21-AUG-2014
Rafting on the River
I was walking along the Riverbank Path in Alton Baker Park when I saw this family having great fun rafting down the Willamette River. I almost, but not quite, wished I was with them. They were all smiles when they saw me. :) (Image has been cropped)
20-AUG-2014
Got An Itch!
I have seen only one or two Great Egrets at Delta Ponds this year. Of course, because of heart surgery I missed much of spring. So there may have been more then. But right now, I see only one/ I caught it at the right moment as it had an itch. When you have an itch, scratch it! So it did!
19-AUG-2014
An Unlucky Frog!
Today was a busy day at Delta Ponds, at least this morning was! I saw a Great Blue Heron, Great White Egret, Green Heron and turtle all in the same pond. The Green Heron was especially busy. I watched as it caught, first a snake and then a big frog. It was great to get pictures of both! The frog looked pretty big to me, but the heron managed to get it down. I felt sorry for the frog!
18-AUG-2014
Be Careful Where You Put Your Hand!
Today I went with my brother-in-law, Frank, to Florence on the Oregon Coast, to visit family. While there we walked around Old Town and came across this mural on the wall of a restaurant. Here Frank is clowning around, acting like his hand is caught in that giant claw. It was a fun day.
17-AUG-2014
Flowers and Fence
I thought these flowers looked great along with the fence. Guess I don't have to tell you that I found the composition to be attractive.
22-JUL-2014
Ruffled Feathers
While I was watching this Green Heron it ruffled its feathers and made a good subject better. They are neat birds!
15-AUG-2014
Ladybug, Ladybug Fly Away Home!
Ladybugs are such delightful little creatures! I think we all loved them as kids They seem like gentle, peaceful garden dwellers. Did you know that they are actually beetles? It seems many have been inspired to write verse about them.
Perhaps you learned this little verse as a kid (not exactly the way I learned it but very close):
Ladybug, Ladybug Fly Away Home Nursery Rhyme
Ladybug! Ladybug!
Fly away home.
Your house is on fire.
And your children all gone.
All except one,
And that's little Ann,
For she crept under
The frying pan.
A little verse about ladybugs that I found on the Internet:
A small speckled visitor
Wearing a crimson cape
Brighter than a cherry
Smaller than a grape
A polka-dotted someone
Walking on my wall
A black-hooded lady
In a scarlet shawl.
-- ~Joan Walsh Anglund
14-AUG-2014
Hurry Up Dad, the Boy is Leaving You Behind!
It looked like father and son heading for a fishing spot, as the boy has a fishing pole in his canoe. The yellow and green canoes stood out as they paddled on the pond. They sure caught my attention. I liked the peaceful scene.
13-AUG-2014
Graduation Day
Well it felt like a graduation, and in some ways it was. I finished with cardiac rehab today and received my "McKenzie Cardiac Rehab Certificate of Completion;" It was an excellent program, very helpful. I enjoyed so much working with Chris, the manager, and Megan. They were great, always so helpful and made it an enjoyable experience. I won't forget them. I will have to stop by to say hi from time to time. Of course, I had to get a photo together with them before I left. In case you are wondering, they gave me a model of a heart to hold. :)
05-AUG-2014
Two Birds in a Bush!
I can't believe how fortunate I was! I saw a Green Heron fly past me out of the corner of my eye as I was watching a Great Blue Heron across the water. I had problems locating it as it landed not far from the GBH. But I got a couple pictures of it by shooting where I thought it was. Then I lost track of it. So I went back to the GBH to get some nice photos of it. Little did I know that the Green Heron had worked its way to a spot below the GBH. So here you have a photo of both. I haven't seen the two kinds so close together before. I am excited to get this result.
10-AUG-2014
Teasel (Dipsacus) Illuminated
The beauty of morning (and evening) light is that it is directional and can be used for dramatic effects with backlight or sidelight. This shot of backlighted teasel looks much better to me than it would with normal light.
09-AUG-2014
A Big Catch
Could herons possibly be better at fishing than humans? Of course, to them it is a matter of life and death, so they had better be good! Unfortunately, this fish was just too big for the heron to handle and it dropped it. I felt bad for the heron!