Dumb. Dumb. Dumb.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

I ventured out to a new birding spot today.
A few miles from our house, I spotted a turkey vulture sitting across from our favorite Italian restaurant, eating a deer carcass. I assume THAT wasn't on the menu.

This photo is for Rondeau Ric...a Tim Hortons...

...and it was on Mon@rch Lane.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

On the way to this hot birding spot, I passed a gravel pit and saw this bird...at first glance, I thought it might be a immature bald eagle.
Nope...a dark morph red-tailed hawk.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
Know what that sound is? My head hitting my desk. Repeatedly.
I went to turn around (I was not trying to trespass...I swear on the life of my blog...), lost sight of the hard surface, and found myself in about two feet of wet sand.

It wasn't just my tires. The frame of the car was sitting in the sand.
Thud.

I assumed that under the sand, there must be a hard surface.
Thud.

I called our car insurance "roadside assistance" people. After I told them where I was, they told me that our policy wouldn't cover a tow truck because I was too far from the road.
THUD.

Here's part of the rut that the car left behind.
I am getting a headache from all this thudding.
I wasted a very large chunk of the afternoon in this quagmire, and sped off after paying the tow truck driver (he used a winch, and when I told my father-in-law, he asked, "How did SHE get you out?) Sigh.
And Geoff was not a happy camper about this, let me tell ya.

I only had about an hour of daylight left.
The boardwalk into these awesome wetlands was closed due to the high water.
Sigh.

Look! I found a stage where the ducks can put on shows!

The Ohio Wildlife folks have put up some groovy feeders here! These were about 5 feet long.

Walking in the woods alone doesn't bother me, until I start thinking too hard.
I found a pile of white fur off the path...then found this chunk of white and brown fur a few feet away. White-tailed deer? And what ripped it out? I ruled out owls (too small to eat a whole deer), and thought suddenly, "Oh! I bet it was coyotes."
And the next thought: "Time to go. Now."
I hope our lovely Science Chimp chimes in on this one.

And this looks very much like a Wood Thrush, but it's more streaky than spotted. And no eye ring. And the tails too long... And aren't they supposed to be south right now? Anyone want to give it a try?

I will definitely be going back to this place. It reminded me of Magee Marsh.
And I am never going into a gravel pit again.
Thud.
P.S. We are in for a real winter day tomorrow...a "snowy mix" as the newfolks say. A few inches of snow and maybe a bit of sleet.
And here in Cincinnati, that can only mean one thing to the minds of the public:
"We are all going to die!"