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After a week in Cherokee, we moved to the other side of the mountains immediately outside the park in Townsend, Tennessee. We were right against the park; so close that while walking a trail inside the park I could look down and see our trailer. Nice. We enjoyed a week of hiking, driving in Cades Cove, and simply experiencing the park in the spring. The weather was nice and we had a good time. We saw a couple of bears and had the pleasure of identifying bear scat which was about 15′ from our RV. And fresh. Good thing we don’t need to walk to the bath house in the middle of the night. Turns out the bear is a regular every year and this was his first appearance of the season. His name is Pedro.
I sure do like the Smokies and it was lots of fun showing Patti my favorite spots. The campground was perfect and we will be back.
This little guy was frolicking right next to the road. GSMNP 4/13/21
Proving that a bear does, indeed, shit in the woods. In this case just a few feet from our rig. Townsend, TN 4/19/21
View from the trail. GSMNP 4/13/21
GSMNP 4/13/21
Spring in the GSMNP 4/18/21 
Spring in the GSMNP 4/18/21 
Spring in the GSMNP 4/18/21 
Spring in the GSMNP 4/18/21
A view from the Laurel Falls trail. GSMNP 4/18/21
An idyllic scene in Cades Cove. GSMNP 4/19/21
Up until now we have, by choice, travelled fairly slowly. This was primarily due to the fact that Nora, our late cat, did not care for travel days. She would be kinda stressed while moving, lightly sleeping but mostly just hanging out with her eyes closed. When the slides came out at the end of the drive, she knew we were done. She’d eat, and then pass out for the rest of the day. She was old enough to have earned some leeway, so we kept our preferred trip durations/mileages as short as possible and stayed several days, preferably a week or so, before moving on.
Now that we have a Nora-sized hole in our RV, we can be a bit more nimble. We still prefer to limit our road time on any given travel day to 3 to 4.5 hours and to stop for several days before moving on, but there are exceptions to every rule. Like last week. 1002 miles in 5 legs over 6 days. The reason? Temperatures of 104 degrees where we were, 60 degrees where we were going. So, Bakersfield to Mt. St. Helens in one swift movement. We were tuckered but happy when we were done. We were back on the road!
So here we are in the Pacific NW until September. As I type it’s raining, it’s been raining, it’s going to keep raining. But at least all 3 air conditioners aren’t running full bore all day. We are running the electric heaters pretty often, though. In my book, a fair trade.
Didn’t take many photos on the way up here, so I’ll toss a few of Mt. St. Helens that I got between downpours.
Stay safe, y’all.
A beautiful moon last week welcomed us back on the road for our West Coast Dash. 6/4/20
Mt. St. Helens in the morning. Overcast & rainy. 6/10/20
Mt. St. Helens that evening. Beautiful. 6/10/20
Mt. St. Helens 6/10/20
Mt. St. Helens 6/10/20
Mt. St. Helens 6/10/20
Momma told this critter to stay put. 5 days old. 6/9/20
This post will be short on words, long on pictures. We saw a bunch of animals while in the park which is as expected. With only a 200mm lens I didn’t have the reach to even get a shot at many of them (I’m looking at you, wolf) and many that I did get from extreme distance don’t make for compelling photos (mama and baby bighorns, several bears, etc.). Others I got so many excellent shots that it’s hard to whittle them down. I captured so many of the coyote that virtually walked right up to me that it is truly difficult to choose. I should always have such problems.
This elk was just hanging out to welcome me on my first morning walk into the park. Yellowstone NP 6/17/19
And this elk stopped by for dinner. Taken from the front seat of the RV. Gardiner, MT 6/21/19
Mama and baby Griz. I could have used a longer lens since this was about as close as this city boy was going to get. Yellowstone NP 6/20/19
Fun fact: both male and female bison have horns. Yellowstone NP 6/20/19
Fun fact #2: the baby bison are called “Red Dogs”. Yellowstone NP 6/20/19
Getting side eye from a bison was a new experience. Yellowstone NP 6/20/19
This was NOT taken with a long lens. I thought I was going to get up close and personal with this coyote. Yellowstone NP 6/20/19
Looking for lunch. Yellowstone NP 6/20/19
At least for us they weren’t. They were $18 for the two of us, and totally worth it.
