Midwinter's Night Dream

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I got nuthin’.

This is what I would call the dog days of winter … when the holiday festivities are in the past and we all hunker down, waiting for spring. Except the skiers — they are out with abandon, I’d imagine.

My personal situation hasn’t been helped recently as I’ve landed the lousy cold that’s been plaguing so many, and thus haven’t been my usual active self and exploring the outdoors.

And that’s why I have nothing for you, dear blog reader. I’m sure by my next post I’ll be up and around, most likely bundled up and checking out the winter waterfowl. But what to write to you this time? That’s my conundrum. And so, perhaps I shall just make this a short entry and leave you with an image of these Common Eiders taken near Montauk in January 2025.

Clement Clarke Moore talked about sugar plums dancing in one’s head in ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas. I think for my winter’s nap, I’ll think about the arctic ducks I’ll visit soon.

Common Eiders / Montauk, NY

Dia Nueve -- Adios Mis Amigos

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(Well, all trips come to an end, and as I now post the last entry, I say farewell to Costa Rica -- for now....) This was our first "proper" trip to a place south of Texas (a couple cruise vacation stops don't count, now matter how adventurous we may have been).

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Dia Ocho -- Safari Night

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Dia Seis -- Song of the Gecko

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Night in the tropical wet forest (a climate just a few inches shy of being a full-fledged rain forest) differs from the cloud forest not only in temperature and air moisture but also in sound. Mountains feature subtle insect sound, while in the tropics, it's a cacophony. Insects sing through the night and birds call well before the sun rises and temperatures rise. But of all these calling creatures, I found the geckos most intriguing.

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