TIN CAN ROCK AND ROLL.

Yesterday morning we were drooling over the view out the window by the lake.  We spotted what looked like an egret fishing on the closest side of the lake and we could barely see two others feeding on the opposite side of the lake.  We watched them with the binoculars and spontaneously decided to ignore the dirty dishes and unmade bed and grab the cameras and try for some pictures.
No one can sneak up on a bird and my camera doesn’t have great distance.  They were magnificent blue herons and we watched them for a long time. It was early and since we had planned to hike the bluff across the lake  to see where the ponies hide, we just headed out for our hike a bit early.

We walked the shoreline and spotted the dam across the lake we had visited the day before. The sun wasn’t quite up over the park yet. We decided to climb the highest bluff and see what we could see.

The park boat launch pad is clearly visible. In fact the park  has several launching sites. The sun came up and we continued up the hill.

Steep and  rocky, the bluff is  more heavily treed.  We hiked  in and out of washes and small canyons.

Nature always provides a pattern.

Not much color on the bluff.

The views through the brush were not spectacular,  but the exercise and fresh air were wonderful. We spotted elk pellets, coyote scat, white from eating bones, and  plenty of pony tracks. But, no sign of the ponies this morning. We wondered if they know the weekend is coming and the lake  will be full of boats?

And, we wondered what they eat. We found a few green plants, but the terrain is pretty harsh.

By the time we returned to the motor home, the wind picked up and we couldn’t sit outside, nor could I ride  my bike. It continued with fifty mile per hour gusts all day, giving us a tin can rock and roll.  We were grateful we had taken our walk early. We feared the vents would blow off if we kept them open, but it wasn’t a cold wind.  I enjoy the sound and ferocity of wind and poked my head out a few times just to feel it.  We watched the raptors being tossed around. They seemed to enjoy gliding about letting the wind carry them.

About dinner time, a herd of cows came marching down to the lake.  The wind didn’t seem to bother them a bit. They stayed and played. Grazed and ate, drank and grazed  until dusk. Not a sign of the ponies.
A restful stay. Time to catch up on computer stuff you always want to do and never have time enough.  We move out this morning.