The Continuing Adventures of Jud

So... I'm driving my boat up and down Pepper Creek today, minding my own business, doing my job; hot, very hot, no air movement at all, no signs of life anywhere along the creek, only two or three turtles even, and suddenly this thing lands on my mic support. Like inches from my face. And hands. And just stays there. Like minutes. I finally pulled out the camera.

Labels: Boat ride, Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park, Jud, Pepper Creek

On June 26, in the Children's Education Center building, that once was the main entrance to the Homosassa Springs, Master Bee Keeper Melody Tayler presented a fascinating and thorough introduction to the honey bee, and bee keeping. Her knowledge and enthusiasm animated her presentation and she handled the many questions with aplumb! I had a great time!

As I headed over to the site for the 1pm talk, I grabbed a shot of this wood duck. Appears to be a new one?


And up onto the overlook for a view out to the Homosassa River on this beautiful day!


At just before 1, I headed in for the show.

Melody started with the anatomy of the honey bee: four wings! With velcro! Makes it easier to fold them when grounded.


Melody also explained the various parts and functions and care of the parts of a hive as used by bee-keepers.



All in all, at the end of the hour, many of us were still getting more details, which she happily supplied. She knew her stuff! And... she had the shoes for it!


On the way out, I dropped by to see Lu, who was napping, and the gators...

Labels: bee keeping, Bees, gators, Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park, Honey bee, HSWLSP, Jud, Melody Taylor, Wood Duck

Got up just in time to video sunrise on the summer solstice from my back porch. Will complete this video in 6 months...


And nine minutes of highlights from my 45 minute Osprey nest video:

The day started when I stepped out to my car and startled my yard bunny, 2014 edition. He ran off to the other side of the yard. When I pulled over there to load one of my van tires into my car, another story, he stopped in a little cleared section and sat there till I got these two shots, then moved on again.

[As always, left click and "open in new tab" for full size image.]



I had the 10 am boat and it was just beautiful out on Pepper Creek.


On the first run, a passenger spotted a wild gator just before the west dock. He lives under the dock and had come out for some sun about 20 yards up the creek from the dock.


On a later return trip, we spotted a great blue heron...


...and a white ibis.


After my driving duties were complete, I used the parks air compressor and was very pleased that my very distorted tire readily filled, regained its proper shape and held. I came home and quickly put it back on and jacked up the other side of the van and headed back to fill that one. Alas, it filled and shaped readily, but showed multiple pinhole leaks from the stressed sidewall.



I placed some blocking under the van and eased the jack off a bit.

I will see how it holds overnight and if it does, jack up the third and final bad tire and see how it fares, and if I will need to replace one or two tires at the used tire store to make the van movable. I need to move it from its present position to another location in the yard.

Labels: Alligator, great blue heron, Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park, ibis, Jud, Yard Bunny

On Tuesday 27 May, 2014, with special permission, I spent two hours out on Pepper Creek at the Ellie Schiller Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park in Homosassa Florida. I recorded about two hours of video of the Osprey nest that sits atop a tall pine tree on its namesake island in that creek. This is edited from that video.

This is a 45 minute video: for  impatient, or non-bird-watching folks, I suggest the first and final 5 minutes.

Labels: Bird watching, Florida, Florida Birding Trail, Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park, HSWLSP, Jud, Osprey, Pepper Creek