Day at the Park

Tuesday night I was enjoying a quiet evening of TV with my daughter and her family. It was especially exciting when Dave put on one of his favorite new shows of the year;" The Walking Dead". The title says is all. UGH! Jen wisely went for her shower. Maggie and I remained in the family room. I tried to read through it. Maggie began to talk to me.

Growlllll, grr, grrrrrrr!!!!!, owooolllll, grr.
Her vocabulary is limited but she puts lots of expression into it.

Unfortunately for her, after 12 years, I still don't speak DOG.
However,  I understood part of her message. "I am bored. Take me for a walk!!!!!!!!!!"
A couple of rainy days had kept us inside.

This morning Nicholas and I headed out for a bike ride/walk to the park.  I decided not to encumber myself with a camera. Dog and boy on bike would be sufficient entertainment. I was wrong.

As soon as we got to the park the first thing I saw was 2 Sandhill Cranes. Where's my camera? AT HOME!!! 

Sandhill Cranes are residents in this area. They are stately, regal birds that move slowly. They are year-round residents in Florida and are hesitant to relocate from their territory. As land is developed, they don't move on. They stay. This can put them at risk from traffic and pets and in some cases they can be aggressive. However, I've never seen their aggresive nature and for us it is a treat to watch them. They are beautiful. The only pictures I have of  them were taken on a foggy morning a couple of years ago, from my car window, as I was leaving Florida. (And those pictures are on my home computer of course.)  Thanks to Google, here is a photo of this gorgeous bird.

It was a beautiful day. Nicholas rolled his cars down the slides, and then rocketed them back up.

 Maggie enjoyed fresh air time in the shade and I angled for a little sun on my legs. (time to get rid of a little of that "winter white" we 'northerners' have.)

The mockingbirds sang non-stop through their entire repertoire, and then hit repeat. They serenaded us the entire time we were there. The trees were just about to burst into bloom, giving each branch a 'crested crane' kind of look.

Overhead falcons and hawks soared. At one point there were more than I could count. Some soared so high they were hard to see, while others ran shadows over me as I sat. At one point they were close enough I could identify different characteristics, but where was my bird book and my binoculars? AT HOME!!!!

Fresh air and grass for Maggie, Nature for Me, a Playground for Nicholas.
That is a perfect day at the park. But the next time I am going to be better prepared!