Bridge over the Mississippi

Bridge over the Mississippi
Originally uploaded by J Semenza

This was an amazing bridge. I love crossing the Mississippi. There were riverboats and huge ocean going vessels in the water under this bridge. -- Jenny

To Baton Rouge

To Baton Rouge
Originally uploaded by J Semenza

The really, really, Really long bridge crosses the Atchafalaya River. It was gorgeous. -- Jenny

Baton Rouge

I got up really early this morning (4:30 am) so we could be on the road by 5:00. Dad needed/wanted company on the drive to Baton Rouge Louisina. It was a great drive. We talked and drove and looked at the trees lining the road. And then we talked some more and continued to drive and look at the trees lining the road. I've now driven crosswise (or diagonally) across Louisiana and what I know for certain is that they have trees and roads. Oh, and lest we forget, Cattle Egrets. Those birds were everywhere. In breeding plumage with the butterscotch feathers they were gorgeous.

Eventually we drove across the longest bridge imaginable. I've been across the Key's 7 mile bridge. I think this one is longer. It crosses mushy land, swamp, creeks, and a river. After 7 hours of driving (yes we did take breaks) we arrived at our destination in Baton Rouge.

Dad was meeting with the Pastor, her husband and assistant to talk about building a church. She was the brightest spark I've met in quite awhile. I'd love to add her to my collection of friends, but it seems unlikely since I can't seem to remember her name. So they talked, and I listened for 2.5 hours.

And then, guess what we did... Wait for it... Eyup, we DROVE, back to Texas. Wheeeeeeee. So I crossed the Mississippi River twice, and the Atchafalaya River twice (at least) and the crosswise of Louisiana twice, and.... I've seen Shreveport, Alexandria, Lafayette and Baton Rouge, from the road. :)

It was fun talking with dad. And I'm particularly greatfull that Nick gave me his MP3 player. Very useful when Dad needed to sleep and I got to drive.


After Later
Jenny

The Key to Shopping...

Today Mom and I went to Hillsboro to do some shopping. I'm in desperate need of jeans. They have a Lane Bryant outlet and I succeeded in finding Jeans, and even a Navy tshirt. After the marvelously garrulous lady rang up our purchases we discovered that Mom had locked the keys in the car.

She had handed me her small wallet to add to my purse, then carefully tucked the car keys into her purse and tucked it under the car seat. We proceeded to lock the car doors and go in. If any one reading this remembers my many key misadventures, well, here's another one. Mom never does this. So the only answer is that I was due for another "locked out" moment.

Luckily they had another key up at the office, so 30 minutes later we had it and were on our way, to more shopping.

I've never been to a Dress Barn store before. The outlet was amazing! Better still was the saleswoman who brought me over every top in my size that was $10 and of the right hue (orange, yellow, green, blue). WOW! I couldn't believe how well things fit. I'm definitely going to go back AND I'm going to look at their online store.

I won't detail the list of purchases. Let's just say I got some real LOOT. :)

After Later
Jenny

Arrival day birding

Melinda, Mom and I went out birding in the evening. We saw an amazing number of birds including Painted Buntings!!

We saw:

1. Green Heron
2. Mourning Dove
3. Scissor Tailed Fly Catcher (new bird)
4. Lark Sparrows (new bird)
5. Mockingbirds
6. Eastern Meadowlark
7. Barn Swallows
8. Broad Winged Hawk (new bird)
9. American Crow
10. Great Blue Heron
11. Great Egrets
12. Great Tailed Grackle
13. Common Grackle
14. Dicksissel (new bird)
15. Chimney Swift (new bird)
16. Starlings
17. Cardinals
18. House Sparrows
19. Western Kingbird
20. Kildeer
21. Common Nighthawks
22. Painted Buntings (new bird!!!)
23. Bob Whites (new bird)
24. Skunk
25. Jack Rabbit
26. Cottontail Rabbits

Whoo Hoo 23 birds, 6 new birds, and 3 mammals
Jenny

I'm flying on a jet plane, part 2

So I finally made it onto the plane. I had read my ticket and it said two stops. But I didn't have to change planes. I had no idea that two stops didn't mean Salt Lake City and Dallas, but Salt Lake City (where I began), Phoenix, Oklahoma City, AND THEN Dallas.

