Mammoth in the Land of Ups and Downs, Day 6

Mon 8/28
Moving day.  The park we were in had to be vacated by eleven, but the new park's reservation didn't start until 2pm. I called them and got permission to move in as early as 12:00 without an early arrival fee. Not so bad--we only had an hour to kill. For a fifteen-minute drive.

So we found a roadside parking area that would fill the bill, and time passed quickly. We read the informative signs, then hung out for the rest of the time.

The Sun Outdoors park is fancy dancy and appears to be brand new. There are trees and shrubberies planted everywhere, but they're mostly immature and don't provide any shade or places for birds to perch. It's surrounded by lakes (ponds, really) and creeks, so I can imagine it being excessively buggy in July and downright cold in January. But for now, it was very pleasant.

Not crowded, either. It was a huge place and probably 1/10 full, if that. We had a neighbor or two across the street and very few others in our area.  Two dog parks; a pool and hot tub; a recreation building that we didn't check out.  And all around it--outside the gates--were trails.

No trees, though. Except around the ponds. We speculated whether the area used to be forested or not. Ed thought yes, but I suspected it was a natural meadow with tree growth suppressed by fire.

No birds to speak of, although I saw a yellow warbler-like bird in the trees by the pond next day. I couldn't get a good look at it. Lots of red-winged blackbirds and lark sparrows.

I have no idea what these birds are. Mergansers?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rainbow in the afternoon showers

Molly got a long walk on the bicycle trail that runs alongside the big hill across the street from the campground. Great trail--if it only had some trees!
Pink mountains in the evening