Perfect Day...

Our day after Thanksgiving was started with another wonderful breakfast at the Bartlett Pear, this time of Brioche French Toast with real maple syrup (one forgets how good the non Aunt Jemima product is).  We loitered a bit and then got the necessary gear (camera bag, binoculars, bird books) into the MOMSTER for our visit to Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge.   This place is always a magnet (and refuge) for us.  Serious birders spend time there generating lists of species as long as your arm, but we prefer to let the scenery drive us, and if a bird shows, fine.  Chef Jordan prepared us a “box lunch” for a picnic, and off we went down to Cambridge and then south to the Refuge. 

We checked in at the visitor center, quite well attended I guess due to the day after the holiday plus the wonderful weather.  I think the same volunteer was in attendance as last time, he is so enthusiastic and will talk about it as long as you want to listen (or even longer!).  They have a great selection of esoteric nature books and field guides, plus nice little nature related. gifty things in honor of the season.   Anyhow, we found out that predicted closures due to “paving” have been removed and all the drives were open.

Somehow, no matter how many times you go there, the same scenes are ever new. 

 

 

 

And the same citizens are generally present

(Northern Shovelers)

(Lord (or Lady) of the Domain)

(a few of the thousands of Canada Geese)

We even found a group of (ring billed) gulls that thought they owned the road (fresh warm asphalt).  They would begrudgingly move a few feet down the road with the approach of the MOMSTER and settle in again..

(This is our street, pal)

Okay, Okay

 

We eventually found a great place for parking and had lunch in the al fresco portion of the MOMSTER

 

With our box lunch of roast turkey (what else) sandwiches with truffled pecorino cheese, house made mayonnaise, mustard, freshly made potato chips, fresh fruit, and if you look closely, just under the orange is a chocolate! 

 

After lunch we sort of headed home, and the water was high enough that it rose the few inches necessary to crest the roadway, even though we were warned,

 

but by going slowly it wasn’t a problem, except for those idiots that have to justify their expensive vehicles (see dear!  THIS is why we need our Jeep!)

 

It's so peaceful (besides the Jeep people which were very few) to get away from the houses, chains, lights, and see what there is out there..  An extremely present day recharging the batteries.  Thank you mother nature..

After returning to the inn and a short rest we went out and scored some things we saw window shopping the previous day.  Trying our best to keep the small/local businesses afloat.

I think we’ll save the crowning culinary event of the trip for tomorrow.  It deserves its own space, and by the time I lose control of the verbiage, your attention span will have dwindled to the point of not paying attention.. so we’ll leave you while we get

 

DFD