Persevering

I arrived at the oasis at daylight, determined to water the trees and enjoy the wildlife. Can't just sit in town all the time. My plan is to spread it out over two days, so I won't run myself down too much, but it's been difficult. My head isn't all better, plus I have an inflamed, swollen, painful lymph node in my arm. Then after hours of watering and dragging hoses my foot started to hurt real bad. Otherwise, it was a lovely day. Saw lots of birds and odes. Nothing rare, but good, nevertheless.

Here's an ordinary year-round Curve-billed Thrasher feasting on a Flame Skimmer.

Persimmons are ripening and attracting birds, plus the triple-digit heat draws them to the drip, so lots of activity. Here's a gorgeous Painted Bunting bathing.

Here's one of my better ode pics today. Not sure what it is. I'm bad at IDing odes.

I took well over a hundred photos and need to get help IDing some of the odes and other insects, such as this robber fly.

I figured out that by tacking a thick cotton potholder my sister crocheted inside my hat, it keeps my head cool all day when I soak the potholder with water. When it got up to 107° this afternoon I had to sprinkle water on my shirt too, but not as much as usual. Gonna finish watering in the morning and head back to town.

I'm hanging in there. One of my eyes is black and the other is a little bit. I'm determined to get all this dental and other stuff behind me this year and have a great year next year. My foot should be all better by then too. But, as I say, life is what happens when you're making other plans. And, as I've discovered, it happens fast!

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"Perseverance is not a long race. It is many short races, one after another." --- Walter Elliot