It was a nice day today, probably one of the last nice days we'll get before winter sets in, so I figured it was time for a walk down to Oaks Bottom.
First highlight - Ruby-crowned kinglets having a territorial squabble with crests raised, about 2 feet from me. Eeeee!
Second highlight - Spotted a Pied-billed grebe in the lake, and kept the binos on it for a while, and managed to see it dive, catch a fish, and eat it. It was even my first Pied-billed grebe.
Third highlight - OMG! There are river otters living in the bottoms! I've seen beavers, muskrat and nutria down there before, but never, ever thought we'd have otters move in. There are at least 4 of them, and they're obviously there to stay, they've got a nice den dug out of the bank. If you live in Portland and want to see them, they're just off Springwater trail, between Oaks Park and the Oaks Bottom trail connection, north of the lake, in the pool behind the concrete sluice connecting to the river. That's usually the kingfisher spot, but I have a feeling the kingfisher will be out-fished by the otters.
See the otters is going to be good motivation for me to walk down there every chance I get. I should be doing the 2.5 mile loop at least once a week anyway, but now I might even be able to get myself to do it more often than that. Weather permitting... Next time I'll take my camera and get proof!
November has been a great month for hockey in my house. After a depressing tanking in October, my dear Calgary Flames this month have been un-friggin-stoppable. They just won their seventh game in a row. And Aaron's team, the Ottawa Senators, have such a terrifyingly effective first line that the whole league is shaking in their skates.
So what's the problem? On December 10th, they have to play each other, their only meeting of the regular season. I don't know if Aaron and I will be able to watch it together. We both like both teams, and you know it's going to be an incredible game, but it's going to hurt, no mattter how it comes out. At least it'll be on Calgary's home ice.
Oh, the dread. I just hope the mojo of my Miikka Kiprusoff action figure holds. Flames haven't lost a game since I got it.