Saturday 4/28/07 baby pictures

How can anyone be unhappy when you see clowns enter your yard? off and on I have had the crane family visit today. They are so photogenic! Those babies did everything I asked of them, so remember, when you see these photos, they are in these positions because I made them! (NOT)
The rainbow actually occured on Friday night when about eight drops of rain were gifted to us from the selfish sky. The rainbow was in proportion to the rain I suppose one could say.
As for the bass, a really nice one, around 7lbs. Don't worry, he's back swimming with the fish, I made him pose too. The fishing was getting good except for all the turtles, they know exactly when I'm coming down just as Piglet also has her 'sixth sense' as to when I will appear - they all know I am a sucker for sure...

4-26-07 heat

The heat is evident and it's not noon yet. supposed to hit 90 today. Rain nowhere in sight. The birds are busy by the lake, two herons enjoying the 'surf' this morning. The eggs are from an invasive species, Starlings. The cranes came with two babies earlier this morning, then came back an hour later with only one. That happened last year and my neighbor mentioned she thought she saw a chicken in her yard. So I am hoping the lone baby is staying safe till the family strolls back.
That sneaky little reptile is the yard snake, it's a black racer I cannot seem to avoid almost running into it as our paths cross often.
The other reptiles aren't really anything but vacated homes. They were two shells I found yesterday when raking scum out of the water. Both were on shore, one was more decomposed than the other. Both shells indicate something had a tasty meal, OR ELSE - and I would like to think, two turtles are running around nude...

meteor schmeeteor

It was billed as a big event - Lyrid meteor showers, take the lawn chair before sunrise and feast the eyes. Well, screw the meteors, I might have seen one, but it might have only been an optical illusion. What was spectacular was the sky, mars was red, and Jupiter was gorgeous, the all black picture with white dot is Jupiter, I know it doesn't look like much, but it's one of those things you have to come out and see for yourself.
At about 4:45am I looked up Tonight's sky, a site where you can get an interactive sky chart for the city you live in. I printed one out, then looked at it, turning it to face how I would be looking up. It has all these clusters and constellations and also the planets that are in my view.
Armed with lawn chair, binoculars, chart, and camera on stand, and my cat Church, we sat on the chair and got our bearings.
The big dipper huge to the north east, Jupiter to the southeast, Mars east east. I looked through the telescope and got a beautiful eyeful of Jupiter and 4 moons. It is the brightest object in the sky. Mars is quite red. Everything else is clutter, but joyous clutter. I could identify the big and little dipper, but there was so much too look at, it was outstanding and overwhelming.
I stretched out on the lawn chair, Church immediately thought that was an invitation to lie on my chest. I sat looking up, taken in by all the shimmering.
No moon visible, just vast glorious gas balls being born, dying and everything inbetween. Bull frogs gave a shout, a few birds made a note or two, and even Sonja's rooster gave his morning warning. Church would suddenly look straight up, holding his head stiff for a second. Did he hear a meteor flash by? I still didn't see any crossing light.
We kept each other warm out there, I had a bulky purr machine pinning me down. His ear tips were cold, I felt mine and they were chilly too. So I got up, took a photo that is lousy, and lugged the stuff back in to write.
Church is sleeping on some paper on the dining room table. I haven't given up yet, I'm headed back out, there's about 48 minutes to sunrise and I'm an optimist that I'll see something, even if I don't, I put an image up there for you courtesy of 'www.njnightsky' - so what if there is no flashing or dashing, the picture swirling overhead was worth the 'air time'...
(picture of Church making himself comfortable on a stack of plastic bags as Yoda looks on)
P/S by the time I got through blogging the sky was void of all except low clouds and Jupiter, so took pic of Jupiter near tree and one of Sunday am sunrise
P/S/S
I'm going back to bed now, I've only gotten about 3 hours last night. I'm going to pop back under my electric blanket and dream of meteor showers with singing bullfrogs

