All’s Well that Ends Well

I wasn’t happy Thursday night when I had a crown pop off while cleaning my teeth. Luckily I was able to see the dentist Friday, though it meant driving all the way to Vancouver and back on short notice, meaning that I didn’t have time to schedule my normal lunch date with old friends.

Still, I wasn’t about to drive that far JUST to visit the dentist. So I ended up leaving several hours early and visiting the Ridgefield Wildlife Refuge. At first I was a little disappointed when I didn’t get a single bird picture during the 1 1/2 mile walk through the heart of the refuge, though I was quite fond of the Wild Teasel, a plant I’ve only vaguely noted before.

Once I got back in the car and proceeded to drive the rest of the loop, my luck seemed to change, though. First, I got this picture of a female Blue-Winged Teal, a duck I can’t remember photographing before.

A little further along, I observed a family of Pied-Billed Grebes closer than I’ve ever managed to get before. I was particularly charmed by this small chick that at first glance seemed to be a small stick because he sat so still for so long

The climax of the day, though, was getting this close-up of a male American Kestrel, who seemed to take pleasure in pointing out that I couldn’t follow him when he flew deep into the refuge:

To cap the day off, the dentist was able to simply re-cement the crown on without too much work. I was on my way home in less than an hour with a crown intact. I felt blessed that a day that started off so badly should end so well.