June 28, 2024

The Feeding Station

I woke up at two in the morning with an itchy foot. Half asleep, I got out of bed and headed to the restroom to check it. About a month ago, I had this same feeling when a tiny tick had affixed itself to the sensitive area between my toes. I checked my foot meticulously and saw nothing. Apparently, a mosquito bit me right between my toes, probably when I was sitting outside on the deck during the evening.

I went back to bed, waking up at five o’clock. When I walked into the kitchen, my wife had already been studying for an hour. She told me good morning and recounted that she heard an owl with a strange call from the back porch. I stepped outside to listen, watching two bats fluttering over the yard. I never heard the owl, but I was happy to hear they were still around. 

We drank a coffee together, and then my wife made a soyrizo breakfast burrito. She only ate half of it, so I finished the rest while she moved on to a small bowl of cereal. She was having a rough morning, and I gave her a big back cracking hug. After she dressed for work, I went outside and wiped the condensation off her car’s windows and mirrors. I made a mental note that I would need to give my camera lenses some time to acclimate to the humidity before shooting.

After my wife disappeared down the dirt road, I sat down for a writing session, sipping on a second cup of coffee. When I was done, I placed my two cameras outside on the front porch to help warm the glass in the lenses. Then I changed clothes, grabbed my cameras, and headed to the blind. I’ve been spending more time outdoors sitting inside my blind, which increased my chances of seeing wildlife.

The morning was cloudier than expected, and I wondered if there would be enough light to shoot. I had affixed a two-power tele converter to my telephoto lens, which meant I needed double the light to shoot decent photographs. My cameras being warmed up and not having to wipe the fog off the lenses every time I wanted to shoot pleased me.

I made my way down a trail that started behind my house. Along with my equipment, I carried a large piece of cardboard to put on the blind’s floor, to see if it would increase the stability of my chair and tripod. When I arrived about thirty yards from the blind, I heard a deer bark and saw it bolt north, out of sight. I knew then they would not be making an appearance during my morning shooting session.

While sitting inside the blind, I heard leaves rustling nearby. It sounded like a squirrel and my mind searched for a plan of action in case the squirrel jumped through the opening in the blind. The noise moved behind me and then to my left. I peered out of the window, only to see a large cottontail rabbit hopping onto the trail that I had just walked down.

The feeding station was a new feature in the forest, and I knew it would take time before the birds found the area where there was an abundance of food strategically placed. The squirrels, however, were less shy, considering the smell of seeds and suet in the air as an open invitation to feast.

I shot photos of the squirrels running around the area, munching on corn. I was happy with the results of the feeding area project. The wooden logs and branches looked great in the photos, adding layers and character with their weathered look. And moving the blind to the opposite side of the clearing area produced the results I wanted.

The large open space behind the feeding area produced a muted out-of-focus background that helped the subjects in the photos pop. Catching an amazing photograph, however, would take time. I planned to spend at least ten hours a week shooting to increase my chances of catching an animal doing something rare.

This morning, I saw a male cardinal, a tufted titmouse, and a wren at the station. Once the word got out, more birds were sure to come. My job was now twofold. I needed to keep the area stocked with food, and I needed to spend time in the blind shooting. While in the blind, I heard several new songbirds. Even though they didn’t visit the feeder this morning, I was excited to see what species would show up over the next year.

I made my way home, showered, got dressed, and got to work. It was Friday and the last workday of the month, so there were several loose ends that needed to be tied up before the day was through. Lunch arrived quickly, and I took a break, eating leftover Mexican rice and smoked skirt steak from last night’s meal. The food was phenomenal.

Since I finished lunch quickly, I spent the rest of my lunch hour inside my blind. It was hot outside, and the air was blowing with a warm breeze. There wasn’t much going on. A shy cardinal showed up, as did a wren. It was nice to spend the time outdoors. Even though it was hot, I knew it would help my body acclimate to the upcoming summer heat and its intense humidity.

I got back to work, finishing everything I needed to get done. Around three o’clock, I fielded a FedEx delivery that was supposed to go to my neighbor’s house. The same thing happened yesterday. The FedEx worker’s GPS was showing the two houses switched, ensuring deliveries to the wrong location. It was fine, though, as I had gotten used to the local delivery troubles. I felt sorry for the workers, however, who always seemed to be stressed by the befuddlement.

Kilo was not feeling well today. She sometimes experienced a sudden onset of back pain that kept her out of commission for a few days. It had been over a year since her last episode, and I seemed to have caught this one early. When my wife arrived home with the Pino’s Pizza order I called in, she gave Kilo muscle relaxers her veterinarian prescribed for these incidents. Poor Kilo stayed put in the same area for most of the day and night, unable or unwilling to move because of the pain.

I was happy Friday was here. After eating pizza on the deck, my wife went into the forest for a walk while I cleaned up the kitchen and fed the dogs. She reported back a plethora of fireflies and high heat in the woods. I could tell nature did for her what it did for me, as she returned feeling more relaxed and focused from her time spent on this magical property. We were both ready for the weekend.