Great Blue Heron. Photo by Doug Brown.
Five thirty a.m. on Saturday morning. Do I snuggle in for a little more shut-eye, or arise and head out to the bosque to complete the surveys that I missed on Thursday due to weather. It was brisk out there, but oh, my: What a glorious morning it was. My first treat was a Great Blue Heron that appeared in the mist of the riverside drain, taking flight at my approach. Followed by two muskrats, foraging. One of them looked like it had a mouthful of french fries -- Not!
Wood Duck. Photo by Doug Brown.
Next up were four Wood Ducks amidst the 2 dozen mallards. I expected it to be quiet in the interior sections of the forest, but the songbirds were up and at em. There would be nothing for a while, and then a whole flock of mixed species that needed to be sorted out.
Bald Eagle. Photo by Doug Brown.
An eagle called from its perch along the Rio Grande.
Coyote. Photo by Doug Brown.
As I was standing near the end of my second transect, not moving, I heard a rustling in the woods. A coyote, oblivious to my presence was running full speed, straight at me. It's expression when he/she realized we were on a collision course, was priceless, just like the rest of my morning.
Much better than a few extra winks.
I had this terrific idea for Christmas presents this year, the Professional Tote, a pattern by the Creative Thimble. I had purchased the pattern a couple of years ago because I saw a completed bag and I just knew it would be the perfect "personal item" for my airline travel. I am happy to tell you that the pattern works perfectly! It looked really confusing at first, but as I progressed through, each new step made perfect sense -- almost. 
The bag has just about every type of pocket imaginable: a zipper pocket, water bottle pockets with cord stops, magnetic snap pockets, a key fob, and
a very handsome inner zipper compartment that is the exact right size to hold my laptop. I carried mine on the airplane over the holidays, and it was just right! The down side, I suppose, is all the interfacing that makes the bag so sturdy. I recommend this well thought out pattern to everyone. Just be prepared to have it take a while to complete, and don't start three bags on Thanksgiving weekend hoping to have them all done before Christmas.
