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| On the Road Again |
Like Elizabeth Barrett Browning said, "The earth is crammed with heaven." We formed a small caravan of two rigs, ourselves and our friends, the Ulmens, and made our way to Othello, Washington to see the Sand Cranes. Every year, several thousand birds spend time in this area. That's where heaven gets crammed in. The birds spend the night safely gathered in a foot or so of water, away from any predators that otherwise might enjoy them as a feast. They gobble and gobble all night in a sort of melodious guttural warble. Near dawn, they take off en mass to spend the day munching on corn stubble. Near dusk, groups of various size return to the safety of the shallows. They spend a few weeks here, fattening themselves for their trek North. This particular group is but a fraction of the Sand Crane population. The main flock flows from the South up through Nebraska, some three hundred thousand birds or so. The Washington cousins represent, I'm guessing, about five percent of the entire gaggle. Often you'll see two birds flying together. They mate for life, and I can only imagine the translation of the bird chatter every night at the slough. after breakfast, Judy and I went into Othello to buy authentic Mexican food: tamales, salsa, rice, beans, and several other items Judy couldn't live without. The result will be an afternoon spent comforting ourselves with wholesome food. We'll wile away the hours until it's time to go over to the slough and watch the cranes land in the evening. It may be tempting to focus on the suffering of the world, the pain of our friends, or the fears caused by uncertainty, but it's just as easy to observe the majesty of creation, the beauty of nature, and the warmth of good friendships. In that light, it's easy to believe that life is good, especially today.
Dave's metaphor for his cancer treatment is there's a surprise in every box.
You got to get up early to see the heavens in action.
If this guy can do it, you can too.
Of course, the girls lead the way.
The birds line the whole of the reservoir, but this end is preferred.
Suddenly, they just lift off.
They fly in a circle as if to warm up, or maybe to take bearings.
And then they are off, flying away in every direction.
Very often, it's just Mr. and Mrs. Crane.
I've often thought it would be fun just to travel around looking for wonderful spots like this.
Liz can't get enough, and she uses the binoculars to bring the experience close up.
Fresh tamales for lunch, Por Favor.
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