This and that

First, I’d like to thank everyone for their comments on my decision to spend the summer in Indiana, and for suggestions of what to see in the area.  Lora was especially helpful with some websites of wildlife areas in close proximity.  I probably need to let some of you know that I was born and grew up in the city of Chicago, so I’m well aware of what the city has to offer.  I’d sure like to get a pizza from Frank’s Pizza on the northwest side, and am hoping that Ackerman’s Bakery is still in business.  :)

It was cold, overcast, and a little rainy when I got up this morning, so I decided to put off the bird survey until tomorrow.  That will give the back roads a little time to dry out a bit.  Instead, I headed into the VIS to pick up the contraption that puts sales tags on items like tee shirts.  I had three totes full of shirts waiting to be tagged with the new bar code thingy at the community building at the RV sites.  Colin had printed off the new bars codes for me before he left.
Since I had driven ten miles to get to the VIS, I decided to check the refuge roads to see what was happening in the blustery bird world.
With the weather, the shovelers and pied-billed grebes had moved into the more protected areas closer to the road.
As I rounded one of the corners, huge flocks of snow geese took flight in the distance.   It’s hard to describe in words the magnitude of the thousands of geese filling the sky.  I guess you just have to be here!  Tomorrow I’ll be counting multitudes like this.  What a sight it was.
I surprised this snowy egret along the way.  I guess it decided on flight rather than fight!  Notice the yellow dancing shoes…a diagnostic feature in identification of this species. 
Back at the ranch (RV pads), several Wilson’s snipes had landed in a flooded section of the lawn surrounding the RVs.
Usually, we just have about a dozen killdeer patrolling the area, but the 1/2” of rain overnight provided wetter areas that the snipes like.  Because the water table is not far below the surface in this marshy area, it doesn’t take much rain to provide wetland areas.  Emma doesn’t like getting her feet wet, and she is a real hoot to watch on a morning like today as she daintily prances around to find that perfect spot to do her business.  :)

Along about sunset, as I was on the computer editing my photos of the day, I began to hear sounds through the closed windows that made me think I was near an off-road vehicle race track.  As I scratched my head in surprise, Emma began barking with exuberance!  I need to tell you that there are only two things that cause Emma to bark… turkey vultures and cows.  Sure enough, another cattle drive was occurring down FM 1985.  It was too dark for any good pics, but I had to just chuckle at Emma’s antics at protecting us from this onslaught of bellowing bovines!  As she safely sat at the front window, her head arched backwards as the elongated woofs emanated from her core being.  She was successful in keeping us safe from this invasion, and all is well tonight.  :)  Of course, I’m sure in her mind, the cowboys had nothing to do with the cows staying away from us…
                                                                        THE END! 

Thanks for stopping by…. talk to you later,  Judy