Spring Flings with Eve, Part 1

I'm late to this party thanks to the continuing flooring project from hell. Even as I type hubby wants me to help him move furniture so this'll be quick. "When you have time I need some help," has become my least favorite sentence in Life as it's said entirely too much. However, I've declared this a No Whine Zone so here we go with a wonderful memory that's too late in being reported.

You've already read Eve's accounting of our lunch together last week. While waiting for the cafe to open we were mesmerized by the scads of carp in all shapes, sizes and colors. Some were as large as the Canada Geese - no lie!

Carps swirling in a ballet of their own making.

When the cafe opened we started with marinated olives! Oh. My. Goodness.

"Wine, madam?" Why, yes....please.

Two individual pizzas were shared and we both declared the winner as the Mona Lisa - arugula, pears, caramelized nuts and bacon on an herbed olive oil base. Oh. My. Goodness.

A leisurely after-lunch stroll was the ticket to "burn off" our wonderful lunch! This is Big Spring International Park in downtown Huntsville. The bridge was donated long ago by Japan. I'll give you more data later as hubby is getting impatient.

I fell in love with the black duck, who has beautiful iridescent feathers!

The magnolia leaves fallen to the ground create fascinating patterns and colors.

I found this on a tree. Most likely made of bubble gum. How sweet, eh? A perfect ending to a perfect day...which wasn't quite finished! Eve and I have had more adventures which you'll all be reading about soon. We have had SUCH FUN exploring and laughing and sharing stories! Happy Spring, everyone!!!

(........I'm coming already!)

Viburnum

My office was complete dismantled for several days so hubby could put in a new floor. The new floor is nice, I must admit. I also must admit that I nearly went crazy without my computer. Addicted? Seemingly. Determined not to whine, I hitched up my "big girl britches" to help him as best I could so that the task could be finished asap. During those times he didn't need an extra hand I would go outside (when it wasn't raining) and see how the viburnum was doing.


The couple of branches that have blooms are filling in nicely. The buds you saw a week or so ago are opening to reveal the most exquisite purple and chartreuse green. Bird Girl called this a Korean Spicebush, or viburnum carlesii. Thanks for the ID, Bird Girl (please check out her wonderful blog, My Bird Tales)

These colors!

Delicate as glass.

My Sunny Friend Eve and I shared a remarkable lunch and outing last week. Her photos look so much like mine that I need to find some different ones to post! While I sort them out please enjoy the viburnum. I'm SO GLAD to be back online!!! Happy Spring, all.

Well so oky doky according to my last post I was heading west to spend time with my mom and check out some preserves close to Florence and Muscle Shoals. I never got the chance to see the preserve dang it, but I had some pretty cool birding experiences! Sadly, my camera never left its case. It was just one of those trips.

Tuesday, after lunching with my road trip buddy Carroll we were driving to the lake and spied a huge "V" formation high overhead. "Look! The geese are flying north!" "Ummm....those don't look like geese to me - too fat and heavy." OMG....we were seeing a huge flock of about 60 American White Pelicans bucking some gusty headwinds heading north for the summer. By the time I found a shoulder and could pull off they were quite far away but we got to see them! Pelicans! Migrating in a "V"! It's a sight I'll never, ever forget. Thankfully, other photographers are more prepared and have good shots so please thank Martin Kopecky for the above image.

Wednesday, Carroll calls me with an excited voice. Alert! Alert! The red breasted mergansers are migrating back north! Naturally, I didn't get to her house in time. Please thank some person identified as Soenke for the above image so you'll know what they look like. Our photographer buddy Steve up in Glouster recently took some outstanding photos of them as well. Check him out by clicking here.


Thursday morning I was enjoying early coffee with my mom. The sun came out! It was so beautiful that morning! Through her living room window I began seeing large black birds lifting over the lake front homes, mine among them. The cormorants migration had begun! Without access to the water I could only watch as they skimmed the lake's surface like speeding bullets before lifting above the treeline and heading north. This went on for quite some time as this migration show consists of hundreds and hundreds of cormorants. From my vantage point the birds were quite small, and any photo would have been dark specks back lit by the sunrise. It was enough to simply enjoy nature's theater. Please thank Carolyn at Picasa for the above image for this is exactly what they look like skimming above and lifting from the water.

