​A few weeks prior I borrowed a studio light from a videographer friend and used them with the shelter cats. The results were wonderful and I immediately wanted a set for the shelter. Within just two days of posting a plea on www.waltonpets.net, seven generous shelter supporters pitched in to purchase the 3-light professional studio kit and a macro lens for the close-ups! Today, the mini cat photography studio is in place!  Thanks to all who helped pitch in. I’m always overwhelmed by the generosity of those who follow our shelter!

• Thank you Catherine and Jim Stuff!
• Thank you Elaine Buck!
• Thank you Marie Harrison!
• Thanks Alice Oneal!
• Thanks Blan Ventress!
• Thanks Richard Bradford!
• Thanks Jane Allen!

Tuesday, 7:49 AM - ​I am grateful to work in the relatively rural environs of Walton County, Georgia. Far better to look out an office window at sunshine mirrored off a pond, than to see the blinding glare of glass on neighboring high-rise buildings. Directly behind the shelter are two retention ponds. As these ponds fill during wetter times, they overflow through a small ephemeral stream to a large pond on a property south of the shelter. But some resident beaver have been busily re-engineering the habitat over the last few years, building an extensive network of stick-and-mud dams, effectively creating two large wetland areas I call the ‘Beaver Bogs’.

Although the beaver signs are everywhere – dams, canals, dens, tracks, fallen timber, piles of de-barked sticks – I’ve had yet to see one in the flesh (or rather, ‘in the fur’, I suppose). The night shift animal control officer has seen them; even a coworker’s young daughter had a chance encounter as one crossed her path while walking a puppy behind the shelter! But as for me, deliberately checking twice a day, still no beaver sightings… until today.

I was bringing my trail camera up to the pond to try and capture my elusive Castoridae. As I approached the upper pond, I could see ripples extending out into the water from the bank, and trails of bubbles through the debris floating on the water. My hopes raised, I approached cautiously. There, sitting on the bank, chewing away, sat the big, brown rodent! I got a few photos before he took to the water, uncomfortable with my approach. He swam on the surface about 75 feet, and then dove underwater as he perceived my pursuit. I followed his trail of bubbles and stirred up mud for several minutes until it disappeared along the far bank.
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What a pleasure to finally get a glimpse of one of the shelter beaver, espying his small, rounded rodent-like ears; his thick brown fur coat; and long thick hairs protruding from his eyebrows and snout. The next morning, he was there again and I was able to capture some even closer photos. He was intent on finishing his leafy breakfast and allowed a closer approach.

Walton County, Georgia ​

​This hawk refused to come down below and kept himself above the others. I wish I could do the same... not in a self-righteousness that is condemning of others, or an elevated sense of self-worth, but an ability to keep from being drawn to base quarrels down below. This hawk did not achieve his high place by putting others down or keeping them oppressed, he merely kept himself high and refused to come down to their level. There was no pride in his position. 

The hawk was on his perch for at least twenty minutes while I completed my one mile walk. By refusing to be drawn below, and patiently waiting on his high perch, our hawk was there to experience the warm rays of the rising sun as it peeked over the horizon. He therefore was the first to shake off the cold, damp, darkness of the preceding night. How much better to just keep to the high road, refuse to jump in the fray, and patiently await the refreshing that comes from the breaking of a new day. As my old boss, J. Michael Nealer, used to tell me, “Let’s be the better person.” Not in a condemning, prideful attitude towards others, but welcoming others to come up and join us. The view is great from higher up!

​Athens, Georgia

Sunday, 6:50 AM – sitting on my back patio with my coffee cup. Crows are making a raucous gathering in the back. Although it is 68 degrees and feels cooler, it is damp; the summertime humidity is holding on. The canoe sits overturned in the backyard waiting to be used. A Towhee bravely hops bravely toward me, approaching stone by stone up the path to my left… “twee-hoo… twee-hoo… tee tee…” Another bird with him, a house finch with raggedy coat of feathers, looking like a mangy molt.  To the east, a large moon still hangs in the brightening sky, late to retire to rest for the night.

At the beginning of this month, I decided to keep more detailed journals. If not daily, at least an entry for each photograph. So I ponder: why journal? Why blog?

