Hit Me With Your Best Shot! - Week 2

Well it's Week 2 of Nancy's Hit Me With Your Best Shot photo challenge.  And once again I struggled to pick out my favorite picture.  I had cardinals, blue jays, sparrows, mourning doves, and, best of all, robins to choose from.

That's right.  Spring can't be far off given the fact that we've had flocks of robins in the back yard all week.  They're friendly and sweet and don't mind sharing with the birds that have been around all winter so the picture(s) I chose show how willing they are to be nice.

Not only were they tolerant of the little interloper squatting in their drinking water, they didn't even get mad when he took his splashy bath.  I love robins.

So now is a good time to share your pictures.  You can join up by starting your blog (and it can just be a picture blog) and linking up at Bacardi Mama's Hit Me With Your Best Shot - Week 2.

I hope you'll consider joining.  There are lots of people out there taking really interesting pictures and this is such a cool way to share them.

You Capture - Black and White

Beth's You Capture challenge this week is Black and White which I soon realized wasn't as easy as it sounded.  It seemed like just a matter of converting my favorite color shots to black and white but I soon found out that not all beautiful color shots convert beautifully to black and white.

Here are the ones that I thought did the best starting with backyard wildlife.

And of course the birds - sometimes dramatic.
 

 Sometimes small and busy.

 And sometimes just neighborly.


On Saturday we went to Redamaks, a favorite local restaurant in a nearby resort town, and while we waited for a table, I snapped a few pictures.  Eli was a favorite subject.

And Eli talking it over with his grandpa was an even better one.

 And I am ........
 


For more Black and White photography, visit Beth at I Should Be Folding Laundry.

     

Robins Are Almost Human or Vice Versa

At first I thought they were just two robins hanging around under the bluebird feeder looking for dropped meal worms.


Then I thought they were just two robins squabbling about something as all birds sometimes seem to do.


But when I looked at the pictures, I realized that it was an adult robin and a fledgling robin and the fledgling was demanding food as all youngsters sometimes do.

And then I missed the shot where the actual transfer took place but now it appears there's something in the fledglings beak that used to be in the adult's beak.

And although this pictures is blurry, the fledgling looks satisfied and so does the adult.

And while the adult looks on to be sure he doesn't lose it, the fledgling turns away to get a better grip and begins to gulp down the morsel.

 

And then the adult looks at the camera as if to say, "See, the bird world is similar to the human world.  Young people are grabby and demanding and adults are patient and loving".

That is how it is in the human world, isn't it?  At least that's how I choose to remember it - not the youngsters grabby and demanding - mine were always angels.  But, the adults patient and loving?  Always!

You Capture - Water

Beth's You Capture subject this week is water and that really worked out for me on several levels.

First we went to a birthday party near Coldwater, Michigan where the kids and some of the adults spent a fair amount of time floating and playing in the water.

Then there was all kinds of activity going on in our koi pond this week. There's no accurate way to predict when it will happen, but Monday morning a spawning finally occurred. If you've never seen a koi spawning, you're really missing out because it's spectacular. The fish fly around the pond bumping and jumping and turning the water into a varitable cauldron of water, plants, and fish. You can hear the splashing in the house with the doors and windows closed. You'd probably be hard-pressed to pick the fish out of this picture but, trust me, they're in there.

By late yesterday evening, peace was restored and once again the pond was calm and quiet.

During the day, I wasn't the only one watching the show.

And now the plants with fertilized eggs firmly attached to their roots, float quietly in the small annex pond where no fish can feast on them. (Koi seem to consider their fertilized eggs the ultimate delicacy.)

For more water pictures, visit Beth at I Should Be Folding Laundry.

You Capture - Spring

Beth's You Capture subject this week is Spring. Right now it could be called the Spring that breaks our hearts because it just keeps feeling like winter but you can't tell that from the pictures. So here's Spring at my house:

Sorry, I couldn't stop. I just love the Spring flowers that we've accumulated over the years. And, since it's not warm enough to wander around outside and enjoy them, I'll just enjoy them here on You Capture.

For visions of Spring all over the country, visit Beth at Ishouldbefoldinglaundry.

Nature At Its Cutest!

Time for my morning toilette.
I just love getting up with the birds and ready for my day!

So refreshing!

May I have a little privacy please!

Now this side

And my underarms.....errr....underwings!

I think I need to get a little more vigorous

I feel so clean and fresh..and pretty!

Now let me at those WORMS!!!!!