Tag Archives: birds

At Anchor

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Enjoying the kind of peace and quiet that an anchorage offers.

I’m just starting my second morning at anchor in a small channel between Florida Gulf Coast barrier islands. I’m not completely in the “middle of nowhere,” as I have been many times while camping with my truck camper — after all, I can see a handful of lights about a mile away at the end of the channel where there are a few homes and the sky in that direction has the glow you’d find over small cities. But where I’m parked at anchor it’s dark and quiet right now, with the only sound being the breeze in the flags and burgees hanging on my boat. Even the Gulf’s breaking waves, which I’ve been hearing during most of my time here, have quieted.


This fellow walked by my boat along the water’s edge yesterday. A friend followed about 3 minutes later.

Later, as the whole sky begins to brighten, I’ll see the wildlife around me: raccoons on the nearer island, wading birds like egrets walking the shallows, pelicans in flight, turkey vultures soaring. Yesterday I saw a bald eagle perched on one of the few tall trees nearby; when I arrived on Friday I saw the fins of dolphins swimming by.

The sun will be out today, warming the boat’s cabin and providing my solar panel with the fuel it needs to power my boat’s living systems without running a noisy generator. I’ll make bacon and eggs with veggies for breakfast, I’ll feed my pups and take them on a short dinghy ride to the beach to do their business, and then I’ll settle down to do more writing — I have so much to say about my journey so far! Later, we’ll make another, longer trip to the beach in the dinghy and spend some time gathering sea shells. I’ll grill up some salmon for dinner while listening to a podcast and spend the evening reading or planning the next few days of my trip.


Yesterday, we took the dingy to a nearby beach. My girls are smart enough to sit in the shade when it’s sunny out.

Yes, I’ll see people come and go. While my boat is the only boat anchored here, it’s not the only one using this relatively shallow channel. I’ve seen pleasure boats zipping through, fisherman gliding by with silent electric motors, and even tour boats promising dolphin sightings puttering through while a man on a speaker points out things of interest around them. Yes, I’ve become a tourist attraction: the semi-retired solo traveler soaking up the serenity of Florida’s coastal waters.


Yes, I’m a tourist attraction now.

And I’ll see people walking along the shore in the State Park on the Gulf side island. Their voices carry across the water; I can hear them talking but not what they’re saying.

But eventually, as the sun sinks lower and lower toward the horizon, all of these boats and people will fade away, going back to their docks and their homes and their lives. I’ll stay another day or two or maybe move on to the next anchorage, hoping it’s as pleasant as this one.


The sunsets aren’t too shabby from the boat, either.

Snowbirding 2019 Postcards: Hooting Owls

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Camped out overnight in the desert northwest of Phoenix, I was wakened at around 2:30 AM by the sound of two owls perched on the roof of my camper hooting at each other. I used my iPad’s audio note feature to record them.

Good Advice from a Raven

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My life philosophy summed up…on a bookmark.

I was in Death Valley National Park in February for the second year in a row. I spent about a week exploring some of the less visited parts of the park, including Ibex Dunes and the Racetrack. I’m really loving having a truck camper for my winter travels rather than the big fifth wheel I used to haul around. It really makes it easier to explore and to camp comfortably in remote places while waiting for changes in weather or light for photography.

I did spend a little time at Furnace Creek, which is the center of tourism in the park. In addition to having two meals at the Inn at Furnace Creek‘s excellent restaurant, I visited the Ranger Station. I had some questions about roads and camping and there’s nothing better than asking a ranger. While I was in there, I took a look at some of the gift shop items. I’m always on the lookout for small educational items for my neighbor’s autistic grandson — I got him some neat science exploration items at the North Cascades National Park last year — and odds and ends to help me remember the trip.

I was feeling more spendy than usual that day, mostly because rumors were flying about the Trump administration cutting budgets for National Parks and selling off public land for private use. I wanted to support the parks beyond buying my annual pass every year. I picked out a t-shirt and a refrigerator magnet and a book about night photography. And then I saw the “Advice” bookmarks.

I need to point out that I very seldom read printed books these days. I’ve come to prefer ebooks and have been making use of the ebook loans available from the two libraries I’m a member of. So a bookmark is a very silly thing for me to buy.

But what captured my attention on the bookmarks was the bullet point pieces of “advice.” I looked at a few of them and agreed that many of the points were things I believed and would share with friends as advice. But each of them also shared a few points that I didn’t necessarily agree with. For example, “Advice from a Tree” suggested “Sink your roots into the Earth.” Anyone who knows me can verify that I never do that. Indeed, I get bored wherever I am after about 10 years. “Advice from a Bat” included “Enjoy the nightlife.” Again, anyone who really knows me knows that I’m a morning person and seldom indulge in late night activities.

bookmark.jpg“Advice from a Raven” was different, though. Each of its seven points rang true with me:

  • Be curious. I am always asking questions and trying to learn new things.
  • Use your wits. I enjoy solving problems — stay tuned for the upcoming blog post on how I recently solved my water problem — and thinking things through.
  • Don’t be a picky eater. Do I even need to explain this? I’ll try anything at least once.
  • Take time to play. Half a year should be enough time, eh?
  • Be adaptable. When life serves me lemons, I make lemonade. I’ve been served a lot of lemons over the past ten to fifteen years and have reinvented myself as necessary to move forward.
  • Make your voice heard. I think I’ve taken this one too seriously at times; voicing my opinion has occasionally gotten me in trouble. But if you don’t speak up, how are people to know what you really think? Honesty is the best policy.
  • Don’t let life ruffle your feathers. This one took some learning, but I got some pretty good lessons about five years ago, continuing until recently. I used to get angry, but now I don’t. This actually reminds me of another quote I saw somewhere: “Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass; it’s about learning how to dance in the rain.”

It was worth $3 to remind me not only of this good advice for anyone, but of my 2017 Death Valley adventure. So I bought it.

I’ve always liked ravens. They are one of the most intelligent animals. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve sat quietly in a remote, off-trail location at the Grand Canyon, just watching them fly or interact with each other. And how many times I’ve heard the sound of the wind in their wings in the utter silence of my old northern Arizona vacation cabin.

I don’t often see ravens here. We have magpies instead. They’re prettier but don’t seem to have the same personality.

If you’re interested in seeing other bookmarks and souvenir items in this series, check out the shop at Your True Nature website.