We went camping up near Gainesville a few weeks ago to celebrate what we thought was the breaking of the long Florida summer. We were … mistaken. It was hot and humid with mosquitoes threatening to carry us away. This is not exactly an inducement to go hiking in what can accurately be described as swampland, so we hit the internet to see what else we could do under more comfortable circumstances. And by “comfortable” I mean “air-conditioned.” Gainesville, for those of you who don’t know, is the college town for the University of Florida. We discovered that it has both a Natural History and Art Museum on the campus (next door to each other, in fact) so we decided to get all cultural and check them out. Patti also read that the Natural History Museum had a butterfly garden that had received rave reviews so we put that on the list. Turns out both museums have free entry, but the butterfly garden cost $10 per person, $9 for Florida residents. We coughed up the $18, went through the airlock doors (to prevent the butterflies from escaping) and HOLY COW!
Florida Museum of Natural History, Gainesville, FL, 10/10/15
As soon as we walked in, we saw the photo to the right: a woman taking a selfie had a butterfly land on her screen. They were landing on kids, cameras, plants, railings, everywhere. There were thousands of them and they were beautiful. The actual walk through the garden isn’t very long, but we found ourselves just loitering about watching them, and watching the kids watching them. It was totally worth the price and an extremely enjoyable experience. It was also a LOT better than sweltering in the October Florida heat.
PS: I’m writing this on November 1st and we’re still waiting for things to cool off. <sigh>
Florida Museum of Natural History, Gainesville, FL, 10/10/15
Florida Museum of Natural History, Gainesville, FL, 10/10/15
Florida Museum of Natural History, Gainesville, FL, 10/10/15
Florida Museum of Natural History, Gainesville, FL, 10/10/15
Florida Museum of Natural History, Gainesville, FL, 10/10/15
Florida Museum of Natural History, Gainesville, FL, 10/10/15
On a spring night in 2002, Patti drove from our house across the causeway to an appointment. When she turned off the car, she heard a strange sound coming from the engine compartment. It wasn’t a meowing, more a weird squawk. When she popped the hood, she discovered a 5- or 6-week-old kitten had hitched a ride on top of a brace under the hood. That’s how Nikkie (or Nicky, or Nikky, or whatever) came into our lives.
We named her after the William Powell character in the Thin Man movies. Her “sister,” adopted shortly after Nikki adopted us, was named Nora after the wife in the same movies. From the very beginning she was a bit on the odd side, which is saying something if you know anything about our feline partners. She was extremely shy. We have many longtime friends who have never laid eyes on her except for perhaps a quick flash as she ran to her safe spot under the guest bed. We had a cleaning lady for a couple of years who only glimpsed her now and again. When we would hit the road, sometimes for many weeks, the cat sitters would only see her if they knew where to look. She would come out into the common areas if people were staying the night, but only reluctantly. We were her humans and that was enough for her.
Nikki and Nora tolerated each other and were friendly enough, but not close. They seemed to divide the feline chores about the house. Nora is our huntress, tracking and killing the many lizards on the back porch (which she then eats, sometimes followed by a nice puke). Nora also tracks and locates spiders for me to remove, much to Patti’s disgust, and one time presented us with the still-twitching front half of a black snake that somehow got into the house. Nikki showed little interest in the hunt, but she was our protector. When one of the neighborhood cats presented themselves at our bedroom sliding door, she would attack. She never seemed to learn that there was glass in the way, but she got an ‘A’ for effort.
