Category: ‘scene’ along the way

'scene' along the way, a second look, birds, Florida wildlife, home, nature, nesting, perseverance, photography, pond creatures, road trip, the big picture, travel

Back to the rookery…

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This rookery is in my new neighborhood now that I’ve moved.  I was out early to take care of my coffee addiction, and to use the free wifi at McDonalds, and when I was done I thought I might stop by the rookery to see what was happening there.  they were in full nest building mode, accompanied by much clacking of beaks thanks to the wood storks.  I’m going to go on record that when I’m back here in a couple of weeks there may be eggs.  I won’t have missed the main event, at least I don’t think so.  Today there was much coming and going as the wood storks and great white egrets carried in lots of sticks, and the pairs worked to build their nests together.

This is just a natural spot that these birds have chosen for their nesting.  There is a chain link fence around the perimeter of this pond, and an alligator lives there but I’ve only seen him once.  The shrubbery is very overgrown on the inside of the fence and there is only a small area where it’s possible to see what’s going on in there.  The fence is too tall to shoot over top, so I will have to have a step stool in the car with me as part of my photo equipment from now on.  Consequently I tried to aim my lens through the spot where the gate didn’t quite close all the way.  Or try to aim through the spaces in the chain links.  One very cooperative wood stork flew over and landed on the shrub right in front of me, but on the other side of the fence.  Too close for the lens I was using, I had to back up into the middle of the street to get any image at all.  Shooting was a challenge because of the fence, and also because the sun was still low and I was shooting right into it.  But that didn’t stop me…02-23-19greategret102-23-19nesting02-23-19nesting202-23-19woodstork102-23-19woodstorkcloseup02-23-19woodstorkcloseup202-23-19woodstorkcloseup3

'scene' along the way, a second look, finding my way, neighbors, perseverance, photography, road trip, sky, sunset, travel

Sunset by Hooters…

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Seriously!  As I do often, I became aware of the photo op potential of the Hooters near me because of the photos taken by another photographer.  Now that I’ve moved it’s even closer, envy worthy even.  I’ve always been jealous of the photographers I know who have photo ops right at their doorstep, and now I do too, kinda.  But my photo op comes with pretzels and beer!  It’s gonna be hard to beat…02-22-19baitshop02-22-19catches02-22-19Hooter's02-22-19hooters202-22-19hooters302-22-19iphone102-22-19iphone202-22-19kittysunset02-22-19ontherun02-22-19woodstork

'scene' along the way, nature, perseverance, photography, road trip, simple things, sky, travel, weather

Diamonds in the sky…

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I woke up this morning in the Hudson Valley area of New York, and what woke me up was the sound of the snowplow out front.  I peeked and there didn’t appear to be a lot of snow, but what snow there was seemed to be in the process of being piled up at the end of my son’s driveway.

As I seem to do everywhere I go, I was was up first and enjoying coffee in the dark and quiet.  My son’s house sits on a hill, and with the land falling away from the house out back what you are seeing out the back windows are the tree tops.  I wasn’t fast enough to take a photo of the owl that was out there last evening.  I saw him fly from a closer perch to one further away, but by the time I had the camera out he was out of sight.  We could hear him though, so it was frustrating.  Maybe I was looking for the owl, or maybe I couldn’t have missed the view out back as it got lighter out there this morning.  But those tree tops were encased in ice, and as the sun hit them they were spectacular.  A true winter wonderland.  I had to stand on the steps in order to take pictures, which left me without a perch for a tripod, and I had gotten the 600 mm lens out and I thought I wouldn’t get any sharp photos, it would be futile, but I took some anyhow.  And I thought it was raining because I could hear rain falling, but I was surprised to realize that it was the ice melting off of the trees that was what I was hearing.  It was a beautiful morning…02-21-19treetop02-21-19-treetop202-21-19-treetop402-21-19-treetop3I’d have called this post ‘Lucy in the sky with diamonds’ but that would have led us in a whole other direction…

'scene' along the way, family, on closer examination, perseverance, photography, road trip, travel, unintended images, weather

