Bird, lake, happiness, aggravation

I swear that all I did to this image was beef up the contrast & the sky went this color.

I know it looks like I picked it out especially or color corrected it this way on purpose,

but truly, Photoshop has just apparently grown to know what I like.

I spent yesterday at the lake,

and it started out just the way you'd expect a day to start out when you're in a bad mood -

my floatie immediately floated away away away from me,

leaving me with no way to lounge about on the water.

I tearily called the truly truly truly ever-wonderful Michael

& he pointed me in the direction of a floatie I could borrow,

which I did & upon which I floated & cried

until he arrived to also borrow a floatie

& we paddled our 2 matching borrowed floaties over to my runaway

& hooking it between us, drifted back to shore.

This was after he discovered that the battery to the barge was not working

& while we were paddling & drifting & saving errant floaties,

the battery charger performed its piece of magic & once back on shore,

we loaded our stuff onto the boat & were off.

And so then the day became all quite wonderful,

although really the paddling & drifting & saving lost things part

was pretty wonderful also.

The lake was free of people -

apparently the Wednesday after school has started is the day to go -

and it wasn't too hot, only low to mid 90s,

with a breeze here & there, although usually there,

and clouds poofing overhead.

We stopped in the middle of the lake & got off to float around

& while the top of the water was nice & kind of warm,

about a foot or so below the surface, it was nice & cool.

There were lots of fish jumping - if we'd been in the right mood,

any spot on the lake looked like a good fishing spot.

We watched cranes & ducks & herons & the jumping fish

& I took pictures & realized I really need a longer lens

because the ducks look like they're off in another county,

so I'm putting a lens on my Santa list.

The image above is a buzzard -

one of many many who were sitting around on tree stumps

& limbs on one of the islands.

Michael spotted this one with his wings open,

which he (the buzzard) obligingly kept open for me.

I know, I know - it's a buzzard,

but if I hadn't told you, you'd probably think it was an eagle or something,

so let's just pretend I didn't tell you.

Thinking it's an eagle or hawk makes the picture so much more enjoyable.