Forget about that. Here's a picture of a bird, a Great Blue Heron. They're very common and easy to photograph.
This heron is standing on top of a submerged tree trunk in the middle of Pelahatchie Bay where I happened to be on a warm, late afternoon last week. I was in my canoe with nothing in mind but getting out in the peaceful solitude. If you are a skilled canoeist, it can be the next best thing to swimming, and you can take beer with you, and a camera.
It's no secret I'm a bird lover. There is an island in the cove just west of our home, upon which a Purple Martin Gourd structure has been leaning, and finally falling into the water for the past few years. I summoned the help of Kyle and his friend Daniel, and we paddled over with shovel, digger, rope and concrete to try to salvage it from the water.
I had seen birds nesting in the gourds even as they were only a few feet above the surface.
We were successful. Martins were flying above and around the structure, and I saw two inside gourds and others perching on top.
While we worked, men nearby on a pier asked what we were up to, and one told us his father had put up the gourds over twenty years ago.
Next...touring cyclists in the house!
