Life Intrigued

Small Corn Bird…by Brad Marks

Hello everyone! The adage regarding the reports of my death are greatly exaggerated (or the many other variations of that saying) come to mind after my absence here these last 6 or so days. I am proud to say our annual haunt event is officially in the books and based on the feedback received so far, a huge success. I do not want to go into detail now and take away from Brad’s post – not to mention I really, really need some sleep, but I did want to note how much we appreciated all the prep/build help we received this year. Especially my brother Ron who spent many a weekend down here working very long hours and the rest of the Intrigued staff, including Brad and Jan, who spent multiple days in the rain and mud with us to get the props into the absolutely saturated valley, stage the scenes and power it all up – forever grateful! Not sure how much sleep I actually got over these last couple of weeks, however I can tell you the somewhere along the trail sits the 14 pounds I lost in the process. Just need to finish the tear down, restore the body and then get focused on the big race in a short couple of weeks. Will hopefully touch base again soon, but until then, enjoy another incredible find from Brad and Jan on their Caribbean assignment.

Take it away Brad…

Jan and I were enjoying a warm Caribbean day overlooking a beach taking photos. We were on assignment in Curaçao (pronounced “kyer-uh-SAU” or “cure-uh-SOW” with the end rhyming with how or plow) and had stopped for a bit at Playa Kenepa Grandi (Large Kenepa Beach in English) on the island of Curaçao.

Most of the members of our tour group were ignoring the fantastic view from the bluff and were standing in line for a frozen adult treat, or visiting the facilities. The beach was about a quarter mile away and 100 feet below us. Picture a horseshoe; we were standing near the left end of an upturned horseshoe with the beach down in the “saddle” area of the “U”. There was a winding trail from the edge of the parking lot down to the beach. It was rumored to be a clothing optional beach, but we were unable to verify. Imagine, if you will, light blue water near the beach and graduating to a deep blue further out to sea. There was also a slight ocean breeze blowing towards us from the beach. Jan and I, of course, were exercising our cameras.

While photographing the bright orange Venezuelan Troupial (link here), this other yellow bird kept leaping into the frame. Later in our photoshoot, we found out that two other bright yellow birds were indeed juvenile Troupials. So, who is this photobombing bird? The new bird looked a bit different than the juvenile Troupials we caught a few minutes later. This new yellow bird wasn’t making any noise so Merlin couldn’t help.

Yellow Orioled found by Brad and Jan on Playa Kenepa Grandi

Learn more about this colorful photobomber after the jump!

Spin the Wheel

True to Brad’s comment on a previous post, I did manage to find a 4th end of the candle to light ha. Tonight will be the last bit of rest before we start hauling everything down into the valley for the big event. By rest I mean squeezing in an 8+ mile night run (there is still a race to be ran after all this), assembly of a couple of remaining props and …well this rush of a post, Note, it would be incredibly gracious if I could get everyone out there to combine their willpower on a single objective..make it stop raining here!!! Similar to my last post, going to go with a truly random assortment of shots. Basically, opened the gallery folder of unpublished shots from our Texas trip back in January 2025 and spun the wheel on the mouse. Wherever it landed..that’s what you get – a couple of times my finger slipped and you simply got the next one, but all is good.

No time to waste, let’s get to ‘dem shots!

Various shots from trip to Texas in January 2025

For our first entry, the wheel has chosen a resident of Anahuac ….oops again, Jocelyn Nungaray National Wildlife Refuge. They have a LOT of these prehistoric creatures laying on their banks – this one was one of the larger ones we have seen there.

Hit the jump to see where the wheel takes us next!

Mexican Eagle…by Brad Marks

Got a call from our Quality Department none too pleased with our current level of output this month. My whines and excuses fell on deaf ears as they simply point up at the month quota goal sign while playing their tiniest violin. Even hitting the 21 mile day running milestone this week – a mere 3 miles from the peak training effort I need to hit prior to the Oct race, still held zero sway . Heartless I tell ya! Anyway, no worries (yet) as I have an “ace up my sleeve”…or rather a “Brad in my folder”! Been saving up his adventures for this very situation. Apologies in advance for my lack of comment responses – we be burning the candle on three ends ha,

