Hummingbird Picture Problems

I have spent part of the summer figuring out how to take a good photo of the hummingbirds that haunt the flowers and feeder. Aside from some easy still shots and a couple lucky flying fotos, I am being humbled into rookie status (again). I have come up with one main conspiracy theory about thoseContinue reading “Hummingbird Picture Problems”

Drought Effects

The bees are thirsty, the grass is dry and flowers that rely on rain are gone. The forests are a tinderbox and wildfires easily break out. Yesterday was clear because of the wind direction. As I write today, the air is filled with smoke from several wildfires a couple hundred miles north of us inContinue reading “Drought Effects”

BWCAW Adventure Expectations

Being it was not my first wilderness canoe adventure trip, I had some expectation baggage. Being human I pretend to have no baggage. I no sooner stepped out of the vehicle and said in my best drawl “well aaawl be, there’s mosquitoes, deer flies, horse flies and black flies here.” I slapped and flailed tillContinue reading “BWCAW Adventure Expectations”

Bring Your (Good) Camera

Yes, I totally understand if you skip my ramblings and go straight to the pictures. Life Lessons: Learned the easy way. I have a brother who claims he has learned most of the painful life lessons by watching his older brothers and then not doing that. The skeptic in me highly doubts that, even thoughContinue reading “Bring Your (Good) Camera”

Life Spice With a Hint of Eternity

Spice. a small dose is usually best. As in food, life needs spice or it gets quite bland.  So, I went fishing (so I could sample some fathers day spices on fish). I highly recommend this life spice (and the seasoning was great too). Then, I heard about a huge patch of Lady Slippers nearbyContinue reading “Life Spice With a Hint of Eternity”

Cold Beauty

I watched the cold foggy early morning come into the light. A magical fairyland I thought. One could just watch in awe at the transformation. The fog had rushed to form intricate crystals over everything. Odd. Something was odd, yet beautiful. I closed my morning reading, sipped my strong morning coffee brew and silently saidContinue reading “Cold Beauty”

Wintering In Spirit

How does one fight depression? I spend most winters slugging through a depression as do about 15% of the population. Right now I am waiting for the sun to peek out and quickly set from several days of moody weather. The clouds are lifting weather wise. My personal clouds seem to have settled in forContinue reading “Wintering In Spirit”

This Christmas, Take Good Pictures

This year (Day 1 ) we celebrated Thanksgiving with most of my siblings. Day 2 We went to a nephews wedding reception. Day 3 We celebrated Christmas early with our youngest and family.  Three continuous days of celebration during the seasons first big snowstorm. I brought my camera. I highly recommend taking purposeful pictures. Aside fromContinue reading “This Christmas, Take Good Pictures”

A Bird Fiasco

The rains came, wind gusts filled the porch, the end door blew open and something came in trying to wreck the place. The grill was banging like a bear was trying to wreck it. My blood pressure began to descend when I saw the bird. A grouse flapping everywhere. Those things are dangerous in flightContinue reading “A Bird Fiasco”

Getting Noticed

  I recently read (this morning actually) a passage on how much getting noticed meant to one man who has probably more influence than any of us could ever dream of doing. I have been thinking about it all day. With a billion people on social media (whatever the number is it’s lot) it seemsContinue reading “Getting Noticed”