The World as We See It

A Simple Question

March 3, 2013 in critters, Life, photography, Uncategorized | 3 comments

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

A Wrong Turn

February 24, 2013 in Life, misc | Tags: nature, outdoors | 2 comments

Ready to go.
Moccasin Island Tract, Brevard County, FL, 2/9/13

Since the “Cardiac Event”, almost a year ago, I have been trying to get more exercise into my life. As soon as I felt healed enough, Patti and I went out and bought a couple of nice hybrid bikes. I’ve been attempting to get out several times a week and get some miles under my belt, but last weekend we decided that we’d go out to the Moccasin Island Tract out in the flats near the St. Johns River. (Aside: understand that the term “Flats” is totally redundant in an area where the largest elevation change we are likely to experience are the causeways going over the lagoon between our house and the beach.) So we threw the bikes on the back of the truck and headed out. Things started out well. It was a windy day but not a problem as we followed the track. We were following a GPS track that a local guy had posted with the comment that it was frequented by hikers and bikers. This turned out to be partly true. This was major cattle country located in the vast St. Johns floodplain, wide open and exposed. We would never think of coming out here in the summer due to bugs and, more importantly, the oppressive heat of a Florida summer. Now, in early February, it was totally comfortable in shorts and t-shirts. And, yes, we were thinking of our family members in less hospitable climates. A little.

Where we shouldn’t be.
Moccasin Island Tract, Brevard County, FL, 2/9/13

After a few miles we came to a bridge over a canal where, according to the track, we were to hang a left alongside the southern bank of the canal and head west to the river and a view of Moccasin Island. Again, no problem. We had to dodge some souvenirs left by the cattle, not always successfully, and the track was narrower and bumpier than before, but it was still pretty (in a flat, grassy, open kinda way) and we were trucking along. The track finally hung a left for the last bit towards the river, got very narrow in a field of tall grass, and then disappeared. We were close enough to walk out of the grass to the river, but we soon picked up the bikes and got out of there. (I didn’t mention the snake that slipped across the path as we walked back to the bikes.) Sounds easy, but getting a bike started when you’re in grass over your waist is a non-trivial activity. Once out, we discovered that a) the wind had picked up, with gusts well over 20mph, and b) we would be heading into it for the entire trip back. Despite these minor obstacles we had a really good time. We got outdoors, got some exercise, saw some niceness and learned some lessons. We’ll go back there soon, but this time we’ll look a bit farther ahead and not blindly follow in someone else’s footsteps. Addendum from the other half: John got much closer to the river due to the fact that he was able to pedal through the ass-high grass, whereas I just … stopped. No going forward for me. And when we turned around to go back, we were directly into the 20 mph wind. I walked the bike through the tall grass until we reached the slightly shorter grass and the rut that served as a track appeared and I could successfully pedal without falling over like some Monty Python skit. I’m such a weakling. When we got back to the gate, we saw a small group of cyclists heading down a much nicer path on the other side of the canal. We’ll follow those footsteps next time we go out there. Meanwhile, my legs need some time to get over this assault – uh – exercise.

We went down the left side of the canal.
Moccasin Island Tract, Brevard County, FL, 2/9/13

Road Hazard
Moccasin Island Tract, Brevard County, FL, 2/9/13

Endangered Birds

November 17, 2012 in critters, photography, Travel | 3 comments

Sand Hill Crane, Moss Park, Orange County, FL, 11/11/12

We went out last weekend to break in our new travel trailer. We had originally planned to go to Jetty Park in Cape Canaveral three weeks ago, but Tropical Storm/Hurricane Sandy screwed up those plans for us. She ended up screwing a lot of things for a lot of people, so we’re not complaining too much. Instead we headed out to Moss Park, a local favorite of ours. It’s an Orange County park nestled between Lake Hart and Lake Mary Jane with a relatively recently remodeled campground. New, clean bathrooms, spacious sites and wide roads that are very easy to maneuver on. (Unless, of course, you’re having a heart attack. We were camping here last Presidents Day when I was suffering from what turned out to be my “cardiac event”. I could not back my trailer into an extremely wide site to save my life, even with the help of a kind neighbor. Looking back I was certainly “cognitively impaired” from the event…at least more impaired than normal. Feel free to insert jokes here.)

