It amazes me how different angles and light display different colors in the feathering of birds. This Redbellied Woodpecker at this angle and light I can see the lovely shade of gray on top of its head. I can also see the orangish tinted feathers at the base of the beak. I never noticed either before being distracted by the brilliant patch of red feathers on the back of its head.

The coloration of the beak on this finch so smooth and brilliant captured my fancy in this photo.

When the sun is shining I can sit in the Adirondack chair in our backyard and allow the natural world to entertain me. This hawk sitting in a tree by our old barn is over 300 yards away.

The hawk in the previous photo flew down and landed on the bow of my father-in-laws old sears and roebuck fishing boat. The boat originally came with an Elgin motor. I spent many a day sitting in the front of this boat. Crappie rods perched on the bow where the hawk sits. Prepared to snatch a crappie for dinner. It pleased me to see the bow is still being used for a place to sit and be ready to catch dinner for the hawk. We might have to fix up the old boat and go fishing this year or next. The hawk will have to switch to using our old pick up for a perch. It would make a nice hood ornament don’t you think?

A good start to a day.

Like surfing when my mind wanders back to my youth it often ends up in unexpected locations. My father found me that Corvair with rusted out floorboards. We located some sheet metal laying around and put in a new floor.

One snowy winter night Dave Collins and I visited a couple of gals. The beauty I was interested in that night eventually ended up marrying Dave. That is not the only time a girl I dated or was interested in ended up hitched up with one of my buddies. I had a good eye for the ladies. Well, at least at pointing out for my pals a good one to hang on to. I would build a nice nesting spot and next thing ya know my friend had moved in. Sort of like these Geese that took over an Eagle’s nest.

Now where was I in this story. Oh yeah, after charming the gals that night Dave and I started for home when the cable that ran from the engine to the gas pedal broke. It seems my improvised floorboard had cut the cable. No problem I handed Dave a pair of pliers and he had to lay upside down with his feet hanging over the seat and control the cable and give it the gas when I instructed.

It was much like surfing our way home through the snow. Fishtailing all over with the improvised solution of my partner hand controlling the thrust. Along with my shouted instructions to give it the gas or not.  It might have been easier if I had turned down the volume on the eight track that kept blasting with the drum beat of ” In A Godda Davida”. I was in to that Iron Butterfly song at the time. The song lasts about seventeen minutes. Yep we had to play it over several times before we smashed our way through all the snow drifts to arrive back home. Poor old Dave to this day probably has that drum beat thumping in his head. You see I placed six speakers in that old junk of a car. Two under the seat so you could feel it you know. I wonder why I have not heard from Dave in years? Snow surfin’ in a Corvair may not have been his thing.

There was a very short time in my life I felt dissatisfied with my self. Then I learned to adjust my mindset and found out that was all it would take to take me to a better place.

I hope you enjoy watching the kids getting a little attention and the smallest one “Cinnamon” finding him self a better place in the end.
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Watching these large birds paddling along eyes ever watchful for a fish to catch is fascinating. This pelican feet spread like its wings as if unsure of the landing. One group picked up and rode the thermals with the buzzards for a while.

Whenever a gull picked up a large fish a pelican would do what it could to rob it from them.

We had visitors in the afternoon back at home. I got to play catch with Christian my nephews son for an hour or so. From boyhood to manhood I still enjoy playing catch. One surprising thing was after dark Christian and I worked on his school work. Mathematics of all things and it was fun. He showed me how he logged in to his school account on the computer. Then we worked on how to figure out perimeters and areas of squares and rectangles. It was interesting to see how kids today get some of their education.

Another memory for yesterday was a visit from Ethan. It was a pleasure watching him toddle around chasing the goats and being chased by the puppies.

Ethan did not mind the slobbery licks and kisses from Dixie. Have a great weekend!

I always enjoyed watching vultures and buzzards riding the winds. They are almost constant companions on my walks. All in all I would not say that I loved them in the past. This year I have spent a lot more time around vultures and a sort of love is developing. It has taken patience to give of my time to observe them closely. Yesterday I went to take photos of pelicans. They were not at the river so I looked around and found them on Barkley Lake. At the launch ramp at double creek vultures roost. As I was sitting watching the pelicans the vultures started flying from the roost landing nearby. My interest shifted as I watched them meticulously bath in the shallows. For whatever reason I never thought of vultures keeping themselves clean. The vultures gathered on the lake shore and took turns bathing then drying on stumps and trees. Then flying back to the roost.

The vultures are difficult to photograph being mostly one color. This makes photographing them a challenge. Like finding that first love and overcoming the challenges and belief that you can do it, you try harder. In many ways I love the challenge and patience photography requires.

I took so many photos the only way I could figure to display them was in a video. I found a song my son created many years ago to go along with the photos. He was just starting to play the guitar and mix his music on the computer. Think about a young man starting out falling in love with making music. Like the love of my wife it take time to develop. Still the roots and purity, even innocence I can hear in this song. All of these things get in to the mix involving Love. I hope you enjoy the video. It could be the roots of your falling in love with vultures as I have. Now all I have to do is figure out how to explain to the “Little Woman” how I compare her with vultures.
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The fishing was tougher for them. Not only did they intimidate the gulls.

They also tried to rob fish right out of each others mouths.

Once again the light was poor but good enough for fair pictures.

Think I will head back to the river and watch the pelican show if the sun shines.

The rope pulled taut as I felt the pressure of the water against the skis. Determined to make this my first successful attempt at water skiing. My father intent on doing all he could to assist me forgot to pay attention to where we were headed. Waving frantically to avert the collision Dad mistook my waving as joy at getting up for the first time.. At the insistent screams from my brother in the bow Dad looked forward at the last instant and cut the power to the motor. Twisting the hand tiller hard to port I saw our small aluminum boat give a glancing blow broadside to the canoe. My thrill of skiing short lived as the forces of nature took hold and I slowed and sank back down below the surface of the river.

I will always have a connection to the Delaware River. Like our great country crossing it would lead to the building of a fantastic way of life. Fortunate was I to be reared in this location. The exact spot where George Washington’s daring crossing turned the tides during the revolutionary war. Of course there have been many stubbed toes along the way. Speaking of which I can not tell you how many times I stubbed my toes on a warped board on the walkway on the Washington’s Crossing bridge. My parents divorced when I was young and Mom and us kids lived in New Jersey. My Dad and Grandparents lived in PA. Many a time I crossed the river alone as a boy. Headed for Grandmom’s and a chance to spend time with Dad after work. No mere river would stop me. Nor the lashings I received from Mom for making these journeys without permission.

So many memories I will never forget teaching me that life will have its ups and downs. The currents that race across the rapids below New Hope to the calm flow at Washington’s Crossing. To the difficult navigation of Scudder’s Falls above Yardley. This stretch of river was a huge part of my education. I learned things more valuable than what I read in schoolbooks. Lessons that stick. Many that only a river can teach and a growing boy can comprehend.

I learned how a father will spend his time and precious little money to bring joy to those he loved. Overcoming the challenges of his lack of education to make a dream world come true for us. Dad’s unfailing effort’s to allow us to try it all was a lesson in itself.

Once one challenge is overcome one must look for the next. Once I could ski with two ski’s then it was time to learn to do it on one ski. The Pelican landing dragging one foot yesterday reminded me of kicking off one ski. The wings spread portrays the feeling of balance I tried to maintain. A few flips and crashes in the water did not stop me. Failing being the educator it is I learned to find balance after many mistakes. Little did I know that this was my foundation for weathering the rapids and eddies of my life to come.