All posts by Sheila

I have a passion for the outdoors and I am most happy enjoying what nature has to offer. Hobbies include photography, birding, Pickleball, astronomy, biking, and hiking. I have been happily married, for 50 years, to an amazing person.
At Home

~Home Sweet Home~

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Home Sweet Home

The Explorer enjoying her snow covered deck. Photo taken looking east toward Loveland.
The Explorer enjoying her snow covered deck. Photo taken looking east toward Loveland.

On Saturday…

After six months of traveling in parts of the southern United States during the fall and winter months, we are back home! It is wonderful to leave on an adventure and it is also wonderful to return home. Howard and I look forward to returning to our at-home-routine, enjoying our beautiful community, and doing things we don’t get to do while on the road. It has been a tiring first week back, coach unloaded and winterized, house cleaned and things put away, clothes washed, bird feeders hung, but also a fun one! I also forgot to mention, being back in the BEST Time Zone is wonderful and leaving the high humidity behind for awhile is so satisfying.

During our time on the road we enjoyed visiting with family and friends, staying at and exploring new places, and returning to favorite ones. If you have been following my blog you know we love staying at State Parks and during this trip we stayed at several new ones. See list below.

This morning…

Our home sits on a hill at 5000 feet and the area has been known to receive late fall and early spring snow storms. We woke this morning to a snow covered landscape; it wasn’t much, but enough to blanket the area with beauty. It has been many months since we have seen snow and I have to say it was delightful being outside this morning!

Some of my blogger friends have experienced a severe, snowy, winter and they will probably think I am crazy for enjoying this early spring snow. {grins}

Snow pockets.
Snow pockets.
Snow covered buds.
Buds
Sumac
Sumac
Snow covered new leaves.
Spring Leaves
Artsy look toward our drive way.
Artsy look toward our drive way.
Street view of our house.
Howard’s ham radio antenna still standing. He is always glad to see it standing.
Back yard, mostly hill side. Photo taken looking west.
Photo taken from the street looking south west.
Steep drive way
Tulips are trying to grow.

Following is a list of the Florida State Parks we visited for the first time:

~Highlands Hammock

~Fort De Soto (Florida County Park)

~Lake Manatee

~Myakka River

~Ross Prairie

~Manatee Springs

~Little Manatee River

~Alafia River

The last six months has been an exciting time for me, enjoying my two favorite hobbies: Birding and Photography. On this trip, I added eleven new birds to my Birding Life List:

~Sandwich Tern

~American Oystercatcher

~Reddish Egret

~Semipalmated Plover

~Least Sandpiper

~Dunlin

~Short-billed Dowitcher

~Common Tern

~Limpkin

~Black-bellied Whistling Duck

~Blue-headed Vireo

The Rambling Rose…

Our old 1998 Beaver Marquis motor coach,  performed faultlessly and we are thankful for that. She got us safely where we wanted to go. Here she is sitting at one of our favorite Florida State Parks.

Site 19, Lake Louisa State Park
Site 19, Lake Louisa State Park

Until next time….

Enjoy your day, where ever you might be!

On The Road, Photos-Birds

~Photo Play – Just the Right Stick~

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Last Spring I introduced you to Mr. and Mrs. Roseate Spoonbill – Samuel and Rose, and to Mr. and Mrs. Great Egret – Eugene and Louise.

Well, guess what, they are back to entertain you in my “Just the Right Stick” photo play, which comes to you from The Rookery at Smith Oaks, High Island, Texas.

Here is Eugene, hunting for a stick, or so we think, to bring to his mate Jeez Louise. If you remember, Eugene calls her Jeez Louise, because she is never satisfied. Notice his complete focus throughout his endeavor.

Eugene tells Rose and Samuel, "I need to get to that stick over there."
Eugene tells Rose and Samuel, “I need to get to that stick over there.”
Eugene tells Samuel, "let me just reach over you for a better look at that stick."
Eugene tells Samuel, “Let me just reach over you for a better look.”
Rose, tells Samuel, "are you just going to let Eugene interrupt your grooming?"
Rose, tells Samuel, “Are you just going to let Eugene interrupt your nap and gosh he almost speared me with that long, ugly, pointed bill of his.”
Rose tells Samuel, "do something he is scaring me."
Rose tells Samuel, “Do something, Eugene is starting to scare me. Are you sure he is going after the stick and not Sam, Jr?”
"Samuel my sweetheart, that is a wonderful idea, push Eugene with your wing or just kick him!"
“Samuel my sweetheart, that is a wonderful idea, push Eugene with your wing or just kick him!”
"That worked Samuel, you are my hero."
“That worked Samuel, you are my hero. But wait, Eugene is now closer to Sam, Jr.” Samuel tells Rose, “I’ll just keep my wing spread out in case he decides to come back over here and Sam, Jr. will just have to fend for himself.”
Eugene says, "Sorry for my intrusion, but Louise wanted this stick."
Eugene says, “Sorry for my intrusion, but Louise wanted this stick. Oh, hi Sam I didn’t see you down there.”

 Until next time…..

"I better get this stick before Louise sends Eugene after it."
“I better get this stick before Louise sends Eugene after it.”

Sharing with:

~Charlotte for Feathers on Friday 

https://prairiebirder.wordpress.com/2015/04/03/feathers-on-friday-143/#comment-7131

~Eileen for Saturday Critters 

http://viewingnaturewitheileen.blogspot.com/2015/04/saturdays-critters-68.html

On The Road, Photos-Birds

~Great Egret~

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 Great Egret in Breeding Plumage

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During mating season when the Great Egrets start to build their nests, I wonder how they go about choosing just the right stick. It is so much fun to watch them hunting for, choosing and then delivering to their mate, just the right one. I took these photos at The Rookery at Smith Oaks, High Island, Texas.

Until next time…

Keep Gathering!

Displaying its gorgeous feathers and looking over the nest.
Displaying its gorgeous feathers and looking over the nest.