Don’t you hate it when you just can’t find something? Your car keys? Your cell phone? Your stalker?
Where’d she go? She’s not down there…
She’s not back there. Where the heck is she?
There she is! I think I’m gonna have to get a restraining order.
Spring in the Ozarks – redbuds, dogwoods, bluebirds, snow…SNOW? You heard me right, snow.
Tonight we are under a freeze warning for the 3rd night in a row. I am heating the cellar to keep the pipes from bursting, I am wearing long-johns, I am stoking a fire – yeah, feels like Spring.
My driveway on the first day of Spring.
I suppose this view beats the bare trees, if it was warmer I would be out shooting macro shots of snowflakes on my daffodils. Before we get a mob together to take out that lying groundhog – there is an upside. My snobby cardinals come out in droves in the snow. They must know that the contrast makes them look amazing.
There’s nothing more classic that a shot of a cardinal in a tree in the snow – makes me feel like Christmas, well, maybe next Christmas…
Ignoring me in a tree…
Puffed and posing in the branches…
Ignoring me behind a bird house…
Avoiding my glance in the crepe myrtle…
Of course, they can ignore me all day out there on the limb – but when the snow stops for a minute, they feed like there’s no tomorrow.
Stomping in the snow, looking for seed…
Digging through the ice for his next meal…
Doing his best impression of an Angry Bird…
Out on a ledge feasting on cracked corn…Is it just me, or does he look inflated?
Once the snow starts again, it’s time to take cover and wait for that next meal…
No superstition here, he’s taking refuge under a ladder.
Spring is supposed to return sometime around Wednesday. I’ll probably keep putting out that expensive songbird food they like so much. They will likely continue to ignore me. Ungrateful snobs, beautiful ungrateful snobs. I love them.
Last Summer I wrote about a pair of whitetail fawns growing up in the field beyond the local Elks Lodge. The Lodge sits on one side of a hollow at the base of Pine Mountain, my house is at the top of the mountain, and my road meanders down the side opposite from the Lodge. There is a large whitetail herd and it’s not uncommon to see the same deer at any spot along the mountain.
This is a shot of the friendly fawn from last summer.
Over the years I have photographed a doe that is easily recognized by a thin white strip on just above her black nose. She is friendly and curious about me and tolerates me approaching her to take photos. I respect her space and back off if she shows any sign of concern. Last year she had two fawns – one with a black nose and one with a white stripe that had a wide spot in the center. Like it’s momma, the one with the white stripe had no concern about my presence and was actually very curious.
This shot gives a clearer picture of the marking in the fawn’s nose.
That original doe was one of triplets and was the only one with the white mark. Her sister still stays close and is not at all friendly. She starts snorting almost as soon as I leave my jeep. That friendly doe has had two sets of twins and only one of those has a white stripe and only that one is really friendly like she is. The others have been very cautious and quick to run off. Last year I was lucky to get so close to the friendly fawn on several occasions.
The tail tucked and low like this indicates no sense of alarm. Whitetail use their tails like flags when alarmed – the rest of the herd can spot them in the woods when the have it raised so the white hairs show.
I watched a documentary about the domestication of wolves – the forefathers of dogs. Humans and wolves have always interacted – wolves feeding off of livestock or the trash of people. In a pack of wolves there is usually one or two who are bolder around humans. These wolves are the ones who make friends with humans and by doing so they can secure food and comfort for the pack – they are like ambassadors. Scientists have found that these dogs share a genetic marker and they call it the friendliness gene. This marker is also found in domesticated dogs today.
Not that this has anything to do with whitetail deer, but it got me thinking about why some deer are curious and some are flighty. The deer have no need to befriend me for food. I do find it an interesting coincidence that all of the deer in our small herd who are comfortable and even curious about me and my camera seem to have a similar white stripe on their nose – is it nature or nurture? Does the original doe’s boldness embolden some of her fawns?
Notice how the doe has no concern or alarm, she even turns her back on me when her fawn is nearby.
Of course winter comes and the whitetail move deep into the hollow. I put my thoughts about this friendly trait away for winter. The deer stay away from the field once hunting season opens and have yet to make an appearance there this year. I have seen a couple on the roadside running into the woods, so they are on the move.
A couple of days ago I saw a deer ahead of me on the road. It didn’t bolt – it just looked my way and walked leisurely into the woods. I pulled up along side and it looked over its shoulder at me…
Unconcerned with me or my noisy jeep, this yearling looked at me.
I stayed in the jeep – opened the passenger window and snapped a few shots. I was taken aback by how long the young whitetail looked at me and at its calm demeanor. And then I saw it…
This was not any yearling, this was my friendly fawn. No wonder it showed no concern for me, it knows me. It survived the winter in the hollow and is now roaming over the hills.
It’s nice to catch up with old friends.
Spring is showing its face at the newly remodeled Stonehouse Buffet and Condos. Potential new tenants are stopping by daily to check out the facilities. The Bluebirds of Happiness are considering moving in…
Mr. Happiness takes a look around…
“This looks promising – I bet we can find something move in ready.”