Take it away Brad…

Having adult children with their own careers makes family travel a challenge sometimes, but all the more rewarding when schedules mesh. Jan and I found a moderate length cruise around the Caribbean in early March that would fit within the vacation time Allyson and Garrett had available to them. The cruise took us to five new countries (six for Garrett) including a partial Panama Canal transit. No, the ship didn’t sink part-way through. The ship only had enough time to go into the Canal Zone through the Atlantic set of NeoPanamax locks (the new larger set of locks completed in 2016), wait a couple hours on Gatun Lake for its turn to pass back through those same locks on the way back to the Caribbean. The new set of larger locks are one-way only, sort of like many tunnels through the mountains in the Black Hills: ships have to wait for on-coming traffic to clear before proceeding through the set of three locks in the opposite direction.

One of the stops on our recent Caribbean assignment was Curaçao (pronounced “kyer-uh-SAU” or “cure-uh-SOW” with the end rhyming with how or plow or now). Please do not pronounce the last syllable with a hard “c” which sounds like a “k” as in the word “cow” or they will definitely know you are from America, or have had a bit too much of the blue liqueur famously named for the island.

Jan and I were taking a tour of a local ostrich farm. Since the ostriches were captive, I can’t really count them, and I’m not. They are just a prop for this story. Our tour group of about 25 people had been broken up into two groups, because the local tour vehicle was a small minivan with iron pipe benches bolted into the bare metal interior. There were no glass windows in the “van” so we could freely take photos without odd reflections from the glass.

Crested Caracara found by Brad and Jan on their trip to the Caribbean

Now that looks like an interesting bird, hit the jump to learn more.

Sleepless in Peoria

We are only two weeks out from our annual Haunted Trail event and let’s just say there is a LOT of work still to be done. Technically, with tremendous help from my brother Ron, we are ahead of schedule from last year’s effort….but, we grow by at least 10% every year. Many of the tedious tasks are out of the way (ex. putting batteries in all the props and our proprietary controllers, testing them and fixing everything that broke during the tear down last year or just from being stored for a year in changing conditions. In all of this the training for the October ultra continues leaving little time for bonding with my pillow. As previously noted I will be leaning heavily on Brad and Jan to get us through September. Just so they do not get too overwhelmed, jumping in today to bring you the One-Offs. Those shots are just hanging in the photo queue because they didn’t have an engaging story and/or just not enough images to entertain you – also sneakily doesn’t require a lot of writing/prep as it is really just meant as eye-candy.

Various finds from our trip out to Arizona in March 2025

All of these images have a common thread – they are all outtakes from our trip out to Arizona back in March 2025. Hit the jump to enjoy this cornucopia of tins.

Not a Little Blue…by Brad Marks

We are knee deep in props at the moment, troubleshooting mechanical issues (number one skill required for haunts for sure), finishing up this year’s new additions and installing a small truckload of batteries (easily over 600 range). Thanks to immense help from my brother Ron, I dare say we are either ahead or minimally on plan – I am cautious as we are ALWAYS working it right up to when the guests start arriving (Brad can confirm). This year, Linda added in a two day break from the prep work for a little relaxation and that started today. We our now in St Louis to see our favorite band AC/DC!! (technically tomorrow night). Since the tickets were purchased nearly a year ago, we have been keeping our fingers crossed both Angus and Brian would make it to the concert date – only 24 hrs left to worry ha. There has been a front-band change as the Pretty Reckless was a late swap out for the Foo Fighters – technically a trade up in star power, but we were really looking forward to seeing little Cindy Lou rock it out (link here – yes, that is Taylor Momsen). While Linda and I enjoy the remaining hours before near deafness , Brad is going to take the helm and bring you another adventure from their trip Down Under. Take care everyone and “For those about to rock, we salute you!” (link here).

Every now and then when Jan and I are photographing birds, I’m certain I know what the bird is. At least I think I am. That’s the case here, sort of. However, I wasn’t even present when most of these photos were taken this time. Let me explain.

Jan and I had gone different directions while on assignment in Cairns (pronounced “cans”) Australia. Seeing the Great Barrier Reef was one of my life goals. That is, until the marine forecast called for 2-meter (6 foot) waves and a very small boat. I decided to stay on solid ground and keep breakfast down while Jan decided to brave the 2-meter waves on the Coral Sea to go see the Great Barrier Reef.

