Sometimes I exaggerate!

 

I kid you not...I have been known to exaggerate or imagine that something is extraordinary when it is not.

But that's just the way I live life. I love to feel excited over every day things. And this is definitely NOT the ordinary sighting!

I watched the courtship dance of a male Northern Mockingbird and I was enthralled!

At first I wasn't sure what this crazy Mockingbird was doing.

But then I saw the female come into view and I knew....

I just knew, he was 'showing off'! 

And I realized I was in the right place at the right time to see something extra ordinary and I would not even have to exaggerate. 

During mating season the male mockingbird performs a courtship dance, leaping into the air while flapping their wings and singing. Can you believe it?

I love the surprises I witness in nature every time I walk down a trail.

And since I couldn't figure out which of these Red bellied Woodpecker photos I liked best, I made a mosaic out of them. 

I saw these beautiful butterfly weeds in full bloom and stopped to marvel yet again.

Have you witnessed something amazing this week? Are you like me? Do you ever exaggerate? 

I remember when I saw this bear and it got bigger in the telling....HERE. hahaha

Southern hugs, Diane 💜

I’m joining Saturday’s critters HERE!

Sightings close to home!

 I haven't been on the trails as much this week but hopefully I'll get back out more regularly after this week. We've gotten a lot of things done around the house and in the yard so I feel good about how my time has been spent! 

But I'm going to need some trail therapy soon! The weather has improved and I can't wait!

How do you like this Great White Egret that walked through the neighborhood?

And this was a funny sight looking out the window in the back!

Off you go!

They look like they are saying I'm not very nice. They only wanted to scratch in the courtyard and make a mess! 

We have a Dove family that I see every day. 

This looks like a young one!

And the sunsets have been spectacular.

I didn't enhance these colors.

(taken from the courtyard)

It really was this vibrant!

I also ordered a new camping journal. 

The green one is from this past year and I filled it up.

The brown one will be ready when we are....which I hope is soon!

Enjoy your weekend!

I hope you have something fun planned!

I’m joining Saturday’s critters HERE

  and Mosaic Monday HERE. 

A Bear encounter on the Marjorie Harris Carr Cross Florida Greenway!

 

Finally!!! After over 12 years and hundreds of hikes 

on the Florida Greenway, I have a bear story!

And yes, I've seen bears over the years. I've been fortunate to hike in a lot of forests in the US, including Alaska. I've even seen them in the Ocala National Forest from my vehicle.

But this story takes place on one of my favorite Florida trails close to home.

I parked my Jeep at the trailhead and started off on a hike/bike trail until I got to the paved part of the Greenway. I planned to hike for one hour, which is a short hike for me. It's very hard for me to turn around at the 30 minute mark but I did this particular day.

This is the first photo I took by just lifting my camera and snapping without zooming. So he is in the far distance and you can get an idea of how far away he was.

The bear walked across the trail I was on and was ambling.

I was walking parallel to a firebreak. (a wide path that is dug up by heavy equipment to form a break that would stop a forest fire from spreading) 

So I took a few steps to my right onto the firebreak so that I had a better view when he went across the firebreak.

And there he was. 

He did not turn....and he did not look at me, so I didn't feel threatened.

I was scared of course and saw a spike in my heart rate on my watch! 

But he kept going and I stood perfectly still. I wanted to make sure there weren't any cubs following or another bear. And when a few minutes went by, I called my husband. I told him there was a bear between me and my Jeep and he said loudly 'A WHAT?'!!! I think that was one of the best parts of the story.  He told me to wait awhile longer and give the bear a chance to get farther away before I walked to the Jeep. I was never so glad to get in my Jeep and 'head for the house'! 

To describe how I felt....

I would say I was scared and excited and JAZZED! 

But having said that....I'm happy to have seen a Florida black bear in the wild right on the Greenway. But I'm done now. I don't need to see another one! I'm a happy hiker and a blessed one too. 