One of the things we like about this place are the critters that stroll through at all hours of the day. Deer, racoons, armadillos, Fox Squirrels and turtles have all made appearances. The most common critter in the campground is a protected bird: the Sand Hill Crane. They are tall, noisy birds that stroll around their habitat like they own the place which, in a sense, they do. They are protected in Florida and it’s common to see road signs warning of their presence and to find traffic stopped, even on major roads, while they stroll across the street. They are everywhere at Moss Park and we have had many experiences with them. (They also serve the function of an alarm clock, honking to each other VERY LOUDLY at dawn.) This trip I put on one of my better lenses and got some very nice shots.

Oh, we also had a nice weekend roughing it with the new trailer. Sitting outside with a beer in my hand watching the NFL on the HD TV mounted on the side of the Winnebago was out of character for me, but certainly appealing in its own way.

PS: Be sure to click on the pictures to look at them full size. A couple of them are pretty cool.

Sand Hill Crane, Moss Park, Orange County, FL, 11/11/12

Young Buck, Moss Park, Orange County, FL, 11/11/12

Cruising, Moss Park, Orange County, FL, 11/11/12

Roughing It, Moss Park, Orange County, FL, 11/11/12

A Long Suffering Fan No More

September 30, 2012 in Baseball, Orioles | Tags: Baltimore, Baseball, Orioles | 2 comments

In 1983 I watched the Baltimore Orioles win the World Series over the Philadelphia Phillies from 1000 miles away in my new home here in Florida. The following year, on a trip to Baltimore, I stopped by the team’s offices, looked at the World Series trophy and picked up some championship stickers to put in my car window.

In 1997 my beloved Birds won the American League East with a .605 win percentage. They went on to beat the Seattle Mariners for the Division Championship but ultimately lost the League Championship to the Cleveland Indians. To date, it was the last time they made the playoffs. Hell, it was the last time they had a winning record.

Until this year.

It’s easy to be a fan of a winning team. Root for the Yankees (please don’t, this is only an example) and you can be relatively assured that they’ll keep your interest going for the majority of the season. Being a fan of the Baltimore Orioles, which I most assuredly am, takes a degree of commitment normally seen only among religious fanatics and/or masochists. Over the past 14 years I have lost many bets over who will win the East, usually well before the All-Star Break. My interest in baseball is optimistic in March and April. By May it’s fearful, and by June I’m usually waiting for the NFL season to start. For the past few years before each season I signed up for automatic text alerts to my phone that keep me up to date in real time to the O’s game scores and standings. Usually I cancel the service well before our nation’s birthday.

Until this year.

We finished last year pretty well, but still came up below .500. I told myself, and anybody who would listen (oh so true), that I’d be happy if they finished above .500 this year. Set your sights low and you won’t be disappointed. To say that I’m not disappointed as I write this is a world-class understatement. We’re tied for 1st (with those hated Yankees) with 4 games left in the regular season and they’re about to guarantee themselves a post-season spot. Holy crap!

Whatever the post-season brings, I’m a happy guy. A trip to the World Series would be great. The right to put one of those 29 year old stickers on my truck? Well, there’d be a really happy Baltimore ex-pat in Florida.

Stage The Last: Rt 12 & Capitol Reef

September 29, 2012 in photography, Travel | Tags: Capitol Reef, photography, Travel, Utah | 1 comment

Capitol Reef National Park, 8/2/12

After finally getting a hot shower, we left Bryce and hit Utah Route 12 for the drive to Torrey and Capitol Reef National Park. This whole leg was a result of research back in Florida. The Rt 12 drive was described as a “must do” by the folks on TripAdvisor and it is easy to see why. It has been designated a “National Scenic Byway” and, even more impressively, an All American Road. We needed to go north anyway in order to get back to Salt Lake City, so this was a no-brainer.