Pet Paradise

There's a cool pet store in Sanford on 17/92 in the Walmart Plaza called "Pet Paradise" - it has all kinds of visual stimulants, reptiles, birds, puppies, ferrets, pet supplies and more. You can walk around the place a few times and still miss some of the stuff. The store is big and has cool lizards, I love looking at lizards! I loved Jim Morrison, the Lizard king, but getting back to Pet Paradise, they have a great bunch of people who love what they do. They were nice enough to indulge me by letting me put one of my pet photos on their wall. And in return, I would like to tell you they are good people, go in and tell Kevin a blogger sent you.
their website: www.mypetparadise.net

NEW BABIES 04-19-07

A "guest-imation" is that these little chicks are about 3 days old. In fact last night as I was fishing, my son Adam commented he had not seen the mother crane in a while. Ten minutes later, she and her mate flew over from the other side of the lake as if responding to questions about her absence. Today we were rewarded for our good behaviour, (and good hospitality and good bird seed) with a visit from the new family. How exciting! I present to you.... Baby sandhill cranes and their proud parents!

P/S Sunday - The Front

Later, after the Front had moved away, our electricity went out for over two hours, came back on, then we lost it again from 5 - 8:30pm, perfect excuse to go fishing because there was nothing else to do, no blogging, no email, no television, no portable phone, and no cooking, (the best part).
As I made my way to the water, I first came across the box turtle, who had a wonderfully interesting shell that looked hand painted. Then a black racer came out to sun until he caught me stalking him and vanished. I actually think he lives in my hollowed tree stump as I have seen him on three separate occasions this week.
Across the lake, with the help of binoculars, the female crane has a nest and I am sure I saw a baby, at least I hope. Though today with the storm, neither the crane, or piglet the heron came out.
The wind was really whipping around, I did not stand near any trees that could fall, but a few times, I was almost pushed off the sea wall by a walloping breeze! I kept watching to see if the rest of that maple might follow the path of its' other
half, the wind was extremely pushy. Plus the pine trees were slamming down some bullet pine cones, crashing with hard thumps all over, it was like playing dodge ball with nature, running around to get clear of all these ramming objects.
I didn't expect to catch anything really, (so I wasn't disappointed when I didn't), as the water was moving too fast. The turtle audience was waiting, my bait was constantly being surveyed. The softshell and three painted turtles would do some pretty fast olympic manuvering toward my bobber. The softshell will come up and push the bobber with it's nose. But when those suckers dive down, you have to move that bait or you have one mad, hissing turtle on the end of a line and taking a needle nose pliers to their mouth to remove an embedded hook is no easy task. And they never learn either - even after getting hooked, they still go for those dough balls.
Ah, so much for Sunday and The Front and lost electricity, my friend Mary Elizabeth said Seminole county gives away trees later in April on Arbor day, I will need some extra cover to make up for my huge loss. I guess a funeral with a boat, rope, a chain saw and some humming of Taps is warranted soon...

The Front 4/15/07

Weather front crusaded through this morning. I got up early and watched the sky outside. By 7am the clouds were working their way over from the west coast. The trees
were rustling, the birds active, the heavy threat of rain was coming. I put on my tennis shoes and went for a walk, and even came home and fished about a half hour. The bream were biting. But the threat of The Front was looming and I went in. On the news they said a tornado had touched down in Polk county and lots of rain associated with it. I watched the birds as I sat at the computer and suddenly saw a bunch of birds take flight and loud loud screeching -- there went ringo with a nice sized bird in his mouth. I ran out and chased him almost twice around the outside of the house, the bird was screaming, the other birds were very upset and sticking close by.
He looked around at me as I got close, and had the total look of a wild cat with his prey. He had reverted to his natural feral state and wasn't about to let me get him.
Finally he stopped and I picked up a bunch of freshly fallen heavy pinecones and pelted them at him just a few feet away. It was enough to startle him and in that second, he released the bird and the bird bolted away! Ringo was mad - he ran away. And I came inside and felt happy that that bird, a smaller woodpecker, had gotten another day out of life.
By 9am, the rains let loose, pelting the ground with much needed water. For an hour
the view was a watery blur, then it stopped. Certainly there had to be more? the sky still looked threatening. But that was it, nothing more.
I walked to the lake and saw the water had risen about an inch and a half. I came back in to write about my ordeal at about 11:15 and the power went off, on, then off. No TV, no computer, boredom and it wasn't even storming!
I took a few pics and then one of my daughter's friends came over to chat. We sat in the living room and suddenly, CRACK - the wind had amputated half of my old maple by the lake. It could not take the weight of that rotten side hanging over the lake. It split off. The huge branch is half in the water now. Will have to get a tree guy.
Randy and I walked down to the lake and the broken branch was loaded with carpenter ants at the bottom who were trying to scramble to a place of safety with their huge eggs. I look at it as a warning, keep away from beneath branches during high winds. That could have been a lethal combination had I been fishing beneath it. But luckily, I wasn't, and luckily no one else was and no one was boating by.
I don't think that tree will make it with the loss of its' large appendage, it doesn't look too healthy. It's old and was probably struck by lightning many years ago. The winds are still coming in healthy doses even with the sun shining now. The Front has made it's way through with much cooler air, and watching that tree yield is agony. I know it will have to be all brought down.
I knew one day I would lose that old tree guarding the lake. Hate to think about a big empty spot -- will have to plant a new tree down there, in honor of a fallen soldier, a casualty of nature's big roaring voice.

