Category Archives: Photography

September 21, 2023 · 22:35

Hummingbird Hangout Sans Hummingbird

In the effort to catch one of the local hummingbirds in the golden sunset light, I often get photos that “miss” as they take off flit about, feed, fight, and harass each other.

It occurred to me that some of these “failed” photos actually had a certain beauty of their own, silhouettes of patterns both natural and artificial.

Part of it’s the light, but there’s also an element of a fractal design rendered in branch, stem, and leaf.

Perhaps these are the great pictures from that set and the ones with the annoying birds interfering with the patterns are the ones to toss.

It’s all a matter of perspective.

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Filed under Birds, Photography

September 20, 2023 · 22:19

An Email Flood

First, the cars are now dressed properly for the season.

Secondly, I found out how to get six to ten emails a day from NFLshop.com. Once you indicate your interest, their marketing is “aggressive.”

Finally, when driving with these decorations, be prepared to return the cry of “CHIEEEEEEFS!!” from random, passing members of Chiefs Kingdom.

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Filed under KC Chiefs, Photography

September 19, 2023 · 23:50

A Glitch At The End Of A Long Day

It’s been a really long, busy day and now I’m trying to do my daily post but WordPress is acting up and glitchy and I don’t want to break my streak of posting days and I don’t know what inspired me to go this route but here’s a really pretty picture of one of the stained glass windows in Prague Catherdral from my trip there seventeen (!!!!) years ago.

Winner! K thankx bye!!

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Filed under Art, Photography, Travel

September 18, 2023 · 23:47

A Tiny Percenage Increase In Humidity

A little tropical moisture goes a long way.

Fall is coming.

Yet while the seasons change, so many things that we might like to change just seem to keep trudging on the same, day after day.

Perception and self awareness are not all they’re cracked up to be.

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Filed under Photography, Sunsets, Weather

September 17, 2023 · 23:19

A Rebel Out Of Season

The rose bushes near the driveway always bloom in the late spring, April and May generally. (For example, here, here, here… plenty more to see as well.)

It’s nowhere near spring, closer to the start of fall, but for some reason this plant decided to pop one really late or really really really early, amazing, stunning bloom.

The colors and shading were exquisite.

In a row of dormant plants, this one stood out like a beacon.

It’s started to fade and wilt already, victim of the late summer heat. But it was gorgeous in its time! Even as unusual as that time was.

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Filed under Flowers, Photography

September 16, 2023 · 23:52

A New Excavator In The Back Yard

We’ve had some sort of gopher or underground critter chewing up the yard for a while, but they seem to have moved on. (The exterminator sent over by the landlord was useless and the gophers moved on despite him, not because of him.)

Now we’ve got something new living under the yard, but instead of leaving huge (3″ or so in diameter) holes and tunnels in the yard, this new “neighbor” seems to be just leaving large piles of dirt with no obvious entry or hole.

There seem to be a new pile every day. The first two are over by the fence and the ice plant, the the next two out in the open.

One day later. The whole area is pretty much covered now.

I’ve looked when I go out around midnight for my final leg stretching lap of the back yard, but I never see the next day’s pile done by then, so the critter’s doing his damage sometime between midnight and sunrise. For the record, I will *NOT* be staying up all night anytime soon to try to catch it in the act and drive a pitchfork into the ground in an effort to impale the little monster. For one, it’s not my house. Sorry, but I’ve informed the landlord, if he wants to have something done about it, the ball’s in his court.

But I am curious, especially by the difference between the holes and tunnels from the old invader and the piles without holes and tunnels from this one. My first assumption is that we’re dealing with different species of critters. Does anyone know what I’m dealing with here?

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Filed under Critters, Photography

September 15, 2023 · 22:54

Lopping Off The Local Roost

A week ago I shared pictures of a couple dozen crows roosting in the top of a pine tree a couple houses down the street.

The local great horned owls also use that tree regularly.

Someone wasn’t happy with that tree’s condition however.

The good news is that they kept the bottom part of the tree, where the needles haven’t fallen off and the branches aren’t bare.

The bad news is that the roost for the birds is gone.

I understand that something was destroying the tree (some insect infestation or disease?) and they wanted to save what they could. I approve. And the owls are still out there almost every night, it’s not like that was their only perch or worse, where they had a nest. I guess I’m just dealing with a bit much change at the moment and could have done without this little addition to the list.

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Filed under Audio, Birds, Photography

September 14, 2023 · 22:30

Something Launched Out Of Vandenberg

I was fixing dinner at 19:40 when I got a text from my son. “Hearing something about a launch (Unannounced?) out of Vandenberg within the last few minutes?”

I stuck my head out the front door, facing west.

Well, that would be a big ol’ confirmation, right there!

The lower part of the exhaust trail, deep in the sunset atmosphere, is orange and red, turning white as it climbs up higher in the atmosphere where it’s still fully illuminated by the sun off in the west.

It’s odd that there wasn’t any announcement or webcast, so that rules out a SpaceX or ULA launch. A Minuteman III test, possibly?

Nope, turns out to have been the Firefly Alpha 3 launch at 19:27 PDT carrying a top secret Space Force payload named Victus Nox.

Great job, everyone! Let the conspiracy theory and calls to the police about alien invasions start!

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Filed under Photography, Space, Sunsets

September 13, 2023 · 23:12

Hummer Breakfast

If only Little Bastard would share!

The feeder can easily handle eight or more hummers, but it’s rare to see two there because he chases them off. Very territorial!

I do wonder if the others are smart enough to gang up on him. It does seem that sometimes a half dozen or more will swoop in and take turns distracting him while the rest grab a quick bite. I have doubts that they’re really strategizing and planning. They’re beautiful to look at , but their brains are only theeeeeese 🤏🏻 big!

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Filed under Birds, Photography

September 11, 2023 · 23:35

Roadblocks Overcome

Some days, in addition to already being Mondays (I mean, jeeze!!), throw in extra roadblocks.

Like, significant pain every time you try to move or walk.

Like, three and a half hours in Urgent Care.

So if there was barely enough time to get things done before that particular pile hit the fan, there sure wasn’t time left over after.

And there most certainly isn’t a lot of time to think great thoughts and pontificate in a blog post.

So here’s a couple of “spare” pictures from Saturday night at the Music Center.

“Peter Pan Goes Wrong” was hilarious and spectacular, by the way. See it if you can.

While this season is over for us at the Ahmanson, next season’s subscription has already been secured, starting in December. In between, next month, we’ll be seeing the return of “Hadestown” because it was just so stinkin’ fine last year.

I’m going to go take some pain meds, slap on an ice pack, and feel sorry for myself. (I’m fine, just some sort of unexplained muscle sprain. Getting old sucks. But beats the alternative. Barely.)

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Filed under Entertainment, Health, Photography