GEESE ON THE RIVER

You’ve heard that song, I’m sure, 99 bottles of beer on the wall?  I couldn’t believe it when I unloaded my camera and I had 99 pictures of geese. I managed to toss 53. Jim always offers to get me down to ten pictures, but, I tell him I intend to paint some day and I need models.

It was tough to pick photos because we are getting close to our limit on bytes. These geese look like they should be on the Christmas platter.

This one was just poking its head under the water for a morsel, but often they turn upside down, and I found myself laughing to see three butts in a row sticking out of the water.

I felt I learned a lot about geese observing them for most of the day while I sat on this gorgeous river bank and read my book with my camera close by.This is a mad goose, steaming through the water, head down, chasing a flock away from a particularly popular log so his bunch could move in and take a bath.

This is that same stance, this time a mother head down, challenging anyone to interfere with her goslings as she made her way through the crowd.

Later in the day, they moved onto the grass to feed on bugs and grasses. They feed in a group with an ever protective gander watching over all.

Actually, these mallards had the log first and got chased away by the geese.

I took a short walk along the river’s edge where bright flowers grow in the sandy soil.

Folks, including me, appreciate the river on a hot Saturday afternoon, quiet and soothing.

Fishing, kayaking and canoeing are popular. I was grateful no one used a noisy skee-doo. It is quiet and beautiful here at the Elks Club where we will be parked until I fly to Las Vegas on the 5th. It was hot yesterday and the river is cooling.

I spotted this little turtle making a bee-line to the water. The minute I got close enough to take a picture, he stopped and hid from me. As soon as I walked away, he completed his journey.

From out of the woods came this mystery animal. Some type of rodent, I think.  At first, I thought it could be a baby beaver.

I got a good look at its tail. I remember beavers having a flat, rounded kind of fleshy tail. I looked up nutria and they have definite rodent, rat-like tails. This is a mystery animal. If anyone knows what it is, let me know.

OAKLAND, NEW JERSEY

Oakland, New Jersey Elks Club is located just a mile from our good friends, Jim and Ginnie Palumbo. The grounds at the club are elegant, with a gazebo, tennis and basketball areas, a huge barbeque and picnic area and then…the Ramapo river flows at its feet.

Among the landscaping plants was the biggest hosta I’ve ever seen in North America, about four feet across. Beautiful.

I spent the afternoon reading at the riverside and watching the geese swim back and forth under a nearby walking bridge.

The bridge may have been meant for people, but this deer took advantage of it as well.

When Jimmie got off work, they came and got us, and the four of us went for dinner at one of their favorite Italian restaurants.

The zuppza de peche loaded with calamari, scallops, huge delicious mussels, and shrimp with angel hair pasta, excellent.  It came with soup or salad, and wonderful french bread and extra sauce. The guys had meatballs with their pasta. It doesn’t get much better than that.

We sat by the river and visited with Ginnie and Jim until it got dark.  Beautiful  swans swam by, gobbling something they liked.

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A couple of fishermen took advantage of the dusk and put their poles in  from a small boat. Earlier in the day, a kayak went by and a heron landed on the bank, but I didn’t have my camera ready at that moment. Next time.

LAST DAY AT CHEROKEE LANDING

It’s hard to leave this peaceful, beautiful spot. But, adventure calls. The woodpile and fire pit are ready for summer evening programs.

A couple of Mallards have made Cherokee Landing home. They don’t mingle with the bigger geese, we notice.

From the bridge I saw underwater movement.  A whole school of fish were under me and a couple shots turned out.

The ranger told me there is  bass, sunfish and catfish, maybe more types of fish in the lake. All good eating and bass a real challenge for fishermen.

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The dogwood are almost finished blooming, here. This branch survived the hard rains.

Beautiful new growth on a type of oak is drenched with raindrops. (enlarge by clicking on photo).

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What looks like blossoms in this evergreen tree is debris from above caught in wet globs in the needles.

If you find yourself traveling near Saulsbury, Cherokee Landing is a pleasant stop at any time of year.

FAIR WEATHER WALK

Yesterday was a beautiful weather day. Jim fixed a blown fuse on the back-up camera, and a few other little chores. I lost my mobile home to an indoor flood and dealt with the related issues much of the morning and late in the day. Jim received news that Aaron Canvasser, a good friend of his died and he was feeling blue.

This is Aaron giving me a haircut on the first day that we met in 2010.  He came to visit us where we were staying in Yuma. Then I gave him a haircut. He was so much fun to be around. It is a haircut I’ll never forget.

We didn’t feel like doing much so we drove around the park, took more swamp pictures. The swamp was  gray and cheerless. I kept trying to find color.

