tx_cronopio that looked really fun, and various trips to Oklahoma or north-central Texas that I considered. But I missed my chance to do most of them by not getting an early start. I got up early for breakfast, but then I fell asleep again. I did not hit the road until 9 a.m.
So I meandered over to Bonham State Park, a little wooded park surrounding a small lake, with facilities built by the Civilian Conservation Corps during the 1930s, the Great Depression.
When I arrived, fifteen minutes before ten, the air was chilly and the wind palpable. Lots of families were camping there for Easter. I checked in with the ranger, who observed that the bluebirds seem blue-er this year. I began to walk along the side of the paved but empty park road that rings the lake and the park.
I had on two layers of warmth and my reliable cheap white over-ear headphones. I listened once more to "Tactics", the new album by FauxKnow. I recalled earlier hikes I have taken over the years at this park, listening to albums like Lisa DeBenedictis' "Tigers". Then I listened to the MintCast, a Linux podcast. The Mintcast did a review of Void Linux, which sounded altogether too much like a command-line-ten-years-ago release for my taste.
During my two hour walk I saw only 10 distinct species of birds, but was able to get good photos of Carolina Chickadees, Northern Cardinals and an Eastern Phoebe.
I enjoyed seeing the Brown Thrasher in the woods.
I drove a bit long way 'round back towards home. I ate a Whichwich Lettucewith with turkey and provolone for lunch. I stopped by Half-Priced Books, a good used bookstore in McKinney, where I bought two chess books, an Audubon biography and a book about bluebirds.
I also glanced in an Office Depot that is being closed down due to a corporate consolidation. A sign on the front said "40% off", but the discounts on things that I might have bought were only 5 or 10 percent,and did not seem like sales.
I thought about getting a phone charger, which was at the full discount, but the only chargers on display were inexpensive chargers marked up to higher prices.
I dislike this aspect of store closings.
I stopped by Bethany Lakes Park and took a picture of a Yellow-Rumped Warbler. My step counter told me I had exceeded 10,000 steps for the day. I went home and walked Beatrice. My wife called me and we began to make plans for dinner and a movie. I met my wife and her former co-worker M. at Cedars, a Mediterranean grill. We all had an excellent grilled vegetable buffet. Then M. left us to go do some work. My wife and I went to "A Big Fat Greek Wedding 2", which we enjoyed.
My step-counter crossed 20,000 steps today. Tomorrow we hope to rise early for Easter.