A weekend of gardening and birding

This weekend went by quickly.  It was nice and we took full advantage of it.

Saturday was the day for gardening.  We did more preparation work in our small backyard.  We're expanding our garden this year.  It's amazing how much a person can plant in a small space if done correctly.  What do you prefer to have? A lawn to mow every weekend or a vegetable garden for fresh produce?

This basket of vegetables is from our garden, but from a previous year.  We'd like to enjoy the same fresh and tasty vegetables this year too.

If seems like we got a head start this year.  The secret? We follow our own advice from our gardening blog.  Here is the post for you too gardening activities in winter.  It felt good to see the fruit tree nicely pruned, the tools ready and clean, vegetables already germinating from early seeding inside the house... you just need to read the article to see what I'm talking about.  Debbie came up with a new design idea for the enlarged garden.

After the gardening work on Saturday, we grilled and sat outside to enjoy the rest of the day.  Yes, we had a few well deserved drinks too...in moderation.   

Sunday.  Later on in the day, we went out to the Bond Swamp for a two-hour birdwatching. 
We love the Bond Swamp because it always so quiet out there.  As usual, we were the only people there, which is quite alright with us.  The birds were quite active.  We saw a good variety of Woodpeckers, from the Pileated to the Yellow Bellied Sapsuckers.  Also a fair amount of Song Birds.  We appreciated them all. 

Birding is such a relaxing hobby.  We love it, and we're getting better at it too.  I have an ebook on my outdoors blog to get anyone started in birdwatching.  You can check it out if you want.  It cost about the same as a 6-pack of beer (yes, I'm selling it), and here is the link: getting into birding.  Maybe we'll go out birding together one day...and you'll be prepared.

Back to the woods.  It was amazing to see how the trees started having buds, and some are having new leaves already.  We even saw a few butterflies.  I picked up a book at the book fair on butterflies this Friday for a dollar.  (There is a book fair once a year in Macon by the "friends of the library" where you can get books from 50 cents to a couple of dollars for most of the books).  Maybe I can identify these butterflies next time I see them.  They come to the gardens at the house too.  We'll see how that goes.

This is picture from the Bond Swamp, but from a previous visit.



Kelly came over in the afternoon and we set up on the back deck for some pleasant and relaxing time together.  It was simple but nice.  Debbie took some plants and flowers out of the sunroom to the deck, and we good some music going, some snacks, a card game... I wish you were closer, you could have joined us.

Did you watch the Oscars? Well, we watched most of it.  It was getting too long, as usual. 

Ok, that's it for now.  I hope your weekend was good too.

Our first camping trip of the year.

Our first camping trip of the year came earlier than expected. We're in February and it feels like we're having an early spring. Such a nice weather for a winter month. Just what we've been waiting for, the first opportunity to go camping.

Off we go...to the Oconee National Forest where you can enjoy a weekend of relaxing camping in the woods. All by yourselves.

We were totally set up within an hour and half from the time we reached our location; tent, dining/sitting tent, bathroom, chairs and tables...everything around well organized. Then we sat down to relax. And it hit us. Oh gosh! that quiet, that peace and serenity that keeps bringing us back.
All we could hear were the birds around us. As usual, some were singing, and some were just playing, chasing each other around like kids do.

We did have a visitor. We heard it (him, her?) walking loudly on the dead leaves, going through the woods around our camping site. We wondered what it was. A deer, a bear, a bobcat? Maybe a coyote?  This could be a good story to share: there we were, in the huge Oconee Forest, minding our own business, then came this big bear walking behind our camping site with his cub.  He wasn't afraid of us.  So we approached them both.  The cub was a little shy.  We made friends and they came back that evening to enjoy the camp fire with us...   Oh no, it was just an Armadillo! No interesting bear, not even a deer.  And there I was, hoping for an interesting encounter.  

At least he did his routine at daylight on our first day of camping.  Every evening since then, this armadillo will make his round shortly after dark.  Maybe he didn't want his picture taken again.  Can you see him in this picture? Not very photogenic.

Besides the armadillo, we did hear a pack of Wild Turkeys going through the woods almost every day we were there.  They came very close to our camp the first day.  We thought we could see them, but nada.