Mrs. Happiness is skeptical…
“I’m not moving into that tin roofed shack. Better find something soon – I’ve already started nesting.”
Mr. Happiness reassures his mate…
“No dear, not that place. I don’t want our children raised in an old oil can. I’m talking about the cedar condo down the block.”
Mr. Happiness checks things out…
“Nice front porch…”
Mr. Happiness inspects the roof…
“A brand new roof…”
Mr. Happiness beckons the Mrs.
“I think you should come check this one out…”
Mrs. Happiness takes a look inside…
“Wow – this place is turn-key – move in ready!”
Mr. Happiness moves in the furniture…
“Where do you want me to put the couch?”
Mrs. Happiness rearranges the furniture…
“Move it over on the other side of the fireplace – no, not in front of the TV! A little more to the left, no the right – can’t you get anything right? The cable guy is going to be here any minute.”
Mr. Happiness takes a break…
“Next time we’re hiring a mover…”
Mrs. Happiness is finally happy with the living room…
“I think we are going to be very happy here…”
Mr. Happiness has one concern…
“I think we will be too – as long as we don’t have to deal with that nosy landlord!”
The Stone House Bird Buffet is proud to host a troupe of world class acrobats on their southern tour of North America. Direct from Canada….the Red-Breasted Nuthatches!!
First event, the rings…
Mounting the apparatus…
Look at that extension!
Next up, rhythmic gymnastics…
Move to the left…
Stretch to the right!
Final event, the parallel bars…
This is one gifted aerialist…
And now for the finale!
Bravo!!
And now the dismount…
Time to take a bow…
I don’t get my gear ready and think, “Wow, I hope I can find some leaves in the ice today!” I tend to come upon things that capture my interest. I have always been drawn to transparency and light. Anything with complimentary colors makes me take a second look. Texture intrigues me.
Sunday I thought I should head over to the mass of daffodils on my hillside when I encountered this – the ice from the top of the birdbath, cast aside and melting into the grass. It stopped me for almost an hour.
I forgot the daffodils, I know they will still be there on the next sunny day. You have to appreciate ice while it’s here. It melts is fast and then it is gone forever.
Sometimes you just have to improvise.
This week I had to give in and mail my beloved bird lens back to the manufacturer for repair. I considered renting one for a couple of weeks but decided that I should just try some close shooting, that this was the best time to mail it off. I could make due and try other things, at least it would be in good condition for springtime.
Wednesday we had a weather event, an ice storm. Someone online called it “slain” – a mix of sleet, hail, and freezing rain – it created about an inch of ice at my place infused with these marble sized beads.
The woods were like a layer of ice, topped with hail, and dusted with leaves from the winds.
I was prepared for the storm. I made room in the garage for the Jeep, I made chicken and noodles and I stacked about a rick of firewood inside the living room. I had my Carharts out and was ready for whatever came my way. By midnight there was thunder, lightning, sleet, and hail – all at once – the sound on my metal roof was unlike anything I have ever heard. I stoked the fire and planned on working from home the next day as long as I had power.
In the morning I let the dogs out and saw the crazy frozen hail soup on every horizontal surface and noticed that the bird population had soared. They came in waves, about 30 minutes before more ice and sleet. Lots of singing and calling and ravenous eating. Here was a bird bonanza and I was going to miss it – my bird lens was somewhere in Texas on a FedEx truck.
I ran outside with my macro lens and shot the hail shot above, but thought that I was just going to have to sit this bonanza out…until I remembered an old piece of glass sitting in a box in my studio. It was a Vivitar 90-230mm zoom – manual focus. I bought it from a friend who was clearing out some of his dad’s photo equipment. I bought some nice glass from him, but this was in the not-so-nice category. I had seen this same lens on eBay for as low as $29 – not much to write home about, but it was a zoom. I had never attempted to shoot any wildlife without any autofocus or image stabilization, but with those birds out there in those numbers I just had to try.
I found that the birds were having to do a bit of improvising of their own…
Sometimes you have to risk a falling icicle for a good meal…
Sometimes an empty feeder can still be a shelter from the storm…
Sometimes you have to try new things…
Sometimes when you slide off the tree trunk you need to hang onto a rope…
Sometimes it’s too cold for worms…
So you have to try seeds…
Sometimes you have to attack a problem from a different angle…
Sometimes you have to try a new technique…
Sometimes you have to put on your yellow puffy coat…
And sometimes you have to put on your white puffy coat…
Sometimes you have to quit worrying about having your own private table…
And show a little attitude even if you’re eating off the ground…
Sometimes you wish you had warm slippers…
And sometimes you would do better with ice skates…
Is it just me or do her eyebrows look painted on like Lucille Ball’s?
Sometimes you need to walk like a penguin to keep from slipping…
Sometimes you get your balance and stand proud…
Sometimes all you can do is hang on tight even though you are sliding…
Sometimes all you can do is look up…
And up…
And up…
And over…
Sometimes the answer is just below the surface…
Sometimes you just need a place to take cover…
After a storm like this, the best place to be is cozy and at home.
