Only a 2 km hike out? SWEET!

I'll be finished my half of the point counting for the season on the 23rd. Then Matt takes back over, and I move back to nest searching. Things are really going off now. Both wildflowers, and nests. Yesterday when doing a vegetation analysis transect on a point my 50m transect tape nearly ended on a Green Tailed Towhee nest. I politely moved out of there ASAP so she could hop back on her eggs.

Last week Jan, Ben, and I took our weekly town trip on our last day of work before a day off. That way we had our whole day off to do whatever we wanted. So, naturally, we slept in until 8:30 (yes, that is sleeping in, and not much more is possible when the sun comes up and turns the tents into convection ovens.) Then we ate a big breakfast and lazed about the cabin. Ate lunch. Then hopped into Jan's car and drove to Thousand Creek Canyon, which is about 45 minutes from where we live on the refuge.



We went exploring in there for the afternoon, scrambling on rocks, soaking our feet in the water (by accident on my part, intentionally on Jan's), catching cool herps, and just soaking up the sun and relaxing.











After our jaunt in the canyon we fueled up in Denio Junction. (Which is always spectacular, being seemingly the only young women in a 100 mile radius, showing up at a gas station/ bar/ restauraunt on a Friday evening is interesting.)



Then we made our way to Bog Hot where we partook of some warm water soaking and white wine drinking as the sun set. All in all it was a great way to spend a day off.