Posted by Jai Narayan on May 15, 2004, at 20:34:14
In reply to Re: Seems swell to me! I'm in! :- ) (nm), posted by spoc on May 15, 2004, at 18:44:22
We just got back from the trip. We were away for 4days and 3 nights. I slept 2 hours a night and the rest of the time I was awake waiting for sleep. It was exhausting. I am so sick of being over tired, bitten by bugs, I fell down twice and bruised my knee and turned both of my ankles 1/2 dozen times, somehow I cut my tongue, I was climbing a rock and got stuck by a pointed branch (it got me in the tender area right above my belly button), I found a tick on me and god knows the tiny ticks might be there too, the one I found was huge....I have a wicked sunburn. I was totally burnt out today (this being the last day). I have bruises, bites and sun burn all over my body.
Other than that I had fun. Saw lots of birds, ate wonderful food and got to stay in exotic places. We came home and we're greeted by a huge storm front, lightening and rain.
It was 90 degrees at Plum Island where the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge resides and it has areas with boardwalks. We were walking around the boardwalks. The trees with the most flowers had bugs on them and the warblers were busy eating all the bugs. These birds in person are soooooo beautiful! Their colors, stripes and shapes were so vivid and luscious. There were dozens of species of these birds: warblers, shore birds, wading birds, hawks and a barred owl.
The Barred Owl was a rather mystical experience. We were walking on a path from the pond at dusk on the Ipswich Wildlife Sanctuary. We were singing the song, "Under the pale moon light we danced, spirits dance we danced, holding hands we danced, singing souls rejoice".....we were singing this in a round. We had been singing "White Coral bells upon a slender stalk.....". Our voices where lovely and true. Then I felt some eyes on me. I turned and thought I saw a woman in feathers but I realized it was a mature Barred owl. The owl was not more than 20feet away and on a branch that was only 6 feet from the ground and it had just eaten and was rousing and cleaning it's foot.. The bird was so comfortable with us there. We sat down and watched. My honey was holding his heart. It brought tears to our eyes. The owl hung around and then soundlessly flew into the woods.
We went back to our cabin to a serenade by a Woodcock and it's mating dance. That took place in the dark so all we could do was listen to this wild calling and then the sound of wings as it launched it's self into the air up 30feet in the air and falls to the ground like a leaf....The woodcock it such a cool looking bird.
Okay enough but it was fun and so different. Yes I wish I had gotten some sleep, bitten a little less and stopped falling down so much but.....I did have a good time.
Thank you so much for the Jai day....You are the bestest....I am touched.
poster:Jai Narayan
thread:346871
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20040507/msgs/347249.html