A Perfect Moment

This post (and an upcoming one) have been difficult for me to write. I'll do my best to try and capture my thoughts with the words behind those special and very sad moments. The write today was inspired by the healing power of nature and family.  I guess after many years of silence, it's time that this tale was told. I'd like to share with you all a story about a kid I once knew.  Like most people I know, he has changed over time.

As a boy, he grew up wondering what the world was like outside of his small town.  He had BIG ideas about what he'd do with his life. Maybe he'd become a teacher?  A park ranger? Or a weather man! 

As he grew older in that small town, he became aware that he was different from other people.  Much of his thoughts were kept hidden and secret because he didn't want to be hurt by others. And even though he tried to avoid confrontation, he was spit on, laughed at, and beat up several times for being different.  Unfortunately, he'd take his anger out on his siblings. His parents didn't know how to speak to him because he shut them out. There was no one he could turn to for help because they would all try to fix him with their religion. And he didn't need fixing. The science fiction show known as Star Trek was his escape. He eventually left his small town and pursued his dreams. It was safer that way. Over time, he developed a tough skin.  And there was a growing anger towards people and organizations who supported hate and ignorance. After living a life in hiding, it was time to fight back with words and actions. There was no turning back.

He went on to live an amazing life. Free from the trappings of a small community, he was able to form his own opinions and attitudes about the world. He got a job at a place where he could make a difference. Or at least challenge their thinking about the bigger world.  And maybe make them laugh or smile once and awhile. But it was always a safe zone. He also became a secret guardian for all those who were different. And he watched over them making sure that they wouldn't be bullied or hurt like he had been during his childhood. Sometimes he made a difference. And other times, he would lose one of his students to drugs or suicide.  These events hurt him the most because he felt that he had somehow failed them. With age and experience, the man realized he couldn't save every student. And over time, societal attitudes began to change and his important role was no longer as important. 

In his personal life, he met someone and settled down. Over the passage of time, he watched each of his siblings get married. He was so happy for them. And even though he was the oldest and had been in a relationship for a decade, it didn't matter.  He couldn't get married. But then things changed.

His partner wanted an official ceremony. So after much thought, it was decided that their union would happen outdoors and surrounded by family.  At first it was going to be somewhere far far away.  But when he thought it over more, it made him sad to think that his parents could not attend. Therefore, it had to be closer to home. What did both of these people want more than anything else in the world?  Their families present.  And so began the plan to unite nature and family together.

The families arrived from different states and rented cabins where they all spent a week together away from WIFI and work.  It was a rare event and not something experienced since the man's youth.

On the day of the wedding, it began to snow.  There they stood, married by the man's brother-in-law and surrounded by his entire family.  In a moment shared with his wonderful friend, they watched an elk dance in the freshly falling snow.  It was the most perfect moment.  A tear rolled down his face.  This was the spot. There the elk, family and birds watched as the couple made their vows. Instead of rice or bird seed being thrown up into the air, Mother Nature provided the crowd with snowballs.

Normally this man cringed at the idea of showing any emotion, but during the ceremony, he felt so happy. And loved. It was like a warm blanket on a cold winter day. A perfect moment.

People told him that getting married was a life changing event.  He just didn't want to believe it.  Maybe it was his defense mechanism that he developed as a child to protect himself from getting hurt by others. For whatever the reason, he was so happily wrong about it all. He felt whole again. No one could have planned for this magical ceremony. The snow. The elk. His father muttered, "An act of God."  The man simply replied, "Mother Nature." The two would never openly agree with each other on the matter but in their minds, they knew that they were both correct. Others froze their toes off and said, "Brrrrrrr."

Life is full of surprises.  And this world is still an amazing place.  AND BIG!  But none of it compares to the great big love of my family and friends. I'd like to thank my parents for being outstanding people. I don't know where I would be today without their love and support. To my siblings and their spouses, my nephews and nieces, to Charlee, to Mat and Linda for putting together a special ceremony, to Mitch and Rachel, to Kathy and to Deborah. Your last days with us will not be forgotten. I'll be writing about her in the next post. It was an emotional roller coaster ride for all of us. I'd also like to thank Kathie Brown for being with me during this special time. I now understand the meaning behind the "Maid of Honor" or "Best Man".  She is an amazing friend and I am so thankful she was there to help me process my emotions. While we were out on the trails, I realized how much I missed birding with her. Sometimes we "disappeared" together onto the trails to sneak in some birding time. Behind every new bird or critter or landscape, there is a heart that beats behind this experience called life. And it is good. 

