Me & The Tie Dye Angel on The River

It was a warm, windy day on the Wacissa this afternoon. This otter was hanging out by Cassidy Spring.
I noticed everyone was picking at their feathers today.



Name that helicopter!
I looked up in the corner of this photo when I was editing to see that I have a tie dye angel watching over me on the river. I don't know what to make of this except to say it brought tears to my eyes and made me feel safe and cherished. He's still with me, thankfully!
....mmmmmmmm yummy crayfish!
whatever blows your dress up, pal!

My Sunday Search

Ivory Bill Hunters

Thursday night was a high point for me this past week. Dr. Geoff Hill from Auburn University was coming to the barn at Tall Timbers Research Station for a lecture on Ivorybills and the work he has done over the past two years.

The Morbid Tablenapkin Choir

l to r ...Lydia, Jerry, Johnny, Laurel, Doug, Susie, & Angie
Here are my singing pals. We sure had a good time at the Florida Folk Festival this year! The bunch is on the beach at St. Pete for last weekend's memorial for Bobby Hicks.

On a Monday....

This woodpecker was across the street on my neighbor's tree this morning...
My friend peggy of paddletales emailed me that she was going to go out paddling after many days of feeling puny and I jumped at the chance since I had missed my weekend paddling this past weekend. I saw this otter before I caught up to Peggy, at the beginning of this trip down the Wacissa.
These limpkins and the ibis looked like old friends hanging out, to me.
It was very windy today, which made it chilly, but just before we turned around we heard a jet flying low and slow. I figured there would be at least one more and I snapped this one which was the third in the group. So what kind of jet is it?
The birds were rather scarce today but this heron was taunting us as we returned upriver. I am pretty excited to find out that Geoff Hill, PhD is coming to Tall Timbers this coming Thursday to discuss his research and his book about Ivory Bills. I probably won't sing him The Ivory Bill Blues, however...

Midwinter Musings aka The IvoryBill Blues

Today ended nicely with a walk around the seven fishing fingers on PineyZ Lake to see what birds are hanging out. I didn't have my camera with me so I put up this New Year's Day photo of a Great Blue. The herons are beginning to get their breeding plumage already, if I am not mistaken. I saw woodstorks, cormorants, red-wing blackbirds, anhingas, herons of several types, ibises, fish-hawks, and a pileated woodpecker. The live oaks around PineyZ Lake are some of the biggest in the county.

My friends are traveling to St. Petersburg tonight for a memorial tomorrow to Bobby Hicks who passed away on December 19, 2007. You can see a video of him on YouTube here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4hZ0W3bRgQ. I elected not to go as I am not one to travel in groups, nor did I want to take a long drive this weekend. But Bobby was a fine Florida songwriter and well-known and loved by the Florida folk music community.

I am going to dine with the units and their close friends at the local french eatery tomorrow. Ugh, more food.... Maybe if Alice Babette was the chef... from "In Aromas and Flavors of Past and Present" I could have White Soup of Artichokes: Chicken bouillon, Jerusalen artichokes, thin cream...

Cut one pound of artichokes into small pieces and boil with one and a half cups of chicken bullion in a saucepan for one half hour. Strain through a fine sieve. Return to heat and and add two cups of thin cream. Do not boil but serve hot. Alice was a fine French cook. Gertrude enjoyed her food immensely.

I also had an important insight about a work situation which was helpful and I reread a Robert Langs text which was also helpful. Oh, and be lyrical at the lyric, my old friend....

I will probably float and take photographs somewhere this weekend so stay tuned....

Worshipping On The River

Not the same photo but the barred owls like a certain branch over Cassidy Spring and I can always find one.
I thought these night herons were gone but evidently not.

I skipped church today which sent mom into a tailspin and I am so sorry....She was expecting me but I am used to Sundays on the river so I will have to figure this one out. We are all having some grief over the changes. I feel guilty about moving them although I know it was time. Dad still is stalwart even though he misses his friends too. He has always been so practical and reasoned about stuff I know it was right when he said it was but I hate to uproot them. The Yacht Club was due to close probably for good in June though anyway, since Wayne Huizinga is buying it up so their place to socialize such as it was would be gone anyway. Walking new places has been more treacherous for them and mom has hurt herself as has dad but it is safer, easier, and simpler over all for them. But they miss their friends, their routines, and everything familiar.

Cold &Windy New Year's Day

Today was a sunshiny but very windy ride on the river. The seaweed farmers claimed they saw a panther. I wish I had seen it. I took so much energy fighting the elements I hardly had any photos. But it was a good day, anyway. Dinner for the folks and a stack of new books has topped it off nicely.