New Hobby

Our newest hobby is RC cars. Bill helped to begin a new club here at OTOW and after just a month we have 24 members. Great fun!

This is one of our cars in action on the grass course. Plans are in the making to build a new course with jumps, a drivers stand, spectator area, etc. On Sunday after the weekly races, we gathered here for a hot dog bash to celebrate the club's successful beginnings. Bill grilled hot dogs and made delicious baked beans. Everyone brought a side dish or dessert. So much good food and great friends! We had a wonderful time!

There was plenty of room once I packed up my sewing area.

Here we are!

I thought this was a great picture to compare the size of a Downy Woodpecker (left) and a Red-bellied Woodpecker. The Red-bellied looks a little shaggy. Both birds are regulars at our feeders.

This is an uncommon bird!

I'm sure it was photographing our RC car races!

We've been lucky to have Ruby-throated Hummingbirds this year.

The American Goldfinches are FINALLY yellow! Up until now they have been dull greenish-yellow. They've been at our feeders for a couple of months in large numbers - but most have now moved on.

Our Great-crested Flycatchers are still in the neighborhood.

We took the feeders down yesterday as we prepare for our annual journey back to Colorado for the summer. We've had several birds today looking for them. Sad. I feel guilty but there is plenty of other food available.

This is a quilt I made for my daughter Pamela. She should get it in the mail tomorrow.

Dyeing with my sister

I just got back from a wonderful visit with my sister, Beth, in Kure Beach, NC.  Beth is a dyer and we spent the day Thursday with one of her friends, Dianne, learning some techniques.

Beth describes the process better than I could on her blog at  http://quilterb-bethsblog.blogspot.com/ The blue in the upper left corner mixed with the first yellow equals the first green in the second row. The middle blue in the first row mixed with the pink in the upper right equals the first purple in the forth row and so on.

These are the gradations I did - the first in blue and the second in yellow.

These trays are full of white ready-to-dye (RTD) cotton with leftover dyes poured over them.

Beth has two cats. Here we put the empty kitty litter buckets to great use!

Dianne and Beth showing off their dyed arms. We all wore rubber gloves but still managed to look black and blue when we were done.

We also managed to get some birding in while I was there. Beth had seen a young Great-Horned Owl a day before I arrived so we went back to where it was spotted.

I know, lousy picture but it was the best I could do. This is a beautiful Prothonotary Warbler.

I've shown lots of pictures of the Fox Squirrels we have here in Florida - but this adorable creature is a North Carolina Fox Squirrel. I love his white face and ears!

Our mission to see the baby Great-horned Owl was successful! He was a huge ball of fuzz.

Beth heard there were Painted Buntings at one of the parks. The Boy Scouts have put up a feeder and, sure enough, on our second trip we found this beautiful bird. He looks like he was designed and painted by kindergarten children with his gorgeous primary colors.

He posed for some time while we took pictures. This was a life bird for Beth as was the owl.

 Back in Ocala, there are signs that it is time for Bill and me to head north - back to Colorado Springs. The Swallow-tailed Kites signal the arrival of warmer weather.

Although not a life bird, this Great-crested Flycatcher is a first for our yard. He's been hanging around with a friend for over a week but this is the first I've been able to get a picture.

Our Last Week in Florida

I sure am going to miss these cute little guys when we leave later this week to return to Colorado!

Birding has been good the last week as the summer birds return.

These are the first Eastern Kingbirds I've ever seen in the back. We see them everyday now.

Eastern Kingbird sitting atop a thistle and hiding behind the growing wildflowers and weeds.

A small flock was migrating through on Easter morning with several Blue Grosbeaks. Delightful eye candy!

They were pretty far out in the back.

The Savannah Sparrows are regular visitors.

Another not-so-regular visitor is this Great-crested Flycatcher.

Ah-h-h. Aren't my love birds cute? Don't you just wonder what they are saying to each other?

Wood Duck Drive of Emeralda Marsh with the OTOW Unique Birders

The OTOW Unique Birding Club gathered bright and early at the Health and Recreation building for the hour plus long caravan to Emeralda Marsh and Wood Duck Drive.

