up!

17 January 2014 - Hummingbirds on point

On returning home from San Diego I downloaded my photos. I had to laugh at how many hummingbird shots I took. I was trying so hard to grab a picture when their heads were lit up by the sun. Ha. Not much luck. I also had many pictures of where a bird had just been--they are fast!

There were quite a few males in a large bed of birds of paradise. Appropriate. But the sun was low and I wasn't getting the angle I needed. I  climbed into the middle of the flower bed and hunkered down. I have to admit that I rather surprised and/or startled several people who did not expect to see a head amongst the posies.

Almost every picture I took featured a hummer on the point of a bird of paradise leaf. Must be the preferred perch. These hummingbirds are either Anna's or Costa's. Costa's have purple while Anna's are ruby red or more pink depending on how the light hits them. The females don't have the head color, but might have some on the throat.

16 January 2014 - Still traveling

This week was spent with 1500 of my closest friends from work. Actually it was the national sales meeting for my company. The majority of our time was spent in educational sessions in the hotel or group dinners. Still, I was able to get out once or twice to explore the area around the hotel. 

There had been an article in the SF Chronicle about an art installation in the Grace Cathedral called Graced with Light--created by visual artist Anne Patterson. I had to see it. Forgetting how steep the walk up to the top of Nob Hill was, I set off for the cathedral. 

Whew! The trick to climbing these very steep streets is to keep putting one foot in front of the other, and don't look behind you.  I can't understand why they don't have some kind of hand railing for pedestrians where the streets are this steep. If I wanted to look back where I'd been I had to have a hand on something like a street sign post, of the side of the building. I know, I'm a wuss. But it was worth it.

The work was comprised of 22 miles of ribbons hanging from the cathedral's vaulted ceiling. The artist said she envisioned a series of light pathways that connected heaven and earth, manifested as ribbons.  

The ribbons are to carry hopes and dreams skyward, while in turn, grace would flow back down the ribbons to us. It was stunning. 


Here you can see the scale against how tiny the people are.  As part of the installation, there is a video production projected onto the ribbons, accompanied by music.  Should you be in San Francisco, do not miss this!  My pictures do not do this justice. 

Walking to the cathedral and back to the hotel gave me time to admire the architectural details on many buildings. 

On a Masonic Temple across from the cathedral:

 Beautiful ironwork gates:

Lovely doorway details:

Interesting creatures hanging over a corner:

Proper theater facades:

Nothing says Chinatown like red lanterns:

While walking up to Nob Hill, I passed this statue in Union Square. 

Coming back down in the dark, she was trying to fork the moon. I thought that was pretty funny.


My team went to dinner at Farallon. I loved the jellyfish lights. The sea urchin light wasn't bad either. The jellies would look great in my house! 




In no time at all I was back home. Since the airport is so close to the Great Salt Lake, I took a quick detour down the frontage road. It was cold and hazy. I was hoping for some birds but I think they were all hunkered up somewhere keeping warm. 

I did like this starling who was on guard. 

The snowy landscape was breathtaking. Have I mentioned how happy I am to be back here?

Gotta watch the horizon line. 

I did see a couple of birds: a little Northern Shrike

and a Northern Harrier.

Two days later, I was back on the west coast again for another conference, this time in San Diego. Four days of 82 degrees. Pretty wonderful. I arrived three hours before the first activity started, so I took the time to walk the Torrey Pines Broken Hill Trail down to the beach.  Just another beautiful walk in California. 

 

 I did not want to leave the beach and go back to the hotel, but as my boss says, "There's a reason they call it work."

The hotel overlooks the Torrey Pines golf course. It was a beehive of activity out on the course, getting ready for the PGA tournament next week. Hospitality tents were springing up all along the walkways, and the course was being groomed to a fare-thee-well. 

This was the view from my room--over the fairway to the ocean.

Breakfast and lunch were served outside so I had time to chase down some birds. Two kinds of hummingbirds: Anna's and Costa's. More Black Phoebes.  Song sparrows, Western Kingbirds, and many more that I knew, as well as a couple of what the heck was that!

 All too soon I was leaving San Diego and heading for snowy Salt Lake.  I was happy to see quite a bit less snow on my arrival, than when I left. 

 

series of light pathways, connecting heaven and earth, manifest as ribbons. The ribbons carry our prayers, dreams and wishes skyward, and, in turn, grace streams down the ribbons to us - See more at: http://www.gracecathedral.org/visit/concerts-and-events/artist-in-residence-2013/#sthash.VVhM9zeT.dpuf

series of light pathways, connecting heaven and earth, manifest as ribbons. The ribbons carry our prayers, dreams and wishes skyward, and, in turn, grace streams down the ribbons to us - See more at: http://www.gracecathedral.org/visit/concerts-and-events/artist-in-residence-2013/#sthash.VVhM9zeT.dpuf

series of light pathways, connecting heaven and earth, manifest as ribbons. The ribbons carry our prayers, dreams and wishes skyward, and, in turn, grace streams down the ribbons to us - See more at: http://www.gracecathedral.org/visit/concerts-and-events/artist-in-residence-2013/#sthash.VVhM9zeT.dpuf