Escalante Petrified Forest State Park, 8/1/12

And what a beautiful drive it was, too. Impressive scenery, some sphincter-tightening moments, a great lunch and some unplanned turn-offs all combined for a very enjoyable day. The first unplanned stop was at the Escalante Petrified Forest State Park (it’s easy to find while traveling north…just hang a left after the Airstream-themed Drive-In/Campground) where we met a very nice young lady who took our entrance fee. Since there was nobody behind us, we spoke for a bit and asked her what else we should see on the way to Torrey. She STRONGLY recommended that we drive down the Burr Trail where, about 11.5 miles in, there was a nice slot canyon we could walk into. We took a hike in the park where Patti saw petrified wood for the first time, then we pressed on. In Boulder, we stopped for a delicious lunch at Hell’s Backbone Grill where they also recommended the Burr Trail. After doing the Anasazi State Park Museum, and getting yet another Burr Trail recommendation, we headed down the Burr Trail Scenic Backway. The narrow, winding road connects Boulder, Utah, to Capitol Reef and continues on to Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. We wished we were in our own truck rather than a rental car so that we could keep on going but a segment of it is unpaved. It’s a stunning drive through red canyons and scrub land. We found the slot canyon without a problem, right at 11.5 miles, and got out to explore. It was raining not too far off, though, so we didn’t linger.

Torrey, UT, 8/1/12

We arrived in Torrey with plenty of daylight left, so we ducked into Capitol Reef for a bit. Stopped at the visitor’s center where the ranger told us to check out the petroglyphs that were close by. We got there just as a herd of deer moved through an orchard, complete with a fawn frolicking through the trees. After seeing the glyphs, we headed back to our hotel just outside the park. At dinner that night, Patti got her second “first” of the day when she saw hummingbirds at a feeder just outside the restaurant window. It was pretty spectacular and I got some nice photos and even a movie.

Next morning, our last on the road, we explored Capitol Reef some more, enough to know we need to come back. Lots of beautiful scenery in this lightly visited park. We also got to participate a bit in the park’s 75th birthday celebration (yummy cupcakes), took a scenic hike to Hickman Bridge, picked peaches in one of the orchards (free if eaten there, $1/lb otherwise), bought some delicious pies and preserves (which we’re still enjoying), took many more photos, then headed up the road to Salt Lake City and eventually, home. Road Trip 2012 was over. Bummer.

Slot Canyon, 11.5 miles ESE of Boulder, UT, 8/1/12

Capitol Reef National Park, 8/1/12

Petroglyphs, Capitol Reef National Park, 8/1/12

Hickmans Bridge, Capitol Reef National Park, 8/2/12

Orchard, Capitol Reef National Park, 8/2/12

Capitol Reef National Park, 8/2/12

So Long, It Was Nice To Know Ya

September 19, 2012 in photography, Space | Tags: Shuttle, Space | Leave a comment

The Orbiter Endeavour left KSC for the last time this morning on its way to L.A.. I got some shots from the causeway between KSC & the Air Force Station, and some from my office window.

Yet another ending in the growing list.

Endeavour Departure, KSC, 9/19/12

Endeavour Departure (from my office window), KSC, 9/19/12

Stage 5: Bryce

September 13, 2012 in photography, Travel | Tags: Bryce Canyon, photography, Travel | 1 comment

When we first started planning this trip, I was pretty excited about visiting Bryce. Photographing the bizarre hoodoos, particularly at sunrise, was another item that was on my must-do list. Plus there were a couple of trails a short walk from the lodge that were within our level of expertise/fitness and crazy beautiful at the same time. Lots to look forward to.

We got to the park after a short and pleasant drive from Zion. It was drizzling when we arrived, so we tried to check in right away, but it was way too early and they told us to return at 4:00. OK, we figured it shouldn’t be too hard to find something to do and we were right. We got our first look at the canyon, and the hoodoos, from Inspiration Point. I’ve gotta tell you, Mother Nature sure is a strange bird. The hoodoos are just indescribable, all shades of oranges, whites, grays. The structures reminded me of those I had seen in caves in Virginia and West Virginia, except under a blue sky instead of a low ceiling. I knew I was going to enjoy photographing this place.

We went on and completely overloaded on the views at Bryce Point, Paria View and Sunset Point before heading back to the lobby a few minutes before 4:00. They made us wait again, which I felt was odd. Finally, at the stroke of 4:00, a nice lady started to check us in and we found out what was up: while upgrading the lodge’s plumbing the workers had busted the water main. No water, no they didn’t know when it would be back on, I’d be happy to get you a bag of ice from the kitchen. On the way to the room I saw a guy obviously opening a buried valve and sure enough we had running water in about an hour. No big deal.