We stopped several times along the drive - but since it was a narrow one-way road, we couldn't always stay as long as we liked because some less relaxed drivers wanted to get moving. They must not have been retired. This is a Limpkin and he was keeping company with a couple of White Ibis.

I still can't resist taking pictures of every Great Blue Heron I see. They are so beautiful.

An Eastern Water Snake decided to cross the path at the same time we were walking. I don't know who was more startled - the snake or the birder who almost stepped on him!

It will take about a year for this immature White Ibis to turn white.

Many of the herons and ibises were starting to get their breeding feathers. This Great Egret was pruning his new feathers.

An especially pretty Glossy Ibis - look at the colors!

Even the adult Pied-billed Grebe look like babies. They are so cute.

An Eastern Phoebe in a tree near the observation tower.

I was so busy looking at the Phoebe that I almost missed a Great-crested Flycatcher sitting in the same tree. This picture was taken earlier but I am including it here again because it is a much better shot than the one I took yesterday.

There were just a few Tree Swallows flying overhead.

This was the prettiest stop along the road - and we were able to pull off to let people pass. There were lots and lots of Coots and Common Moorhens swimming around, as well as herons, ibises and egrets.

Off in the distance, one of the more experienced birders spotted these Ring-necked Ducks. The rings on their necks are purplish - and not anywhere as easily seen as the ring around their bills.

They have very distinctive coloring and are easily identified.

Look at the nice long tail on this Boat-tailed Grackle.

Another Glossy Ibis showing the first signs of his mating colors.

I wish I could have gotten a picture of the Common Snipe in the scope - he was great! Other birds we spotted included: House Wren, Cardinal, Red-winged Blackbird, Tri-colored Heron, Sandhill Crane, Cattle Egret, Bald Eagle, Snowy Egret, Vultures, Sparrows - and more!

After a full morning, we gathered at the Main Street Diner in Leesburg for a delicious lunch and fellowship. Bill and I had to depart promptly after eating for the long drive down to Fort Myers where we are visiting with good friends Wendy and Larry.

Four Years and Counting

Today is our fourth wedding anniversary. It's been 4 years since Bill and I slipped away to Las Vegas and had "Marrying Marion," the notary at the courthouse, say the words that made us man and wife. (I made her leave out the part about "obeying") It's been - and continues to be - a great adventure. I am so lucky.

We did a little more exploring this week and found a nice hiking trail just a few miles from OTOW at the Ross Prairie State Forest. The main hiking trail is a loop deep into the woods and around a large dried-up lake bed. Other equestrian trails go even deeper into the forest - but they are all sand which makes walking difficult.

We heard this Great-crested Flycatcher long before we saw him. We hunted in the trees for about 20 minutes before spotting him. We also saw a pair of Carolina Chickadees, lots of Cardinals, some tiny birds that we have not yet identified (or photographed) and a Scrub Jay. Good hike.

These are Cattle Egret and it's obvious how they got their name. They hang around cattle and eat the bugs that the cows attract. Look closely and you can see this time of year, the birds have pink on their heads and body. Love is in the air!

Our next store neighbors, Richard and Olivia, came over for wine and cheese the other evening. We had a good time visiting and getting to know them better. Like us, they are snowbirds and will head back to their summer home in Canada this coming weekend - the same time we leave.

As you can see, they are a spirited couple - which we found to be even truer the next night when we attended the OTOW Happy Hour. Olivia likes to dance and Richard couldn't get her off the dance floor. Hard to believe she is in her 70's isn't it? Bill and I danced our share - and will take some classes in the Fall so we can dance even more. Line dancing seems to be very popular at the regular Friday and Saturday night get-togethers.

Last evening we had more neighbors over for wine and munchies - Anne and Sal from across the street. Bill and Marilyn popped in later and we had such a good time talking and laughing that I forgot to take pictures.

This community is very active - and social and we are loving it! But it's time to turn our thoughts - and car - back to Colorado. I'm looking forward to seeing family and friends - Nancy & Joe at Einsteins and the girls at Bunko. Our yard, ponds and gardens are calling us so this weekend we will close up our little Ocala home and head west to the Rocky Mountains.