So that's my bear story. It was a medium sized bear. I know they get bigger ....and mine may get bigger in the telling. We'll see!

I saw a Downy Woodpecker on the hike.

And lots of beautiful wildflowers.

But I was so fortunate to actually get a few decent photos

 

of the HUMONGOUS bear I saw!

I’m joining Saturday’s critters HERE

  and Mosaic Monday HERE. 

Ochlockonee River State Park and the Woodpeckers

 

I have to admit to saving these photos for a special post. We went to Ochlockonee River State Park at the beginning of summer before it got too hot. 

It was strictly time and chance to get to see these woodpeckers and I was proud of the few photos I took.

I aimed my camera at the tree when I saw a Red-bellied Woodpecker flying in.

While I stood there and watched, I realized this one was relieving the other one of baby duty.

A young one stuck his head out of the hole while I stood watching in awe. (you have to use your imagination)

And in a blink of the eye, the 2 adults had flown away and the baby went into hiding. But while it lasted, it made me happy to be at the right place at the right time.

On this same hike down by the river, I saw other woodpeckers.

Another young one showed up behind the adult.

Isn't he the cutest!!

I kept walking until I had reached a forest trail.

The Orange Milkweed was in full bloom.

And some pretty Phaon Crescents were enjoying the blooms.

I always tell people, the best way to get good photos is to go out often.

You always see something of interest, don't you think?

I’m joining Saturday’s critters HERE

  and Mosaic Monday HERE. 

Manatee Springs State Park, the real and the imagined!

 

We spent a few days at Manatee Springs State Park again this month.

That big clump of greenery in the center is poison oak!

I always see some amazing sights along the boardwalk.

And the Suwannee River is always picturesque!

I had a chance to talk to a fisherman on this particular hike and I learned something valuable!

I asked him what the fish were that we were seeing in the water....over a hundred of them!

And he told me they were Mullet. OK, I am familiar with Mullet. They love to jump high out of the water and are fun to watch. But he told me that after a boat goes through the water, stay put and watch the water. Other fish and sea life will come up to the surface. And lo and behold, it is true! And I've seen some amazing sights by taking the time to stop and watch! I even watched a Manatee come up to the surface at the Ochlockonee River a few days later.

 

Reflection of the Suwannee River

I have a good imagination so I wanted to share some photos of things I saw on this one hike, that are not what they seem....

or are they?

Do you see a Mermaid, or the leaf at the top of the photo?

A bird in the tree?

A shark in the water?

A cute sea monster?

A turtle underwater? (it really is a turtle! lol)

Logs and trees can really fool you!

Do you have a good imagination too?

I’m joining Saturday’s critters HERE

  and Mosaic Monday HERE. 

The Wood Stork at Manatee Springs State Park

 

It's always good to learn to identify the birds you see. I find it a challenge but over the years, I've learned a few!

I walked on the boardwalk at Manatee Springs State Park every day that we camped there. 

Sometimes I went more than once a day.

The lighting can be so different and also bird sightings.

I said 'hello' to a couple that I had seen a few times and I noticed his camera with a zoom lens.

One late afternoon, I was on my way back down the boardwalk and saw that he was zoomed in on something in the swamp.

 

So I stopped to look and I said, "Even living here in Florida, it's still a thrill to get to see a Wood Stork."

And they both looked at me with wide eyes and she said, "Is THAT what that is? We didn't know what that bird was." 

So it felt good to actually share that with them. And when he gets home from traveling he will have a bird ID for his photos! It made me smile. I walked on, and when I looked back, he was still taking photos!

This Great White Egret was very beautiful too.

The birds don't feel threatened by people walking on the boardwalk.

So they pose and preen.

The Suwannee River in all of it's glory! 

And my favorite Wood Stork photo!

Do you see his loose feather?

I’m joining Saturday’s critters HERE

  and Mosaic Monday HERE !