Christmas Eve Morn - A Walk on the Wild Side

Christmas Eve is usually spent cleaning house in preparation for company, cooking or shopping for those things we forgot to get earlier in the week.  This year was quite different.  Our first Cruiser-In-Waiting Christmas Eve was spent in pleasant solitude, doing just what we want to do and relaxing...  We passed the morning on the foredeck watching the sunrise and the dolphin fish.  We talked about what we wanted to do today.

The Trail to the Tower

I was in the mood for a walk and since yesterday we had taken out walk on the beach, we chose to visit the boardwalk to see if we could find some birds or maybe a jackrabbit.

Bruce with his halo

The morning was gorgeous, very still and a bit of light fog on the water.  Bruce remarked that it was like being "somewhere else" and I agreed.  We always marvel that this well kept secret is usually ours to enjoy, alone with the beauty of nature.

Of course there are birds here, but there are signs everywhere of other animals as well.  Today's walk turned into a tracking expedition.  We walked along the boardwalk and tried to identify the different tracks we saw.

Raccoon

We are no expert on wildlife tracks but we think we know these...

JackRabbit

Coyote

These look like cloven hooves, we're thinking Reindeer!

We saw some sign of other animals.  I can't imagine what kind of canine would eat berries, but eat berries he did...  

We continued on our walk talking and watching for other signs of wildlife.  We never did see any furry critters but at times, I felt as if there were beady eyes upon us.  I hastened my step just a little bit.  

In the distance we could hear the guns of duck hunters.  I was a little nervous that we could get shot, but Bruce assured me that at this distance it wasn't possible.  We found several ponds with lots of happy little duckies paddling around enjoying our warm weather.  It was so still and quiet, the sound of their beating wings in flight overhead could not be missed. 

Its funny how we heard every flock of ducks but not these.  

We turned our toes towards home and breakfast.  Bruce remarked as we saw this sight in the ship channel, "Hey, I think that's Jesus!"  But, it turned  out to be a stand-up paddle boarder.  Hey!  You never know... it's Christmas EVE!