HOTTEST TEMPERATURE OF THE YEAR LANDED ON US TODAY AND FORCED US TO A/C OURSELVES

OUT WALKING IN THE HULLETT MARSH THIS MORNING

Our travels didn't take us far this morning and rather than drive around we headed for the Hullett Marsh for a walk along one of the many grassy berms/dykes.  We luckily had a gentle southern breeze blowing which took care of any mosquitoes out and about.  By 10 a.m. temperatures began heating up the air so Pheebs and I headed back to the Jeep.  We had seen Ducks, Geese, one baby Deer and 4 Muskrats.  Couldn't help thinking this morning while walking along in Mother Nature's wonderland how fortunate I am to be able to do that.  I am so glad to be out of the work force where one had little or no control over how they wanted to spend their day.  Once again many heartfelt thanks to all the people in my life who made and and continue to make these kinds of days possible for me.  I never could have done it on my own.

THE MAN MADE HULLETT MARSH IS MADE UP OF A NUMBER OF LARGE PONDS WITH BERM-/DYKES SURROUNDING THEM….HERE PHEEBS AND I WALK ALONG THE GRASSY TOP OF ONE OF THOSE DYKES

RED WING BLACKBIRD IN THE PROCESS OF TAKING FLIGHT

PHEEBS DETECTS SOMETHING IN THE WATER AHEAD

YEP IT’S A MUSKRAT

MORNING SUN ON THE WATER

THIS MUSKRAT IS SWIMMING WITH FOOD IN IT’S MOUTH AND MAYBE TAKING BREAKFAST HOME FOR THE KIDS

10 BABY CANADA GEESE OUT FOR A PADDLE WITH MOM AND DAD AT EITHER END OF THEIR SINGLE FILE LINE

SPLENDOR IN THE GRASS

Soon as we got home I was right away at that Motorhome waxing job again despite the day feeling too hot for me.  For some unknown reason the wax seemed to go on better today and that alleviated some of my previous day's frustration.  Section by section I am slowly getting there.  Just the top three quarters of the living room slide and the top half of the rear cap left to do and it's all about 90% white fiberglass.  The coach is looking much better than when I started but the dull oxidation on the white fiberglass has been a real challenge.  When applying wax to a white surface it is hard to see where one has started and stopped.  Colored surfaces which have been painted are so much easier to do.  When I am finished will it look like a professional job?  Probably not because the professionals have the experience plus the proper industrial tools and materials to do an excellent job.  I'm sure the pros would do a far better job than I am doing.  And no doubt they would possess a few other key elements I do not have for a big job like this......energy, patience, and youth!!

THE BOTTOM BROWN PART IS WAXED BUT I HAVE TO DO THE TOP WHITE PART NEXT

ALL THE WHITE PART ON THIS LIVING ROOM SLIDE HAS TO BE DONE YET

HERE’S MY LITTLE TABLE OF CLEANING AND WAXING GOODIES

OKAY BACK TO THE MARSH……..I THINK MUSKRATS ARE CUTE LITTLE FELLOWS

MUSKRAT DENS IN THE BANKS ARE EASILY NOTICABLE IF THE MUSKRATS ARE ACTIVE….NOTICE THE BROWN MUD PATH IN THE WATER AT BOTTOM OF PHOTO

By 1:30 it was way too hot for me to be crawling up and down the ladder anymore so I packed it in for the day, came inside, cranked up my big Honeywell pedestal fan, and collapsed myself into my recliner.  That recliner and I sure are best Pals.  Kelly switched on our A/C about the same time I came in.  Between the fan and A/C I soon had icicles protruding from my nose.  In fact about an hour after Kelly turned on the A/C I had to go outside to get warm and warm I sure did get.  We hit 85F here today and even Pheebs didn't feel like going for an afternoon walk so we cut it short part way, headed back to the Igloo and called it a day.

I DIDN’T KNOW THIS WAS A BABY DEER UNTIL I EDITED MY PHOTOS TONIGHT….IT WAS ABOUT A QUARTER MILE AWAY WHEN I MANAGED THESE FOUR 300MM TELEPHOTO SHOTS

 

DECIDED TO INCLUDE THIS SHAKY AND OUT OF FOCUS SERIES OF PHOTOS SHOWING A FLYING MALLARD DUCK

IT WAS SO FAR AWAY I COULDN’T SEEM TO GET MY AUTO FOCUS 300mm TELEPHOTO LENS LOCKED ONTO IT PLUS MY SHUTTER SPEED WAS TOO SLOW

NOTICE AS THE DUCK SLOWS DOWN AND LANDS THE PICTURES BECOME CLEARER……AUTO FOCUS HAS LOCKED IN AND MY SLOWER SHUTTER IS CATCHING THE SLOWER ACTION

Some may question why I occasionally include blurry or out of focus photos in my blog.   I feel sometimes a photo may have something to offer even if it is not technically perfect.  Remember I am not a perfectionist and if I were to include only perfect pictures in my posts I’m afraid I would have very few photos to offer.  Any professional photographer looking at my stuff knows exactly what I’m talking about.

GROANER'S CORNER:((  A young boy, about eight years old, was at the corner "Mom & Pop" grocery store picking out a pretty good size box of laundry detergent. The grocer walked over and, trying to be friendly, asked the boy if he had a lot of laundry to do.  "Oh, no laundry," the boy said. "I'm going to wash my hamster."  "But you shouldn't use this to wash your hamster. It's very powerful and if you wash your hamster in this, he'll get sick. In fact, it might even kill him."  But the boy was not to be stopped and carried the detergent to the counter and paid for it, even as the grocer still tried to talk him out of washing his hamster.  About a week later the boy was back in the store to buy some candy. The grocer asked the boy how his hamster was doing.  "Oh, he died," the boy said.  The grocer, trying not to be an I-told-you-so, said he was sorry the hamster died but added, "I tried to tell you not to use that detergent on your hamster."
"Well," the boy replied, "I don't think it was the detergent that killed him."  "Oh? What was it then?"  "I think it was the spin cycle."

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Q: How do you find Ronald McDonald in a nudist colony?

A: Look for sesame seed buns.

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A woman went to her priest with a problem. Father, I have two female parrots, and they only know how to say one thing. All they ever say is, Hi, were prostitutes. Wanna have some fun? Thats terrible! exclaimed the priest. But I think I can help. Bring your two female parrots over to my house, and I will put them with my two male parrots whom I taught to pray and read the Bible. My parrots will teach your parrots to stop saying that terrible phrase, and your female parrots will learn to praise and worship. The next day, the woman brought her female parrots to the priests house. His two male parrots were holding rosary beads and quietly praying in their cage. The woman put her two female parrots in the cage with the male parrots. The females said, Hi, were prostitutes. Wanna have some fun? One male parrot looked over at the other male parrot and exclaimed Put those beads away, our prayers have been answered!

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