(This is being posted on Monday. Yesterday we just enjoyed the day traveling through the mountains north of Ashland and spending the afternoon and evening with Nathan & Mary.)

This photo is from Saturday and is of Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge. There are 2 odd things about this photo. First is that there are big cranky-looking storm clouds in the sky (which actually did drop a bit of rain on us) and the other is that this area near the half-way deck is normally full of water. It was bone dry! As it turns out, the various ponds were in the process of being filled in anticipation of the migration which will start any minute now. We observed water flowing into and filling some of the large ponds near the end of the car trail. In fact, we saw 3 small raccoons (they seem determined to torment me!) swimming across a flowing channel! We assume they had been sleeping and the rising water level disturbed their slumber and they were searching out higher ground. They neither looked nor acted rabid.

We did see numerous ducks (Mallards, Pintails, Gadwall) as well as dozens of Black-necked stilts. On our way out we also saw the resident Peregrine - always a treat!