Geologists have it all wrong. Oh yeah, I sort of  believe their theory on how the earth was transformed – continental plates colliding, pushing up great mountain ranges.  And then there’s that ice age/glacier thing. I just don’t buy their suggestion that it took millions of years for these mountains to form. I’m positive that it’s happening at a much more rapid pace. In fact, I’ve seen significant changes in my lifetime.

When I was 18, the Blue Mountains were relatively flat. I could pretty much hop and skip over any ridge and lope down any draw with little effort. Even those peaks in the nearby Eagle Cap Wilderness weren’t much of an obstacle. Laughing to myself, I used to wonder who that guy was that labeled these peaks. Anyone could see these were just hills with a couple of lazy, old mountain goats for ornaments.

Australia has the highest animal species extinction rate in the world.

Why?

Cats and red foxes are a big reason. They are a part of Australia’s present — but not its past.

Red foxes and cats are taking a terrible toll on Australia’s wildlife, said Union wildlife biologist Pat Kennedy during a presentation at a meeting of the Grande Ronde Bird Club Monday at EOU.

They are the talk of the local birding world. Sandhill cranes are returning to Ladd Marsh this spring.

Excited birders are reaching for their binocular.

Biologist Cathy Nowak is reaching for her radio.

Nowak is assisting with a study aimed at piecing together the travel itineraries of sandhill cranes, including those returning to Ladd Marsh.

A female western bluebird delivers a morsel to waiting young inside a birdhouse. Birds have a super-charged metabolism and can consume an incredible number of insect pests in the course of raising a summer brood. Along with maintaining healthy riparian areas, where birds thrive, landowners would do well by attracting birds through the use of artificial nestboxes. Photos/JIM WARD

 In general, there’s really two types of birdhouses — the one that resembles a miniature version of a Hilton hotel with multiple compartments and a designer paint job. The other is a no-frills type which is basically a square box with a small entrance hole poked in one side. In truth, birds prefer the more simpler model. The more rustic the better.

 Not all birds are attracted to birdhouses. In fact, most species either build a grass or twig nest on a limb, like robins, blackbirds and jays, or nest on the ground like quail, meadowlarks and killdeer. Those species that use birdhouses are referred to as cavity-nesters. It’s really a trick we humans play.

JOSEPH — On Feb. 24, Sharon Nall of Joseph was fined and sentenced to 40 hours of community service. Her crime is described as a “wildlife violation,’’ which she admits she committed on Dec. 18 as she and her husband, Larry, and their black Labrador retriever enjoyed a day of skiing on Hurricane Creek Road about two miles from Joseph.

Their dog ran off the snow-bound road to explore in the trees and underbrush and was caught in a leg-hold trap intended for wild furbearing animals, probably a bobcat.

Sharon and Larry were able to free their dog from the trap and he was not seriously injured. Sharon said she was very frightened and angry about the incident and felt impelled to speak to whomever had set the trap and sprayed scent around the site to attract animals to it. She removed the trap and disturbed the site, thereby violating the law.

Bernie Pellerite, left, talks with Norm Paullus of La Grande Sunday while conducting an archery course. The Observer/DICK MASON

Turn up your music, urge your children to annoy you and make an outrageous bet with your spouse.

A recipe for chaos?

Yes.

And a recipe for archery tournament success...

Mountain Chickaee. Photo E.H. Van Blaricom

There are three subspecies of chickadees that are common in Oregon. The most numerous is the black-capped and the least common is the chestnut-backed chickadee. But in our backyard, the mountain chickadee outnumbers the black-capped about five to one. That is why I submitted this photo of a mountain chickadee at our sunflower seed feeder.

VARIED TERRAIN: Spout Springs owner John Murray believes that Spout Springs, with its varied terrain, is an ideal place for alpine skiers of all levels to hone their skills. Map/skispoutsprings.com

Evening skiing at Spout Springs for this winter ends Feb. 21.

The lights though are not going out on Spout Springs Ski Area’s season — far from it. The ski area has a solid snow pack and will continue operating through March.

Cougars are frequently called “mountain ghosts’’ because they are stealth-like creatures rarely seen in the open like deer and elk. Monitoring their population levels precisely is thus impossible, said Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife biologist Pat Matthews, who is based in Enterprise.

Still, despite the secretive nature of cougars, it is safe to assume that Northeast Oregon’s big cat population remained at least stable in 2008, Matthews said.

An Anthony Lakes skier cuts a turn and casts a long shadow at the bottom of Variety. - PHIL BULLOCK-The Observer

The names reveal links to Idaho’s Sun Valley Ski Resort, to when the movie “Paint Your Wagon” starring Clint Eastwood was filmed at Anthony Lakes and to the talents of the late Ben Francy, who grew up in Union County.

Following is a look at the stories behind the names of some of the runs and trails now open at Ski Anthony Lakes.