Kudos and my new web site

Returning from Arizona we stopped at Branson to see a couple shows where I was informed that the Trumpeter Swan Society had picked one of my photos for their November photo of the month.  It can be seen at http://www.trumpeterswansociety.wordpress.com/.

In addition, my old website, vanormanphoto, has been defunct for some time but I have finally got the new one, http://www.vanormanphotography.photoshelter.com/ ready.  It allows me to put up a lot more images and sell directly from the site.

Grandchildren Quiz

We left Alamogordo Monday morning and stopped for the night in the tiny town of Shamrock, Texas.  A vaguely familiar building was lit up down the street from Big Vern's Steakhouse where we ate.  This iconic Route 66 building was featured in a movie that Mack, Ryan, Grace, Leah, Laura, and Marley have seen many times.  Do you know the movie that used this building???

Alamogordo, New Mexico

Black and White
Alamogordo is not on the beaten path but it does have some unique attractions. The best known is White Sands National Monument.  Surrounded by the White Sands Missile Range and associated with Holloman Air Force Base it is not unusual to have the Air Force close the monument to visitors or even stop traffic for an hour on Highway 70. 

Michigan residents will feel right at home when visiting White Sands.  The dune formations are very similar in appearance to Lake Michigan dunes. There are differences, however.  The sand is gypsum based, very fine, and very white.  So white in fact that one can easily imagine being in a winter wonderland-especially when hundreds of locals bring their kids to sled down the dunes on Saturday afternoons.

The most prized photographs are taken only after hiking a long ways in order to avoid areas that have heavy footprint traffic.  A little caution is in order when hiking into the monument.  Bring water and keep track of landmarks since it is easy to get turned around in this area.  

While white is the dominant color at White Sands, black dominates the landscape at Three Rivers Valley of Fire north of Alamogordo.  When first driving through the area one speculates as to how surface fires could have blackened all the topography but soon realize that this is volcanic activity with lava being pushed through cracks in the earth which then flowed out over the land.  Many organisms here are quite dark while the same types are very light colored at White Sands.  Black lizards on white sand or white lizards on black rock don't last long when predators are about.

Petroglyphs and Pistachios

As we approached Alamogordo a huge pistachio statue loomed next to what looked like a typical tourist trap store (http://www.pistachiotreeranch.com/).  Knowing nothing about pistachios but intrigued by the orchard-like grove of pistachio trees growing next to a well kept vinyard and all in a desert environment- I slammed on the brakes.  Inside we found not only a tasting table for pistachios (lemon-lime was my favorite while cayenne flavored should be avoided) but also a well-stocked wine-tasting table.  Their pistachio wine, to our palates, did not have any hint of pistachio.  We walked out with an apricot, pomegranite, and a peach wine, along with a bag of pistachios and candied pecans.  Later that evening I decided that a few pistachios would make a nice snack.  They are something like potatoe chips and before I realized it I had eaten the entire bag.  Upon examing the label I found I had consumed 1360 calories.  Oh well-the label also said no cholesterol in pistachios.  I hope Edie does better with her candied pecans. 

On our final day in Alamogordo we drove up to the Inn of the Mountain Gods Resort and Casino for a Sunday champagne brunch at the Gathering of the Nations Buffet (http://www.innofthemountaingods.com/).  With a huge selection of food, seniors can gorge themselves for $12.95.  Afterwards, we waddled out of the restaurant deciding some exercise was necessary.  Edie wanted to see the Indian petroglyphs at Three Rivers which would require some hiking to view.  Over 21,000 have been found in this area.  Although the trail was very rocky for anyone who had fractured their patella recently, the hike was a welcome bit of exercise.