Then comes the nightfall.  Glorious night! Lift up your head and look at the starry night.  Even with a full moon, the sky was lit with bright stars.  We tried to remember the different constellations.  We need to brush up on that.  We were almost directly under the Orion Belt. 

Beautiful campfire, quiet night, full of stars...what else do you need to enjoy camping?  We even had some Earl Grey tea that first evening.  Just to warm ourselves up.  The nights were cool.  The Whip-poor-wills and Chuck-will's-widows have gone to South America for the winter (these are nightjar birds).  We did hear the Great Horned Owl hooting in the middle of the night.  Always nice to hear the owls. 

We've been at this site before and birds came to visit all the day long.  This time, we really noticed less activities.  So we went out in the forest birdwatching.  No trails.  And, of course, we were rewarded.  People draw pretty bird pictures in bird books, but birds are actually prettier in real life.  When we see them with your binoculars, you'll start to really appreciate their beauty... especially now with their bright colors.

We've identified over 36 bird species and our favorites on this trip were the White-breasted Nuthatches.  Our most frequent visitors were the Eastern Towhees.  They were the first to call out and sing first thing in the morning, and they were the last to retire for the night.  The largest group was the Red headed Woodpeckers.

We spent three nights in the woods and thoroughly enjoyed it, but we were happy to be back home too.  We thought of those you could have been here with us, and we missed them.  Hopefully, next time.

Birding at Rum Creek M.A.R.S.H. Project

We went birding at the the Rum Creek MARSH project this past weekend. We were actually going to Lake Juliette when we decided to stop by this place we kept passing by in the past.

If you're a birder, you know when you strike gold. Just like seeing the Scissor Flycatchers in the Ozarks, AK last year. This place is so unpretentious you wouldn't realize it's so rich with waterfowl. You can easily pass it by without noticing.

The sign simply says "wildlife viewing area".  Located on the left before the turn to Lake Juliette.  The gate is closed and you just park by the side of the road and walk by the large pond, more like a small lake.

Before getting far, all the ducks took off in a startling manner. Wow! So many. Fortunately, they landed further in the middle of the lake. And...

...there they were. Probably 40 ducks. Hooded Mergansers, Green-Winged Teals, Buffleheads, Redheads, Lesser Scaups, Pied-billed Grebes, Canvasbacks. There several of each species. It was fun to watch them dive in the water for food, interact with each other, and move from one part of the lake to the other.

You'll get to see other birds as well. We saw some pretty Pine Warblers, and some cute Golden Kinglets. There were various Woodpeckers too (Red Bellied, Downy, and Red Headed).

Why do we get excited about seeing these waterfowl? They're usually not from our area. They've migrated from way up North and Canada for the winter and they're going back. So, we couldn't see them when it's nice and warm outside. They're on vacation, chilling here till it gets warm again. And they're happy to see some Southerners too. Maybe, that's why they were quacking so loud.

The year in review

Another year is over. Not so eventful, right? Think again.

Sure, my life hasn't been very eventful this past year. A lot was happening every place else.

I'll start with ...me. Aaaaargh! still on a tight budget...and it's all my fault. Andre, admit it. You could have worked harder, burn the midnight candle and get that new business off the ground like you know how. I know you try and try and try some more BUT when the results are not there, then it's not good enough. And you don't have enough to show for it! And you know it! This is not a game! Andre, it's a life you're living, so...push the envelop in 2011. Got it?
That's me talking to myself and slapping myself over the head. Why?

Because I've reached most of my goals except my financial ones. I just wanna be debt free, that's all. It wasn't that bad though. I was just as happy as the year before, and the year before that. Happiness is an inside job. And you can find it anywhere, anytime. It doesn't have to be as drastic as in the movie "Life is beautiful" with Roberto Benigni...

...Just imagine the 33 Chilean miners getting rescued after 69 days underground. Do you think Prince William and Kate Middleton were any happier than the miners even though it was royalty getting engaged, compared to poor miners in Chile getting out of a hole? Or do you think these guys were any happier than Debbie and me camping at Oconee National Forest after we just spotted two birds we've never seen before...and now, it's late afternoon, and we're eating crackers with homemade paté for snack and sipping on our favorite Merlot? It's hard to say who was happier. All I know is, I was happy! again and again...with the kids, working, birding, camping, relaxing, writing, learning.