Winter Wonderland

The calm magical moments of snow gently falling.

Makes me pause. Inner joy!

Absorb. Wrap my mind around it.  Reflect. 

When chaos happens and balance is lost, I surround myself in these memories. These moments.  And I am whole. 

And it is here in these memories that I restore my faith in people and the world.  Happiness. Centered. At rest. 

The silence of a snowy forested path.  Peaceful bliss.  My personal Xanadu.

Oh gentle snow.  You are as majestic as you are graceful.

May you stay forever in my memory. 

All With The Family

The Matthew-Reeser's Bird Sanctuary

Another October flew by much too quickly. I was joined by my dear friend Kathie and family members for the Big Event in Estes Park, Colorado.

Mountain Chickadee

While there, we celebrated several days of birding, shopping and exploration.

Estes Park is a smaller town situated at the borders of the majestic Rocky Mountain National Park.

My sister and her daughter at Rocky Mountain National Park

While we were there, we soaked up as much wilderness as we could.

Kathie and Jared watch the children climb the now rocky Alluvial Fan

At our cabins, we created a bird sanctuary.  My family would laugh at us from their cabin patio.  Why?  Well, Ms. Kathie, Micheal and myself picked up a lot of bird seed and wood.  We'd sit around the fireplace and watch birds.  We had hundreds of them come and visit our cabin.  And all we had to do was just sit and watch them from the living room window:)

Black-billed Magpie

The evenings were wonderful.  Everyone sat around the large outdoor ramada sharing stories and drinks together.

As is tradition, my family puts together a dance for the big day.  Our wonderful dance was a mix of popular science fiction movie tunes and finished off with a childhood favorite, "Xanadu!"

Pic courtesy of Kathie Brown.  Awesome shot of everyone!

At times it was windy. Or snowy.  Or rainy.  But always COLD!

A cold Steller's Jay

We birded one of my favorite spots in Estes Park which happens to be near their golf course.  

Clifford goes on assignment for a class project

 The locale is known as the Matthew-Reeser's Bird Sanctuary.  Most of the bird life is found along a wooded corridor next to a fast moving stream.  I suspected American Dippers hung out at this location, but I had "dipped" several times on this bird in June.  Persistence(and timing) paid off. 

Classic American Dipper shot

And it wasn't just a far away glance.  Both, Kathie and myself, were able to watch two of these birds nearby our trail.

And along the way, we stopped looking at the birds and just enjoyed family and fall.

But then a Steller's Jay would steal the show:)

Here is a video of our American Dipper encounter.  If you are a lover of everything wildlife, I highly recommend Estes Park.  More to come from this amazing locale.......

                                  

The Tie That Binds

Barn Swallow

Like all good things, our journey to Estes Park and Rocky Mountain National Park came to an end.  Our final days were sunny and rainy.  We stayed around Estes Park and near several other park trails to map out our wedding plans this October.  I am excited for our families to come together and experience this wonderful park.  

Garter Snake

One of my favorite spots to explore happened to be around Lake Estes. 

Several times we were caught in the rain and hung out under a ramada watching elk and other critters scramble for cover. 

Pine Siskin

There is nothing stranger than finding a pelican in the middle of a mountain lake.  And yet we found THREE of them!

American White Pelican

So during our last several days, we scouted out several spots for our vows to take place, sampled several of the restaurants around the area and took a look at our cabins.  

Pine Squirrel

October will bring crazier weather(possibly snow!).  I am also hoping that Fall will be either in full swing or winding down at that time.  The Elk will be bugling while the tourist crowd will be smaller. 

And while there were many tourists during our pre-wedding visit, we found many quiet areas to escape.  

A Robin warns us to read the sign

On our last night, we drove back to our campsite after a memorable week visit.  I cannot wait for this wedding family reunion to happen.  I learned a long time ago that weddings are not about the people getting married; they are about the people attending:)  It will be a "small" event with just our families.  With just immediate family, there are around 50 people!  Some of my family are planning on hunting while others sample the beer and shop around the area.  The plan is to get the ceremony over in 15 minutes with a picnic afterwards.  Then it's all about how they want to spend their vacation as a family.  

