But as the rains hit, I wasn't feeling so cheery. Now this guy -- he'd like water -- probably the more the merrier.
But coming home to a basement partially full of water isn't exactly what I like after a day at work watching a storm from my office window. We're talking "Frankenstein on the mountain" lightning, which looked perilously close to hitting the tall antennas on our rooftop. (OK, a basement-full is a little bit of an overstatement. A little.)
After swabbing down the basement floor -- at least somewhat, I went out and bought a dehumidifier. I have to say, after 24-36 hours, it really has made the basement a far more palatable place, and I wish I'd done it sooner!
The bad news is that they need to redo the trough that leads to the sump, which means moving EVERYTHING in the basement to safety and covering up what's down there, as they'll jackhammer it to bits.
But the good news is that it shouldn't take long and it's under warranty, so unless I decide to upgrade anything (my choice) there's no cost.
Several days ago it was so lovely it was almost unbearable. I walked down to the "ditch" (thank you, Rick) by my house. The ducks were in full force, of course, but what makes that walk worthwhile is a visit by Harry the Heron.
It's interesting, looking for Harry. Everyone waits for him. One fellow said "I can hear him before I see him." Another couple said, "I just saw him come in." He's rather a celebrity in our parts.I'm really pleased with my zoom. He was pretty far away in all these. It's almost as though he knows he's a star and chooses to see the hardest part of the pond in which to shoot a photo!
OK, I'm not Art Wolfe, but just seeing Harry makes me feel very happy indeed!
Bye! See you next time!(Now on Chopsticks and String: It seems like everyone has read "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo." Now I have, too -- and here's what I think!)
I agree -- I love wading birds. In the Galapagos I saw an egret that was eating an eel. That was really neat.
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Great post. Wow, those photos of the herons are wonderful. Thanks for sharing! I love all birds!
ReplyDeletehope your wet basement troubles are all better very soon
ReplyDeletegot a great visual of the lightening! I enjoy a good storm when I am somewhere nice and dry with no worries of flooding and such.
Harry certainly is a gorgeous fellow!
Super pics you snapped Jeanie!
What beautiful photos! You have an amazing camera and a good eye.
ReplyDeleteSorry about your basement woes. We have a dehumidifier running 24/7 in our basement. It collects water like a cistern!
Only you, Jeanie, could be coping with a flooded basement and give us a post that leaves us feeling so happy about a beautiful heron. Lovely, completely lovely. Hope this week is better.
ReplyDeletexoxo
I know what you mean about being flooded in your house. It is a pain and it smells musty. Last year just about now we were in Canada and upon our return saw a sign, in front of our house, saying that the road was closed ½ mile ahead. As soon as we opened the front door we knew we had been flooded because of the smell. We lost books and other things. I made a post on it (http://avagabonde.blogspot.com/2009/09/of-flood-and-birthdays.html) and showed pictures of areas in Atlanta under water, including the freeway. Some people lost everything and still have not recovered. On another note I love the pictures of your heron, Harry – quite a nice fellow.
ReplyDeleteIt seems as though everyone is fond of herons, and if you have one that visits regularly it's like an old friend, or maybe a celebrity that you are "allowed" to see periodically. They are so special.
ReplyDeletei love that you combined your wonderful water shots with wonderful words about your water issues :-)
ReplyDeleteI love herons - they're so graceful. I'm glad he was there to give you something pretty to look at - after the wet basement!
ReplyDeleteWe've had that problem too - no fun!
Sorry about the basement. Glad Harry brought you some joy. Hope you did OK with last night's storms.
ReplyDeleteWhat beautiful birds! You got some great shots!
ReplyDeleteOh, I love Harry. When we lived with Dad, I used to watch the blue herons and snowy egrets in the creek. We had a snowy egret that came every evening. You could almost set your watch by him.
ReplyDeleteI'm pleased the basement is sorted and I'm loving the Harry photos. I have a new camera so I'm going to be trying to remember your shots when I'm practising.
ReplyDeleteI love these heron photos, Jeanie.
ReplyDeleteTerrible about the flooded basement! But I'm grateful for you that you were under warranty. Yikes.