A Quick Getaway...

I took a chance while the weather was good for a midweek trip.   I made a plan for the dogs to be fed, and left at 6 am the following morning...I drove to Santee Coastal Reserve, the same place I grabbed my lifer Hudsonian Godwit a couple years ago.  They have a free FCFS campground and I scored a great spot. 

Also a couple years back I purchased this little easy to pitch tent as a place holder for just such an occasion, when  I want to drive my van to a trail head, so need something to show the spot is occupied...so this worked out really well...took 5 mins to set up!

This is the first trip with my raised ceiling and it is really nice to be standing up in the van...I had a really good stay...After I got settled in I took off for my first hike, on the Marshland Trail and  boardwalk...

I began to hear warblers....AND realized I have to relearn their calls this happens nearly every spring now...my memory just isn't as good as it once was...

It was still early I arrived at the campground at 9 am so birds were singing, and I didn't get my eyes on a lot but sure enjoyed the experience.  The White Breasted Nuthatch once again...made an appearance. 

And there was a lot of Red Headed Woodpecker..

I am a little early for most of the shorebirds to arrive which I had hoped to see more of...The Carolina Wren sang for me...

 I'm hoping  that spring is arriving and I can get in some camp/bird adventures before the onset of heat and bugs...

Then back at my campsite to shed a couple layers of clothing before my next hike  I had the Brown Thrasher and the White Throated Sparrow in my camp site...hunting together...

I dumped my extra coat, and changed into my waterproof boots, and prepared to move the van to the Big Wells Trailhead.  Well, come to find out they had the road closed to the trail head, you can park at the HG building and walk in so that's what I did..

Tri colored Heron

I found some Blue Winged Teal, and Common Gallinule together behind the reeds in the open water.  

And this Little Blue Heron was sneaking around in the edges looking for minnows and snails etc...

This place if very similar to most of the Low Country Wildlife management areas, and used to be old rice fields, impounds where they can manipulate the water level by using a series of rice trunks which have been in operation for 250 years, take a look at this video if you want to know about these.  

Big Wells Trail with Santee River to the right

Unfortunately for me, they were busy cutting the brush and doing scheduled burns it was mid week and so I should have thought of that but then on a weekend I may not get a campspot and it could be crowded with hunters....so either way it's a crapshoot. 

 with so much activity going on the birds were few...

Saw a lot  of Yellow Legs in the shallow areas and some Wilson Snipes took off...

got this far away look as the snipe circled me...then landed in the reeds again...

It's easier to see Red Winged Blackbird  and Killdeer. 

I needed a drink and reached around to get my water bottle from my backpack pocket, Wasn't there...dang.  I was pretty thirsty but not a lot I could do about that, I must of lost it.

Overhead 3 White Pelican gave me a flyby,,

Here is the work going on at the boat dock...this is why the road is closed to the trail head....they are using the trailhead parking for a staging area.

So I circled around and headed back to the HQ parking lot making a loop by using the road that runs behind the HQ building, by now it  was after 1 pm so I was getting tired and hungry and thristy!  Back at the van, look at this....on the ground.

I lost my water bottle ONE step from the van, LOL I had to laugh and was also happy to find  it, but really?? I never knew it had fallen.   So then I went back to my campsite and made a sandwich and sat in my chair for an hour, drank up some liquid..and watched the birds move around in the bushes...

I forgot to pack a PLATE so I put my sandwich on the lid of my Thermos, I really did a poor job of packing.  I normally make a list and pack from that...any veer off course can be a disaster these days, I also forgot to bring any paper towel, all my toiletries including my toothbrush!  

campsite  Mockingbird

I decided to go in an lay down for a little foot rest, as it had gotten warm so I figured to let the sun move a little then head out again when there was more shade.  I met the man in the  site down from me, there was only 3 of us camping...he had a cute dog with him made me miss my girls.  

So after a rest I put my regular shoes back on for the drier road-walk toward the other ponds...along the Cape Trail ..

 

Turns out this is where the burns are happening...

Last time I was here this area was full of shorebirds...but this time I saw lots of this...

And no birds...nary a one,....so I turned around.... the moon was up by then and 3 Double Crested Cormorants flew over..

I did a little edit to combine the moment.

Back near the road to Big Wells, 

 Belted Kingfisher came out to hunt from the power line...

A Lesser Yellowlegs was out wading knee high...

I eventually arrived back at camp about 4:30 pm and the sun was moving behind the trees and the  air cooled off so I heated up some canned soup for a hot meal and took it inside out the chilled air  

Had to eat right out of the pan, forgot to bring a bowl either!! It was good to have a warm meal...I brought my chair in for siting with my dinner and to  check my photos, I plan to try and do a swivel on my passenger seat some day.  I see others do it, so figure I can as well. 

After eating, took the tent down,  stowed my stuff for the evening, I was ready to call it a day by 5:30ish.  My camp neighbor and his dog made a big fire for the night so I closed up the van not wanting to get the smoky smell in my upholstery...I also forgot to bring any books for reading and didn't bring my DVD player, I dumped  my camera SD card, and turned in  as it was dark by 6 pm.   I threw up the blind by one of the big windows and lay there looking up at the starry night.  It was a good day!!

