Subject: Robinson Canyon
Date: Nov 5 05:34:19 2000
From: Constance J. Sidles - csidles at mail.isomedia.com


Hey tweets, Yesterday my husband and I took our electric car over the
mountains to bird Robinson Canyon. In some ways it was a most foolish trip.
For one thing, we didn't realize that hunting season had started. For
another, we didn't think about the fact that our hybrid Honda Insight looks
like something that Gort might have driven had he needed any transportation
other than his spaceship in "The Day the Earth Stood Still." Though we
tried to blend in, at least somewhat, on the theory that you don't want to
aggravate guys with guns, we didn't stand a chance. Along Robinson Canyon
Road we encountered what one hunter told us (accurately) were a hundred
hunters chasing at most two elk. The hunters had plenty of time to ogle us
and make comments. On the plus side, we did see three good-sized (20 or
more) flocks of red crossbills. Evidently the pine cones are ripe and the
birds are feasting.

On the way back, we planned to drive through Mt. Rainier Natl Park for a
last look-see (or search-for) rosy finches and ptarmigans. We went over
Chinook Pass, and it was pretty bad. Snow, ice, a recent rock slide and
crazy drivers made driving less than pleasant. The fog was so bad we could
barely see the road at times. No chance of birds, not even common ravens.
We were glad to get down.

So, except for the crossbills, our trip was a bust. But as locally famous
surfer Ricky Young always says, "If you do nothing, nothing happens. If you
do something, something happens." This time we did something and not much
happened. But if we'd stayed home, then nothing but housework would have
happened. We feel like we came out ahead after all. - Connie, Seattle

csidels at mail.isomedia.com