The Fascination Continues

I've been so busy with work that I haven't had opportunity to stop and check how my new hummingbird feeder is working for our tiniest of neighbors.  However, today when I got home I noticed there were quite a few hummers in the neighborhood, all vying for a place at the watering hole.  I took a minute (actually, a FEW) to capture the moment...it REALLY does take a lot of patience to catch these beautiful creatures on camera!

In my experience and observation, hummers don't feed together very well...they buzz at each other and shoo away those who may be feeding to get their spot.  Who knows why, but this evening there were several hovering near, and none seemed to be in a fighting mood...they shared space and allowed me to capture action I've not been able to before now.

So enjoy the photos, and my apologies if I'm boring my readers with my love for hummers. By far they are one of God's most interesting creations to me and I so love to watch them!

 

 

Hummers3

Not to bore anyone, but here are more captures of my little hummers who are now visiting the feeder more frequently. It's definitely an art in patience to wait on these small creatures to arrive to feed!  If I am ever fortunate enough to get a zoom lens, it will certainly be easier!

Such a Diva

She's my baby. I chose her when she was only 6 weeks old and got her when she was 8 weeks old. The choice I had to make between her and her siblings wasn't difficult. She immediately hovered around my feet, growling in her puppy voice to warn the siblings to stay away. She claimed me, I guess, first and foremost.

I have spoiled her, no doubt. She loves attention and affection and demands it on a second by second basis. She is persistent to a fault and never takes no for an answer. She is constantly in motion, circling clockwise and running...unless it's first thing in the morning. Then, and only then, is she quiet and still as she snuggles beneath the bed covers. Eyes peeking out as I get dressed, she watches me and makes no move to get up until I am almost finished and I ask the magic question..."Want to go outside?"  Then she springs into action, tail wriggling so fast it makes her back end shake. 

Such a doll...such a baby.  My Zoe Girl.

Appreciate Little Things

Yesterday was our student graduation.  After weeks of preparation, and hours spent pulling all the elements of the ceremony together, I was really spent. I have ached so badly from the physical labor that went into this I just haven't been able to sleep well...but today it was worth it to see the kids have a nice ceremony and enjoy their special day.

We didn't get home until around 5 PM since we had the meet and greet sessions through lunch, a cake reception, and post-graduation meetings with our president...exhaustion was upon us both.  While Allan walked our girls, I checked emails and tried to unwind a bit. When he returned, he brought a simple, tiny, daisy wildflower to me and laid it on my desk...it was so sweet! It also inspired a quick photo session, even as tired as I was, to remember the moment.

I have a wonderful husband!

A Feeder By Any Other Name

I think birds are interesting creatures. What goes on in such a tiny little brain? How can they know when to fly, how to fly, where to look for food, and other such stuff? And isn't it even more interesting that we feel compelled to help them with food and shelter? 

 

I used to have a birdfeeder in a previous life...had to fight the squirrels to keep it filled with plump, delicious seeds for the birds. I loved watching each tiny bird as it swooped in to take a peck or two at the array of seeds that seemed so appealing.  Just so awesome to watch their activities!

So this little birdhouse caught my attention and just absolutely begged me to see it from my camera's point of view...which, of course, I did. I think I need to get another feeder and help those littlest of creatures in their efforts to live in this tough old world. 

Hummers 2

Update to my "Hummers" post...I now have my own feeder and I'm patiently staking out the territory to capture these incredibly interesting birds. The feeder went up late yesterday afternoon, so I really didn't have a good chance until today to start shooting.  Patience is, of course, the name of this game.  Here are a couple takes for today:

Hummers!!

All my life I've been fascinated with humming birds! So tiny, with wings that wave faster than the eye can see and such delicate precision to their eating!

