"Birding with Bob" and the North Coast Nature Festival

This is me. I look confused because Bob is playing hide and seek...I always worry when he does that...

I spent this past weekend at the Cleveland Metroparks North Coast Nature Festival. As you can tell I had a booth displaying a 'few' of my photos...and hoping to sell some to pay for this insane habit of mine. Not to mention covering the costs of Bob and his havoc.

I love being at this show every year. It's a good time to catch up with all of our bird buddies that we haven't seen since last fall, or longer. I've met former co-workers from years ago and old neighbors. And then, every once in a while, a new birder stops by to browse...and they see a photo that sparks their interest and excitement. That's the real reason I enjoy being there! When you can get someone hooked a little bit more on birding, a little bit more interested in habitat conservation, THAT makes it all worth while.

Though it would be nice if they bought something too.

This is the first year Bob came along to the show. He would have preferred to sleep in, being a sluggishmunk as opposed to a chippermunk, but he heard a new friend wanted to meet him...and there was free food.

Bob's a lucky boy!
Joni Norris of the Metroparks gave him his own pair of binoculars!
Now he can search for birds...er...food on his own(as long as I can hold him up!)

Bobs new friend Chuck the Beaver. Chuck was jealous of Bob's bins...

Rather than listening to the ensuing argument, Joni made sure Chuck had a new pair of bins too!
Now everyone is happy...almost everyone anyway...

Bob and Chuck went to see our friends, Larry Rosche and Judy Semroc give a talk on birds and butterflies.
They're sitting with Chucks family, Paula and Jan.
They're smiling because they don't know Bob that well...

You can tell by the smile on Bob's face that he's enjoying the tickles from another new friend, Merlin, the bearded dragon.
Merlin's friend Pam of the N.Ohio Herpetologists assured us that he doesn't eat Chipmunks...

This is Bob and Muskie the Muskrat.
At the end of the day and after a huge meal, they were both feeling stuffed...

Ralphie the Rose-breasted Grosbeak said hi also...

I'll post a few of the birds that I spied through my rainy window at the Fest very soon!

*By the way...to anyone that saw Kimmay Kaufmans BSBO FacePlaceSpaceBook comment about my blog claiming that I am a "genius", I'm sorry...we all know better, don't we!