Sunrise Point, BCNP, 7/31/12

The next morning I got up very early in order to shoot the sunrise while Patti elected to remain horizontal. As I was heading towards the door with my gear, the fire alarm went off. Loudly. Patti rolled out of bed, got dressed and joined me to walk to the rim of the canyon on a brisk morning before sunrise. She was thrilled. While waiting for the sun, we finally heard the alarm stop, so Patti retreated to the showers while I shot the amazing sunrise. The colors changed by the moment. That 20 minutes lived up to the anticipation.

After breakfast Patti and I packed up some water and the cameras and walked down the Navajo Loop Trail, through Wall Street and back up the Queen’s Garden Trail. About 3 hours and it also lived up to the hype. The canyon is even more impressive when you’re down in it. We drove the park that afternoon, from Rainbow Point back to the lodge. A couple of adult beverages, a nice dinner and we were ready for a mellow night. I was heading to bed, where Patti was already into her book, when the fire alarm went off. Again. Twenty minutes of standing around outside (at least we had put our clothes on, two British girls were out there in their night gowns wrapped in towels) and we were let back in.

The next morning I quickly discovered that there was no hot water. Great. After a dirty breakfast (we were dirty, not the food), we went back to our room where hot water awaited. To be fair, all of these escapades were a result of a single event, the water main break, and they did give us a break on the bill.

Interestingly, while Bryce easily met all of my high expectations, we would probably prefer to return to either Zion or the North Rim before returning here. This isn’t to knock Bryce in any way. It’s just how much we loved the other two. The reality is, we’ll be back to all of them.

Sunrise, BCNP, 7/31/12

Wall Street, BCNP, 7/31/12

Navajo Loop Trail, BCNP, 7/31/12

Queen Victoria, BCNP, 7/31/12

Queen’s Garden Loop Trail, BCNP, 7/31/12

Natural Bridge, BCNP, 7/31/12

Stage 4: Zion

September 3, 2012 in photography, Travel | Tags: bright angel point, court of the patriarchs, photography, Travel, Zion | Leave a comment

Zion Lodge, ZNP, 7/29/12

After breakfast and a walk out to Bright Angel Point, we hit the road to Zion. After about a 3 hour leisurely drive, including a nice stop for lunch in Kanab, we found ourselves marveling once again at a landscape that was different from what we had seen so far. Shortly after entering the east entrance of the park, we pulled off just before the second of two tunnels and walked the Canyon Overlook Trail to, well, the Canyon Overlook. It was hot but spectacular, with a beautiful panoramic view down Zion Canyon that included the very winding road we were about to drive.

From there we pressed on to the Zion Lodge, which is located in the narrow valley between two towering cliffs. This portion of Zion National Park is so busy that you are only allowed to drive your car in if you are staying at the lodge, and even then you can only drive straight to the lodge. Otherwise, it’s all shuttle bus access. Our cabin was comfortable and the experience was nice, but next time we’ll stay in Springdale which is located just outside the park. More restaurants while still maintaining easy access to the park.

Cowboy Bob, ZNP, 7/29/12

Next morning it was up and out to a horseback ride with Cowboy Bob, and what a character he is. Married 49 years (to an obviously very patient woman), he spent 26 years in the Navy (including 3 tours in Viet Nam on river boats) and the rest of his life being a cowboy. He was very funny, in a bad joke kind of way, and provided us with a very pleasurable 1.5 hour ride to The Court of the Patriarchs. Just beautiful and lots-o-fun. We also met a very nice woman from Philly whose husband and sons were hiking the Narrows.

After our horsey experience, we hopped the shuttle to the end of the line at the Temple of Sinawava and walked up the Riverside Walk. This was as crowded as 5th Avenue at lunch time and, although beautiful, there were just too many damn people. We walked a couple of miles then it was back to the lodge for a cold beer. That evening we took a tour on an open air tram with a guide who was a physicist by training. He was a nice, knowledgeable guy who took us around explaining the valley to us in a way we could understand. I just wish it was in a way I could remember, because most of what he said, but not all, is lost to me now. It was a lot of fun and a very mellow evening.

