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Post by kenlarsson on Apr 26, 2024 15:51:49 GMT -5
Back from my morning birding. It was a day for woodpeckers, we saw downy, hairy, red-headed and piliated woodpeckers. Went first to the Chinsegut WEA with the Audubon folks and on the way home stopped I stopped at the Fickett Hammock Preserve for a solo hike. Got the picture of the pileated woodpecker there as well as some pictures of some impressive old growth live oaks. One of my favorite trees. They have extremely hard wood that was used to build the USS Constitution (Old Ironsides). Live oak as well as some innovative double hull bracing made the ship as unsinkable as it was. The Brits during the war of 1812 had an undercover mission to Florida to acquire live oak saplings that they planned to use eventually on their ships. Ironclads put an end to that long term operation...... Pictures in the photo section if you're interested.
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Post by kenlarsson on Apr 26, 2024 5:46:19 GMT -5
Good morning. Up early to head out to the Chinsegut Conservation Center for some birding with the Audubon folks. Have a great day.
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Post by kenlarsson on Apr 25, 2024 10:01:18 GMT -5
It's DRAFT DAY! I'll be on the phone all day with Vikings coaches and management. Pretty intense. I almost got drafted, my draft number was 9 but then Nixon ended the draft a week or so before I was going to be called up. I had already passed the physical. Joined the Navy a few years later anyway.......
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Post by kenlarsson on Apr 25, 2024 9:19:23 GMT -5
Good morning. Went out early with the mountain bike to the Weeki Wachi preserve. Turned out to be a lot more strenuous than I thought it was going to be. I tried some of the more remote trails. There are feral pigs in the preserve and they dig sleeping pits in the sandy parts of the trail making it impossible to bike through. There were also parts of the trail where the loose sand was so dominant that it was just too much even for the wide off-road treads on the bike. So there was a lot of waking the bike until I got to the more bike friendly trails which I will stay on in the future. At any rate, I got a good amount of exercise and I also came across a wild turkey with about 8 chicks. Didn't have the camera so no picture. Good stuff.
Have a great day.
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Post by kenlarsson on Apr 24, 2024 13:26:54 GMT -5
Good afternoon. Back from kayaking on the Chassahowitzka River with my fellow Audubon folks. It was the first time I've been kayaking and now that I'm home I'm exhausted in a good way. Had some mishaps falling out of the kayak, the model my friend lent me had a very high center of gravity compared to the other kayaks in the group so that's my excuse..... Anyway, we saw some wood ducks, green heron's and limpkins, (all first-time sightings in my birding log), as well as an immature bald eagle, a grown-up eagle, some ospreys, pelicans and ibis. The coolest bird sighting was an anhinga who was diving for fish and surfacing right next to our kayaks as we were paddling along. We also came across a group of about 8 manatees with calves feeding on the water grasses. Quite an excellent morning's expedition. Good stuff! I think I'll spend the rest of the day recuperating and messing around on my guitars. Have a great day. Ken, I confess I’ve always thought that Florida would be a horrible place to live, but reading your posts makes me think it might be terrific after all. Who knew? There is a lot of good stuff. You just have to sort it out from the craziness.......
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Post by kenlarsson on Apr 24, 2024 12:21:44 GMT -5
Good afternoon. Back from kayaking on the Chassahowitzka River with my fellow Audubon folks. It was the first time I've been kayaking and now that I'm home I'm exhausted in a good way. Had some mishaps falling out of the kayak, the model my friend lent me had a very high center of gravity compared to the other kayaks in the group so that's my excuse.....
Anyway, we saw some wood ducks, green heron's and limpkins, (all first-time sightings in my birding log), as well as an immature bald eagle, a grown-up eagle, some ospreys, pelicans and ibis. The coolest bird sighting was an anhinga who was diving for fish and surfacing right next to our kayaks as we were paddling along. We also came across a group of about 8 manatees with calves feeding on the water grasses. Quite an excellent morning's expedition. Good stuff!
I think I'll spend the rest of the day recuperating and messing around on my guitars. Have a great day.
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Post by kenlarsson on Apr 23, 2024 11:05:08 GMT -5
Good afternoon. Back from taking the new trail bike out to the Chassahowitzka Wildlife Management Area. Got lost for a little while but I managed to find my way out. Lots of fun and right now I'm pleasantly exhausted. Looks like a slow afternoon.......
Have a great day.
