I didn’t intend to spend the day isolated in my condo cave, but I did. It rained a lot today, so nearly all the walking I had planned was canceled.
And I wasn’t totally alone.
I did get out for 45 minutes this morning between meetings. I spent it wisely, by going down the beautiful prayer walk at a church just down the road. The church has outdoor services weekly (I heard them on Sunday) and a beautiful, natural grounds.
What serenity!
There were many birds enjoying a break from the rain, so I was happy to watch and listen to them for a while!
Bluebird taking refuge in a palm tree.
I did myself a lot of good by letting myself get lost in the ambiance of a wet woodland. The southeastern US certainly has wonderful wooded areas. I found many shiny leaves and, as always, was amazed at the variety of shapes and textures. Forget about identifying them; just enjoy the variety.
After finishing work for the week, I borrowed two movies from the DVD library. I enjoyed both Fall Guy and the latest Aquaman movie. Both had Jason Momoa in them. Heavy in the action and fake violence, but that was fine. It distracted me and kept me cozily knitting in my cave.
Teeny bit of sunset.
I watched all my favorite television shows, too, so I felt very distracted by escapist media. That’s fine upon occasion and a good way to get some soothing self care. Today probably did me a lot of good.
What you do on a hard day is what you do every day. You put one foot in front of the other and keep moving. You persevere.
I hope I and those I love can stay safe and free to be ourselves.
Is there still room for all of us?
I’m glad I had my relatives for one last meal together this evening. We made it a very good one at a beautiful harbor-side restaurant. I’ll miss them, but not trying to navigate with conflicting sets of directions. We did laugh a little, make that a lot.
I know this blog has been dull lately. I’m in more of a survival mode than a creative one. But I’m not going to stop noticing the good around me and sharing it. Some beautiful images from today.
A late cicada!Howdy. Egret reflectionI didn’t know these plants bloomed cWindow cleaning. Beach path.
Bonus: Lee has been trying out the new camera and found some photos of New Mexico from the first time we went.
Petroglyph. People will persist. World’s largest pistachio, base.
It’s a hard day in the USA, so I’m sending hugs it to all. Let’s send peaceful energy out to our country even if we disagree with what happens. We’re still all family.
My “sisters”
Love is what we need, and what I experienced today. I found a little clump of trees chock full of beautiful birds this morning. The woodpeckers were everywhere.
Maybe my best bird photo ever. Red-bellied Woodpecker.
I’m not going to go on and on about birds. It’s killing my blog stats, but they do bring me comfort. There were lots of them today, in between doing things to distract myself. Thank goodness for my relatives and their willingness to drive me all over the place! At our late lunch at Hudson’s I had a divine crab cake and the best potato salad ever. I saw lovely herons and of course, gulls.
Then we went to the nature preserve I love to visit. They’ve done a lot there since last year, but the rugged beauty was also there. I got lots of ideas for the Wild Wings Bird Sanctuary to share with our committee. And it was beautiful near sunset.
Drip fountain for birdsPondPondPond. No gators. Hugging a tree. Always a good idea. Pine forest perfection Palmetto and leavesLooks like an ornament!Pines. So tall. Reflection Swampy area. There’s a buck I. There, but I got no good photos. Star-like seed pods
We went to “second dinner” because we didn’t want to go back to our rooms. This was at the Fish Camp restaurant next to the beautiful dock overlooking the Broad Creek. We got Old Fashioneds, appetizers and bread pudding. I, of course, went to the beautiful dock and looked for birds, the best of which was a very vocal Clapper Rail. I do love a good marsh at low tide!
Pure beautyLittle tidal streamsClapper a railThe shore
Mostly, though the three of us women enjoyed each other’s company, telling stories about our parents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. We are resilient, we determined. It was a beautiful night, and that just added to the fun.
On a boatLook at the moon and starMoodyEven the shipping containers looked niceGood evening To remember where we were on November 5, 2024.
I’m gonna read magazines and check the news later. I feel safe and grounded for now, because I feel the love of my family and friends.
I wish Lee was here, but I had a great time distracting myself from the fact that tomorrow is a scary day. I answered a lot of questions at work, and managed to have a much better birding day than yesterday.
Hello! I’m a Gray Catbird!
After I enjoyed songbirds, I checked out the park I’d visited yesterday. It was quieter today, and I got to enjoy turtles, an Anhinga resting on a small tree, and a Great Egret on the hunt.
No alligators here. Poor tree is all bent over. These are pretty. Coming in for a landing WhereI’ll get you, fishie. Such a long neck!Concentration
I turned and walked back up the beach to see shorebirds. First I enjoyed the beautiful boardwalk leading to the beach.
Just some pretty plumbagoAnd more non-native beauty. They love sea turtles here. ArtBeautiful walkway Beach viewNew pavilion
I also saw a pretty dark and brooding sea. It reminded me of how American people feel right now.
Angry clouds. I think Lee enhanced this one.
I did enjoy the birds as they scrambled around for their food. My favorite was this gull trying to get ahold of an acorn. The gull did not want to share with the Sanderling.
It won’t hold still. Stay away from my morsel!Mine! Mine!
They were all entertaining, even the crow, who had some kind of tidbit in its mouth, too.
I got photobombed They look intense. I like these shadowsMmmmNot a bird.
Later in the day, my relatives whisked me off to lunch in the part of the island I couldn’t get into yesterday. It’s very pretty. And guess what? I found more birds from the restaurant we ate at.
