Arm Chair Photography

A couple of weeks ago I decided to go jump in the lake, er… river.. and in the process of climbing back into my boat I somehow cracked a rib… great. Now anyone that has a cracked rib knows those things suck, there are certain things that you just can’t do without some form of discomfort, breathing and coughing being at the top of the list, so you pretty much just sit and wait for your rib or ribs to heal.

Turns out the 2nd best view and the most comfortable place to sit is in the overstuffed chair on the front deck of the houseboat, from this vantage point you can sit and observe the daily rituals of most of the wildlife that inhabit the area without interfering with their daily routine. Every morning the Redtail hawks set out in search of food for themselves and their young, they soar all day over the levee and the farmers fields stopping only to go bring food to and check on their young, The starlings make themselves busy bringing worms on a nonstop basis to the nest they have to my chagrin constructed in the propane locker on the roof of the houseboat, the acrobatic Swallows dart in and out constantly bringing material for their nests and skimming the top of the water for an occasional sip of water. The Egret and Heron show up, usually at low tide to ply the shallow water and mud flats for a dinner consisting of whatever happens to move usually a bluegill or crawdad but I have seen them try to eat a bass in the 6 pound range.

The Tern work the shoreline with a constant precision in search of an unsuspecting meal, and the Osprey fly by usually with some kind of fish usually a bluegill or bass firmly clenched in their talons. Guess if I have to recover from a broken rib there could be worse places to do it. Stay tuned for more on Armchair Photography.