Sandhill Cranes

It was in the teens this morning when Margaret and Jesse picked me up to go on a trip on the Tennessee Aquarium boat, but we were either in the car or the boat, so it wasn't too bad.  It was a lovely sunny morning.  We found the dock and the boat easily.  Getting anywhere over rough ground is always a challenge for me, but it wasn't a long way.  Plus I had a cane and Margaret to hold onto.  Jesse let us out as close as possible, and then went to park the car.  I stayed inside the bost the whole trip, but Margaret and Jesse were able to get out on the observation deck for part of the time.  The sandhill cranes are magnificent animals, and there are hundreds of them stopping over on their migration at the Hiwassee Refuge area.  We also saw a few tundra swans, ospreys, hawks, bald eagles, plus our local great blue herons, gulls, and white pelicans.  Kate was supposed to go with us, but her long, uphill driveway (in NW Kentucky) was iced over and she couldn't get out.  That's why Jesse got to go with us.

This is the end of an era for the Aquarium boat.  It's been a fixture on the Chattanooga waterfront for the last ten years, but this was the last weekend.  The boat has been sold back to its builder and will be moving it to Washington State.  The trips on the Tennessee River will be sorely missed.