Monday, August 15, 2005

Vacation Day 1

What We Did on Our Summer Vacation--A Ghost Town Orange Mini-series. [Click on photos for a larger view; e-mail me if you want higher-resolution versions for printing...]
We drove to Murfreesboro, Arkansas on the first day of our trip. We picnicked at Boggy Depot State Park, near Atoka, Oklahoma.


Turtle in roadway near Boggy Depot State Park,
May 30, 2005 12:46 pm Posted by Picasa

The boys kept a tally of roadkill [no, not run over by us!] for the first day of driving:
  • Unidentified--11
  • Armadillos--8
  • Squirrels--5
  • Racoons--4
  • Dogs--3
  • Mice--3
  • Crows--2
  • Cat--1
  • Opossum--1
  • Skunk--1
  • Turtle--1
Note: we did not keep an accurate tally for the whole trip, but we think we saw more roadkill on this first day than on any other day of the trip.

Roadkill attracts vultures. Near home I am more used to seeing the larger Turkey Vulture, which has thinner-looking wings and a bare, ugly red head. According to the National Audubon Society Field Guide, Black Vultures depend more on their eyesight to find food; while Turkey Vultures rely on their sense of smell to locate carrion. Yum!

Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus) in flight,
Southeast Oklahoma,
May 30, 2005 1:50 pm Posted by Picasa
(Unfortunately, the white patches on the Black Vultures wings are not visible in this photo.)


Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus) on fencepost,
Southeast Oklahoma,
May 30, 2005 1:50 pm Posted by Picasa

We felt it was too wet for camping, so we stayed at the Queen of Diamonds Inn. Joyce and I took a window-shopping walk after dinner at a short-staffed catfish restaurant.


Diamond digging frog in store window,
Murfreesboro AR,
May 30, 2005 8:16 pm Posted by Picasa
(Notice the shovel-thermometer)

Sign in store window
Murfreesboro Arkansas,
May 30, 2005 8:20 pm Posted by Picasa

Tune in tomorrow for Day 2: Digging for Diamonds...
God our security,
who alone can defend us
against the principalities and powers
that rule this present age;
may we trust in no weapons
except the whole armor of faith,
that in dying we may live,
and, having nothing, we may own the world,
through Jesus Christ. AMEN
--Janet Morley, All desires known, 1988

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