Back on the Road Again … Saturday October 28

Up at 5:00 am and gone by 5:30. Ron stuffed the car (or as I would like to call it, the big red traveling suitcase) completely full of stuff. This stuff included: a wall hanging, serving platters, 4^th of July decorations, the family ravioli platter, a down filled vest for Nick, salami, and bunches of french, sourdough and grissini bread. Over the mountain and across the plains we drove. For the first time since the trip began, we finally felt, talked out and put in one of the books on tape. We chose Guns Germs and Steel, a book Melinda had to read for a class and that we had talked about off and on through the trip. Listening to it required one to really pay attention. It was interesting, but the guy reading it had the most soporific voice. Melinda got a couple hours of sleep and missed some of the reading and then we switched and I got to doze for a couple hours and miss other parts. Overall though, we got a sense of the book, though it was just a review for Min.

We drove into SLC around 7:00 California time. We decided not to move our watches forward to 8:00 Mountain time, since Daylight savings time was upon us and we’d just have to reset our clocks the next morning. I called Rebecca to let her know we were in town and were probably just going to drive on home to our respective houses. She was out with her roller derby friends, and told us to just go ahead and grab our stuff. So we did.

I got back to my home in Pocatello around 9:30/10:00 pm (still on California time). I had to call and talk to friends and family most of the way home to help with the sleepiness. After all driving for 16 hours can be quite draining.

The trip was FABULOUS. Melinda is always fun to hang out with. Then you add birds, whales, family, good food, and a great hotel bed and it’s a perfect vacation.

After Later
Jenny

Family… Friday October 27

Ocean near Pacific Grove, originally uploaded by J Semenza.

We did not get to see the ocean today. This picture is from Thursday. There’s a sea otter playing with its food there to the lower right of center. It looks like a piece of driftwood in this version of the photo. Click on the photo and check out the larger version of this picture on my Flickr account.

We both slept in today. I had never been to a Kohl’s before and Elisa and Georgie had been talking about how nifty it was. So today was spent shopping for beads, baubles and baggage. Okay, we didn’t really buy bags, though we did fill our baggage with more loot.  Melinda and I found the softest sweaters, jewelry, and oddments. Elisa found Shanna a scarf that Shanna is now wearing pretty much every day. It was a fun to hang out with Georgie and Elisa. For dinner, Ron got out the “Panini sandwich machine” and we all made these big, tasty sandwiches. Check out the Panini machines available here on Amazon.com

Jenny

Birds and Beads … Thursday October 26

White Tailed Kite, originally uploaded by J Semenza.

We slept in. I tried to be vewy, vewy, quiet when I did get up, not because I was hunting wabbits, but so that Min would be able to sleep longer. Eventually, we had to get packed and get going. We started with Pacific Grove Beach then headed towards Moss Landing. I took a fortuitous wrong turn and we saw a White-Tailed Kite up close and personal. He was hanging out on a telephone pole wire near some farmer’s field. Beautiful!

At Moss Landing, we ate at our favorite Mexican Restaurant: The Whole Enchilada. In the parking lot, a humming bird was zipping about. At first we thought it might be a new species, but nope, just another stunning little Anna’s. We got to see a lot of different birds even though we did not do any trudging (reference to a previous adventure where we ended up hiking through sand for several hours). We stopped at Elkhorn Slough, Kirby Park, Pajaro City and drove over hill and dale and around the twisty trail.

1. Western Gulls
2. American Crows
3. Great Egrets
4. Brandt's Cormorants
5. Snowy Egret
6. Brewer's Blackbirds
7. Dark-eyed Junco (Oregon race)
8. Heerman's Gulls
9. Brown Pelicans
10. Red-tailed Hawks
11. *White-tailed Kites
12. Ferruginous Hawks
13. Anna's Hummingbirds
14. Mallards
15. Black-necked Stilts
16. Lesser Goldfinches
17. Avocets
18. Eared Grebes
19. Marbled Godwits
20. Willets
21. Say's Phoebe
22. Sanderlings
23. Greater Scaups
24. Great Blue Heron
25. Double Crested Cormorants (chasing eared grebes)
26. Golden-crowned sparrows
27. Hundreds of Least Sandpipers
28. Black Phoebe
29. California Gulls
30. Western Scrub Jays
31. American Robin
32. House Finches
33. American Kestral
34. Peregrine Falcon
35. Turkey Vulture
36. Ring-billed Gull
37. *Glaucous Gull

We got to the Semenza’s house early that evening and found Ellisa and Georgie playing with shiny, pretty beads. It was irresistible. We had to sort them and play too. Ellisa was making bracelets to sell as a fundraiser for a friend. Ron had a dinner to go to, so it was just us girls, and some terrific ravioli for dinner. I went to bed early and slept very well.

