Birds and outdoor tennis

I'm still learning how to use my new camera. It was a nice day - real nice, by recent standards - and a Monday to boot. Mondays are nice because there aren't as many people out, and I feel less inhibited about where and when to snap photos. So about noon I went to Harriet Island to assess the recession of the flood and to try to learn more about the camera. As to the flood - the water is down and most of Harriet Island is again above water. A few puddles remain, but there is river mud everywhere. The city employees present were shoveling the mud off the sidewalks and power washing the surfaces. Soon it will be back to normal, ready for the Taste of Minnesota (which, incidentally will not be returning to Harriet Island this summer. Something about unpaid bills) fireworks.

There were some geese milling around. I took some photos with the telephoto to judge photo quality and whether my eye was up to using this equipment. So far, I think I can handle it.

When I got home I noticed a cardinal in the back yard. I've tried to get pictures of them before, but they are a shy breed and fly away whenever I get within camera range. The telephoto lens got me a little closer.

And then this afternoon became my first outdoor tennis day since February in Florida. The gang of geezers and I decided that Marie Court was a better fit for our games than the Fort Snelling bubble. We swept the winter's dirt off the courts before we started. It looked like top soil from South Dakota - black and rich. Then we played a couple of sets in the wind and sun, and thanked our lucky stars for a nice enough day to do it, at last. I guess it was about 65 degrees. Nice.