Macro Friday

Morning, all! Any one in the mood for some frosted blue berries? Before you answer, I should warn you that these are juniper berries frosted with ice, not blueberries frosted with sugar. No takers but the birds? Well, that's okay. I think they are pretty even though I don't eat them either.



Don't forget to buy your black-eyed peas for New Year's Day!
And check out

blogging from bolivia to link up your own Macro Friday post!

-Susan

Macro Monday

Well, I'm back! It's been a busy, fun, hectic Christmas season. We are far from getting back to normal, but should be a bit less busy at least. Hubby still has some more time off and there are still friends in town to visit. At least I have the chance for a brief post.

These photos were taken Christmas eve before the snow began to fall.



These are berries from our cedar trees.
The Eastern Bluebirds, as well as many other birds, love to eat them.



This is my sister-in-law's beloved Husky, Alex. Okay, this is only a picture of his eye. He has beautiful blue eyes, but the light was such that the color didn't turn out right, so it's black and white. He's an amazingly beautiful dog. I think all Huskies are pretty, but Alex really is something special.



Stop by Macro Monday at Lisa's Chaos to see what others have to offer for this post-Christmas Macro Monday.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you all!
-Susan

Macro Friday

Well, I figured it was about time I shared a picture of my niece. She was born in October and is the sweetest, prettiest thing I have seen in a long time. She's already completely devoted to her mommy, my sister. I snapped this photo over Thanksgiving when the dear baby was nursing. Baby likes to hold Mommy's finger while she nurses. My kiddos did that some, too. Maybe that's why I love this shot so, I remember how sweet is it to breastfeed your precious baby
while she holds your finger.



I hope you all have a lovely weekend. I don't know if I will be able to post again before Christmas. So, have a nice Christmas, if I don't "see" you before then!

Don't forget to stop by

blogging from bolivia to link up your own Macro Friday post!

-Susan

Miscellany Monday

Randomness, here I come!

1. It snowed here. A lot. Like maybe five inches. We're snowed in. I'm now officially ready for spring.


2. It's cold. Really cold. Ten degrees and windy. Did I mention that winter is my least favorite time of year?

3. The day after my titmouse adventure, I had a similar thing happen with a Carolina Chickadee. He did not wait to be photographed, however.

4. The snow is beautiful, but I can't bear to get out to take pictures. After about 15 seconds out, I came back inside. I don't handle the cold well.

5. The birds are enjoying the seed and goodies I have put out on the deck. I've seen a different wren this morning- maybe a house wren or winter wren. All I know for sure is that it was much smaller than the Carolina Wrens we typically have.

6. It must be Monday, I'm washing diapers. Of course, based on that alone, it could also be Wednesday or Friday or possibly Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, or Sunday.

7. It is time for more coffee. Maybe after that I can get some Christmas gift stuff done today.

Hope you have a good and productive week. Stay warm!

-Susan

Macro Friday

It's Friday again, and this time I actually have some macro shots!

Yesterday, an adorable Tufted Titmouse decided that he could fly through my front door to get to my back yard. Unfortunately, that isn't possible. The good news is he was only stunned. I learned long ago that when a bird hits the glass the best thing to do is make sure it's picked up quickly if it's stunned. Otherwise, outside cats and dogs will find a tasty treat. So, I picked up this little guy and brought him into a quiet room while I awaited the cardboard box. I put him in the box for only a minute or two. He was recovering quite quickly. So, I carried him, box and all, back out onto the deck from whence he came. He was alert so I picked him up and he immediately assumed the perching position on my right index finger. I hadn't even thought about photo opportunities until I saw this lovely little bird perched on my finger like a parakeet. I asked my hubby to fetch my camera quickly. I haven't ever shot photographs left handed before, but the little bird would not move to my other hand. So here are my photos of the Tufted Titmouse who made my day. The first photo is my entry for Blogging From Bolivia's Macro Friday. All of them can be enlarged by clicking on them.

Visit blogging from bolivia to link up your own Macro Friday post!
Have a great weekend!

-Susan

Macro and Miscellany Monday

Last night, as I was bemoaning the fact that I still didn't have a macro shot for Monday, I really looked at this shot of my son. Well, duh! It was shot in macro!
So, although not my typical photo, here is my entry in
Macro Monday at Lisa's Chaos.

And now for the miscellany for Miscellany Monday

1. I'm not through Christmas shopping. There. I said it. I'm a slacker. I do, however, have a pretty clear idea of what is to be bought or made for everyone. At least that's something.

2. My favorite cream of broccoli soup is from Cork and Cleaver. I know they must have other items on their menu, but the soup is sooo good, that's all I ever get. And now, after many failed attempts, I have a suitable copycat recipe! I may even share it, if you like. Beware, it's not for those afraid of fat! It's yummy and satisfying, assuming you like broccoli soup!

