Old Picture Files - 20100811

I used to walk and take pictures at Striebel Pond all the time.  Not only was the walking good for me, but I captured some great shots back then.  I have to give some of the credit to Beth's You Capture because a lot of the pictures I took were to fit into a certain theme or challenge.

But sometimes I took pictures just to see what I could get.

I've been trying to catch up on labeling old files and I ran across these from August 11th, 2010.  The light must have been just right to make it a perfect picture taking night because I love these snapshots of a night at Striebel Pond.

 I loved the red cast on the geese in this shot.

But a few minutes later with a different background and I loved the blue cast and the fact that the geese almost stood out like they were in 3D.

When I first looked at this shot, I saw silvery water and an orderly swan family.

But in this picture, the peaceful coexistence between the ducks and the swans was the focus for me.

 And at the end of my walk I loved the silver and gold in this picture.


And this last shot was taken deep into the evening on a bridge overlooking the night resting place for almost all the birds of Striebel Pond.

The only birds that never got to sleep here were the geese.  The swans never allowed them to be anywhere near them.  (To see proof, visit the 3-post series that started here) I'm sure it was the surly attitude of the geese too because the swans got along with everybody else.

You Capture - Pretty

Beth's You Capture challenge this week was 'Pretty' and I looked for it everywhere starting with the small pond in our backyard.  The bluebird babies have left their nest and this one prefers the pond water - despite the net he has to navigate to get to it - to the birdbath which is constantly filled with fresh cool water.  And although he isn't the vibrant blue that he will be as an adult, his camouflage colors are absolutely gorgeous.

Next I headed to Striebel Pond where there are always wildlife photos to be had.

 And flowers.

And sunsets.  I loved this one because for at least 30 minutes I saw a giant dove in the clouds.

 And then the more dramatic sunset in the country.

Finally I returned to the backyard where the hydrangeas have never been more beautiful.

I loved 'Pretty' this week.  The only really hard part was trying to eliminate some of hundreds of pictures I took.  I can't wait to see what everybody else captured at Beth's I Should Be Folding Laundry.

It's A Start

Well, it was just once and it was just one mile but hopefully it'll be a tiny, little baby step in the right direction.

It was very hard to head out to Striebel Pond yesterday. The more I don't exercise and the more weight I gain, the worse my muscles ache - top to bottom - all day everyday. But I reminded myself that the longest journey begins with the first step and also that I had no idea what my favorite swan couple was doing this year.

When I was halfway through my mile walk, I spotted them and I could see that they had babies again. As I got closer I could see that I wasn't the only one who was lazy this Spring. Mr. and Mrs. Swan only had three babies.

Even though there were only three, it was a beautiful family and hopefully I'll be out there to keep close track of progress.

Also, I spotted these wildflowers that made me wish I'd walked prior to Beth's last You Capture. I definitely would have added them to my post.

So now I know I'm ready to do something about my failure to maintain the last few months. I just don't feel like it. The Sisterhood is starting a challenge tomorrow. It's a team thing and it involves a Boot Camp. Wow, not only am I failing in the motivation department but right now my body aches just from living. I'm pretty sure a boot camp would be beyond me BUT something reminds me that I won't know until I try.

And I do owe that to myself, don't I?

The Astonishing Red-Winged Blackbird

I love birds, some much more than others. The bluebird is so special that for me it's beyond description. The robin, that harbinger of Spring, is another favorite. I love gentle birds and colorful birds and birds that fly on the unusual side. That's why I've never been a fan of the red-winged blackbird.

It seems like when I was young, sighting one of these was worthy of note. But in this era, I see them everywhere. Nothing special or unusual about them at all. In fact, really aren't they just blackbirds with a little color on their wings? Not so much. In fact they're so much more and I discovered this while walking around Striebel Pond, the flood basin where I spend endless hours walking and taking pictures.

The Male

The Female

The first surprising thing I noted was that they have a beautiful song especially haunting in the evening.

And then, I found them to be so friendly! They'd flit from tree to tree and post to post just to keep up with me as I walked. What photographer wannabe wouldn't love a wild creature that poses for rather than flees the camera.

And sometimes they'd playfully ruffle their feathers for me.

But while I was researching for this post, I learned a surprising fact in Wikepedia.org. "Males have been known to swoop humans who encroach upon their nesting territory during breeding season. The "perched display", with wings held away from the body, is an antagonistic behavior of the Red-winged Blackbird." (Apparently I was about a hairs breath away from capturing that ever elusive shot of a blackbird's beak closing in on my camera's lens.)

And a not so surprising fact: "The Red-Winged Blackbird can be very aggressive while defending its territory from other animals and birds. It will attack much larger birds, such as crows, ravens, magpies, birds of prey, and herons if they enter". But Wikepedia doesn't know everything. This feisty little territory protector will also attack geese. Here's proof.

They tried to act nonchalant but it's obvious the whole family was nonplussed by this surprising turn of events as they left that grassy area that belonged to a bird of another species.

Although it's a little off the subject, the conclusion I derive from this whole story is that geese aren't just annoying to humans and swans, they're also annoying to red-winged blackbirds.

'Favorites - 2010' Addendum

Is it too late to add these to my list of favorites?

Of course it isn't. I guess I'm feeling all empowered because I'm so flattered to be 'pointed to' by Toadmama in her post Sharing the Love. She's one of the most talented and knowledgeable bloggers that I know of and I'm so flattered to be mentioned in her blog.

Anyway, I know it's too late to link these up for Beth's You Capture BUT just in case she does 'Ten Favorites of the Past Decade", I'll always have them here for handy reference.

You can never be too prepared right?

You Capture - What Inspires Me

Beth's assignment this week is to capture what inspires us. I found this particularly challenging until I looked around a little. I went to walk at Striebel Pond a couple of days ago and, for the first time, saw a completely empty parking lot. The outdoor season is ending and this parking lot inspired me to get out there and spend as much time walking outside as I could before it becomes impossible.

And these are a couple of the paths that inspire me to keep on walking.

Every time I walk at Striebel Pond I pass some of the same landmarks over and over again and they never fail to inspire me. This one reminds me of my sons and all the other men and women in the military that sacrifice so much and inspires a prayer.

And this gazebo, dedicated to a good friend and local school teacher who left this earth much to early because of cancer, inspires me to be a better person - like her.

This photo of a fading, gorgeous sunset inspires me to leave a little earlier so I can take the time to capture it from a good vantage point and when it's at the peak of it's glory.

And these photos taken of Beth playing with her kids inspire me to spend more time simply playing with my grandchildren.

Finally, this photo of this beautiful baby inspires me to thank God again and again for the twenty-one precious children of my heart - my grandchildren and great grandchildren - truly the gifts that inspire gratitude and wonder.

To find out what inspires everybody else, visit Beth at Ishouldbefoldinglaundry and think about joining in. I'd love to see what inspires you!