Thursday, January 7, 2021

First week of 2021

... on Sunday the sun came out.. I had to split firewood that day and it was windy, hence the sun...but Monday I stood in a socially distanced line to pay my property tax with my $600 bucks, then headed to the newly opened Riverfront Environmental Park. I have history with this park, but I will go into that some other time. There was like a list of about 20 rules I spared you that with my photo...the usual stuff. 

It was muddy from all the rain and lots of standing water on the trails but I didn't let that stop me from walking the loop and enjoying the sunshine. 


This is the city's waste water plant but the park has it's own name so I put it on ebird with the correct name.  The ponds in the park are the original pond, that long ago was ONE big square pond, with a long pipe going out to the middle of the pond....this is by the river where of course the "clean" water is released, and I used to live on this land..It was called Bramblewood Plantation, .and we rode our horses back here many times however back then it was all woods around it.  But now it's this,,,

     A city project, the land was donated to the city 

The brush alongside the ponds produced lots of Song and Savannah Sparrow.  I had hoped to see the one White Throated Sparrow the only other active birder in town had spotted but I didn't see or hear it.  

                       Savannah Sparrow

                           Song Sparrow

One Great Egret popped down for a minute, but he didn't like me being there and flew away soon after...


And he left this behind...


Two Great Blue Heron's were around they had a spiff and one flew away..

I think if we behaved more like birds we would get along better, when  you're at a picnic table and someone else sets up right beside you, just go over and run them off...All good again and no hard feelings and they don't lay in wait to kill you later.  



This really dark Immature Bald Eagle gave a quick fly over 


I spotted this Chinese Lantern the unripe berries of the plant is toxic/poison..


The Wateree River is at the back of the park, the old ferry used to be here prior to any bridges being built...this old  photo is on the sign there...and then the rubble you see is the remains of the old iron bridge, washed away in 1908 flood. 


The river is high now due to all the rain we have had...you can launch your canoe or kayak here.
 



The Cell tower is in use..


Someone's House Boat,.


Beware of Snakes and gators!!


Then Tuesday I needed to make good use of the couple days of sun and partly sun so went for a hike and some birding at Sandhills, Im section hiking the Tate's Trail in the park,,,And today I did the section between Pool D and lake 12. 


This turned out to be a favorite section for me...

Good view of open water...

Finally pulled my FOY White Throated Sparrow out of the bush....just barely


I turned back here after the bridge the trail continues on to lake 12, I will save that section for later. And start at Lake 12...
Red eyed Eastern Towhee


Looks like coyote or fox scat, and a lot of either Possum or Squirrel fur and some bone in it...at first I thought it was owl pellets, but nope. 

Belted Kingfisher

pool D

Female Eastern Towhee

After the hike I went to explore some of the roads I haven't explored before, with open gates, and most of the time they are closed and  come spring they will close again....




That was after 
I sat in my car and had lunch since the wind was cold...the sky was pretty to watch as the clouds changed up quickly.

Thru the windshield it looks warm,,,,

Lunch Buddy...dark eyed Junco. 

the new road connected with the road I had done last time (rd 8) that took me up onto Mary's Hill, I checked the elevation this time...


524 ft 
That's  1/10th of a mile high. 

Then some clouds rolled in, it began to get colder and darker so some passing shots on my way out of the park...




And then on Wednesday I headed to my favorite Sparrow field....McBee WMA  And I had 6 species of sparrow...
Song, Field, Chipping, Fox, White Throated, and Towhee. 

The trail...only DNR vehicles allowed to drive in so I huffed the dirt road. Alongside the Russian Olive and Plum bushes...
Eastern song Sp.

Chipping

FOX Sparrow

almost hide Field Sparrow

Couldn't get photos of all of them they were hiding out pretty good,,,just barely peeking out of the brush.  
So that was fun, And some Brown Headed Nuthatch's was out in the  open...

Maybe they sleep there on the chilly nights?

So 3 days of Sun was good. 


Thursday: the Gift
 AND if you think there is only bad in the world...WRONG, look what arrived at my house Thursday afternoon...I almost fainted, because this is a wish list item for me, and due the generous and kind nature of one of my favorite and super generous long distance friends, my world just opened up BIGGGGER than ever..
Can you believe she taped this up in a box and sent it to me?? I almost don't know what to say...I'm so thrilled by the gift but importantly by your friendship. 
JEN, YOU ROCK...she payed forward this wonderful gift, 
what a great Surprise...
you will enjoy it so please check out her super inspiring bird blog on my sidebar, I Used to Hate Birds. 
Wow this is just, just, just..... so great! 
ta-dah,,,its a real beauty...

a new eye to the world 

She also sent me some other really cute things in the box...It was like Christmas all over again. Super Stoked over this...:o))

-----------------------
And about the Coup attempt on Wednesday..
That was not them taking our house from us, it was US taking it BACK!! In 2016 when they took it, we did not riot, we did not accuse or lie, we waited and then we acted...we took it back with dignity, they threw the blows not us. 
That is the important thing to remember here...
I been speaking out against TRUMP from the get go and so have all of you....I was not surprised by it, but I was sickened by it. MAY we never go through such as that again...we have to speak out and let our leaders know how we feel about the ones in congress who supported him and still do...it's not gonna fly in this democracy...OUR vote does matter and they can try to lie about it but we have to stand  up to them (those who would say we didn't vote, or cheated or whatever) even  if it takes waiting in line all day We need to make sure our elections are taken seriously and encourage our state leaders to close all loop holes, and make sure no one can ever say it's was rigged. Sadly, Im that blue dot living in a red state, I speak out I tell people how I feel about their repressive attitudes and the idea of using a dictator to attempt to destroy a democracy. I hope my state can slowly change it's attitudes. Brute force and ignorance does not work. Lets us now have Peace we have earned it. WE set things as right as we could with our votes Thank You GA, I wrote to both my horrible senators and told them that we are not forgetting they supported the leader of a COUP attempt and don't ever think they would get my support, never.  It may give them something to think about. Here is the vote broken down, so I plan to write each and every person who voted YEA on that AZ Objection these are the people who supported Trumps LIE, 


PEACE
Every day is a new Adventure.

