Things no photographer ever wants to see:

I came across this sign while taking pictures along the gulf coast in Alabama. Needless to say.... It kinda freaked me out a bit!

The fact that the sun was going down and my wife wasn't going to pick me up for another hour didn't help any!!!

Have I told you that I love the fact that Ireland does not have any snakes (or alligators)?




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A follow up pic...

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a post for my mom....

I am really sad to see the warm summer months disappear. There really were a lot of things that I had intended to seek out and photograph... and thanks to the change of season, I am afraid that I have missed the opportunity. One ongoing photography project was my hunt for the perfect hummingbird photo. I don't really remember seeing hummingbirds when I was young, but both my parents' house and my in-laws' house were overrun with them this summer. These little creatures were fascinating to watch, and almost impossible to photograph. These little guys can beat their wings up to 80times a second, and don't stay in one place for very long. I really can't tell you how many out of focus pictures I took of them... but finally I was able to get a few that turned out well.







Here is the interesting thing... these sweet little birds are actually a bit on the vicious side. They are EXTREMELY territorial and will fight off any other hummingbird that tries to steel it's sweet nectar. My favorite spot at my in-laws' house was rocking chair on their front porch. I often (when the weather was still warm) sat here with a good book and watched the hummingbird fights. lol!








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Today's Random Pic. (bugs - part 2)

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Today's Random Pic...

This is what was going on beside me while the turkey was being fried.






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Drama on the deck...

Well... I have made it to my hometown for Thanksgiving!!! It is great to be back with my family... unfortunately - I think that I am getting sick. Yuck! Go figure - the moment I get to slow down...

So... I have taken it easy today in hopes that I might beat this sickness before it really beats me!

Today there has been a bit of drama around my parent's house. Around lunch time a small bird hit the window in the den (creating a loud thud and a cloud of small feathers). You would have to know just how much my mother loves and cares for the wild birds to know just how tragic this was! We quickly identified the bird ( with the help of google) as a Cedar Waxwing. We also learned that this little bird specializes in eating fruit (as opposed to seeds like most birds). Here is the kicker... apparently "the Cedar Waxwing is vulnerable to alcohol intoxication and death after eating fermented fruit". So... needless to say... we now know why the bird flew into the window! Lesson here: "Don't drink and fly"!


The whole experience was a bit upsetting to my little niece Brooke - who is two years old.
The little bird was still breathing... and moving a bit.... so (hour after hour) we kept checking on it... and kept cheering for it to survive. After several hours the little bird rolled over... eventually sat up... and then around sunset flew off!






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A few SCARY pics.... for tonight...

I don't know why... but this cat really creeped me out.
(taken on my parent's road)






(taken on my parent's road)






(taken at my dad's fishing spot)




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Today's Random Pic...

I hate this time of year....

Well... I don't really hate this time of year... I just hate what comes this time of year. I had completely forgotten about the fact that every year (about this time) the Love Bugs come out. Now, for those of you who don't know, a Love Bug is not Hurbie car/Volkswagen! Love Bugs are little black flying bugs that come in hovering swarms all across the deepest parts of the South along the gulf coast. It goes by different cute names (honeymoon fly, telephonebug, kissybug or double-headedbug). It is not, however, a cute bug! They don't bite (thank goodness!), but do love to land on you and crawl around. These little black devils float and drift on breeze of these last summer days all the while copulating with its mate, hence its numerous romantic nicknames. The two bugs attach to each others hind quarters and remain that way for the rest of their lives. Even after the male dies the female holds on to him and continues to drift in the air. It is truly disgusting to see all of the dead bugs gathered at doors/windows and on the fronts of cars. I have tried to get some pictures for you but these were the best that I could get. Enjoy!












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Today's Random Pic... (Bugs pt.1)

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Today's Random Pic...

Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea.... not really....







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The results:

Dad with his prize fish...







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Today's Random Pic...

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What was that?

This year was very different in other ways....

We all noticed the purple flag flying on the first day but didn't really think that it was a big deal. Someone said it meant that there were a lot of jellyfish in the water. This turned out to be a fact... but it turns out that the purple flag really means that there are 'dangerous marine life' present.

Early on the first full day we saw the first one... I saw the large dark shadow swimming parallel to the beach while we were walking/looking for shells. It had to have been about three feet long... and there was no doubt that it was a shark! I was a little way down from my family and had my niece (Laura Beth) with me. It was really a strange site to see. I didn't hear the 'Jaws' music, but I did instantly start screaming "SHARK! SHARK!!" and grabbed Laura Beth to keep her out of the water. It all happened so quickly that I didn't even have time to think about taking a picture. As it turns out, shark spottings turned out to be a rather common experience. We even counted up to 15 one morning.
















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