She was a picky eater, so when we changed their food a couple of months ago for something more suited to older cats she only picked at it at initially and started losing weight. Since she was a solid cat we didn’t pay much attention, but she kept on losing until we finally became concerned. We scheduled an appointment for after our return from a trip to Annapolis, but when we got home she was weak so we took her to the animal emergency room. I won’t go into the experiences of the next two weeks. All I’ll say is that we had a very sick cat. Very sick.
Last Friday, September 4, we put Nikki to sleep. While it was totally the right decision (both the vet and the vet tech agreed that it was time), it was obviously a difficult one. Although Patti and I had discussed this moment and were “prepared,” we really weren’t. An important part of our family is no longer here and we have a hole in our universe that is completely disproportionate to her physical presence. The three of us are (very) slowly coming to grips with our new family dynamic. We’ll get there.
But our “special snowflake” still has her claws embedded in our hearts and always will.
“Gonzo” Eastern Screech Owl, Viera, FL, 4/11/15
“Owliver” Great Horned Owl, Viera, FL, 4/11/15
“Bella” American Kestrel, Viera, FL, 4/11/15
The weather here in East Central Florida, unlike much of the rest of the country, has been extremely pleasant for the last few weeks. Cool evenings, warm days, clear skies. We’ve been trying to take advantage of this while we can since we know the heat is on the way. Now, I understand that for many of you, anticipating heat is a luxury that you can’t begin to think about while snow blowers and shovels are in what must seem like constant use. I’m just here to tell you that although it’s still the midst of a dreary February where you may be, spring will still show up just as the sun rises in the east.
So, with that in mind, here are some shots from our last couple of weeks. Consider them when the snow continues to pile up and know that that too shall pass.
Rich Grissom Memorial Wetlands
Viera, FL 2/9/14
Rich Grissom Memorial Wetlands
Viera, FL 2/9/14
Turkey Creek Preserve
Palm Bay, FL 2/16/14
Turkey Creek Preserve
Palm Bay, FL 2/16/14
Turkey Creek Preserve
Palm Bay, FL 2/16/14
Grills
Melbourne, FL 2/9/14
Last Sunday was another gorgeous winter afternoon in Florida so Patti and I decided to head out to the Viera Wetlands for a walk. The Wetlands is a series of manmade ponds used to naturally treat wastewater prior to its release into the St. Johns River system. These ponds are surrounded by berms topped with gravel roads that can be driven, biked or walked. They are also a huge attraction for gators, otters, raccoons and, primarily, birds. Many, many birds. We go out there a few times a year, but it seems that we always, without intending to, end up taking a walk there on the weekend that the birders descend upon Brevard County.
Each year thousands of birders congregate in Titusville, which is just up the road from us and is considered the gateway to the Kennedy Space Center. This area is a major stopping point for many different species of migratory birds, as well as being the year-round home for many others. These birders come down to spot birds that are not common where they live. It seems that there are three major spots for these folks to wander about with their cameras, binoculars and life lists: the Merritt Island Wildlife Refuge (co-located with the Space Center), the Brevard County dump (who knew!) and the Viera Wetlands (technically the Rich Grissom Memorial Wetlands at Viera). What this all means is that a) we saw lots of birds and b) we saw lots of birders.
Now, my knowledge of birds is, for the most part, confined to the fact that they have wings and tend to crap on you at the beach (ask Patti about this, she’s an expert). I can identify a few species by name but normally it’s just: “Look: a bird!” Faithful readers of this blog may recall that when I needed an identification of a specific bird of prey, I contacted my friend and Audubon member, George, for help. (See here for that story.) So, for the education of all of us, let’s put him to the test.
George: what are the birds below, besides wonderful to watch?