Manny's Buckhorn Tavern - San Antonio, New Mexico

New Mexico Green Chili Cheeseburgers - just the name hints that you are in for a little more heat than the bland Eastern Cheeseburger promises.  The small town of San Antonio, New Mexico seems to be the center of New Mexico's quest for cheeseburger perfection.  Two restaurants, so close they could throw rocks at each other, compete for the title of best cheeseburger served.  Gil Garduno's blog (www.nmgastronome.com/blog/?p=164) gives a great view of the competition.  Edie and I had eaten cheeseburgers at the Owl Bar in January and decided to try the Buckhorn Tavern this time.  There was a line waiting when we arrived at 2 in the afternoon but we soon found a seat at the bar.  It took a while to receive our order but we were warned by the sign which informed us that "if you were in a hurry this was not a fast-food restaurant".  At the bar we could watch the burgers being fried and check the potatoes being fresh cut for our french fry order. 

Both restaurants serve excellent green chili cheeseburgers.  The Owl Tavern burger was rated as one of the top ten burgers in America in 2003.  In 2005 GQ magazine rated Manny's as the 7th best burger in the country.  The latest accolades arrived when Bobby Flay from the Food Channel arrived for a culinary "Throwdown".  Manny's came out on top and Governor Bill Richardson declared Friday July 24 as "Buckhorn Tavern Day".  Edie and I both agreed that the Buckhorn's burger was bigger, better, and tastier than what we remembered having at the Owl Tavern. 

Mt. Lemmon

On our last weekend in Tucson we decided to visit the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum again followed by a drive up Mt. Lemmon.  The museum has one aviary with local birds and a second with just hummingbirds.  Both seemed somewhat devoid of birds compared to what I had remembered on previous visits.  A consolation prize, however, was a show stealing performance by a young Great Horned Owl at the raptor flights.  With a lot of head-bobbing, hooting, and dancing on branches he had the entire crowd laughing and showed why most people are fascinated by owls. 

The trip up Mt. Lemmon is a spectacular drive through hairpin turns, rock formations, and views of the desert below.  The climb starts at 3,000 feet and ends at 9,000 feet near the small resort community of Summerhaven and Ski Valley.  The cactus to conifers trip is the equivalent of driving from Mexico to Canada.  The bird life changes as altitude increases.  At the Molino Canyon Vista Point I found Black-chinned Sparrows-a lifer for me.  At the Molino Basin campground I was hoping to find Crissal Thrashers but drew a blank.  A rather tame tree-climbing Greater Roadrunner, however, was quite curious about me.

As I was packing up, the camp host drove up on a golf cart and informed me that you can't enter the campground without a $10 fee (on top of the fee you pay to stop anywhere on the route).  He was very nice about it and let me skate when I played the Michigan Ignorance card.   He said he was also a birder and known all over the country as the "Vagabond Birder". 

At the top I photographed Yellow-eyed Juncos which was another lifer for me.  The Junco is quite common on this "Sky Island".

Our plan was to eat at the Iron Door Restaurant and then drive down the mountain to a previously planned  vista for sunset pictures.  At 4:10 we entered the restaurant and were informed that the kitchen was closed.  So much for a great meal with spectacular views.  Our backup plan was pizza in Summer Haven at the only other restaurant around for miles. The pizza was ok but not great as was the sunset which featured a very uninteresting sky.

The Pond at Elephant Head

South of Tucson, a large monolith resembling an elephant from certain angles protrudes from the Santa Rita Mountains.  Near this monolith a small ranch owned by a man named Bill Forbes has become a pilgrimage for bird photographers.  Bill is a constant tinkerer and also inventor of the Phototrap, a triggering device for cameras.  Most photographers visit Bill to spend a day sitting in a blind near a small pond that Bill has dug.  Movable blinds and assorted perches provide artistic opportunities. 

November is one of the poorer months for species variety but since I had a three day weekend from my volunteering duties I spent Friday morning at Bill's.  I arrived an hour before sunrise and birds were already moving around the pond.  At 7:30  light hit the setups and birds began increasing in numbers.  Many of the birds were sparrows and doves but Gambel's Quail, Gila Woodpeckers, Pyrrhuloxia, and Cactus Wrens made their appearances.   

