Getting ready for colder weather

Still life with egret

 ORMOND BEACH, FL - - Colder weather is coming so this egret is fluffing up his / her feathers.  Best guess is a male as some breeding plumage...the whispy feathers at some edges of the body...is starting to show.  This egret along with a number of friends were hanging out at the pier near the Ormond Bridge over the Halifax.  

     So, will it get cold??  Yes, for Floridians. .. and iguanas.  (The last cold snap saw iguanas in Miami freeze into a sort of suspended animation with slurpee-style blood)  We haven't had temps in the mid / low 30's in a couple of years.   Those vacationers from the Northeast and others will also think its cold but only because they packed for 70 degree weather.

Viera stroll info

 ORMOND BEACH, FL - - In my haste to post the photos from Viera in the preceding post, I neglected to add the article...so here it is.  The Viera Wetlands area is a large collection of sections bounded by high dikes which are car friendly.  A good infrastructure pumps water into the sections.  However, apparently too much auto traffic or lack of maintenance funds has curtailed any driving.  So prepare yourself for a nice 2+ mile hike if you really want to check out things.  We got there just before sunrise. 

Vera (FL) Wetlands stroll

Early morning fog; great blue heron

Sunrise

A gusher flow pipe with egret

Limpkin in a tree...what am I doing up here? 

Vultures on watch

Least tern looking for ba moon shadow

Observation posts in the wetlands

 

Mostly usual suspects hanging out at Orlando Wetlands

Snowy egret

Great blue heron

ORMOND BEACH, FL - - We usually visit Orlando Wetlands in January to see what birds might have returned after a winter vacation.  It seems we may have been a bit early although  the noise and vehicles due to construction of a new visitor center may helped in sending the normal avian visitors elsewhere.  Still, the regulars did provide plenty of poses.  And hidden among the greenery was a purple gallinule, a rather rare find along with a tri color heron...not so rare.

Tri color heron

Purple G

 

Only tourists go wading

 

Floating along after the New Year

ORMOND BEACH, FL - - The recent high tides are getting higher.  The above photo shows our Honda Element playing water games last week on a road in Jacksonville Beach right on the coastal waterway.  There were a few puddles when we headed to the restaurant and a bit more liquid when we left.  

     This morning (1/9) it was time for a short drive to nearby Sunrise Park North.  The little blue heron (above) and the selfie with shadow (below) show the park getting back to its old self with a fair assortment of birds.  Over the past year the birds had seemed to forget about this area.

 

Somebody pulled the plug

ORMOND BEACH, FL - - This is the result of someone pulling the plug on Dragon Claus. And below is what the robust dragon looked like a couple of days ago.

 

Christmas time doings in OB

We've had a Christmas parade with artificial snow

'Santa' dragon yard decorations

Blooms which keep on adding color

Nice weather to visit the riverfront park one block from our house

And occasional strong winds and dark clouds just to keep us alert

 

Misty morning

ORMOND BEACH, FL - - Not too much happening in OB right now.  Folks are getting ready for the holidays.  Other folks (top photo) are heading to South Florida to tie-up at a  marina and use their boat as a home away from home.  Then there are the locals.  Every day means a search food as these two egrets are involved in.  The cattle egret (left) and regular egret have, like most aviaries, intense powers of concentration.  In their world you blink, you go hungry.
 

Happy 'Turkey Day'

 ORMOND BEACH, FL - - We had a choice:  either a traditional turkey dinner with all the trimmings OR something fancy and enjoyable.  Enjoyable was tops on our list.  For me:  a nice cut of steak char grilled with a loaded baked potato.  Since the restaurant we were at (Stonewoods) is less than a block from the ocean, Lydia chose blackened sea bass with rice and green beans.  Both meals were very delicious.  The only drawback was that the only reservation I could get was at 11am.  Early, yes. but when it comes to 'chow down time' we can work up a hunger.  And the two mile walk back home was just right to work up another appetite...this time for dessert.  Unfortunately, there was no pecan or pumpkin pie to be had.  Maybe for the Christmas holidays. 

Yard work

Ibis like to travel in a group

ORMOND BEACH, FL - - There's always yard work to be done.  And a couple of houses away from ours the yard was getting the full work mode this afternoon.  The crew from "Ibis Little Critter Clearing" was hard at it.  This flock of juvenile (brown-ish coloring versus white for full grown adults)  were 'hoovering away with their fancy long, thin, curved beaks.  Their work pattern is to scramble along in a group seeking juicy bugs and insects in the grass. 
 

