He was owling when owling wasn't cool.

National Geographic.  Great Horned Owl.

He was having a hoo-down on our tow dolly in the dark part of this morning. I read that they're ventriloquists, but I'm no dummy: I heard him touch down on the dolly, and I heard him push off.  

Yesterday a Gila woodpecker got us out of bed at a reasonable hour by rapping on the Duck.  What's next, a bald eagle?

Anna Whack National Wildlife Refuge, Texas

Marshy Brady was the cute one.

We spent our first night on the prairie - WOWZERS can it storm here!  The volunteers here agreed that it was scarypants last night, which made me feel less like a pansy.  Everyone considered running for the community center except for those newcomers who didn't know about a community center.

We hold no grudges agains the Prairie, though, because it's awesome here.  And, if you're sick and tired of Judy's crisp, breathtaking, professional-grade wildlife photography, boy howdy! have you come to the right blog.

We rolled in yesterday, and Judy had a spot picked out for us.  We have a front-row view of the horizon.  I love horizons.

Solstice Sun.  

Judy, Emma and their rig.  Does the motorhome have a name, Judy?

Crawfish nest?  The heck, Texas?

Two of us are not Judy.  None of us are Emma.

Prairie seashell.  I blame Ike.

I took this picture!  I'm so proud, and I hope you see this one before you see Judy's.

Snow Geese and the Seven Other Geese

The rarely-captured Blogger

Her Weapon of Choice

This?  Not a toilet.

Safety First:  only look at the sun when reflected in a marsh.

She aims!  She shoots!  She SCORES!

We got to see some parts of Anahuac (ANa whack) National Wildlife Refuge that are only open to staff and volunteers.  Cool!   Judy knows every bird who has ever napped, snapped, or flapped on the Refuge.

Galveston Bay

Judy invited us to stay on for Christmas dinner, and we accepted with grateful hearts and drooly mouths.

Daisy leis

I was Miss Roxanne-ed in the doctor's office this morning. It's Fried Green Tomatoes here every day.

I can tell you, now that we've been allowed to leave the county, that we stayed at Country Inn and Suites in Seffner, and it was the best hotel experience we've ever had. AARP discount, and it just got better from there. Walking distance to the Lazy Days classroom and to food. Free full breakfast in the morning and COOKIES at night. Fresh coffee or tea all day long. Very comfortable, and very quiet.

Roxanne, you scold, why didn't you just take the Duck down and park in their campground? Oh, way to rock the disapproval. The hotel cost $60/night, and the campground $33. We would have spent $200 in gas for the trip, and Annie would have sailor-talked all the way through Tampa on I-275.

On the other hand, we were free to go here before check-in:

Clearwater Beach

sand dollar

shell phone

Why I oughta...

nyuk! nyuk! nyuk!

A wonderful bird is the pelican;
his beak can hold more than his belican.
He can take in his beak
food enough for a week.
But I'm damned if I see how the helican.
~not Ogden Nash, 1910

Man who gets trapped by his own net is in seine.  

Holes!  Current!  Rocks!  Stop - you had me at NING