Fall is in the Air

                 

                 

There is no doubt that fall is my all time favorite season of the year.  It is the time when you have enjoyed all the sunshine, warm temps and humid weather you can possibly stand.  Just when you think you can’t stand another day….low and behold you feel the tinge of cool crispness in the air.

            

In the south you feel it first with the lack of high humidity!  You can actually “see” the crispness in the air.  No more hazy lazy days of summer.  Suddenly the sky is a clear blue and you begin to see signs of fall.

           

          

         

There are colors that we naturally associate with fall.  The oranges, yellows, browns, greens come to mind first.  What does nature say to us?  Well that is what Gerri and I set out to explore….camera in hand of course!!   This is what we saw!!

         

         

         

         

         

         

“Delicious autumn!  My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird, I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns.” George Eliot

         

Our Golden Cody

                  

Sue (Big Dawg and Freeway) was writing in her blog the other day about all the Tuckers that have made their appearances on the blogs lately.  It seems there are now three Tuckers.   Two of those Tuckers happen to be Golden Retrievers.  All pets are special and all have certain qualities that make them who they are.  Goldens are no exception.  They are people pleasers all their lives. 

                 

Our Cody came to be a part of our family some 12 years ago.  In dog years that makes him pretty elderly.  Does he know he’s elderly??  Nope!!  His little heart and mind will forever remain a young Golden. 

                

He didn’t always live inside.  He once owned a huge backyard with his lovely mate….Jessie.  They were inseparable and where you saw one you saw the other.  Jessie loved to fetch anything and Cody loved to stand and look at you like “now why did you go and throw that?”  They remained together until Jessie passed away.  He laid beside her body all night and refused to leave her even after we buried her in the backyard.  He loved her completely and totally.  That is the love of a Golden.  He loves us the same way. 

               

He came to live inside when we moved into the motor home to full-time.  Mike and I were both a little concerned.  He had never been housebroken, what would he do??  Well, I’m happy to say he did GREAT!!  His desire to please was so strong that he quickly learned that during his walks on the leash were the times he did his business.  He loves to walk with Mike on the leash.  He begins to smile and shake his big body whenever its time for a walk.  He loves to walk!!  He does not love to swim…nope!  Unlike Sue and Doug’s Tucker and Sam and Donna’s Riggs, he would rather walk along the edge of the water and splash a bit but no swimming.  Perhaps this is due in part from a lack of exposure when he was younger but remember, he’s not much on retrieving either!!  His love and devotion to his family is heartwarming and we love him in return.

Age is taking its toll on our Golden Boy!

               

His muzzle is now growing whiter and his hearing is failing.  He has to be looking at you for him to know what you want him to do.  We have to make sure we are with him wherever he goes….even in the backyard.   At night he still sleeps beside our bed….there is no room on the bed because our other loves are there, Casey and Nick, our Shih Tzus.  

               

Cody is special…..he’s a Golden!!  

                                          

9/11/2001

 

                     

May we always remember those whose lives were lost and the lives that were given and their families.  We will never forget!

Hummer Wars

                    

Hummingbird wars!!  Yes, we have been the host home for some truly territorial wars lately.  We have the best seat in the house….literally!  We are able to view four hummingbird feeders from our sunroom.  The other feeder can be viewed from the dining room. 

              

              

It seems arial hummingbird combat is pretty high right now and most likely will continue until the middle of September.  At this time they will begin to realize that migration is about to begin.  They will need all the food they have been eating to be stored as energy for this long journey to Mexico and South America.  They don’t need to be wasting all their energy dive bombing each other.  At this time they will begin to settle down and feed more peacefully with each other.  A few weeks after this occurs most all of these fascinating birds will be gone until late March when they will once again ready themselves for another migration. 

              

              

              

              

 

Needless to say these little birds are very territorial.  We have been especially fascinated by one little Ruby-throated Hummingbird that seems to enjoy sitting on top of the pole the feeder is attached to.  He sits on the very top and stands guard over the feeder.  Whenever another hummer attempts to eat from the feeder he dive bombs and chases that hummer off.  Every now and then he allows a particular hummer to eat from the feeder and at times he sips from the sweet nectar himself….perks of the job. 