It's strange how the year went. A real good thing happens, followed by a not-so-good event. Or vice versa. Sarah Shourd, one of the three US hikers, got released last year. Good. But what about her two friends still in an Iranian jail? No one is even talking about them anymore.

Chile gets hits by a horrible earthquake and shows great logistic prowess and rebuilds quickly. And then they got hit again (with Argentina) just a couple of days ago by another big earthquake. Well, they'll recover. Brazil elects their first female president with a peaceful and democratic transfer of power. Good progress, and yet still today, other leaders refuse to yield power after loosing elections (Ivory Coast for instance).

Remember the big oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico with the "Deepwater Horizon" offshore oil rig? Well, we all thought how horrendous that was going to be on the wildlife in the area. And it turned out not to be as bad as feared. Sometimes we do worry about things that never happens (the oil spill was still bad, and irresponsible). I was thinking about other near misses we had last year i.e. North Korea and the South almost going to war, the near collapse of our financial system...

Talking about near collapse of financial system, I'd said this is the worse recession I've ever witnessed. I know I haven't been around that long, but still. Sure, I saw the impact on people who use to work for me that I had to let go, and they still calling me for work...but then the brokers (mortgage and real estate) going out of business, and then banks going out of business, large corporations going out of business, then cities and counties going bankrupt, and countries going out of business, bankrupt (what do you think happened in Iceland?), even European countries , members of the European Community, having to be bailed out (yes, because they were bankrupt! can't pay their bills). I'm referring to Greece and Ireland this time, and more to follow. Things are also getting better. 2011 will be better for lots of reasons. Keep reading.

The Euro survived, we're experiencing a modest growth that will continue, we responded quickly and saved our core financial system, and overall we remained the only Superpower in the world with the largest economy. Our 15 Trillion Dollar economy is three times as large as China's, just to give you an idea. And we've started leading again with the Dollar remaining the World Exchange Currency. Other countries keep doing good and South Africa just got added to the BRIC group of emerging economies (BRIC: Brazil, Russia, Indian, China), now BRICS.

Some quick personal notes in this year review. My daughter Leah started college and just got her first car! Kelly went to France and visited my brother Eli and his family all by herself. Debbie and I went to Arkansas with Connie and Duane, and we had a lot of fun.

It's rewarding when you put efforts into something you want to do, and then you make it happen. That's how I felt when Debbie and I renovated our sun room ourselves and decorated it nicely. Just paint, caulking, time and elbow grease. Now, we're spending time there watching birds in the backyard. Cozy and warm. Same thing when I got a trophy at the last Taekwondo tournament and later my 3rd Dan for black belt. Yeah!

There is so much more I want to write about but I'm concerned people will be in a hurry to go back to their computer games and Facebook and not read the whole thing. Tell the truth. Ok, I'll skip the World Cup, the blizzards that shut down European airports and stranded travelers just before the holidays, I'll even skip our road trips down to Florida for camping because it was too cold here in Georgia. I skipped even that! with all the interesting things that happened because I just want you to read this.

Now, I need you to do me a big favor. If you read this post all the way to the end, make a comment just to say "I read the whole darn thing". I just need to know if I need to make next year's review shorter or not.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Merry Christmas to everyone

Merry Christmas to everyone.
I hope this holiday season is a peaceful and pleasant for you and your loved ones.
Enjoy this video clip.

Testing for 3rd degree black belt

Finally, I've tested for my 3rd Dan (degree) this past week end.
In our Taekwondo school, a student needs to test two times for his or her 1st degree through 5th degree black belt. This was my 2nd testing. I'm glad it's over with.

If you ever wanted to learn a great martial art like Taekwondo with some of the devastating techniques they don't even teach in traditional TKD school, then check out this site:

Taekwondo lessons and self defense.

It all went well. As usual, the packed room at the beginning looks almost empty by the time I do the more interesting parts of my testing i.e. self-defense demonstration, my form (Kae Baek), and free sparring with other black belts. People can leave after their test and, except for the board breaking, the higher belt goes last.

It's fun to practice martial arts. It keeps you in shape and help keep a little competitive spirit. By sparring with people 10 years younger than yourself, you feel younger too.
It's nice to see a lot of people start kaekwondo at our school. Most people never reach the black belt level, and more people quit after getting their first degree black belt. I was pleased to stay with it this long (almost 8 years) to get my 3rd degree. I practiced Judo for 10 years so I feel well rounded now.

Sure, I've practiced in Dojos, and TKD schools, but today, a person can learn how to defend himself (or herself) with step by step techniques.  If you're interested you can find out some of the techniques in this tutorial program:

taekwondo techniques and self defense. Click on the link.

Camping at St. Andrews SP

Camping on Thanksgiving??? Why not?  Isn't Thanksgiving a family time? Well, it could be ... a time to give thanks...while spending time with family. (Kelly and Leah were in Pittsburgh visiting with their Grandmother). What if you could go camping (something you like to do very much), with some family members, give thanks while you're there, and (yes!) play some games of Rook at the same time?...and do some birdwatching. I know, you'll pack up and go too. All you need is gas money. You already have the rest.

That sounds like a perfect idea to me. And that's what we did this past Thanksgiving holiday. Oh, the place was full of campers. They all brought their families too. Except for our next door camper from Canada. We invited him over one night to join us at the camp fire. Nice fellow. He was travelling back from the Florida Keys all the the way back to Canada after been in Cuba. Sounds like fun.
If you didn't know where St. Andrews State Park is, I'll tell you. In the Florida Panhandle. Why go all the way there? Because that's where it's warm. And it's cold in Georgia. Except for one windy and rainy night, the weather has been nice. We even went to the beach where people were thoroughly enjoying themselves.

You can read about the windy night and other detail on the camping at www.outdoorstentcamping.com.

St. Andrews is a State Park so we had water and electricity at our site. Nice. This park is big with a Lagoon (looks like a lake to me), a nature trail, a the beach area, a fishing pier, and other things too.

The nature trail was great. It runs right by the lake; so you could see waterfowl birds, wading and diving birds, and Passerines. Out of 45 different birds we've identified, we've seen 7 new birds. We're birders, remember? We've seen fewer new birds this time because we've been at Grayton Beach not too long ago. Both parks are in the same general area.

Having Connie and Duane during this camping trip was just great. They're family (Thanksgiving!) and they're great people to spend time with. They're sweet and if you meet them, you'll just love them. They're good Rook players too.

Our camp site was just by the lake. We got a great view with all the birds' activities and big fishes jumping out of the water.
I'm always surprised when we come back from camping about how we can have so much fun and spend so little money. I guess it's a state of mind. The "happy state of mind". Life is short, don't sweat the small stuff. Enjoy it.

We've seen some very unique things on this camping trip.  For the first time in my life I saw 3 big bucks (male deer) together.  One was a 12 pointer, the next was a 12, and the 3rd one has 8 points. (Maybe they were on their family Thanksgiving get-together too). How did I count the points on their horns?  They just stood there starring at me. I used my binoculars to make sure I counted right. Then I saw them again, a little later.  This time Duane, Debbie and Connie were there too.  Boy, Duane got excited. He wished James and Carey were there.  

We went to the pier by the beach.  A handful of people were fishing. It was like fishing in a barrel.  They cast their line, pull it right back up, a fish. Then another one, and another one.  I stood beside a teenager and when he casted his line, he pulled it right back up, a fish was hooked by his dorsal fin!!! just run into the line I guess. All these people were just throwing the fish back in the water.  And there comes one of the raccoons hanging around for easy meal. Some of the fishes were getting stranded in the rocks.  That's what the raccoons were going for.

One of the raccoons wanted to try Debbie's shoes on while Debbie was dipping her feet in the water at the beach.  (The pier separated the beach from the lagoon.) We saw him on time and chased him away.  But then...sorry I can't tell you all.  You just have to go camp and taste the fun by yourself.