for the birds -- and ducks and Kurt Vonnegut Jr.

Today is in memory of Kurt Vonnegut Jr. The symbol on his website is of an empty birdcage with the door open. Kurt has flown somewhere, I'd like to think he went to storyland, or as in his book, The Bagombo Snuff Box Kurt has ventured into the "thanasphere" and his voice is still loud and clear and maybe we will be blessed to find an unpublished manuscript or too -- go rent Breakfast of Champions or Slaughterhouse5...
The black bird is nesting in one of my bird boxes, the little timy yellow beaks were heard inside a plant sitting on a shepards hook next to my daughters, saw three little yellow mouths deep inside a begonia plant.
Also the pretty blue heron is looking at the head of a turtle that popped up from the water. Might have to click on the picture to view it closer.

in a fog ...literally

woke up and went out in the fog for a walk. missed a great close up of a barn owl only about ten feet away. the sun was only a veiled star and the land looked mystical. came home, grabbed the camera for some lake shots. soon as piglet the heron saw me she was right at the waters edge. so I decided to fish in a fog, (take that whatever way you want). as you can see ringo and church decided to join in. i caught several shiners quickly and threw them back - didn't feel like going for the bass. then the last catch was a big big shiner - almost a foot long from head to tail. piglet was licking her chops, so was ringo, but piglet got that prize and i headed in to start my real, (not reel) day.

catching the big one

The world around me seems to revolve around the lake. So it makes sense to go out once a day and throw a line in and praise the lake gods with supplication.
I suppose I'm not the only one who feels this way. Ringo the cat from next door knows the drill, I grab my gear, I begin to fish, and Ringo is sashaying around my legs while the heron, 'Piglet' flies down to the waters edge, both waiting to see what appears on the hook.
The bird is more patient than Ringo, Ringo has FADD (feline attention deficit disorder) and has to be entertained. He looks for snakes, lizards, squirrels, anything that might be fair 'game'. He attacks pine cones and leaves and if he gets bored with that, he might come over and give me a bite, but he's so cute, I forgive him.
Together we have seen some good catches, big bass, and even once as I was reeling back in and I hooked a minnow right through it's middle, I threw it back out and netted a nice bass.
We have watched beautiful sunsets, and rainbows and stood in the rain watching the line as if it was an oracles fate.
Some days the water gives up a lot, other days, it won't reveal anything. I will never understand how you can fish and fish and fish with a doughball and nothing gets it, but throw a crust of bread out and the fish come to the surface like they are vultures after flesh! Then there are the turtles, talk about mooches!
That's what I like about being out there, I am surrounded by enough to keep the senses always 'groovin'.
I take a camera down too, because if I catch something good, I want to brag about it with proof! I have seen splashes out toward the center o the lake where that one big bass is there daring me to catch him, one day I will. But even if there's nothing happening below the water line, the trees are full of birds, the sky is full of clouds to be defined, turtles popping up and Ringo and Piglet always there to amuse me, and you too I hope...