It's all about balance...and catching fish

Don't try this without a life jacket cause you know a strong tug on the line is a splash moment

 

A bit of color

A stormy day at the beach

Sorry, alligators aren't colorful

Pointsettias are

Do you know where your Christmas decorations are

A colorful display at the nursery...but no ID

 

Snip, snip

Thursday morning 7am sunrise in OB
 

ORMOND BEACH, FL - -  I'm usually out early to check out the sunrise, but this morning was a bit special.  Another Grand Opening ceremony...another Publix Supermarket and this time within easy walking distance.

     And, with the ceremonial snipping of the green ribbon by the new store manager, a good crowd of folks were allowed inside.  First stop...the Pour section where you can get a good coffee (Tampa brand Kahwa) to put in your shopping basket's cup holder.  Or maybe a smoothie.  Later in the day there's beer and wine available to help with your shopping.  If you're an OBer, check it out.

     FYI - - The crowd was behind me when I shot the lady with the shears.  As you know:  The early grouch gets the brew.

Back in OB

The azalea (top) and Cassia (bottom) plants in our yard welcomed us home 

ORMOND BEACH, FL - - We're back in OB after nearly 6 months and 14,000 miles.  Yes, it was nice to be back out wandering around.  No, things didn't feel the same or generally work the same.  We've noticed over the past five or so years that most parks and campgrounds were more crowded or much more full than before.  This caused a number of 'plan b' experiences mainly due to a lot of campgrounds having a "reservation system"  where people could book a campsite up to six months ahead.  The problem was that lots of folks were hedging their bets and booked / didn't show / didn't cancel leaving folks like us who travel without a set schedule to spend a lot of time running around.

     The pandemic was treated differently almost everywhere we went although that meant most took it seriously...unlike Florida.  

     We're used to seeing "Roadwork ahead" signs nearly everywhere.  This year they were vastly outnumbered by "Help Wanted" signage.  I doubt we shopped / patronized any business which wasn't understaffed.  

     So, after two weeks back we're getting into the rhythm of staying in one spot...with a permanent roof over our heads...but that feeling usually doesn't last long.
 

Reflectiomns

 

Swashbuckling bones

 It's Oct. 14th. Do you know where your Halloween decorations are??  Not to be outdone, this house in Greensboro also sported a huge spider web and spider on the (left) side of the house to compliment the 20' skeleton in chains.

Wandering around West End and Pinehurst, NC

This mushroom wants to be a flower

Despite looking abandoned, the rails are in use nearly every day

WEST END, NC  - - We've been hanging out here for 10 days and are heading back to OB  on Friday.  After some mostly good weather for the past 5 months, the past two weeks have been rainy / cloudy / and undecided. So, we did a bit of wandering.  In Pinehurst you can't wander too far without coming upon a golf course.  You're either 'in the swing of things' or a spectator.

 

Crosswalks for golf carts, you bet

Tuesday around lunchtime at the famous Pinehurst Country Club

On the road Eastward

SALINAS, KS - - We bid goodbye to the Manitou Springs / Old Colorado City area with an early (6:30am) breakfast at a local OCC hangout.  The coffee was hot and plentiful; the eggs and homefries just right and our wait person was the same guy we made a connection with our last time there in  2019.  Small world, given the Covid-19 upheaval of the past18 months.  However, we need to be back in OB by Oct. 15 and we still have people / places to visit so it's sort-of hustle toward Florida.
 

Colorado's Garden of the Gods

MANITOU SPRINGS, CO - - On our last trip to this area in 2019 we visited Garden of the Gods only once.  This year it was early morning light, double visit time.  Of all the photos I took, the top vista tells the story best although the color of the red rock in early morning light is not really 'red' enough. In the center of the pic - - in the distance - - is Pikes Peak showing the results of yesterday's snow (at 14,000+ and before the strong sun melts it).

     Big horn sheep are another attraction of GoG as they show up when they want in various groups.  Naturally, these guys picked an area to graze in where traffic can't stop...so this is a slowly 'rolling by' shot. And the beauty shot is colorful leaves, a blue sky and fleecy clouds.

     The park's land mass is huge covering the natural beauty which caused a rich businessman in the late 1800's to donate it to the city.  Google GoG for more information on the interesting background.