Hummingbirds

So I put up a hummingbird feeder a month or so ago. My grandma used to have one of these...my love of hummingbirds must be a mix of nostalgia and fascination. I didn't really expect much and wasn't sure if the hummingbirds would even be able to find the feeder. Fortunately, we have had tons of hummingbirds outside our window. They are amazing, and I love watching them hover and fly off in a buzz. The best part is gettng a glimpse of them sitting still for a few seconds on the perches of the feeder. The other day, this one hummingbird sat still for such a long time. He got a drink and then sat on top of the light for about five minutes!! It was the coolest thing and something I haven't seen before. We were able to get a picture even though the blinds were in the way...we didn't want to scare it away! Check out the hummingbird at the top of the light.

Summer Vacations Part Two

Our next trip was to Newport Beach, a favorite place of mine...maybe I just like going on vacations, no matter where! It was filled with beach and pool time, sleeping in, absolutely perfect weather and a lot of tacos from Great Mex...so yummy!!! If you have never been there- you must go., best tacos ever! It was fun to be with the family for a week, and the twins especially loved the beach. They even took a liking to eating sand...

Barrett thought he was funny after having dumped sand all over this chair.



Garrett was able to make it for two days but had to do some studying on the beach - fun!

Yes, that is sand/spit...

The twins loved riding in the wagon!

Mom and the girls on Balboa Island



Getting "hangry" on Balboa Island




Garrett's last day.



Not sure who these people are and why they need so much stuff for the beach!



The girls getting buried.



Brady and Barrett



Mom and I definitely hold the record for staying at the beach the longest for the most number of days!



Mom and dad at "The Wedge". Thanks for a great trip!

Summer Vacations Part One

So blogging has gotten away from me for almost a year now...not sure why I have gotten so behind! My two months off of work during the summer didn't scream "blog"...but "lay by the pool!" And so, that's what I did many days during my time off. We also did some fun family vacations. First was Flagstaff which was gorgeous and very relaxing. Still in love with that place. We rode bikes, went shopping, sat on the back porch, and went to Bearizona! I managed to take very few pictures during this vacation, most of which were of the bears at Bearizona. I have to admit I was impressed with this place and would recommend to anybody to pay a visit! Here are some pictures of the trip...

 

Bighorn Sheep Hunt 2011

This year, my sister and I both drew out for bighorn sheep in Nevada. Not only is this tag incredibly hard to draw, but it is incredibly rare to draw out with another person in your party in the same year. To give you an idea, my dad has been putting in for this tag every year for the past 30 years and has only drawn out for this tag once. He has also put me in for 13 years, and my sister in for 21 years, and we just barely drew out. It was an incredible and rare opportunity for this to happen, especially if you understand hunting!

We hunted opening morning and were both successful. These sheep are found in very rocky and steep terrain and can see up to a mile away. Getting closer than a 1,000 yards to them is difficult and getting even closer to get a shot off takes serious hunting skills! We were successful, and I killed a 9 1/2 year old ram, and my sister killed an 8 1/2 year old ram. It was a great hunt that I will always remember. It is a little bittersweet that it is over so quickly, but it was an amazing experience.

 If you don't know much about Desert bighorn sheep, here are a few fun facts...

The most conspicuous feature of the desert bighorn sheep is the large brown horns that continue to grow. Both rams (males) and ewes (females) have horns, though the horns of rams are much bigger and more curved. Each horn is in a “C” shape known as a “curl”. The horns are permanent and consist of a sheath of keratin (a hard protein found in fingernails and hair) covering a bony core.

Desert bighorns are located in mountain ranges throughout the southwest. Besides the southern region of Nevada, populations exist in Arizona, southeast California, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, Texas and Mexico. Typical desert bighorn terrain is rough, rocky and steep, broken up by canyons and washes. This type of terrain affords them the advantage in coping with predation. Desert bighorns live in regions marked by hot summers and little annual precipitation. Bighorn sheep require access to freestanding water during summer months, and in drought conditions they may water throughout the year. They often break open barrel cactus with their horns and eat out the inside.

During the rutting season in July through September, dominance among rams is established in contests in which two rams may clash horns. It has been estimated rams may meet head-on at a combined speed of approximately 30 mph. 

Amazing animals!