Visiting in Vegas

What's new?? -- Visiting with family and friends, people watching to the max, eating at the world's best buffet and doing a little gambling too. We've had a great four days in Las Vegas. Our visit with Jenny and Tim (Jerry's handsome and beautiful children!) and their friends was a lot of fun. There was excitement at the slot machines, the craps tables, black jack and playing the horses. And we won't talk about those less successful ventures.



Oh, and I cannot fail to mention the wonderful day at the Caesar's Spa, compliments of Tim. My muscles and my toes are still thanking him. That place defines luxury. There are flavors of saunas and steam rooms and arctic rooms that I've never heard of. The Swedish massage was unbelievable. And then we topped it off with a pedicure, complete with champagne cocktails. Ooohlala!

For our rver friends, there are two Elks Lodges in the vicinity that we would recommend. The lodge in Henderson on E. Lake Mead Blvd and the lodge in Las Vegas on West Charleston Drive were both friendly and safe.

We were comfortable at the Charleston Drive location, about 15 minutes from “The Strip,” during the time that we met people at various spots around town. But a funny thing happened last Saturday morning. We awoke around 8:00 a.m to that low rumble of Harleys. How nice, we thought, some bikers are out on this sunny morning. Then we hear more and more motorcycles in the parking lot with us. Well, we think..... maybe a few folks are meeting here. But then the sounds increase all around us. We soon are surrounded by about 900 motorcycles. Our quiet parking spot has become the staging area for the Annual Bordelo Run, a fund raiser for athletes who have lost limbs. The group visits three bordelos on their way over to Pahrump, Nevada. They chose the Las Vegas Elks Lodge as their starting point and we happened to be parked smack dab in the center of it.

So we just sat back with a cup of coffee for the next two or three hours and enjoyed watching the parade of every type of rider and bike.

What could add to this scene? How about a pickup truck full of Girl Scout cookies and the scouts combing the lot for customers with a sweet tooth. Well this troop must have topped the sales for that day. Quite a few saddle bags were carrying Thin Mints when they pulled out for their run.


We said goodbye to everyone on Sunday morning. They flew back to jobs and cold temps. And it's our job to soak up the sun out here while we plot our next course.

Moving Along

In mid February the migratory birds begin their trip north from their winter home at the Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge. It is our time to move along as well. These last few months have been jam-packed with beautiful nature, great people, learning experiences, lots of laughter and camaraderie. In fact, it's been so filled that I haven't had the time and energy to write about it all on the blog. Over the next few weeks I hope to touch on a few more of those episodes. They might involve Jerry's wildlife sitings while he mowed the channels, my taking part in the Biology department's duck banding sessions or any number of social events.


For instance, we enjoyed our own personal performance at the refuge by our favorite blues band from the Buckhorn Tavern in San Antonio, NM. We can attest from numerous sessions, that these local musicians rival any band from Rush Street or wherever.
Bobbie, on the left, plays the meanest harmonica you can imagine. He owns the Buckhorn.


The other guys are employed in various day jobs, from geologist to auto service dept. manager. But ohhhhh, can they get down! This winter gig has really been okay!

In the past week or two we've experienced farewell lunches, tours, potlucks, cocktails and our last morning's going away French toast breakfast. As we rolled out of our spot number 14 in the volunteer rv park toward Highway 1, we noticed something along the path that didn't belong there. Our friends, Dorothy and Barry, had posted this goodbye wish for us. It just summed up what a great group of folks we've had to live with this winter.
Soon the migrating Sandhill Cranes and snow geese begin their spiraling, searching for those warm wind currents to ride north. The summer residents will appear, both the winged ones and their volunteer buddies who occupy the visitor center and help prepare the habitat for next season. The staff will regroup, train the new ones and make new plans for the coming cycle of refuge management.
The two of us have enjoyed learning a little more about the workings of a wildlife refuge, the community and the people. We're ready to move along but will carry a little of the Bosque with us. We'll see you down the road.

Our Latest on Life's Events

Happy 2009! Our greeting is just a little late, but hope it's going great for everyone. Elvis is here to start off your year on a good note! (Actually, this ceramic set happens to be one of the most coveted and creative gifts from the Bosque Christmas exchange! And I managed to snag it.)


