Warmer Weather--Finally!

The "Boys' Club" Fort DeSoto campground

Usually, I try to find something for us to do each day 'cuz I have a short attention span, so I'm always looking for visual stimulation of the FAMILY kind...parks, preserves, museums, art, etc. I'm still not used to being retired and sitting still, so I'm still needing activities until I get more acclimated to being retired. I can only sit and knit for so long! I like to read, but I just am not into books right now. I am making progress, however, as I'm now starting to watch birds. Can you tell by the number of bird photos that are starting to show up on the blog? Not sure if that's considered progress or an admission of age, but it's a great hobby when you have lots of time on your hands.  There's hope for me yet to slow down and relax. BUT, while we are physically able, I prefer to bike, hike, and visit stuff. There will be plenty of time down the road for reading, bird watching and lots more knitting!

It's starting to warm up...Here's Eldo yesterday:

Here's Eldo today:

Got fish? I can wait...

If you look closely or click on the photo of Eldy relaxing, you'll see a heron close by. Here he is, close up. The bird is actually only a few feet from Eldy. This heron sat all afternoon waiting for us to give him some fish, at least that's what we thought. What's funny is, when Eldy put his feet up and settled in for an afternoon nap, the bird sat back on his "haunches" and feet. When Eldy closed his eyes to take a little nap, the bird proceeded to do the same! Every time I tried to get a photo of the heron's eyes closed, he opened them, just to check to see what I was doing. If I got up to go back to the RV, he didn't budge. I went back and forth several times but he just stayed put. Finally, when we both left, he gave up and moved on....but he seems to hang out here every day, just a few feet from us, waiting and watching for an opportunity.


Here he is later today, and somehow he got his fish...we don't think he caught it, because a kid said he threw this dead fish towards a big bird, we think this heron, and the heron thought he'd hang onto it. We didn't see him try to eat it, he just strutted around with it for awhile....

dinner time?

One more bird story...Eldy and I were sitting outside, enjoying the nice weather, and Eldy says, "Come here..you've got to see this bird with the really long legs." I grabbed my camera because I had never seen an egret quite like this one, with legs quite so long. Just as I was starting to take the photo, out comes a lady with a red Christmas bow and places it on the bird. The bird is sort of bobbing around giving her a hard time and not standing very still but at this point, I'm thinking, "WOW! This is a really tame egret!" Then I realize, duh, the bird is FAKE! I laughed and commented to her how fooled we were. She said, yeah, they've been putting this bird out and the real egrets come and try to mate with it! Guess the bobbing and weaving of the bird on metal legs looks like a mating dance. I took a photo of it anyway....silly people! (meaning us!)


I would like to wish all our readers a VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR! We are heading out this evening for a fun night of dancing at Silas Dent's in St. Pete's Beach...should be fun! Be safe and be careful! Best wishes for a healthy, happy new year....Eldo and Sparky