Autumn Vacation 2013

We had an awesome vacation this year. Started off driving up the coast, stopping at the Savannah National Wildlife Refuge. Then up to MA for my niece's wedding, then down to GA for Thanksgiving. Here are the pix and story. Click to enlarge.

Hermit Thrush at the Savannah NWR.

Weird looking mockingbird at the Savannah NWR I thought it was something else. 

 This is the first Phoebe that I've ever identified by call alone, at the Savannah NWR

Shirl and Scooter.

David, Georgie, Lynn and Shirl waiting for the wedding to start.

Beverly, the mother of the bride, being walked down the aisle.

The flower girl. She eventually dropped 1 or two petals. 

First kiss as a married couple.

The bride, groom and pastor.

The church, on a beautiful but cold day in New England.

The cake.

Close up of the topper. Notice that the bride has a tiara, the same as Courtney's.

First dance.

Georgie, Phil, Shirl, Lynn and me.

Me, David, Dan, Courtney, Colleen, Shirl, Lynn, Phil, and Georgie.

We stopped at Paula Deen's restaurant in Savannah. This is me and a cardboard cut out of her. She is Shirley's hero.

They were just starting to put up the holiday decorations when we arrived. Here are Shirl and Lynn, looking every bit as cold as they were. 

David and Georgie at the cabin.

Lynn  at the cabin. I love this picture.

Shirl at the cabin, looking happy.

Surprise visitor Scott, with David.

Amy and Beth cooking up a storm.

Mom and Amy studying Thanksgiving dinner.

Kathy, Tom, and Scott.

We took a hike to work off dinner. I told them to look like they were looking at something. This is Dad, David, Georgie, Amy, Shirl, Scott, Lynn, and Beth. 

Same motley crew as above, but an action shot walking.

Taking a break on the hiking trail. Georgie, Scott, David, Beth, Amy, Lynn, Shirl and Dad.

These are some cool bugs that were living on the outside of the cabin.

Dad, tending the fire for s'mores.

David at campfire.

Scott and Amy at campfire.

Amy at campfire.

Beth, looking very sunny and happy at the campfire.

One of my favorite David pictures. He was grumpy and I was trying to make him smile for the picture. His mom said I'm the only one who can get away with picking on him like this:-)

Me and David by the lake.

Family portrait by the lake. David, Scott, Dad, Beth, Amy, Mom, Kathy, Tom, and me.

Just the girls - Beth, Amy, Kathy, mom, and me.

The cousins - Beth, David, Amy, Scott, and me.

As Dad said, "Just the old farts" - Dad, mom, Kathy, and Tom. 

Vacation in GA

Here's the highlights of the Georgia Vacation! Click a photo to enlarge.

A dragonfly - I must have taken this somewhere enroute to GA. 

David and Mom on the porch at the top of Brasstown Bald, the highest point in GA. David and I hiked up. I finally broke down and bought a walking stick, but at least I made it all the way up and back!

Mom, Scott, Matthew, Dad and David at the top of Brasstown Bald.

This was the coolest thing ever. A HUGE, like 5 foot, the biggest I ever saw, rattlesnake at the Brasstown Bald picnic area. I got video of him too but can't find my cord to upload. 

Mom, Dad, neighbor Zoe, Scott, Matthew and David at the end of a very long and fun day at the Atlanta Aquarium.

David with a dolphin in front of the Atlanta Aquarium.

Me giving a dolphin bunny ears in front of the Atlanta Aquarium.

David and I took some kids on a nature walk. We didn't see many birds, but saw other neat stuff including this baby snake. The kids learned a lot from David and we all had a blast.

We also saw this fence lizard on the nature walk with the kids. 

We had a picnic at Kings Mountain in South Carolina, where we met up with Jill, India and Sasha. It was a tiny but wet and dark but you can't stop a Simpson from having fun. This is David and Matthew in the rain.

Matthew and Sasha, speaking the universal language of Legos.

Matthew, Dad and Sasha enjoying lolipops and a camera.

We finished up our picnic at a (much drier) McDonalds. This is Jill, India, Sasha, Matthew, David, Scott, Mom, and Dad.

David playing with Sasha and Matthew

Sasha and Matthew, wearing out poor David. Me, mom, and Jill had a bet which one of them would fall asleep first on the car ride home. I think Sasha won.

David and I stopped at the Savannah National Wildlife Refuge on the way home. This is a purple galinule who posed nice for me.

My little wild man.

A couple of black bellied whistling ducks.

More black bellied whistling ducks.