Black and white…

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It didn’t take long after the holidays for me to remember that during my growing up in New England years I had always hated January.  Gloomy gray days looming endlessly ahead, with nothing to look forward to but more gloomy gray days.  This has been especially evident in my recent photos, which aren’t intentionally black and white.  It’s just that this is it.  It’s what we’ve got.  And in reality with the snow falling it was prettier than this looks.  This is the view from my son’s front porch, and on other visits I’ve taken beautiful sunset pictures from this same spot.  It was a four hour drive to get here, and one weather report from Tuesday had insisted that there was a ‘wall of white’ coming, so I was especially happy to have arrived ahead of the snow.  But arrive it did, just in time for photos.02-20-19bloominggrove

Back on the Cape I had noticed that Ozzie’s footprints in the mud had been preserved after he was gone, and I took this picture.02-20-19ozziepawMaybe that’s why I noticed this as I walked from my car into my son’s house.  A footprint of another kind.  Human, and barefoot in what I had to assume was the slush.  What crazy person walks outside barefoot in the slush?  That would be my granddaughter.  I only wish I’d had my phone with me to take a picture before the snowflakes blurred it a little.02-20-19magspaw

02-20-19flashI was out for pictures for a little while, but then I thought that Flash had a better idea, and I joined him by the fire.  My feet were only slightly less cold than if I had been out there in the slush barefoot.  If the fact that the snow plow was just here means anything those footprints are totally buried now.

'scene' along the way, adventure, family, finding my way, old dogs new tricks, perseverance, photography, road trip, technology, travel, weather

Lewis Bay…

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Perhaps I should have been paying more attention to the Severe Weather Alert notices that kept taking over the navigation screen in the car.  The ones that I kept dismissing so that I could keep following the route.  As I drive I don’t look at the scenery anymore, just the road and the navigation screen.  That’s not a complaint though, I’ve had a lot more fun in this last year or so by following the GPS directions to photo ops, and to epic adventures.

The plan for today was to meet a cousin for breakfast this morning.  But when I flung the curtains open I discovered that I’d have to clean the snow off the car before I could go.  Wait, that meant I had to shovel my way out of there too!  I remember coming home for a visit once and encountering snow, and being horrified to see my 55 year old father heading out with the shovel.  He was too OLD to shovel, I said to myself, so I took over for him, and felt as if he’d barely escaped certain death.  Funny how your perspective changes as you age, at least chronologically, but mentally you are just the same person as ever.  My father was fond of saying that he was 18 years old, trapped in a 55 year old body.  I thought it was cute when he said it, it was only later that I ‘got’ it.  But I do wonder if I’d have done all the things that I have done in the last year when I was younger.  I would have told myself that I couldn’t do what I wanted to do because I had other obligations that came first.  It’s only lately that I’ve developed this ‘what the hell’ attitude and head out the door.  02-18-19winter3

But I got there, to breakfast I mean.  And since we were chatting I hadn’t read the menu at all. But the waitress was standing there, and I’d seen something about a Cape Cod Benedict, so I ordered it.  The waitress came back and told me that something that was supposed to be on that dish wasn’t available, so I’d have to have double lobster instead.  If I didn’t mind she said.  I said no, that would be fine.02-18-19CapeCodBenedict

As we were leaving my cousin suggested I head to Lewis Bay for photos, so I did that too.  Then I had a little trouble getting the car off the parking lot, but it’s like riding a bike, I remembered what to do.  But that was enough to send me home to pack.  I’ll be leaving the Cape tomorrow.  Many thanks to my sister and her dog Shadow, who let me and Ozzie invade their peace and quiet.  It’s been very nice, but it’s time to head for home and get settled into my new place.  And to warm up…02-18-19winter202-18-19winter402-18-19winter5

'scene' along the way, friends, perseverance, photography, road trip, sunrise, travel

Tilting at windmills…

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It’s safe to say that I would never have found this spot had I not gotten a heads up from a friend.  Thank you Terri.  Then when I asked Siri to take me to the Judah Baker Windmill the location popped right up.  It’s good to have friends, and Siri!

That the sunrise was happening directly across the water was an extra added bonus.  Guess it was just one of those days.02-17-windmill102-17-windmillscene302-17-windmillscene4

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