The verdict – focusing was challenging but not impossible. The lens is not as bright as a modern one, but not bad for 35 years old. It has haze inside the lens and that may account for the lack of brightness. The pictures are sharper than I thought they would be, but there is a grainy quality to them, they remind me of film. There is some chromatic aberration – I plan to try some shots in better light this weekend to see if I can get better results.
Tech Specs:
All shots were shot between f4.5-6 / 300-400 / ISO 2000 or lower.
OK, so I have been lamenting the subbing I have been getting from the local red birds for months now. This weekend, on a whim, I decided to take an old Corel plate and put it on top of a ladder. I thought it would make for an interesting angle and let me get more sky and trees instead of porch in the background. I have two tray feeders on the porch as they are OK, but being in the shade they can make focusing a challenge on some days. It turns out that all the red birds wanted was a private table with a view – at least that is what one red bird wanted. I think I have a new friend and I think I’ll call him Johnny Bravo.
I first posted photos of Johnny Saturday. To be honest I was having lens issues, and while I was thrilled to capture so many birds, focusing was a struggle. Sunday’s light was a bit better and I felt like I was able to do Johnny justice.
Johnny seems to have gotten dressed up for me in his Sunday best…
Johnny seems to like the view from his private table…
Johnny seems happy with the menu…
Well, mostly happy…
Well, maybe not completely happy…
“See that orange crap! Take it back to the chef and tell him it’s garbage! It’s inedible!”
Of course, Mr. Bravo, the customer is always right.
Before it was over Johnny had moved all the orange pieces off the plate and onto the next rung of the ladder. Apparently Johnny did not appreciate all of the components of the much more expensive Scott’s Songbird Mix. I tasted them and thought they were pretty good.
Johnny flew off the handle and left me without a tip. I guess cardinals really are ungrateful snobs after all.
I have been especially technically challenged this week. I attempted to reblog this post from my memoir project, The King of Isabelle Avenue. I posted it and noticed that shortly afterward the reader just showed a very blurry photo of my Gravitar. So I deleted it and tried to reblog, and of course, you cannot do that.
So I if you’re curious about our mining adventures in Nevada in the 60s, click the link above – this excerpt has lots of silliness, and adventure, and some poop…
If you are not at all curious or have already read about the poop, you can just stay here and look at the deer I saw on the way home from the fish hatchery the other day…
If you’ve seen enough deer or hate to click links, feel free to stop reading now and go back to whatever you were doing. I think I’m gonna grab a snack.
This is Squeegee…
I don’t see a camera, therefore no camera exists…
She hates to be photographed. She lives in a constant state of denial. If she does not like something she simply turns her back and the issue no longer exists. She has ignored the very existence of Velcro for about seven years. She’s a snob.
You see, my pack is made up of rejects. Velcro was an older dog when I adopted her. Kirby had shyness issues so the breeder wanted to “place” him with someone who understood terriers. Sunshine is a goldendoodle who was abandoned by his owners along with his litter mates at about 6 weeks. It’s a pretty motley crew except for Squeegee.
Squeegee is a princess. My Pop came for a visit several years ago and fell in love with the young terrier pup I had at the time. He wanted one and they were very expensive where he lived in Vegas, but here in the Ozarks Jack Russell Terriers are hunting dogs, ratters, work dogs. A pedigreed dog can be had for less than a couple hundred dollars – a third of the price in Vegas at the time. So I looked up a couple of breeders and we took a road trip to Jay, Oklahoma to look at some pups. The breeder had 2 available and one was just odd-looking – short nose, barrel chest, wide face – the other was perfectly square, a really beautiful terrier. That dog was Squeegee. Pops asked me which one I thought was the best pick and I told him to get the little square girl – she was perfect. He told me to go get the back of the car ready, he was going to haggle with the breeder over a price. Soon he walked out with both pups in hand – I guess he worked a two-fer deal. Squeegee has been the princess at my place ever since.
A side note – spending your vacation housebreaking three puppies is not very relaxing.
Since the housebreaking phase Squeegee has not been much of a problem except for her disdain of Velcro. She’s a happy dog who barks at deer and chases squirrels. She isn’t much of a hunter, but she does make a lot of noise. She’s the most demanding of my pack and vocalizes a lot to get you to pay attention to her. She rarely gets into things like the trash or messes up anything in the house, so it surprised me to find out that she was a thief.
She hangs out on the patio when I fill the bird feeders and now I know why…
Is that suet on the fence post?
It is suet! If I stretch I think I can get it all before anyone notices…
I don’t think she’s noticed me – there’s a big black and silver thing in front of her face…
If I can just get around this tree trunk and fake lizard on three legs, I think I can get it all before I’m caught…
Around the tree, on the ledge, under the limb – got it!
What suet? I don’t see any suet. I’m just hanging out here on this fence post minding my own business.
She may look innocent, but if you are missing suet you know who’s behind it.
the eff stop 