Our neighbor has a hummingbird feeder and today I had the opportunity to stand and watch until I could capture a hummer on camera. Patience, focusing on the one spot in which this particular one kept hovering, waiting until it drank and then "stepped back" for a moment before diving in again...it was several minutes of trial and error to capture it. (ah-humm...NOW would be a great time for that Canon L series telephoto lens I've wanted for a lifetime!) There was a second hummer that kept barging in, and the two kept swapping swats with each other for food space.  They buzzed right by me, their wings singing loudly in a buzzy kind of way...awesome.

I'm going to get myself a feeder.  I need to be closer to these birds (since I don't have a telephoto lens) and I want to fine tune my capture of them on camera.  This will be a fun project!

Tagged

It happened today.  Well, truthfully, the official change was made two weeks ago, but schedules have not allowed us to complete the change until today.  I've only experienced this once earlier in my life, but this occurrence didn't impact me nearly as greatly as the first.

We're officially Missourians. Yep. Got the tag...or should I say TAGS...to prove it. Apparently, Missouri requires TWO tags on vehicles, both front and back.  What can I say?  I guess we'll be here awhile.

Magnificent Sunset

Since moving to Blue Eye in mid-January, the weather has been difficult to say the least. It's snowed...a LOT. Ice, too. And then came the incessant rain...rain...rain...rain.... get the picture?? Cold, damp, wet, just really miserable. Just this past Monday, May 2, I wore my winter coat to work again because the temps were so low!! I am SO ready for sandal weather!!

For the past two days the sun has shined and the temps have been a bit warmer. At least, I should say, warm enough not to wear a sweater or coat, but still not quite warm enough for sandals. Boo. My feet need to be free! Anyway. I worked late but once I got home and the sun began to set I just had to get away and capture a memento of this wonderful gold liquid we call sunlight. It was glorious, and the sky was afire with its warm glow.

It was the perfect end to a wonderful day.

Fine Art America

Very recently, I signed up with Fine Art America.  I heard about it through some of my photography forums and I thought to myself, "Wow...a place where I can be creative with my photos and maybe sell a few!"  If you've never heard of it, check it out.  The interface is simple and there are LOTS of wonderful people out there with super creative talent.

Check out these water photos for a glimpse into what the site is all about!

Evidence of Spring (aka, More Photo Therapy)

Stress is driving me to my camera...it's good therapy, takes my mind off troubles, and results in some interesting shots that may or may not be worthy of posting for sale, but is at least a record of my therapeutic endeavors!

I walked home from work today. It's about a mile or so but I was able to take my time and see and hear things I don't observe from the car. Lots of new growth coming in with spring now upon us...in spite of the cooler weather we've had. Everything is greening out and I for one am thankful that the bleakness of winter is almost past.

After I got home, I walked the dogs and then headed back to get my camera (can't walk them AND do photography at the same time!) to capture a few things I noticed.  Simple stuff, with no particular point of interest, but a reminder to me to take time to breathe and be thankful that God is in control of everything--even nature.  From the simplest of dandelions to the magnificent blue of the sky, EVERYTHING is in His more-than-capable, all-powerful hands.  Wow, I feel the stress just melting away...

Stress Reliever

Today was a particularly hard day at the office. Stress was at its highest peak since moving to Blue Eye and I escaped through doing some sight-seeing of our new home. My husband and I haven't had much opportunity to explore much of our new surroundings, so we grabbed a map and my camera and took off for parts unknown.

We had seen the signs for the State Park area and Table Rock Dam so we decided to go there. It was just beautiful riding through the Ozark Mountains, topping each rise and seeing the magnificence of the land.  Even though it was overcast and hazy, it was still gorgeous.

Here are a few shots I captured...when the sun shines again, I'm going back for more!

Sleepy Head

I don't have too much opportunity to capture photos of my baby Zoe as she is hardly ever still enough to catch really good shots of her.  But this morning, as I was getting dressed for work, she was still in the sleepy head state and I was able to take a few photos before she crawled out from under the covers.

Such a cutie pie...my baby girl...my sleepy head!