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to be continued....

PEACE

Every day is a new Adventure.

Cabinets, doors, and Soapboxes!

Not much blogging going on here in DixxeLand (my own little world) that doesn't mean nothing is happening I am always busy! 

I brought some plants inside, Put in the new utility/laundry/sunroom I said to them "welcome home again" as the fern in the background  is a grand baby of one I had in this house long ago..

and  the tall spindly plant behind the chair... is my Avocado tree grown from a pit that sprouted on the compost pile a couple years ago.  I reset it in the fall and it really has the potential to grow LARGE if I keep re-potting it.  I can't plant it outside it will die in the cold here.

 I've been putting the dishes back in the cabinets!  I got rid of a lot but I still have a lot too!

I have to stand on a stool to reach the top shelf!  The bathroom work has continued I rehung the door...and not just rehung but changed the way it opens used to be from right to left now its the opposite.  Makes more sense to me...the floor is finished, all is done in the bathroom now except the vanity and sink! And of course $money is at the root of it! I have to spread out purchases to fit my budget...so that's the hold up.  

Finished Photo 

I did get the art canvases  hung and I'm happy with the look...is my spacing off a bit? Will have to tweak it...I do recommend Easy Canvas, they did a good job, the cost for this 3 pc set included shipping $124.99 Its 2) 18 x 24" and one 24 x 32" This is some more of my "pony art". I decided to only hang art that has a special meaning to me, created by me, or by someone I know like I said, "my own little world" These ponies are in deep shades of colors and not showing up well in these photos.

Moon watching continues to be a fun experience for me..I went out in the FREEZING air to snap these shots of last weeks lovely crescent...I tried out my new flashlight for some light painting on the fence. 

Soapbox Warning:  a mystery to me is how can a bunch of spoiled armed Rancher/Terrorists  hold a National WLR hostage just so they can continue to get a hand out from the Federal Govt??? I have yet to see a single mother take over the Social Services Office when her food stamps or welfare is cut, I don't want to pay for that man's lifestyle, his product is not sustainable!  In other areas factory work is the main way of making a living,  if it closes then the employees have to find another line of work, why  is he any different?  He wants to sit at home while his cows fatten on our land then haul them to slaughter by the pound, not much effort to "his way of life" as he called it.  He doesn't want to change his way of life so he want's the rest of us to change instead?  Wish the world worked that way but, hello, it don't!

And rehab bird was healed and released sorry no photos...I didn't want to stress her more than necessary!

PEACE

Eleanor Roosevelt: You must do the thing you think you can not.

Fertile Thoughts--

What I liked about the full moon last evening was the clouds! We did have some heavy rain about 3 am...but I was out shooting the moon earlier....about 8 pm. It was quite pleasant-- but I heard 4 tornados hit our state last night! (SC)

My grass is growing pretty good...the manure is doing the trick but I want more..its an excellent resource--I used to have my own horses but now Im horseless and I miss that free fertilizer!! So lucky for me I happen to live in a town that has a race horse training center.. as a young girl I worked there myself riding horses--wow those were the good ole days..but anyways that means HUGE piles of free manure all you have to do is come and get it!! I will try to remember to take photos of the "pile" when I go again...gotta let it dry out some first after that rain last night!! Here is a few shot of some horses out exercising on the track--didnt come out too good, but it was my little pocket P&S and a one shot deal--lol If I wasnt so fond of sleep I could get up early and really catch the track filled with activity...but I did my time rising at 5 am and galloping horses by sun-up-glad I did that while I was young, I dont think Id be wanting to do that now!

I want to "beef" up the sandy soil in my garden plot and my flower beds, Im convinced its the poor sandy soil that is giving me poor results for all my hard work!

I sold some software on Ebay---for $80. Ebay charged me $9.90 in sales commissions, Pay Pal charged me $2.77 for their part, then I spent $12.95 to ship the item....WOW the middle man is making a killin dont you think??? Meanwhile Im wondering if it was worth the trouble??

I got an email alerting me that my posters have shipped...I cant wait to see how they came out...Ill post that link if they are worthy--and give them a plug!!

This is one I sent my sister and she framed it, it's really very nice!

Hope all of you are enjoying the spring weather!! My best friend in AZ is looking for a new grand baby any day now...their family name is Price...and his name will be Vincent-- How bout that!!

MKL day

 This post was originally posted in 2010 that was 10 yrs ago...the Video I posted has since become inactive, or what ever it's gone anyways so Im repairing as many of my old blogs that I can. 

Martin Luther King was a wonderful human being.  His life was taken because he believed in Equality and all these years later we still don't have it.  Our current history shows that with police murdering black men at a high rate, Black Lives Matter is a movement to bring attention to this  horrible unjust part of our society which shows the inequality is still very real.  We now have our first black VP, we had a Black President, so one sector of our population is showing they are all for equality by casting their votes to be inclusive, and one sector is not.  

I am not in favor of the Conservative viewpoint when it come to many things...and their constant reminder that they support White Supremacy is a huge stopping point for me.  

ONE day it will happen if we keep trying,  Looks like I had a photo of a moon up here so let me find one to put up...

A nice Crescent Moon,...is only part of the whole story...when Light Hits it, we see the whole picture.