Joe, you asked about hawks and eagles on the refuge. We saw many northern harriers (marsh hawks) and several beautiful red tail hawks. Kites and bald eagles were spotted while we were on the refuge but we did not see eagles. Bob may have gotten a glimpse of the kite. We've seen them on the refuge before. All of us were interested in the flight of the hawks over the expanding prairie dog colony, and in the prairie dog's noisy announcement of predators overhead.

So many have written that the kids are fortunate to have Bob and me to take them on trips. Thank you for the words of affirmation. And I want to state the truth that the good fortune really flows both ways. We are fortunate to be grand parents young enough and healthy enough and with enough resources and close enough physically and emotionally to our daughters to be able to take grand kids on trips. We are fortunate to have healthy grand kids who can travel and aren't on chemo or otherwise too ill to join us. We are fortunate to have grand kids who like to hike, like to visit aquarius, museums and such, have decent manners most of the time, like each other, and like us. I realize that many girls K.K.'s age wouldn't think traveling with grand parents and little brotherw was glorious. We are fortunate on so many fronts.