Black-throated Sparrow

Gila Woodpecker

Cactus Wren

Gambel's Quail

Curve-billed Thrasher

Wycliffe Bible Translators

Wycliffe Bible Translators is an organization dedicated to translating the Bible into every language and dialect on earth.  They are presently working in over 50 countries.  They have an extensive volunteer system which allows individuals to further this effort by undertaking tasks and performing work which would otherwise hinder and slow down the work of the translators.
Edie and I volunteered a couple of weeks at an associated organization called the Summer Instititute of Linguistics (S.I.L) headquartered in Catalina, Arizona.  Most of the Institute's work deals with Mexico.  Our first task was to "mud" a new fitness room to serve the several hundred volunteers and translators on site.  A local Curves had closed and donated all their equipment.  Our second project was painting a house owned by a translator who had just returned from Mexico.  This translator has worked on the Mixtec language in Oaxaca, Mexico for the last 15 years and should be finished in 2012.  A third project dealt with preparing a house for an arriving volunteer family.

Our stay here was a learning experience especially since we arrived with very little information.  Our first surprize was our accomodations.  Expecting anything we were given keys to a posada which turned out to be a very comfortable 2 bedroom apartment.  This was partly due to the absence of the multitude of volunteers who began arriving in late Novemberr and peaks in January and February.  The second surprize was the variety of ways volunteers serve and what they accomplish.  New houses are built, vehicles are repaired,  furniture refinished,  and data entered. 

Our Posada

View of the Santa Cantalina Mountains from the back of the posada

Working on one of the translator's  houses

Man vs Food in Tucson

We arrived in Tucson and immediately reviewed the local exploits of my culinary hero, Adam Richman. The twelve  patty OMG burger at Lindy's seemed over the top but the President's Platter at Mi Nidito Cafe ( http://www.minidito.net/) seemed just right.  Created for a vist by former President Clinton, it includes a chile relleno, enchilada, tamale, tostada and a taco.  I finished it easily but knew that it was a non-challenge event for Adam.        . 

The next morning we revisited the Sonoran Desert Museum (http://www.desertmuseum.org/) which runs a beautiful program that does a great job of educating visitors about the Sonoran Desert.  The only downside is that it opens its doors at 8:30 am.  The lighting at this time is very harsh for photography.  This is frustrating but nevertheless the raptor flight is an excellent presentation by the museum which features free flying raptors which fly over the crowds looking for portions of raw meat placed around the area by assisitants.   The program is very popular and never fails to please the large crowds which attend.  They hold two programs- one at 10 and one at 2.  Unfortunately the harsh lighting and the leg strappings on the captive raptors make the photographs somewhat unattractive  for most uses.  

After the raptor program the heat began to become oppressive.  Our Michigan weather had not prepared us for the record setting 94 degree heat which assaulted us in the afternoon.  We decided to  stop at El Guero Canelo (http://www.elguerocanelo.com/)  for the second Man vs Food  feature- the Sonoran Hot Dog.    This has been described as a chili dog on steroids.  A hot dog wrapped in bacon is placed in a bolillo roll.  Mayo, mustard, ketchup is added along with pinto beans, cheese, chopped tomatoes, chopped onions, and sliced jalapenos. There is no better hot dog!

