Madman Loc: Gulf Coast, Florida USA

Thanks for looking in and your kind comments.

Looks like I'll be getting one new hip sometime in the not too distant future. (Getting old isn't for sissies!)

Dixiegirl Loc: Alabama gulf coast

Beautiful shots, Madman, and I hope you soon start feeling much better.

Madman Loc: Gulf Coast, Florida USA

Thank you Donna. I'm glad that you liked my great egrets.

I am getting around much better than I was six months ago, but there are still some improvements to be made. I'll be posting more later to prove that I am no going to quit.

Dixiegirl Loc: Alabama gulf coast

Swamp-Cork Loc: Lanexa, Virginia

Excellent and a very beautiful series, Larry with beautiful downloads and know Greg would have put his stamp of approval on them also. Really miss him and still seems strange not seeing his topics on here. We live on a little cypress tidal river which greatly resembles some down your way but unfortunataly seldom see nearly as many different species of wading birds as in Florida--mostly great blues and green herons with only occasionally anything like great egrets and when they do make a rare appearance the great blues usually drive them away almost immediately, but on this particular occasion just before dark my wife spied about five great whites which had stopped by to roost across the creek from us. I ran to get the camera and of course, the short lens was on so fumbled around trying to replace it with the 150-600. Well, miraculously after post processing you could make out the image of at least three of the great whites roosting along with what appeared to be several great blues, but after observing all the aggression we had witnessed by the great blues figured that perhaps what appeared to be great blues were perhaps immature great whites and had mentioned this to Greg and had attempted to send him an image by P.M. but it did not make it through, and kept putting off sending another, but finally did several weeks before he passed and received a note back from him saying that he believed that they were indeed great blues roosting with the whites and maybe they became a little more peaceful with each other at roosting time and that was about the last conversation we had, except for getting well notes that I sent which he probably never saw. So sorry that you are having hip problems, and like you say getting old is no fun! Take care!

PAR4DCR Loc: A Sunny Place

Know exactly what you mean!!

Don

Madman Loc: Gulf Coast, Florida USA

Thanks for your exciting message. Glad that you liked my photos and your comments about our friend Greg.

I only recall seeing a great white once - several years ago near the Anclote River.

I was in Virginia Beach during the holidays. My son was living there while attending Old Dominion Univ.
I rented a cabin at Fort Story for two weeks. I'd forgotten how cold winter can be up there (spent a lot of time in Norfolk back in the eighties.) It was at the time that my hip was the most painful. Had to climb stairs to my son's apartment and walk about an 1/8 of a mile to the bathrooms/shower facility/laundry from my primitive cabin.

I'd wanted to do some birding while I was there, but couldn't do it. My son, his girlfriend, my niece and I did spend some time viewing the two lighthouses at Cape Henry. I'll post some photos.

Our friend Greg may be gone but he will never be forgotten. I was privileged to witness his ashes being scattered over his favorite place in the Glades, also witnessed by a snowy egret watching from a nearby tree. I am hoping that his tradition of guiding other Hogs to the Everglades does not end.

Swamp-Cork Loc: Lanexa, Virginia

That is also my hope, Larry, and a number of times we talked about getting together, but looked like something always came up to delay it. If you ever make it back up this way would love to have you and family visit with us and maybe take a few shots. We are about twenty miles east of Williamsburg and now have wood ducks nesting in our nest boxes and a few eagles and a number of ospreys close by with one pair nesting on the cover of our neighbor's pontoon boat which temporally puts it out of service, and almost forgot the resident grumpy great blue heron! Take care and hope that your hip condition improves soon!

Madman Loc: Gulf Coast, Florida USA

Can't predict the odds of me getting to Virginia. Would love to spend more time traveling have to see how things go with the hips and other tired old body parts. Would consider purchasing a camping vehicle to make traveling easier.

Only time will tell. But maybe you'll come south one day...

Swamp-Cork Loc: Lanexa, Virginia

We had planned on coming down in late February, early March, but had some sickness and never made it but still hope to make it maybe in the fall.
We purchased a used little Roadtrek camper ( a dodge 3500 van modified in Canada by Roadtrek) around six years ago and have enjoyed it more than we ever imagined and although we have not taken any extended trips lately it makes a great day tripper and we hardly ever drive anything else anymore even around home and our little Jack Russell, Bella goes with us about everywhere and loves it, and it has everything that you really need--generator, separate air conditioner, microwave, AC, DC.or Propane refrigerator, Propane furnace and hot water heater, a small shower, Toilet, TV, a two-burner stovetop, a small kitchen sink, and three holding tanks- a thirty gallon freshwater, a twenty gallon grey water, and also a ten gallon black water one and will fit in most normal size parking spaces and is about the size of a large double cab pickup truck. We can hop around from one place to another as we usually just plug into electricity at a campsite so can unhook in just a couple of minutes and if returning takes only about the same time to set back up. It works really great when on trails like the one on Merritt Island as my wife Ellen has really bad knees but can still enjoy the scenery without much strenuous walking and at lunch can just park and prepare any kind of lunch that you choose! Take care!

JeffDavidson Loc: Originally Detroit Now Los Angeles

Nice.

Madman Loc: Gulf Coast, Florida USA

Thank you, Jeff, for looking in and your kind comment.

My apologies for my 'slow' reply. Health issues have kept me from many of my favorite activities.