It's been a month since I last posted and much has taken place for us. There were some events that seemed pretty serious at the time but we came through them fine. No need to dwell on Ferd's electrical system problems, the water leak, the pack rats, our struggles with the flu or my root canal. Oh yeah, that was a lot of fun! As we all know..... life goes on.


Since my last post was without photos, I decided to tell the story of the last month with a series of snapshots:



The Bosque Christmas : It is interesting to see how 30 volunteers living on a wildlife refuge for a winter celebrate together -- sharing family traditions, life's stories, favorite recipes and just having a joyous time. For example, the ladies here with me, Bonnie, Evelyn and Linda, were part of the decorating crew that did a fabulous job with our tree and other decor.

On Christmas Eve most of the group of 26 gathered with appetizers to sample -- There were so many scrumptious ones I can't remember -- stuffed mushrooms, pepperoni pizza dip, chocolate peanut butter balls and on and on...... The gift exchange (some call it a Yankee gift exchange) was both appropriately vicious and hilarious. But, as I said, Elvis now is in the Hurley household!!

Christmas Day was sunny and so was the atmosphere. We feasted on the array of usual delicious contributions and slowly settled back into our own little homes to watch movies or just fall asleep while it all digested.


Not only we volunteers, but the refuge manager and
his family and the deputy manager live at the Bosque,
in homes that were built by the CCC in the 1930s. We all celebrate together. Here's Tom (refuge manager) and his daughter, Jenna, on Christmas Day. By the way, Jenna got a bike and a parakeet, among other great gifts.







Krissy's visit:
The day after Christmas, Krissy (my daughter) arrived. It was so nice to have her around for a few days. She came with her annual box of wonderful homemade goodies. Loved the rosemary shortbread, as usual, and the new candies and pickled carrots.




Jerry was so surprised when he opened a gift Krissy brought for him -- the lovely string of "The Christmas Story" leg lamp lights. We hung them immediately and Ferd looked great with them adorning the front window. Surely you all are familiar with this image from the movie! It's a scream.






Of course, a visit at the Bosque isn't complete without time spent out with the wildlife. As we traveled the refuge with Krissy we watched the bald eagles soaring over the snow geese, Red-tailed and Harrier hawks floating along looking for lunch and families of Sandhill Cranes chortling away.



We even watched a prowling coyote lingering along our path, hoping for a less-alert duck or goose to become his snack.












Jerry continues his daily slope-mowing adventures out in the channels and ditches of the refuge. He hangs out with the eagles, coyotes, turtles, deer and cranes as he manicures the slopes. Here he is hanging out with one of us two-legged creatures.














Krissy and I took a trip to Three Rivers Petroglyphs. It was a gorgeous day for the ride across Highway 380, filled with panoramic scenes of the desert and mountains. As you approach Carrizozo the land turns black, rolling mounds and crevices of lava cover the scape.
Known also as the Carrizozo Malpais (badlands), it was formed between 1500 and 2000 years ago when Little Black Peak erupted pouring molten lava for forty-four miles southwest through the valley. The plant life growing in the lava is a pleasant surprise.


About 60 miles southeast of this scene is the Three Rivers Petroglyphs. It's 50 acres of the Chihuahuan Desert with more than 21,000 glyphs of birds, humans, animals, fish, etc. They are said to date between 900 and 1400 AD.





These people must have had a lot to say. One can imagine all types of meanings for the petroglyphs as you wander among them. What were they? Messages to other tribes? religious symbols? Maybe this was their time capsule meant for us.








What do you think this one is? Is it a touchdown? Maybe the earliest Superbowl ad.
















New Year's Day:
Another day of friendly people and fantastic food. As a bonus, two good friends stopped by, Jan and Chuck Moore. We were able to talk them into staying over nite and we had great times catching up since seeing them last year in Yuma.

New Year's Day was another beautifully sunny one.
So the four of us took a ride out on the refuge and timed our stop at one of the viewing decks just perfectly for the Fly-In.






We craned our necks as one swarm after another of geese and cranes glided into their nightime roosts in the pond, safe from predators. After a night's rest, they lift off again at sunrise in search of food. And so it goes each day.























