Sunday report from the Refuge

It's been a while since I mentioned the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge, but don't draw the conclusion that I don't go there anymore. I do! This sign marks the entrance, just turn down the gravel road, cross the railroad tracks, cross over the Columbia River Slough on the one lane wooden bridge, and you are there!

Today I didn't see the Sandhill Cranes in the refuge. No, they were gorging themselves on corn in the nearby farmer's field. Just last week I watched the farmer harvesting his acres of corn and I wondered if the cranes would remember previous years of good eating there. Apparently they remembered and told their friends, too!

The fields were filled with Canada Geese and Sandhill Cranes and the racket they made was terrific! Mine was not the only car pulled off on the side of the road to experience this. Trilling and trumpeting and gossiping birds and all of it in the beautiful pink/gold evening glow of a perfect Fall day.

With all of those delicious birds around, you have to know that there are predators lurking in the Refuge, too. I spent a lot of time watching this coyote. And he watched me, across a small ditch filled with water!

As I watched him, I couldn't help but think of many Saturday mornings when I was growing up. Sitting in the den with my sibs and my dad, we all watched Saturday morning cartoons. Dad loved the Roadrunner and Coyote cartoons (by Warner Brothers) and he would laugh and laugh and laugh at Coyote's antics.

When I watched the coyote today and thought of my dad, I could almost hear his laughter.

What was your favorite Saturday morning cartoon?