A Trial Day

At the present time we, the USFW staff and volunteers, at the McNary National Wildlife Refuge have no idea if visitors stop on weekends and I am spending this Saturday to gather statistics. One couple stopped in because the Refuge was on their list of places to visit just off US-12. They were pleased with what they found here and I encouraged them to stop at the Whitman Mission. They could tour the museum and hear the story of the missionary who mis-used the Indians and was later massacred because of her abuse. The day is clear and the temperature was 77 F at nine am when I came to work. I assume it is somewhat warmer now although a very light breeze ripples the water toward the north side. It is a very pleasant day to enjoy the outdoors. Double crested cormorants perch on the logs to preen and dry their feathers after diving for lunch. California gulls preen also. I do not see them flying about. American coots sit upon the water and suddenly disappear to surface some distance away. I can follow their underwater direction by the surface current they cause in their movements. A large fish surfaced for an instant and I watched the wake of its dorsal fin and it did not come up again. White-crowned sparrows feed on and below the hanging feeder at the edge of the native plant area. I can see birds in the phragmites but not clearly enough for identification. From past observations I assume they are March wrens. Western painted turtles are basking on one log to warm their reptilian bodies in the summer sun. House-finches and Goldfinches are vying for perches on the hanging feeders. White cabbage moths flit among the sunflowers. A dragonfly searches valiantly for a mate to consummate its one purpose of its short life time. Hornets and wasps float around me on the deck. I’m happy that I do not emit the pheromones that attract them. Nor do I seem to be in their way to welcome a stinger as I once did in the base of a weed I was about to pull. That instant gave me a big fat lip I reported on at the time. My dark blue vest absorbed the noonday sun and I happily retreated into the Center. I could very easily settle in for a nap – without my lunch yet! At 1 Pm I had 10 and one half oz Fred Meyer vegetable beef soup. Hot and very filling. More of my green plums. I lay my head on my arms on desk in office. A little nap?

This entry was posted on Sep 4, 2010 at 2:13 PM and is filed under Social Commentary. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response or trackback from your own site.