:)
Jenny

All work and no play … Wednesday October 25

Avocets, originally uploaded by J Semenza.

Unfortunately, Melinda had to stay and do homework without distraction today. She got to see from our balcony the following:
Yellow-rumped (Audubon's Race) Warbler
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
American Crow
Prairie Falcon

I had a very different view from my favorite seat at the conference center. There were librarians as far as the eye could see… I ended up eating lunch at the hotel restaurant. If you love fish and chips Monterey is THE place to get them. I got back to the hotel around 4:00 pm and we headed for the Monterey Bay Aquarium walking to the aquarium we spotted an Anna’s hummingbird. We got there late enough that they gave us tickets good for that evening and the next day. I love this aquarium. I’m constantly surprised by their innovations and displays. Every time is different, and yet there are constants, like the jellyfish displays, the kelp gardens and Melinda’s favorite shorebird habitat and my favorite Sea Otter area.

The birds were pretty fun to watch. Buffleheads are one of my favorite ducks and the juvenile in the exhibit was quite active and entertaining. We were able to see up close (which helps in identification later in the wild).

• Empidonax Flycatcher
• Semipalmated Plover
• Ruddy Ducks
• Bufflehead, juvenile
• Black-necked Stilt
• Sanderlings
• Least Sandpiper
• Semipalmated Sandpiper
• Killdeer
• Avocets
• Black Oystercatcher
• Willet
• Whimbrel
• Snowy Plover
• Short-billed Dowitcher
• Black Bellied plover
• Marbled Godwit
• Ruddy Turnstone
• Black Footed penguins
• Common Murres
• Red phalaropes
• Red-necked Phalaropes
  

From the decks of the aquarium, overlooking the bay we saw:

• Great Egrets
• Pelagic Cormorants
• Brandt's Cormorants
• Brown Pelicans
• American Crow
• Rock Doves

And Sea Otters

Jellyfish, originally uploaded by J Semenza.

Melinda took a lot of pictures, this is one of the very peaceful looking jellyfish. I however know that not all jellyfish are peaceful. The trip we took to Hawaii in 1978 made it impossibly clear that Man-O-War jellyfish are not to be trifled with. Ow, Ow, Ow!

We made our way to a nearby restaurant by the name of The Fish Hopper. Here, I think we had steak. Ironic, I know.

So we’re sitting at this table near the windows, looking out at the ocean when a Western Gull comes up and lands on the sill near our window. His mouth is packed with this fairly large pink starfish. There’s much laughing and pointing and picture taking from the tables around us, until he flies away. Later as we’re eating, he comes back with his jellyfish walking around, mouth full, showing off. He takes flight again only to return and deposit the starfish near the window. This time he flies away for good. Apparently it is hard to eat a starfish.

Meanwhile, during the first visit by the starfish bearing gull, I struck up a small conversation with an Indian woman at a nearby table. When Melinda got back, I asked her (the woman alone) if she would like to join us. She did. Come to find out she’s a librarian too. She’s from New York City and is a librarian for a commercial real estate office. WOW. That’s a library job I didn’t know existed. Her name was Vandy and she was fascinating. After dinner we dropped her off at her hotel (she had walked over from the conference center and it was quite dark).

As we exited the restaurant, we found (or rather Melinda found) a date palm tree full of birds. Min was able to identify them as noisy roosting starlings.

When we got back to the Hilton, I got online and posted all of my blog entries as Melinda continued with her homework. Later we went over to the Hotel restaurant for dessert. Then back to the hotel for sleep. Okay, I got sleep. Min got homework. She finally got to sleep somewhere between 5 & 6 in the morning, after she emailed her paper to her professor’s assistant. EEEEEE

More later
Jenny

Conference and Wharfs … Tuesday October 24

Brown Pelicans, originally uploaded by J Semenza.

