Thursday, August 1, 2013

Hello from Bluewater Lake - again :)

A couple of commenters asked how I did the photo posted in Wordless Wednesday yesterday.  I love good, free programs, and this was done with a free program called Funny Photo Maker.  It has a lot of different options to use for your photos, and some of them are pretty funny.  You'll probably be seeing a few more photos I've changed with that program in the future.

We drove back to Bluewater Lake yesterday morning and tried out a new campsite that lots of people seem to like.  It's right on the corner of two roads, a main road and the end of the loop I was in last time.  For me, though, there was too much traffic, and every time a car drove by, I had to look up.  Very distracting for me. Also, I like to have a tree close so I can hang my feeders and watch the birds. These were a little too far, and since I had other options, I decided to move at the end of the day.


At around 6 pm I looked down the road and our campsite from last time was still vacant, so we drove over there.  I really like the campsite we're in now and we'll stay here for the next two weeks.  I was lucky that all the the sites I like were vacant yesterday, so I really had a choice.

I put out my hummingbird feeder this morning and have already had one hummer.  And look what I saw when I looked out the window a few minutes ago:

Female Hairy Woodpecker.  Now, that's a horrible name, isn't it, for such a beautiful bird.

I took this one through the screen and was surprised it is so clear. I was afraid if I moved to get a shot through the other window, she'd fly away.


I don't see a red cap of feathers on her head, so I think she's a female.

I saw this guy last time I was here, he is a male - see the red cap on his head?



I have to show you this photo of a big rig that parked on the street where I was overnighting a couple of days ago.  I went over and talked to him.  He said this set up is 100 feet long, and when he adds all his trailers, as he did last week, the rig is 120 feet long.  How would you like to drive something this long?!?


I was talking to volunteers here at the park, Kathy and Don, yesterday evening, and they told me that El Morro, which is about 60 miles from here, is now fee free to enter and/or camp.  Hazel and Cari and I drove there last year and walked all around the visitor's center and took one of the short walks.  I don't remember driving through the campground, but since it's free now, I'll be heading there for my next six days out.  It's a beautiful area with lots of things to see and do.  So now I have what I hope will be an even better plan than Grants for next time. 

Katie and I were walking after a heavy rain during our last visit and there were three large mushrooms in the dirt that had sprouted. On one of them was a beautiful blue beetle.  I did some research and found he is a Pleasing Fungus Beetle.  He was about an inch long. I've never seen a blue beetle before, and found him very interesting.  The black dots are actually depressions, and from what I read, he is black with a blue wing cap. 


Pleasing Fungus Beetle - and what do you know...here he is on a fungus.  :)

I don't usually post photos from other sites, but this one really shows this beetle and the black dot depressions, and the color is so much brighter.

Photo by Jeff Mitton.

 A big Welcome to our two new Followers:

Ramble Ann has only been blogging for a couple of months.  She and her husband have their house in escrow after only a month on the market - WOW - and they are going to be hitting the road in an RV.  Ann is into photography, so I'm sure her blog will have some good photos of their travels.  She didn't post much about the sale or their RVing future, so I hope I have that right. Check out Ramble Ann's World - it's interesting and varied and I've enjoyed reading it. (Ann, your first post didn't mention that it's your first, am I correct that you are a new blogger?  I love your header!)

Eileen from Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, is one of our blogging neighbors to the north.  She actually has two blogs, a little of this, a dash of that and Kitty Korner.  Eileen has been blogging since 2011 and keeps up with her posting on both blogs.  I have trouble keeping up with just one! Check them out, the Kitty Korner blog has lots of photos of her three beautiful cats, and a little of this, a dash of that covers lots of subjects.

Welcome aboard to you both!  Katie and I are happy to have you along with us! :)

From me and Katie, have a great Thursday, everyone!  :)

9 comments:

  1. That's a pretty blue beetle. I have never seen one like this either.
    The "Hairy" we have here too. "Downy" ones also.
    Weird names, I agree.

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  2. "Pleasing Fungus Beetle" well? it's a pretty color.

    Glad to know about the Funny Photo Maker.

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  3. Too bad that this photo program is for Windows only. No MAC version :((

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  4. I certainly would NOT want to drive a rig that long. I can't imagine how he even turns a corner! Wow!
    The blue beetle is very unique...pretty as well!!
    I will be looking forward to your next "Funny Photo Maker" pic!

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  5. Hi, I have been reading your blog for a while now and enjoy your travels. I have to admit that it is unsettling to hear about how much you are harassed by panhandlers.

    Glad you are back at your campsite. Wondering why, if so many sites are empty, why they won't let you stay.

    Option: Give them Katie ???? as a name. Reserve 14 in yours and 14 in hers.

    I am a birder and love seeing all your bird photos.
    Sheila

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  6. 120 feet!!! I couldn't handle it when we towed the boat and were 73 feet. I love the area around El Morro. We actually stayed at the Wolf Sanctuary down the road but we wandered around the monument.

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  7. As usual .. you have very interesting photos. You always seem find and get good shots. I'm thinking there's more to it than just luck.

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  8. Thanks for the welcome!

    Love the photos of the woodpecker. We had a similar male (I'd not seen a female) living in the neighbour's back yard. I have a pine that died the year we moved into the house and I've left it for the bugs and birds. I often saw him having his meal. Unfortunately I saw he had died this spring as he was on the ground just inside the neighbour's yard. I suspect he ran into the window.

    Enjoy your return to Bluewater Lake!

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