SO... my bone scan wasn't great, there are new lesions in my sacrum, and I have to start back on chemo.
My oncologist has ordered a new oral chemo. The side effects sound awful, so we will see what happens.
I am, as usual, resolved that all shall be well.
The great news is that there's no cancer in any of my organs. So. Yay.
Our crane spotting weekend was a success!
There was a bit of a snafu when we arrived at the mobile home that is our free lodging for this annual (mostly) visit.
The key was not where the owner said it would be, and she had to drive all the way out there to let us in (she lives about 60 miles from the property)!
That was okay, though, because we got to go to the Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge earlier than anticipated.
The ice in the cooler was still holding out, so it was all okay, and I knew that there are pit toilets near the trail to the bird blind, which was good, because I had a full bladder!
I was super excited to go see one of my primary spirit animals... the cranes....in their numbers.... even though I knew that the particular time of day was not ideal for seeing thousands of cranes.
That afternoon was ridiculously hot and insect-ridden, though, and I got seven bites from what my grandma called "no see ums," also known as black flies, or INSIDIOUS FLOWER BUGS. I LOVE that name for them, HAHA! INSIDIOUS INDEED!
We'd never had to deal with heat, sweating, and swarming insects on this trip before, that was for sure.
ANYWAY, the cranes started to come in to land while we were there, around 3:30pm, and we saw several hundred while we were there, and my soul bathed in the sounds and sights.
There was another couple there, but they left shortly after we arrived, so we had the spot to ourselves.
We heard a great horned owl, AND...the coolest thing, we saw a mature bald eagle, who circled over the lake, and then banked, so that the sun shown through his brilliant white tail feathers.
It was awe inspiring.
We had an idea when the owner of the mobile home would arrive, so we headed back, and made it back JUST before she got there, we got the key, and got unloaded and settled before dark.
Unfortunately, on our first arrival, we had noticed that the property to the west of the trailer, which was previously vacant, is now occupied.... with.... well, I can't be tactful if I describe the people.
The property is now occupied, with TONS of junk all around the dwelling, drunken brawls in the yard, gunfire after dark (and in the middle of the night), barking dogs that came through the fence, and a f*cking ROOSTER, who crows at all hours.
4:30 in the morning, he started crowing, and didn't stop for about 45 minutes.... Ugh.
We were having to deal with noise, unpleasantness, and feeling a bit...insecure...
SO...we are pretty sure that we will not be staying at our friends' mobile home again, unless those people to the west, who might actually be squatters (not there legally), leave.
We will have to pay to stay somewhere else, but if that means peace and quiet, AND access to my cranes, it's worth it.
Back to the crane spotting!
Sunday morning, which was quite cool, we got up when it was still full dark, had coffee and breakfast, and headed back to the refuge just after sunrise.
To our DELIGHT, there was NO ONE there yet...and there we were, just us, and thousands of cranes.
It was spectacular.
Of course, people started to show up, but they trickled in, so it was still pretty quiet and roomy in the bird blind for about an hour.
I love how friendly these people are, and how forthcoming they are with their knowledge of all of the different bird species that are seen there in the autumn.
The cranes started to take off to go on their daily foraging, or along their moving-on-down-the-line flights, to points further south.
At one point, a HUGE flock all took off together, and the sound and energy of it was beautiful.
I got part of it on video, but the person standing next to me HAD to speak... UGH.... OH well... it's etched in my memory as a very special moment, despite someone ruining my video, HAHA!
We left when the sun was fully up, and when the blind was filling up with people with HUGE camera lenses, and we felt like we were in their way. My feet were really cold, too, and I had to pee...HAHA.
It was wonderful, though, all in all
Hanging out at the mobile home all day, with the damned rooster, and the REALLY annoying dogs, and the yelling people, who were also hammering on something, and using a "saws all" kind of tool.... was most unpleasant, but we didn't know where else to go to escape, so we took a walk in the state park, which is just across the road.
(At least they weren't shooting their guns...that had only happened twice the night before.)
The afternoon seemed interminable, because of the unpleasantness next door (and I really needed a nap, because of the rooster, and the gun shots, and the dogs from the night before)......but it was FINALLY time to go back to the refuge for sunset.