3. One good thing about the cold weather is that the birds are more anxious to visit my feeder. In addition to the usual (but still wonderful) chickadees, nuthatches, and titmice, I have had goldfinches, wrens, cardinals, blue jays, and purple finches. Once I get some beef suet out, I am hoping for some woodpeckers!

Here is a male Purple Finch.

4. I found a super-special lucky find at my favorite thrift store last week. It's a Fisher Price Power Wheels VW Beetle. Yes, Sarah, it's yellow. It had no battery or charger, and a price sticker with $20 on it. It knew it was the tag from the yard sale where it didn't sell before it got donated. When I asked the price, I was told two dollars! Yippee! After severe cleaning, a battery and charger, and some connectors fro RadioShack, it works! Both kids are thrilled even though I led them to believe (a.k.a. lied) that the car was a gift for an out of town cousin. It told my daughter that I needed her help "testing" it. I know, I know, but the kids were with me when I spied the car and I had to say something.



5. We went to the Christmas parade over the weekend. It was freezing and spitting snow, but the kids both had a great time. Fortunately, we have friends with a house on the parade route, so we had a place to warm up. I wrapped my son in my woven wrap and he was toasty warm. His body heat even kept me warm!

That's it for today! Now if Blogger will only save this and let me post it, I'll be all set for the week!

Non-macro Friday

Well, I haven't taken any macro shots in a couple of weeks. Gasp! I know. I'm surprised, too. So, my suggestion is to hop over to

blogging from bolivia to get your macro fix. That's what I'm going to do. I really do want to get back into the swing of things soon. Just not today.

Also, apologies for changing the blog again. I just didn't like that much orange.
We'll see how I like this. . .

Have a great weekend!

-Susan

Squirrely Sweet Shot Tuesday

I hadn't intended to be away from blogging for this long, but in addition to all the Thanksgiving stuff, I have been playing with my new toy. It's a Nokia N800. It's supposed to be an internet tablet, but I'm using it primarily as an e-reader. It's just the right size and not an iPod. I couldn't be happier with it. So, when I haven't been cooking, cleaning, or eating, I've been reading.

I have hardly taken any pictures as a result. But yesterday, as the light was dying, I spied this Gray Squirrel on my deck.

I've always been a bit squirrelly. It runs in my family. Some lovers of birds resent the squirrel's seed consumption, but not us. Around here, we have Gray Squirrels and Fox Squirrels. The Fox Squirrels aren't they type to come up to the deck to eat unless the weather is really rotten. Nearby areas even have Chipmunks, but not Shakerag.

We also have Flying Squirrels, but due to being nocturnal, they aren't often seen. As kids, we used to feed them peanut butter off our fingers. A few years ago, I did have the opportunity to photograph a Flying Squirrel.
These were taken with my first digital camera, an HP something or other.




The Flying Squirrel in these photos had been napping in the bluebird box. These were taken on a beautiful, sunny day in the early spring in 2006.

Stop by Life with my 3 Boybarians
to see what other sweet shots are out there this Tuesday.

-Susan

Macro Monday

Thanksgiving week is upon us. That's both wonderful and slightly stressful. I have approximately 1.3 million things to get done before Thursday.
I love cooking and baking, but the tasks are a bit overwhelming.
Perhaps an extra cup of coffee is in order today.
I do hope to get a chance to post again later in the week, but I make no guarantees.

These photos were taken the other day when it was so warm. But when I looked at them, my first thought was Christmas. These are the berries from my dogwood tree in my front yard.

These are linked up with Macro Monday over at Lisa's Chaos.

Macro Friday

It's been a busy week in Shakerag. I had the opportunity to go visit with my sister and the new baby. While I love cuddling and kissing my niece, I'm less enthusiastic about the three hour drive one way. But we're back now and I get to see my sister and her family again next week for Thanksgiving! Yay! And they are coming here! Double yay!

It seems the autumn rains are finally here, after an exceptionally dry summer and early fall. Tuesday was a rainy day. As I was was standing at the kitchen sink watching the rain, I noticed a flock of turkeys crossing my driveway. As anyone who knows me expects, I grabbed my camera and raincoat and off I went. Unfortunately, and not surprisingly, the turkey pictures were all blurry, too far away, and generally terrible. But, I did take some pictures while wandering back to the house.

I need to learn more about taking pictures in low light. Any tips are appreciated. After reading that cloudy days are best for photographing wildflowers since the clouds act as a natural light diffuser, I think I had higher hopes for all my shots that day. Only three came out well enough to even bother trying to edit. I do like these, but I took a lot more pictures than this!

Above is my entry for Macro Friday.

What could be more exciting than a knot hole on a moss covered log?


Yes, I had to include more leaves.
I loved how large these leaves were and how small the tree was.

As always, click on any of my photos for a closer look.

Visit blogging from bolivia to link up your own Macro Friday post!
Have a great weekend!

-Susan

Macro Monday

Here are a couple of shots for Macro Monday over at Lisa's Chaos.

