§ Nuttin' Important....

Not much earth shattering going on at Hootin's abode this week. In fact, it's been too quiet. I'm not going anywhere much 'cause by the time the sun is getting ready to rise, the temps are climbing. This Saturday it's predicted to get a heat index of 110°F, so I will continue to stay home for the most part; do laundry, dust, and maybe vacuum. That's a dangerous heat index and it's kinda scary!! It's the first week in MAY!!!! That is the middle of August temps normally. I've been reading, watching game shows on TV [jeopardy only], getting a post finished and pre-scheduled to post for my bird blog. I did have another chiropractor visit on Tuesday, then, after the appointment, I went and bought me a couple of make-up bags that needed to be replaced. Priorities for the moment, tho, is stocking up on our pantry of canned goods, etc. for hurricane preparedness....menial things to be done before June [when hurricane season begins] arrives. I also need to schedule a hair cut soon!  I've put that off for some time now, and it shows.  My hair is curling where it's not supposed to curl.  lol  I filled up the car with gas the other day and it was $49.00!! When will this end? Eggs, tho it was suggested there'd be shortage of them because of the bird flu...I noticed at the store there are PLENTY of eggs! But the price per dozen has doubled. Figure that out. It's like the cost of fuel...around here [oil country] we have tons of storage tanks that hold millions of barrels each, yet the cost of gas sky-rockets?!! I could go on and on about our government and big corporations and their greed, but it's useless.  Hope this'll be the end in 2024.  I've had enough of his 'reign'.  [just my opinion!!!  I refuse to make it a huge discussion, so no need to get riled if you disagree.] I will just finish with more photos that have been on the computer for way too long [dolphins, box turtle, longhorn cattle and last - a squirrel]...

§ 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.

§ A Busy week, But Time for a Walk....

The two of us have been busy doing more yard work. This week, it's getting rid of the winter killed ferns!!! And we have TONS of them. All along the foundations and in flower beds. The biggest "problem" of it all is we need to get on our hands and knees to cut. We can't use the electric trimmer, because the ferns are growing in amongst roses, bougainvilleas, hibiscus, ---don't wanna chop anything down in error, etc. Each fern has to be trimmed out individually. That's gonna take days!!! But, one morning, early, this week, I went to another area with no spring breakers to walk [I haven't been walking nearly enough to satisfy me, but I just can't and not be here to help with yard work]. I went to the river. I took several pictures of the lakes more than I did of birds this time....

Along the river, I walked along the boardwalk and through the trees sweeping the air with the spanish moss while a gentle breeze blew. It was a beautiful morning. Blue sky, new green spring growth just about everywhere I went -no wildflowers yet, tho...puffy white clouds, birdsong, a squirrel chattering away since I was disturbing his sanctuary, ducks in formation flew overhead while a silent raptor [the caracara] glided through the air thermals on the hunt! A lone kiskadee called out a warning. This photo in the paragraph is not the river, it's a feeder channel that flows into the river at the bank behind the boardwalk.  Did I  mention just how perfect a morning it was?  Silence; yet filled with sounds of Springtime along the river bank and in the woods...

§ The River Walk, and Sunday Strolling through the Park...

I got special permission from Flower Lady Lorraine to share this image. Y'all know how I love seeing hearts in nature...well, the one she shared HERE from her post was absolutely phenomenal in my opinion, I just had to ask her if it was alright for me to post about it. Here is her reply to my request...

"...thank you for your kind comment on my latest blog post, and yes it's ok that you linked to it."

Don't forget to take a look....it's worth a click to see the rainfall heart droplet on her flower * hint:  look a little left-center of the blossom!!!!  Lorraine, you definitely deserve an A+ for this find.

 _ _ _ _

 

Now to carry on with my day trippin'.... 

Early Sunday morning I walked along the river at the park.  It was a perfect morning, quiet in the park [people-wise...I really enjoy the solitude of no crowds, even before the covid outbreak!], birdsong, mild temperature and sunny, blue, clear sky!!  I tend to  make the most of it at times and climb hills and traipse through the wooded areas through the natural trails, and some hills have wooden stairways that I go up AND down for a cardiovascular work-out [other times I just walk the park road] .  Not often do I go in the off-the-main-trail wooded areas, mind you...different seasons there are wood ticks!  I've come home with them on my clothes and body, so I tend to stay out of the woods during the Spring and early Summer.  Anyway, here is my walking, care to join me?  

Around the two lakes, along the river, viewing from the observation boardwalks, red leaves in the woods, barren trees along with evergreen,  the hawk watch platform, the special wildlife drip system below the hawk deck where most come to drink...with the likes of javelina, deer, birds, coyotes, more birds...squirrels and birds!!!  Come along.

Walk this way....

 

 

 

...and the stairways aren't all that dangerous as they look...the steps are set firmly in the ground, not on any rickety ol' wood frame. Trust me, I wouldn't use them if there was a chance of them collapsing. The one who designed and came up with the idea of setting them in the ground was 'genius'. And, best of all, looks VERY natural [I guess the railing isn't much so, but the steps are. lol]  The degree of the angle makes for a good work-out...And the photo at the beginning of my day trippin' section, the one that is vertical and has the chartreuse green arrow pointing to the top of the tree in the far distance [the dark spot!], is a hawk!! I had to stop and get my zoom lens focused...it was a red shouldered hawk.

§ 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

§ A Birthday without Dining Out...

I returned to walk Packery Channel Park Friday morning. I choose to make several treks here in the future since it's a 'trail less traveled' by many. At least until the pandemic is over [which now 'they' say may not be until the year 2021!!]. So, since not many birds were seen, I concentrated my lens to other things. Birds being first choice, wildflowers would be second on the string of favorite subjects. As I stepped down off the Audubon's 2nd gazebo to take the trailhead off into the wooded area, I noticed a new sign since the last time I was there. Watch Out For Snakes. Y'think?!!! Heck, I knew that long before the trail was open to birders/hikers. Guess the issue of a warning as such is for Hikers for Dummies.  T'weren't many birds out in the open fields.  I did see thru my binoculars several indigo buntings, both the blue male and brown female.  Many Red-winged blackbirds, Grackles [goes without saying...they're everywhere], doves, warblers, mottled duck on the pond and a lone blue and white dappled immature Little Blue Heron.  And a squirrel.  With flora seen, there are still remnants of winter-kill in places, a nice contrast to the bright,  happy, Spring growth.  Shows me, the world keeps on turning!!!  Our change of seasons [without snowfall]....

The Grackles were kind enough to share with this little guy!!

After the Channel Park, and then Audubon Sanctuary, I walked Sand Dollar Road where I know of a lady that has a yard filled with feeders, fresh cut fruits, hummingbird nectar, seeds, and suet cakes. Her yard is a bird sanctuary all on its own. There, I saw quite a few warblers, yellow headed blackbirds, orioles, doves and two species of hummingbirds. One summer tanager. And...guess? Those pesky grackles!!

I walked back to the car and stopped at the grocery store on the way home. Since today is Bud's birthday, and we can't go out to our traditional restaurant for our jumbo Gulf, butterflied, shrimp [Erik suggested carry out and then eat on the beach...nope, not our cup of tea. We don't like sand in the shrimp batter]. I bought some frozen butterfly shrimp and will fix it up for him. He's gonna have to be content with that this year.