Wildlife from the back porch

A.) It would've been about this time last year; I was outside working on some project & looked up. A flight of big white birds with black wing tips we coming over heading north (like cranes). They swooped down landing on the lake. I'd guess 40 or 50 of them. I watched them gather - more were coming. All of a sudden they all took wing and and headed north over the lake; but, they didn't leave. They landed in a cove on the other side of the lake. At this point I could make out not 40 or 50 big birds - but hundreds maybe thousands; just don't know. They covered that area of the lake in white - "thick on the water" ( a great title for a 60's protest song). I just stood and watched for quite a while as more and more joined the flock...more like a mob.

Today sitting at the computer looking out across the lake, 4 giant crane like birds, white with black wing tips just flew over. As of this moment, no more have followed. I hope I get to see the migration again this year. Massive.

B.) Speaking of birds, we have two purple martin houses up. These birds are fun to watch. They (to use old phrases) soar and swoop and dive and twist and turn and - c'mon you can come with words like this. Our colony of purple martins remind me of our puppy Oscar- massive energy, going all the time, chirping - moving - constantly on the go.

One just flew from his house diving to scim within an inch of the water, then, suddenly, he twists and flies straight up a hundred or so feet. Fascinating and they don't even charge admission. And Sing !! Lordy how they can sing.

C.) Remember our storm Sat. morning? Limbs down, couple of trees snapped off, electricity gone for 22 hours. Leaves and small twigs are everywhere. I may never get them cleaned up. It's a shame we can't put the leaves & twigs in big black bags and give them to the Salvation Army to distribute to the poor. Everyone needs a bag of leaves; I think it is a Constitutional right. Not sure; just think so.

Three spanish guys, dressed in lime green T-shirts, showed up next door to clean up their yard. They moved fast fffaaasssstttttt. They grabbed limbs and threw them down the gully - went to back yard and threw them into the lake. A guy used a leaf blower while another scooped up stuff in a big plastic trash can - guess what he did with the trash cans. Yep, dumped them into the lake. Leaves floating out to sea. I just have to think that it is wrong to dump leaves and limbs into the lake. It just seems wrong.

D.) staying with the outside theme here: We are trying to get this company to give us a price on hauling rock & dirt in here to put behind my naked retainer walls. It has been a week working on them. Sure they have good reasons (12 yr old son broke leg on his bike one day - Oncor electric hired them to work on our power outage - and so forth - plus they are the contractor doing the dirt work for Corsicana's new picture show movie house theatre / bowlng alley coming to town.) Anyway, the lady is an Ellie May. She rescues baby animals found in the woods - raccoons, so forth.

Yesterday she told stories of rescuing a baby bobcat named Honey (I think). it was raised inside their home and apparently was dominant. It was declawed as a baby but not de-toothed. Long story, it took off and made friends with another bobcat a year or so later.

What I found interesting was the cat loved taking baths and showers. It had 2 toys and would get into the bath tub with her kids and splash around. When it had a bad day, they would turn on the shower which would help calm her down. Y'know, I think I need a pet too other than dogs: something really dangerous. Send me suggestions.

Wife just called me to eat lunch; beef stew,yum.

E.) Took dogs out to the "pit" looking down our hill to the backyard - 11 pm. There were two rabbits - getting really friendly - My pup Oscar yelled at them. guess we'll be chasing baby rabbits in the near future.