Author Archives: makielb

Physics, love it or hate it, it does provide a few laughs. Physics meets religion. All of our books were plants, insects. Oh yeah, I had a Game of Thrones book. It has a bunch of sex, but a lot of violence – so that made it OK. Not everybody is complain ing about David.Continue reading “Michigan Monday moaning”

El Jalisco is a fantastic restaurant at exit 155 (Owenton/Williamstown) just off of I-75 in Kentucky. We found this place 8-10 years ago and immediately fell in love with the food here. As you enter the restaurant there is an almost life-sized Aztec jaguar knight, obviously making it a safe place to eat. And –Continue reading “El Jalisco, a great Mexican restaurant in Kentucky”

It was a warm calm morning at the Audubon Sanctuary on Dolphin Island. The reflections on the lake were perfect for photographing. We had all of the usual birds – White-eyed Vireos, Yellow-rumped warblers, Louisiana Waterthrushes and Hooded Warblers. Then something unexpected happened. This big boy flew across the lake silencing everybody. Even the FishContinue reading “A final nice photo from the deep south”

We spent the first five hours of the day at the Audubon Bird Sanctuary. i wanted to get there ASAP since Worm-eating Warbler had been reported there. Our first bird in the park was “an old friend.” This is a Red-bellied Woodpecker. I photographed this as we were listening to a Worm-eating Warbler sing. WhileContinue reading “Spectacular migrants on Dauphin Island”

This preserve was supposed to have lots of interesting plants – and it didn’t disappoint us. Plant diversity would peak in the boggy areas, with some great surprises. Initially we were on a board walk looking down on a tremendous number of pitcher plants, sundews and bladderworts. The white-topped pitcher plant was an amazing tallContinue reading “A day full of interesting plants before heading off to Alabama”

Our day started heading to Torreya State Park in search of a rare tree. But I thought that we should stop at a rest area on I-10 just in case a few moths came to the lights before (or after) last nights thunderstorms. Well, starting with this Giant Leopard Moth was a good sign. AContinue reading “Moths and plants in Florida’s panhandle”

Our day started our photographing roadside plants like this atamasco lily. Then got better. At the Ecopassage Boardwalk on the south side of Gainesville we had eight Snail Kites. Unfortunately none we perched close enough for a photo, but several flew close enough for a decent shot. The next “good bird” I should have hadContinue reading “Two photos and a miss”

Our day started at Fort Island Gulf Beach. Finally, a lot of Black Skimmers. Susan wandered down the boardwalk and found a Great Horned Owl. A female Boat-tailed Grackle. Then we went over to Goethe National Forest where we spent the rest of the morning. This Swollen bladderwort was abundant. Carolina Satyrs were the mostContinue reading “Levy County, Florida”

Here’s where Susan and I started our day with our friend Tom. We were searching for Bachman’s Sparrows and Red-cockaded Woodpeckers. We soon found ourselves in Middle Earth. Where one of the residents was… Cousin Itt! OK, it was just a young long-leaf pine. But this is the habitat where we found the birds thatContinue reading “A “B” day in Florida”

Not quite true, but in the past we put a lot of planning into taking a photo. Some day, Milly and Oscar will be my IT assistants. Nope, I’m keeping my locked away. I envision a trap door opening and the hunter being culled. Somehow, I envision having the same response. Been around long enoughContinue reading “Rainy day Monday humor”