A Few Rarities

Saturday was a pretty day for our MD visit and Joyce and I got to watch our granddaughter Bre play soccer (photo).  However, still nothing new on the bird rarity scene as we left the playing field and headed toward Baltimore.  Our hotel right on the harbor front was a few notches up in quality from my usual overnight digs on the birding highway.   We arrived with enough time before the wedding to rest up.  With our wedding duds on, we took the shuttle bus running between the hotel and the wedding venue, the American Visionary Art Museum, with its sculptures modeled after a hot air balloon and an early airplane hanging aloft (photo).  The bride and groom were not teenagers, but were still a lot younger than we are.  And the vows spoken and the readings given were very young, quite spirited, and clever.  There were many young children in attendance who were asked to participate from time to time. I like that. The dinner reception which followed was upstairs in the museum, two floors up.  It was great seeing and chatting with all of Joyce's cousins.  As usual the music was too loud, but it was a young people's night.  We did get in a dance (slow) before we called it a night and returned to the hotel.  I checked the email and saw that a Pink-footed Goose had been found in New Brunswick.  I went to bed wondering what I would do about it.
On Sunday we went to a lovely brunch in a restaurant nearby and I continued to wonder if I should chase the goose.  I began the drive home.  But after we got into Virginia, Joyce drove, giving me a chance to make a couple of phone calls and try a few northeastern itineraries using my wireless router and laptop.  In the end I decided to stay on course with my upcoming trip to Louisiana and go for the closer Pink-foot that will make an appearance before the end of the year.  It was also good to see that several other rarities popped up over the weekend, but none that I needed for the yearlist.