Fish and Eagles and Stink Bugs

We are spending our summer doing short jaunts around the state.  This week we went to Willow springs Lake in Northern AZ.  First we stopped at the lake in down town Payson for a picnic.

It was so refreshing to step out of the car and not bake in the sun.  We can actually enjoy the outdoors.  After that we had to get up the road to the fish hatchery before the road closed for 45 minutes.  If you are going to make the trip be sure to check road closures.  Last year we got stuck in it and it was not pleasant.  We had fun feeding the fish and seeing the different stages of development.  We wanted to see a deer but all we really got to see was squirrels.  Oh yea, and a lizard with no tail.

  Somehow there was a dead fish laying outside the runners.  We hypothesized it had tried to jump up the water spicket and landed outside the area.  The kids wanted a picture, because whenever you have a fish story you have to have a picture.  So I knelt down to get the picture and told the fish to say "Fish". Yes, I was talking to a dead fish...And? My kids were probably thinking the same thing as you all cause they, in unison, said "Fish."  If I had tried to explain myself to them they would have just thought I was even more nuts, so I let it go.

After a lovely ride down a windy road, where we all got lite headed from the thin air, we went to the lake.

See, there are pretty parts to Arizona, its not all desert.  We walked along the water for a ways when my brother pointed out this huge bird over the lake.  It ended up flying over us and landing at the top of a tree.  It was very apparent we were looking at a Bald Eagle.   A hawk then started to dive bomb the eagle. A hawk dive bombed an eagle.  Yea, probably not the smartest bird around. The eagle could have had the hawk for lunch it was so much bigger.  Yes, I know eagles eat fish, just go with me here.  Then, as if it wasn't cool enough to see 1 bald eagle, another flew down and perched on the tree. 

After the Eagles flew away we were left to entertain ourselves with whatever wild life we could find.  The kids chased some chipmunks till they found a stink bug.  There was a bald eagle, 2 of them, and we saw them take off and land, but give the kids a stick with a stink bug on it and they act like they won the lotto.  My daughter insisted I see it; I insisted I not get sprayed.  She assured me I wouldn't, "I've poked it and prodded it and it hasn't sprayed me."  Great, get it all angry before you bring it over to me.  Thanks.  Then, instead of returning it to the trees, she left it on the cement pillar next to me.  It wasn't long before I had little boys with sticks poking the stink bug.  I must have said, "Stop poking the stink bug." 20 times.  And do you think anyone thought to get a picture of it?  No.