Friday, January 1, 2021

2021 Finally!!

2020 had a curse on it, good riddance is how I see it. My highlights list would be the short list and yes I know all about looking at the bright side...so don't even. 
 
Our new weather pattern is steady holding, 3 days clear, 4 days gloom cold rain and repeat...so right now on second day of the 4 day rain cycle.  It brings with it,  THE FOG, wasn't there a Sci-Fi movie of that same name.

 'OK GOOGLE, the FOG', ?
"The Fog was a movie made in 1980 about a California coastal town that was besieged by a mysterious fog and with it came the spirits of shipwrecked sailors." 
I would love to change my google voice to Samuel L. Jackson's voice. My son told me there was a GPS that you could use his voice and, if you miss a turn it don't say Make a U turn, it says "YOU stupid MF turn around and pay attention." LOL...That would make life much more interesting. 

OK...glad Im not near the coast...funny I should think of that as I just redid my blog post about the Shipwreck Museum visit I did in the Whitefish Bay area of the UP of Michigan.  Im trying to replace the photos that Flickr deleted... Greedy Ba$t**d$  And I expect any time now Blogger will ask us to pay and hold our posts as ransom for payment same as Flickr did...

                    This is your brain in 2020


This little Chipping Sparrow seems to be saying when its this rain going to quit?


With our new climate of rain rain rain, my fence is rotting, moss is growing everywhere soon we will be the new  Eastern Rain Forest...My larger than life cacti, is growing pretty good still it's tripled in size..it breaks up the monotone grey and white with a little green. 


Although pale green; this was given to me by a complete stranger in town who was cutting one down and I inquired about it, he wanted to give me  a full wheelbarrow full, but I knew better and said ONE pad will do me, and it did...


The Purple Finches are back, took this shot through the screen of the porch so it's a little whacky looking as they are very spooked in the Fog...and fly off asa I open the door to go outside, but you still see the beauty of him, the female landed then took off quick so I didn't get her in the photo, there was 3 males.   The fog intensifies their color.  


     Lichen and fungi all over the place

it has one crack...I've had this since 1984.  

This old stained glass I brought back from one of my many trips to CO over the years  makes a bright spot on a dreary day.  It's a thrift store find. 

             do you see bird #two in the photo?

The Northern Cardinal is inquisitive enough to respond to the little sound I make and came out of hiding while I held the screen door open with my foot...they hang out in the holly bush I planted long ago.. 

 a Cardinal is supposed to be a symbol of good luck and good fortune, I can verify this is not true since I see one daily....yes this is a cynical post...lol

YIN<:0:>YANG

Im making a Zucchini Portabella  Quiche, first ever. 


Normally its Black Eyed Peas, Collard Greens, and Cornbread for New Years, but Im gonna stick with the "Redbird and Quiche" hope it works...I used a flour tortilla for my crust, and just regular cheddar, and free range eggs, it's vegetarian but not vegan.  
It's been 17 years since I stopped eating dead animals.   Just think of all the chicken, cow, and pig whose life was not  consumed by me, would you consider doing the better thing and join me?  I want to get back to my Vegan lifestyle and that is one of my resolutions...so once the eggs and cheese are gone----- back to Vegan Baby, 

I have an Auto Immune Disorder, it's called Hashimoto's Disease. 
(IF you right click this link select Incognito you wont be bothered by the ads)

This is completely new I'm almost thinking it was due to COVID that my immune system is now fubar...I have had thyroid issues since 1996 and I take medication for that, and my BP is a little high so Salt is out,  Flax Oil is in  if I can find it.  And some Foods have to go...like mushrooms, cheese, soy,  free range eggs, potatoes, most root crop veggies.  Doesn't leave much does it? Even Beans and Nuts a mainstay of my diet...and NO GRAINS....the staff of life hit me on the head.  My iron was good everything else good but a little high on the Triglycerides,.

Welcome to old age--->  2021

I prebaked the Zucchini so its not full of water. So the Tortilla, the mushrooms, the zuke, and the mixture of coconut milk, free range eggs, and cheddar, with a splash of Balsamic Vinegar,,,,

animals are not FOOD, 

It's all Uphill from here.  I am not worried, Im ready to go when my time comes...I still gotta get to Hawaii...and reach 500 birds on my life list.  NO Im not giving up but Im not gonna stress out over it either.  Taking things in stride is another resolution, and ask more questions and give less advise. 

 YUMMY it's really good just had a piece with a
cup of coffee to stave off the chill of this rainy foggy day

LOOKING FORWARD TO A BETTER YEAR  
January 20th can't come quick enough to please me.
Keep your eyes and ears open is all I gotta say. 

New Year new Font. 

PEACE
Every day is a new Adventure.