It's Official: I'm Old

Empty Feeder
Originally uploaded by Darrell

I told my wife yesterday I may be mere weeks away from wearing high black socks and loafers with plaid shorts. It could happen. The symptoms are there and the signs are strong. You see, I have become fascinated with sitting on my patio and watching my bird feeders.
Impulsively, I bought two feeders and some bird seed. I hung them up in a couple of trees in the back yard. I had no idea how fast the little feathery gluttons would blow through my offering. The feeder pictured here was full less than 24 hours ago. I'm climbing a step ladder every evening to fill it.
While the evening weather is still mild, I find myself sitting under the ceiling fan and for hours just watching whatever flies by: blackbirds, purple martins, cardinals, finches, doves...the occasional crow. It's a jungle out there!
The best part is, the burgeoning bird population keeps our dog endlessly entertained. She stalks them, chases them and never catches them. (After all, they can fly!)
Oh, and I haven't mentioned that I planted tomatoes and bell peppers. If the birds don't eat them, I should have a nice summer of fresh vegetables.
Tomorrow, I'm thinking of driving to work with my left blinker on the whole way.

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Swamp in the City

Structure in the Swamp
Originally uploaded by Darrell

This little patch of swamp is in the city limits, believe it or not. A well-traveled highway runs right past it. I've passed by it no less than fifty times in the last year, and I've always wondered about it.
What is that little decaying building? It looks like an outhouse. There's an abundance of wildlife there, too. Birds of all colors and sizes, aquatic life and more than a few reptiles.
Traffic is so fast as it zooms by, I suspect few people take the time to stop and look at everything that's going on. I know I induced a couple of double-takes as I pulled off to the shoulder of the road to squeeze off a few frames.
There's a major body of water just on the other side of a levee which has created this little slice of city swamp, so it's not a surprise that it's full of life. It just seems completely out of place, like a puzzle piece forced into the wrong spot.
I hope people keep zipping by so this little dot of wetlands remains undisturbed. Here are a couple more photos.

You would never know that five feet behind me, cars and 18-wheelers were rumbling by at 50 mph. Maybe that's why nobody else stops. They're not stupid enough to put their lives at risk for a silly picture.

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