SOME CALM BEFORE THE STORM.
Day 64 – We woke up to a beautiful day. After his coffee Rob went up to the dam to get some pictures. The White Pelicans had flown in and it was warm out. Then we got an early start at Salt Plains NWR, catching the sight of thousands of Sandhill Cranes flying overhead from the Refuge to the farm fields.
We were hoping we’d see the Cranes this morning, and immediately after turning onto the road leading to the Refuge, we heard the telltale honking they make. This sound went on for a couple of hours and became a roar in the distance. Group after group passed over us on their way to the fields. It’s a sight to see!
We drove the start of the auto tour while the Cranes continued to fly by. Rob took a several-mile hike on the Eagle Roost Trail, hoping to see where the Sandhill Cranes spend their nights. He found them across the Bay on the shore, an inaccessible part of the Refuge. Smart birds. He also saw some Mallards and Green-Winged Teal, plus some hawks looking for breakfast. The Cranes were still flying overhead when he got back to the car.
On the drive we saw plenty of birds: Hawks, Cardinals, Mallards, and various other smaller birds flitting quickly from tree to tree. We got only a few pictures on the drive; we enjoyed it anyway, but the birds were being skittish today.
We returned to the RV and made a batch of egg salad for our upcoming lunches. The birds were plentiful at the campground flying to the spillway below the dam. The high today was 74 degrees. We took naps with the girls; they LOVE it. Later in the afternoon we cooked up a big batch of Sun-Dried Tomato Spaghetti Sauce. Tomorrow when stuck inside due to the weather, we’ll be making a batch of Baked Salmon, all the foods in preparation for several upcoming travel days. We will have to stay here tomorrow due to the heavy winds coming into the Oklahoma and Texas panhandles. Gale Storm Winds are predicted for the area we were going to drive to tomorrow. Better safe, than sorry, we’ll stay here an extra day and leave here Thursday. It’s a beautiful place to be, so we don’t mind!
As the sun set, we sat out in our chairs over the water. White Pelicans flew in to join the others at the dam. Fish were jumping out of the water. The shorebirds flew in to join their friends to huddle down for the night. Coyotes howled for the third night in a row in the distance. All was well.