Rich Grissom Memorial Wetlands
Viera, FL 1/26/14
Rich Grissom Memorial Wetlands
Viera, FL 1/26/14
Rich Grissom Memorial Wetlands
Viera, FL 1/26/14
Note the meal in his/her beak
Rich Grissom Memorial Wetlands
Viera, FL 1/26/14
Rich Grissom Memorial Wetlands
Viera, FL 1/26/14
Animal Kingdom, 7/21/13
A few weeks ago we went camping at Disney’s Fort Wilderness (camping being a relative term at Disney). Now, camping anywhere in Florida in July is not something we normally do, but we had family coming in from Baltimore that had rented a cabin there for the week and we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to spend some time with them. On one of the days we were there we joined them for a day at Animal Kingdom. Patti and I had been there once before many years ago and I knew that this was a target rich environment for photography. So I threw the long lens onto the Canon and off we went.
Our expectations were met. It was hot, as July Florida is, it was crowded, as Disney any time is, and I got plenty of good photos of various critters. I read somewhere on the Internet of a photographer that never tires of Animal Kingdom because the animals are always different. I would certainly agree with that, but at $90 a pop I won’t be making a regular habit of shooting there. Still, we had a great time wandering the park with our family and getting the chance to experience a bit of Disney with a 12 year old boy.
(Happy now, Bill?)
Note the second cat in the background.
Animal Kingdom, 7/21/13
Yes, he’s making a rude gesture.
Animal Kingdom, 7/21/13
This guy is resting on the back of another hippo. There was a whole bunch of them piled together.
Animal Kingdom, 7/21/1
Animal Kingdom, 7/21/13
Animal Kingdom, 7/21/13
Animal Kingdom, 7/21/13
Animal Kingdom, 7/21/13
Adult Cooper’s Hawk, Rockledge, FL 2/24/13
The Gray Cat and I were standing on the screen porch checking out the back yard the other day when a big brown hawk swooped by. He (she?) was about 10′ out and no more than 2′ off the ground and moving at a pretty good clip. He ended up sitting on a pole in my neighbor’s yard so I ran inside, grabbed the camera and went back out. I thought the shots came out OK, but he split to the power line after only a few. The image to the right is heavily cropped; megapixels to the rescue, but click on it to see it full-size. Nice. I liked it enough to want to post it, but I wanted to know what I was showing, so I emailed a copy to my buddy, George, and asked him a simple question: what is it?
George, as well as his partner Maureen, is an avid bird watcher. He lives in urban Baltimore and rural Virginia, regularly alternating between the two places. Many times I’ve been with him as he’s driving and he’ll gyrate in his seat pointing out some avian as we slow and weave. He and Maureen even went to Cuba with the Audubon Society for a bird census. If anyone could answer me, he could do so pretty simply and straightforwardly: “Why that’s a <insert bird here>”. A few words and done.
Nope.
I received 2 emails back-to-back asking questions: “was it in FL?”, “how big’s the pole?”. Then I got my answer. And a few words:
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Well, it is a Cooper’s Hawk, Accipiter cooperii. That was my first guess since it is the most common accipiter on the East coast from Florida to New England. Adults measure 16-17 inches and that jives with the scale (I actually scaled your full photo with my architect’s scale 🙂
It could have been a Sharp-Shinned Hawk if it were 3/4 of that size but they are less frequent. Likewise it could have been a Northern Goshawk if larger (X 1 1/4) and you took the photo in GSMNP. Goshawks don’t go down to Florida though. They are a sensible bird.
Accipiters are “bird hawks”…as their main diet is birds (but they will also take lizards and the like, so that Cooper’s is probably loving it in your backyard) I occasionally see them on our property in Rappahannock County. They dash in from the woods in a burst of speed and snatch a bird from our bird feeders then fly off. Even had a Cooper’s frequenting my back yard when I lived on Pilgrim Rd. in Baltimore. They are everywhere. Awesome predator. They can dart through woods with amazing speed and maneuverability due to their feather design…something to watch! I’ve had the good fortune to witness it several times. Mother Nature’s original stealth fighter.
I know, I know…This is probably more information than you need or want to know…and don’t get me started talking about Buteo hawks. Caption the photo as an adult Cooper’s Hawk.
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He can talk like that about trees, too.
George, 1/14/12
The World as We See It 