Birds in Washington National Parks

We are touring Washington's National Parks, including Mount Rainier NP, Olympic NP, and North Cascades NP. First night in Mount Rainier we hiked around Sunrise Point and saw a juvenile Townshend's Solitaire. What I noticed about it was that its feathers looked like an owl, it was the shape/size of an American Robin, and it had white stripes going down its outer tail feathers. I stopped a guy on the trail who had a big camera hanging around his neck. I asked if he was a birder and if he could help me ID a bird. Sure enough, he knew the name. I got lucky on that one. I also saw a Clark's Nutcracker and Horned Lark.

We went sea kayaking today in Freshwater Bay and saw Bald Eagles, Pigeon Guillemot (breeding colors with cute red feet), a couple specie of gulls, a Great Blue Heron, and (Common Merganser?). 

Rare bird siting

The evening grosbeak graces my feeder every November, after migrating from the north. This is a rare bird and its population size is declining. I feel lucky to have had this visitor today. I have seen him every year now for the past three years. And today there were two males (instead of just one)!

Fall Memories

 Hiking in Adam's Canyon

 Luke's baptism

 Halloween

Tessa loves owls. She asked to be an owl for Halloween. So cute.

My New (Dream) Job

It's official. I have been hired as an elementary science specialist, the dream job that I have been waiting for. I am so excited about it! It is a part-time position at a science magnet school in South Ogden, called Shadow Valley Elementary. I work half days every morning, teaching science to grades 3-6. I see each class of students for an hour every week. I also have about three hours of flex time built into my schedule to support science teaching in grades K-2 (as requested by the teachers). The school is five years old, and sits on the benches of the mountain looking out over the valley. Another bonus is that the school is only about seven minutes from my house. Here is the classroom as it is. I need to spruce it up a bit. (Let me know if you have any suggestions.)

I have a lab space in the back of the classroom. I also have an outdoor classroom. Notice the garden boxes and outdoor tables. The indoor classroom looks out onto the outdoor classroom, and the valley below us. (The photo below of the outdoor classroom was taken from my classroom window.) There is also a wetland behind the school that we can use for "field studies". How cool is that? It is pretty dry now, but I imagine in the spring it fills in with water. There are cattails and other wetland plants growing. The school made a sidewalk through the area to make it easy for us to study living things in "the pond" as they call it.

This is the amazing view from my classroom window of the Great Salt Lake and valley below. It's just so great! I can't wait to start!

Bear Lake Vacation

Happy Birthday Tessa!

Amber visits for my birthday!

I had the best birthday I've had in a long time. My best friend from Oregon came to visit me for my birthday this weekend. It was so great to spend time with her. We had a wonderful weekend that included a painting class, as well as biking, hiking, and birding at Antelope Island State Park. I was just so happy that she came. Here are some favorite photos from our excursions. Thanks again for coming, Amber! I feel really grateful to have you as a friend. And, my oldest son Collin made my birthday cake this year for the first time ever...a delicious carrot cake. Yum! It really was a perfect weekend.