We’re actually not related, but we look like it. Boat-tailed Grackle, male. Female grackle looking wistfully over the inlet. Brown Pelicans and Anhingas. Boats in the gloomy weather. Boats with a golf viewNice yachtsDetails of an oyster.
As we were driving off to visit more relatives (including a baby relative) we spotted white blobs in a parking lot. The stepsister wheeled the Acura around like the pro driver she used to be (kind of) and we got to enjoy the beauty of a flock of Wood Storks with a Great Egret buddy.
What a face!
It was so much fun to get so close to them. They sure looked fluffy and festive.
There’s the egret!I love the heron head popping up.
So yes, today was a good day spent with family and avian friends.
And us flowers! Don’t forget us!
Hugs to all who are stressing. Remember, worrying won’t change anything.
What a nice day it was. I got lots of exercise, enjoyed scenery, watched football, hung out with my “sisters,” and met fellow birders. Not bad at all. Living in the moment!
Juvenile Little Blue HetonCute turtle PrettyAzaleaMuscadineSumacBeautiful sights
I enjoyed dinner with my lovely relatives. I just love eating the little oysters at Hudson’s. And the view. Ahh. I’ll hang out with the relatives more this week. They brought me stuff from my dad to go through.
SunsetMe at delicious dinner spitPelicansLaughing gullsSeagullBeautiful scenerySights from dinner
After I got back from our early dinner (time changed) I watched football on TV at the good ole resort bar. I met a very nice couple originally from the part of England where my family came from and discovered we were all birders. I sure enjoyed that conversation!
Random camellia photo.
We all talked to the Gullah bartender. She was an interesting woman, and I appreciated the opportunity to learn more from someone who’d lived their life here. This island is fascinating. I’m happy to be here.
As someone who was there when it was born and started building websites when they were text only, I have a soft spot for it. So, what sites do I love these days?
INaturalist. That should come as no surprise. I just love looking at the photos, helping folks ID their observations, and tracking my own observations. Want to see what’s found in the ranch? You can see it here!
eBird. I use this mainly to look up birds, but my Merlin IDs are there. I just don’t mark everything I see. However, great bird reference.
Wikipedia. This is where I “do my research.” I learn so much from this site, and it’s easy to go find original sources for what’s in there. I usually Google topics then end up on Wikipedia. We give them money, too, since we use it so much.
Notice that I list all .org sites. They tend to have fewer deceiving redirects, flashing popups, and other things I dislike about commercial sites.
This lovely Fish Crow is on iNat.
So, that answers that question. I’ve spent the afternoon getting settled into my condo for this year’s visit to Hilton Head. I must have screwed up my reservation, because I’m not in an ocean-front room on a high floor. I’d been counting on that for bird observations. My room is also a handicapped room, so the kitchen has interesting features. But that’s okay.
The view is fine. And all the lighting protects the dark sky
I can go out walking if I want birds, and the rooms have been refreshed. It will be fine.
I found lots of birds right across the road from the condo. And this festive grass.
Tomorrow I can go to a nature preserve within walking distance, so I’m set.
This is probably not an stress-free weekend, even if you’re doing your best to live in the moment and enjoy the present. However, I’ve had a few conversations with friends and strangers that have helped me remember the good and hope in the world.
Lovely ofrenda in the Austin airport. Southwest Airlines does good stuff.
Yesterday started with a talk with a friend who’s a philanthropist, social worker, and former Red Cross volunteer. She’s very concerned about the immediate future. I hope by sharing some of the hopeful things I’ve heard, I helped a bit.
In the early afternoon, Doc Shenkman, my undergrad professor called. He had some opinions on current events to share. I had to smile as I realized he has not lost his passion for politics, social justice, and the importance of good law enforcement.
Reflecting on how his long rant reflected my own views reminded me that while my parents provided some guidance when I was young, it was long Friday night conversations over very bad but very cheap beer ($1.25 a pitcher) helped shape my values, morals, and philosophical orientation for the rest of my life. (I also learned many German drinking songs, because the German club sat next to us.)
The University of Florida had an honors undergraduate curriculum when I was there. We had tenured professors for all our required courses. Thank goodness for those generous souls who taught us to understand literature, the human, and social sciences. I got a real humanities education that I’ve used my whole life. Anyway, I’m lucky to still be friends with Doc, after all these years.
We are under the same sun.
Later, after hugging all the dogs and horses, Lee drove me to the airport. During that trip I continued a text conversation with two former coworkers who are now trusted friends. we each have our reasons to worry about the future, as one of us has a trans family member, one is a gay man, and one is a mother of a teenage girl. It was comforting to talk to each other about our thoughts and experiences during challenging times. It’s good to know you aren’t alone and can both support and be supported right now.
And today at the Austin airport I saw a man wearing a Lincoln Project sweatshirt. I went up to him and gushed about how much we love their work, especially Lee. The man said he gets a lot of that, including people who whisper their support, like they’re behind enemy lines in World War II. He and his young grandson were heading to Charlotte to work at a rally today. The kid was not as impressed as I was that he’d get to meet Jon Bon Jovi, but at least he was excited to meet the Vice President.
I showed him my secret signs of allegiance
The man talked to me a bit about his journey from Bush, to Perot to Obama, which fascinated me. He kept his same convictions but changed to leaders he thought supported them better. Wow.
We’re all under the same sky.
So I’m feeling okay as I head to South Carolina wearing my mask so I won’t get Covid again. It wasn’t planned that I’d be elsewhere during the Presidential election, but at least this way Lee can watch coverage all day and night and I won’t have to.
Remember. My friendship and love remain even if we disagree. I want the best for us all.
The Hermits' Rest 