§ Look Up in the Sky! Is It a Plane? A Bird? Nope....a Cloud! But, What a Cloud!!!!

First....I detest time change! As I type this up it's only 10 a.m. and lunch shoulda been served hours ago. I wish the government would get their thumbs out of their butts and set it one way or another and let people live without having to adjust their lives every 6 months. Just when our system gets settled we have to stop and rearrange our habits. It's been proven more lives are lost because of this...both human and animals. And we ARE NOT saving energy one bit; both physical and material energy. Every 6 months I write my congressmen and voice my opinion. Perhaps someday they'll listen?!!

_ _ _

Okay, I step down from the podium and begin my Sunday morning walk in the park post...

I got my chores done after breakfast [dishes, cleaning the kitchen counters, etc.] and decided it's been a while since I walked the curvy, hilly, pathways at Guth Park just off the interstate highway northwest of town. I drove there, but stopping at an area at the end of the ship channel's basin "turnstile" or turning circle [where ships hafta go to turn around to head back out of the port...dunno the nautical term].

Usually there are a lot of water birds hanging around in that spot. Yet, when I do go there, I make sure it's on a Sunday. This highway. Joe Fulton Corridor, is used mostly by heavy trucking traffic [18 wheelers] to the port of call to dock and unload/load cargo onto or from the tankers and cargo ships. Trust me when I say 'they own the road'...and don't slow down!! Sundays are usually pretty quiet if I go early enough.

On this particular day, the small number of birds along the mudflats and ponds was minimal. I didn't stay long...walking a short distance on both sides of the highway, up and down, snapping photos a few times, and sucking in my breath, hoping to not see an 18 wheeler barreling down my way at 65MPH so I could cross the road and get back in the car safely.

Once back in the car, I head to the park. This particular park has miles of paved paths, very hilly, and full of interests for everyone. Picnic tables, duck pond, benches galore, swimming pool, Disk Golf Course, playgrounds, senior center, and yep....birds! But, once again, migrants were not heard or seen. I am thinking that they had a different route to get to their wintering habitat because of the extreme drought through central USA. Anyway, I walked uphill, downhill, and up again. At one time, after the sun broke from the clouds the heat of the morning began to drain my energy. I sat on a bench and scanned the treetops for any birds.

I saw two vultures soaring above, cowbirds, grackles, sparrows and starlings. The sky and the trees were the highlight for now. In fact I saw one extraordinary cloud formation**!!! Got a photo!! [below] I walked to the duck pond....Up and down more hills, back to the car and left for home with the AC running full blast. Another hot day.

**This was the best 'bird' I've ever seen!!! Can you see it? At first what came to mind was the phoenix rising from the fire, but then after looking at it when I got home...more an eagle?!!

Maritime Glossary

§ Buttermilk Skies....

For the next two weeks, I will be avoiding the drives/walks on the islands. This week it's Spring Break for grades k-12. Next week will be Spring Break for college students! The beaches will be crowded with families that are taking the week off work and hitting the shores. Next week, the beaches will be crowded with those that revel in drinking binges and all clad in bikinis and speedos. Not my cup of tea. So, I will find other areas that are less of an orgy. LOLOL

This last week one fine day, the breeze was balmy.

§ "Pops of Red" Feedback...

This is what I saw at 4pm when I went out to get the mail...

...by 6:30 when I went back out to collect the trash bin to get it back by the house, the cloud above turned into this...

By the way, I'm glad that some of you commented with a positive on my new area rugs from the previous post on Tuesday. I didn't want to say anything to sway y'all 'cause there was a rift on my choice. Bud thought too much color, and when Cecilia said in the comments she liked the pops of red, I showed Bud and he said "Okay. Point taken.". lol [like as if I was gonna go out and buy different ones to please him?!! Not.] But thanks again for all the feedback on my choice.

§ I'm Heaven Bound Maybe Someday?

An opening in the clouds...like it was telling me "Follow me"!!! See the almost perfect arrow that ISN'T cloud? I guess I'm heaven-bound?  Not too soon, tho, I hope.  I have much more living to do.

The Oak Ridge Boys "Heaven Bound"

§ To the Tune of Jamaica Farewell

chorus...

I'm glad to say I'm on my way
South of home to the town, Port A
My heart is glad
And my car's in gear
I'm primed for all the beautiful birds I hear!



Oh, I'm glad to say, along the bay
I drove some miles,
Seeing beauty that wowed...
Then mid-morn - a cotton-filled, heart-shaped cloud!!

Jamaica Farewell by the Kingston Trio
(Song)

§ Nature's Glory...

It's been glorious these past few days.  Much cooler and much drier than this past few months of summer.  Ya, only 3 months of summer, I know, but living in the sub-tropics it seems like an eternity of heat and humidity.  I'm glad to say...it is much improved.  I can breathe, I can walk without sweating the minute I step outside.  I thought I'd share some of the beauty that surrounded me the last few weeks. 

One day, the sun peeking through the clouds as I walked the trail...

I search for anything that has hearts. I was going to save this photo for my birding blog, but since it also has a heart shape in the image, I'd share it with both of my blogs. Do you see it* in the image below? This is a photo of an Inca Dove perched in a tree near a drip fountain in a park about a 20 minute drive from Corpus.

*hint: look top left corner

§ He IS Strong!

