The Usual

Due to unfortunate circumstances at work, I've got septic tanks on the brain.  My grandpa had a septic tank business, so I feel I should know more than I do, but I'm pretty sure he delivered and installed the tanks and didn't clean them out.  He retired when I was around 8, so I guess I was too little to know much of what he did.  Let's just say that even though I clean up excrement for a living, I'm sure glad that I don't have to clean out septic tanks!  What an amazingly disgusting job.  My mind is officially blown.

Other than witnessing the removal of many years of solid big cat waste from a giant tank in the ground, life's been good.  The kids are in their final quarter of school and are starting to get squirrelly.  Both are ready to be done with school and start Camp Zone.  I can't remember Kaylin's title this year, but she will either be a Counselor in Training or a Junior Counselor.  Maybe they are the same?  Either way, she has big ideas and can't wait for summer.  Both kids are playing outside at every opportunity.  Logan is completely disgusted with the neighbor kids who often prefer staying in and playing video games.  He is constantly out playing basketball, hitting baseballs, swinging golf clubs or just bouncing balls on the driveway.  Logan sometimes plays video games, but usually only when it's dark or raining.

And speaking of rain, Gene and I both are done with it.  I know we need it, but we are both sick of working in the mud.  I'm so done with mud I'd rather go back to the frozen winter than deal with this rainy, rainy week.  Come on hot summer and dry ground!

As usual, Logan and I have been doing plenty of birding.  Over the kids' spring break, we did our favorite Banner, Emiquon, Chautauqua loop and found a great horned owl on a nest.  It was one of the cutest things I've ever seen, with the owl hiding at the fork of a tree with only her ear tufts visible.  Meghan and I went back several days later and she was in the same place.  I'd love to go back and see the fluffy owlets!  Last weekend, Logan and I went to the Bloomington area and checked out Lakes Evergreen and Bloomington and Ewing Park.  It was a windy day and the water was choppy, but we still saw several common loons.  Golden-crowned kinglets were EVERYWHERE and we got some great looks at these tiny, but colorful birds.  Saturday night we hiked deep into Singing Woods looking for owls.  We saw one flying shortly after we arrived and then heard two great horned owls, but couldn't see them.  We were so wrapped up in trying to locate the owls, we didn't notice how dark it was getting and we ended up making a looong trek back to the car in the dark.  With no trails, it was a bit of a thorny adventure.  Next time we'll start back a little earlier.