Thankfully, it was not nearly as hot on Sunday afternoon, and I took a hoodie with me, in anticipation of it cooling off QUICKLY at sunset!
Since we had seen the cranes starting to come in the day before around 3:30, we thought 4:30 would be a good time, so off we went.... and there were hardly any cranes at all in the area visible from the blind when we got there.
We could, however, guess that there were a lot of them further off, at an area we knew of that is completely protected, and not visible from the blind, or anywhere else in the refuge.
The usual place where they gather had only a couple of hundred, and no flocks were coming in.
Yet.
But, knowing that nature is unpredictable, I insisted that we wait for sunset, which was about 45 minutes away.
The CRANES didn't know it was 3:30 the day before, when they had started to flock up, or that it was now past 4:30... they don't care about our clocks!
The only other people there were a mother and teenage son. They'd been there for about an hour already, and took my word for it that thousands of cranes would be coming.... some time before or around sunset, so they stayed.
The son had a really nice camera, and seemed enthusiastic about being there, which was really cool!
He was naming the different species we could see!
In the meantime, we saw three immature bald eagles, some other interesting water birds, and the cool thing was that with so few cranes (like it was back in the 'teens, when Dave and I first started going), one could hear the individual cranes' voices. One purring call at a time.... it sent shivers down my spine.
There was also a group of about 10 or 12 that were really close to the blind, and they were dancing! I got a decent video of that!
There was also some noise in the reeds below the blind, where Dave and I have seen a white tailed deer buck in previous years, but we didn't see what we figured was a buck, as the teen aged boy was talking too loudly.
As the sunset approached, the cranes started to come in....and so did more people.
Many cranes were landing where we could not see.... confirming my notion that they were off over the ridge, where there is no viewing area.
Gradually, though, we could see thousands of cranes flying toward the refuge. Thousands... some started to land in the viewing area.
The people who arrived were also really nice....but it was getting a little crowded, so Dave went off by himself.... and he met up with the BUCK!!
He got a couple of good pictures before the buck bowed his head, once, and pawed at the ground, once.
Dave turned to go, QUICKLY, and looked back, and saw that but buck, TOO, and run off, with his white tail held high.
The Gentleman had a full rack, except for a broken tine, where he had clearly won a fight for access to a doe.
Anyway, it was a scary moment for Dave, knowing that bucks can kill men....but it was also really cool.
I assured him that the buck was just giving a greeting- as well as a warning, but I am not sure he believed me!
If the buck had been going to attack, he would have snorted, and AGRESSIVELY pawed at the ground, and kept his head down.
The sunset was pretty. Not as spectacular as some that we've seen out there, but pretty! The mom and son and I walked back to the parking area together, where Dave was already sitting in the car.
I hadn't wanted to leave, but Dave gets nervous driving in full dark, it was getting chilly, and we were hungry for dinner. I was grateful for my hoodie, as the post sunset air cooled VERY quickly, and there was a bit of a breeze.
Back to the trailer we headed, stopping once so I could get some pictures of the sunset from a different angle.
We saw several female deer every time we went into and out of the refuge, but Dave's encounter with the Gentleman was the only buck, and I wish I'd seen him, too.
I was sad that we did not see any Whooping Cranes this year, but glad to know that, last week, 43 were spotted at the refuge on the same day! 43!!!!
We allowed ourselves to sleep later this morning, since the bird blind was OPEN, but the refuge was closed, in general, for one of the deer hunts.
Hunting is necessary to control the deer population. I understand this intellectually, but that doesn't mean I like it.
I love my cranes, but I also love my deer (as you know), and could not bear being there, and hearing the guns not far from the bird blind.
After coffee and breakfast, I cleaned the bathrooms, vacuumed, and cleared out the fridge (the owners had left many perishable items to rot in the fridge!!).
Dave did the dishes, and started loading the car.
On the way out of the area, we stopped at the state park to drop the trash at a dumpster, and looked at the cabins at the state park.... that's one option for future lodgings.
We shall investigate the cabins further, at a later date.
Our kitties were very happy to see us, and we are all settled in and ready for the coming week.
My new chemo has arrived, and I will start it tomorrow. Please keep a good thought for me!!!
I will also go get my labs drawn tomorrow, and then, my usual bone treatment is Thursday.
A day later than usual, I wish you, gentle reader, a good week.
