Great Start

I made it up to Madera Canyon a little later than I had hoped because of traffic.  When I was almost to my destination I had an aha! moment.  But it wasn't a good one.  I forgot to pack my tripod. But that's okay.  It's not supposed to be strictly a photographing birds trip. 

The casita is really nice.  The entire back wall is a picture window overlooking Madera Creek.  My timing is really good because I don't think I've ever been here when the creek was running.

I grabbed my small camera (which is going to be returned) and walked around a little bit.  The zoom is terrible so a couple of things are cropped to death.  The first bird I laid my eyes upon was a yellow-eyed junco.  I hadn't seen one in quite some time.  Then I spotted a red-naped sapsucker.  The shot reminded me of some of Shelley's (Naturelover) photos with her infamous photo bomber.  In this case, it was a hummingbird.  The coolest shots I got though were of the coatimundi in my blip and the one in the extras where he came under the fence at my feet.

I finally made my first charcoal fire.  It seemed to take forever but eventually, as you can see in the last extra, I was darn successful in grilling a rack of ribs.

It's cold up here tonight.  I should have brought my slippers and warmer pajamas.  Instead, I'm wearing socks, my denim shirt over the pj's and am wrapped in a cozy blanket.  I was going to try to catch one of my favorite television shows but of the two stations available on the tube, the one I need is not among them.  There's supposed to be a DVD player but I don't see one.  So much for that.  I brought a couple of things to read so I'm good.