Month: August 2023

'scene' along the way, attitude adjustments, bees, butterflies, facing facts, gardens, life goes on, nothing's easy, perseverance, photography

Storm’s a coming…

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We took a trip back to my house today to put away a few things that were outside, because a storm is brewing and headed our way. It was the first time we have done anything since I’d been to the dermatologist and gotten some news I didn’t expect. That I had a squamous cell carcinoma on my cheek wasn’t a huge surprise since that’s what I asked him to check, but he asked me about a spot on my arm that I suppose I had seen but never thought a thing of it. I have lots of moles, I wish I could call them beauty marks. I said I’d always had it, he said he didn’t like the look of it, I looked again and okay, maybe it was darker than any other of my spots. So I wasn’t going to argue with him, and I let him do a biopsy, and it was a melanoma. And it’s gone now, all gone except for the stitches, but I still have the surgery on my face to look forward to. That’s coming on Tuesday. I’m totally amazed at myself for being such a baby over this. Not awful news, not since it was early. And while it wasn’t pleasant, in the grand scheme of things I still have nothing to complain about. Still, it has totally taken all my mental energy to just put one foot in front of the other and not go hide somewhere rather than face all this, and that’s the biggest surprise to me. This isn’t who I thought I was at all. I wonder if I ever was as brave as I told myself I was? My daughter says that soon this will all be behind me. She’s pretty smart, and has dealt with this same thing herself so she knows what she is talking about. Can’t wait for it to be a distant memory…

a second look, attention to detail, backyard visitors, birds, brainstorms, friends, fun, moments, nature, perseverance, photography, simple things, weather

Crazy night…

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Of course my idea of a crazy night might not be many other people’s idea of a crazy night, but something got into the birds in the backyard last night. We had been to Wild Birds Unlimited earlier yesterday, but I really don’t think that anything we did caused the onslaught of bird activity we saw. I bought a caged feeder so that the smaller birds would still have seed available even after the grackles, and especially the doves, had eaten their fill. Only the tufted titmouse paid the new feeder any attention. But there were multiples of all the usual birds, plus a blue jay, and they were flying in and out, and making us comment and point them out to each other left and right. And not only did the hummingbird show up, he or she brought a friend! So two hummingbirds hanging around enough to spot them zooming high, but visible, against the dark green foliage of the huge old trees behind us. And they zoomed right up to the screening of the lanai before they changed course. We quite literally decided not to stop and grill the steaks we had defrosted earlier, but opted to stay outside and watch the show, and eat frozen pizza later on.

Was this hummer #1 or hummer #2?
I had gotten the camera ready just in case.
I had been watching the hummingbird without taking pictures for the last few days, but last night was just too much fun not to try for photos.
My friend in NH says that the hummingbirds there seem to be on a feeding frenzy, getting ready for their migration. Maybe that explains some of it.

The hummingbirds also came to the hook that had held a hummingbird feeder that I had taken down since they hadn’t paid attention to it, I thought, and the nectar doesn’t stay fresh in the extreme heat we’ve had. Even the weather cooperated last night since some thunderstorms had cooled the air and created a lovely breeze. So the feeder is ready to go up as soon as it’s light enough to see what I’m doing out there. Tonight we’ll cook the steaks and maybe we’ll eat outside if the weather cooperates and the birds put on another show…

I nearly forgot to introduce the resident kitty who lives at Wild Birds Unlimited. I think he has decided to live and let live…
'scene' along the way, a second look, attention to detail, attitude adjustments, boats, friends, fun, Just do it, perseverance, photography, sunset

Passing through…

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My guy thought I was going the wrong way, taking a left when I should have been taking a right. But the sky had been calling me as we drove along the water in Dunedin, on our way home from dinner with our photo group. I couldn’t resist a quick stop. I miss sunrises and sunsets along the water. Easy access to them I mean. I’m glad I stopped for this one.

We left and then saw a lot of color in the sky as we drove home. But this quick stop was all I needed to hold me over until next time…

adventure, attention to detail, attitude adjustments, exploring new places, facing facts, Just do it, learning, live and learn, making memories, moon, nature, old dogs new tricks, perseverance, photography, Rise and shine, road trip

Good enough…

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I think ‘good enough’ has pretty much been my mantra all my life. Getting Bs in school was just fine with me, even though if I had put in a little effort I think I’d have seen a few more As turn up. And all these years later I see it reflected in my attitude toward photography. I took a cell phone shot of my dog that just blew me away, and that’s what started my photography journey. But as I’ve already learned so much from the classes I’ve taken and the people I’ve met, and there is something new and exciting on the horizon. Next weekend we are going to the Everglades with a group to shoot star trails, something I’ve never done before. But also lurking in those dark skies in the Everglades is the Milky Way, which I’m also excited to try to shoot. Of course the sky has to cooperate. But the pictures I took this morning were using the new (cheap) lens I bought to improve my chances of success. That I could see stars in my shots means that they are good enough to make me happy for this first attempt.

I’ve never seen stars in my shots before. But then I was out a little earlier once it dawned on me to go out and try this. That’s the moon that’s so bright, and it didn’t show up as a crescent, which is what it actually was. I still didn’t quite have my settings right at this point.
All this time I’ve been using my cell phone for early morning shots, but I’m quite happy with these results. Of course I had to also use a tripod or this would never work.
On the one hand I could have gotten out when it was even darker this morning. On the other hand it was too dark to see the ducks, I took this shot because I could hear them.
Tomorrow we go to class to learn how to shoot star trails. If I want to practice I think I’ll have to get out there even earlier.

Yes, I do realize, but try to put out of my mind, the fact that there are other things lurking in the Everglades besides the Milky Way. I will make it my mission this week to buy every mosquito repellant known to man. If only they had alligator repellant, or python repellant…

attitude adjustments, backyard visitors, ducks, go with the flow, in the neighborhood, moon, perseverance, photography, Rise and shine, sunrise

A froggie morning…

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As you can see from the feature photo I wandered down to the pond this morning. The sky was promising some pretty color, and there was a crescent moon out there but it was almost impossible to fit into the frame.

I got the moon in the shot, but barely.
The birds were quiet, even the ducks. I could hear the frogs chirping though.
And then the color started to fade so I headed for home.
And look who came a calling in the backyard.

So I glanced outside as I went to sit at the computer and who do I see but the hummingbird. He flitted from flower to flower, so I used my cell phone to take a picture through the sliding glass door plus the lanai screen. But he was there. My camera is currently put away and sporting the ‘wrong’ lens, so I will set it back up again and leave it beside the computer, and I’ll be ready for him to show up next time.