Description: - very large bird
- long neck
- long legs
- grey body, may be stained reddish
- red forehead
- size: 47 inches
- wingspan 79 inches
- not afraid of humans, when fed
And all that being said, you can imagine how our picnic at Moss Park went yesterday afternoon. Lake Hart is located just 5 miles from our home, so we ventured over to lounge on the beach and enjoy the cool day. As we pulled into the park, we noticed with amusement two large sandhill cranes enjoying the lunch being fed to them by some kids. We've enjoyed watching one of these birds who resides around the pond in front of our town house... Usually disturbed by the smallest sound and relocating to a safer side when I see him.
So yesterday, we ventured into Moss Park with our lunch, and found a nice spot in the sand to lay our blanket down. It was a bit cool, so we were fairly bundled up, and finally got settled onto our blanket, enjoying looking out onto the lake and watching jet skiers zoom by. Finally I reached for the cooler and grabbed my sandwich out, and as I was turning back around FOUR RED EYES, red faced creatures stood about five feet away. Did I mention they are about four feet tall. Of course I did! I was off that blanket so fast, Joshua was shouting, "Put the sandwiches away, put the sandwiches away!!!" But the creatures were looming over the cooler, and I wasn't about to put the food away! We handed off Azariah, like a football, and Joshua grabbed his shoe (like he does when I make him squish spiders) and he waved that thing around. The two cranes hardly even blinked an eye, just slowly backed away. And there we were (like a person waving about trying to swat away a bug that no one else saw, but you swear it was there) looking like total foreign idiots, because of course everyone else is totally used to these birds. Anyways, no I didn't get any pictures, and hope that on our next trip things go differently.
2 comments:
Hey there Floridians! Loved the story about the bird creatures...I actually got the giggles with the visual! Rose, you are quite witty and your writing is awesomely descriptive!
Just getting caught up here in the cold, seems like forever ago we were in sunny Mexico. Will be sending you a few things we picked up for the 3 of you there.
We miss you terribly and thank you for the blog so we can see "Big A" (looks like Ethan has to semi-share his nickname now). He looks so fun!
Josh, I promise to get your dad up and running on the internet now that Britta has him using his laptop for work. Nothing's crashed yet so I think he's ready for the world-wide web, and he is anxious to do so too.
Love you guys a bunch and hope to see ya soon!
I hope you guys don't give up on getting out in nature after the beach outing and the Moss Park one. Rose, you do write in an entertaining way. I read your account to Vernon and we laughed together.
One time when I was eating my lunch outside at Lake Hart, a Sand Hill Crane came right up to me and I got a bit concerned. I was alone and without someone to rescue me by waving his shoe. :-)
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