Life in the Bristolwood

It would seem that no matter how early I arise, there still are never enough hours in the day! And, if I could capture the hours and use them as I see fit, well….I would be off with my camera, filling the SD card until it cried, “uncle”!

We had planned to run out to the city this afternoon, so while Mark worked for awhile with our friend, Pastor Bert, I wandered outside to see what might be offering a photo or two for me!

It seems that when I have photographed dragonflies,  they are always poised on things like dead twigs, sticks, or even gravel. What a surprise this was, then…..

As I was enjoying the dragonfly, I kept hearing the “whizz” of hummingbirds. Actually, the sound they make is very similar to the “buzzzzz” of a bumblebee, except much louder! When we are soaking in the hot tub, I am positive these little birds play games….they buzz past heads and faces,  swooping down, and nearly colliding with bathers! This little bird came straight towards the camera before lifting upward and disappearing!

On the agenda for today was a trip to a huge kayak and canoe store, located on Irondequoit Bay, near Rochester.  I spotted a big sign, which gives a succinct look at the bay’s history.

A car was pulled over and a woman was doing the ultimate no-no…She was throwing bread crumbs to the local waterfowl that would come. This included many Canada Geese in graduated sizes, as well as an assortment of ducks.

At this point, I feel like mentioning that I could S-C-R-E-A-M!!! I so wanted to take photos at the bay. There were so many beautiful photos crying out, but instead, we went in to visit the store, passing several gorgeous swans peaceably swimming in the water!

The man we spoke to was the manager of the store, and he gave us quite an education! We talked to him for what seemed like forever. He told us that one of the store’s policies is to “try before you buy”. He explained that one can never buy a kayak or canoe without paddling it around and seeing how it feels…

Time was getting away, and Mark was growing uneasy, as he had plans to visit some stores located several miles away.  I could sense his urgency, and as we were getting ready to leave, the man told us about the nest of eagles located within a few hundred feet of the store.  This piqued my interest, but Mark’s face told me to forget about it….The man did tell us that throughout the day, the large eagles come down from the nest, plunging down and scooping up a fish to take back to the nest. Oh, how I longed to see this!

At this point, I would have gone down to the water and waited until the eagles appeared, but this just was not to be. Instead, we hurried off….one of the stores we were going to visit was closed, and another was out of what we were looking for!

The most frustrating element in this whole thing is that Mark’s mom lives not too far from the bay. As we were picking her up for appointments, I have often spotted the swans swimming in the bay. But, there is never time….never enough time to pull over and take a few photos….

As I told the man where we lived, he confided that a pair of eagles have been spotted just at the south end of Canandaigua Lake!  Someone told him they have nested there, so I am so excited to visit there again! I often wander down to Woodville to see what is happening there. The game the kids went to watch last Thursday gave me a large block of time to wander about, so I did go to Woodville. While there, I met a woman waiting and reading a book while her husband and son fished. She and I struck up a conversation and we talked for over an hour. During that time, I learned that she and her husband were from Ohio.

I am always so excited to get leads like this….I just love a new “assignment”!