I started this trip thinking I would br writing so many posts and share a ton of pictures, but it turns out I end up busy and tired at the end of the day, and rest is important for recovery so that takes priority.

Additionally, I’ve been taking a good portion of my pictures with my new Cannon PowerShot 540 using the best resolution I can.  I’m pretty interested in birding, and I enjoy trying to figure out what I just saw, so having the ability to zoom in optically and then taking a picture in higher resolution than my old rugged waterproof sport camera or phone can take helps make identifying a bird easier.

But that means the file size is pretty big to be uploading to a website, so I will probably use mostly my phone pics to post here unless I get something epic on the large camera.

So here are some of the pics we uploaded like the first or second day from my stuff, and I’ll maybe add a few others from along the way.

For those of you who’ve been reading older blogs, you may be interested in hearing how my Achilles ‘Tendons are doing.  So far so good.  Actually I think they are benefiting from the motion but having less direct impact on them. The tendons or ligaments on the upper edge of my knees are a bit stressed.  The first day was worst for them, I think my jogging preference for a smooth steady pace translated to thinking using a smooth steady more powerful-needing gear/pace/tempo would also work for me.  Turns out that puts a lot of stress on those tendons. So I’m being much more careful and staying in lower gears and pedaling more gently but frequently. I don’t accelerate quickly, but can keep up and maintain once I get up to speed.

Also, so far I think I have seen and found notable (e.g. I’m not going to mention stuff like American Crows or Starlings). (Also, I may get spelling or hyphenation a bit wrong).
Eurasian Collared Dove
Meadowlark (definitely Western, probably Eastern too)
Blue Winged Teal
Mississippi Kite
Dickcissel
Red-headed Woodpecker
American Kestrel
maybe a prairie or peregrine falcon?
Western Kingbird
Eastern Kingbird
Cliff swallow
Barn Swallow
I’m pretty sure I keep hearing Nighthawks

Prairie Dog
Gopher Snakes
American Toad (a sizable cutie)
I’m also thinking I’ve heard chorus frogs a few times.

And there’s probably a few things I’m forgetting.

Here ccome the pictures!

Pretty sure this is a meadowlark.
Something happened with the heat ripples and made this picture kind of look like a painting.

Not sure if this is a peregrine falcon, a prairie falcon, or some hawk I am mis-identifying.
A gopher snake.
Barn swallows checking out the overhand lip.
I think this cutie is a donkey.
And some horse friends.