Post Three: Sky

    There's been lots of great skies in the past few days. Monday, about 30 minutes before the rain began the sky was a yellowish white color, really interesting. I guess that's because the clouds were covering it completely, and the setting sun was contributed the yellowness. The greenness of the plants was really acute too. I think that's just the way they are in May & June. It's a really special time.

 

I gotta stop shooting so many photos in portrait view

 

Cutting them into squares makes it a little better

     Sunday had good skies too. Not as unique as Monday, but more dynamic.The clouds were thin, like a stretched out cotton ball.

    On Sunday me & Joscelyn came across a pretty nice Cinelli that was just being used as somebody's commuter. In the moment I saw it I lamented that such a high performance Italian machine was being ridden around by someone who wraps their handlebars with electrical tape, but I no longer feel that way. I'm glad that it's being used, and it is kind of cool that a racing machine like this is being used as someone's commuter. It's like using a Porsche as one's only car. I just wish the handlebars were wrapped with actual bar tape. The electrical tape makes me feel like this person doesn't really care that much about the bike. Hopefully I'm wrong.

    I found a clearing in the woods the other day, which many had found before me. There is a unique comfort that can only be found in places like those. It was a place who demands to be returned to.

    Today I went out with no particular destination in mind, but ended up in Baker wetlands. That's the Delawarean in me I suppose, always called to the marshes. It rained a ton last night, I had to find a different way home because of this:

Normally that's all dry, or sometimes has a little puddle right under the bridge.

     There were parts of the path that were flooded too, one even had a fish swimming in it. I got to experience a low flyover by a small gaggle of Canada geese, that was neat. I also saw a family of ducks, but they were too far away for me too get a picture or discern what type of ducks they were. They disappeared into the bushes when I got closer. And there was a turtle just sitting on the path, probably terrified of the large ape right in front of it. I don't know what type of turtle it was. I'm sorry. A normal cast of wetland birds was seen too, red winged blackbird, great blue heron, brown thrasher, American robin, etc. No egrets today though. There were European starlings too. 

    The European starlings are beautiful, I like them, but I've read that they're having a negative effect on the purple martin population, and that's disappointing. Many purple martins, especially in the eastern US are now totally reliant on man made nesting structures, partially because of the European Starling. It isn't all because of the that though, long before the European starling came over Native Americans would put hollow gourds up near their fields so that the martins would nest in them and eat pests. They were already getting used to man-made nests. Competition with the European starlings, who also nest in cavities, just made them more dependent on humans. 

    Honestly though, while I do wish there were more purple martins, I don't think it's that big a deal. There are an adequate number of man made nesting structures for them now, and the purple martins aren't endangered or even vulnerable. The ones in the western US still don't need nests built for them. Sure, there's less purple martins than there used to be, but they definitely aren't going anywhere. The European starlings can stay.

     I also went to the East Hills Business park for some reason. I forget that thing exists sometimes. It isn't worth taking pictures of. Or actually it is, but I didn't take any today. It's just a business park. 

There was a fish in here, trust me, it was about 4 inches long

Geese!

Bye!

Post Two

   

    Friday seemed to last forever. It was the last day of high school. My analysis final was in the morning. I think it went okay. I went for a bike ride after, northwards. The wind was against me on the way out, but helped me out on the way back. I found a little trail that I didn't know existed, didn't go all the way down it. I might do that Friday or Thursday.

The dirt was really smooth

 

 

Later that day was the big philosophy club party at Joscelyn's house. I had so much fun there. It really was a special time, with such great friends.

Connor looking fresh

Meat time (Photo Credit: Hayden Bush)

    Hold on to summer as tightly as you can. Make it a great one.

Blog post one!

         Today in AP chem VBeck isn't here, it's ab day for him I guess. Joe gave me a fortune cookie yesterday: 

 

    The "Adventure can be a real happiness" one was prescient, adventuring is kind of my thing. I'm not sure about Driver, I guess that one will reveal itself as time marches on. I went on an adventure Sunday. I scorched around the wetlands & got a little dirty and gross. There wasn't anyone around due to the rain. That's the great thing about days with light rain, most people think they shouldn't go out because it's raining, but it really isn't that bad. Those who are brave enough get the bike paths to themselves.

     I donned a raincoat and clothes I was okay with muddying and embarked. (The small brown bike was my vehicle of choice, of course) It was around 11am. The other thing about riding in the rain is how easy skidding becomes, and how green everything looks. A spectacle of verdant fecundity, y'know?

I looked for fish, but didn't see any :(

Ye olde S.B.B.

    The bird blind in the above picture was neat, but I couldn't actually see many birds from it today. I did see what was probably a great egret, and some red wing blackbirds, that was about it. Red wing blackbirds are everywhere in Baker wetlands. They love it there. I also saw tree swallows, always a pleasant sight. They have beautiful teal plumage that shines and iridesces like labradorite . This pair let me get close enough to take a picture, but not a very good one. :/

It's like that Regina Spektor song!

    I won't be able to do much adventuring today, homework and work will keep me off the bike, but school is nearly over and then I'll have more than enough time to go exploring. I'll keep you all posted.