We found the perfect shirt

 

 

… for Judy to wear while grocery shopping.

 

Best response so far when Judy asked to borrow a tall Husband:  “Borrow him?  You can have him!”

 

And baby cardinal

 

 

 

 

Big enough to follow dad around telling him he needs more food!

 

Meanwhile

 

 

In Colorado.  Kyle and Cameron ran the 44^th annual BolderBoulder 10K fun run.  I ran the first one in 1979, and a few after.  (The first one was so small, Judy rode next to me on a bicycle and didn’t get in anyone’s way.)  Becky and Christie walked it today.  5,391 feet above sea level.  34,000 participants.  100,000 spectators.  That’s one heckofa 10K.

 

Kyle ran a fast 41 minutes 43 seconds.  Cameron was right up there with 44 minutes 05 seconds.  Christie and Becky were at 1 hour 57 minutes 32 seconds, right behind the firefighter in full gear carrying an American flag.  The finish includes a lap around the track inside Folsom Field (the stadium for the Colorado Buffaloes) packed to capacity with a cheering crowd.

 

A quieter Memorial Day here at Sandpipers.  A small ceremony down by the office.  I thought it was going to be six old guys and a bottle of tequila.  Everybody else is gone for the summer, right?  Fifty people showed up.  We all visited a little, there were a few official words, playing of taps, and a shot to commemorate and honor those who gave all.  It makes me feel contemplative, maybe a little melancholy, and very happy to be here.

 

 

Baby mourning doves

 

 

 

They’re not much longer for this nest.

 

Late breaking news

 

I’m told that Leakey is pronounced Lakey.  The Lakey Eagles.  Somewhat better.

Those poor children

 

 

We visited a small town in Texas named Leakey.  They have a high school.  Their high school has a mascot, an eagle.  The high school football team is named the Leakey Eagles.  Striking fear into opponent’s hearts as the Leakey Eagles?  Sounds more messy than scary.

 

Had some severe weather where we were.  Powerful thunderstorms.  Wind and hail.  Our camp got soaked but our tent was unharmed and stayed dry inside.  The weather passed through and otherwise was warm and wonderful.  Now we’re home again.

 

2023 West Texas Camping Map

 

This is a turkey vulture

 

 

 

This is not a turkey vulture.

 

 

Judy is so smart

 

 

Not only did she line the bottom of the ice chest with frozen water bottles, she vacuum sealed individual bits of ribs and chicken for snacks, then vacuum sealed a bunch of ice cubes to throw on top.  We’ve had to buy a couple bags of ice so far in this hot weather and transfer them into ziplocks, but all the food in the ice chest is still cold and dry.

 

 

Home Sweet Home

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On the road again

 

 

Junction, Texas.  For the night.

 

https://www.google.com/maps/@31.3154141,-98.5497458,5.7z

 

We’re the blue dot.

 

We’re going camping.  But not tonight.  Tonight we’re hoteling and on our way west again tomorrow.  Just like when we had the motorhome, but without the motorhome and completely different.

 

Here’s a yellow-breasted chat we saw on our afternoon walk.

 

He was watching us as well.

 

There is a bird nest

 

 

In the tree right next to our front steps.  About eight feet off the ground.

 

It’s a mourning dove on it.

 

Rain or shine.

 

It looks like that perseverance is paying off too.  Directly under the nest we found an egg shell.

 

Good chance she’s sitting on babies now.

 

I just discovered county bird lists

 

 

It turns out there is a list of people who have birded a lot of counties.  Judy and I have birded in every county in Texas.  I was already on a list and didn’t even know it.

 

 

There is also a list of Big Days by county.  Jon wanted to get on that list for Nueces County, so we did our entire big day in his home county.  He knows it well.  206 species recorded.  He set a record.  By a lot.

 

 

That felt good.  I thought maybe I’d do another one on my own.  I’d pick a county with a lot less birds in it than Nueces County for my first effort by myself.  Brooks County.  First, I did a lazy big day.  I didn’t start early in the morning.  I just drove around all day scouting locations and recording the birds I saw.  39 species.  Not impressive.  A few days later I made the real effort and was standing at the end of a remote road an hour before dawn, listing each bird I heard as they woke up and greeted the day.  Northern bobwhite, wild turkey, northern cardinal, yellow-billed cuckoo.  Then I spent the rest of the day visiting all the places I’d scouted the week before.  Great kiskadee, scissor-tailed flycatcher, green jay.  I ended the day in a different part of the county, at the end of another remote road, listening to great horned owls, common pauraques, and lesser nighthawks as the light faded.  69 species.  Good enough to tie for 3^rd place ever for the county.  I’m happy with that first effort.

 

 

(I think I should have gotten my own line though.)    :)

 

Well, that’s two counties done.  I wonder if anyone has ever placed on the top ten list for all 254 counties in Texas…

 

Aww

 

 

Remember those glorious looking green jays?

 

Babies.

 

Just out of the nest.

 

A caterpillar on the tent pole

 

 

 

Looks soft and furry.

 

Haven’t figured out what kind it is yet.

 

An Anhinga in a special mood

 

 

 

A green heron when he’s feeling normal

 

 

 

This is definitely not normal!

 

 

Mother’s Day

 

 

We decided to take the dogs on a driveabout and stop at dog parks.

 

Park 1.

 

Park 2.

This one was a little wet.

 

Park 3.

 

A good time was had by all.

 

And the puppies slept for hours after.

 

Yellow crowned night heron

 

 

 

 

 

 

You can’t see me!

 

 

 

Texas Tortoise.

 

 

 

Perhaps I should define “belly flower”

 

 

A belly flower is a flower so small a person has to get down on the ground on their belly to properly admire it.

 

And now I bring you “Tarzan Vines”.

 

 

 

Belly flowers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A trumpet vine flower high in a tree.

 

And a fern forest.