So........what to blog? Clearly, I'd experienced nothing of blogging interest - or that I had documented my very self. With everyone blogging about spring flowers it seemed it was time to check out our new (old) backyard to see what I've inherited.


Some sort of viburnum? It's a small tree that's been conked on the head by something so it's all broken off and rather ugly. Still...part of it is blooming these lovely things!

The sweetest smelling narcissus I've ever ... smelled! SOOOOOoooooooooo beautiful!

Sigh. My favorite springtime flower!

We have no grass. We have wildflowers, weeds, moss and fungi. Here's one of the wildflowers.

I hate privet but I have one. At least the blooms are pretty.

Another wildflower.

And another wildflower. I thought they were the same flower until loading the images on the computer. Clearly different, both beautiful. There's some vinca out there, too, but I don't like vinca either. Looks like I have some work to do! So that's my blog for today. Enjoy Spring!

Photo Shoot

I'm off on an adventure. Leaving shortly to head WEST to Wheeler Lake and wherever my feet take me to take photos, visit friends and spend time with my mom. Please enjoy this little piece I put together using one or more of Jerry Jone's textures - Shadowhouse Creations. If you haven't yet checked him out I encourage you to do so! I've had such fun playing around with his textures and tutorials. The man is genius! If you download his free textures please tell him Thank You! Peace and love.........

Wheeler Wildlife Refuge, Finis

Transitioning from the Cypress Trail to Observation Building

I do apologize in advance for the number of photos in this post. I got carried away. They're not the best photos in the world but I had such fun taking them! Leaving the Atkeson Cypress Swamp I slogged through a boggy spot (thanks to recent rains) to check out the reed beds and grain fields before hiking the short trail to the Visitor Center's Observation Building. By the way, this is Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge.

Two Northern Shovelers are lazily negotiating a path through some cool looking reeds.

You must know how captivating these reeds are. Almost hypnotic in their appeal.

I confess such patterns in nature grab my attention. I forgot all about the Shovelers for a spell.

How pretty they look with the grain field in the background.

I just like this shot. Time to move on towards the Observation Building.

The Visitor's Center has a buffet all laid out for area songbirds and squirrels, who both flew and scurried off as I approached ... except this one lone, brave, cocky Tufted Titmouse.

American Coots, Northern Shovelers and Ring-Necked Ducks

One travels down a gravel pathway a short distance toward a building that's completely hidden by forest and planned growth. The last few yards I'm surrounded by a tall fence and bamboo, no doubt to keep noises down so as to not scare off the birds. Entering the building there are glassed walls that give you the perfect vantage point for bird watching. Off in the distance I see a gaggle of some small waterfowl. Upon later inspection (thanks to Photoshop) I see some Northern Shovelers, American Coots and ... Ring-necked Ducks. I thought they were Scaups until I got a close look at my images at home. Clearly, these are Ring-necked Ducks.

Male Wood Duck

Walking to the other side of the building I spy a pair of Wood Ducks. As many times as I've been here, all along the Refuge, I've never seen Wood Ducks up close and personal. These were paddling away from me, grazing among the reeds, but the light was so beautiful as were their colors.

Ring-Neck Ducks and the cool-o reeds

Juvenile male Mallard and a female Mallard - NOT!
I've learned these are Gadwalls! E-GADS! GAD-Zooks!
(Thanks birding buddy, Eve!)

A pair of Canada Geese

A lone female Red-Breasted Merganser paddle by while Mr. Northern Shoveler ducked down for a treat. I saw two female Red-Breasted Mergansers this morning - no males, and no other mergansers. I sorta felt sorry for them. Where were their little merganser buddies?


Back to the other side of the building where the light directionality made the water glow a rose color. There were my Wood Ducks again.

A pretty shot of more reed beds.

As I was leaving Mr. Wood Duck floated by to bid me adieu. As primitive as the Cypress Trail was, my visit with the waterfowl was peaceful and serene.