Okay, So I'm totally blonde. I'm really looking forward to the return trip where I have two stops and a change of planes in Dallas. I had movies with me, and headphones. I thought that would make the trip easier. And it would have if I had been able to hear anything. On a plane, noise canceling headphones would be very helpful. Definitely a thing to buy on my big shopping list.

So I landed and then took the long way to the baggage claim where Min and Nan met me. Getting my bags off the baggage carousel I ripped the leg off of one of my suitcases. This is the same suitcase with the rip in the canvas. I guess I'll be buying a suitcase while I'm here.

Interestingly, during the last hop from Oklahoma City to Dallas one of my seat mates was an employee for a major gas and oil exploration company. He's a specialized computer dude. He said that if someone wants to do exploration geology they either are graduates from the 5 year bachelors program from the Colorado School of Mines, or they have a masters degree...

After later
-- Jenny

I'm flying on a jet plane

Well, that was interesting. Rebecca and I left her house at 4:30 am. She dropped me at the airport and I started the standing in line process. I had baggied my liquids and was ready. I got to the head of the line and hand the lady my boarding pass and driver's license. She looks at me and says, 'driver's license expired'. I didn't know this so I look at the license and sure enough it was expired. YEEEKS. Well, she asks if I have another ID. But NO in order to save space I left my ISU ID card at home. So she sent me to the 'special line'.

In the 'special line' I got to put all my stuff in bright red bins. I got to be escorted to a glass booth where they puff air at you. Kinda like an all body glaucoma test. I got to walk through the metal detector a couple of time, not that I beeped. And THEN, the poor lady had to look through my purse and computer bag and swab every piece of electronic device. I had a cell phone, an mp3 player, a digital camera, a computer and a palm pilot. Lucky for her I left my Nintendo DS at home. :)

Eventually, they handed back all my stuff and I got to get on the plane. Shanna is sending me my ISU ID by second day air. I hope that will get me on the return trip plane without the 'special line' services.

More about my exciting trip to Texas in a moment. -- Jenny

SLC and Jessica

Goodbyes are hard. I drove to SLC to catch a plane for Texas. Nick is leaving for field camp on the morrow. Beautiful lazy drive, arrived at Rebecca's and went to visit Jessica. She has such a cute house and a great husband and it was wonderful to see them. The three of us went to dinner at Ruby Tuesday's. Something I haven't done since visiting Jen B. in Denver almost 10 years ago.
I spent the night at Rebecca's she dropped me off at the airport at an unreasonable morning hour.

Nick is keeping a blog at http://geoscirockhunter.blogspot.com/ and he'll be available by email. We're just tooo cheap to get a second cell phone.

First (and last) boating trip of the spring

Nick is leaving for field camp soon and will be gone till July. I'm heading out for a vacation in Texas for two weeks. We had to go out on the river at least once this spring. I just love the grebes.

We loaded Barkley in the car and drove to Massacre Rocks. How come I never remember Arlo Guthrie's pickle song exists? We listened to Guthrie on the way out. Alice's Restaurant being one of my all time favorites from riding the school bus to school in Shelley.

Barks was very excited about the whole trip thing. He was very good on the boat. He is a linear thinker. The world is flat and solid to him. He'd be watching the grebes and then suddenly they'd vanish and he'd cock his head to one side then the other. You could see him trying to figure out where and how the bird went. It was just soooo funny! He liked the pelicans too.

Didn't see that many birds other than the grebes and pelicans.

Birds:
Redwinged blackbirds
Starlings
Mallards
Kingfishers
American White Pelicans
California Gulls
Western Grebes
Robins
Osprey
Crows
Magpies
House sparrows
Rock doves