My World

It wasn’t so stifling hot last Thursday so I took advantage and went for a short walk along the river front. Had I chosen to go early morning it would have lasted longer but I didn’t get out of the house till closer to noon.  By the time I walked onto the board walk it was near 1 pm approaching the hottest point of the day. I did manage about a mile or so and was able to capture a few shots of the local residents. 

The cattails are in full display. We in the south call them that because the large flower heads are soft and fuzzy just like a cats tail and they are actually native to North America…. imagine that! They are a great cover for many of the smaller fish and amphibians and will be a bit of a mess when the brown velvety pods bust open and release their fuzzy white seeds.  But for now they stand tall in all their majesty.

Here is a bit of information on the amazing Cattails. They are a very versatile plant. Another link of interest is information on what parts are edible and how to process it.  Good things to know if you have an abundance of them near by as we do…….. just in case. 

Another creature in abundance along the river is the beautiful Great white egret which is actually a type of heron unlike the crane which is a completely different species. Did your know there are no white herons? Those you see are actually a phase of the blue heron. A quick way to identify an egret is by the black legs as apposed to the herons grey ones.  More times than not I will see several egrets in a small flock on the river’s edge with a beautiful grey bearded heron standing near by as if he is on watch. 

But this day I went into a more secluded area off the river walk and found this beautiful bird all alone.

I moved along the path trying not to startle it but he seemed pleased to pose for several shots. Again,  I hadn’t taken out my camera and decided on the phone camera in case he darted away. I think I will attempt to print an enlargement of this one to frame.  Samsung s21 Ultra is known for its amazing 5 lens camera so we shall see.

The middle photo is more off focus on the head than the other two. I’m still thinking the first with a touch of sharpening in my image editor will work best at least for an 8×10 print.

After seeing the egret and staying in that little alcove of the river for a bit, I headed back to the car and the air conditioning. There are always other days. I’m thrilled to have seen the cattails in their prime and for the private photo op with the egret. Made my day.