Eze the Birder

May 12, 2015  Eze Becomes a Birder  Not What You Think You Know.....

Cat's do have a long history of birding.

In fact recently Billions of Bird deaths every year in the US were attributed to outside cats.

Most likely true.

Like children and grandchildren beloved pets are special.

Our Eze, an Abyssinian, is very smart, not unlike my special children and grandchildren.

Eze travels extensively for a cat. He travels by car and RV.

He stays in nice hotels...does have some issues with security.

He loves to be with us in the Lark.

Eze is one of the reasons for the Lark...we can't bear to leave him behind.

So, today, he learned a new trick. Abby's are very inquisitive and need lots of stimulation. They are not your average hide under the bed cat.  No, they are in your face, in your friends's faces and all over the place. They answer the door bell, they see you out.  They purr and love their owners and must be with them all the time. Eze sits on my computer,  iPad and phone all day in case something comes in for him. Well, it seems that way. 

This morning a yellow migrating warbler came to play with Eze.  I don't know which came first the warbler or Eze, but suddenly there was mayhem in the Lark.  The bird was singing and going from window to window with Eze fast on his tail.  Then suddenly it dawned on Eze that this is what "birding" is.  This is what we do as a family.  For several hours he checked every window and every bird that was within 30 yards of the Lark. And there were many.  He waited for me to come and see the bird by meowing to let me know he "spotted" another.  I know, sounds crazy, right?  He didn't ask to use the camera and I know he isn't making a "list", however the little sucker has amazing eyes.  And he sure seemed to get a joy of finding the birds for us.  Eze is a good birder, however, Ed and I agree his motives may not be particularly pure.

Biggest Week in American Birding May 8-17

Maumee  May 11, 2015


Camped at Maumee State Park. One of the loveliest and our fav Ohio State Park by far.  Happens to be close to the Biggest Week in American Birding.  Warbler Migration at Magee Marsh Boardwalk.

For us, it is Birding and Photography and Glamping and  all wrapped up into one obsession!  We love the park and campgrounds.  Private and spacious and with great biking trails and Lodge and Golf Course. Practically Heaven!  Eze is with us, didn't hesitate to jump back into the Lark.  In fact, the day before we left he sat by the Garage Door, knowing the Lark was in the drive and he was not going to stay behind.  An interesting traveling cat he is.

We are anxious to get right to birding, so we park at the boardwalk. Gorgeous day, high 80 degrees and a chance for late storms.  Oh yea, you don't get 80 degree days in NWestern Ohio in May without the threat of storms or worse, tornadoes.  We just enjoy the day shooting and breaking for lunch and shooting some more.  That is what is so good about your home on the road. If you want to nap, you nap. If you want to eat, you eat.  Anything at all, whenever, wherever.  And don't forget to feed the cat.

Wonderful day and growing into later afternoon when my phone alert goes off. Tornado "watch" in effect until 8PM.  We have lived close enough to the Indiana, Southern Michigan border and Lake Erie to know about high winds.  They come up fast, come up hard and sometimes blow you away.  It is never good to be in a mobile home, with or without wheels. That's a given.

The view from our window in the Lark at Camp. Storm over.

As the storm rolled in, we parked as close to the Lodge Building as possible, in case we would have to abandon Lark quickly.  Just a bad spring storm, no evacuation, the cold front moved in and temps dropped 20 degrees.  All of the out- of- staters were buying up all of the sweatshirts...we know better.

Wind chill and clouds and cool temps is what Northern Ohio is all about in May.  And an occasional 80degree day!

A few Good Shots

On the Road Again

May 10th  Mother's Day Sunday

After 60 days in our "Real Life"  we are thinking about the road again. This past 60 days have been "amazing", the word I use whenever anyone asks me "how is the Real Estate Market"...Amazing, always amazing.

We came home to all the chores of not being at home for 3 months. Huge piles of 3rd class mail, like telephone books...no end to that it seems.  We dumped most of Lark's personal belongings into the guest room.  Along with a few Christmas Items (20140) that didn't make it to the attic in mid December.  A new friend on the road told me to use the guest room for storage.  Eventually we won't be home long enough for company anyway! Just shut the door. Works well.

Had to get back to work quickly. Sold another 10 houses, closed the two I sold on the road, so we have the till filled back up again.  Harsh reality is...no money, no gas, for the Lark...no gas anymore for $2.00 a gallon...

Oh and Ed had a minor heart attack 10days after arriving home. Our joke is now, surely there would have been hospitals in Alabama.  I know there was not one on Dauphin Island. Thankfully Ed is just fine, with good intervention and drugs we drive on....

Have to live life like you are dying.....seems reasonable. I think that is what "bucket Lists" were made for.  Scary stuff; getting older...does bring life into focus.

So.... Everything back out of the guest room and into the Lark.  Only putting back half of what we took last trip. We are organized for some shorter jaunts this summer. Hard to believe our first year anniversary as RVers is coming up.

So, back to  Mother's Day.... had a sweet breakfast with family, then Ed did the "readying the Lark" chores and I shopped, cooked and gathered clothes and  photography equipment for our first 2015 trip to the Worlds Biggest Week in American Birding.  We have been attending this Bird Festival for many years. It is the Spring Migration of warblers and other birds heading north to Canada, Alaska and the Arctic.  Birders come from all over the world. It used to be a local event, now hundreds of thousands of birders come to Magee Marsh to see the birds. It is only 100 miles from our home.

Again, there are some days Glamping feels like Camping...pull out of the driveway and adventure looms and the fun begins.





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