Friday, August 6, 2010

Kolden "bunnies, blooms and bees report", August 5, 2010

I had no idea how resistant bees are to having their picture taken!  They'd fly off before I could even get focused.  Shy creatures....







 



See how happy this gloriosa daisy is?   (some call it a black eyed susan)  My favorite today.







Creative gals at the local flower shop.  Yes, the cherries are real.  Happy Birthday to Kristi!



Mr (or Mrs) Cottontail holds for his picture.


And then he was off!


Is this a "hops" plant?


Similar shot, different day.  Denise, try shooting hollyhocks.  They seem to hold "still" pretty well.


And again in pale pink.  Which do you like better?


The raspberries, they need-a-pickin'!


My Gramma would have loved these red mums.  (Similar shot, different day II)


This shot runs a close second for favorite of the day.


Here's wishing you all a wondrous, safe and healthy weekend. 

Kolden "Variety Report", Wednesday, August 4, 2010

The sun is now rising much farther southeast and much later in the morning.  One cloudy morning I captured this pink and blue sky.

I love the water droplets on this geranium even if it was a bit too dark for photos at the time.

Hollyhock pollen dusting it's soft petals.

Liatris (I think).  I like the fact that the shot is in and out of focus.

An echinacea bloom.  Petals are a bit "thin" on this fella.  The "swirl" effect in the middle of the bloom is off-center and a bit mesmerizing to me.

Something about this shot speaks to me.  I'm going to have to print and frame it.  Perhaps it's the abstract nature of it all...

It wasn't really light enough to be taking pictures but...I could not resist.  I like the "softness" that low light gives this shot of  tiger lily blooms.

A bit later and alot lighter.  Even the four ants show up now!

I spooked a pair of whitetail deer on the drive in.  One ran, the other froze.  This young buck will be easy to distinguish from the others by his one mangled antler.

He stepped behind the bush, "hiding" from me.

And then he was gone.
Today, I found interest in these amber waves of grain bathed in sunlight.

This field is slower to ripen but is looking every bit as good.  Crops in this area are amazing due to all the moisture. 

I am constantly amazed at what the camera's autofocus comes up with.  In this shot, the foreground is clear and the yellow flowers are out of focus to varying degrees.  I like it!

Liping, this wild sunflower shot is for you.  I know how you love sunflowers.

Thought for the day:  It's better to be busy, than bored.

Kolden "Working Vacation" Report

We had planned to travel during our vacation but that didn't happen and instead we stayed home and worked.  We did manage to find time to sip morning coffee on the lanai while admiring our "kingdom" and the flora and fauna that live in it.  The gnats and mosquitos were not tough until the past few days, allowing us hours of outdoor enjoyment. 
While mowing the yard, I discovered a robin's nest located just a few feet above ground level in one of the tiny cedar trees.  As I passed the tree, one of the baby birds leapt from the nest.  He hopped across the yard into the tall grass by the propane tank as I hurried to finish mowing around the little tree in hopes that the other baby would remain in the nest, which it did.
Later that evening, I noticed a baby robin on the lanai, crying his heart out. 









































He remained for quite awhile and I took many pictures of him.


He fluffed up his feathers, perhaps to make himself appear larger.
He he must have seen my movements in the house and flattened himself out, to "hide' from me.
I kept thinking that the cat would find him and eat him so decided to busy myself with distractions rather than think about it.  We looked out the living room window at the "duck pond", (a depression that fills with water when the alfalfa is irrigated) and noticed that the water was extremely high and nearly running over the road!  I ran to unplug the culvert and noticed the baby robin, now flapping about in the irrigation waters of the duck pond.  After capturing the bird, who remained still in my hands, I delivered him back to the nest, thinking it was the bird I'd scared out of the nest earlier.  When I deposited the robin into the nest, I discovered that the second baby was now gone too!  All I could hope for is that this little bird would get dried off and survive the whole "leaving the nest ordeal".
The next morning, I peeked into the nest and discovered a baby robin, not in the nest but perched on a branch, looking pretty healthy.
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Later in the day when I checked, the bird was gone.  I did find a baby robin in the garden who awkwardly managed to fly onto a tree branch so I am hopeful that all the "kids" made it. 
A mole had apparently burrowed a hole under our road and trickling irrigation waters running through it washed a big hole in our road!
The hole is fairly deep and it's uncertain how far below the road it goes.
Jim marked the hole so we won't inadvertently drive into it!  In this shot, it doesn't look too bad.  Deceptive!
I spent some time admiring our world, camera in hand.
White berries and blooms against red branches.
Buds waiting to open.
Buds, blooms and bugs.
Bullberry clusters amidst silvery leaves and sharp thorns.
Chokecherries - hanging like grapes.
Chokecherries, not so ripe.

Dew kissed golden grasses.
Tall grass resting in the morning fog.
Sunrise softened by fog.
Leaves and branches framing a foggy world.
A bit later that morning.
Waves of fog roll off the river.
Traces of fog linger on the water as the sun peeks from behind cottonwoods.
Another morning, the sunrise was exquisite in oranges and yellows.

Brilliant rays illuminate the fog and cloud cover.
Golden light bounces off the river.
The river appears to be the origin of the golden light!
Mother nature's glorious artwork!
A sleek, nursing whitetail doe browses in the alfalfa.
An abstract shot that captivated me.  Can you guess what the picture is of?
Home for wayward bugs - a sunflower!
Thought for the day:  Any day of paid vacation is better than a day of actual work.