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| Image: Getting ready for the night
hike to the observatory last Saturday night. The Outsiders led a night hike to the Kiwanis Chico Community Observatory as part of CARD's Community Campout last Saturday. This is becoming a campout tradition since the hike has happened for 3 of the last 4 years (last year the campout was cancelled because of the smoke in the air). The hike wound its way from Hooker Oak Recreation Area, through 5 mile, and across the main park road to the bike path on the north side of the park road. This route is nice since people with strollers can use it. It's unfortunate that the city has never completed the bike path from the Horseshoe Lake down to Wildewood Park. Because the bike path is incomplete we have to walk people down the park road for a distance of a couple of hundred feet. Luckily Todd, Jennifer, Gregg, Becket, and Nichol were there to herd the hikers. By the time we started hiking the number of people tripled from the photo above. I would guess the group size was somewhere in the area of 100 people. And the end result was an incredible view of Saturn and the universe. Anita and Kris did a great job accommodating the large crowd, with Anita and others running the telescopes and Kris doing a laser pointer constellation tour of from the outdoor planetarium. Since people come back in smaller groups it was much quieter on the stroll home. We heard owls hunting and loads of bullfrogs humming on the way back. It was such a nice night it makes me wonder if monthly night hikes might be a fun thing to organize. Throw in some hot chocolate and I think you've got yourself a party. |
Night Moves
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Lon
About Me: Fasten your seatbelts for an exhilarating trip through Chico's public policy; I guarantee it's marginally better than public access TV.
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I had to keep my little girl in a hammer lock to keep her from getting away.
We used to go on full moon hikes up the North Rim until Jennifer's car got stolen from Horseshoe Lake. That kind of takes the fun out of a good time.
the Nature Center used to do regular hikes, we used to go all the time. They called them "Owl Prowls". There was a nice man named Scott Toricelli who used to lead all kinds of hikes out of the NC, I don't know what happened to that. You think you've been in the park, until you go in with somebody like Mr. Toricelli, who shows you things you been walking by for years without noticing.
We found out we got some new neighbors at Juanitaville - a little family of juncos had nested on the ground right under the bathroom window. Made for good meditative viewing from the toilet seat. It looked like about 5 babies, hard to tell. Such a tiny nest, all full of fuzzy heads. They were so quiet, our bird dog walked right by the nest without a clue. Every now and then an adult would dart in and out, sometimes sit for a while. They live in little family groups, usually an older sister hangs around to help, like alot of birds. Usually the father sits high somewhere, watching, chirping a steady little song. If there's a problem, his chirp gets really anxious.
They don't stay long in their little nest - the babies get really big within a week or so. The other day we suddenly noticed, the nest was empty. So we got a good look at it. They'd hollowed a little space under the blanket of pine needles, and arranged some grass in a perfect little hollow circle. They left a curtain of pine needles to cover most of the door. It is so pretty, I'd move in if I could fit.
But we were afraid, they'd disappeared so fast, maybe something came when we were gone and ate them. We got a raccoon who climbs up on our bikes to get over the fence. And there's lizards everywhere. But as Andy was walking along the fence across the yard, he noticed this raspy little chirp, faster and faster as he got closer. There on the end of a pine bough was a little baby junco bird - you know, babies look sloppy and fat, fuzzy and rumpled. He was freaking out because Andy kept getting closer, and he didn't know what to do. We looked him over good and said "Howdee!" and left him alone. As soon as we got across the yard, the little chirp slowed and stopped.
It's not all natural though - the tv reception up there is outrageous, I spent Sunday afternoon watching Gladiator. I love that movie, the world stops for Russell Crowe.
Can you post a Russell Crowe picture? No, not from the new movie, make it at least 10 years old. Shirt optional.
no for heaven's sake, you should not stop blogging. Don't make me come down there.