Spring is More Than Welcome

It's been a particularly cold winter this year. Moving to Missouri made it even more so, with all the snow and ice that seemed to last forever to this southern girl! This past Monday was officially the first day of spring, and the weather has been really nice...cool in the early morning and evening, but warm enough to go without a coat through the day. I'm ready for it to be warm again!

Everyone has told us that springtime is gorgeous in these hills. I'm already catching a glimpse of the colors to come...purple flowers (who knows what they are?) alongside the road, bright yellow flowers and pink ones...bursts of beautiful color everywhere! I can't wait to see what the landscape will be like in another couple weeks!

Here's my first offerings of spring. I hope to get more as the days pass by, but for now these will be a start.

Flowering Pear | Canon EOS 40D | EF 28-135 f/3.5-5.6 |  f/9 |  1/320 | ISO 200 | Focal Length 135.0 mm  

Magnolia at Night | Canon EOS 40D | EF 28-135 f/3.5-5.6 | f/5.6 | 1/50 | ISO 400 | Focal Length 90.0 mm

 Magnolias Grandeur |EOS 40D | EF 28-135 f/3.5-5.6 | f/7.1 | 1/320 | ISO 200 | Focal Length 65.0 mm

 Magnolias in Pink |Canon EOS 40D | EF 28-135 f/3.5-5.6 | f/7.1 | 1/640 | ISO 200 | Focal Length 47.0 mm

 Shadows on Silk | Canon EOS 40D | EF 28-135 f/3.5-5.6 | f/8 | 1/100 | ISO 200 | Focal Length 109.0 mm

Winter Wonderland 2

Today I woke to a beautiful, white, bright, cloudless day. The sun was glistening across the landscape, making the fallen snow from yesterday twinkle like glitter under its brilliant rays. It was a great day for photos, and after walking my "girls" I grabbed my camera and headed out.

What to select? It was all so beautiful to behold. I was fascinated by the snow accumulation on the tree branches...this Floridian had never this kind of snow before! Trudging through the fluffy whiteness, and being VERY careful where I placed my feet, I walked around just shooting what attracted me. The snow on the limbs, the rounded balls piled up like headless snowmen on the weedy shoots...everything that caught my eye was food for my camera.

Such wonder in the quietness of the hillside so early in the morning made me realize just how frail we as humans are and how majestic our God, who created such glorious beauty, is. It was a tremendous feeling to be out there alone, hearing the birds call and seeing the wonder of the landscape.

Just beautiful, I'm just saying.

All photos taken with a Canon EOS 40D with 28-135mm f/3.5--5.6 lens.

It's a Winter Wonderland!

It snowed again today. Much more than the first week we came. Sleet bouncing against the window woke me about 4:30 AM, and my hopes as I lay there listening to the sharp pings against the panes were that the power would not fail.

It's been a very blustery day. A mix of sleet and snow fell until around lunch, then turned to snow in the afternoon. As I walked my dogs, giving them a romp in the white stuff, the sound of the wind whipping through the ice-laden limbs was sharp and crackly. 17 degree temps took my breath away. The dogs paws made crunchy sounds as they walked through the snow. It was a great opportunity to get some shots, and I loved being out in the crisp, cold air!

It's been a beautiful winter day and I'm grateful that this winter storm that is supposed to make history has been, so far, gentler here in Blue Eye than was originally expected. My husband and I are Floridians, and as we've never witnessed snow or sleet to this degree, it has been interesting observing the weather as it changed moment by moment. The wind has kicked up something akin to dirt devils...or snow tornadoes...as it flurries furiously in circles. Ice hangs on the trees (and power lines), encasing the limbs in its frozen fingers. Icicles drip from any available surface, reminding us that the temperatures have been VERY COLD.

It's absolutely mesmerizing, absolutely gorgeous, and absolutely mysterious. It's a Winter Wonderland.


All photos taken with a Canon 40D with 28-135mm lens.