Art Work for a Water Truck:
One of our fellow volunteers here at the Bosque is recording some of the wildlife through her artwork. She is preparing to paint cranes, a bobcat, and various other creatures as a mural on the refuge water truck. It will be used in parades in New Mexico as well as watering the dusty roads. Just a few days ago Carron finished her latest piece, these beautiful eagles.
She gets approval from the refuge manager for each painting on canvas. Then she will transfer the artwork to the water truck. What a tremendous undertaking. But Carron smiles about it all the time!


Well, there's more happening but I'll pause here until another time.

Typical and Not-So-Typical Days at the Bosque

Lately we've been so involved and occupied by what's going on with the people and events here at the Bosque that the blog posts are minimal. But it isn't that there is a lack of subjects about which to write. Oh no, every day seems to bring some new episode. To give you a glimpse, I thought I would relate a few of the typical and not-so-typical experiences connected with our volunteer positions of late.

In my role as the assistant to the Outdoor Recreation Planner, Daniel Perry, I am fortunate to interact with most of the volunteers and staff each Monday through Thursday when I'm "on duty." Daniel is a great boss and I'm learning a good deal about the workings of the refuge. My duties include helping to coordinate volunteer activities and scheduling refuge tours for school groups and scout troops. I also make the post office run each day. That means I drive Highway 1 out of the refuge, about six miles north, to San Antonio and then go an additional fourteen miles to Socorro to pick up the mail from the refuge P. O. boxes. On any typical day as I'm leaving , I will see Sandhill Crane families of three or four grazing on refuge food or perhaps winging across overhead to a sweeter spot on the farm loop. The families stay together until the young are ready to find a mate. My scenery might also be a bald eagle on the snag in the middle of the large pond where thousands of geese and ducks spend the day. Or maybe I'll see a hawk or two swooping for prey.

Sometimes I lend a hand answering the phones. A few days ago there was a lady who called to report a wounded bobcat about 20 miles outside the refuge. She somehow thought we would come to get the animal. She was determined and kept calling back to give us reports. We did let her know that we called the local animal rescue in her area. But, regardless, she called back to say that she had decided to approach the animal herself (not good!). But wait .... when she did she found it was an "owl." Big difference, huh?? Well, best of all, she had the owl in the car and was bringing it to us. All we could do is let nature take it's course if she did arrive. We directed her to the rescue organization. You can never tell what people will do or say, right?


Meanwhile, Jerry is out on the slope mower cutting the tall grasses and overgrown brush along the walls of the ditches/canals throughout the refuge. You may have seen the equipment that has a large arm extended out to the side, hanging over and down an incline to cut. It's another one of those jobs that one might not think of as a part of the habitat management on a refuge. But it will keep him occupied for four months. His job takes him to many opportune spots to see the wildlife. Recently he was pausing in his mowing to rest his neck from the continuous sideways craned position when he noticed a coyote across the channel. He spent ten minutes or so watching her search the area very thoroughly as his machinery ran loudly just twenty feet away. She worked diligently without even paying a bit of attention to him sitting across the way. Perhaps she thought he couldn't reach her, or maybe she had observed him from afar earlier and decided he was no threat. Just as long as she's out of his mowing perimeter, all's well.

Speaking of animals and people interacting, there was the visitor to the Bosque who couldn't understand "why there aren't any birds here." Well, first of all, that's a slight exaggeration. As of the last count there were 8,000 Sandhill cranes, 15,000 snow geese and hoards of other birds. But this person came on a day when many of the snow geese chose to stay at the refuge about 40 miles north -- food was tastier. He wanted his money back ($3.00 a day) because someone should have made sure that the birds were on the refuge for visitors to see. Well, I guess the waterfowl didn't get the memo.