I was out and on the packery channel walkway by 630 a.m. on Friday. And, believe it or not, I felt I was late for the party by the time I reached the beach! The surfers and the fishermen/women were out in full force. I took the more quiet route along the shore and took photos, enjoying the peace of mind being outdoors and in fresh air. It was already 82 degrees, and humid from the storm brewing in the tropics [TS Cristobal off the Yucatan]. Needless to say I only walked a couple of miles before turning back. As I was reaching the walkway back to the car, a cloud formation instigated a thought [a children's song I sang in Sunday School, long long long ago].

Now, I don't like to be preached at, nor do I preach to others. But when I saw this, I couldn't help myself humming to myself:

Jesus loves me this I know

for the Bible tells me so

Little ones to Him belong

They are weak, but he is strong!!

I noticed the cloud opening and saw a heart. I'm always on the 'lookout' for hearts in nature. Then, when I got home and took the photo off the camera card to make a post, I noticed A SECOND heart above the opening in the cloud heart...do you see them both?!! (Bud says there are three...the two hearts make a third)  Whether you believe, or not...I still think this is inspirational for the globe [the unrest in the world and pandemic] and shows promise of good days and a bit of heart in the days ahead!!!!  And we are loved.

More photos of the sunrise, birds, surfers, beach, sand dunes and others coming soon.

§ Skies of Blue, Clouds of White....

Oh the weather outside's delightful!! Finally, a cold front moved in from the north. Well, mind you, it's a cold front for the coastal bend! Maybe not for y'all from near the Canadian border but here...yes indeed. Even the morning lows are near perfect for me. It could be a shade cooler, but after this long hot summer in the previous months, I'll take any deviation in temperature dropping I can get. And the sky these past days and months have been so pretty. I look up and tend to lose all stress [I seldom have TOO much stress...maybe I should reword that and say 'tension'...no, that's not right either.]  I just feel GOOD when it's so pretty up there in the heavens. From the Mackerel cloud formation in the bottom panoramic setting on the camera, to the jet streams, a fogbow [like a rainbow but fog], the calm sea, the dappled, the golden sunrises, and the smoky-looking towers of clouds jutting up from the landscapes.  Maybe you'll agree...

§ Channel and Beach Scenes

I started my morning driving to Packery Channel to walk the boardwalks and inspect the small Audubon Sanctuary for my first steps. As I vacated the car after grabbing my camera off the seat, and pocketing my cellphone at the parking lot, this sweet thing greeted me with his shrill call and headed in the direction of his mate. They both, then, made a 50 yard dash to the edge of the park road and disappeared into the tall grass. I ventured up on the boardwalk and saw no other birds,  so I watched the sky....

At the Audubon Sanctuary Pond, the water level was very low and seen was only one bird, wading, and that was a snowy egret. It flew off in the direction of the sunlight so, no real good photo op. I retraced my steps and walked along Sand Dollar Road to a wide open oasis feeding station for migrant birds [a woman who owns the property has humming bird feeders year 'round and seed platforms for her winter, summer, spring and fall visitors]. On this morning, one dove and a handful of hummingbirds. Back to the road again, heading to the channel. I had plans of walking along the shore and going in the back areas to find what I could find. When I got there, there was NO SHORE to walk. High water....I walked through the tall grass to get farther back in the open land....I shoulda known better [ticks LOVE the tall grasses, and I later found one on me crawling up my leg once back home!!!]. By the time I reached the shore after walking the grassy knoll, the water was still TOO high up the banks. I left again after seeing a heron, a plover, a willet, a migrant flycatcher, and several seagulls. AND wildflowers....

Before leaving to drive to the beach, back at the car, I spotted a lone osprey on a street light. I walked near, and took some photos just before it flew away. In a tall palm tree behind me a grackle was making a ruckus and feeding on the tree's seed...

Back in the driver's seat, I turned the car to go to Bob Hall Pier [I wasn't sure I really wanted to go to that particular spot 'cause there was a drowning just the day before, the swimmer was caught in a rip tide current and died on the way to the hospital]....but I was on the island, didn't have but half my 10,000 steps tallied. It was a beautiful morning! Many people were out and about taking in the sunshine and enjoying the surf. People with children, walking their dogs, leisurely hunting shells, watching birds, and walking/jogging, and camping.

With me, I carry a large knife at all times. I've only had to use it a couple of times...not for protection [its purpose], but to cut birds free from fishing line when they get tangled up in it and can't free themselves. I spotted an oystercatcher that had line wrapped around both feet. It was trying to get out of the tangle, but was unsuccessful. I tried walking up to cut it free, but it flew away. I felt bad, knowing that eventually it will lose both feet and part of one leg. My knife remained in my pocket. I took pictures of the bad situation and will share sometime on my bird photo blog. Here are the last of my photo shares of the morning along the beach ...

....nearing the pier to leave for home, I watched a young gentleman with his dog. It happens to be one of my favorite breeds. So I stood and watched them play fetch. He'd throw the large stick into the surf, the dog was eager to retrieve ....and the ritual would repeat. The guy greeted me with a "good morning"....and I said "Hello...beautiful dog!" He then told me the story of their morning together, two lost racquet balls disappearing in the Gulf water, some other sticks lost, and all the while the two of us talked,  the wonderful fur baby waited patiently for attention and more play. Oh ya, the dog's name is Toodle.