I hate weddings with a passion but I understand the importance of them.  So since I could not avoid the whole wedding event, I tried my best to make it as natural and simple as possible:)  Compromise is great.  "You want a wedding?  Great!  But it's going to be outdoors and like a camping trip:)"  And there were other discussions compromising on "this" and "that", but ultimately, I think we have a wedding that represents both of us. It's going to be a Lord of the Rings event.  We're going to wear Elvish robes and ride out on Elk:)  Enya will also be present singing her ethereal music. My nephews and nieces will dress up as Orcs. My siblings, since they are from Wisconsin(aka the Shire) will dress up as Hobbits.  Okay....maybe I'm going too far, but it helps cut down the stresses of planning for a wedding. 

Violet-green Swallow

During the upcoming weeks, Las Aventuras will be heading out to various locales searching for tropical and pelagic birds. The life bird quest continues! Until next time friends......

Destiny Awaits

As we headed towards the snow covered Rocky Mountains, I thought to myself, "Will we be driving to the top?"  

Note the cars in the distance.  They are tiny.  Also note the steep ledges:)

I soon discovered the answer to that question as we drove near steep drop offs along several cliffs. There weren't any of those guard rails in several of the "Ohhhh $@!*" spots but it's not like any of those things matter anyway. If you're going to drive or slide off the cliff, a guard rail really isn't going to stop a several ton vehicle. Standing on the top of anything tall is my greatest fear.  When I saw a Golden Eagle fly nearby our location within only several feet, I knew we were high up.  Oh gods, this birding adventure is going to kill me!

As we climbed higher and higher into the alpine region, it became colder, windier and much harder to breathe. But it was only here that we might spy the amazing White-tailed Ptarmigan.  So I white-knuckled it to the top driving like a true flatlander....under the speed limit and hanging out in the center lane whenever possible.  Micheal yelled at me several times to stay in our lane.  I saw a bird dancing in the snow but I couldn't stop because that was the rule.  And I had a park ranger behind me:)  After that drive, Micheal took over for the rest of our alpine adventure:)

male Mountain Bluebird

As we parked our car along the edge of a cliff, I scoured the snow covered landscape for a trail. We searched for a few moments before locating something of a path. I remember the research involved with this bird and I laughed.  In my naive little mind, we were in a forest looking for a bird.  But in reality, we were above the timberline in the snow hiking along a crazy trail that scared the crap out of me. I was still in the "denial" stage. I imagined my parents up there with us and mom telling me, "That's okay honey.  You go get your bird.  Your father and I will stay in the car:)"  That made me smile.  Humor is the secret to making a scary situation.....less scary:)

But if we were to claim our life bird, we would have to do what was required to find ourselves the White-tailed Ptarmigans. It's an alpine level bird during the summer and blends in real well with all the rocks. During the winter, they turn all white and hang out along the timberline region buried in the snow.  I was expecting this grouse to be mainly a ground bird so we scanned every rock and chunk of snow. 

American Pipit

During our survey, we discovered breeding American Pipits and Mountain Bluebirds!  All of these birds were collecting nesting materials or actually building their nests.  I hadn't expected to see an American Pipit at all. They winter in Arizona around our ugly farm fields but breed high up in the alpine level in the most scenic areas on this planet.  My opinion of the American Pipit really changed after this trek. They went from "okay" to "cool". 

As we sat on a rock, a Marmot popped his head out as if to say, "What are you folks doing around these parts?"

Marmot

So we continued to crunch our way through the snow. Where were these Ptarmigans????!!!!!  We certainly put a lot of time and effort into finding them!  

Micheal scanned and scanned. I kept my ears open. And then I heard this loud squawking. 

"There!  Over there Micheal!"  He put his binos on the birds.  I got the camera ready and together we observed these amazing birds scout around the area for food.  They did like to fly a bit more than I imagined and that was interesting to observe. 

White-tailed Ptarmigan

It was another high five moment for a tricky bird.  The White-tailed Ptarmigan is often a nemesis bird for many birders because of its ability to blend in with the surrounding landscape.  Just getting to the area can be difficult with the ever changing weather patterns. With that said, there are some who are lucky enough to have the birds sit only a few feet from them for a nice picture.  This was not the case for us.

We stopped at the Alpine Visitor Center after our hike and got a look at these birds up close in their display case.  It was an amazing trek finding this bird and coffee/hot chocolate never tasted better after this chilly morning hike. Have I ever mentioned how birding is awesomely epic?  Ok, I might overuse the word "epic" sometimes, but hey it is!

Least Chipmunk

Stay tuned for more next week as we explore the lovely Estes Park......