My Twelve Days of Christmas

Most of us are familiar with the holiday tune of “The Twelve Days of Christmas”.  You know the one with the 12 Drummers drumming, 11 Pipers piping, 10 Lords-a-leaping, 9 Ladies dancing, 8 Maids-a-milking, 7 Swans-a-swimming, 6 Geese-a-laying, 5 Golden Rings…, 4 Calling birds, 3 French hens, 2 Turtle doves, and a Partridge in a Pear Tree.  Well, as I’ve been doing my roving time on the refuge, this tune popped into my head and my mind went-a-whirling.  So, for this special night, I give you my rendition.  Most of the photos were taken on Okefenokee NWR, but I had to beef up some pics with photos from Mississippi Sandhill Crane NWR, Malheur NWR, and Balcones Canyonlands NWR. 

If I were techie enough, I’d provide the music in the background, but you know I’m not.  So, I hope you’ll sing along with me on the last verse of the song, and have as much fun as I did composing it.

                                   ♫ ♪ “ON THE TWELFTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS MY REFUGES GAVE TO ME: 

                                                                12 WOODPECKERS DRUMMING

                                                                        11 HERONS FISHING

                                                                      10 LIZARDS-A-LEAPING

                                                                 9 BUTTERFLIES FLUTTERING

                                                                           8 OWLS-A-HOOTING

                                                                 7 ALLIGATORS SWIMMING

                                                                       6 FROGS-A-CROAKING

                                                                       5… GOLDEN… SUNSETS…

                                                                     4 MOCKINGBIRDS,

                                                                          3 PILES OF SCAT,

                                                                    2 WHITE-WINGED DOVES,

                                                     AND A RARE PECKER ON A PINE TREE… ♪ ♫

                                                     Come on, try singing it; it really is fun!

                                          MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL, AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT!