Time Flies

Wow...where did the summer go? Haven't posted anything since June. The Bokerns had one of the best summers on record. Bill and Kurt took a one week canoe trip to Quetico with friends the Schaeffers and the Cockerhams. Then it was off to Camp Highlands for four weeks for Kurt. He went on another canoe trip to the Boundary Waters and earned an honor tripper award (so proud!).

There were lots of long weekends spent in Lk. Tom that provided the chance to see family on both sides. Labor Day weekend was a blast with the Schaeffers and Dues.

Went intentionally birding on Sept. 20 in Lk. Tom, binoculars ready, camera in hand. My first photo opp came when I spied an adult sapsucker and two immatures probing their chicklet-like holes for bugs. Great, I thought, I don't have any sapsucker photos! I lowered the binoculars and got the Cannon in position. Power on, uh try that again, power on. Power on, damnit! No power on. I checked the battery compartment to find one of the double A's missing. Kuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuurt you're gonna get it! Kurt is 15 and a talented artist with a very creative eye. He likes to use my camera because of its superior zoom capabilities. He usually takes pretty good care of it but in a pinch he is not above "borrowing" a battery needed for his Wii-mote. Ugh...no photos on this birding excursion. In addtion to the photos of the sapsuckers I didn't get to take, I also didn't get to take any of the numerous Kinglets, Ovenbirds and Yellow-Rumped Warblers that I saw that day.

At the feeder now...just started seeing the White-crowned sparrows and white breasted nuthatches this week at the feeder in Wauwatosa. Have had lots of goldfinches and siskens, house sparrows and cardinals. Juncos showed up at the feeders in Lk. Tom after being away for the summer.

Fall colors are at their peak...a great time to turn off the TV, forget about politics and Wall Street for awhile and get outside.