1. It is a hobby. It is something I enjoy. I think humans go crazy if they don’t have a healthy distraction.
2. I want people to see and appreciate. Those who follow the shelter website can see another side of me, and perhaps become less judgmental and critical when they see the human side this animal control director.  Even little compliments or notes of appreciation can be a big motivation.
3. Perhaps it can reach one person and enlighten them to the glory of God through creation.
4. There will be something left of my inner thoughts and passions for my kids and grand-kids to hold onto.
5. Journaling leads to inspiration for talks, sermons and Creation Speaks classes.
6. Writing stimulates the mind, enhances memory of events. 

Thursday, 7:48 AM – I sauntered up to the shelter pond with camera in hand before the work day began to see what I might see. The morning air was completely calm, but not quite stuffy. Underneath the cloudless sky, the pond was absolutely still... I would say 'as glass' if it weren’t for the bits of grass and debris cast in the water from yesterday’s mowing of the banks. A bright orange sun rose just above the tree line, bathing the entire pond in a vibrant glow. I pulled my hat down to block the blinding rays and peer across the water. From a spot on the bank, concentric arcs of puffy white feathers slowly floated out into the pond, like little sailboats caught on a calm breeze. The resident Mallards sat in the epicenter of these ripples busily preening their feathers.

Thursday, 5:22 PM - I set up my trail camera in the green space near my house for about a week just to see what I could see. I was hoping for a coyote or fox shot, but got the typical neighborhood does and an armadillo. All the deer ticks covering this poor girl make me itchy! 
Athens, Georgia

Thursday, 5:41 PM - There is an advantage to being ready. On my typical drive home, this beautiful Red-tailed Hawk was perfectly posed on a pasture fence, but only momentarily. Since my camera was lying ready on the passenger seat, all I had to do was slow down, put down the window and fire away.
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These amazing raptors are always ready. Their lives depend upon being prepared to take every opportunity to seize their prey. To succeed and survive, they have been equipped with keen eyesight to spot even the smallest rodent scurrying in the brush; their strong talons are ever quick to “snatch up” (the linguistic origin of the name raptor) that prey; and their hooked beak ensures the meal does not escape. They are ever at the ready.

The House Finches are very common visitors at my backyard bird feeder. Being more tolerant of people, they often allow better photos than some other species. Adult males' heads are typically reddish and intensity varies with the time of year. Adult females have brown upperparts and streaked underparts.

Monday - Twenty years of working in Animal Control, and twenty five years of hunting for snakes, and I’ve never had the privilege of finding a Coral Snake in the wild. And look what my mom’s neighbor found crawling out of her swimming pool in Texas this morning! Knowing my mom and her friend, I'm surprised they had the nerve to get close enough for this cell-phone photo! Unfortunately, since nobody skilled enough (and crazy enough) like me was there to collect the beautiful specimen, they had to “get rid” of him.  

Driftwood, Texas

Sunday, 6:49 AM - This early morning backyard visitor gave me a bit of a fit. I didn’t immediately recognize it, so I had to grab the Peterson’s Field guide. Perhaps it is a Pine Warbler? I’ve seen those before in my backyard. It had the yellow ‘spectacles’ around the eyes, but this one seemed larger, and the beak was too big. Perhaps a Yellow-throated Vireo? But it looked too yellow and didn’t have the black eye stripe.

Having no luck in Peterson’s, a few days later I tried www.allaboutbirds.org, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s website. This is a great resource with photos, identification and life history info on every bird. It even has photos of similar species to help clear up confusions like mine. Still no luck.

Finally, on September 30, I decided to email the photos to the vice-president of the Oconee Rivers Audubon Society. The “conversation” went like this:

• Me: Hi, Can you help identify this one from my backyard in East Athens? Seems too big and beak different to be a Pine Warbler. Yellow throat vireo?  Thanks!
• Katy:  Hi William, Thanks for the email! This is actually a Summer Tanager and a lovely shot.  Yellow-throated Vireo was a very good guess.
• Me: Wow! It wasn’t red so it threw me off. I’ve seen the red males in my yard on occasion but didn’t realize females come in yellow. 
• Katy:  Tanager females are the yellowish green, but with that one being so yellow I'd say it is probably a fall male, they lose their red in favor of a yellowy orange glow. 

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Mystery solved. Should have consulted and expert earlier! 

​Athens, Georgia