Poems Only The Truly Fat Will Understand

Recently a friend suggested that I try doing some live performing, a poetry reading. And, coincidentally, I've been feeling melancholy which tends to make me write poetry. It's been a while since I have shared my deepest innermost thoughts here, but I'm among friends, I think I can share. Here is the beginning of my latest work. It is is suite of poems. I call it:

Poems Only The Truly Fat Will Understand

I
I wish my head was the size
of a matchbox car
So I could lick the bottom
of the Nutella jar.

II
Nutella tastes good,
Worth the price that I paid
But the color makes it
A bad marital aid.

Breeding Bird Atlas Codes Video

For everyone who is participating in the Florida Breeding Bird Atlas project, and for those who are just really bored, I have created an instructional video about how to use the breeding bird codes. Comments are welcome. Please share with anyone who is on the project.

Links to Cool Bird Videos

For anyone who might think birding is boring, take a look at this!

• Birds are smart! Check out what these crows taught themselves to do!
• Boy birds will not only dance, they will clean up the apartment to impress a girl!
• Some boy birds will also do anything to prove to a girl he is tough and a good provider!
• For those who do not think birds are tough, take a look at this great blue heron eating an ALIGATOR
• And here's another great blue heron - who is not only smart and tough, he is HUNGRY - keep watching to see him get a second critter before the first one is even all the way down!
• And here's a new way to to catch fish - watch this Reddish Egret dancing to attract fish!
• There is more than one way to find dinner - watch the difference between how a Roseate Spoonbill feeds (sweeps head side to side) and the Ibis (which probes with it's beak)
• And here's how an Osprey does it 
• And here's a Bald Eagle making fishing for salmon look as easy as picking up canned salmon at the grocery store!
• This is very cool - a little known fact is that some baby birds poop in little baggies, which make cleaning of the nest easier for the mom and dad. Watch here as a dad feeds the babies, then takes the poop in a bag (called a "fecal sac") out of the nest! It happens fast watch a few times, it's the baby on the right that he takes it from.
• And finally, one of my personal favorite birds (and the one I'd give anything to see in person), the Cock-of-the-Rock (Photo) (or take a look at this video )!

Thanksgiving 2012

We spent Thanksgiving at Seminole State Park in Georgia. I was a little scared when I was told we were staying in cabins, I was expecting something a tad more rustic. But the cabins were amazing, the area was gorgeous, and the weather was perfect. Here are our pictures. Click to enlarge if you are so inclined.

We stopped at Koon Lake on the way up to do some birding. This is a yellow sulphur butterfly.

Also at Koon Lake, this is a Phoebe.

We also stopped in Tallahassee to get this red-necked grebe. This was a life bird for me, and a bird of the day for David.

Thanksgiving morning, David and I took a hike on one of the trails at the campground. This is a Merlin that was sitting in a tree. We also saw a ribbon of black birds that went on for 15-20 minutes. David estimates there were 35,000 birds in the flock.

This is a Kestrel, also on the hiking trail Thanksgiving morning. 

Near the end of the trail there is a board walk over a swampy area. This flock of Canada Geese flew over us.  

The experts, trying to figure out the oven on Thanksgiving morning. 

Post Thanksgiving meal, the menfolk watching football.  

The womenfolk doing deep and meaningful things post thanks giving dinner.

David and Scott, catching up around the fire (modern-style) Thanksgiving night.

Kathy and Tom, at the fire Thanksgiving night.

Sherm, Nancy, and Dad, at the fire Thanksgiving night.

Beth, Mom, Amy and Sherm, at the fire Thanksgiving night. 

Sherm and Amy resting during our hike Friday afternoon. 

Indoctrinating the family into the joys of birding. We were all looking at a woodpecker. 

Sherm and Mom, taking a break during our Friday hike.

We saw two turtles in the swamp during our hike.

Me, Nancy, Sherm, Mom, David, Dad and Amy, looking like referees. A stranger came by and took this for us. When we asked him, he at first said, "NO!!! I don't do that kinda thing!" Then he laughed and said of course he would. We decided he would have fit right in with us.

A cool bug who joined our group at the campground.

In front of Nancy and Sherm's camper: Amy, Nancy, Kathy, Tom, Mom, Dad, David and Sherm.

On our way home, we stopped at Tall Timbers to go birding. This was kind of sad. This deer was either sick or had been attacked or both. He was walking around in circles drooling and had patches of fur missing from his back.

Also at Tall Timbers, this little toad wasn't feeling too well either . It was very cold, I think he was late getting into hibernation or something.