Full Moon On the Sabine

Saturday Morning, 0530 found me waking to a full moon. I was pretty sure all the animals would be out and about. I was looking forward to a full day and a full flash card on the canon.
I wasn't disappointed. As I got my camera gear and mosquito food (me) ready for a walk, the local Red tail hawk felt it was necessary to tell everyone I was there. That Red Tailed Hawk roosts well below the canopy of trees that cover the old railroad bed. He started his whistling as soon as I went through the gate.

The volunteers at this refuge work really hard to make it a great experience for all.  It looks as though they may be getting ready for another water feature. The observation deck has been erected and will be enjoyed by all.

I'll share a few shots with you. I usually hike past the new bridge that was recently installed towards the river. Initially I referred to it as the wandering bridge. I think it has found a home for a long time.

Mornings on the Sabine are always beautiful.

I can never walk past a posing dragon fly

 

It is a little hazy this AM, but not bad.

One of the crossings that I look at every time I pass this way was really busy with indigenous creatures as well as visitors.

A resident of the park later in the day

 

 

 

carry out.....doggie bag.....

A member of the Heron Family. Saturday morning I was set to take more pictures of one of the gators eating another turtle. I was not prepared  to see the gator eat one of the resident herons. Sorry, no pictures. I was not fast enough. The heron was on same limb as this one Saturday. I also went back Sunday in hopes of catching a repeat breakfast selection. Sunday morning was a bit different. The gator spent his time watching me watch him.

 

 

 Perch for bk'fast hmmmm!

 

 

 

 

I guess all the Lilly pads were taken

A Humming bird in the wild is pretty hard to catch setting down

I'll try to post more this week

Feeding day at the park

Buck with velvet on horns

Gator followed me around the pond. Thought maybe there was a nest.

Largest one of three.

Gator "locked on"   to Turtle

I has camera set to slow burst, so I missed the arial event as gator came down on turtle.

th struggle for food

As shell and cartledge seperated. I heard the crunching a hundred feet from the event.
The turtle weighed at least 25 lbs but was no match for the jaws of the gator.

While waiting for the gates to be opened, I shot at some stars.

Sure are a lot of lights up there

On the shy side of 40 degrees the ground fog was coating everything with frost

I don't know what the dew point was but when I exhaled while looking through the viewfinder, I fogged the lens and monitor screen big time

As the Sun shown throeugh the frost

Some of the terrain was not great for hiking.

Talking wires. Makes one to ponder the messages sent on these wires.
Congratulations you have a Grandson.
War has been declared
A Peace Treaty was signed with the Axis powers.
Even in this age of wireless communication, brass pounding telegraphy and carbon filled microphones still capture a certain aura of  magic. It will always be that way until this generation is gone.

The drought  has came to the preserve

 

Fall is just around the next turn

Always a neat place to start the next day of one's life

At times the silence was complete. As the sun rose above the preserve, the noise was like a tide in the ocean, It was like Mother nature would hold her breath and listen. I found myself listening to the leaves falling from the trees.  

Lichen

Awesome colors this morning

This 55 gallon drum won't hold 55 gallons anymore. Mother Nature is reclaiming the components of the barrel little by little.

More of Mother Nature's reclamation process.
No flossing here.

This looks like some very hot metal was hogged or scored from a wheel bearing. Possibly a hot box on the train that traveled these tracks.When a bearing would seize up on a train axle, the wheel would lock up in some cases and slide on the rail causing a shower of sparks. This was a source of sparks that started many grass fires along the railroads.

Neutra looking for the water