The excursion catamaran took Jan to Green Island, about 27 kilometers, or 45 minutes off the coast of Australia perched atop the Great Barrier Reef. The sea was quite rough that day so Jan decided not to snorkel. Plus, she had one of our cameras, so snorkeling was really out of the question. Besides, we left our underwater camera at home for this adventure. (Small disclosure, we’ve seen and photographed many coral reefs in the past, and this one looked to be similar to the other ones, so I didn’t feel too horrible about missing it, even though it is the Great Barrier Reef.) Jan opted to leave the big glass (200-500mm) in the hotel room, in favor of the small travel lens (18-200mm) because it was a bit easier to handle and keep dry on a small rocking boat.

Green Island is only accessible by boat or helicopter. It is populated strictly by tourists during the day, or by a few lucky souls staying overnight at the resort. There is a small resort that guests would stay over for a night or two, a couple of restaurants and bars, and limited shopping on the small island.

There are no permanent residents. Most of the island has partially paved trails, some raised wooden decking, and sand beaches completing the circuit around the island. You can circle the island by alternating between the beach and the trails. Green Island is small enough (1.6km or about 1 mile circumference) to casually walk completely around in under an hour if you don’t stop to take dozens (or hundreds) of bird photos. Jan found most of the tourists stayed near the shopping areas and were not on the trails or the beaches furthest away from the pier.

The early prediction market odds are leaning to “you might get this ID wrong”. Take your guess, put your money down and hit the jump to see if you are today’s winner!

Bunting to First

By the time you read this, we will have officially used up all the available days in August. I am stunned to say the least… not so much that another calendar page has been torn off, rather we will be in official haunt month. I am sure my long-time readers (so appreciative) are likely bored of hearing about our haunted trail and the effort it takes to get that built, put on for two days, and then torn down every year. It is truly the pinnacle for our year and a culmination of all the prop building and preparation that occur through the entirety of the year. Unfortunately, the “fun” times give way to full on stress when we get to this point as the project plan needs updating hourly the weather forecast is constantly fretted over and “overwhelmed” becomes the word of the day. All of this is really just context to let you know I will be stepping away from the Internet most of September as a result. Fear not, Intrigued will continue to bring you content with the help of Brad and Jan who will be going to bat in my absence. Truth is I have been saving up their adventures to this point knowing this was on the horizon (note, they also just returned from another exciting adventure in the field).

Since our power hitters are coming on deck, thought the perfect strategy would be to “Bunt” my way to first (of the month ha).

Lark Bunting found at Lorsburg, NM Welcome Center in March 2025

No mistaking that bill for a member of the Bunting family. Hit the jump and we will introduce you to a new featured feathered friend making its debut on the wild side of Intrigued.

Location, Location, Location

It is going to be close, but I think we are just barely going to get in under the wire to meet our self-imposed monthly post quota. Our streak is well over a decade and not willing to just throw all that effort away because of something trivial like lack of sleep ha. That and I don’t want to add “another” blemish to my performance this year with annual reviews just around the corner. Due to the short spacing between this and the last post, not really much to highlight as far as activities go with the exception I hit the 18 mile mark on my trail training today. I am feeling (a LOT) better about my conditioning now as that only puts me 7 miles short of the max training distance target – already at the 50+ mile mark for weekly mileage. Should be able to cover that remaining training distance in the next month assuming I can break away from the haunted trail for some good hard runs. The rest of the race distance is just a matter of grinding/gutting it out and that is exactly how I feel about today’s featured feathered friend.

Cackling Goose found at John Ward Memorial Park, Amarillo, TX in March 2025

Quick, take your first guess at this species and we will check it after the jump.

Feathered Bowling Balls

As mentioned previously, we are burning the proverbial candle at both ends these days. My desperate attempts to squeak out at least 25 hours in a day has been met with immense…dare say galactic resistance. Pretty sure in response to my efforts the planet has retaliated by speeding up the rotation. The tasks on the haunted trail project plan are steadily being worked, trail training has become interesting as the ankle has started to squawk as I get closer to the target pre-race goal (a bit concerning as that is usually only half of the race mileage) and later today we head to the doctor to get the results of Linda’s knee MRI. The struggle is real people ha! I know, I know, most of my stress is self-induced and almost trivial to what life can throw at you when you anger it. My running mantra grounds me on the trail and at home – “run the mile you are in” which leads is to today’s featured feathered friend sprint.

