November was an incredibly interesting month for us! We started it off by going to St George for some work assignments for Scott...he had the Update on St George Temple Renovations meeting one day, and the Ground Breaking for the Red CliffsTemple the next.
We went down a day early so we could visit BYU's Lytle Ranch, an interesting place out in the middle of nowhere, Utah.
But, it was a scenic birder place as you can see from this sign.
It was about 88 degrees this day so we were sweating it, but loving it as well.
Super interesting mix of desert and farming type land with water.
We did see some really great birds there, which was our primary purpose.
This is a Phainopepla. Really pretty crested bird that happened to pose in this tree with red berries to match it's red eyes.
In St George, they had a great city park called Tonaquint that had a pond with these Wood Ducks...so pretty!
And near our hotel was a river trail that we saw some cool birds like this Greater Roadrunner that pretty much posed for us with crest down then crest up.
We took an old friend Daniel Spencer to lunch. He went to Provo High with Jenna and has worked in Church Public Affairs for a long time now.
Fun to catch up with him.
My little brainstorm for a Pandemic year Christmas gift for neighbors were these little TOILET PAPER SNOWMEN!
Who would not want to find one of these on their front porch?
We have found that Scott's brother Aaron is now an avid birder as well...moreso than us actually.
We enjoyed an outing with him this month and found some great new birds together.
So there are "rare" bird sightings that we sometimes try to go look for.
This is a "Snow Bunting." Rare for Utah. It was out at the Utah Lake State Park with one more bunting for a little over a week.
We felt really lucky to sight it two times. Went once to scope them out and found them when other birders had no luck...then went back with Aaron and also pretty much walked right up to one of them before it flew away...and other birders were still looking. Cutest little birds!!
Scott and I finally found some of the elusive "American Dippers" on the Provo River up in the canyon.
Took a walk hoping to see some and saw like 4-5 of them which is unusual. These plain gray and brown birds will plunge into the water to get insects or plants from the bottom of the water...this one is soaking wet!
Another little bird I had wanted to get photos of is the Brown Creeper. Funny name, but it does creep down or up the trees looking for insects. It is tiny, like 4-5 inches long and so cute!
Found it on the Provo River Trail down closer to the lake.
Also spotted this Spotted Towhee on one of my walks. At first you think you are seeing a Robin, and then see the white tummy and spotted wings and pretty red eye.
Scott and I had our bout with Coronavirus this month.
I picked it up first...from Church or school or whatever...and then I shared!
Really was uncertain if I even needed testing, I felt so normal, just a thick throat. But tested just in case and was positive.
Took 2 1/2 weeks off from preschool and got some really cute notes from some of my students!
I did Zoom Story Time for both classes twice while I was quarantining. It was really fun and we had Cassidy and Mackenzie join in a couple times as well which made it even better!
So grateful for technology!
Scott and I were both blessed with very mild symptoms. Mild congestion and loss of smell for like a week and low energy for like 10 days but really great overall. SO BLESSED!
Thanksgiving Scott and I were off quarantine and wanted to walk up at a remote pond area in SLC so normal dinner was postponed for some really good Chow Mein.
Austin and Laura surprised us with our own "Baby Yoda!" We have been watching "The Mandalorian" and this is "The Child" in the film series that is so cute.
(Oh, and we got up Christmas decorations too)
We did a really fun family Zoom call on Thanksgiving to chat and check in
The funny thing was, that when everyone saw us open our box with "Baby Yoda," they all had a fit and Austin got right on his phone and ordered one to send to each family as a gift!
This is me with my new buddy watching "The Mandalorian" that evening! He is pretty snuggly and realistic.
Sunday was our Thanksgiving celebration with the works. Really yummy and a better day for us to enjoy it.
We wear masks outside now all the time. The cold air is not great for post-Covid lungs and it really helps keep us warm as well as be following mask guidelines still.
Water birds are a lot of the new ones we are seeing this time of year.
Migrators like this female Hooded Merganser...
...and this Common Goldeneye.
And of course, winter is a great time to see the cutest little Downy Woodpeckers!
MERRY 2020!