But I'll end this post with the most mysterious happening. For two or three days Mother Goose was visiting with us. One of the volunteers is stationed in the fee booth each day during the busy winter season. It is sometimes a lonely job if the flow of guests is down. Well on one weekend a couple of weeks ago, Dorothy, a very animated and sometimes mischevious volunteer was working her turn at the booth when a lady stopped her car and got out. Most people just hand the money to you and go on through, with perhaps a question about where to see certain animals. Well this one was not ordinary. Dorothy noticed that she was talking to herself but thought, "we all have days like that." Then she noticed that the lady was holding something in her arms. As she walked around the car, Dorothy could see what she thought was a goose. The owner informed here that the animal was actually a Peking duck. She wanted to be sure that Dorothy knew that "they" had driven all the way from California so that her friend could see his "cousins." Oh yeah, you should know that this woman was wearing a large brimmed hat, long skirt and a cape. But wait, it gets better, she wanted to know "Is it alright if he decides to take a swim with his cousins later?" Well, Dorothy had to tell Mother Goose that it was not permissable for her friend to take a swim at the refuge.
I have to say that we all listened to this story with a little skepticism, as Dorothy is quite the entertainer, to say the least. But dear Mother Goose appeared again on the next two days. She was a friendly sort and allowed photographs with her companion, situated in the passenger seat wearing his little pouch attached to the underside of his tail for obvious reasons.

I think we will have a hard time coming up with a tale to top this one. But you never know what may happen at the Bosque.

Happy Thanksgiving and Blessings To All

Greetings and sincere, although slightly late, wishes that all your Thanksgivings were satisfying and comfortable. Ours was friendly, filling and festive. We had a special group of 40 or so nice people to share cooking, eating and conversation. It was a feast for all, in many ways.

Some of us gathered in the morning in the "lounge" of the Bosque to start the basics; turkeys, dressing, potatoes and various homemade styles of bread. The plentiful kitchen facilities here give us the opportunity to cook up a storm. And they are used often by the volunteers and staff for potlucks or anyone's favorite soup concoction. So we had plenty of utensils, ovens and chefs. Add to the mix that everyone else was busy putting together their favorite delicacies at home.

After the turkeys were perfectly roasted, Jerry got busy carving. Linda was right there to assist. Linda and her husband, Dave, are from New Hampshire and live next door to us in the volunteer RV park. They have also been known to share Monday evenings at the local blues spot. But that's definitely a story for another post. They are two of the able visitor center team for the winter.

Of equal importance to the cooking, of course, was the sharing of stories and laughs. Joe and Dorothy and Bonnie, the trio here pictured, provided their fare share of all of the above. We appreciate their fine touches on the gravy, dressing, fresh spinach salad and frivolty.

Among the tales told during this cooking episode were a few about recipes of historical significance. For instance, Have you ever had "boiled rag?" Or maybe you know it as suet pudding. We learned about this traditional German Thanksgiving preparation from Sandy. It's a little like raisin bread with tinge of fruitcake flavor. Yes, suet is an ingredient. While the dough boils inside a rag, the suet forms a crust. It was quite good.

Sandy displays the "rags" before they go into the boiling kettle.

Then you see the end result below, the fresh slices of "suet pudding" - yummy.












Sandy and her husband, Dennis, are super tour guides on the refuge for boy scouts and school groups. It's fun getting to know the group of volunteers with us here at the refuge. They work and play well!



As the day moved along towards our 3:00 p.m. dinner time, the attendees meandered in with every sort of contribution to tempt the taste buds. It didn't take long to fill the hall with good conversation along with aromas. There is no description that would paint the picture of the array of delicious dishes of cranberries, sweet potatoes, green and yellow veggies, various salads, and every assortment of bread and dessert that created our buffet. Use your imagination and add to it generously.

Of course, the people were the special ingredient. The group assembled included volunteers and family members from across the country, and some refuge staff and families. We were lucky to have the refuge manager's family with us as well as the deputy manager, who live in homes on the Bosque. It was a very congenial group with many reasons to give thanks for all of our blessings.


Speaking of families with blessings, would you be willing to claim this guy as your father? Well Ray's daughter, Ann and her husband, Jeff, accepted him despite his hairdo.


We hope all of you had a wonderful Thanksgiving!!

