The Rise And Fall……….My Actifit Report Card: December 9 2025

Happy Tuesday everyone!

Normally on Tuesdays, I attend the ladies Bible study. Today however, I called off as I needed to get at least one of my printers attached to the new mesh system so I can print shipping labels; absolutely needed to go to Costco for some desperately needed consumables; had to get the clinic mail and begin wrapping Christmas presents for packages that need to be mailed no later than the upcoming Monday. I also need to fit stationary bike riding, dinner prep and dinner as well as online duties for the evening plus prepare to face a workday tomorrow! Whew!😅 When do I sleep, I wonder? 😳

Printers (2 of 3)- check! Costco-check! Clinic mail-check! Stationary bike-check! As I’m writing this sooner than later, dinner still needs to happen, as well as the balance of my online duties and of course, the workday thing. I need that 48 hours a day thing for a couple of days or until the end of the year-whichever!

On the way back from Costco, we stopped and got coffee. Then on the way home, we stopped at Riverside Park to view the Nooksack River. This screen shot from USGS, shows a graph of the past week. The yellow line at the top is flood stage.

You can see we just barely missed flooding last night and I know from a reliable source that ‘just barely’ was in fact 6”! 😳 They are calling for another atmospheric river tonight into tomorrow. Depending on how it presents, it could easily push us over. I’ve got 4 escape routes should this happen while at work. Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that!

We stopped and took some pictures. This one shows how far into the park the water came. You see the line in the leaves.

Usually, we walk through here to access the river. Not so today.

The riverbed for this river is fairly wide and most times, half or more of it is dry and explorable. No dry riverbed is viewable and the current is swift! I wouldn’t want to get caught in that! I took a video so you can get a sense of what it’s like there.

Enjoy some pictures I took while there.

Every year, the Trumpeter Swans migrate here to spend about 3-ish months in the cornfields. This is what GROK had to say about them:

Trumpeter swans (Cygnus buccinator) are the largest native waterfowl in North America and the heaviest flying bird on the continent. Adults are all white with black bills and legs, long straight necks, and impressive wingspans up to 8–10 feet; males (cobs) can weigh 25–30 pounds or more, while females (pens) are slightly smaller. Their name comes from their deep, resonant, trumpet-like calls.
These majestic birds were once nearly extinct due to overhunting in the 19th and early 20th centuries, but conservation efforts, hunting protections, and reintroductions have led to a strong recovery, with populations now numbering over 60,000 across North America.
Trumpeter swans breed in summer in remote northern wetlands, ponds, lakes, and marshes, primarily in Alaska, western Canada (Yukon and northern British Columbia), and scattered areas farther south. Many populations along the Pacific coast are migratory. As northern waters freeze in late fall (October–November), they head south along the Pacific Flyway to milder, ice-free areas.
A significant portion—often estimated at 10,000–12,000 or more—winters in Washington state, particularly in the flat agricultural lowlands of the Skagit River Delta (Skagit, Whatcom, and Snohomish counties). This includes the largest wintering congregation of trumpeter swans anywhere in the lower 48 states. They typically arrive in late October/early November and depart by April.

GROK goes on to say:

Trumpeter swans migrate to Washington’s cornfields (and other agricultural areas) primarily because the region’s mild, wet winter climate keeps fields and shallow waters ice-free, providing reliable access to food when northern habitats freeze over. Historically, they relied on natural aquatic vegetation, but changes in habitat have shifted their winter diet to include grasses, waste grains, and leftover crops like corn, potatoes, and winter wheat.
Farmers in areas like the Skagit Valley often leave residual crops in fields after harvest, and some even plant cover crops that benefit the swans. This “waterfowl-friendly farming” (especially around dairies, which grow corn for silage) supplies abundant, energy-rich food, supporting large flocks. The open, flat fields also offer safe roosting and foraging spots with good visibility to spot predators.

These wintering swans (often mixed with smaller tundra swans) create a spectacular sight, drawing birdwatchers to places like Fir Island, the Skagit Wildlife Area, and surrounding farmlands. Their presence highlights a successful blend of conservation and agriculture in supporting recovering wildlife.

Almost every cornfield will have a grouping-some quite large in number. These guys were on the way home and there were many more than I could fit in the picture!

You should hear them as they fly over! They sound like trumpets, hence their name!

For those of you counting, as you can tell by the first picture, there’s just 15 days until Christmas!

That’s gonna be it for today. Take care and enjoy the rest of your day wherever you are! 🙏🌏🙏

👣🐑☕️😅😳😁😎👍🙄🌙🥱😴

NKJV 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.
For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.

This report was published via Actifit app (Android | iOS). Check out the original version here on actifit.io

Cycling, Daily Activity, House Chores, Shopping

Picture taken by me and altered by cliptocomic app

@elizabethbit is a member of ladiesofsgs4eva
a sweet group of lady stackers of SGH

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