Christine and Richard's no mow backyard detour 4/5/07

Driving up to the garage there is a sign on the garage that gives a Mother
Nature seal of approval to Christine and Richards yard. A walk around the house shows there is minimal grass to mow and lots of native plants that encourage wildlife. While I was there catbirds, cardinals and other birds searched for berries and for the peanuts that Richard spoils them with. Some of the beautiful plants include golden dew drop, coral honey suckle (pictured), jasmine, black eyed susans, eugenia, brazilian salvo, hercules club, too many to add. They recommend Lucas Nursery in Oviedo.
The backyard has plenty shade trees that either flower or berry, big wax myrtles, a grapefruit, mulberrys -- (find a female). Butterflies were gently making their way around the blooms. There will be hummingbirds soon drawn in by the blue porter and pentas and firebush. It seems this couple had lots of fun putting the yard together. Christine has hand printed some of the square tiles around the paths in the yard and Richard has put up bird boxes and bat boxes too. Richard also lectures on how to make a yard butterfly and hummingbird friendly,
to read their blog or contact them http://home.cfl.rr.com/wekivabirdband/

prehistoric fishing

Funny thing, when I caught this fish, it gave quite a struggle worthy of 'fight club'. It was jerking my cheap rod all over. I thought the 12lb. line would break and the rod would snap for sure. But somehow I managed to get it to shore.
Then I wondered - what the heck it was? It had teeth, a real vicious looking mouth!
Good thing I didn't just stick my fingers in it''s mouth like I do for a bass!
Had some one's pet piranha morphed into this odd fish from all the run-off fertilizer? It was two feet long and looked to be full of eggs. I carefully, very carefully put it back into the water using a net. I have seen others since I caught it a couple years ago, (or maybe it's the same one) they come up to the surface and suck air.
I took the picture and came in and researched. It's a bowfin, a species that's been around from dinosaur times. They like this type of stagnant water. I had caught some prehistoric fish that is valued for it's fish eggs, it's called the poor mans cavier -- boy did I miss out on an opportunity! They say, (fisherman say,) the fish is lousy tasting, but with all the fertilizer in our lake, I wouldn't taste any fish in there unless we had a nuclear holocaust and I had already exhausted the supply of neighborhood cats for protein. The fish would rate after squirrels in that instance.
But now you know what the caveman caught back in the day, and if I caught a small one, I suppose some of those huge bowfin back then might have caught a few cavemen...

Beda's anhingas 4/4/07

This is dedicated to Beda
lover of anhingas

The anhinga





the anhinga is a waterbird
they swim like snakes
they act absurd

they land in trees
with clumsy grace
and stretch their necks
while making a face

They like to dive
and make quite a splash
they eat raw fish
in a sashimi flash

they dry their wings
in the gold sunlight
and when the sun goes down
I don't know where the heck those crazy birds go because it seems like all of a sudden, ZAP -- they just evaporate into the sunset...




">

full moon 4/2/07

You can't beat a huge moon like last night - except that even for all the hype, fishing sucked.
But the moon made up for the lousy fishing and so did the weather. With enough bug spray, I was able to enjoy the view and take a few photos...

Monday 10am April 2, 2007

Went out this morning to weed, Piglet came right down thinking I would go fishing,
no such luck. I took her picture with the sandhill crane behind her. The crane is so used to having his picture taken, if you click on the photo of his eye, you can see me in the pupil, I think I am embedded there.
The crane comes alone these days, he used to bring the family, but the kids are now on their own and I'm wondering if his mate is nesting now and new babies will appear like last year.
The birds are always busy, having cut down seven pines after the hurricanes
I have designated one stump as the breakfast table. In the morning I take about 2 cups of bird seed and sometimes some old hard bread and let the procession begin. I also have two bird feeders and my bird banding friend, Richard has been kind enough to build and put up 3 bird boxes. It sure makes ones yard lively and anyone can do it. I have had baby woodpeckers and titmouses and now it seems I might have red wing blackbirds. You don't need a lake to attract winged visitors.
Richard has a yard designed for birds and critters, his plants were carefully selected for the purpose of having berries and seeds so the birds come naturally to take advantage of the offerings. There are many plants and trees suitable to attract birds and butterflies, Google a search for names, I'm too lazy to list them.
Enjoy your day...
http://home.cfl.rr.com/wekivabirdband/ check this out --