This is what remains from a Tulip Poplar blossom.
This particular tree is probably fifty feet tall.
Fortunately, it has some low branches.

I have seen several caterpillars in the past week.
This has been a really warm, dry autumn.

Hope you all have a great week!
-Susan

Macro Friday

I haven't gotten to take as many pictures this week as I would have liked. The weather has been simply wonderful, but there have been too many must-do projects to get outside. Here is my entry for Macro Friday:


I've never seen so many beautiful oak leaves before! Some are still green, some are all red, some are red with green. I think the multi-colored ones are my favorites. The little leaf above was only three and a half inches long. I brought it inside for my daughter. Yes, I really did measure it.

More oak leaves:


Here's a little Tufted Titmouse. I had hoped to get a little color, but the light was all wrong. I take my opportunities to get outside and take photographs, when they present themselves, even if it's not the best time of day for such things.

Visit blogging from bolivia to link up your own Macro Friday post!
Have a great weekend!

-Susan

Sweet Tweet Tuesday, um Sweet Shot Tuesday

The weather has been simply wonderful the last few days! Cool nights with warm, sunny days. My kind of weather. The hummingbird feeders are finally in and the seed feeders are full of seed once more. When new feeders are put out, it's always the same three cohorts who are the first to arrive. Invariably, the Carolina Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, and White-breasted Nuthatch come to sample the sunflower. The only thing that changes is their order of appearance.
All three of these small seed-eaters are friendly, quick, and
tolerant of humans.
They are smart enough to know from whence comes their seed.
In some ways, nuthatches are my favorites of the three. They "fuss" at each other and seem to be very clown-like in behavior.

I had about five minutes of kid-free time yesterday,
and I shot this little nuthatch.
In editing, I had a problem. The afternoon sun was shining over the house and into the woods, but my subject was in the shade of the house. So, my initial edit looked too fantastic to be real, but it really did look more like that than the more muted edits. The woods were on fire in the sun. Late afternoon is always my favorite time of day to watch my woods. Morning is my favorite time to be out in it all.


See his little tongue?


Posing for me

Seed selection is a very serious business.

Here's the more muted edit of the first one.

I also have to talk about my bird feeder. I have nicer, newer feeders. But this old feeder has character. It was built by my grandfather during a coal miner's strike in the sixties. Yes, my bird feeder is older than my husband!
It needs some work, but I love it. I'll include a picture of my entire feeder soon, I'm sure.

As always, feel free to click on any of the images for a closer look.

Stop by Life with my 3 Boybarians
to see what other sweet shots are out there this Tuesday.

-Susan

Macro Monday

Well, as I type it is Monday afternoon. The morning was too busy to afford an opportunity to write a blog post. By lunchtime, it was sunny and 68 degrees! Pretty good weather for November.
I looked out and saw one of my little bird-voiced tree frogs!
So, assuming no one is tired of tree frogs yet, here are my macro shots for today.
What struck me as especially interesting about this particular frog is how dirty he was. If you look closely you can see bits of dirt and even a feather stuck to him.






Hop on over to Lisa's Chaos to see what everyone else found today!

Well, I'm off to play outside!

-Susan

Saturday Snapshot

I just "discovered" a new blog this morning. It's Alyce's blog,
At Home With Books.

I knew I would like it because, what's a home without books? When I saw her snapshot of a fossilized fern, I knew I had found a follow-worthy blog.
So, here's my Saturday Snapshot:

As always, click on any photos for a closer look.
We have just had our killing frost this morning.
My strawberries were still blooming.


One good thing about the killing frost is that now the persimmons are ready to eat. Mmmmm. Persimmon bread. I do love autumn.

-Susan

Macro Friday

I seem to be getting back into the swing of things as far as blogging goes. Today's photos are also from our trip to Land Between the Lakes. As usual, many shots were in macro anyway, so finding fodder for today's post was easy. Picking an entry is considerably harder. Also, as usual, click on any photos for a closer look.

The water was really low since it's was soooo dry all summer. I assume that low water is why there was such an abundance of mussel shells. This one looked like a treasure chest to me. Yes, the treasure is rocks, but I like rocks.


I have no idea what this plant was. The seed pods looked like morning glories, but the leaves remind me of a weed we used to call potato vine.

I don't know what these flowers are either, but these were all over on the rocky beach. Does anyone know?

Here's another unknown flower.


At least I know this one is a bumble bee. He was moving slowly, but still moving.
It was in the lower sixties. You can see more evidence of how dry it's been.

Not everything I shot was in macro. Here's a sampling of the rest.


The beach had several small caves carved by the waves at some time when the water was much higher than it was this week.

There were plenty of White-tailed Deer out.
It was almost like driving home from town, but with less traffic.
Kentucky sure is a deer-y state.

Visit blogging from bolivia to link up your own Macro Friday post!

-Susan