We got up early so we could go look for birds before the conference started. First was the Commercial Wharf. This was so fish stinky that we had to hold our noses as we rounded the end. We did see a few more birds:

• California Gulls
• Willet
• Heerman's Gulls
• Pacific Loons
• Common Murre
• Brown Pelicans
• Rock Doves
• American Crows
• Pigeon Guillemot

And a Sea Otter

We got breakfast at the bright yellow bistro on the wharf. This bistro was my lifesaver a few years back when I had that keys & bay incident. It was still too early to get to the conference so we headed for the coast guard pier, where we saw more birds and to add to the stink, pikes of really, REALLY, stinky sea lions. One black turnstone was walking along the edge of the pier wall. He was really brave and bold and we got to see him up close.

• Brewer's Blackbirds
• American Crows
• Brandt's Cormorants
• Black Turnstones
• Great Egrets

Sea Lions, originally uploaded by J Semenza.

Finally, we went over to the conference center for homework and workshops. “Back to the Convention Center for a day of classes and homework. Jenny and I decided this day to eat close by to the Convention center because of a short lunch time. We walked much farther than we expected and found a tiny Mediterranean diner serving the best vegetarian lentil soup.” –Melinda.

Much later we had dinner at this amazing Mexican restaurant, then drove to and walked through El Estero Park to see a few more birds. Melinda has a great picture of a goose on the water with a beautiful wake trailing after.

• Double-crested Cormorants
• American Coots
• Canada Geese
• Mallards
• Pied-Billed Grebes
  

Back at the Hilton for more homework for Melinda: I watched television, played computer
games and basically rested and slept. It was fabulous.

After later
Jenny

Conference & Ocean ... Monday October 23

Ocean near Pacific Grove, originally uploaded by J Semenza.

I felt a lot better this morning after a solid 12 hours of sleep. Melinda and I headed to the conference center. We parked up on a hill behind the hotel and walked down to the front doors. I picked up my registration tags and loot and headed for my favorite conference room. Min, went out to one of the many tables and comfy areas to work on her paper.

I have finally found a new methodology for choosing a conference session. Every session they offer is interesting to me. So instead of deciding on a session, I choose the comfy room. Most conferences are held in hotel ballrooms with narrow seats all crammed together. This conference center has those kinds of rooms, but it also has this stadium room with comfy kinds of seats and those hinged pop-up desktops. So I only went to sessions that were held in that room.

Over the course of the conference I went to many sessions. I took notes over on my Library Banter blog. Be aware that these can be incredibly boring entries. But I am really greatful for the notes:

• Search Engine Report
• Search Tips
• Searching the New Digital Formats
• Federated Search
• Overview of Podcasting
• Video Podcasting
• Listen Up!: Podcasts...
• Off the Rack: Podcasts...
• Introduction to Video Blogging
• Fun with flickr
• Flickr in Libraries
• My Space
• In Your Facebook
• Introduction to Wikis
• Fostering Collaboration
• An Agreeable Wiki
• Don’t Call it a Wiki!
• Wiki as a Research Guide
• What’s Hot in Social Softwr
• Syndication and Website Content
• Using Blogs for Internal Communication
• Public Libraries & Web Logs

At lunch time, I found Melinda and we walked down the wharf looking for someplace to eat. She had spotted a Mexican restaurant earlier so we ended up there, looking out at the harbor, the sea lions, otter, pelicans and multitude of gulls.

After the conference sessions we trudged up to the car. Melinda was at this conference center with Jessica and they entered from the top floor near where we parked. So tomorrow, we're going to find another way in...

Melinda really wanted to go out to the beach at Pacific Grove. I was tired. After all, I hadn't really slept for 2 or so weeks (excepting last night). On the other hand, I really, really wanted to watch the ocean. It was gorgeous, we even spotted a sea otter eating and cavorting in the waves.
There were a lot of gulls flying about. Melinda had a lot more energy than I did. I was back in the car reading and dozing early and she was still walking and looking.

Birds of the day:
(Melinda saw in the morning from the balcony at the Hilton -- Townsend's Warbler, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Slate-colored Junco and Western Scrub Jay.)

