Category Archives: Critters

November 24, 2024 · 23:04

Yes, I DID Draw Stares

People stared. Children pointed. I got attention.

Most Sunday mornings early I’m at the grocery store, and in the fall and winter I’ll usually be wearing a Chiefs hat and T-shirt or sweatshirt of some sort. But then when I’m at home and the game’s actually on, I change into the “sacred vestments.”

The official jersey (#10, Isiah Pacheco), the “lucky” hat that I’ve worn for every game for probably ten years or more now, the beads (most of which came from Red Lobster when I order a Lobsterita and need to have a designated driver, but hey, they’re red and gold!).

Today I was running late and it was an early (10:00 on the West Coast) game, so I just went to grocery store in full regalia, with the radio coverage of the game blasting out from my pocket via the SiriusXM app on my phone.

People stared. Children pointed. I got attention.

I prefer to think it was just jealousy. Folks wished they were as cool as I was.

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Filed under Critters, KC Chiefs, Paul, Photography

November 23, 2024 · 23:53

Haze & Drizzle

We started with mist, moved up to drizzle, and this evening we got to light rain.

A nice evening. Quiet. The occasional coyote and owl sounding off.

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Filed under Critters, Photography, Weather

November 22, 2024 · 23:07

The Owls Were Singing To Orion

Out for a brief, brisk walk (it’s down to about 47ºF at the moment) and I see that Orion is high. The owls are hooting and singing.

Not bad for a handheld picture with an iPhone 13, Los Angeles’ normal light pollution, and a freakishly bright streetlight just off to the right.

Orion is on its side just to the right of center, between the power lines. The really bright star near the top just left of center is Jupiter, and at the very top edge just right of center, that “V” shape pointing to the upper right is Taurus. The bright object in the lower left, just above the bottom wire, is Mars.

The biggest disappointment in this image is how everything looks so WHITE. Mars actually looks quite red, and there is also a lot of color in the stars of Orion and Taurus. Betelgeuse and Aldebaran are red giants and you can see that color with the naked eye.

Go look!

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Filed under Astronomy, Critters, Photography

November 21, 2024 · 23:27

Something For Thursday

I feel like I’m having some writer’s block or a dry spell or sorts. I’m so busy and tapped out and tired that I really don’t spend as much time taking pictures and getting out as I used to, and now that Daylight Saving Time ended I don’t seem to have any time when it’s light out where I’m not at the office. And I’m AT THE OFFICE, which is a totally different time dynamic than working from home. And of course, there’s the world to deal with. IYKYK.

I’m off my game.

On the one hand I’m feeling accomplished at the moment with a number of critical projects off my plate and I feel like I’m making a lot of progress on getting ahead of the game, which also feels good, I’m going to the gym and working out, which also is good.

But creatively, it’s just data mining through twenty years of digitial photographs.

I guess it could be worse. I might not have tens of thousands of photos to flip through.

And flipping through the photos looking for something to share is often a pleasant trip down memory lane. For example, I only get to the Ventura Pier and the beach about once every two or three years, but I usually really enjoy it. I should go back more often!

This whole random train-of-thought thing is odd. Sorry.

 

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Filed under Critters, Paul, Photography, Travel

November 20, 2024 · 23:48

No Context For You – November 20th

Proof of life – as in, “You call this living?”

To quote Maverick, “Too close for missiles, switching to guns”

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Filed under Critters, Photography

November 19, 2024 · 23:43

Creatures From Below

They’re back!

The front yard all of a sudden is being shredded at an astonishing rate.

Every morning, the new excavations are bigger and deeper and more widespread.

If only I owned the house and could do something about it… But that’s a different discussion. (And an exercise in futility, unfortunately.)

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Filed under Castle Willett, Critters, Photography

September 27, 2024 · 23:38

Scattered Tiny Feathers

From one side of the yard to the other.

Not quite as many in any one spot as I’ve seen before when there’s been an “incident,” but it seems way to much to just be from normal shedding or moulting.

And they’re everywhere. The wind’s been blowing, so that might explain the scatter, especially if the target was hit one the power line 20 feet up over the sidewalk.

No idea if it might have been one of the two new fledgelings, but they’re on the VERY short end of the learning curve, and the hawks are experienced. You do the math.

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Filed under Birds, Critters

September 17, 2024 · 23:02

The Tiniest Lizard

I went out to get the mail and spooked the teeny tiniest little lizard that I’ve ever seen.

See him out there? Off on the corner?

Maybe an inch for the body and an inch for the tail. Maybe.

He was already out there doing push ups, a territorial show of dominance. I admire that sort of attitude from someone who’s two days old and two inches long!

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Filed under Critters, Photography

September 11, 2024 · 23:39

Fine Feathered Friends – September 11th

It’s a pigeon. An absolutely commonplace, standard issue, run-of-the-mill pigeon.

Even here in SoCal, pigeons are almost everywhere. Go to any shopping mall or apartment complex or school or office building where there are outdoor trash bins, and you’ll find a flock of pigeons. (And probably raccoons, but that’s a different post for a different day.)

“Pigeons are almost everywhere.” “Almost” is the key word. One place I’ve NEVER seen them is in the feeding grounds of our back yard.

You can go back through these posts for the six years and change we’ve lived here and you’ll find LOTS of birds. Especially tons of sparrows, juncos, and most especially, mourning doves. Which is what I though this was at first.

But it was much too big. Probably 25% bigger than the adult mourning doves. At first glance, at the other side of the yard, I thought it might be a juvenile turkey or something else equally exotic. But then it moved over right next to the kitchen and it was crystal clear what it was.

What wasn’t clear is why it’s here. Did they clean up the garbage cans and loading docks down at the local 7-11? Any port in a storm, even if it’s stealing bird seed and sunflowers from mourning doves and house finches, instead of leftover doughnuts?

Welcome, I guess?

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Filed under Birds, Critters, Photography

September 6, 2024 · 23:26

Random Old Photos – September 06th

From 2006, on the power line in the backyard of the old Pomelo house.

“All God’s creatures…,” blah, blah, blah, I get it. WRONG! These critters are butt ugly. And that mouth is FULL of a whole bunch of needle-sharp teeth. Nasty.

I know that because there was an infamous incident where Jesse, our dog, was going berserk in the back yard one night and we went out in the pouring rain and mud to find her howling and wailing at this one or its twin with a half-dozen or so babies clinging to its back. Jesse had it cornered, about knee high on a tree trunk and that mama opossum was way out of her weight class but (of course!) was going to die defending those babies and all of those teeth were on full display. I got to reach in to grab Jesse’s collar and pull her back in the dark, rain, and mud with the insane, stupid dog going nuts six inches from that muzzle full of teeth. It seemed like a good idea at the time.

We haven’t seen one of these up here on top of the hill, but there are a ton of trees and we’re only a mile away from the old house, and there are a couple of open wildlife areas within a mile or five, so I have no doubt that they’re around. If they keep to their own quiet, private places and away from me, I’m more than happy to just let them be.

Ugh!!

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Filed under Critters, Photography