Refuge

Welcome to the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge! 

This large, expansive feeding and breeding grounds for migratory waterfowl practically sits in our backyard. It is located just west of Brigham City and north of the Great Salt Lake and is managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Department of the Interior. The new education center is full of interactive displays that both young and old will like. We loved it! Another great bonus... it's completely FREE! 

Springtime is an excellent time to welcome returning cinnamon teal ducks, the American white pelican, killldeer, Clark's grebes, meadowlarks, yellow-headed blackbirds, swallows, Blue Heron, swans, and so much more.

This year there was a special sighting... an owl nesting on eggs, underneath the eaves of the building. We didn't get pictures, but it would have been a sight to see! We heard a mass of frogs croaking, doing their mating calls. No sightings... just sounds.

It was spring break so a couple of the grandkids and I took advantage of the warm weather and took an auto tour around the refuge. 

Watching birds is a very enjoyable experience! 

The national refuge is a system of lands set aside to conserve wildlife and habitat. The marshes, rivers, and lakes are intertwined for miles. The road around the refuge is well maintained and provides designated parking in many spots that allow for quality bird watching experiences. Being out among the birds and natural habitat is both exhilarating and peaceful. Listening to their different chirps and songs makes you disappear into their world. That is all you hear!

Bird watching through binoculars brings the birds up-close and personal.

Cinnamon Teal and American Coot dotted the waterways of the refuge.

A lone Killdeer standing on the edge of a small water hole.

Yellow-headed Blackbird.

Canadian Geese are nesting among the willows along the shorelines.

Pelicans

Blue Heron

California Gull

Our state bird. The Seagull flies overhead as we are leaving.

List of birds we saw today: Blue Heron, Canadian Goose, American Coot, Killdeer, Cinnamon Teal, Yellow-headed Blackbird, Re-winged Blackbird, Clark's Grebe, Lincoln's Sparrow, Pelican, Seagull. Surely there were many more we did not see or identify.

Croaking frogs.

The Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge is a must see when planning your trip to Utah!

Inspired by Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop

April

April brings showers. I have always loved the rain in the Spring. 

A year after Shaniel passed away, and on her birth date, we went to the Salt Lake Temple to do her temple work. There was a gentle rain that day. The blessings, or rainbows, of heaven were gently showering down on us... as family from both sides of the veil came together and celebrated with Shaniel on receiving her saving ordinances. 

Rain cleanses the earth and makes everything fresh and new again. Now, whenever a gentle shower from heaven comes, it is a wonderful reminder of that day. Just as the earth received a gentle washing, so did Shaniel. A renewal of faith, a cleansing of soul, and the opportunity to move forward in the great plan of happiness is, indeed, a gift and blessing from heaven.

Gentle rain does bring the rainbows of heaven! What joy!

Beginning of Gardens

This is how we garden on the Daniels Farm in the early Spring.

February - Fertilize the fruit trees, blackberries, and grapes. 

March - Prune, Cultivate, Gather Branches, and...

Burn! There's nothing better than the smell of burning branches. It signals a renewal of life on the farm and the start of a promising growing season. 

The Apricot trees are first to bloom. Their blossoms look like popcorn!

This year it's been too cold for the bees. We're hoping for warm days soon so the  honey bee can do what they do best... pollinate!

After the ground has warmed up, we will plant a vegetable garden on the same spot we burned branches. 

In the yard, flowers are now just working their way up out of the cold earth. 

It won't be long until the yard and orchard with be bustling with green leaves, splashes of colorful flowers, delightful smell of lilac, and the sounds of bees humming and birds singing. Oh... I do love Spring!

My Garden

Inspired by Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop