Birding At The Sewage Ponds Again.

This morning I dropped off my recycling at the recycling center and then headed to the Austin sewage ponds which is reportedly the best birding location in the city. I agree but it is a tad smelly. I saw 70 Northern Shovelers, rafts of cute American coots, dozens of Kill Deer, and a partridge in a pear tree. Just kidding about the partridge and the pear tree. What are they eating in this pond? Shrimp? I will have to investigate further. I drove a figure 8 around two of the three ponds.  I remember once a sister and I visited our father after bird watching at the sewage ponds in Savage. We told him what we were doing and he said, "That sounds just terrible!!!" Well, maybe he was right.

I took a walk down to the river. The time was 11 a.m.

Woodpecker pecking in the old gum tree. Merry merry king of the bush is she. Peck, woodpecker, peck woodpecker, but please don't peck at me. That is the Colorado River! A great blue heron took off before I could get my phone out. Planes from the nearby airport are going by overhead.

Yes, I fell on my rear going down the hill but it's a good think because I had my wind pants on plus my winter water-proof boots. Is that a racoon print I see there?

I peeled the outer layer of this seed pod that was about 2 inches in diameter. Now I need to identify this seedpod.

Kill Deer!

This is an experimental research administration building with lots of gourds hanging for the purple martins. This is after I left the sewage ponds.

I had a picnic lunch after my hike at the sewage ponds. I decided to stop at this farm store because the outside looked interesting. I figures with my muddy boots, my muddy wind pants, and my sunhat I maybe looked like a farmer. Look at that sailfish!

Racoon!

That turkey is DUSTY1

They have a little leak in the ceiling.

Very interesting!

I don't need any keys, thanks. As I was making my purchase the Nancy Sinatra song about boots was on the radio. As I approached the counter the Beach Boys were singing about good vibrations. I was dancing a little. The young man at the counter said people d
o love the Beach Boys. I told him that as I walked out of divorce court I was singing with Nancy Sinatra. He though that was funny.

Wow!

Nice rack!

A bunny!

Baby chicks! Awwwwwwwwwwhhhhhhhhhhh.

You are so cute!

I love baby chicks.

After the feed store I saw this Ghost Buster's car. Who are you gonna call?

While at the dollar store the bank called to check on fraudulent use of my card. I had 3 stores to call back. Now my credit card was cut off. I hung my sack of groceries on a peg and went outside to make the three calls. All the purchases were mine. I forgot to call the bank back and tell them. I went back in and found my sack. A guy was standing there looking at stuff. I said something about finding my bag. He asked me why. I told him about the bank problem. He told me about his bank problems. We ended up talking for twenty minutes. He invited me to his ranch to visit and look at birds. He doesn't own the ranch. He just lives at the ranch. He drives part time for Amazon. He is paid $22/hour and he has to buy his own gas but the Government gives him that money back. But he doesn't have to run. He has a bad back. He can ride around in his truck all day with his dog. I told him what I thought of Jeff Bezos (only I was more polite). He laughed and told me everyone tells him the same thing. He likes to ski at Lutsen. He once borrowed a snowmobile in Duluth. He drove that snowmobile for almost 24 hours. He brought it back. The guy at the snowmobile rental place said most people put on 30 miles, not 375!  He put his address on my phone. I went out to his Jeep to meet his dog Riley. I went back in the store thinking I would not go to this guy's ranch. After buying my stuff I did go to the ranch. Another bearded man in a pick up saw me come in. He asked if I was lost. I said no, I was here to visit Daniel. He smiles and gave me a thumb's up. Why is there a knight in shining armor here? I never saw Daniel nor Riley nor his Jeep but I took a nice 3 minute drive around the ranch. By now it was 5:30. I needed to find an Italian restaurant before I get hangry.

This food truck had better spinach and cheese arancini than the Arancini I had in Sicily when grand daughter #2 was born! I ate two of them in the car. I saved the roasted vegetables for another day. Yum Yum! Other trucks have falafel and organic soups. I have to come back to this place.