Tuesday and things are winding down a day at a time...

I was out at dawn at Hornsby Bend, a waste treatment plant on the other side of Austin from me.  With the lighter than usual traffic ever since the virus hit, I got there in a little under half an hour.  I was just scouting out how it is for future reference.  The smell wasn't too bad, but I just cruised the gravel roads between the treatment ponds and got out occasionally to listen and look for birds.  Shore birds were pretty absent, I saw some Barn Swallows and heard a fair number of Painted Buntings in the trees along the shorelines, but never did see one.  This area was closed to the public until June 15th and I know there were a number of species of shore birds reported at that time.  I guess I'll be waiting until the fall migration and watching my area birding sites for when the action picks up again.

After spending about an hour there, I drove up to my old neighborhood and checked out the butterfly garden at the South Mueller Greenway.  My goal was a few Hummingbird shots and I was rewarded with several good ones.  It's been an overcast morning, not good for hyper-sonic speed subjects, but the sun poked through a few times.  After half an hour, I packed up and headed home to get some work done before getting ready for my daily radiation.

My appointment went well and was pretty close to my scheduled time, as I thought it would be with the new gentleman now in front of me with some unique needs being wheeled in for treatment as I arrived.  I did learn something from one of the therapists.  While it is true that the prostate is in a different position each day, requiring precise aiming of the equipment, it really doesn't move around much on its own.  It is more of a function of how full or empty the rectum and bladder are on a given day.  A very full bladder might push the prostate in one direction where an emptier one might allow movement in another one.  This is the reason patients are instructed to empty their rectum one hour before each session and to begin loading up on water.  It protects the surrounding tissue and holds the prostate in the best position for the radiation.

The picture for the day is of an immature Summer Tanager.  When this guy grows up, he will be a bright shade of red that puts even male Cardinals to shame!