Saturday Birding and Celebrating

Yesterday (August 19, 2017) marked Theresa and my 45th Wedding Anniversary. As it so happens, she was in North Carolina for an EGA Seminar and I was home with the cats. (Sometimes things get reversed and I'm out fishing but occasionally, we are both in the same place.)

I decided to celebrate with some birding. (Okay, so it was the Tiadaghton Audubon Society's annual picnic. Still counts.)

Oldest Audubon Society in PA!

Before the picnic, I stopped at a couple of spots to do some birding. Things were less than active and I only spotted a few species at each of the stops. I did have a frustrating time with a passel of small birds flitting about in the leaves of one tree by the Ive's Run boat launch. They would never stay still long enough to bee identified, let alone photographed. I did hear some Black-capped Chickadees in the crowd, but there was more than that.

Anyway, I did manage to get some critters to pose for me.

Red-tailed Hawk at the Tioga-Hammond Connector overlook.

Northern Flicker at the Tioga-Hammond Connector overlook.

Pair of Ospreys on the pole along road up to the Tioga-Hammond Connector overlook.

Eastern Phoebe on the Railroad Grade Trail, Ive's Run.

Muskrat in pond along the Railroad Grade Trail, Ive's Run

Painted Turtle in pond along the Railroad Grade Trail, Ive's Run

Busy Sunday

Yesterday was Terry's birthday. We celebrated by taking a nice, long ride into New Jersey to take part in a surprise anniversary party for my sister and her husband. Ruthann and Al were wed some 40 years ago April 26th.

It was a long day!

We left the Aerie around 10 AM, stopped at a Perkins in Buckhorn for brunch, and arrived at my nieces house in Pompton Lakes at 2:45. The party was scheduled for 3 PM.

Ruthann and Al arrived on time and were properly surprised. We enjoyed seeing everyone especially the four little girls (age 2 to almost 5) two of whom are Ruthann's and Al's grandchildren.

The SILs manned the grill and produced a nice barbecue meal including the normal hot dogs and hamburgers as well as some sausage and peppers, kielbasi, and a chicken shishkebab, we also had some cake and ice cream.

Al, Ruthann and Samantha (Grandma's little helper)

The Cake

Sis and her hubby opened their presents (with some help) before we hit the road for home at 6 PM.

Four hours later we pulled into the driveway at 10 PM--a full 12 hours after we left.