Showing posts with label Dreher State Park. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dreher State Park. Show all posts

Friday, July 10, 2020

Every Place is an Island


July 4ths Buck Moon



I suppose I could spend my meager income on artwork, books, or dust collectibles, but I'd rather use
my resources to capture an experience...not create a dust collection.  I have everything I need...my small goals, like a stamp in this paperback book, it's like Geocaching.  You arrive there and then you locate the ink stamp which is sometimes not that easy to find.  Once in hand you flip to the proper page, line up the stamper and press! Then you're off on your adventure.  You have your life experience.  So strange it took only 2 weeks for us to dismantle my Mom's Material world so think about that when you next bring something home to stash away...
 


If only we could all live on an Island? Yes I know we do but its pretty big doesn't feel like an island... I used to live on the island of Brooklyn, but unfortunately it was ........ Brooklyn.  LoL, 
My beach view 2004
I enjoyed many sunsets that island you see there is Staten Island.
Mom visited me on my Island, it is a cold Island yes you could enjoy some sunning maybe  3 weeks in August but if the wind was blowing "forget about it"...the beach officially closes there on Labor Day a very short beach season.  

Mom Oct 2006 ;o)

it was nice though without that Ocean view to calm my nerves on my days off from my crazy job I wouldn't have made it through that time in my life without this beach to pacify me. 


... in this post Im visiting a Lake Island  State Park. I had never been here before, I was always in a hurry to get someplace else so never took the exit to visit this park...so today it was my destination for this experience and day of exploring a new place on planet EARTH. 

Dreher Island State Park, on Lake Murray

Here is the small little HQ building, it's right next to the boat ramp...


A small gift shop, some exhibits, and 2 restrooms

While there I did some looking at the birds  and enjoyed a couple of hikes. 


Along this hike there was an Osprey nest with a youngster calling to his parent to bring in some fish...


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Under this bridge was a Cliff Swallow Colony..



And not far away was a tiny puddle where they gathered up mud to build and keep their nests in repair..They had their wings up in this fluttering manner 


while they picked up the mud...


Each time I tried to get closer to see over that little dip and get a better look they would all leave, and when I backed up they would return, so I respected their guideline of social distancing..


another  hike 


The shore reveals some nice views...



This lake has 650 miles of shoreline...50,000 acres.  



This dog was having a good day!  Floating around with  his friend on a paddle board.


I hiked over this bridge to my lunch spot...another little island!  I carried my chair with me, I was parked close to the bridge...so nice to sit and relax for an hr, I will be honest and tell you it's hard for me to be still for that long...





What more could you want on a nice breezy day than a shady spot to relax, do a little birding, and have some refreshment...  


Just a wee bit crowded here...


this is my kind of crowd

Lots of small shell to examine during my quiet rest time...Listening to the water lap the shore was very calming to me...



Meanwhile back close to the road a young one with a parent showing him the ropes  out in the grass...

Brown Thrasher 

I had hoped to see Loons, Geese, Grebes, Gulls but I guess they are out over the open water and I was only able to  explore shoreline. 


It was a fun day spent on the Island, and I did do some relaxing!  And got a stamp in my Passport Book.  


And to help us connect more with Nature and people of color, I want to introduce you to Jason Ward if you don't already know who he is, You will be happy you found him and his part 2 series on Meet the Birds of North America will begin on July 12th I think is correct. 
 



People like Jason need our support he is making a difference...we are not all in the position to do what he is doing so let us support him and get the message out there.  So subscribe to his channel...and click the notifications bell and you won't miss any episodes..
 I'd encourage you to binge watch his first season 24 episodes and they are about 15 mins each...NOT only does he go out and actively spot birds he highlights conservation efforts, politics that affect birds, and how birding is NOT just a White, Straight activity. I hope all of you will watch and realize how inclusion is a very big part of  how we as Birders and Conservationists can help to save the environment we love together.

As Jason mentions in one video the Trump administration is opening up oil and gas drilling in Utah, Wyo, and MT that will threaten the prairies needed for the Greater Prairie Chicken, just to name one...and threaten the Artifacts left by previous cultures, and the land needed for our beloved creatures to survive,,,,so why in the world would you give your Travel Dollars to either State??? We must tell these State leaders that we won't travel there until they get it right!!  And Trump is a deaf ear so let's just vote him out, and get on with the really important stuff like

Protecting more habitat and yeah
Let's Make Bears Ears Big Again 


...and if you would like to see my last YouTube release here it is and feel free to subscribe and click the little bell to get notifications...Some of you are my faithful visitors and I do appreciate that so much.  It's another great way to preserve memories, I am no expert and I have no fancy camera or editing gear just seat of the pants stuff...hope you will click on it and watch. I try to have new content about every couple weeks...and my subject matter is all over the place!! I have a new one scheduled to release on Tuesday. 







PEACE
Every day is a new Adventure.