things i saw on my christmas eve birding trip that were not birds:

Tue, 25 Dec 2018 06:35:24 GMT

* there's a local BBQ place that's been catering Every Event Of My Life since i was born. i did not know it even existed in any physical form, like, it just sort of divinely manifested itself for church lunches and sporting events? but it indeed has a corporeal location! and we drove by it. it's actually a combo BBQ-and-auto-sales place, because, idk, diversification of revenue streams or w/e

* there's a set of mountain bike trails on the edge of town that, inexplicably, surround a tiny protected area of bobwhite habitat. there's a sign next to it explaining the whole deal: why bobwhites are on the decline, how this giant pile o' native tall grass will fix it, a thanks to the grant that funded it, and so on. i didn't see any bobwhites there, sadly, but it makes me incredibly happy that my town is pitching in to help; i have fond memories of hearing their calls, all day long, as a kiddo—and i haven't heard them for so so long now.

* honestly, i discovered a whole neighborhood i didn't even know was there, just north of the old Girl Scout day camp i went to as a kiddo. obviously a lower-income area of town; it's where the "alternative" high school is, and a couple pentecostal churches, and a hugeass Dollar General. i said hi to a guy who gave us directions when we, uh, attempted to enter the park through the obviously-wrong entrance. i used to make fun of people who were really into maps, but now i get it—i like knowing the layout of things, nowadays. i like knowing where places are, and why they're there and not elsewhere, and what they're like, what's good, and so on.

* i found an abandoned barn that did not have owls inside it, but was pretty damn cool anyway. i resisted the urge to pick the rusty lock (which i think could maybe count as breaking and entering? if it turned out the barn wasn't very abandoned?) and instead shimmied in through some broken planks in the side (which is only entering! i didn't break anything)

* i found the gun range that's reserved for policemen only. it's right by a disc golf course, which seems like it'd harsh the disc golfing vibe, but whatever. no one was shooting there anyway. wonder how much usage it gets.

* ~~there was an obnoxious fucking dog owner letting his bigass dog run around and jump on everyone hnnngh~~

* i discovered an enormous historic house-mansion-museum thing with a veritable arsenal of security cameras lining the perimeter, a fact i thankfully noticed before i was like OH COOL PRETTY HOUSE LET'S BARGE IN

i've talked before about how i love birding, but, also i love love love how it lets you actually get to know your surroundings—the neighborhoods in your town, the rhythm of the seasons, random corner stores and parking lots, historic oddities that are all-too-easily overlooked.

today was such a prime example. it wasn't a particularly bird-y day (i dipped on red-headed woodpecker again, sigh), but: it was still a magnificent day to be birding.

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Lost in Lualand

things i saw on my christmas eve birding trip that were not birds: