We're back from camping at Little Buffalo State Park near Harrisburg. It was the only park where we could get a site that would accept dogs, as Domino (the official dog of my political blog) was coming along. Who knew that all the campgrounds would be so full? I guess everyone's too broke to go on a "real" vacation, so everyone in PA is camping.
We hiked, we played in the creek, we fished, we saw lots of birds (37 species, including a lifer!), and I made LOTS of fires. I mean LOTS. I had to make a fire every time we wanted to cook, and in between meals we left the site so it always had to be put out. That's a fire Friday night, three fires Saturday, and two fires on Sunday. I never thought I'd say this, being a bit of a pyro and all, but I'm TIRED of making fires!
Here are a few snapshots of what we did and saw:
Gretchen and I fishing:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlztpMRsr0cGn73PC9b16imfAydqZz3gbbhbBCsNX6c8YOD4hxG_RCd9aSTgjACU_RG0GNomrP9wJ7abYDoKI3DnHQhqJs83AtWhBPbzNPHsi_pa_zJY489fazWtcvlymbay70OQ/s320/Camping+Photos+002.jpg)
Bass Master!
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh9fH737bMFnuEuHn2pSHVJ327TsJAk9Yxqtxtea_0Aaa9ePj3De4W4UA6Be0V-7Y_D75CqU6Lb3w9tWAOi5wxpdEql6pK8Fw4UQzOdcEARbVvlB74boiSrS9IS2ZQVr7NUqlVNA/s320/BassMaster.jpg)
Of course, the fish is maybe 5 inches long....
Domino:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-wYLNCkR45RbzCjDoeutzgR8sul2Ktg8pSbqbbhmPaWxvNARoxIw_xR4ai4q-IKEHQ8TO3kH0gHdx5DpQ9bTdSMX6NIiL6M_G7YMTWc2Z0TC3tIngnK1KO8Wwtu1gdztIlEvC6g/s320/Dom+1.jpg)
A Box Turtle (Thanks, John, for the ID):
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixHts5dwkfWyvE8WAHjzLHqhwEboFqQei_qDUik3zIq080ql2Oae1fKAdB1qTBSjkdSrSb5PFzdRxkKMWmklgKbLQH7AFMzYQOLqNIdphfxwm2EQN9rPCeZkemUOe2-7y1R6qtSQ/s320/Turtle_edited.jpg)
A baby American Toad (thanks to Katdoc for the ID):
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT00RzK5zBTMP85S9fjB-XmJ9eHX8YSNqcQjoVDw4AUSUdN-b8vheDEOp4q8FuROCwGydEo85jFXDPWPax-gkDGPXASb_QE4YucMKTfAt_31b3qUV5rlbot0eKYHQ1qJ2sObUj1A/s320/Tiny+froggy.jpg)
My best-ever look at an Eastern towhee:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkrIciehHt6zRZ6RMm3OQFC33nYfR3YLw6kWUjiO06GqRxVeQadIQla1uT5j2ocUxuT0pagLvDZQmg7swyPmFysheJyM-u3-Equxvm0YQSxCnnWNWmMSaevAiRV-odbT9_dCUU8Q/s320/EaTowhee+crop.jpg)
Domino, Gretchen, Em, and me playing in the creek:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-SztPX163lS19b0jHE5tnAcQJRECuaPnNk8yArOfNGFroQwT35yRt9SlgyWBJTHIdXigGBoekMAmMtQaZI1-D1D8_sxJY1fB3ug29kv4vP2MBJkhqpx53TRXE4UuG91zTxwqxHw/s320/Camping+Photos+049.jpg)
A red admiral, which is
Julie Zickefoose's favorite butterfly:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKtwzgowqazFbCpx-UvcF3ifW26AYV0EB33jH862pQyDAAy8Jq_7eVzCYYeU5rdFAUAf1omWtCUkXedKp0rU-AGfiE3mpSLRxjDdM4ZUNqizAxOugiILa_oeWtJDDSTrwIiDnEeA/s320/Odd+lullerfly.jpg)
There were swallowtails everywhere:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO2y7pjMyPEA7eZa6_YQaBh2FpRjJnmZst6iMrA3E5OxCihqPgNTotvX20pQB2vHSy5x3rVtN_Qdnjkj4ezlorwtN2ezi9FF_AmDODZug-F6iy7AUziDa0o833A0LXn3PIK095pQ/s320/black+and+yellow+swallowtails.jpg)
Eastern Kingbird--this isn't a great pic, but I had much better looks at him while gawking and forgetting to take pictures (thanks John and Katdoc on the positive ID):
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBgg5v3ko0xNUoKlHDD3Kmy0sLq5VyajA-jX9n-ZG1cA7ubLQTa2J4-FfOeqxbkx1fljUmmyfaOS2camLKyZr5tzI8HFbtq_ddsYinJEwVOLqero8tose5U9ayE5olKYuNYXfdaw/s320/Camping+Photos+042_edited.jpg)
UPDATED! Here's a second even worse photo, showing just a touch of white in the tail--per John's comment:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1_P0Dp6-e2UxQ0Kcjts_a0XQjsU682qkMqeIQ7L-StsVw2qMXNw_k9WxDu4xIxjb5iIk7RqQu3gB_dQ4z-ov4e_BcZhhmuE1hcgj9_oKj897zmq00XZLpKOBgUBmLPpafQUdwVQ/s400/kingbird+super-crop.jpg)
Eastern bluebird!
