Saturday, January 12, 2008

Book um, Danno!

I don't know if I was born under a bad sign or what. But sometimes birding gets me in the middle of stuff that I didn't ask for.

Case in point:
The Oxbow, Lawrenceburg, Indiana.
There I was, minding my own business. The Oxbow starts to flood at 30 feet, and it's quite a bit above that right now. I parked my car at the start of the area and walked back along the "high" side (though I got muddy as all get out anyway).
On the way back, I noticed a huge flock of ring-necked ducks and possibly others coming in for a splash down. They spooked, and I realized why when I saw a police car ahead. Now, I have seen cops there lots of times, and I am glad they are a presence, you know, to nail the numb nuts who ride their ATVs, etc.
As I got closer, I saw another vehicle parked next to mine. A blue Jeep with rather unpleasant-looking young crackers in it. I waved at the officer as I walked by his car, and he was on his radio, but he gave me a nod (I have talked with him before). Next thing I know, there is another patrol car rolling in. And another. And another. And another. And another. And another. Totaling 6 police cars, all surrounding my car and the car fulla crackers.

One of the officers walked up and said, "Hey, Susan." This woman looked very familiar, but I couldn't think of her name to save my life. She continued to do her cop stuff, and told the others that I was just an innocent bird watcher and I was not involved.
Realizing that I was blocked in by this "COPS" episode, I walked on and waited for them to finish. From what I gathered, drugs were involved and the lot of them started ratting each other out..."I wasn't smokin' it, I just got in the car with them" and so on.

A tow truck arrived to haul away the Cracker-Mobile. Two of the guys were allowed to walk out, the others ones were put into custody.

There's my car...and there's the Sin Wagon.

I did find whitewash in a few big puddles. Julie did a great post about an owl kill recently and I looked good and hard for the owl responsible, since GHOWs have been seen there. No dice, unfortunately.

But I found this....thing...that I thought was a pellet, but it was full of plant fibers, not bone and fur. Anyone want to Chimp this?

I've seen them here before, but for the life of me, I can't figure out what would make this sort of thing. It wasn't "poopy" at all...just looked like a pellet made by an herbivorous animal.
Who wants to take a crack at this?
(I'm scared that this is going to be one of those "Susan is such a crack-head...doesn't she know that this is a blankey-blank?)

6 comments:

entoto said...

Ahhh...the Crack-mobile, I know it well. Does this make you an EXTREME BIRDER?

Ohhh...just heard the GHO outside. Nifty!

entoto said...

And maybe you can give us another peek at the fibre pellet?

Anonymous said...

Isn't it nice when law enforcement shows up at the right *and* knows you are an innocent birder! Eeep!

Kathi said...

Lucky that the cops knew you; we might have had to hold a bake sale to raise your bail!

You seem to always have adventures when you bird - suspected of terrorism when looking for peregrines at the power plant, nearly getting caught up in a drug bust ... And, didn't you get your car stuck in the mud once, too?

Remind me not to bird with you!

Oh, and I have no idea what the Plant Pellet is, unless it is from the small herbivorous dinosaur that has been seen roaming the Oxbow.

~Kathi

Mary said...

You don't have a regular, old, birding day, do you? I remember your stuck in the mud routine and now you witness a car full of crackers getting their just due. Makes for fun birding!

Amy said...

I lead such a dull existence...