                   

Do we know this is a male?  No, actually both the male and/or the female can defend a feeder (after breeding season is over).  In fact, several different hummers may take turns defending the feeder during a day.   It does appear that this particular hummer really likes to perch on top so he can observe his domain a little better. 

At times we have observed as many as 15 Hummingbirds flying around on the patio waiting turns to sip from the feeders.  They do chase each other off but they continue to swarm waiting turns to slip in for some food.  Even as it is pouring rain, he still sits on the pole and guards his food…. Nature at its best!! 

A Birthday Celebration

                             

A quick entry today!!   Yesterday was Mike’s birthday and in our family we really celebrate birthdays…..no matter how old you might be.    I got that tradition from my mother and carried it on throughout my career as an early childhood teacher and of course, most importantly, wife and mother!!   Birthdays are to be celebrated!!   So yesterday we had the best part of the celebration…..THE CAKE. 

              

              

              

We have decided to break from the traditional birthday cakes and go with the “decadent cakes” at Publix.  We have tried several different flavors so yesterday Mike chose the “Midnight Fudge Fantasy.”  You guessed it….pure chocolate.  Oh well, you only celebrate this special occasion once a year. 

Today, Saturday, we will continue the celebration with lunch together.  We waited until today because Stephen is off on Saturdays and can join us.  The birthday person always gets to choose his/her favorite place to eat.  Mike chose The Mellow Mushroom.  So the three of us journeyed to Peachtree City, which is about 35 miles from here, to enjoy a wonderful, delicious pizza.  As usual, it did not disappoint.

          

         

Since The Mellow Mushroom is located quite close to Wild Birds Unlimited we decided to stop by and purchase another bag of food and a seed cylinder for our feathered friends.  A stop at Barnes & Noble, Belk Department Store and Target and we were on our way home. 

        

Good food, good fun and good fellowship…..Happy Birthday, Mike!!!

Visiting Lower Suwannee NWR

                

One of the things Mike and I wanted to be sure to do while in Cedar Key was visit the Lower Suwannee Wildlife Refuge.  We have a real love for the wildlife refuges in our country.  In 2009 we volunteered at Hagerman NWR in Texas and have been in love ever since.  Once we purchase our next RV we definitely want to get back into volunteering in the various wildlife refuges around the country.

            

The Lower Suwannee NWR is quite large….53,000 acres to be exact.  This refuge was developed to protect one of the largest undeveloped river-delta estuarine systems in the U.S. 

           

It consist of natural salt marshes, tidal flats, bottomland hardwood swamps, and hardwood forest making an excellent habitat for thousands of large and small creatures.       

The first day out we decided to take the Shell Mound Loop which is the closest loop to Cedar Key.  This loop took us down three driving paths…..Dennis Creek Trail, Shell Mound Trail and the Shell Mound Fishing Pier.  This was a very nice peaceful drive showing the different habitats provided by this NWR.  It was on the Shell Mound Trail that we spotted a beautiful hawk sitting on a cable wire. 

        

                    

We weren’t sure which hawk he was but after consulting a few pictures we felt he might be a Red Shoulder Hawk.  When I posted the picture on Facebook one of my friends said it was a Coopers Hawk.  So if we have any birders reading perhaps you can shed some light on this beautiful creature.  I was so excited that I was able to get such a good shot of him with my little Sony point and shoot camera.  YAY me!!  A few very distinctive looking Vultures were sunning themselves on an overlook.  Must have been an off day for them!

           

                  

The next day we set out to drive the 9 mile Lower Suwannee Nature Drive.  We were in hopes of spotting some birds or other wildlife on this drive but I am afraid it was just too hot.  The heat index was probably near 105 and the humidity was extremely high.  That was disappointing but the drive was not.  It was also a very beautiful peaceful drive showing a much larger area of the habitats this refuge provides.  The most impressive area we passed through was the swamp area. 

           

           

           

           

It seemed to go on forever and was definitely a swamp land.  We saw some beautiful wild ferns growing among the trees, many lily pads and huge cypress trees growing right in the shallow water.  We drove through the flood plain hardwood forest, scrub oak communities, and of course the pine plantation in the upland area. 

           

           

           

A great day and a great drive through what is proudly known as “old” Florida showing the huge amounts of vegetation that provide for the creatures that call this Suwannee River Country their home.