Life Around Us

We sat in the swing this morning, sipping our drinks and watching the lake. I saw an osprey. It dove twice for fish before being scared off by a boat moving into the cove. The osprey was unsuccessful on both attempts. It was the first osprey I had seen in several months. Perhaps a cooling trend is on the way.

We also watched buzzards circling high above, floating on the thermals that allow them to hang effortlessly in the sky. I'm sure they too were surveying the area for edibles. Their soaring reminded me of watching some of the most fascinating birds I've ever seen -- frigate birds. During our stays in the Florida Keys we often watched frigate birds ride the thermals. Their extremely long, delta-shaped wings seemed to carry them much higher than most birds. I've read that they seldom land on the ground because their long wings make taking off difficult. I did, however, see them on land in Key West.

The osprey reminded me that we have a pair of eagles that winter along the Llano River. I've tried photographing them but they were too far away for a good image. Even my 400 milimeter lens was not enough. Getting closer isn't possible because Texas Fish & Wildlife has fenced the area off. The eagles are a breeding pair and return this nest each winter. They usually raise two young before returning to their summer home.

Our talk soon turned to travel. Jane asked me, "If you had all the money you wanted what would you do?" I think she anticipated my answer, "Travel." That probably would have been her answer too. Soon, we were talking about where. I'd like to go to Utah but Jane has commitments through September. The mountain passes might be closed before we could get through?

We're thinking now of traveling south. We have friends in the Rio Grande Valley. Following the hummingbirds to the Fulton-Rockport area, near Corpus Christi, would be fun. We could stop for some seafood then venture into the valley ... along with thousands of other Winter Texans. We're pretty sure, however, that the crowds won't arrive until after Christmas.

We'll continue the discussion, probably in the morning while swinging, and post our decision.

Later,