This morning I took a cab which cost me less than five dollars to a nature reserve high above the town of San Miguel.  I went on a bird walk with some Canadians and Americans who certainly had a better idea of what they were looking at than I did.  The big standout for me was the vermillion fly catcher.  Look it up.  Such a wonderful red color.  Even I could not miss it!  Part of the reserve is a wet land section and I saw ducks and an egret and a bird called a stilt because he stands on one leg.  We saw a shrike ( you can look that one up too) and goldfinch.  Hmm… I guess I did see a lot of birds, after all.  I liked being out of town, breathing the quiet air and murmuring along with people of my age and interests.  The landscape is thorny and full of cactus.  I will go up there again for a tour of the plants.  This little tree decorated with earthenware eggs is a memorial to the students recently disappeared and feared killed.  No one talks much about this in our artsy town so I was glad to see this and add my own little prayer

In in the afternoon I had my second lecture of poetry by prof Kenneth Graham.  He is a prof from Guelph University who specializes in poetry up to the 20 the century.  To my great joy he explanned some John Donne and recited a long bit out of the prologue of the Canterbury Tales.  Getting ready for the conference!  So here. I am in the hammock pondering on sonnets.  This is the life!

In the picture below we are on a ledge overlooking a stream.  Behind us is a reservoir where pin tail ducks and other water birds winter over.