The Birding Trail Meeting

Our CEO got called out of town unexpectedly. She told me to go to the Birding Trail meeting this morning to represent the chamber. I've been to many different trail meetings and museum meetings, council...etc. She tells me it's out at our outdoor amphitheater at 8:30 a.m. I get dressed to go to an outdoor meeting...cargo capris, tank top, button down short-sleeve shirt, sandals (not dainty, but more like a dressed up river shoe), make-up and hair just blown out all messy (we were going to be outside and I figured I would just go for the windblown look in advance.)

On my way there it is drizzling. I get there and two of the group were talking and I notice they are in jeans and hiking boots, with rain jackets. Well...aren't they prepared. The other three to be in attendance show up and they ask if we are ready to go see what the terrain looks like. At this moment I realize I am going on a hike. I pull the hair back in a ponytail, put on the ball cap from the backseat (rain is still slowly coming down...sideways), grab my camera and a pen and fold up some paper for my pocket.

I had the best time. I found out that this meeting was to have an expert tell us how hard he thought it would be for us to put in a birding and nature trail down along the river. It was unchartered territory for me...and I loved it. I had no idea it was all down there.

See, it used to be a pecan orchard/grove. Some of the trees still have the tags on them. We saw some really interesting grafting on some of the trees. We got offof the main trail and got back into some deer runs that were beautiful. I felt kinda bad when we scared a group of deer off. Didn't have my camera ready for that, it was raining and I had to protect it. (need some underwater casing or something) Four of the group are naturalists & birding enthusiasts and I learned so much. Like immediately shut up when a bird starts singing. (Caught on to that real early)

He said he thought it could work, and we think so too.

I called my CEO and thanked her for allowing me to go on an early morning hike in the rain in my work clothes. She apologized and said you really didn't think we were just meeting outside to sit around and talk...

I guess if I'd had an agenda I would have known. Oh well, I had a great time, for real. I am actually planning to canoe that part of the river so that I can see from the other angle.

I've made many attempts to post the pictures in this. I'll try to post them separate.