It begins at the Hacienda Hotel just outside Boulder City, a few miles from Hoover Dam. Participants are bussed from there to the launch area just below the dam using the old porter road. There were 12 of us on this trip. The raft can easily hold twice that number so it was easy to move around. The guide was very knowledgeable concerning the history of the area, the geology, the flora and fauna, and was quite humorous as well. He has a very good eye, spotting Big Horn Sheep twice where I never would have. We also saw a variety of birds: Red Head and Mallard ducks, Coots, gulls, a Peregrine Falcon, a Golden Eagle, several Great Blue Herons and Cormorants. Not too far from the end our 12 mile journey, while exploring a cave on the Arizona side of the river bank, we saw a beaver. Our guide said that was first time he had ever seen one on the river. They were fairly common before the dam was built, but not now.

Some of the pictures below have additional information. Click the thumbnails to see a larger version of each.

Saturday morning I went out in the backyard with the newspaper and a muffin and got situated in the sun with peanuts close at hand, anticipating Jay’s return. I was disappointed. Big Boy Right Walker came around several times, but not a single sight or sound of scrub jay was to be had.

Sunday morning I did the same but without much expectation that he would show. Then there was that distinctive sound of a scrub jay defending its territory and not one, but two scrub jays arrived, one in the neighbor’s pine tree, the other in the mulberry. I held out my hand… Just like old times, the jay in the pine tree swooped across the yard, landed on my hand, picked up the peanut like it was the most natural thing in the world and then flew away. The other jay was not happy with this turn of events and gave chase. Jay was undetered and came back several times for more. Made my whole weekend.

Today he learned the lesson. He went for the big one first again and tried three or four times to get it far enough back in his throat. This time though, when he realized he couldn’t, he put it back down where it would not roll away and picked up the small one. Then he tipped his back to get that one all the way into his throat pouch and easily picked up the big one. He did it twice this morning so I think he’s really figured it out.

A few days ago when she visited, I was thinking how there had been several jays come around since Jay disappeared, but never another like him. I hope this one continues brightening my mornings.