I wasn’t going to post today. I’ve got lots of stuff I need to do and posting wasn’t high on my to-do list. But moving the images from my camera to storage was. And I promised myself I wasn’t going to look at them. Because I don’t have time, you know.
But I did. It was raining one morning this week and I was shooting birds (not literally) through the window. This one made me laugh out loud. You never know what you’ve got until you look at them on a bigger screen.
Youngster: Dad! Hey Dad! I’m hungry!Youngster: Huh. Dad’s not listening.Youngster: DAD! I’m HUNGRY!Youngster: Well what the heck.Dad?Dad: Darn! Now there are TWO of them bugging me!Dad: Geeze. Where’s these kids’ mother? I need reinforcement here.Dad: These kids need to find their own supper. They’re plenty old enough. Dad out.Youngster: Dad? Where’d you go, dad?Youngster: Hey dad! I’m still HUNGRY!Youngster: Guess I’ll get my own darn jelly. Can’t depend on anybody these days.
A week ago today I took three people to Kensington to feed the birds. They had never done that before but they’d heard about it and wanted to have the experience.
Hey, toss that peanut over here!
They had to drive almost 2 hours but they thought it was worth it. I do too. Though we arrived early in the morning, when the birds are most likely to be hungry, we weren’t inundated with begging feathered ones. But we had our fair share.
It rained all night and I’m not looking my best, but I sure am hungry!
Mostly it was the woodpeckers, in different varieties that were interested in us. Though an occasional red-winged blackbird stopped by.
I’m really interested in that peanut you have, could you toss it here?
And the bluejays were always nearby.
I’m faster than any darn woodpecker, just watch me!
In fact this visit turned into a ‘toss a peanut’ experience. The red-bellied and the red-headed woodpeckers and of course the bluejays are all very talented at plucking a tossed peanut out of the sky.
We spent much of our walk through the woods tossing peanuts into the air where they were eagerly snatched by a winged one.
Got it!
And of course we walked out onto the boardwalk to check on the blue heron rookery.
Ms. Red-winged was startled as we walked by.
The heron babies are now teenagers, testing their wings and making a great deal of noise whenever an adult ventures by. Just in case there might be breakfast arriving.
I can flap my wings faster than you. Oh will you two just settle down? I’m trying to nap here.
All in all, though we weren’t swarmed by birds I think everybody had a great time and I hope they come back for another adventure!
Last week a storm on the sun was predicted to send some major northern lights our way. A storm big enough to be seen even down here in southeast Michigan. But since there’s so much light down here, what with cities and towns all over, a friend and I decided we’d drive the three hours up to the tip of Michigan’s thumb and try our luck.
A misty evening looking out over Lake Huron.
When we arrived there was a kind of mist hanging over the lake. It was several hours until sunset, but we didn’t mind hanging out on the beach and waiting.
Waiting.
Or photograph the swans hanging out just up the beach.
Relaxing in the evening light.
But finally the sun began to set and we became hopeful.
Bye bye sun, sleep tight.
Maybe the night would be the night we’d dreamed of. We were ready.
As the sky darkened we could see two planets, Venus and Jupiter. They were the perfect “stars” to practice our camera focus as we waited for the light show to start.
The first ‘stars’ to appear.
We waited. We noticed clouds in a bank along the horizon and some in the sky. But aurora would look spectacular among the clouds. So we waited some more and practiced focusing on more stars.
Thousands of stars, and there would be more to see if it were truly dark.
As time passed the bank of clouds rolled across the lake toward us and we had to change our focus and practice on the stars directly above us where the sky was still clear.
Before the clouds covered it all up.
But by midnight the sky was completely clouded over and the light storm hadn’t yet hit earth. We decided to pack it up and head home. No amazing aurora. No milky way.
A pretty little beach at a roadside park.
Were we disappointed? Or course. But we had hours on the beach, little waves rolling up on the sand, and stars overhead. Sometimes you don’t get what you want, but you always get what you need when you head out into the night to photograph the sky.
Apparently it’s turtle season around here. That time of year when the females leave their ponds and swamps and wander out into our yards, roads and gardens to find the perfect place to lay a few eggs.
Yesterday late afternoon I backed out of my driveway, watching behind me via the car’s rear camera. When I got to the road I paused and glanced up, looking back toward the house. What was that pile of brownish green stuff up there at the edge of the driveway?
A big ole mama snapping turtle, that’s what it was. I (and she) was lucky she wasn’t in the middle of the driveway because I don’t know that I would have seen her. She’s around every spring, and I should know to look around before I take off these days.
This late afternoon the ring camera doorbell chimed. That sound is supposed to tell us there’s someone at the front door. Out here in the country it can mean all sorts of other things, like cats, raccoons, possums, and even a neighborhood dog. Today when the chimes rang I checked out front and at first didn’t see anything. But Penny was insistent that something was out there, mom!
Husband checked his phone where the doorbell reports, and found the notice “a tortoise is crossing the yard.” And there she was, up along the side of the porch.
She’s a Blanding’s turtle, and she and others like her are endangered around here. I was glad she was in our garden, and after taking her picture, I tiptoed away.
But of course Pen wants to go outside, and I can’t let her go out the front until the turtle has moved along. Last time I checked she was on our front step.
I don’t know where she plans to go next.
Meanwhile Pen and I will stay inside – she’s abandoned me because obviously I am incompetent – and has retreated to her daddy’s lap.
I guess going outside is not as high a priority as I thought.
Wow! An entire day where the whole country celebrates ME!
Personally I always knew I was special but mom tried to keep the lid on it so to speak, so I didn’t get a big head. But she can’t hide my greatness anymore…why, there’s a day just for ME!
Oh. Wait. They’re talking about real pennies? The kind you find in parking lots? The kind they don’t even make anymore?
What the heck people!
I say we start a letter writing campaign to get me nominated to be the official LUCKY PENNY.
Geeze.
Talk later,
Your Lucky Penny (officially named Simply Unstoppable Pretty Penny, but I know I’m lucky too)
A week ago I had the chance to go to Kensington, one of my favorite places in the world. It was a beautiful, sunny day.
You brought breakfast, right lady?
The birds weren’t crazy hungry and we weren’t overrun by little ones, but we had our fair share of visitors demanding a treat.
I’m not touching your hand, but I’ll clean up anything you drop.
My sister and I had been there before, a few years ago and she was used to having birds fly down to her hand, but it was still magical. It always is.
Excellent seed quality, lady!
Her friend had never been there before so this was a new experience. He figured out that he could toss a peanut up in the air and the red bellied woodpeckers and the blue jays would both fly out from the trees and catch that peanut in the air.
Toss that peanut, Mr!
They were successful grabbing the nut about 99% of the time.
I can get that peanut faster than you two!
He also got an up close and personal viewing of several sandhill cranes. We didn’t feed them, but they were hopeful and followed us around on the trail.
What you lookin at?
The heron rookery was full of expectant parents. Though I’m sure there are eggs or maybe even youngsters up in those big nests we couldn’t see any yet.
Everybody is waiting.
Ms. Swan built her nest very near the boardwalk this year. I’m sure every photographer has a great image of mom waiting patiently on her nest. By this week there could be babies and the usual paparazzi shooting baby pictures.
Big stretch while on the job.
I doubt I’ll get out there again soon, but I sure enjoyed my spring walk with family through such a beautiful place. I hope you enjoyed these images too.
Change Is Hard 