I had a fantastic birthday!!! Anita, Lauren, and I went on the Sandhill Crane Whisperer Tour this morning. We saw our first Crane of the day on Rock Hill Road. He was standing by the pond with the gorgeous azaleas behind him. The reflections in the water of the Crane and the bold color of the azaleas were stunning. I think the azaleas in this area are as pretty as the ones we saw at the Master's Golf Tournament.
We saw 19 Cranes, a Raccoon, an Eagle, a Red Squirrel,a hawk, Ducks, Herons, and Geese on our 5 hour tour of the Refuge. It goes without saying Anita had a blast, and so did we. She is as enthusiastic as we are.
We went to Huck's Cove for dinner this afternoon. It is a pretty neat place on the Pascagoula River. The outside deck was closed for dining because of the rain. The food and atmosphere was great.
The stinking rain didn't dampen our party.
Anita made me some Birthday Cupcakes from scratch, that were delicious, she gave me a solar dragonfly, I named Sandy.
Spending the day with her, Lauren, Ferny Kat, and the phone calls and text wishing me a happy birthday was the perfect Birthday Celebration.
Pictures:
Monday
Anita headed home this morning. Lauren and I went to Davis Bayou at the Gulf Shores National Seashore. It was a pretty happening place today. We saw Dolphins from the boardwalk at the Visitor's Center. We also saw 2 alligators, a snake, ospreys, pelicans, and herons. A very enjoyable experience.
We went by Scarlet Pearl to get our free earbuds, Lauren played Birds of Pay and left with $70 of their money, I lost $20. We ate their 1/2 price buffet, one of the perks of being old. It was very good.
We got back to camp and stayed out until dark watching the critters and looking at the sliver of the moon. Another awesome day.
Tuesday
After a walk this morning, we went to Island View and played our free play. We came back and sat outside in the cool wind until the sun started down. It was an early night for bed. The birthday celebration has caught up with us two old farts.
Wednesday
We stayed around camp today and raked leaves. We got a text from Melissa that the interns are going into the refuge to count Cranes. We will have limited time behind the locked gates of the Refuge for the next couple weeks. Dang it.
Thursday
It was Jr. Duck Stamp judging day at the Visitor's Center. There are some talented young artist. Our favorite was Donald Duck. He didn't win.
We made a quick tour of the walking trail with Sally. She showed us her way of placing identification markers near the plants. We have a lot to learn about this, but it is a great learning experience. Walking outside, looking for plants, and deciding what kind they are is just another perk of this gig.
Friday
We had a fairly slow day at the Visitor's Center. Two people that came in were very happy when they spotted a pair of Cranes after Lauren gave them directions. They came back and showed us their pictures and thanked us. Lauren still has the Crane Whisperer thing going.
I spent most of the day studying how to identify plants and flowers. I have a long way to go!! But, it's only been one day that I have been working on this. Patience and a lot more studying needed!!
Saturday
We spent the morning cleaning the C.L. Dees signs, they sure look better. Our first visitor's of the day were 21 people from North Carolina State University. They are majoring in Wildlife Biology. They spent a couple of hours looking around. The afternoon was steady, a few people in and out.
We walked to the Bayou Overlook on the trail late afternoon to check out the wildlife. We walked the trail again, looking at all the plants, wildflowers, and birds.
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