Most likely, people think of me as being nuts when they hear me talking to birds and squirrels, dogs, cats, or animals in general. A little bit later, I will return to this point and tie it all together. But, in the meanwhile, there is a back story, too.
Living in the Great Lakes for many years, low gray clouds called status were something you just excepted. It's like Tampa in that every afternoon a brief shower comes ashore from the Gulf. It's just how our weather system works. In previous post, this has been addresses but, regardless how many times it is discussed, it's really never the same. And--I have come to want clear blue skies most of the time. A week of clouds gets me in that,"I am getting cabin fever" mode.
It's been unusually hot in Texas already, this first quarter of the year. On the first day of Spring we broke an existing record for the day. (92 degrees F). It's was the first day of Spring, folks. I didn't mix up the seasons. It was indeed the Equinox. The sun was just crossing the Equator on it's journey North toward the first day of S-U-M-M-E-R. That's June and not March we humans know. It is also storm time in Texas. That means tornadoes. We expect them. They are wicked. They destroy property, take lives sometimes, and most of all, destroy our lives of things. Things that we need--or think we do. Things we cannot get through the day without. We all have those "things". I'm trying to get rid of a bunch of things, but I move them from pile to pile and they end back where they started. But most of all, things we don't need are the things we dread about spring. HAIL. Hail beaks glass in cars, It puts dents all over that thing you drive and it can wipe out a perfectly good roof. Hail is a thing alright. And in Texas, you are going to take a hit sometime down the line. My re-initiation occurred the second year that I was back. New windshield. Hail dents removed. The car I had just gotten the year before. In fact, I have a dent or two in this car already.
So, today was going to be another warm day with sunshine, but a wind advisory was issued with sustained winds of 35 MPH with gust to 40. The Joint Naval Base in Ft. Worth had recorded gust to 53 MPH officially. With that said, it was my decision to head out looking for architectural elements today that make for good stock images. And so, I set out. My camera did not come out of the bag. It sat on the passenger seat where it usually rides with me. Somewhere along the line, something interesting pops up and I unhook the clips and pull the camera out on the seat next to the bag so if I do see something interesting, it's ready to go. But, today, it was just a windy mundane day--the quiet before the storm--if you will.
Generally, I have a rule. If I head out in the opposite direction from the way to the lake, I don't make a trip around the lake that day. In fact, I don't go near the lake. As I watched the clock, ate my Fuji apple, it was fast becoming time to head in. I had in mind a trip to the grocery story to fill in the breakfast items. Twenty minutes later, I'm at my first observation point at the lake. Then came the next point, and the next and I am half way around the lake already with nothing going on of any interest except to me. I have been watching closely in high winds, just how much the swells rise and the wave action splash height. It won't be like the 20 feet splashes that hit the rocks in Maine, but I have seen some 2-feet splashes into the shore before. For an inland lake that's pretty good. As I rounded the corner of the last turn before hitting the Marina area, I noted the most advanced swells that I have ever seen on the lake swell after swell after swell. White caps were rolling, swells built and white caps broke all across the surface of the lake . My first reach for the camera of the day had the camera on the seat as I made my way to a spot where I could park and watch the waves. Plus, I like to listen to the Sirens sing on a windy day as wind does on sail rigging. But, we all know that sound is really the Sirens singing.
Then boom! A 6 to 7-foot splash hit the shoreline. It was spectacular and I was happy. Then, the wind shifted just a bit and the gust just didn't have that umph! After half an hour, while there, my rule already broken for the lake, I had to check on my owl buddy. With the high wind I was wondering if he would even be on a branch.
I walked up slowly looking for my buddy but he was just not in sight anywhere. Then, I heard a little soft hoot and heard the swooshing of wings beating air behind me. By the time I got half turned around, he flew past me and up into the tree he went. But, he wasn't as high as he usually sits. He wasn't in his regular spot and he bobbed his head and flashed those big glassy eyes at me. I started talking to him. He even started responding as I clicked my shutter time and time again. All the time, I was talking to my bud!
He entertained me for about 40-minutes and I heard his mate call from behind so I started looking in the trees behind me for her and then I'd look back at him asking if he needed to go to her or if they were okay. He gave me that big head bob and stretched his wing away from his body that I have come to know was the signal he would take flight. And so, he did. But my story does not end there.
He showed me where his nest was located. He did this as plain as if he was talking back to me with his blessings. I could not believe my eyes. Then I focused my camera on the trees hollow and low and behold, I see two big eyes staring at me. After a couple of minutes, as if he was satisfied that I knew where to look for him again and also remembering that he had once before call out to me when I didn't see him, he called again until I saw him. He is comfortable with me being in his little clearing and he is comfortable with the click of the camera and most of all, he seems very comfortable with my voice calling out to him. Or, talking to him as he looks down then goes on about this business, checking from time to time to see if I am still there.
With that, and it being much later than I normally stay, I forfeited my trip to Kroger's for the day, happy that my bud, Mr. Bard Owl saw me first and then greeting me on purpose. There is no doubt: that bird recognized me again, and made a point to reveal his nest to me. That's an honor that lifted this day to the top of the mountain.
