Piney Flatwoods Girl

Short trip

Home To Roost

Last night, I had a couple of hours of daylight so I raced off to the river after having the parental units for dinner. I started yaking with Shug Parnell, who is a an interesting 80 year old with a red Pit named Buck whom I often see at the river. He rides around alot with his dog since his wife died about a year ago. After the Navy, he worked all over the world as a welder for various companies and on nuclear power plants. When I finally tore myself away from his story, only a few minutes of daylight were left on the river. but I snapped these photos of the pelican coming in to roost.

My Monday Work

This morning on the Wacissa River was a treat, as usual. I was especially delighted to find this pelican doing some early morning inland fishing. The pelican was catching a good number of fish and I was able to get some close up shots. I have not seen a pelican on this river until today.

Sunday Yard Birds

I usually spend Saturday and Sunday with mother. Today we sat in the driveway enjoying the shade and watching the birds around the yard. I do love these afternoons.

Saturday at Westminster Oaks Carnival

These kids loved the horses going round in a circle like I used to ride at Belle Isle in Detroit. Mom and I sang "Horsey keep your tail up."

He was thrilled to take a horsey ride.

Chasing chickens is fun. I feel the joy and wonder myself through his eyes.

Trixie made some new friends.

Which one is the bunneh rabbit?

I know mother is watching the dancers and thinking, "I can do better than that!" Her competitive spirit has not faded much, although she is losing her footing in this world little by little. I do enjoy my outings with her. She is good company but she tells me when she doesn't like my music. So we sing Hoagy Carmichael and she remembers all the words to songs from long ago.

I'm still trying

My friends are all birds

I took off most of the day to float. It was very hot and I wore a long sleeve shirt and buttoned up the collar, along with my usual hat and long pants as well. I just don't like sunburns very much. I saw Peggy of paddletales but I don't think she saw me since she didn't say anything. We were both surprised by the kite right away and her photos are wonderful! Check them out: http://paddletales.blogspot.com/

I was hoping to see little green herons today as well as gallinules. The gallinules are just so colorful and make for good antic watching. The green herons have interesting fishing poses and they aren't easily spooked. I found these birds lower down the river: almost to the metal marker where the big mound is which has a cabbage palm on it. The most exciting thing was seeing river gar down there. Bbig ones! and I also came up on a humongous snapping turtle who nearly bit off my hand! Well, he looked surprised anyway and his head was less than a foot from my paddling hand on the port side and I backed away quickly I can tell you because I had recently read about someone who lost a large chunk of hand from a snapping turtle and I am very attached to my hands, thank you very much!

I also saw big mudfish and some big non mullett fish which looked like prime fishing catches. Bass I guess, if the river has them. I'm not sure at all about my river fish except mullett, gar, and mudfish. So maybe Janis can tell me what I saw since she is a great fisherwoman.

Irwin really likes swallowtail kites and he put some of my photos on his blog ; http://weareallonemusic.com/. Oh, and the alligator in this post was scratching himself which I haven't seen before! Lots of scratching going on today, in general with the circus herons. Not one butterfly though. I didn't get that since it was certainly sunny and hot enough for them.....Oh, and every time I ask for a sign from Mark I get something really cool, by the way!

Midweek respite on The Wacissa

The sun was nearly down by the time I made the river tonight. These photos reflect the fading light of dusk. The river was windy until sunset. I was then becalmed and the float was quiet except for the sounds of fish, turtles, crying birds, frogs, ducks, owls, and insects. Just me and the animals.

circus heron fishing

Night heron with crayfish

spider lily

Yard Birds

St Mark's River Trip

I floated the St. Mark's river from the H98 bridge at Newport, upstream for several hours. Davey and Ed biked down there and we met. At the newport campground we all went separate ways. After my float I ran into Julie Bowland and Lynn Preistley, plein air painters who were braving the knats at SMWR. They agreed it was too buggy this weekend.

The river dog liked this trip.

Mullett on the St. Mark's river feed on fresh leaves in the trees. Here is one jumping for his dinner!

Spider lilly

Woodpecker sculpture.

Wacissa Monday

I arrived on the river about five pm today and stayed until after eight pm hoping to see a wild turkey. Here are some of my images. It was windy and the river smelled like coffee beans....

Friday on The Wacissa, Saturday on The Wakulla

yellow crowned night heron

very large alligator

Juvenile bald eagle

parental units

suwannee cooter and small alligator

great egret

tricolored heron

spicebush swallowtail

Suwannee Springfest

My other favorite performers were Ruth Unger Merenda, her husband Michael, and baby Will. Will has the music in his genes, or maybe something else! You'd think after three years with this camera I could get a decent picture but you get the drift!

Their brand new CD, Waltz of The Chicadee is terrific! I grabbed it from the CD table right off and it is worth every penny! These kids are fabulous musicians and entertainers. We will be hearing from them for years to come, thank goodness! Grandpa Jay Unger played in my dining room years ago, in another life!