Armadillos & Sandhill Cranes

I did get to Starkey Park on my bike this afternoon. I was fortunate to have a deer walk across the bike path, ever so slowly. The whitetails are much smaller here. The deer I saw today was probably no more than sixty pounds, but beautiful nonetheless. Then I saw a Curulean Warbler! What a brilliant sight he was, in his blue-green finery. I saw several other warblers but couldn't get close enough to I.D. Many, many Armadillos. I took this short clip of a larger Armadillo.

The temperature was in the sixties at the start of my ride, but in the fifties on my return. I don't know if my skin is sunburned, wind-burned, or frostbit! I was in shorts the entire time.

On the ride back I saw a man entering the bike path from a nearby parking lot. He had a small Cairn Terrier with him on a leash. The little dog had a choke collar on. I witnessed this man swing the dog by the neck like a rag doll. The dog swung out ahead of the man, then to the ground. The man then noticed me, and pretended to give a rat's ass about the dog. I was livid. The man's girlfriend then emerged, and I wondered if she had any idea what a creep her boyfriend was. I wanted to turn around and tell her, but I restrained myself.

I collected my thoughts and continued along my way. As I got closer to the park entrance I found a pair of Sandhill Cranes relaxing. One was resting on its heels! Quite amusing really.