Eurasian Collard Dove found at Bear Creek Lake Park, Lakewood, CO in September 2024

Going with a quick(er) post today as I need to get back in the haunt lab – our new set of tombstones are being prepped for paint today and our 8′ gargoyle needs the final hardcoat on its new head. Brad and Jan are still exploring other worlds, but once they are back I’ll be leaning on them heavily to keep you entertained in my absence. For now, we will continue the “European” theme from last post ….after the jump!

Stumped Me

Howdy folks, hope you are feeling a little more rested than I am at the moment. We are closing in on this year’s haunted trail event and time is becoming a precious commodity. My brother Ron was able to come down last weekend and help get the trail season jumpstarted. We build/fix/buy props year round here at Intrigued, but there are always projects that are lagging for one reason or another – primarily due to nonstop rain lately. With the added help we can hopefully get those over the finish line before we transition into grooming the trail and preparing props for the haul down into the valley (fingers crossed it dries out from all the flooding). The event is the last weekend in September which is the earliest I think we have ever held the haunt. Something tells me I am going to wish I had that extra week from the previous years…also going to wish I didn’t have injuries on my left hand – middle finger knuckle has been “obliterated” and today I decided to see how much pain I can endure by absolutely smashing the tip of my pinky on the same hand – eh, “The show must go on” as they say ha. Just as a heads up, I will be “sparse” from this point on due to the extra time required for the trail..oh, and I still have that little ultra thingy to do in October, so any spare time will be pounding long miles out. Fortunately, I like the challenge…which brings us to today’s featured feathered friend.

European Starling found at Bear Creek Lake State Park, Lakewood Colorado in September 2024

I generally consider myself fairly decent in the field when it comes to these feathered creatures…yet this particular specimen..technically specimens had me stumped. Go ahead and take a quick guess at what you think this particular species is and I’ll see you on the other side of the jump.

A Hummingbird Misogi

Every have one of those to-dos that stares you in the face and it just hangs around and around and around? In my latest situation it was an item on my read list. It has been there since 2019, finally got it as gift this last Christmas and then dragged it on two long trips out west and managed to get through maybe 2 chapters at best. Got back, put it on my nightstand, said goodnight to it every night and promised to turn the pages ….the next night. Even more embarrassing it was about building good habits and breaking bad one. The book – Atomic Habits by James Clear (link here). In my defense, I was keeping up on his thought provoking emails in the midst of this (think he stopped sending those or I got dropped somehow through 2025). My summary, probably would have been more useful while I was still in the grind as my “habits” have shifted a bit and maybe honing them isn’t as critical. I do like the core principles, Make it Obvious, Make it Attractive, Make it Easy and Make it Satisfying, however, my big takeaway was his take on boredom . “Anyone can work hard when they feel motivated. It’s the ability to keep going when work isn’t exciting that makes the difference. Professionals stick to the schedule; amateurs let life get in the way“. That rang absolutely true with me as I always tell people my superpower is the ability to grind in work (formerly) and sport (ultras). Overall, not a bad read, although, I would recommend first consuming my favorite book – Comfort Crisis by Michael Easter (link here) or Do Hard Things by Steve Magness (link here). Those two offerings pretty much summarize my long held outlook on life.

Steve focuses on developing mental toughness and Michael challenges you to participate in activities you have a 50% chance of absolute failure even with focused training (misogi)…and now you know why I do the things I do ha. Why bring all this up..well, because I am about to do something in this post that is hard, which I should make more of a habit of and yes, there is high probability of failure. Today we are taking on the female Hummingbirds!

Violet-Crowned Hummingbird captured March 2025 at Paton Center for Hummingbirds

Before digging into this, I found myself quoting Theron from 300: “This will not be over quickly, you will not enjoy this, you suck at female Hummers“…or something like that. Hit the jump to see the fruits of my misery ha.

	TD on Bunting to First
	Magnificent by Any N… on CMAR 2024: Waker of the D…
	Magnificent by Any N… on CMAR 2024: Waker of the D…
	doerfpub on A South Texas Specialty
	doerfpub on I’m Waiting