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Post by kenlarsson on Apr 23, 2024 11:01:36 GMT -5
It's a very different bike than my cross-training bike. Gearing, tires (size, wide body shape with treads and much lower pressure), but that's what it takes on the trails. Great bike but since I won't be going out the woods every time I want to ride I'm glad I've got the two bikes. I was thinking of trying to trade in the Raleigh but now that I've been out with the Trek bike, I'm glad I kept it for the road rides.
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Post by kenlarsson on Apr 22, 2024 19:33:03 GMT -5
I've been riding my Raleigh Cross Training "Fitness" bike for a few years now and it's given me good use. It's primarily a street bike but it can manage on some light off road trails. Since I've gotten involved with the Audubon Society, I've been hiking on a good number of trails that would be ideal for a mountain bike but not for my Raleigh. So, I've been thinking about a mountain bike and stopped by the local bike shop to see what they've got and do some "preliminary scouting". Came home with this, A Trek Marlin 5 mountain bike. Took it out for a spin on some of the trails at the Weeki Wachi preserve and it was great fun, everything I was hoping for. It's a lot more effort to power a mountain bike on hiking trails but it's worth the effort. I'll still be heading out on the streets on the Raleigh. Tomorrow however, I think I'll take the mountain bike out to the Chassahowitzka Wildlife Management Area and hit the trails there. Went there with the Audubon folks about a month ago, Not there for birding but I will take my binoculars just in case. Good stuff!
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Post by kenlarsson on Apr 22, 2024 9:54:58 GMT -5
Good morning. Went on a morning bike ride today. 15.8 miles, nice cool weather, good stuff! Claire has some honey do's lined up for me this afternoon so it's time for lunch and then we'll see what she has in store. Have a great day folks.
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Post by kenlarsson on Apr 21, 2024 13:55:36 GMT -5
Glad to hear you're safe Todd. I've had two similar experiences in my driving career. Once in San Diego on Interstate 8 a step ladder fell off of a paint truck up ahead. It bounced in the road, unfolded and somehow ended up standing straight up in the lane ahead of me. Fortunately, I had room to change lanes. The second time I was driving on Interstate 80 in Omaha and a tire came flying over the divide and bounced down the road toward my car. Again I was able to avoid the problem. I won't even go into what driving in Italy was like.........
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Post by kenlarsson on Apr 21, 2024 7:29:33 GMT -5
Good morning. Cool and overcast this morning, supposed to rain this afternoon. Looks like a good day to mess around on my guitars and octo mando. Guess that's what I'll have to do. Have a great day folks.
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Post by kenlarsson on Apr 20, 2024 6:44:08 GMT -5
Good morning. Up for another birding outing with my fellow Audubon folks.
Last night I went through my guitar songbook and pulled out a bunch of tunes that will work better or at least as well on my octave mandolin. So, when I get home, I'll be practicing those tunes on the mando. Should keep me occupied. Have a great day folks.
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Post by kenlarsson on Apr 19, 2024 8:20:06 GMT -5
Good morning. Slow start to the day but I'm gradually getting moving. Nothing really planned so I guess I'll take advantage of my retirement and do whatever I feel like doing whenever I feel like doing it. Have a great day.
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Post by kenlarsson on Apr 18, 2024 18:53:25 GMT -5
Welcome. We're all old and most of us smell bad but it's online and we bath before get-togethers. Well, most of us do..........
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Post by kenlarsson on Apr 18, 2024 12:37:55 GMT -5
This show is an absolute gem. On Amazon Prime. Must see TV!
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Post by kenlarsson on Apr 18, 2024 8:25:07 GMT -5
Good morning. I'm exhausted, been really pushing myself physically the last few weeks with my birding hikes, home maintenance projects and fanatical bike riding. I think I'll probably go to ground today. Bittersweet feelings at the game last night. Last game as a season ticket holder, we'll go to more games as an occasional event, but it won't be quite the same. It was a great run, and it was nice to see Kuch get his 100th assist.
Have a great day.
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Post by kenlarsson on Apr 17, 2024 7:31:29 GMT -5
Good morning. Looks like a nice day here weather wise. It's a bit of a sad day as well as tonight will be the end of a twenty year run of being Tampa Bay Lightning season ticket holders for daughter Kelly and myself. Aging and grandkids have made it time to end the run, but it was a great time while it lasted. Life goes on.
I hope your recovery continues LJ. Have a great day folks.
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Post by kenlarsson on Apr 16, 2024 7:40:49 GMT -5
Good morning. Looks like a nice weather day here in Florida. I've got the Crystal River song circle this afternoon, not much of anything else on the agenda, so I guess I'll just spend the rest of the day goofing off. Have a great day folks.
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Post by kenlarsson on Apr 15, 2024 12:29:28 GMT -5
Happy birthday!
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