A Team Effort for the Refuge

One of the interesting aspects of being volunteers for Bosque del Apache Wildlife Refuge is that we have an inside look at refuge activities. Last week we had the opportunity to be behind-the-scenes for the annual Festival of the Cranes. The backdrop for this major community event is set by the waterfowl who arrive by the thousands to spend the winter months. But, this year there was a birder's dream surprise. Can anyone say Sungrebe?! I know, most of the people reading this will say: "What's that?" Well, it's a bird that belongs in the tropics of South America. This was reportedly the first siting ever in the United States. Conveniently, it happened during this Festival time period. Birdwatchers came from across the country to try to get a glimpse. Talking with these very excited visitors was a hoot! Anyway, I guess this poor bird's navigational equipment malfunctioned. Who knows?

But back to my story: During the third week of November each year, the humans flock to the area for this six-day event. They come to watch the birds, learn about related subjects, hike the trails, shop for wildlife items and take photos with the most impressive scopes and lenses you'll ever see.
Each year a group of approximately 50 staff and volunteers put their joint efforts together with the Festival Director to pull off this extravaganza. If we had one of those videos in fast motion to view the whole event, it would include big-top tents being erected, setup of exhibits of every sort, including a blacksmith, wolves, artists and solar ovens; a steady stream of bus loads of people on tours; extra parking lots, people soaking up lectures and making purchases --- and then there would be the disappearance of the extra structures as it all returns to normal. Not to mention, the full agenda of events that take place in Socorro, twenty miles north. It is a large undertaking. (Here's one of the visitors at a booth giving me a "wise" look.)
I thought I'd give a glance of the Festival from the perspective of this one volunteer, interspersed with a few photos for atmosphere.
What types of things do we volunteers do? How does it all happen? As volunteers we work side-by-side with the "brown shirts," the full-time employees. About ten days before the Festival a list of approximately 150-200 jobs is posted and everyone signs up to take on various tasks. One might be setting up tents, dispatching busses, operating the fee booth, coordinating lunch delivery, driving a vehicle for a tour, answering phones -- you get the picture. There are more than enough jobs to go around. As the week goes on, it all progresses and everyone participates.

From the view of a volunteer who now has participated for the second time in this same effort, there is an overall feeling of pride and teamwork that keeps the event flowing smoothly and makes it fun. When the old Bosque bus broke down with a workshop group onboard, there were drivers with vans to pick up the pieces. When I needed help getting a room setup for daily workshops, without fail I had able young firemen or other volunteers lifting tables in no time. Jerry found ways to bring his own flavor to his jobs too, whether it was greeting people at the fee booth or loading busses.





















One of the highlights of the annual event for those of us workers is that Leroy, the Bosque chef extraordinaire, prepares his fine array of breakfasts and lunches for us. We all enjoyed scrumptious breakfast burritos, pozoli, with chili sauce, out-of-this-world carrot cake and several super soups. And how could I not mention the fantastic sopapillas we all devoured. And the fried turkeys made by George. Oh, wow! It was not a time to worry about the carbs, but to just enjoy. These people's personal efforts add a welcome special touch during a busy day.
That's just the perspective of one volunteer about one event here at the Bosque. Of course there are many more stories of people we've met and funny and interesting episodes. Stay tuned!

Preparing for the Festival of the Cranes

You've all been involved in some kind of activity leading up to a festival or large event. There's usually all kinds of feverish preparation. Everyone does their part to make the big occurrence go well. There are meetings and publications and a great deal of planning and organizing. That's the picture at the Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge and surrounding community currently. The Festival of the Cranes begins in a few days and will bring thousands more bird watchers to town. The Sandhill Cranes, snow geese and numerous brands of ducks and other birds are fully cooperating as well. They have gathered in this welcoming spot and will provide the main attraction. It's a wonder to watch.

(Photo by Carl Piesch as seen on www.birdersworld.com)

We volunteers are ready and willing to do our part as we sign up for various duties during the Festival, working alongside the Bosque fulltime employees. We take our turns at assignments ranging from tent setup and parking duty, to fee booth and tour guides. There are six days packed with tours, workshops, speakers, exhibits, etc. Topics cover a vast area, not just the migrating feathered friends. Some of the most popular are Sandhill Crane Behavior, The Fly In and Fly Out and Digital Photography. But there are also topics related to geology of the area, Rio Grande cacti, a Trinity Site tour and Field Guide to Duck Butts. It will be an interesting week.
I'll check back in a few days, after the dust has settled.


