the boys are back in town...the boys are back in town...

actually

it's my sand hill cranes

~a boy and a girl~

that are back

in town

and

I just felt like singing

i only post processed the top photo

because

I really wanted all of you to be able to see the beauty in these birds the same way i do

~~

there's a pond on our side of town

surrounded by apartment buildings

that is basically a wildlife refuge in the city

and

i can't even begin to describe to you what this place does to my senses

springtime

is when this place comes alive

~~

mr. and mrs. crane come home

and

the bunnies and the birds and the ducks and the geese and the muskrats and the turtles

are

everywhere

there is a man made trail around the entire pond

which is a little over a mile long

and

for the next month

i can get up close and personal with just about all of my pond friends

but

by the middle of may

the pond grasses and cattails will be taller than me

and

then

game on

as i become the crazy lady

in the weeds trying not to get her feet or her camera wet

while wiggling my way closer and closer

to my very smart friends

~~

once their babies are born

they're a bit more protective

and

they play a mean game of hide and seek

but

fortunately

due to plenty of foot traffic and dusk acting like a sedative to most of them

i can still

catch most of them

enjoying the good life

right around dinner time on lazy summer evenings

and

honestly

i can't even tell you how much

pond babies make my heart melt

in these photos

I was only a few feet away from the cranes

~~

so close

in fact

that when mr. crane spread his wings and asked me dance

he scared me a bit

and

i cut off the top of his head

~

silly bird

*