Don't forget to click on an image to enlarge all three.
Living in the Great Lakes for many years, low gray clouds called status were something you just excepted. It's like Tampa in that every afternoon a brief shower comes ashore from the Gulf. It's just how our weather system works. In previous post, this has been addresses but, regardless how many times it is discussed, it's really never the same. And--I have come to want clear blue skies most of the time. A week of clouds gets me in that,"I am getting cabin fever" mode.
It's been unusually hot in Texas already, this first quarter of the year. On the first day of Spring we broke an existing record for the day. (92 degrees F). It's was the first day of Spring, folks. I didn't mix up the seasons. It was indeed the Equinox. The sun was just crossing the Equator on it's journey North toward the first day of S-U-M-M-E-R. That's June and not March we humans know. It is also storm time in Texas. That means tornadoes. We expect them. They are wicked. They destroy property, take lives sometimes, and most of all, destroy our lives of things. Things that we need--or think we do. Things we cannot get through the day without. We all have those "things". I'm trying to get rid of a bunch of things, but I move them from pile to pile and they end back where they started. But most of all, things we don't need are the things we dread about spring. HAIL. Hail beaks glass in cars, It puts dents all over that thing you drive and it can wipe out a perfectly good roof. Hail is a thing alright. And in Texas, you are going to take a hit sometime down the line. My re-initiation occurred the second year that I was back. New windshield. Hail dents removed. The car I had just gotten the year before. In fact, I have a dent or two in this car already.
So, today was going to be another warm day with sunshine, but a wind advisory was issued with sustained winds of 35 MPH with gust to 40. The Joint Naval Base in Ft. Worth had recorded gust to 53 MPH officially. With that said, it was my decision to head out looking for architectural elements today that make for good stock images. And so, I set out. My camera did not come out of the bag. It sat on the passenger seat where it usually rides with me. Somewhere along the line, something interesting pops up and I unhook the clips and pull the camera out on the seat next to the bag so if I do see something interesting, it's ready to go. But, today, it was just a windy mundane day--the quiet before the storm--if you will.
Generally, I have a rule. If I head out in the opposite direction from the way to the lake, I don't make a trip around the lake that day. In fact, I don't go near the lake. As I watched the clock, ate my Fuji apple, it was fast becoming time to head in. I had in mind a trip to the grocery story to fill in the breakfast items. Twenty minutes later, I'm at my first observation point at the lake. Then came the next point, and the next and I am half way around the lake already with nothing going on of any interest except to me. I have been watching closely in high winds, just how much the swells rise and the wave action splash height. It won't be like the 20 feet splashes that hit the rocks in Maine, but I have seen some 2-feet splashes into the shore before. For an inland lake that's pretty good. As I rounded the corner of the last turn before hitting the Marina area, I noted the most advanced swells that I have ever seen on the lake swell after swell after swell. White caps were rolling, swells built and white caps broke all across the surface of the lake . My first reach for the camera of the day had the camera on the seat as I made my way to a spot where I could park and watch the waves. Plus, I like to listen to the Sirens sing on a windy day as wind does on sail rigging. But, we all know that sound is really the Sirens singing.
Then boom! A 6 to 7-foot splash hit the shoreline. It was spectacular and I was happy. Then, the wind shifted just a bit and the gust just didn't have that umph! After half an hour, while there, my rule already broken for the lake, I had to check on my owl buddy. With the high wind I was wondering if he would even be on a branch.
I walked up slowly looking for my buddy but he was just not in sight anywhere. Then, I heard a little soft hoot and heard the swooshing of wings beating air behind me. By the time I got half turned around, he flew past me and up into the tree he went. But, he wasn't as high as he usually sits. He wasn't in his regular spot and he bobbed his head and flashed those big glassy eyes at me. I started talking to him. He even started responding as I clicked my shutter time and time again. All the time, I was talking to my bud!
He entertained me for about 40-minutes and I heard his mate call from behind so I started looking in the trees behind me for her and then I'd look back at him asking if he needed to go to her or if they were okay. He gave me that big head bob and stretched his wing away from his body that I have come to know was the signal he would take flight. And so, he did. But my story does not end there.
He showed me where his nest was located. He did this as plain as if he was talking back to me with his blessings. I could not believe my eyes. Then I focused my camera on the trees hollow and low and behold, I see two big eyes staring at me. After a couple of minutes, as if he was satisfied that I knew where to look for him again and also remembering that he had once before call out to me when I didn't see him, he called again until I saw him. He is comfortable with me being in his little clearing and he is comfortable with the click of the camera and most of all, he seems very comfortable with my voice calling out to him. Or, talking to him as he looks down then goes on about this business, checking from time to time to see if I am still there.
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| Unusual for the lake |
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| This Bard is my bud. We have started to communicate. Today, he flew in to greet me and he revealed his nest site to me, which I will protect. Although, I have an image of him peeking out at me with those big glassy eyes. |
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| He was content to have be directly below him clicking the shutters as I talked to him. He seems to like that and I think it is why he has made an effort to let me know where he is and trusted me enough to reveal his nest site to me, as well. I am truly honored at that. |
Don't forget to click on an image to enlarge all three.
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