Moving water and shadows produced an abstract.

This one tree near the boardwalk had three different pieces of tackle stuck in it.

This piece was hanging in the wind. The third piece was one of those yo-yos.

I talked to five fishermen on the board walk. This guy was using a baby crawfish for bait. He said he usually gets perch in this lake, and an occasional bass. None of them had fish yet. He told us about an alligator farm nearby.

The boardwalk here is lengthy and makes a pretty pattern.

A clump of iris. The green just emphasizes the gray of the cypress.

But, spring is just around the corner. I expect to see  green leaves soon. We spent the late part of the day sitting outside for the second time this winter. It was comfortable enough to read our books and enjoy the fresh air right up to supper time. Life is good.

THE CREOLE NATURE TRAIL

The Creole Nature Trail is 187 miles long and is filled with millions of birds.  Alligators outnumber the population of the parrish and butterfly’s flock here in the spring.  The most logical launch place is Sulphur. We drove to the first stop, called Blue Goose Trail, a little over a mile and a half long.

It was bitterly cold and windy. We never did see any water, just some muddy runnels. One bird was feeding  close to the entrance than nothing but tall grass and sedges.

We abandoned the trail before we reached the halfway point and moved on to the Nature Trail with board walks, about 10 miles farther up the road.

We walked the mile and a half trail. An observation platform gives a good view of the area with  plenty of ponds and low sedge grasses.

I spotted an alligator well hidden in the grass. Jim couldn’t see it at all. The light made it difficult in the camera. I missed the end of his tail.

To estimate the size of a gator, you estimate the space between his eyes and the end of his snout. If it is 6 inches, this guy is six feet long.

We saw crows and sparrows. The weather warmed a bit. We sat for awhile watching the tall grass plumes dance in the wind. The stems are segmented and resemble  bamboo. I tried several sites on the internet and could not get a name for this beautiful  tall grass.

We moved on to Holly Beach for the night. This town was completely destroyed by a hurricane and has not completely rebuilt. It was once known as the Cajun  Riviera where everyone gathered with families for vacations and fun.

I took a walk on the beach, but Jim wouldn’t come out of the motor home with swarms of mosquitoes on the windows. He gets bitten badly while they ignore me.

A couple of guys were setting up to do some night fishing in the surf.

Both are stationed at a nearby army base. This guy was from Pensacola, Florida.

His buddy is from Pennsylvania. Both are MP’s and don’t know much about Louisiana and borrowed poles and decided to go fishing for the first time since landing here. The ocean here forms a ridge and when the tide comes in, some of the water is captured.

The setting sun turned everything pink and pretty.

And,this morning, the sun came up…

…but by the time I ran down to the beach, it was already above the horizon. We see the sun set and rise every day at this time of year.

 

A MEET AND GREET WITH WINS.

From Palacios, Texas, we drove north toward Wadsworth where a bunch of WINs were camping on the Colorado River for a few days to go kayaking. WINs  stands for Wandering Individuals Network, a singles group Jim  belonged to for ten years.

When we arrived, the WINs were out, but Jim recognized their rigs.

We wandered down by the fishing docks and watched people fish. This woman said she was fishing for catfish.

Her husband hoped to catch a bass. He got one earlier but had to throw it back because it was too small.

On the next dock, this group said they were hoping to catch trout.

While standing there, the wind blew a plastic container with potato chips off the railing and into the water.

This young woman managed to snag it and drag it back up.

These two guys said they were hoping to catch some time away from home.

When the WINs returned from their daily excursion, we met them for cocktails at 4:00. It is a tradition to bring your drink, and snacks, and have a chat. Ellie is an old-time pal of Jim’s who has been on the road for over ten years full-time. Next to her is Paul, a newbie. Originally from Michigan, then a Californian from Modesto. Just retired and is a full timer.

Pat still keeps a house in Oakdale but travels in her rig for months at a time.

The group celebrated another Pat’s birthday. She is trying the lifestyle out. She is on the left. Arlene, on the right  is from West Virginia.

Garth, at the end of the table, is a retired school teacher and also new to life on the road and enjoying it.

The WINs are huggers and in the mornings they meet with MUGS and HUGS.  They start every day together and end it together before reporting to the privacy of their rigs. No one is required to take part in any planned activities. Ellie is the volunteer leader of this group traveling together as they move East. They plan their stops together and figure out where to dump and water and stay. There is something for everyone in this type of travel. I admire these women who have the guts to go it alone on the road in their respective rigs. I don’t know if I could do it by myself, even with the comfort of a group.