Bosque del Apache, New Mexico

Having completed the amaranth havest in Michigan, Edie and I headed for New Mexico and Arizona.  Our primary mission consisted of some volunteer work for Wycliff Bible Translators based  north of Tucson,  but also hoping to do some photography.  We spent the first night in Tulsa, Okalahoma.  The second travel day found us bucking the strongest headwings I have ever experienced while traveling by auto.  Winds were averaging 40-50 mph with gusts recorded over 90.  Edie likened it to traveling by aircraft in heavy turbulence.  We arrived in Socorro, New Mexico in time for the evening meal.  We checked into our hotel and headed for The Stage Door Grill, only to find that it had closed.  Our second choice was the Socorro Springs Brewery Company (http://www.socorrosprings.com/), which unlike a lot of Socorro restaurants boasts a 11 year record.  Edie ordered the creamy pesto pasta with grilled salmon while I had the grilled red pepper salmon.  Both were excellent.  Since the brewery featured a beer which was described as having authentic Dutch origins (Heynankamp Dutch Lager)  we ordered their sampler of 5 beers which they had on tap.  I might be biased but I think the Heynankamp held it own among the other beers although I never did find out how the Dutch influence migrated to this area of the world. 
The following morning I arrived at Bosque an hour before sunrise.  Bosque is primarily a winter destination for birders and very few Sandhill Cranes and even fewer Snow Geese had arrived yet. I took a few pre-dawn shots and headed for the Wigeon pond on the campus of New Mexico Tech.  The pond here offers some of the most cooperative ducks anywhere.  Since it borders a gulf course the ducks are  use to heavy traffic and allow close proximity. 

Bosque Sunrise

Male Wigeon

Female Wigeon wingflap

Male Wigeon

Amaranth Project

American Goldfinch feeding on amaranth seed heads

Early this spring I volunteered to grow a half acre of amaranth for the Christian Reformed World Relief Committee (http://www.crwrc.org/).  Although the project was definitely not a roadtrip it did take precedence and altered my travel plans as I adjusted to a farming schedule. 

Amaranth Seedling

Amaranth is an ancient crop which was widely grown by the Aztecs in the 1400's but soon was forgotten and only grown in limited amounts at scattered locations.  Research starting in the 1970's rekindled an interest in the crop when its hardiness and useful nutritional qualities were rediscovered.  High protein levels along with the amino acid lysine made it a healthy addition to the deficient diets commonly found in poorer nations.  Because of this the CRWRC has worked hard to introduce this plant and educate people in Africa, Mexico, and Asia. 
The plant turned out to be extremely hardy once it sprouts.  It tolerates high temperatures and requires much less water than corn and other widely grown plants.  In Kenya the seedheads are white or yellow but the American variety is a beautiful bright red which, as it matured, attracted passerbys who would slowly drive down our driveway trying to figure out what kind of crop we were growing.

On October 10 the crop was harvested.  Approximately 100 people from Fairway Christian Reformed Church of Jenison, Servant's Church in Grand Rapids, representatives from CRWRC, and the VanOrman clan experienced a typical African style harvest of the amaranth. 

Seed heads drying on tarps before threshing

Cutting the seed heads

Threshing

A mill designed by Calvin College Engineering students for use in Kenya was used to separate the threshed seed. 

CRWRC representatives from Kenya, Uganda, and Asia



Magnificent Frigatebird at St. Joseph this week

Early Monday morning the word went out that a Magnificent Frigatebird had been sighted over the channel at St. Joseph.  For the next several days birders flocked out to see this tropical bird which probably had been swept in by the recent tropical hurricanes.  One of the few birds known to be able to ride out a hurricane in flight it can stay aloft for hours without flapping.  With very small feet it cannot walk on land and without waterproofing it cannot swim.  Therefore it must either perch or fly and with a huge eight foot plus wing span it rules the air.  Sometimes known as a Man-O-War Bird because of its piracy of fish from other birds it is a very adept at catching fish on it's own.  

 I arrived at Tiscornia Park wondering if it would still be there.  As I stepped out of my truck three birders were yelling and pointing in the air as the Frigatebird soared effortlessly directly overhead.  It put on quite a show for two more hours until it disappeared up the river.

Puffin Trip cancelled

An early morning phone call informed me that rough seas had cancelled my second Puffin trip.  The harbor was foggy but calm.  After breakfast we hiked the Great Wass Island Nature Conservancy and explored some art galleries on the mainland before preparing for the trip back home tomorrow.

