So much to do and so many people to visit with. I had to do work though too. I ended up at dad's office typing away on my computer, transcribing notes, uploading photos, and planning for the next route.
I was able to meet up with Jeff and Randy (dragging Mom, Dad and Erika along) at the El Fenix restaurant in Dallas. The El Fenix is a marvelous Mexican restaurant that is a Dallas institution. We also invited them to Easter dinner at Moms. It was great to catch up with them. Dad gave us a comprehensive dome tour which is always interesting to me. I never can keep up with all of the innovations going on with Monolithic Constructors.
Mom, Melinda and I did some shopping. I loved the going out of business Liz Claiborne outlet and found $4.00 shirts that I would end up wearing on every other circuit of my sabbatical. The clothes were a great addition to my trip wardrobe. I ended up having to ship some of it home in boxes, cause even though I was driving my big red suitcase, it only holds so much. I also didn't want to encourage anyone to break into my car by leaving things in it.
Rebecca showed up part way into my stay, she was recovering or rather not recovering from a surgery. After I left she ended up in the Texas hospital for a second go-round.
Tessa hosted a breakfast for all of us and I got to see more of those cute nieces and nephews of mine.
While staying at mom's house I got awoken in the morning by this sharp rapping on the window. Eventually, I discovered that a bright red cardinal was attacking its image in the window. Defending his territory and functioning as an alarm clock, what a bird. I also got to see a lot of Carmella the albino house sparrow. Melinda and I did some birding and I was even able to spend a few days at her house. In the evening we would watch David Attenborough's Lives of Birds. It had rained enough to create a big pond in between Mike's house and Gary's house. Erika named it Erika's lake. It was a great birding spot.
I had a great visit with everyone.
Pictures at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jsemenza/sets/72157604165651309/
March 21 2008
“Erika’s Lake” at the dome & Charca
1. baird’s sandpipers
2. solitary sandpiper
3. wilson’s snipes
4. savannah sparrows
5. American pipits
6. house sparrows
7. greater yellowlegs
8. barn swallows
9. killdeer
10. red eared sliders (turtles
11. common grackles
12. scissor tailed flycatcher
13. eastern bluebird
14. mockingbird
15. brownheaded cowbirds
16. cardinals
17. mourning doves
18. white winged doves
19. Eurasian collared dove
20. blue jay
21. great tailed grackles
22. rock doves
March 22 2008
Lake Whitney, Milford, Hillsboro, Lake Erika
1. baird’s sandpipers
2. solitary sandpipers
3. killdeer
4. pipits
5. savanna sparrows
6. wilson’s snipes
7. savannah sparrows
8. American pipits
9. house sparrows
10. greater yellowlegs
11. starlings
12. eastern bluebird
13. cardinals
14. mourning doves
15. American crows
16. eastern meadowlarks
17. barn swallows
18. mockingbirds
19. turkey vultures
20. great tailed grackles
21. loggerhead shrike
22. lark sparrow
23. rough winged swallows / cliff swallows
24. coots
25. great egret
26. scissortailed flycatcher
27. herring gulls?
28. mallards
29. great blue heron
30. chipping sparrow
31. yellow rumped warbler
32. bewicks wren
33. blue jay
34. red tailed hawk
35. black vultures
36. Eurasian collared doves
37. white crowned sparrow
38. Carolina chickadee
39. hermit thrush
40. Carolina wren
No comments:
Post a Comment