Spring burning

Guys love to burn things so a few weeks ago Josh got out the fire starter and burned various plants in my butterfly garden.

Less than two weeks later, almost everything has popped up and there is no evidence of the burning.

Trail Trees

The Flagstaff trails offer a variety of sights: birds, deer, squirrels, horned frogs, distant vistas and numerous trees. Old, broken oaks seem to end up looking the most interesting.

This old cedar is on the Fat Man's Loop and looked just like this when I first hiked the trail in 1989. Many hands touch the branch that is about chest high which is why it's smooth.

The opposite side

Flagstaff

Looking up from the start of the Sandy Seep Trail

Josh and I visited Flagstaff last week--our home for 17 years. I hiked up the Sandy Seep Trail, then over to the Fat Man's Loop and up Mt. Eldon a bit--not too far since the snow was packed and slippery.

A sign on the Fat Man's Loop. I went up (to the right)

The Loop isn't hard, but it is steep.

A view to the north from the highest part of the Loop. The Painted Desert is in the distance.



Looking up a Ponderosa




Back to the trailhead--a round trip of about 9 miles.



Douglas State Lake

Hank and I ran ten miles today and at one point stopped on the dam of Douglas Co. State Lake. There was not a hint of wind and it was unusally warm for a winter day in Baldwin.

Snow Birds

We had a small dusting of snow last night. These jays decided to take over the large feeder.

Note the female cardinal, upper left. The jays know she's there.

A tussle ensues with a male cardinal and a few annoying sparrows.

The jays got the upper hand.

Several cardinals decided to visit the other yard feeders instead.

Meanwhile, Draco the Dragon basks indoors under his nice warm light.

Oklahoma Aquarium

We visited the Oklahoma Aquarium in Tulsa this week. I took a lot of shots--the fish, crustaceans, and other creatures in the aquarium--including river otters and beavers, are quite photogenic.

Ari sits in a tunnel surrounded by bull sharks. And they really are right in front and on top of viewers. If you like bull sharks, this is the place for you.

Bird Nests

 Late fall is a great time to look for birds' nests. When the leaves are gone, many nests are easy to spot. I saw these (in maple, cedar, and pear trees, in a rose-of sharon bush, and on top of a lattice) on my run around Baldwin today. This week I plan to explore the local woods and see what else I can locate.