This time of year, I really miss my father! Not that this is the only reason I think of him so often, but he had the farmer's knack of growing things! His garden consisted of everything under the sun. Including growing pineapples in Colorado!! Strawberries at the supermarket are now coming down in price....the season is not quite at its peak yet, but they're irresistible. Thing is, they're not the 'farmer's market' quality! Sure they're huge. When I pull one out of the container to clean for snacking on them, I can't help but think "What am I putting into my mouth"? Are they GMO? -growth enhanced with crop steroids?- I have to admit, tho drier and much more bland, they're still good. I wish my father were here...
Farmer Evans was driving his John Deere tractor along the road with a trailer load of fertilizer. Tim a little boy of eight was playing in his yard when he saw the farmer and asked: 'What've you got in your trailer?' 'Manure,' Farmer Evans replied. 'What are you going to do with it?' asked Tim. 'Put it on my strawberries,' answered the farmer. Tim replied, 'You ought to come and eat with us, we put ice-cream on our strawberries.'
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I've been here many many times, and viewed this mural each time without thinking or associating it with 'fences'. The light bulb went on extra bright one day as I parked the car to check out this particular birding area. "Duh!! This is a fence for Ms. T's Good Fences, AND it has a couple of her famous Black Bellied Whistling Ducks as part of the birding mural! My goodness, Anni, it took you long enough to realize that....you're truly blond!!"
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As I left early one morning, just before sunrise from home, by the time I reached the freeway heading to the islands, Tho, it's not 'countryside quiet' -it's busy with city landscaping and morning traffic, it was still breathtaking. The colors were magnificent; the photos really don't do it justice...
By the time I reached the island highway, the sun was warming up the air, and the breeze was practically nil. It was going to be a hot day!!
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In a previous post, I mentioned Bud and I taking a Sunday drive through the morning fog in search of an Upland Sandpiper. Which we didn't find on that day. To let you in on a bit of trivia, this bird has been VERY elusive!!! I've searched highways and byways for it so I could get a photo. It's been over 2 1/2 years of traveling around South Texas....county roads, parks, ranches, out of town areas, fields, ...even a golf course near the clubhouse, where they were reported seen....two and one half years of no spotting them. Until Thursday of this past week!!! We were at a local park just outside of town, getting close to a rural community. Bud, with his binoculars to his eyes, called me to him: "Anni!! Come here!!" "Just by the soccer goal net, to your right....look!!" I did, and knew right away this was a lifer!!!!! Four Upland Sandpipers foraging in the grassy field. I took some photos. Then....eleven Sandpipers!! Within a few more minutes Bud counted 15 of them. I have better photos yet to be saved off the camera card..I took these two of the scissortailed flycatcher as I was trying to focus on the sandpipers that were so far away by now...
But, alas, when I returned home the photos of the sandpipers were all quite blurry. as you can see by the photo from the first outing I share here. I guess I was too excited to be taking photos. I was heartsick. I returned to the area Bud found 'em. Three remained. I will share some of the GOOD photos at my bird photo blog, with a link above.
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Speaking of parks, the mountain laurel found throughout many of the city parks here are nearly finished with the blooming season. I'll share some photos of the blossoms & bushes....
