Playing in Leaves

One nice, warm, calm day recently, we went out in the yard to play in leaves. I raked up a pile, with no illusions that the pile was for anything except to play in. We always have several truckloads of leaves to haul from our yard every autumn, but it was too nice a day to actually start that. So that meant it was time just to have fun!

Desert Boy quickly got into the spirit of things. He liked being buried up to his neck in leaves. Then he invented a game of picking up a bunch of leaves and throwing them.

I'm not sure why that amused him, but it did. And I was comfortable so I just watched.

Of course two-year old attention spans are rather short, so before long it was time for another game. This one consisted of running back and forth through the leaves. It went on for quite awhile. I kept hoping he might be using up some of his abundant energy. I find that his abundant energy comes from a very deep source and can last much longer than I would ever expect!

With the leaves scattered, it was time to rake them back into a big pile and get buried again.

And then it was time to get back up and start the cycle all over again!

UFO Sightings

I wasn't able to attend the recent MUFON meeting in Ely, but fortunately KOLO TV was there and they've filed a story about a recent UFO sighting, including the video footage that the observers took.

I wonder if more UFOs are spotted during the winter, when the nights are longer, or in the summer when more people are outside, even though the nights are shorter. And is that same pattern evident in both the Northern and Southern hemispheres, or do UFOs prefer one part of the planet earth more than another? So many unanswered questions...

Pronghorn Antelope

The other day we caught a glimpse of this pronghorn antelope.

Then a few more joined it.

And even more. Usually pronghorn are a little more leery of humans, but these have been hanging around the fields and pastures and are used to noisy vehicles traveling nearby.

I really enjoy seeing pronghorn antelope and thinking about how they evolved with the sagebrush that is ubiquitous in this part of the world. The pronghorn can digest this shrub better than about any other animal because of its long relationship with it.

Eventually the pronghorn got nervous of us watching them and took off. They are the fastest land animal in the Americas, reaching speeds of over 70 km/hr. If you want to learn more, click here.

Goin' Fishin' Part Two

Last weekend we decided to go fishing--but not using Desert Boy's earlier method (with a bucket). We went out to a spring-fed pond. We weren't sure what fish were in there besides carp, but we thought we'd give it a try. Plus it was a good excuse to get out of the house.

Henry wasn't particularly helpful. He thought it was fun to chase the hook, get in the mud, and then shake himself off near us. We kept expecting we'd have to untangle him.

Desert Boy was eager to learn how to use a rod and reel.

We didn't catch anything, but Desert Boy can't wait to go again. It's cold this weekend, feeling like winter, so unless we want to do some ice fishing this weekend, we might have to wait a few months.

Recent UFO Sightings Attract Attention

Apparently people have been seeing unidentified flying objects around the area lately. Someone, a credible person, apparently even captured one on video.

That's got the attention of the Mutual UFO Network (MUFON), which is going to be holding a meeting Saturday evening in Ely. I really wish I could go, but I think I'm going to need some help from my alien friends to get there and back.

A certified MUFON field investigator will be around during the weekend investigating recent sightings, and encourages folks to talk with him if they've seen something strange lately. I was wondering what it took to become a certified field investigator for MUFON, so I went to the MUFON website. Apparently you need to become a dues-paying member of MUFON, order the Field Investigator's book from their website, and take the open book test in the book and receive at least 80% grade on it. You are also encouraged to accompany an already-certified MUFON field investigator to practice interviewing methods, investigative tactics, collateral contacts, and technical background.

I think it could be a very interesting weekend...To see more info about the meeting Saturday night, here's a link to the Ely Times article and comments.