Dr. Seuss probably doesn't mind me paraphrasing his book title. I have been on many Utah highways and back roads this past year looking for birds. It is problematic, because I end up looking at everything. Birds, always, but the landscapes are enchanting, lovely, haunting or just drop dead gorgeous depending on the season, the lighting or what the sky is doing. There is the signage that captures my heart, not to mention interesting farm animals, wild animals, buildings, and yard art. I look at everything and sometimes it is overwhelming, but never disappointing.
One of the many things I look for are Welcome to (your city name here) signs. Most cities and small towns have them and they come in a wide variety from very old to very new, simple signs to works of art, and you'll find them made of wood, metal, stone...you name it. Some even look like the local fourth grade class painted them.
I like to get photos of these signs as I travel, but it is complicated by traffic and if there is actually a place to stop. Often not. I really have a hard time flying by on a freeway as I want to screech to a stop on the side of the road. Not a good idea.
So here's a photo essay of some of the places I've been this past year and where I was actually able to get the signage. Yep, I was on the road a lot, and boy howdy, it was some kind of fun!
This says Home of the Rebels, it is a bit hard to read. The Rebels are the high school mascot.
I find it kind of funny that with all the species of ducks that pass through the bird refuge, they chose to put the very common mallard on their sign. The sign is really nice at night, though.
The ever present soundtrack in my head just started playing the Beach Boys "I Get Around." Guess that is appropriate.
While I am intrigued by abandoned barns, I like barns of all kinds: big, little, plain or fancy. If they are red, it's a big bonus. There is just something about a barn. They are reminders of a simpler time and somehow make you feel like you are looking back at your roots. Walking into an old barn is a kind of mystical experience. If it is an old empty barn, seeing the structure of the huge post and beam construction can conjure up images of old cathedrals.
I had friends who turned their barn into a place for music. One end had a raised platform for musicians and all the rest was open for people to listen, sing along or dance. Some of my best memories are tied to that barn.
When the ground is covered in snow, there is something about a red barn that seems to defy winter.
There is something inherently comforting about a red barn. They seem to say everything will be okay.
What is it that is so special about abandoned buildings? Especially old barns and houses. They hold so many questions but have no answers. They can be historical relics from the early pioneers or nostalgic reminders of simpler times but mostly they invoke curiosity about their demise. Who lived there? Where did they go? Why have they allowed these buildings to fall into disrepair? How can anyone pass an abandoned old barn or house and not wonder about it and its inhabitants? I know I do!
I'm sure you think that birding has taken over my life. In some respects that is true, but it so often coincides with many other interests. For example, my grandparents were rock hounds. They used to take us all over the state to dig up crystals, find geodes, petrified wood, dinosaur bones--you name it. While I'm not what you would consider a rock hound, it is that question, what am I looking at? that drives me in so many ways.
Last week, four of us went down to Fish Springs to see what had migrated in. It was a fourteen hour day, but so much fun. Our fearless leader, Bryant, is a true naturalist and makes these trips so much more than just looking at birds. Our first stop was at Topaz Mountain. All kinds of memories came flooding back about being here with my sibs and grandparents and digging for topaz. The ground still sparkles with Apache Tears and tiny bits of topaz.
Ant hills are a really good place to look for topaz crystals. You just need to be careful not to stir up the ants. They get very protective of their hills.
Bryant took us on a hike to the top of a hill where we could look down into old bertrandite mines. Bertrandite is a gorgeous purple color. We found some tailing piles that looked as though they had been painted.
From the top of that hill we could see that the next hill over was covered with huge machines strip mining for bertrandite. The rock is taken to a mill and crushed then shipped out to another plant that uses it to make beryllium.
Here is what bertrandite looks like in the mine. Barb climbed down into the opening to get a better look.
Those of us on top tried to become petroglyphs.
We all gathered specimens of rhyolite, adamite, bertrandite, topaz and apache tears. You can also find garnets and opal in this area.
Next, we were able to get really good looks at antelope squirrels. They are quite small, about seven inches long. I had not even heard of antelope squirrels and here I was staring one right in the face.
Turns out they do not hibernate so they are a very important food source for hawks and eagles.
We also found a spring with Least Chub. This tiny little fish, which is often less than two inches long, is very close to being put on the endangered species list.
It was originally a native of Lake Bonneville and is only found in Utah. they rather look like minnows.
And of course, one of my favorites, dragonflies. They were very busy over the chub spring.
During this time of year, hunting season, I'm always looking to bag a trophy buck--with my camera that is. Sometimes you get lucky and find a buck and a goat.
On our way back, we took a different way than we came, driving through Nevada to Wendover then home on I-80. Coming up on Nevada, the sun was setting and the Belt of Venus was visible. The dark color just above the earth is actually the earth's shadow. The pink above the shadow is the Belt of Venus. Out in the west desert we had a really good view of both.
While I love the birding, I find the journey to be just as compelling. What you see and learn along the way is as wondrous as the birds at the end of the road. Our world is rich in scenery, flora and fauna. It's the discovery that I love.
