Been looking forward to a Friday night workshop in Bismarck. Topic: Identifying Confusing Fall Warblers. My pre-retirement bucket list contains a goal to identify the 3 dozen species of warblers who look very much alike. Fall warbler identification is even more challenging, since the breeding plummage is gone and they look even more alike. I do not feel more confident after the workshop; however, I learned a number of tricks for identifying warblers (tail feathers, eye rings, etc). We met in a conference room at the Dakota Zoo. What fun to be in a zoo after dark.
Bismarck, the capital of ND, is about 80 miles from my small town. Since the workshop was a night gig and the back roads are dark and full of wildlife, I decided I would stop at a campground Hazelton Recreation Area – along the Missouri River on the way home. Before I left, I set up the van bed, layered on sleeping bags and quilts, packed up a Thermos of coffee, garden carrots/cooked beets, and dog food. At this time of year, I can leave Tango in the van while at the workshop.
After the workshop, I pull into McDonald’s for two cheeseburgers (one for Tango) to go with the carrots and beets, and we head south down River Road. At 9 PM, the sky is totally dark. Campers gather around campfires and party, so I pull around to the quiet side. The night temps will be in the 40s, so I layer on my cold weather sleeping stuff: long underwear, sweat pants, heavy fleece top, two pairs of wool socks and 1 pair silk liner socks. Ah…..so cozy as I push Tango over so I can get into bed. My reward for a long work week–I curl up tight under the layers of blankets and listen to my audio book until I fall asleep.
Morning! Rain! Drops falling on the metal van roof act as my alarm clock. I don’t mess around much since I need to get home and work on the church service for Sunday. Coffee. As I head south, a lovely sunrise makes the eastern sky and clouds pink. To the right, a rainbow forms over the river. The conditions are just right and I can see the van shadow on the right side of the road. This happened because to the left, the sun peers out from a flat horizon. The hilly terrain on the west side acts as a screen, where the rising sun projects the van shadow. The shape changes depending on the curves in the row–a fun house squished van or an elongated, squat shape. A new experience.
I stop at a small park outside a tiny town. I heard last night at the workshop that warblers are plentiful in city parks. No kidding. I saw the 4″ sweet birds in the trees; however, I was as confused as ever as to who was what. Tango pranced around while I admired the small black shapes flitting in the trees. I gas up, buy some white cheddar popcorn for breakfast, then scoot home.
Fall colors dominate the landscape. Winter edges closer. Time for tea and work. Tango settles down on my bed. All is well.