Machias to Jonesport

Wednesday, July 28. We left Machias reluctantly.  The area had good restaurants and watching the river bed empty and then fill again from our room was interesting.  On the way out we stopped at the Maine Sea Salt Company (http://www.maineseasalt.com/), a small business demonstrating New England ingenuity.  Sea water is evaporated in 200 foot greenhouses without any of the mechanical help that the bigger companies use.  Some of the salt is then smoked over a wood fire.

Salt house

Wood smoked flavored sea salt

Just outside of Jonesport a sign besides a simple gravel driveway advertises the Maine Central Model Railroad.  Inside an outbuilding sits a 20 year labor of love for a retired couple who worked tirelessly fulltime to create handbuilt miniature replicas of Maine towns and scenery. It has 380 railroad cars travelling 3000' of track.  The detail is amazing-even hidden interiors are revealed when the roofs of some buildings are removed.

Buz and Helen Beal's railroad has been featured on NBC News

Stephen King's House

Our last stop of the day was at the small Maine Coast Sardine Museum.  This area use to be a center for sardine factories but this year the last U.S. factory closed.  The museum was inudated by local, state, national, and international requests for information.

Scissors used by the women who cleaned the sardines.  Apparently it was not unheard of for the workers to lose fingers in this process.

After watching lobstering activities all afternoon from our room at the Harbor House (http://www.harborhs.com/) we expected to have a great lobster meal in the evening.  We were surprized to find that there was only one real restaurant in town called "Tall Barney's".  Upon entering, it looked more like a cafe.  I was disappointed in not finding any steamed lobster offered especially since Edie was considering trying them.  I ordered the haddock with a baked potato and salad with bleu cheese only to find they don't offer baked potato or bleu cheese.  Edie decided to get the lobster stew for $13 and a $5 salad.  The stew turned out to be a few pieces of claw meat in a watery milk.  She had been told that it would contain potato also but not a trace was found.  She asked for a roll to go along with it but the best they could offer was oyster crackers.   Edie now has taken the lead for the most disappointing meal on the trip.

The Far East

Tuesday, July 27.  Today's roadtrip included a visit to Eastport, the easternmost city in the United States and also the West Quoddy Lighthouse in Lubec, the easternmost point of land in the United States.

Eastport is a deepwater port which actually covers several islands although the downtown is on Moose Island and connected to the mainland.  There are many artisans in the area and the downtown reflects this.  Edie did some heavy duty shopping while I tagged along and actually learned some history behind the sea glass jewelry which is big here.  It is a great little town where people drive to the wharf and catch mackerel on their noon hour while enjoying great scenery.
While there, we toured the nearby Raye's Mustard Mill (http://www.rayesmustard.com/) which is the last stone-ground mustard mill remaining in North America.  While there I learned that the last sardine factory in the United States closed last month (Rayes use to supply the factories with their mustard).  Since sardines packed in mustard are a favorite staple of mine on solo trips, I panicked and bought a supply along with some of their custom mustards.
After lunch we drove to Lubec.  We tried the salt tasting room of the Quoddy Mist (http://www.quoddymist.com/)
Sea Salt company, a small one man operation, but discovered our palates were not up to the task and the many different flavors were lost on us.  I don't think wine tasting rooms have anything to worry about here.
A trip to the West Quoddy Headlight ended the far east portion of our trip.  They proudly state that standing here at sunrise makes you the first person in the United to welcome the new day.

Jasper beach was another locally hyped location as a natural beach made entirely of jasper and rhyolite. We spent considerable time looking for it and decided it was probably not worth it unless you were a geologist or stone collector.
For dinner I pushed for a repeat on the lobster special at Helen's but our neighbor talked us into the dinner at the Riverside Inn Bed and Breakfast (http://www.riversideinn-maine.com/).  They required reservations but had room for us early.  Edie ordered the Lobster Devon while I had the Maine seafood medley.  Both were the best meals of the trip.