April Fools day draws to an end

It's the end of April Fools day -- If I tell you a fishing whopper then you will all know it wasn't true. So I won't lie when I say I only caught two fish, one bream and one shiner. I spent most of my time avoiding hooking 3 turtles.
My heron, dubbed "Piglet" was waiting for me to come fishing, by 6pm when I had not shown, she had taken a position on the stump outside my living room, posing like a statue. I managed a quick picture. She follows me like a dog, staying about ten feet to the rear. When I move, Piglet moves, she knows the drill, she only has to see that bobber dive to know something good is biting the line. She is often rewarded for her loyalty.
The full moon is gloating at it's twin over the lake. The silhouettes of the trees and branches seem like the night is welcoming us into her enchanted midst. And that scent of orange blossoms makes everything seem sweet. It's beautiful to take it all in; the double moon image, the perfumed breeze, the soft caress of warm air, all the senses lap it up, ahh, could it get any better?
I suppose if the mosquito's didn't have to drain your blood the moment the sun goes down and the only way to exist outside is to act like a windmill in a fifty MPH wind, arms flailing like you're ready to take off, and your neck is whipping left and right like some dashboard dog being humped by Wylie coyote, and that buzzing, evil sound is following only inches behind and you're already itching your skin into tender raw meat on the way back to the house, and even some of those damn insects find their way as you open the door and they haunt you all night with their impending doom, well, yes, it could be better, but remember the Yin and Yang,
you must make blood sacrifices after dark here in Florida or the swamp spirits will come and remind you...

Sanford Florida - Lake deforrest water level

Enter, backyard Sanford Florida

This is my backyard and mini-paradise on lake Deforrest. Lake Deforrest is a 13 acre lake that channels into Lake Belaire
into Crystal Lake -- (when the water is high enough.)
which when high enough, bleeds into a weir that ffeds into
the Smith canal into Lake Monroe and finally ends up in the Saint Johns River which eventually goes into the Atlantic ocean. (Don't worry, I won't quiz you on this)
The big 'stick' with the numbers was put in by the St. John's River Management
to monitor the level of Lake Deforrest. The pictures shows the vast changes in water levels. The high water was taken in 2004, months after the hurricanes. The water remained high until winter of 2005. This past year, the water has receded about 6 feet. The past summer we did not even have the thunder storms that normally occur, (we were spared of all hurricanes too.) We have had no measurable rain in a long time. It seems we are in a drought.
Notice the scum over the lake in the photo with the low water? That never happened until last year. That crap is from abundant fertilizers and bad septic tanks. The Mayfair golf course when fertilized, runs into little Lake Amory, which also flows into Deforrest bringing more algae. The heat cooks it and makes a disgusting stew! Rain helps to move the scum, but the only thing that effectively gets it to die is the cold. Even then, it sinks to the bottom and becomes 'nutrient dense' adding to an overload of nutrients in the lakes. Florida lakes all over are experiencing these fertilizer 'blob-like' algae blooms. I have tried to get grant money for windmills, but only get laughed at, and when I rake out the algae close to my shore line, I'm sure they think me odd. We need this water to move, stagnant water is the enemy.
The clarity is still good, (where there is no scum) and the fish and aquatic populations seems to thrive. (I fish every night so I should know) This year we have had more turtles than I have noticed before. They dive bomb for my bait which becomes quite a hassle. There are many varieties of ducks, painted turtles and soft shelled. Have not seen any snappers.
Inside the lake swim bream, shiners, minnows and large bass. There are sirens, (an eel like thingie), gar, talking catfish who do talk back when caught, and prehistoric mudfish that have quite impressive teeth. Once in a while you will see a water moccaison or other water snakes, but luckily I have my neighbors cat Ringo to take care of any close by reptiles threats.
The bass are quite territorial I have discovered. Also we have otters that come and give us a show a few times a year.
Today, right now the lake is a mirror. It should be in the mid 80's today, lots of sunshine, the citrus has wonderfully fragrant white orange blossoms that scents the outside air. This morning I woke at 6:30am and saw Saturn through my telescope, though the full moon had escaped view. The sunrise was beautifully painted and the avian wildlife busy. Here are some of this mornings pictures...
(remember to click on pictures for larger viewing)