1. Brewers Blackbirds
2. Starlings
3. Rock Doves
4. Brandt's Cormorants
5. Pelagic Cormorants
6. Brown Pelicans
7. Pied-billed Grebes
8. Willets
9. Whimbrel
10. Black-bellied Plover
11. Heerman's Gulls
12. Western Gulls
13. California Gulls
14. Black Phoebe
15. Black Turnstones
16. Crows
17. Great Eagrets
18. Canada Geese
19. Domestic Mallards
20. American Coots
21. Western Meadowlark

We had dinner at the nearest, interesting restaurant advertising steak, seafood and pasta. What we didn’t see from the road was the “Latin” menu, which made Melinda quite happy. When we got back to the hotel, I, of course, fell into that comfy bed early and slept very, very well.

More soon
Jenny

Birding on the Ocean ... Sunday October 22

Gull over Ocean, originally uploaded by J Semenza.

Well, I didn't sleep well the Saturday night, so getting up at 6:00 a.m. was a bummer. Still, I LOVE the ocean and the prospect of being out on a boat was exciting. We got dressed and checked out. Following the directions and signs we made it to the parking lot in plenty of time. Unfortunately, the automated ticket taker wasn't giving out any more tickets. Some Yahoo had broken the arm thing. We gave up (after Melinda took pictures as evidence that we tried) and drove on in and parked the car.

Then we walked down the pier to the shop we were supposed to gather at. Apparently we were the first ones to complain about the broken parking station. The guy convinced us that we'd still need to go get a ticket and to try the other entrance. He also assured us that since he was the captain of the boat, he wouldn't leave us. Anyway, we trudged back out to the parking lot. The first parking station we came to, didn't go to the right parking lot. So more trudging ensued, we finally came across another flock of birders and they said, since there were so many of us (who hadn't gotten a stub from the ticket booth) not to bother. So back to the shop. This time when we talked to the guy, he sheepishly allowed that we were fine and he gave us a validation paper thingy to hand in.

Next we congregated at the boat dock. There were a LOT of people waiting for this boat. Normally, Melinda and I have gone out on a weekday, when there aren't that many people free from work. Normally, we also only go out on Whale Watching cruises. Since this was a Birding Cruise things would obviously be different.

After clambering onboard we learned how different. Apparently this very boat had spotted three rare birds on the ocean the previous weekend (Brown Booby, Manx Shearwater, and another one who's species name I don't remember). So there were approx 15 die hard birders, most with really big cameras ready to go look for birds.

This cruise includes a number of guides, who don't get paid, but do get to go out on the ocean for free. One of the guides was this very knowledgeable woman who came up front with us. Although the side of the boat really does show off the birds to great advantage, sitting was more important for us. The female guide, (I think I will call her Superbirder) kept up a running commentary about birds, and her son (who was also there) who studies birds and where he has gone to study. He was also a great guide.

Superbirder was willing to point out each bird species and help us learn to identify it on the wing. I can now probably spot pink footed shearwaters and bullers shearwaters, but the nuances of the black vented shearwaters escapes me still. In any case, I think we were very lucky to have her with us in the front for so long. She finally gave up the front when her knees gave up.

We saw:

Brewers Blackbirds (on land)
Eared Greabes
Western Gulls
Brown Pelicans
Western Grebe
Brandt's Comromrants
Heerman's Gulls
Black Turnstones
Surf Scoters
Great Egrets
Common Murres
+Pigeon Guillemot
Elegant Terns
Common Loons
*Sooty Shearwater
Northern Fulmars
+*Pomerine Jaegers
*Pink-footed Shearwaters
+*Short-tailed Shearwaters
+*Cassin's Auklets
*Rhinocerous Auklets
*Flesh-footed Shearwaters
+*Black-footed Albatrosses
+*Black-vented Shearwaters
+*Bullers SHearwaters
+*South Polar Skuas
+*Manx Shearwater
Bonaparte's Gulls
Rock Doves (on land)
American Crows (on land)
Red-necked Phalarope

OTHER MARINE LIFE
Harbor Seals
California Sea Lions
Sea Otters
Mola Mola (a fish)
Blue Sharks
7 (YES SEVEN) Humpback whales
+*Northern Fur Seal
+*Stellar Sea Lion

(those with an asterisk are new for Melinda, those with a plus sign are new for Jenny)

Yes for all those die hard birders who had joined our cruise we did see a Manx Shearwater, and there was much rejoicing. :) I couldn't believe how nice this was. Usually Melinda and I are trying to identify birds as the boat is moving. This time the boat would try and put the sun in the right spot for us to really see the birds. AND the leader of the expedition made sure we had all seen the Manx before we moved on to another location.

