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Every year around late May (often Memorial Day) we load the six of us (and sometimes a brave friend) in the suburban and head south to the Winema National Forest. It is one of the few annual traditions, outside of holidays, that we have as a family. The purpose is not just a jaunt in the woods for a day. No, we have much loftier goals than that. Year after year, since the boys were tots, we have climbed trees, put up nesting platforms (and subsequently check them annually) and provide fresh blood for the awesome mosquito population that thrives near the Klamath Marsh. The creature we most hope to benefit is the magnificent Great Grey Owl! (Here Jasper is preparing to mount a new nesting platform in this tree).
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Here friend Brady holds the rope clear for Jazz. Years ago, Rick used to do all the climbing, but now his boys do the honors, and this year Nathan did not come, so Jasper ended up climbing 9 trees to check boxes and mount 2 new ones. It was an exhausting day for our second son!
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Rick provided mosquito food while checking Jasper's progress. Strangely enough, while everyone else was later counting bites in the near 100 range, Rick's feet are the only tender part of his body and he was relatively unscathed otherwise. As usual.
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A new box, ready to be filled with "duff" from the forest floor (since owls don't make or otherwise enhance their own nests).
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Lunch break at Yoss Meadow. Renuka soaking up some sun.
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A new tradition? Tossing around the water polo ball.....what next?
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And the last long hike of the day, down Rake's Meadow. Sadly, this hike was concluded the same as all the others of the day, without owl sighting of any kind. Skunked. For the second year in a row.
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