More from the strip pits....

After I saw the swans in the previous post, I did not see another thing till I had about given up. Normally, I do not even go a quarter of a mile from the pond the swans were on till I see pheasants. Not last night...not a single one there close to the pond. Not any flying across the road...I crept along for a couple or three more miles...the only things stirring were red-winged blackbirds and robins...I was about ready to leave when I spotted this little lady out of the corner of my eye. I was almost past her, so backed up. All the time I am backing up, she is running away. I finally paused and tried to capture her....she was moving so fast I could not focus on her. You can still tell what she is, but that is about all. There was also a male ring-necked pheasant but he was on the far side...to far for my poor lens.
After the pheasant, this strip pit was just a few feet farther...it was teaming with life. I first noticed these two blue herons. Again, they are too far for a very good photo, but at least this are a record of what I saw. And I witnessed both of them catching and eating a fish, but was not quick enough to capture them eating them.
Next I noticed this little wading bird...I am not sure what he is. I think a sandpiper of some sort.
There were several of them, but this one was the only one close enough to capture.

There were these diving birds, but my photos are too poor to even show on here..but they will dive completely under the water for several seconds and come up several feet away...you never know where they are going to pop up....

I also showed another prized capture on my Time Stand Still blog...besides that, on the way out there was a herd of 10 deer....and I saw four more male pheasants.

Edited to add: Thanks go to Montanagirl who suggested this might be a common snipe...after googling it, I do believe she is right.

At long last!!!

At long last I got a few shots of some swans that I am proud to say I took....oh, they could probably be better but they sure beat anything I have taken to this date.
This pair of Mute Swans have been on this strip pit the past few times I have been out there. This pond is maybe a quarter mile from the highway...and they are the first thing I see usually that really captures my attention.
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I feel like a broken record...but been going through more sickness. Roger went from the rash, to a really, really bad flu/cold cruddy thing. Then about the time he was starting to feel a tiny bit better, the rash he had before that started returning...so it was back to the doctor today for more steroids....we cannot think of anything new he has come in contact with or anything new he has been eating to cause it. It has not gotten near as bad this time...but then it had not had as much time. But he was miserable anyway...so hopefully this time around will be the end of it. And maybe I will get back in the swing of blogging.

I have things scheduled for my Time Stand Still blog, but I use this one part of the time just to chronicle what is currently happening, so I usually do it 'fresh'.....

Another knife finished....

Roger finished another knife....this one will be sent to a young man that is in the coast guard...up in Alaska. He is the son-in-law of a real good friend.
I really need to make an on-line album of all his knives...I have one started but I just don't like the way it works. So, I quit adding to it.
I have not sat and made a list of how many he has made, but it is quite a few. The knife has been finished a few day, but the sheath was made yesterday. He has had a cold this past week that was one of the worst he ever had. He not only didn't have any energy, he felt horrible. But tonight he seems like he might really be on the mend.
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It has been a loooonnnng week without seeing the toot. She also has a cold, but has just kept playing. I am afraid it might get worse before she gets better if Roger is anything to go by. Sarah said one morning she was singing seeeeeee maaaamaaaw, seeeeee paaaapaaaaaw over and over....and then she said today after they woke Jeremy up that she bounced around saying 'I like mamaw' and 'I like papaw" over and over...

I wasn't going to show this and it is kind of dark, not sure when it was shot--it came to me through another route...not direct from Sarah....anyway, have your sound on to hear the dragon!

She has a vivid imagination. They were at a party, and Lorelei was playing with some other kids...they went running inside, and Lorelei paused long enough to tell someone that the monsters were after them!