On the boat we were told to "pay no attention to the flashy mammals (meaning the humpbacks -- they were right by the boat) we are here for the birds." I couldn't help watching the whales though. I must say that I really, truely love the whales. I saw seven of them. One I saw as I was walking back to another part of the boat. I was the only one on that side (the birds were on the other as were the people). And this whale came up, not that far from the boat. I yelled Whale, and pointed, but no one cared or came. That was just too weird. I watched him until flukes out he dove into under water. Another one was frolicking and actually came over to check the boat out. What I did like about this was that I never felt like we were harrassing the whales. Very cool.

The blue shark was pretty amazing too.

I ended up attempting to take a nap in the early afternoon. It didn't work very well, but at least I tried. We left the harbor around 7:30. We headed back in around 3:00. I was ready to head back to the harbor around noon. We disembarked and were walking on the wharf around 4:00. Eight+ hours on the ocean is a very long time for people who had just been in a car for 14 hours. A lot of motion. We were tired kittens.

We ate literally at the closest restaurant we could find. And then drove to the grocery store for breakfast and dinner snacks and then to the Hilton to check in.

The Hilton was gorgeous. It had these HUGE pillow top beds with feather beds over that, and down comforters and pillows and I tried to stay up, but at 7:00 (shortly after we got there) I went to sleep and for the first time in a couple of weeks, really and truely slept. Ahhhhhhhhhhhh

More to come...

Jenny

Driving with Melinda... Saturday October 21

On Saturday October 21st Melinda and I headed for Monterey. We left Rebecca's house early in the morning (around 7:30 or 8:00 am) and with the sun rising behind us we headed west. West across the Bonneville Salt Flats, which I had never seen. They are amazing, all white and shiny. It had rained the day before so they weren't blinding (good). The ground sparkled as the sun reflected off those little cubic salt crystals.

Driving through Nevada and the salt flats we saw many curious things.

• Ravens on fence posts. Lots of Ravens on fence posts.
  
• Curious arrangements of old electrical wire insulators.
  
• One very large sculpture
• Dark rocks in various arrangements, I heart X, words and designs
• An emergency training facility that looked like a prison without a fence
• Fernly (an oasis of trees in the desert)
• Pronghorns
  
• One white couch on the salt flats

Thinking we would be tired, my friends (Annie & Kay) loaded me up with books on tape. We had all kinds of things to listen to, but not just yet. We talked our way out of Utah, and across Nevada. Just before Reno we switched and Melinda drove while I tried to nap. (I've felt really stressed recently, so sleeping has not come easily). An hour or so later we switched and I got to finish the drive up and over Donner Pass. It is so gorgeous up there with the ponderosa pines and the clear air.

And thus commenced the California part of the trip. We decided to try a shortcut to Monterey, instead of driving over through San Jose and the cluster of other cities, we drove down I5. For awhile, ... a long while. I'm not altogether certain it's a shortcut, but you never know. So I5 to 156 and 156 to 1 and Monterey. So we continued to drive and drive and drive...

Melinda is trying new things. :) At the quick stop where we gassed the car at the junction of I5 and 156 (it's dark now, approx 7 pm California time) she decided to try these spiced lima bean snacks. :) Sounded good to me too. After all, I love lima beans and spicy ones could be fabulous. The gagging and spitting next to me changed my mind. Apparently they're the worst things imaginable. So Min decided to toss them out the window for the birds. So we're driving down the dark freeway with all this California traffic and she's tossing lima beans out the window, and the wind is whipping them around her and back into the car and smacking me. :) :) TOO Funny. (2 weeks later and I'm still getting lima beans out of the car. *grin*)

We arrived at the Motel 6 in Monterey around 9:00 pm their time. I had to wait a long while to get our room cause everyone was looking for a hotel that night and everything was full. Thank heavens for reservations. Hooray, we made it!

I didn't sleep well that night, a holdover from the stress of the previous week I guess.

Bird list:

1. Black-billed Magpies
2. Mallards
3. Western Grebes
4. at least a Hundred of Common Ravens across Nevada
5. Red-tailed Hawk
6. House Sparrows
7. Starlings

And there I leave you, for now...

Jenny