Machias Area

Sunday, July 25 2010.  It rained during the night but stopped by the time we left for the Machias area.  On the way we made side trips into Winter Harbor, Schoodic Peninsula (another part of Acadia NP), and Jonesport.   After checking into the Machias Motor Inn we drove to Cutler to make sure there would be no problems on the puffin trip tomorrow.  Cutler is a small fishing village with lobstering as the main occupation. It's tides are influenced by the Bay of Fundy and the average interval between high and low tides is 14 feet (compared to over 40 feet in some areas).  With two highs and two lows per day the water is constantly going up and down. 

Cutler Harbor

Back in Machias, we had dinner at the Bluebird Restaurant. Edie ordered the stuffed haddock while I had the citrus halibut special.  Edie's meal was excellent but my halibut was flat and tasteless.  Even the few onions on top did not help.  After tasting Edie's great haddock I knew she got the better of this deal.  My consolation prize was Maine blueberry pie which is seen everywhere this time of year.  Edie said it was the best blueberry pie she has had and I agreed.  It is quite different from previous pies we have tasted.  The berries are fresh and uncooked which give the pie a completely different identity that I am use to.  The normal jelly-like consistency is replaced with fresh solid uncooked blueberries.  I much prefer this and was happy to seeEdie wondering how she could duplicate this at home.

Monday, July 26.  Finally Puffin Day arrives!  The Bold Coast Charter Company, who conducts tours of Machias Seal Island for the puffins, has a 7 AM departure time.  At 4 AM the hotel room was beginning to get light and I couldn't get back to sleep.  The 30 minute drive to Cutler was in bright sunshine and I was thinking of all the great light we were wasting.  Edie dropped me off a half hour early and I, of course, was the first one there waiting for the rest to arrive.  The tour was maxed out at 15 people.  Four of us were serious photographers and the rest a mixed group of birders, non-birders, and a granddaughter, daughter, and grandmother-three generation group.
Our captain, Andy, did an excellent job of loading and unloading people during low tide.  This involved using a skiff to get customers to the main boat and then towing that skiff behind us to the island.  Depending on conditions this would take two to three trips to get people loaded.  Landing on the island is not guaranteed.
Another photographer told me this was his fourth trip.  The first one was cancelled at the dock due to weather.  The second trip ran out to the island and then could not land.  The third, yesterday, did land but was in pouring rain and people had to scramble up slippery rocks because the boat could not get into the normal landing.  One person decided to stay on the boat.  A different company had cancelled completely. After this tale of woe I felt fortunate to see bright sunshine and relatively calm seas.  Andy said June was good but July up to now has been "crappy". 

Pulling in the skiff

Very few birds were seen on the trip until we got near the island.  After landing we were greeted by the Canadian lighthouse keeper/biologist who laid down the ground rules protecting the nesting birds.  Birders must stay on the paths, be led to their blind, and not leave until they are gotten by staff.  You may leave your blind if necessary but may not return to it and must spend the rest of your stay in the staging area.  There is an outhouse which can be used before leaving for the blinds. 

Approaching Machias Seal Island

The sight from the blind is mind-boggling.  Thousands of puffins were in view-some within a few feet.  They rested on top of our blinds and paraded in front of the viewing ports.  The noise on top of the blind was disconcerting at first as you could hear the birds shuffling around on top and the occassional loud crash landing of a new bird.

Resting puffins on top of a blind

Carrying food

The blind itself was crowded.  My blind had four people-all large-and there was very little maneuvering space.  The ports themselves were made for little people.  I had to crouch awkwardly which soon produced a back ache.  The string of complaints from my fellow prisoners indicated I was not alone in the strained joint department.  The spectacular display outside, however,  was more than enough to compensate us for our troubles.

The trip back was pleasant and we arrived back at Cutler in the early afternoon.  After editing images we walked across the motel parking lot and dined at Helens.  I assume it is the same outfit that runs the previous one we ate at.  The special was one and quarter pound lobster for $13 which was my choice.  It actually looked like a 1 and a half pounder.  Edie does not like the messy work involved with whole lobster and ordered the lobster roll.