More infor on: http://www.friendsofthebosque.org/crane/

Testing, 1....2

I've been getting some messages from some of you out there that the blog will not load for you. So here's a quick test. Please, let me know if you have trouble or not. Perhaps there was a gremlin in my last post.
Speaking of craziness, here's an example of some fun being had on our field trip to the beautiful BioPark in Albuquerque. Jerry and a couple of our favorite Bosque del Apache Wildlife Refuge staff posed during a short break. About 30 of us volunteers and staff enjoyed visiting the botanical gardens and the Rio Grande Nature Center courtesy of our employers.
It's been a busy but couple of weeks while we've been getting acquainted with our assignments and making new friends. I'll share more soon.

Chili Country

The chilis in the central Rio Grande Valley of New Mexico are the best! Many people who have lived in this area for a long time like their chilis red and hot. But we tend to go for the green ones of the medium hot variety. That's usually plenty of flavor for either one of us. Although Jerry has been known to go for the hot ones at times. They're good in breakfast burritos, on hamburgers and just a bunch of them on a bowl of pinto beans. If you're traveling on highway 380 through central New Mexico where it crosses highway 1, you could get a fabulous chili cheeseburger at the Buckhorn Tavern.

There's a seasonal produce market called Sichlers right at that crossroads in San Antonio also. Everyone around here makes stops to buy their own favorite temperature of chilis and have them roasted on the spot. We've purchased a couple baskets ourselves and enjoyed them in lots of dishes. Here's a photo of a few of those beauties being roasted on the spot.

Jerry made a wonderful stew that we enjoyed for several meals. The market is closed now, after the first good freeze. But we have a supply in the freezer to use for a few more delicious meals.

Settling Into The Bosque

We rolled into the Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge in central New Mexico two weeks ago. Our spot at the volunteer area has a nice view of the refuge. Here's an early a.m. shot of the bright peach skies over the mountains and the steamy fog floating on the pond. The early light isn't good, but you can get the idea.

These first two weeks were both interesting and active. Since we arrived ahead of our scheduled time, we thought perhaps there wouldn't be much for us to do as volunteers for a while. Oh no! Nancy got to work learning to be the assistant for the Outdoor Recreation Planner, assisting with tours and volunteer logistics, training sessions, etc. Jerry has been occupied with various projects, such as taking the many government vehicles on the premises for oil changes. He will soon be running a slope mower on the miles of irrigation channels on the refuge. There's just a "certification" requirement for the government. But, we are confident that will all be handled soon. There are a wide variety of volunteer jobs on the refuge, all working in unison with the staff. It's nice to be providing some worthwhile service.

Another fun part of the volunteering adventure is the people and places that surround it. Here we get to revisit a few folks that we met four years ago in our first venue at the Bosque. As well as, we'll meet a new group of volunteers arriving soon for the winter here.

Last weekend we enjoyed an afternoon at the Socorro Fest with new friends, Joe and Bonnie Nemmers. Here's a handsome threesome hanging out in downtown Socorro.

The four of us drove the 20 miles from the refuge to take in the music and have a few libations. The New Mexico wineries and breweries provided fine refreshments, the company was pleasant and the music was fantastic. As in numerous other venues, we were once again amazed. There are tons of talented people hidden in small towns everywhere we travel. From the harmonica contestants we enjoyed during our lunch at the Stage Door restaurant to the blues band entertaining in the gazebo of the town square, it was a super musical interlude!


Then it was back to the serenity of the refuge. Just some coyotes howling and the occasional train in the distance. It's pretty quiet for now.





But, just as we have traveled to our spot for the coming months, the fine-feathered creatures are flying-in daily. Even for those of us who are not avid birders, it's fun to see the population multiply. The squawks of the gangly Sandhill Cranes are beginning to echo around the refuge. There are only a few hundred right now but they will soon be in the thousands. As will the snow geese.

In this last photo I think you might be able to barely see the small flock in the distance. This expanse will soon be a much different scene filled with other two-legged friends.