Well, I just can't complain when ....

... I Saw Whooping Cranes Today! I'm So Excited! 

I was pretty near the Platte River, about a quarter mile from it. ... If my steering wheel had ears, I might have deafened it. I had to tell someone, so I got on the phone! They are so COOL!

It's been since 1974 since I last saw them, and that was on the Gulf Coast, near Rockport, Texas. There were about 50 at that time. This photo is from www.whoopingcrane.com. The ones that flew over me where circling like a pair might. But what do I know?

There are about 599 still existing in the wild and I. Got. To. See. Two. Of. Them. Wooooooooooooooooot!

Fact is, I was so excited I had to call someone. Fortunately they were very understanding, and even got a bird book out.

I was on my way to an an auction, where mainly,  I people-watched. I did take $ but it was an estate sale of a good ole boy who passed away, and stuff went high. I had fun anyway. I spent about four hours there. It sure has been a long time.

There's always something to see and always some darn thing I can't identify. Also different auctioneers are interesting. I tried to get a glass carboy, an ATV jack, and a couple other items, but no go.

There was a '52 pickup, a dune buggy, a Corvette and a 650 Yamaha trike, so it was my kind of crowd. Plenty of gray-haired gents with long ponies and long beards ... more ponies than beards, though! 

90% of the vehicles were pickups. Over half the folks were in camo, overalls and more people than not had hats on. I notice that urban dwellers are not hat-wearers.

I did do a couple errands, and I got a pizza with a lovely conversation with the manager about the crazy stuff "corporate" asks of franchises.

I did, in fact, notice the plants were a lot more progressed than the ones in my yard, the Capsella bursa-pastoris aka Shepherd's purse was 3 or 4 inches tall. There's a blue-flowering ground cover blooming like crazy, too. Just happy for a bit of sunshine, of which we had about an hour, then it clouded over again. Brr.

It's called Corn Speedwell, and looks like this pic from www.lawn-care-academy.com:   ... It is introduced, and appears in all lower 48 states except North Dakota. For now. If there are uses for it, let me know!