Meet My Goal To Return To The Lake By the 15th of January.

Today was my longest trip out since getting out of ICU and returning home. It was also my second grocery shopping trip and all went well. It is good to have goals, especially ones that you know that you can meet, but the questionable ones make for a challenge that drives the human spirit.

As I made the trip around the lake, it didn't take much time to spot an old friend sitting in his favorite tree where he waits for a mate each January. The bird is not camera shy at all and will put himself out in the open, when he soon did across from the marina.

While I am no where near making my regular route of shooting again, I am thankful just to see the lake again. It will not be a daily trip again for several more weeks,but I have patience and will set the bar a little lower now, because I do see some areas where I won't be able to return to full steam again. I guess that is what happens when you get old. Even my doctor said he saw another 10 years for me. It's nice to know that someone is watching the clock.

Red shouldered Hawk Hanging out in search of a mate. It is nesting season already from Raptures.

Winter Solstice, Relaxed Winds and More

Today was an absolutely beautiful day unlike any of yesterdays rawness. The widow makers were down everywhere and some could have really done some damage had people been out and about unaware. One near the White Rock Boat Club Marina was about 10-inches round and some 15 feet long. The bigger one lay lodged on a branch about 20 feet above ground. Bikers stop along there and people walking their dogs do also. It could have caused more than just a headache had it fallen as someone was coming by. Usually, I report them to the Parks Maintenance guys and they are very good about getting on it and getting them taken care of usually within an hour or two.

Also, today, at the dam, I made a discovery of a new pair of red shouldered hawks. I was on the trail up to the dam and sat down on the new bench. While there watching the seagulls,out of the corner of my eye, I caught a sweeping wind between the two fences between the trail and the spillway. Later, as I came down the trail back to the parking lot, I spotted the big male sitting in a tree at the base of the main spillway at the channel. There again, the low angle of the sun was lighting him up like a candle but not in a good way. Another photographer came alone and even he was having problems getting a good shot with a 600 mm lens.  But, it's another area to watch for nesting  and I have seen this guy sitting on top of a telephone pole as the roadway comes up from the water filtration building to W. Lawther. Keeping in mind also, that from there to where I saw him today is a straight line across the old fish hatchery  to the spillway. That gives me cause to think that it is the same bird most likely. Also, the red shouldered that once sat on the telephone pole on the South side of Lawther at the T&P railroad bridge, that is now being rebuild as a bike trail, is also in line with where I have seen him at the turnoff down to the water filtration building. Drawing a straight line from point A to point B to point C would connect all three sightings. All, within about a half mile distance,too.

A widow maker that might hurt more than a headache.

The red shouldered at the dam

Just in time for a little Celtic Celebration of the Winter Solstice