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisvbYpNbUAJY8hnKbucrjrkm6WYp5YUbftStwGWZlQcw6dNkFqGU2BLs039VSnVaxH5VtluAZYKTKkmXmgGWRvH7Urb76qKjsW0W3961fQ6-w5R_okj_48momIosel32qb3rU2vg/s320/Camping+Photos+046_edited.jpg)
Kat and Gretchen decided we needed to hike the most difficult trail, despite my pleas that I would have a heart attack:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEharYw8Lwxr4mZAVxC7COwW9tEC1w8DAN20khPvKPizXXD8Lk1IhEphJssxqRHW58xhMUYUurdS6GYOv_pVtvk9dZigs1dAngj-MzIUTr5gpSjnhk-15otSzMsLKif6OndBvSscTg/s320/Camping+Photos+034.jpg)
Cooling off and skipping rocks in the creek:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_p1C10QRbiujqv7gQsteg4kq7n5Kyfg6Toj43t_KmpfOdJcDiXnzUjkA9VqS987fkeacD8QRsLgG0dlx3_v2l8xaCybPeF_DyvVwY8Mq9MrhrfhS0Fpb-MF9-Ci4DPDBUDDb0CQ/s320/Camping+Photos+074.jpg)
Somehow I made it to the summit, although I was almost a goner several times along the way!
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk3qj740AhS3Et0rDm4J1fAi4Ns92MnzSGLDjcOMtf7ayqu2_cNTdqLSg6IsccWwHWSvQD3NwgVEVa2iMcwqN9Ov_Zc35DLRu_d1HKitfMbIYLFkiqkFkMay9HoX0_AECqX8DTmA/s320/Camping+Photos+029.jpg)
There were a lot of ducks on the lake, but only one kind, it seemed:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjVJqYW9iCd9N0hAkB12q0p81Erdb8covYeMvGfui-ljI2KGmUjJ-sV-g55KKmzTqEu56jSW3byxYkdqBUsX81-N2PEKP1XtfmvYfkksRm8ikE_Yx4NEeaSe3kPedk4nhwKqaplg/s320/Ducks.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3odzjrkBRTY9bahA97A_i2xTSHlCyl2bqpwF8rnS1GDYiYVDFWOducMUzTVzouRpfuOxHBt1b5YxpzRVrmR7sSBmk7Jsec_zOWCvNI5FySbl62b7IR_Vox6K91RF-7yOSfK_VmQ/s320/Camping+Photos+169_edited.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ7_VCJ5cUVknUVKeAp4CIjlsisnr15wC_LOR9KEGuDjg0VSYcocLGLt0BrT8SGkto-ozjmqQOpo6BkwOv-Ee_4mSGobP-b9lB9x9UnKff_80w6ld7NOWRvQ3C1F3I35hSJ4GuwQ/s320/Camping+Photos+168_edited.jpg)
Are these gadwalls? Sadly, no--per comments, they are just mallards with the drakes out of breeding plumage. Already in their travelling clothes for the fall migration! Gretchen insisted they were a commune of lesbian mallard hens, but they didn't have the purple patches. Turns out she was kinda right!
Whew--I'm exhausted just remembering it all. The nights were cool, but days sure were hot.
The rest of the photos will be presented as a special treat: Kat will be doing a guest post on our Saturday evening fishing trip! She says she's calling it "Fishing Face." I don't know what she's talking about.