Next morning we were up early and took a quick walk to the Lower Emerald Pool and got some cool photos from behind the waterfall. Then it was time to leave Zion and head to Bryce. We were pleasantly surprised by Zion. It was the park I had probably prepared for the least and therefore knew the least about, but it’s the one that’s probably near the top of the list to go back to. There’s a lot to do (hike the Narrows, hike to Angels Landing) that we didn’t get a crack at this time. We’ll be back.

View of Zion Canyon from the Canyon Overlook, ZNP, 7/28/12

Moon over The Watchman, ZNP, 7/28/12

Court Of The Patriarchs, ZNP, 7/29/12

The Virgin River, ZNP, 7/29/12

The Lower Emerald Pool, ZNP, 7/30/12

The Altar Of Sacrifice, ZNP, 7/30/12

Stage 3 Continued: Panos, Baby!

August 26, 2012 in photography, Travel | Tags: Grand Canyon, photography, Travel | 1 comment

Cape Final, GCNP, 7/27/12

The North Rim marked the beginning of our taking walks (or hikes, depending upon your definition). Our first night at the lodge, Patti crashed early as a result of taking seasickness pills earlier in the day for our tour of Lake Powell. Never one to miss an opportunity, I walked out to Bright Angel Point in order to shoot the sunset. The pictures were completely worth the effort, but what I hadn’t taken into account was that we were at about 8300 feet, which is about 8290 more than I’m used to. The walk back up to the lodge was an eye opener for me. Surprisingly, that was the only time I was significantly out of breath during this trip. Which is not to say the only time I was out of breath.

The next day we got in the car and checked out, in order, Point Imperial, Cape Royal (which includes Angel’s Window) and a nice hike to Cape Final, followed by some cold beers on the lodge veranda. Since our priorities on this road trip were, in no particular order, to see cool stuff, do some walking/hiking, take beautiful pictures, and relax/not knock ourselves out, this day can be marked as a complete success. This was also the first real test of my recently upgraded cardiovascular system which seemed to pass admirably.

When we got home and I started scrubbing the photos we took, I realized that many of them lend themselves to being cropped into panoramas. Here are some from our time at the North Rim. I’m already looking forward to returning to explore more. We only touched the surface on this trip!

Near the North Rim Lodge, GCNP, 7/26/12

Sunset at the North Rim Lodge, GCNP, 7/26/12

View from Cape Final, GCNP, 7/27/12

Sunset at the North Rim Lodge, GCNP, 7/27/12

Stage 3: The North Rim

August 21, 2012 in photography, Travel | 5 comments

The North Rim Lodge, GCNP, 7/26/12

After our (eventful) boat ride on Lake Powell, we hopped in the car and headed towards the north rim of the Grand Canyon for two nights in the lodge. It was my first visit to the canyon; Patti had been to the south rim briefly many years earlier. I was pretty excited. I’d been looking forward to seeing this for many years and I knew that there were going to be lots of opportunities for some excellent photos. I was not disappointed!

Our North Rim Cabin, GCNP, 7/26/12

After driving down one hell of a mountain, we went through Lee’s Ferry which consisted pretty much of a couple of bridges, a visitor’s center, and extremely high temperatures. Once we started climbing the plateau to the park, the temperature moderated quite a bit. The drive into the park was simply gorgeous, a nice winding road through forest and meadow. Sweet. I have since confirmed that along much of this road you can pull off onto one of the many unpaved roads and simply find a nice isolated spot to camp. That is on the list for next time!

The North Rim Lodge Veranda, GCNP, 7/26/12

The lodge itself is everything I expected it to be: rustic, comfortable and set among world-class views. From the porch of our cabin you could see the canyon, from the veranda of the lodge were tremendous views. We never had a problem grabbing a chair, enjoying an adult beverage, soaking in the sights and listening to people from all over the world. It rocked. I want to go back. Now.

Next time I’ll talk about what we did while we were there. It’s time to look at some pictures.

The Sitting Room in the North Rim Lodge, GCNP, 7/27/12

An Odd Sign at Lee’s Ferry, Az, 7/26/12

Angel’s Window, GCNP, 7/27/12

View From Angel’s Window, GCNP, 7/27/12